Double Doublecross by James Saunders Page B

again.
    â€œJust one more thing. Put some of my clothes in the bag, and make sure it’s bulging. Okay? And take it with you. Don’t let it out of your sight. Also, tie a yellow ribbon on the handle. Do it immediately so you don’t forget. It’s very important. That’s it. I’ll talk to you later,” he said and rang off before she could say a word to him.
    She didn’t know what to make of this request. He had plenty of clothes in his Seattle apartment. Maybe he was going on a long trip. ‘Yes, that was it,’ she thought. ‘He’s going on a long trip.’
    She went straight back to the apartment and filled the bag with Carl’s clothes. At the same time she filled herown suitcases, inspected the condominium for any of her possessions, then she tied the pieces of yellow ribbon around each piece of luggage making it easy to identify. Putting the luggage by the front door, she went back for her laptop and did a final inspection, picking up a bar of her scented soap from the soap dish that was in the bathroom.
    Looking around the apartment, she was sure there was no trace of her having lived there. She was now ready to leave and decided now was the time to call Rick and let him know she was ready to move in. She was still nervous about the move and the whole situation, especially Carl’s attitude and instructions.
    On her way out she waved a hand at Bill Janson, gave him a brief smile, and continued on her way to the car. Janson stared after her, wondering where she was going with some of her suitcases stacked on the rear seat of the car. ‘Going away for the holidays,’ he mused, ’must be for a long time. She’s taking a lot of luggage with her.’
    Threading her way through the traffic, she decided to stop off at the local restaurant for breakfast and a cup of coffee. She was certain Rick would be busy at that time of the day. She wanted some time to think about her move and retrace her thoughts on Carl’s comments regarding the request for her to move out of the apartment at such short notice. ‘What the hell was he up to,’ she wondered.
    In the meantime, Rick was talking to Janet Hughes who had called him and said that her husband Tom had forgotten to tell Rick that they had already sold their house. They would be finalizing the deal at the end of January, plus they were already qualified for a loan in order to buy a house in the area. This encouraged Rick, and he decided to double his effort to find them a house to their liking. If he couldfind them a place, the commission would help carry Stan and himself through another month.
    He began to think about Sara and when it would be most suitable for her to move in. That evening would be fine. Maybe she’ll call later, but how could he let her know without giving away the fact he already had her telephone number.
    At that very moment, Sara appeared at the office door, smiling. Rick introduced her to Stan and Pat James, then led her to his office and closed the door.
    â€œRick, I’m ready to move in. I hope I haven’t caught you at an awkward time. My suitcases are on the back seat of the car. I can move in now if it’s convenient for you.”
    â€œThat’s okay. Now is fine with me. I’ll just tell Stan I’ll be out of the office for a while, then we can go over to the house and get you settled in. Have you had lunch yet? It’s about that time of day.”
    â€œThat’s okay, Rick. I’ve just had a late breakfast so I’m not hungry, but don’t let me stop you from grabbing something.”
    He pondered for a brief second and then said, “No problem. Food can wait. Come on. Let’s go.”
    She followed him out of the parking lot through the winding lanes to Rick’s house. Sara looked in awe at the low ranch style house with its manicured garden and circular driveway.
    She had been brought up in a small house in the suburbs