Xavier

by Miranda P. Charles

  Ross Anton caught him staring as two detectives led him to an unmarked police car. “Xavier! I didn’t kill anyone. Yes, I stole, but I’m not a murderer. You have to believe me before it’s too late.”

  “Too late for what, Ross?” he asked in a bored tone, not surprised that the man was trying to save his ass. Ross was narcissistic enough to believe he could get away with anything.

  “Mr. Anton, you’ve been cautioned about your rights,” Detective Swanson said.

  Ross glared at the detective. “If you believe I’m the one responsible for killing all those people, then you won’t be looking for the puppet master! He could very well go after everyone involved in my arrest. Everyone who’s here today! Even Xavier’s parents could be in danger.”

  “Leave my parents out of this,” Xavier said coldly.

  “But they’re my business partners!”

  “They know nothing about who you really are and what you’ve done.”

  “They might have been clueless about me, but that won’t protect them. The puppet master is as paranoid as he is ruthless. He won’t hesitate to get rid of anyone involved with me, now that I’m in police custody.”

  “Mr. Anton,” Detective Swanson said with impatience. “You’ll make things easier for yourself if you tell us who this supposed puppet master is.”

  “I already told you, I’m not going to say his name until I’m guaranteed complete protection by the police. And I bet you you’ll want to make a deal with me. He’s one of the most cunning and sickest criminals you could ever know.”

  “We’ll see,” Swanson said, making to close the car door.

  Ross leaned sideways to prevent it from shutting. “I have the right to contact a relative or a friend, right?”

  “Yes, you can do that at the station.”

  “I’d like Xavier to be my call-a-friend. Give me a couple of minutes of privacy with him, then I’ll tell you who the puppet master is.”

  Swanson narrowed her eyes.

  Ross sighed. “I want to apologise to Xavier’s parents, and he can deliver my message to them. Gerald and Adele have been good friends to me. I don’t want them thinking I’ve stolen from them or messed with the business.”

  Swanson exchanged a glance with Detective Harris before raising her eyebrows at Xavier.

  Xavier shrugged. “If he’s going to tell us who the puppet master is—if there’s really a puppet master—then I’m fine with it.”

  Swanson nodded, opening the back window before closing the door. “When we come back, you’ll give us his name,” she warned Ross before she and Harris walked away.

  Xavier stared at Ross impassively. He had no idea what was going on in the man’s mind, but he doubted Ross suddenly felt sorry for all his misdeeds.

  “I need your help,” Ross whispered, glancing furtively at the detectives’ retreating backs.

  Xavier laughed dryly. “Seriously? But I don’t know how to pick handcuffs yet.”

  “Listen to me! The puppet master is one motherfucker named Eugene Barker, and the police—”

  “Eugene Barker?” Xavier asked sharply. He’d heard of the man. Barker’s face had been all over the news over a year ago, when he’d somehow escaped from police custody while being transferred to a maximum-security prison. He was a wanted man in several countries, reportedly heading multiple international crime syndicates involved in money laundering, white-collar crimes and artwork trafficking. Most chilling of all, he apparently left a lot of dead bodies in his wake.

  Ross sat up straighter, his gaze intense. “I know you’ve heard of him, so listen and listen well. I’m sure the police will offer me a deal in exchange for more information about Barker, since they’re so desperate to catch him. But just because I’ll have police protection doesn’t mean I’ll be safe. He’s got minions in and out of jail. He could get me there too. And I’m telling you, Xavier, it will only be a matter of time before he sets his sights on your family. He’ll off people if he suspects they could be a threat to him. He needs to be caught.”

  “You should have given him up much earlier, then, shouldn’t you?”

  Ross shook his head. “I was too scared. He would have killed me without warning if he even had a sniff of me wanting to go to the police. But now, I don’t have any other choice. For all our sakes, Barker has to be found. He’ll start hiding again now. He knows how to disappear into thin air.”

