Watching Closely

Frank Parker

Sipping his drink at the little outdoor cafe table, Frank Parker saw Liana Wade come out of the grocery store and get into her blue Toyota Land Cruiser. He knew she was probably heading home but, just in case, he called one of the two men who were working with him and told him to follow her and report back if she stopped anywhere on the way.

He'd been flipping through the newspaper all morning as he watched Ben's wife running her errands in the Glen stores. She'd gone to the bank and to the cleaners. She'd probably spent a good two hours in Barrett's, looking first through all the baby things, then stopping off to look at books on her way to the checkout. Now, after thirty minutes in the grocery store run by the Braddocks, she'd loaded three bags of groceries in the car and headed for home.

Parker shook his head slightly. A little homebody. That's what Liana appeared to be. Someone who liked cooking and cleaning and taking care of her family. Ben had himself a pretty little lady there. Someone like her married to Ben Wade? Parker was amazed.

Ben was worried someone from his past might be after her. He wanted her watched and taken care of, all without her knowledge. After two days of watching, neither Parker or his men had seen anything out of the ordinary. That didn't mean they wouldn't, though, Parker thought to himself. There were some nasty characters in Wade's past. Having been part of it himself, Parker had first-hand knowledge.

Then, the very back page of the paper caught his eye. Parker nearly choked on his coffee. Sid Harbor running for mayor!