by Unknown
“A very long time,” Simon admitted with a firm handshake. “Simon Oliver.”
“Dylan Grant,” he also offered his palm. “Interesting none of us ever met through the years.”
“Lots of traveling,” Sam said simply.
“Well, well, well…” Chloe wandered with the girls into the lodge. “I seriously dislike coincidence.”
Bella stopped and stood in the entry way. “If you are interested in working, you can go straight out there, through the dining area and into the courtyard. I need those panels put in, properly and efficiently. Consider yourself on the payroll.”
“In which case…” Kate tipped her head to peer out at Dylan. “Why are you guys here? You weren’t supposed to appear until tonight.”
“I gave Simon a call and since you said Bella was short-handed, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to return to manual labor.”
“Then you have three new people to help with the panels, Bella,” Kate looked from one woman to the other.
“Marcus?” Bella spoke into the small walkie in her pocket. “Could you come to the registration area? I’ve got three new recruits to help with those panels.”
“What are you assembling?” Sam took in the statuesque trio, the blonde with short curls holding his attention. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel so out of place.
“An enormous outdoor area for parties through the end of the month. This weekend is the luau. And all the way through to Halloween,” Bella met the glance of the older man who had come to the front. “Take those three and put them to work, Marcus. And gentlemen…thank you very much.”
Chloe leaned against one of the stone columns. “It’s like the whole big bang theory thing…all the right molecules, all the right bits assembled at the precise moment…”
“Sometimes a pumpkin is just a pumpkin,” Kate said, but her frown remained in place when she caught sight of the black four door approaching through the sunlight spotted parking area. “We have company,” she said softly, reaching lazily into her jacket and slipping the snap off her holster.
Bella stood near the registration desk, Kate a few feet forward and Chloe, the obvious target, closest to the entrance. The doors were propped open, allowing the fresh fall air to fill the lodge.
It also made it easy for two masked men, one of them aiming a gun at the women, to enter without needing their hands.
“You…red…over here…” The voice came from the man holding the gun, while the other reached out toward Chloe.
“Before we get on with this whole snatching thing…can you just tell me why? It’s been a puzzle since this began messing about with my life,” the innocence captivating Chloe’s features had always been one of her successful traits in situations like this, Kate thought. She was so good at it. And looked so harmless.
“No talking, bitch, just move like we told you,” growled the man reaching for her.
“Oh, please…no need for being vulgar,” Chloe aimed a pair of blue eyes and pale blinking lashes at the man reaching for her at the same time her hands moved with amazing speed and accuracy.
Kate was always stunned at the accuracy Chloe had with her sticks. Coming in underhanded, she released one stick at the wrist of the man holding the gun. The other came over hand and wracked the knees of the man nearest her. Kate took a few steps forward, kicking the handgun with a boot and sending it skittering beneath a sofa.
“Damn it, Tank! I told you to watch her!” The low voice growled, gripping his wrist seconds before grabbing his friend beneath his arm and dragging him through the entrance.
“You said this would be easy!”
“Shut up!”
Chloe hurriedly put the sticks away, glancing quickly at Kate. “You know they heard the shot.”
And as if on cue, three male figures came running from the back of the lodge, the sound of spinning tires squealing outside.
Kate was making an attempt to look innocent when her gaze caught on her friend.
“Bella?”
All color had drained from Bella. She was using the registration desk to support herself, her knuckles white. But she knew if she released the desk, her hands would be shaking uncontrollably. Her head shook slowly from side to side. A part of her did not want to believe what she was about to say out loud.
“Bella?”
“It was Tim,” she said in a low, low whisper.
“No, Bella…” Chloe took a few steps forward.
“It was Tim,” Bella announced in a firmer voice, pale lashes narrowed and blue eyes shimmering with moisture.
“Bella, he died six months…”
“I am not hallucinating. I am not mad. I am not stressed…okay, I might be a little stressed, but that’s not the point,” she straightened up, head swiveling from one to the other. “I heard him. I know that…that voice! It was Tim Turner behind that mask,” Bella set her teeth and glared, daring anyone to contradict her.
“There never was a body,” Kate murmured, one hand up and rubbing her neck tiredly, holding up a finger when Dylan opened his mouth to speak.
“I was never convinced. Something was just too convenient,” Chloe agreed quietly.
“I told you,” Bella whispered hoarsely. “I told you when it happened, something was not right.”
“Tim Turner?” Simon repeated the name in a flat, cold voice, fingers out and sliding his phone open, tapping an instant call button. Pieces to a puzzle. It was as if he could see Chloe’s imaginary screen and the final piece had just slid into place. “Griss. I’m at the lodge, I left the address on the table. I want the file on the court martial. Yes, all of it and yes, as soon as possible.” The phone was dropped back into his pocket.