  Xavier frowned at Ross, taking in what the man was saying. The puppet master was the Eugene Barker? Damn.

  “But I’ve heard of people who are also after Eugene Barker,” Ross said conspiratorially. “They’ve been instrumental in getting some of Barker’s men caught, even if the police are too arrogant to admit that fact. I’m happy to give them details about Barker too, so they or the police can catch the bastard once and for all. They’re not easy to find, but I have info on how you can get in touch with them.”

  Xavier snorted. “Me? Are you kidding me? You want me to act as a go-between for you and some… what… vigilantes?”

  “Yes! Consider this. Police from here, the US, Canada, the UK, Germany—they’ve been searching for Barker for years. Years, Xavier. And the one time our police managed to get him, he escaped. So frankly, I don’t want to rest my hopes on the police. We need the Indie Rebels’ help.”

  “Indie Rebels?”

  “That’s what they’re called.”

  Xavier shook his head. “I don’t think I should trust anything coming out of your mouth right now. I think you’re just trying to trick me into doing something for you.”

  “I’m not!” Ross insisted. “I’m telling you that the police have proven to be inept when it comes to getting Barker. We could all be dead before they even turn up at the scene of the crime.”

  Xavier inhaled sharply, an image of Gail flashing in his mind. He knew damned well what it meant for the police to arrive too late.

  “Everything okay here?” Detective Harris asked as he and his partner returned.

  “Ross has a name for you,” Xavier quipped.

  “Give it up,” Harris said, looking inside the car window.

  Ross’s lips curved mirthlessly. “Eugene Barker.”

  Harris shot Swanson a startled glance.

  “I’ll tell you everything I know,” Ross said, “as long as it doesn’t come out that I’ve ratted him out.”

  “How much do you know?”

  “A lot. And that’s all I’m saying until I talk to my lawyer.”

  Harris glared at the captive, then opened the car door to close the window.

  Swanson motioned for Xavier to move away from the vehicle. “Thank you. We weren’t expecting this at all. But if Ross is telling the truth, then you guys do have to be careful. Once Barker learns that Ross is in custody, he might start looking at the people close to Ross—including your parents.”

  “But why?”

  “If Ross does know a lot about Barker, then Barker might get nervous that we’ve got Ross. Not to scare you, but Barker’s well-known for shutting up people who he thinks might have information that could be detrimental to his syndicate.”

  Xavier raked his hair. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Detective. But why on earth are the police having a hard time catching this man?”

  Swanson sighed. “He’s a master at hiding. He has a lot of cronies. Mind you, we’ve already caught some of his partners, but he’s always been one step ahead. He’s definitely not someone to be underestimated. Anyway, we’ll be in touch again soon. We need to talk to Ross more. In the meantime, I suggest you don’t talk about Eugene Barker’s supposed connection with Ross to anyone. That could help ensure you don’t get onto Barker’s radar.”

  “Okay. Have you heard of the Indie Rebels?”

  Swanson frowned. “What do you know about them?”

  “I’ve never heard of them until Ross mentioned them just now. He said they’ve helped you guys catch some of Barker’s people.”

  “The Indie Rebels are a vigilante gang
, Xavier,” Swanson warned. “Stay well away from them. Don’t believe that they can do a better job than the police—because they can’t. Now, what else did Ross say about them?”

  “That’s it. He said he doesn’t know anyone from the group, that’s why he wants me to find them.”

  “Well, ignore Ross. We’ll deal with him. And if you find out anything about the Indie Rebels, let me know. We don’t want them taking matters into their own hands.”

  Xavier nodded, refraining from mentioning that Ross appeared to know how to contact the Indie Rebels. Instinct told him it was better to keep that information to himself.

  Xavier was startled by the tapping on his office window, pulling him out of his thoughts. One of his customers was waving at him.

  He smiled and waved back, then went to sit in his chair.

  He hadn’t heard anything from the police that their arrangement with Ross Anton had been broken or cancelled. As far as he knew, the police were still pretending that Ross had not revealed his connection to Barker to anyone.

