by SD Saunders
“Oh my god”, Melody’s voice barely a whisper, had Alex instantly concerned, as she shakily rose from the table and headed over to the front room.
He was by her side. “What is it, Mel”, he gently placed his hand on her waist.
“I forgot all about this”, she gestured, pulling a cloth bag from her tote bag. “I found it this morning in a secret lining pocket in a gown I was unpicking”. Tipping the contents into Alex’s hand, the necklace sparkled brightly. “It’s from the same trunk the journals were in. Was this what the thief was looking for”?
Pulling Melody down onto the sofa with him, Alex examined the necklace. He had had a lot of experience with expensive items his customers needed securing, it was without a doubt that this was real and most definitely worth a fortune; his gut instinct was never wrong.
“I think it was exactly what the thief was looking for, but why did he think you had it”? Alex growled, wanting to punch the thief for scaring Melody. “We should put this away in my safe for the time being until we figure out what to do” he sighed, looking at Melody as she nodded her approval. “I won’t be long. Lock the door behind me and keep Toby with you” he said as he made his way back to his cottage. As he scanned the surrounding area, his anger grew. No one would frighten Melody again; his sudden aggression and overly protective response left him feeling shocked to his core.
Standing at the sink, rinsing the coffee cups, Melody’s mind wandered over the evening’s events. Why had the thief taken the journals? What was the necklace doing hidden in the gown? Who could have known she had the trunk? Unanswered questions swirled about in her head. A knock on the back door signalled Alex’s return; hurrying over to let him in, she eyed his holdall clasped in his hand. Alex grinned sheepishly.
“Hope you don’t mind, I thought I’d bring my overnight things. I didn’t think you’d want to be alone tonight”.
“Alex I…”, Melody bit her lip to stop it from wobbling, a riot of expressions crossing her face.
“It’s okay Mel, I just mean I’ll stay on the sofa, you’ll sleep better knowing I’m here”. Melody’s relief was evident on her face.
“I can fix the bed in my grandmother’s old room for you Alex”, she smiled, half expecting him to tease her.
“No, the sofa’s fine, just a pillow and blanket will do for me”. He stifled a yawn as he headed into the front room and put his holdall down.
“It’s been a long day”, Melody sighed as she returned to the front room placing the blanket and pillow onto the sofa, a contented sigh escaping her lips as Alex wrapped his arms around her, the feeling of his warm body pressed into her back.
“It sure has”, Alex muttered against her hair, trailing feather light kisses down her neck. Melody spun around in his arms and leaned in closer. Rising onto her toes, she captured his lips with hers, kissing him and then nipping at his bottom lip. Growling, Alex scooped her up and kissed her deeply. She groaned as she felt herself melting into him, all that existed was this moment. “Enough little minx”, Alex’s strained voice jerked her back to reality. Pulling back, she looked into his eyes, now dark blue pools of barely contained desire. “Off to bed with you right now, if you know what’s good for you”, he reached out and caressed her face.
Turning her face into his palm, she placed a kiss and whispered. “Goodnight Alex”, stepping back she turned and headed for the stairs.
As he watched her head off to bed, Alex smiled to himself. It was good he had decided to stay; she would sleep better knowing he was here and he would too knowing that she was safe. Calling a halt to their kissing had been the hardest thing he’d had to do, but she was too vulnerable after all that had happened tonight. He couldn’t forgive himself if she had regretted being with him in the morning. He reached into his holdall and retrieved his gun, slipping it under his pillow. He settled down, his thoughts turning to Joel. He would feel better once his friend arrived in the morning and they could secure the cottage. Joel had been a good friend for years now. Having always had each other’s back whilst serving in the air-force, the pair had formed a close bond; they regarded each other more like brothers now. After they had left the air-force, it had been rough for them trying to find a place in the world. All the military drilling leaving them feeling at a loss being civilians again, Joel’s idea to start their own security firm had been their saving grace; without this he was sure they would have drifted along in life without a purpose. He would be forever grateful for his friend’s savvy business sense and drive. Even when his wife had died, and Alex could only find solace at the bottom of a whisky bottle, Joel had been there dragging him out of his stupor, forcing him to live life again, even re-locating their planned second security business to the local town where Alex had announced he was moving to and temporarily setting himself up there to help get it up and running. Alex rubbed at his eyes, his memories of the past flicking through his mind. He lay still, listening to the sounds of the cottage settling down. Pulling the blanket up, he slowly drifted off into a light sleep.
