Free Eden's Dream by Marcia King-Gamble Page A

leery.
    Now where had she gotten such a crazy idea? Eden chuckled nervously, her mouth refusing to formulate words. Seconds later she said, “Noel’s my next-door neighbor, Mom. He comes by to help me every now and then.” She quickly shifted gears. “So how are things at home?”
    An interminable number of seconds passed before her mother answered. Eden exhaled when the talk turned to family. Then out of the blue her mother said, “Eden, I went to the post office to pick up your mail like you asked me to. It was mostly junk except for one yellow slip. I signed for the registered letter. I thought you’d want me to.”
    The idea of certified mail immediately put Eden on edge. “Who’s it from?”
    â€œYour job, I think. The envelope’s got Pelican’s address. Want me to open it?”
    â€œSure.”
    Eden wrapped the cord of the receiver tightly around her fists and eased into a nearby chair. What now?
    Through the earphone she heard the rustle of paper and a harrumphing sound as her mother cleared her throat.
    â€œPelican wants to know when you’re coming back to work.”
    Eden had expected something like that, except not this soon. The last note from her doctor had granted an indefinite leave of absence, but she’d known at some point Pelican would pin her down to a definite date. Sinclair Morgan, her boss, had been extremely accommodating so far. That goodwill obviously couldn’t go on forever.
    â€œWhat exactly does the note say, and who signed it?” Eden asked.
    Her mother read it to her, summarizing with, “You need to call to arrange a physical. It’s signed by the director of human resources and your boss is copied.” Eden expelled the breath she’d been holding. The requisite form letter. She’d call her doctor before contacting Sinclair. That should buy her at least another month.
    â€œI’ll handle it, Mom,” she hastened to reassure.
    After more chitchat, the conversation ended, Eden picked up one of the huge envelopes Lori had sent her and headed for the bedroom.

    N oel snapped his laptop closed and wearily wiped his eyes. He’d had difficulty concentrating ever since Eden had received that bizarre phone call. No stranger to threats himself, the call bothered him. Was Eden a target now?
    He massaged his aching temples, playing back what he’d been through over the past few months. He’d been forced into hiding after the last attempt on his life. The threats had begun when he’d started asking questions about the Pelican Air crash. Then when he’d appeared on the news and done the talk-show circuit, they’d escalated to more than warnings. He’d actually begun to fear for his life.
    At one point a letter bomb had been sent to his home. Thank God he’d been smart enough not to open an envelope with no return address. He’d been shot at, narrowly escaped being run over by a car, and the plane he owned with a couple of buddies had been sabotaged. Hell, they’d even killed his cat. More and more this house on Mercer Island had become a welcomed refuge. As an added bonus, he’d been able to rent the house right next door to the woman who might help put those elusive pieces of the Pelican crash together.
    He’d moved to Washington State by design, betting that Eden Sommers would soon follow. She’d been described as the gorgeous fiancée of the pilot who’d crashed that plane, and he’d hoped to worm his way into her confidence.
    Noel’s interest had piqued after reading a newspaper article in which Eden was purported to be the last person Rodney Joyner had spoken to before he died. The pilot’s last words could easily reveal his state of mind. Noel had convinced his friends to do a background check on her, and learned about the house she’d inherited. When she’d dropped out of sight, he’d known she would eventually show up like a