Semiautomatic Marriage

He tried to read her reaction as she walked slowly toward him, and steeled himself for a brisk rebuttal or an ice-cold glare. What he never expected in a million years was for her to give him a bright, welcoming smile.

As she moved to his side, she said, “How sweet of you, darling.”

When she slipped a possessive arm through his, Adam had trouble masking his astonishment. Was this the same woman he dropped off only a few hours ago?

“I was just talking about you and our whirlwind courtship,” Carolyn continued, still smiling. “Rosie, meet Adam Lawrence, my fiancé.”

Rosie gave him a frank, measuring look. “I can’t believe this.”

Neither can I, Adam admitted silently, thankful for the experience he’d had in shifting his perspective on a second’s notice. Smiling pleasantly, he said, “Nice to meet you, Rosie.”

“Likewise, but I tell you, this is a doozy of a surprise. Imagine Carolyn keeping something like this a secret! I’ve been telling her she should be looking around for someone to keep her tootsies warm at night, but every time I tried to line up some available guy, she’d give me that ‘Cool it, Rosie,’ look. Now I know why. Are you from around here, Adam?” she asked, and added pointedly, “What do you do?”

Adam sensed Carolyn stiffen. Her muscles tensed as if she was going to try to answer. Before she could, Adam said smoothly, “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain what I do, Rosie. I guess you could say my title is corporation efficiency expert. What that means is various companies hire me to take a look at their operations and see how I can streamline them. That’s why I’m in Seattle, cleaning up the various corporate businesses in this area.”

As he talked, he squeezed Carolyn’s arm reassuringly. Undoubtedly, she was as surprised as Rosie to hear the lies rolling off his tongue. Fortunately the agency had set up this cover before he left Washington. The false identity would provide a reasonable excuse for examining the inner workings of Horizon if Carolyn’s cooperation provided him with the entrance he needed.

“He’s originally from New Mexico,” Carolyn volunteered, beginning to play her part with an ease that totally surprised her.

“Really? A lot of my family are from that part of the country. There are DiPaloas all over the Southwest. Maybe you’ve run into some of them.”

“We’ll have to compare notes sometime,” Adam answered smoothly.

“Carolyn, I thought your life was nothing but study, study, work and more work. You never once hinted there was a handsome Romeo in the picture.”

“I was waiting until after graduation to tell you. That’s why I’m not wearing a ring. But now, we’re ready to tell everyone, aren’t we, darling?”

“Yes, it’s time everyone knew,” he concurred readily. The glint in her eye told him she was enjoying challenging him to carry out the deception exactly as he’d proposed. “I’ve got a nice evening planned for us, sweetheart. Kind of a private celebration. Dinner, maybe dancing, and then…” He let his voice trail off suggestively.

“Sounds lovely,” she murmured, but he could see the color rise in her cheeks, and she squeezed his arm as if she wished it was his neck.

“Wait’ll I get home and tell the family you’re getting married, Carolyn. You’ll have to bring Adam over for closer inspection. I know there’ll be a lot of questions about the wedding and everything. You’ll make a beautiful bride.” She beamed at Carolyn, her eyes suddenly misty.

“Yes, she will,” Adam said quickly, afraid that if Rosie started asking about their wedding plans, Carolyn would blurt out the truth. He didn’t know what had happened to make her agree to the pretense, but he suspected from her sudden rigidity that she was having second thoughts. The talk about a wedding had brought up some issues she was not ready to handle.

“We’re going to be pretty busy, I’m afraid,” Adam said quickly and as smoothly as he could.

“I don’t suppose you’ll be continuing here at the clinic, Carolyn.” Rosie sighed. “Dr. McPherson isn’t going to be happy.”

“I’ll try to find someone to take my place,” Carolyn promised. Responding to Adam’s firm hold on her arm, she said something vague about calling later. As they walked away, she felt Rosie’s measuring glance on them and wondered if her friend had bought the preposterous lie.

The early-evening sky was clearing and the air was brisk and fresh as they climbed into his car. Adam didn’t turn on the ignition immediately. He couldn’t tell from the way Carolyn’s jaw was clenched whether she was angry or just about to cry.