Chapter 4
The smell of bacon and coffee stirred Melody from her sleep. With the thoughts of the previous day flooding her mind, she quickly showered, deciding on jeans and a watermelon pink t-shirt. Melody quickly dressed, pulling a brush through her hair, she left it down. Stuffing her feet into her trainers, Melody went to investigate the yummy aromas heading from the kitchen. “Morning, beautiful”, Alex called out from the front room.
She turned to look at him. “Morning, Alex”. He was showered and dressed, his hair still damp, his face freshly shaved.
“Your breakfast’s keeping warm in the grill, and there’s fresh coffee too”, he grinned. “Joel will be here soon, so I thought I’d better make a start. I fed Toby the leftover Chinese food from last night, he seemed ravenous”.
“He always is”, Melody laughed, taking her breakfast to the table. Toby strolled over and plopped down at her feet, doing his best to look like a starving stray dog.
Pouring them both a coffee, Alex sat down at the table. “So what’s the plan today, Mel? Will you be going into work”?
Nibbling on a bit of toast, Melody shrugged her shoulders. “I was supposed to be, but I can’t leave with the house being fitted with the new back door and the alarm system”.
Alex leaned in “Leave it to me Mel, I’ll oversee the work. You head into the shop, the change of scene will do you good”.
Melody smiled. He really was great, “Oh, that’s brilliant Alex, you’re the best”. His warm smile reaching his eyes had her toes curling in her trainers. Blushing to her roots, she leant down and dropped a bit of bacon for Toby.
Joel arrived as Melody was leaving. She waved at him as she pulled away, recognising his dark blue van, the Knight and Brooks Security signage slashing down the side. He tooted his horn in response. Alex appeared at the door, rushing down to help Joel offload the new backdoor from the van.
“Hey Alex, we’ll get this offloaded first, then I want to hear all about this break in business last night”. Joel motioned towards the backdoors of the van. After hefting the new door and all the security equipment into the back garden, Alex poured them both a coffee and filled him in on the troubling theft. “I have a feeling this particular thief will be back”, Joel said scratching his head.
“Exactly my thoughts”, Alex agreed, “but I’m not going to make it easy for the bugger”, he growled, scanning the garden as if expecting to see the thief pop up from behind a bush.
“Have you informed the police about the necklace yet”?
Alex shifted his weight uneasily. “Not yet Joel, we are still uncertain what we are going to do. I feel that once we hand it over to them, we will lose some of the control over the thief”. Joel stared hard at Alex; he was always doing things his way. Never once had he doubted his gut. He just hoped he was right this time.
“So what’s our next move”? Alex grinned. He knew that Joel would back him up on this.
“Well, let’s get started
securing this place first and then I have a few ideas”. Picking up his tools, they started to work.
Arriving at the shop, armed with cinnamon buns and coffee, Melody made her way to the counter, after settling Toby in his bed with a rawhide chew and his favourite ball. She busily set about the shop, checking stock and straightening displays. When she was satisfied, she flipped the open sign on the door and after unlocking it, headed to her seat behind the counter. Susie would be here soon. She was looking forward to seeing her. Sipping her coffee, Melody booted up the computer; she opened the search engine, trying several searches on old trunks, emerald necklaces leather bound journals and coming up empty.
She sat back, reaching into her bag, she pulled out the journal. The letters tucked inside the front cover falling out, she picked them up and sliding the red ribbon off, she unfolded the one with no envelope, its sweeping bold script penned across the page.
June 7th 1952
My dearest Christina,
I do not dare to attend your party this night for fear this would be frowned upon. However, I really cannot resist seeing you again. My only request is for you to slip away from the party at 8 pm and unlock the French doors in the library, where I will then slip inside and meet you. It will be our secret rendezvous. I have something I need to tell you.
