Surprise Visit

Libby & Barth

Entering the same bar where she'd met up with Barth two nights before, Libby was very nervous. Not that HE made her nervous, but she was very anxious to find out something about him to give to Richie before the week was out, as she'd promised.

This time, she took a small table in the corner. She'd worn a slinky blue dress, still intending to keep up the pretense of being interested if he was here.

She saw him immediately. Sitting at the bar with a sexy brunette, he was leaning toward the woman very intimately. The waitress brought Libby's drink and for a few minutes, she sat watching Barth out of the corner of her eye.

His hair and beard were very dark. His face had a dark look as well. As though he had a lot of secrets to keep, she thought to herself. Silently, Libby compared him to Richie.

To Richie's soft, light brown hair and clean shaven good looks. That soft brown hair that she had run her fingers through so many times, and that face that she'd kissed so often. Was it beginning to feel warm in here?

Sighing, she took a sip of her drink. She had to stop thinking about Richie and keep her mind on business here. Just then, she saw Barth looking straight at her! She locked eyes with him and smiled at him, but he looked away and back to the woman who was sitting with him.

Libby sat at the table having drinks until 11:00. Finally, she gave up on finding out anything about him. The brunette seemed to have his full attention. He'd probably be taking her home later, so tonight had been a waste.

The waitress brought her check and, on a whim, Libby asked her about Barth, sure she wouldn't learn anything. "Know anything about that good-looking guy at the bar? The dark guy with the beard?"

To Libby's surprise, the waitress replied, with a touch of sarcasm, "You mean Barth? Not much. Just that his name's Barth Madison. Oh, yeah- He's got a boat down at the marina. Lives there, I think."

She took Libby's money and snorted slightly, "Look, honey, if you're interested in Barth you'll have to get in line! He's got the women falling all over him. Never spends more than one night with any of 'em, I hear."

Libby thanked the woman and left, feeling eyes on her as she went out the door. Knowing they had to be his, she shivered. Drove home feeling her skin prickle all the way back to the Glen.

At home, she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the sofa, still wearing the blue dress. God, she was tired! All day at the paper and then several hours in Coffs watching Barth had exhausted her. She drifted off, waking sometime later when she heard a knock at the front door.

Opening it, barefoot and still in the slinky dress, she was amazed to see the man she'd been watching a little while ago.

Barth leaned on the door jam with a smile in his eyes that didn’t quite make it to his lips. She’d been eyeing him all night she shouldn’t be surprised to see him, “Hey there…Libby” he grinned. Yes he knew her name, he’d done a little investigating of his own.

“Did you wear that dress for me tonight honey? Sorry but I was already spoken for.” He looked down at the watch on his wrist, “But it’s tomorrow now…I’m all yours.”

Libby was taken aback to see him, and to hear him call her by name. And now, he was finally making her a little nervous. But she had a temper too, and his words made her angry.

"No, I didn't wear this dress for you. There were other men in that bar too, you know!" She stared at him. "How did you find out my name? And how dare you come to my house?"

“You’ve got a nice little place here,” he brushed by her into the house. “You were easy to find Libby, no problem at all. Why were you slumming down in Coffs tonight…looking for me?” He fixed her with a blue eyed look. “If I’d known you were coming I’d have made myself available.”

"Well, I would have called, but you never gave me your phone number." Libby put all the sarcasm she could muster into her voice. She wouldn't show this man any fear. "In fact, you never told me anything. Not even your name. Foster." She used the name he had given her the first time she'd seen him in the bar.

"And I'm sorry, but I don't remember inviting you in." She was still holding the door open, pointedly.

“You didn’t have to invite me in, your eyes have been inviting me all night long. Let’s cut the bullshit honey, you know who I am and I know who you are the thing is…why would you want to know me?” He leaned close to her and pushed the door shut.

“I was engaged tonight with a sweet little thing from Perth, sorry about that but I noticed you noticing. I’m at your service Libby Tyler.” He was close enough to kiss her but he didn’t he moved back a little and fixed her with a look. A little menacing but also provocative.

Libby was startled when he pushed the door closed, wrenching it out of her hand as he did. "Well, then, maybe you should just go back to your 'sweet little thing from Perth'," she suggested. "Having gotten to know you a little better, I'm not really interested."

“Really, when did you get to know me better. I don’t think you know me at all…but I think you want to…I’m just not sure why.” He walked into her living room and sat down on her sofa. Crossed his leg and looked up at her.

What the hell was this guy doing just making himself at home in her house? This had gotten out of hand. Libby wished Frank were here. She looked longingly at the phone, thinking of calling him for help. But no, she wanted to handle this on her own. To show him that she could.

Still standing, she uneasily eyed the man on her sofa. "Well, then- If you're so convinced I want to know you better, why don't you tell me a little about yourself? Barth." She used his real name for the first time.

“Huh uh, you came looking for me, I know so don’t deny it, you came into the bar the first time and asked about me by name. Now a bloke has to wonder how a hot shot reporter for the Glen Times knows Barth from Coffs, some out of the way pub nobody in the right mind looks up and you walk into it and ask about Barth…” he tilted his head and smiled.

No way would she tell him the real story. It might put Richie in danger somehow and she'd never do that. So, sighing, she finally said. "Well, I guess I don't have any choice but to tell you."

"I wanted to do a story for the paper on drug smuggling in the area. During my background research, I heard that a lot of it comes in on small boats through the harbor in Coffs." She met his eyes. It was a plausible story and one he could believe.

"I know Travis McGee who has a boat there and he gave me the names of a few people who live there on their boats, including you. Not that I think you're involved in that," she added hastily, seeing his look. "I just thought that, living there, you might have seen or heard something..." She trailed off.