  Had Barker stopped buying that story? Did he believe that the Stirlings had information about him and his syndicate?

  Out of all possibilities regarding the note his parents had received, Xavier feared this one was the truth. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but trust that the police were on top of this.

  The Indie Rebels popped in his mind and he shook his head to clear it. He was sure Ross had been exaggerating about their success.

  He got up from his chair to wait outside for his next client.

  Had Eve seen him on Obstacle X? Perhaps she’d be impressed if she saw him on it.

  He laughed out loud. Where the hell did that thought come from?

  Chapter 2

  Eve Marrin left the juice bar and instantly turned her head to the direction of A to X Fitness. She inhaled deeply at the sight of the dark-haired, muscular guy walking back inside the gym after saying goodbye to the older man with him.

  Xavier. What a handsome hunk.

  She slurped on her smoothie with a pout, regretting now that she hadn’t agreed to have coffee with him. It wouldn’t have hurt, since he clearly didn’t know her. This was Sydney, not Adelaide. The statewide evening news in South Australia, on which she was a popular anchor, didn’t get shown here. She was a virtual unknown in this town, so Xavier couldn’t be like her ex-boyfriend, who’d used her profile to boost his own business, all the while sleeping with his secretary. Nor was Xavier like one of the men who’d stopped her on the streets of Adelaide, trying to chat her up because they’d watched her every night on TV.

  That was why Xavier was such a breath of fresh air. Not once had she felt she needed to question his reasons for wanting to get to know her. It was… so much fun. And she hadn’t felt like that in a long while.

  Admittedly, she’d been having a hard time trusting men’s motives since breaking up with her cheating ex. Her family and some friends had been encouraging her to enjoy life more. They were concerned that she was already jaded at only twenty-nine, with a job that entailed reporting on negative, shocking and horrendous news almost every day. Her parents had even warned against applying for the Your Eyes and Ears role, considering how hard-hitting the top-rated Australian public affairs program was, with its fearless coverage of scammers, shonky service providers, and the like. They worried it would suck the light out of her.

  But she didn’t see that role as light-sucking. Yes, the show played up the sensationalism, but it provided a service to the country and to would-be victims of scams and crimes. Eve hadn’t been able to save her Aunt Tammy, but she’d love to have the opportunity to save other people from becoming prey to heartless predators.

  She blinked back the tears that immediately surfaced at the picture that popped in her head: her Aunt Tammy, unconscious in her own bathtub, with an empty plastic bottle of sleeping pills floating on the water.

  Eve had never screamed so loudly in her life, and she couldn’t remember how she’d managed to drag her aunt out of the tub and onto the bathroom floor. Fortunately, Eve’s apartment wasn’t far from a hospital, and paramedics had arrived within minutes. They’d found her giving CPR to her aunt and taken over. But even then, they’d been too late.

  A year and a half on, Eve still burned with anger at the man who’d driven Tammy to do the unthinkable. Everyone in the family had been aghast to learn that Tammy had given all her life savings to her then-boyfriend, who’d turned out to be a conman who’d already stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from other lonely women. If it hadn’t been for Tammy’s suicide note, no one would have known the truth about the scoundrel.

  Eve dabbed the corners of her eyes with a finger. Unfortunately, the lowlife scammer who’d destroyed the lives of several ladies was still at large, his true identity unknown. He apparently used several aliases, so who knew exactly how many women he’d victimised?

  That was why Eve had applied for the Your Eyes and Ears role. She couldn’t think of a more worthwhile career than helping expose tricksters so they could eventually be caught.

  She felt her watch tap her with an incoming call, and pulled out her phone from her bag. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, Eve. Where on earth have you been?” Lionel asked softly. “I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

  “Sorry. I was with a friend, then I went to a gym.” Speaking of gyms… She turned around and started heading back to A to X Fitness. Why not have a drink with Xavier to cheer her up? She’d need it after this phone call.