Forever yours
Jack
Melody gazed at the letter. “Who are you Christina”? A sudden idea formed; quickly, she stabbed at the keys on the keyboard, typing “Christina Elizabeth Trafford” and hit search. Scrolling through the results, one caught her eye; it was a story in an old newspaper archive. The headline was dated 18th June 1952.
LEFT FOR DEAD LADY CHRISTINA TRAFFORD AND THE MISSING HEIRLOOM
Police are still baffled as to who assaulted Lord Edward and Lady Elise Trafford’s daughter, leaving her for dead on the night of her eighteenth birthday party and escaping with her priceless heirloom emerald necklace. While every effort to track down the perpetrator continues, police seem no closer to solving this crime. Police inspector Collins would only comment. “At this time, we have one or two suspects”. He would not be drawn to offer any more on the case stating, “As this is an ongoing investigation, it is not possible to reveal any further details”.
Melody turned off the computer, her mind reeling. This had to be the necklace she had found that was now securely placed in Alex’s safe, but how did it end up in the gown? The chimes above the door tinkled, rousing Melody from her thoughts. “Good morning”, Melody greeted the two customers entering the store. The two ladies’ bright hellos rang out clearly, as they headed in different directions to browse around the shop.
Susie bustled into the shop, her cheerful hello making Melody look up from her paperwork. “Oh dear, Mel you look exhausted”, Susie grimaced seeing the dark smudges beneath Melody’s eyes. Passing Susie a coffee, Melody filled her in on the break in. “You poor thing, at least you had Alex and Toby with you”, she smiled, devouring the cinnamon bun and throwing Toby a large crumb.
“He really is an angel, he stayed to oversee the new backdoor being fitted, and the security alarm installation”, Melody enthused, feeling an overwhelming need to call him and check how things were going.
“Do I detect a little romance, Mel”? Susie teased, knowing full well that they had been dancing around one another for months.
Melody sighed contentedly, the thoughts of Alex holding her and kissing her still fresh in her mind. “We um, well, I guess yes. We have kissed and it was so good”, she absentmindedly touched her lips as if his kiss had left a mark. “We have decided to take it slow. Neither of us wants to mess this up; our friendship is too important to rush things. Besides, he knows I’ve been hurt before, but oh Susie, he’s just so amazing, not to mention drop dead gorgeous”. Blushing, Melody jumped up from her seat. “Come on Tob’s, time for you to stretch your legs”. Picking up his ball, Melody headed to the storeroom and out the back to the car park.
Susie knew when to leave well alone, not probing any further. After all, she knew that for Melody, it was a fragile thing, a new relationship. She was pleased they were finally getting together. He, she was sure was good for her. Melody’s last boyfriend Zack had left Melody disillusioned and empty. He had always tried to control Melody and when finally she put her foot down, refusing to cancel her invitation to spend a long planned weekend with her two best friends instead of staying at home with him, which she knew was just another way to exert his control, his true colours had finally revealed themselves. He had petulantly given her an ultimatum that either she chooses him over her friends, or he would leave her for good. Fortunately, she had chosen her friends and she was glad Melody had finally seen through his games and realised she was better off without him. Smiling contentedly to herself, Susie cleared away the coffee cups. “Yes, Alex’s a good one and Melody deserves a good man”, she muttered to herself.
As he sat waiting in the reception of the care home, the smell of disinfectant and warm cooked vegetables assailed him. The threadbare rug looked old and worn as did the assortment of chairs placed around the small area, a table with a collection of reading materials the only other furniture in the room. This was not the care home he would have chosen for his father, but it was all he could afford at present and for how long he would be able to stay here, he could not guarantee. The money his father had stored up was nearly all gone; soon he would fix all this, he vowed to himself, but for now this place would just have to do. Looking down at his scuffed boots and tatty jeans, he shifted uneasily. Yes, one day he would be wearing the best designer clothes and place his father in the best care home money could buy, he would show them all! Absent-mindedly, he rubbed his rucksack, his eyes narrowing in distaste. He truly felt the common staff were beneath him, if only they knew of his upper-class heritage than his present circumstances portrayed.