He sat back and looked at her for a moment playing with the buckle on his black boot, “That almost sounds reasonable except you mentioned Travis McGee, he don’t know me from dirt. I know who he is and where his big yacht is anchored, I ain’t even on the same dock as him. I am way down the totem pole from McGee. I don’t know nothing about any drug smuggling, that ain’t my thing.” He smiled broadly, “Try it again sweetheart.” He was actually enjoying this. He could see her discomfort and her efforts to come up with a story that made sense. His eyes traveled up and down the slinky dress and bare feet, he smiled again.

Now Libby's temper took firm hold of her, and she forgot her fear. She would NOT tell this man about Richie. Not even if he tortured her.

"I will NOT 'try it again'!" she told him hotly. "You can either tell me something about yourself or you can get out of my house and leave me alone! Those are your choices, mister, and that's it!"

Her temper had now had it's say and she wondered if she had gone too far with this man. Exactly how dangerous was he?

Barth couldn’t figure her out one minute she was coming on to him and the next she was mad at him. “What exactly is it you want to know about me Libby Tyler?” He hadn’t moved from the sofa.

Libby studied him for a moment. What DID she want to know? What did Richie want to know that she could ask that wouldn't put Barth off and make him angry?

"Where are you from?" she asked quietly.

“Sydney,” he smiled a little, “Where is it you’re from in the States?”

"Kansas," Libby told him. "Kansas City, actually."

The man actually looked nice when he smiled, she thought to herself. When it was a genuine smile and wasn't trying to throw somebody off. Not half as menacing as he usually looked.

"You grew up in Sydney?" She was trying to keep the conversation going.

“Yeah,” he ran his hand through his still damp hair from the shower he’d taken before dropping of the little Perth girl. “Typical middle class neighborhood. Typical middle class kid, nothing outstanding.” He relaxed a little still curious about her and her motives but it was late, it had been a long day for him.

"So, what are you doing living on a boat now? Just hanging out at the harbor all the time?" Libby leaned back a little, but stayed on the alert. After all, the man HAD pushed his way into her house.

“I live on it because I own it, it suits me…no yard work like you’ve got here, and if I don’t like my neighbors I can just sail away.” His eyes met hers for a minute, “Maybe you’d like to go for a sail one day.” He said it quietly and simply, an invitation…if she was really interested in him or something else it was the something else that kept bothering him. “How did you know my name?”

"I probably shouldn't say." She grinned at him. "A woman told me and I wouldn't want to get her in trouble with you by telling you who she is."

Libby waited a beat and then said, "And yes, I might like to go for a sail one day." That ought to keep him interested and keep him talking, she thought to herself.

He tilted his head and grinned back, “Yeah…would you really… maybe you’d like to go tonight, sleeping quarters are kinda tight but I don’t think you’d mind that. I know I wouldn’t. You’ll need to change clothes though…wouldn’t want to get that hot dress wet now would we?

"Tonight?" She hadn't expected that! "Uh- Tonight just wouldn't be possible- I, uh, hafta be at work in the morning."

“No you don’t,” he shifted on the sofa, “you only work part time at the paper now. It’s nice sailing at night, it’s quiet and you don’t see anybody else out there…makes you feel like you’re the only one left in the world…sometimes that’s kinda nice ya know?” He looked at her for a minute, “are you coming with me or not?”

How the hell was she supposed to get out of this? Libby didn't know what to do. She'd led him to believe she was interested and now he did.

Reaching desperately, she told him, "I, uh- I can't just go off with you like this at midnight. I don't know you!"

“You know enough and by the end of the night you’ll know me real well…that’ s what you wanted…to get to know me…right?”

"Right." Libby was thinking furiously. She'd go upstairs and change. Call Frank while she was out of earshot and let him know what was going on. He could come and stop them from ever getting on that boat.

Her mind made up and things figured out, she told Barth. "Okay. You're on. I'll run up and change. It'll only take me a few minutes."

Barth stood up, “which way is your bedroom…”

"My bedroom?! I'm going up there to change. I don't need an audience for it!" His voice had halted her on her way to the stairs.

He came up behind her, “You might not need an audience but I’d like to watch…just for my own pleasure…know what I mean?” He didn’t trust her out of his sight.

"Sorry," she told him firmly, in a no-nonsense voice. "I don't put on a show for men in my bedroom."

“Well that’s too bad, I’ll bet you could really put on a show..” He thought about the best thing to do, he could just haul her out of the door to his truck, or let her go upstairs where she’d contact whoever it was she was working with or for. “Okay honey go ahead and change, I’ll be waiting for you and be quick about it or I’ll have to come up and help.”

Libby knew Barth meant what he said about being quick. Grabbing jeans and a shirt, she dialed Frank's cell number while she was changing. Got his voice mail. Dammit! Hanging up, she dialed again, hoping he was just momentarily distracted. Voice mail again.

Speaking quietly but urgently she left a message. "Frank, it's Libby. As soon as I get this I need your help. It's with a case. Don't have time to explain right now, but I'm on my way to the harbor in Coffs with a man named Barth Madison. Richie knows who he is. He gave me the case. Please get there right away, as soon as you can. You need to keep us from getting on that boat. Please hurry and-" She stopped, whirling around as her bedroom door opened.

“See I knew you needed help dressing,” he took the phone from her and tossed across the room. Taking her by the arms in front of him he marched her out of the room, “you and me are going for a ride, honey.” He spoke low and seriously and held on to her until he got to his truck. He grabbed her around the arms with one arm and opened the truck door and put her inside. “Don’t even think about moving.” He said and went around to his side of the truck and started the motor, kicking up gravel he headed for the highway and Coffs marina.