“I can’t do it,” she said in a strained voice. Her lower lip quivered, and he could see that her hands were clasped tightly together on her lap. “I wanted to, but I can’t.”

He couldn’t imagine what had happened to cause her to look so tortured, so filled with anguish. He wanted to put his arm around her, draw her close and ease that anguish, but suppressed the impulse. This was no time to offer anything until he found out where she was coming from. The way he handled the next few moments might well determine her decision to play out the deception or stop it before it had gone any further.

He turned in the seat, gave her all his attention and waited for her to go on. When she remained silent, he asked gently, “What happened, Carolyn?”

She didn’t look at him, but he could see the struggle going on within her. The rapid rise and fall of her chest was proof that she was fighting some deep emotion. He was relieved when she finally turned to him. She kept her hands tightly clasped in her lap as she told him about the young Mexican couple and their sick baby.

“I explained that the baby had strep throat that could be healed with antibiotics. When I was about to offer them a bottle of pills with the Horizon label, the horror of black-market drugs suddenly became real. I felt a stab of fear. What if the bottles I held in my hand had come from some illegal source? What if the pills were contaminated?” She raised pain-stricken eyes to his. “What if the parents gave them to their baby in good faith?”

“The baby might die,” he answered evenly.

“And it would be my fault.”

“Not if you didn’t know they were contaminated. A lot of innocent people are buying and dispensing these drugs. It is the suppliers who are guilty. They deliberately put these unapproved drugs on the market. The only place to stop them is at the source, Carolyn.”

“Like Horizon Pharmaceuticals,” she echoed in a strained voice.

“Yes, which is what my investigation is all about. And that’s why I’ve come to you for help.”

Her lip trembled “I want to turn my back on all of this, but how can I live with myself if I don’t do what you ask?”

“That’s a question I can’t answer.”

She sighed. “When I looked at that baby, saw the trust the young couple had in me, I guess I knew the answer. I didn’t have a choice, not if I wanted to live with my conscience.” Her head came up. “And that’s why I lied to Rosie.”

He reached over and took her hand. “You made the right decision. I promise you you’ll never regret it.” He silently prayed that he could keep her on the edge of his investigation and out of danger.

She swallowed hard. “But I don’t know if I can do it. Lies. Lies. Rosie’s my only friend. She’s excited about my having found someone to marry. It’s all such a sham! I hate being deceitful.”

“I don’t like it, either, and I’ve tried to figure out other ways to conduct the investigation but came up empty. Unless I can get on the inside of Horizon, this horrible traffic will continue.” His eyes hardened. “And God only knows how many more will die.” Like Marietta.

A weighted silence stretched between them until she mentally shook herself and asked, “All right. What happens next?”

He searched her face for a long minute, then smiled and said, “Dinner.”

They drove to a small restaurant that overlooked Lake Washington. Carolyn had never been there before, and she was relieved to see that it was a low-key, family-owned establishment that offered a modest menu.

“I found it when I was looking for a home-cooked meal,” Adam volunteered when they were seated by a window with brightly colored café curtains.

Even though Carolyn had missed lunch, she had little appetite. She ordered a seafood salad, while Adam opted for roast beef, mashed potatoes and peas. As she sipped a glass of white wine, she was grateful that his easy conversation didn’t demand any forced participation. He seemed to know that small talk was all she could handle while she collected her thoughts. It wasn’t until she was nearly finished with her salad that she felt like asking some nagging questions.

“Is it really true that you’re from New Mexico?”

“Of course it’s true. Would I lie?” he asked in mock indignation.

“Only with every other breath,” she said, returning his teasing smile. “All that stuff about you being an efficiency expert. You expect people to believe that?”

“It’s the best cover we could come up with. I needed an identity that would allow me to examine everything inherent in Horizon’s production and sale of pharmaceutical drugs. I think the cover will work. With your cooperation, of course.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“I’d be lying if I promised you a hundred-percent guarantee of success. There are myriad ways that the whole thing could fall apart. That’s why both of us will have to watch our steps carefully.”

She tensed. “I’ve never been very good at make-believe. What if I foul up?”