  “You know I needed to speak to you urgently.”

  Eve rolled her eyes. No way would she let her father risk losing any money in a questionable investment promoted by his new bowling buddy. “What do you mean?” she asked innocently.

  “You know what I’m talking about. I’m really keen to invest in the property development scheme Scott’s in. He needs an answer right now because they’re meeting with the bank this afternoon.”

  “I’m sure there’ll be other, much better investments for you to consider.” She dearly loved this man who’d adopted her when she was twelve—two days after Lionel had married her mother. But she worried he hadn’t done enough due diligence on this investment.

  “I know you’re only trying to look out for us,” Lionel said gently. “But I truly believe Scott is trustworthy. You should meet him one day.”

  Yes, she’d love to meet Scott one day and suss him out. But she simply feared her dad was starting to get desperate for a source of income since the dry-cleaning business he and her mother had run for fifteen years had finally folded, and he was still out of work. Her mum’s current job in the supermarket was only enough for the couple’s living expenses, forcing them to dip into their savings to pay for outstanding business debts. Going into what appeared to be speculative investment wasn’t the answer.

  And call her cynical, but she still wasn’t satisfied that it wasn’t a scam. Fortunately, Lionel couldn’t go ahead with it without her help.

  “So,” Lionel said, “will you lend me the twenty-five grand? Please? I’ll pay you back with interest.”

  “Sorry, Dad. I trust you, but I think Scott’s not giving you enough time to fully consider his proposition.”

  Lionel let out a heavy sigh.

  “But if you guys need some cash,” she added hastily, “I’m more than happy to lend you some. As long as you promise none of it is going towards this investment Scott is selling to you.”

  “No. We’re still fine, so far. I just want to do something so your mother and I won’t have to rely on you in the future.”

  “I know. I appreciate that. But that investment is not it. Please trust me on this. It’s literally too good to be true.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll tell Scott I don’t have the funds. I won’t tell him you don’t trust him, though. He’s a good friend who keeps asking about how you’re doing.”

  “Okay.” She’d rather her father wasn’t friends with this Scott person, but she’d keep h
er mouth shut about it for now.

  “Will we see you on Sunday when you get back?”

  “Sure. We’ll have dinner together.”

  “Good. We’ll cook. I don’t want you taking me and your mother out again. We can’t afford to return the favour at this point.”

  “Dad, you know I don’t mind,” she said with censure. What proud, stubborn folks.

  “That’s not the point. Anyway, see you soon, darling. Bye for now.”

  “Bye. Kiss Mum for me.”

  “Will do.”

  She’d just hung up when her phone vibrated with another incoming call. She frowned at the unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Eve?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s Chester Blunt. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  Her heart skipped. The co-host of Your Eyes and Ears was calling her! “Hi, Chester. No, this is not a bad time. I’m free to talk.”

  “Good. I was speaking with Aaron and Jody about your interview with them the other day. I was wondering if you’re available for another interview at three this afternoon?”

  Her heart beat faster. “Yes, I can make it.”

  “You’re staying at Macleay Street in Potts Point, right? At the building right across the road from the fountain?”

  “Yes.” She loved that Airbnb place she’d found online. The price was extremely reasonable for the location.

  “I’ll pick you up by the bus stop in front of your building in two hours.”

  “O-kay,” she said slowly, confused. “We’re not having the interview at the station?”

  “No. This is kind of an unofficial interview. I’m not supposed to tell you this, because nothing’s been announced, but Aaron’s not so sure about you for the job because they think the other candidates are better suited.”

  Eve’s heart sank, although she wasn’t surprised. Aaron Adler, the program director of Your Eyes and Ears, hadn’t looked enthused when he’d interviewed her. She guessed that while she was successful enough to anchor a statewide evening news program, she wasn’t a recognisable face outside of South Australia. The other candidates were probably vastly more popular than her and already had a following.