Haughtily tilting his chin, he watched as Craig, one of the home’s carers approached. “Hello Timothy, your dad is all ready to see you now; he’s in the dayroom as usual”, gesturing for him to follow. Timothy grabbed his rucksack tighter and followed Craig into the dayroom. At the farthest end of the room, sitting by the tall windows, he spotted his father, his frail stooped frame dwarfed in a high back chair, his head bowed, a coverlet over his knees and his cane resting against the arm of the chair, the lion head handle glinting menacingly in the sunlight. How many times had he felt that cane strike him as his father meted out punishments, he had lost count. “He’s not too good today I’m afraid. I’m not sure he will recognise you”, Craig spoke softly, jerking him from his troubled thoughts.
“Thank you Craig”, Timothy said curtly, all but dismissing him. Craig turned to leave, heading over to another resident, all the while repeating his calming mantra under his breath; he would not let that jumped up little prick get to him again.
Bracing himself mentally, Timothy made his way over and sat opposite his father. “Hello father”.
The old man lifted his head. “Timothy”, his father croaked.
Leaning in, he took his father’s hands in his. “Yes father, it’s me and I have great news! I have the journals”, he motioned to his rucksack. “It won’t be long now father, I’m sure they will reveal where it is”. Pulling the journals from his rucksack, he placed them into his father’s hands. He felt his pleasure grow as he watched his father’s interest deepen while he studied them; finally he would be proud of him.
Philip’s cold green eyes settled on his son. Thrusting the journals roughly back into Timothy’s hands, he snarled. “Where’s the other one? You are missing one boy, the first one was started in 1952. These two are 1953 and 1954, you incompetent fool”, his sharp accusing voice momentarily rendered Timothy back to his adolescent years.
“But father are you s-sure”? He stammered. “I searched everywhere, it was the last trunk and she only had two…”. Timothy fell silent, his father’s disappointment cutting him deep.
“Well, who are you young man? Do you have my dinn
er”? His father commanded, rapping his cane on Timothy’s chair. Startled, he looked up, his father’s eyes, clouded and confused, now looking pathetic and old, all traces of his anger now gone.
Knowing he would not get any more sense from his father now, Timothy rose from his seat. “Goodbye father, see you next week”, he muttered under his breath. Shoving the journals into his rucksack, he made his way out of the care home to his van, scowling at anyone that crossed his path. “I’ll show him”, he muttered angrily to himself, his thoughts turning back to the journals in his rucksack. They may still hold the key, hopefully. Before his next visit to his father, he would have read them. “I can’t risk not having the missing one, just in case”, he mused, swearing repeatedly. “Three bloody journals!”
Susie insisted that Melody should head off early from work and after insisting several times that she would be fine to lock up, she shooed Melody off to her car. After a quick call to Alex to check on the progress at home, she reluctantly started the car. With the radio playing, she sang along to Carly Rae Jepson’s, “Call me maybe”. Her mood lifted as she thought of Alex; she was definitely under his spell, she thought with a grin as she sung the words. With the sun shining, Melody drove through the busy town; Toby’s head hanging outside of the car window, the breeze lifting his ears and making passers-by smile and point.
Melody turned into Sarah’s street; she hadn’t planned to visit her today but found the familiar route too tempting to avoid. The cherry blossom trees lining the pathways in full bloom always made her feel happy, the large houses set back from the road each boasting a magnificent immaculate flowerbed display and highly manicured lawns. Melody always imagined the occupants on their hands and knees on the lawn, measuring the blades of grass to get just the right length. She laughed as she imagined the shock on their faces if they ever saw her wild cottage garden, so totally disorganised with Toby’s toys scattered about the lawn. Biting down another fit of laughter, Melody pulled onto the drive, parking neatly behind Sarah’s 4x4 range rover. Pushing open the front door, Melody tutted to herself. “This is not very security conscious, sis”, she would have this to tease her about for quite a while to come. Stepping into the kitchen, the smell of warm cookies instantly greeted her.