“You know Tim Turner?” Bella’s head tipped hopefully.
“I know a Tim Turner. I helped put him in prison for five years.”
“Oh, god…” Bella turned, long legs carrying her into the kitchen and out of sight. The sound of pots and pans striking stainless steel counters came next.
“Oh, boy,” Kate leaned against one of the thick stone columns, sinking to the ground slowly.
Chloe was staring from Simon to the departing Bella, her hands up and moving over an invisible screen. “Tim Turner is part of your past. Tim Turner has been following me. Why me?”
“Because he knows it’s the one thing in my life that I value,” Simon answered without thinking.
Chloe crossed the stones, her boots tapping as she paced. Her hands went up, drawing out a large rectangle. Her head tipped as pieces began forming in her mind.
“What’s she doing?” Sam asked quietly.
Kate shook her head. “It’s a long story.”
“So…in the middle of the puzzle was Guthrie and his van and camera. Let’s – for the sake of the ever present coincidence – let’s say Guthrie got lucky. He didn’t realize it at first. Maybe there were several days between client requests. Let’s say he began with the Chloe Wetherly search. Long winding clues, but nothing solid. Then enter Tim Turner. Another client. An easy one, since Simon Oliver was visible.”
One elbow was held in one palm, a finger tapping her cheek.
“Then came the first fundraiser. Where, coincidence, we happened to meet. A sort of serendipitous event,” Chloe turned a pair of blue eyes on Simon. “Still…harmless enough. Until you tracked me down the next day,” she said ruefully.
“I am not to blame…”
“Guthrie must have thought he had hit the mother lode. I’m guessing he has a picture or two of me from four years past. Chloe Applegate…Chloe Wetherly…and Simon Oliver…two for the price of on
e. Even when my father canceled his contract, he had all the information he needed, Turner kept him on for a bit, gathering data about where, when and how. Always watching me,” Chloe threw one hand up across the make believe screen. “Watching me but not because of me.”
“Chloe…”
“I know about Turner – from Bella’s side of things. I know he was supposed to have died when he drove his car off a cliff six months ago, a couple weeks after he was released from prison,” Chloe paced. “I know he is mean and abusive; I know he stalked Bella to a frazzle.” She turned and headed toward the dining area.
“Chloe…”
“She’s just going after water,” Kate assured him, hands in the pockets of her jeans as she trailed behind Chloe. She hitched her foot into a bar stool and perched her elbows on the edge, her hand out to accept the tall glass of ice and water from the quiet redhead.
“And you call me a conspiracy nut,” Chloe grumbled, refilling the glass seconds later.
“I have been your partner for too long to ever believe what I heard,” Kate murmured. “Now we have the given…what do we do about it?”
“Cops won’t work. All we have is Bella’s word that it’s his voice,” Chloe mused.
“Napkin,” Kate held out her hand for the cloth napkin that was placed in it without question. Long legs carried her to the other room, where she bent straight in half, reached beneath the sofa and brought out the gun. Wincing at a quick glance to the ceiling. “Remind me to tell Bella about the hole in her ceiling.”
“So we got another gun…he wore gloves,” Chloe pointed out.
“You never know when it’ll come in handy,” Sam announced, hands working over it with a quiet expertise, slipping the safety in place and securing it in the back waistband of his jeans.
“Very true…you just never know,” Chloe agreed slowly. “And you are nothing more than a coincidence.”
Sam held up two palms. “Hey…just in-between jobs. I was in Tacoma last night talking to Baron and he told me the lodge was hiring labor.”
“Why do I find it difficult to believe that labor is your normal gig,” Kate turned on the stool and looked him over more closely now that there was time.
“It’s the hands,” Chloe said quietly, red head tipped to the side, gaze sweeping over the jeans and leather jacket. “You’re not a day laborer. You’re like them,” her head gestured to the men who had mostly been silent.
“Why does she make that sound like a bad thing?” Dylan asked, sighing and taking Kate’s water with a long swallow. “The rest of the employees are starting to come in,” he noted.
“Bella needs that outdoor area put together,” Kate said. “It isn’t a bad thing at all,” she glanced around at the males.
“I’m an engineer. I’ve dabbled in some of the martial arts things, waited tables and some other odd jobs,” he said quickly, he dropped Kate’s hand and held up his.
“We weren’t discussing you, Dylan…but our new guest,” Chloe came around the bar and perched on a stool, leaning in when Kate gestured her closer. “Kate…no…you’re serious?” Chloe looked from one to the other and then into Kate’s dark eyes. “How’d I miss that?”
“Probably the really good sex,” Kate murmured with a chuckle.
“Simon’s hands have softened, but he used to work construction,” Chloe commented. She slid to the floor. “But we still don’t know about Sam. Except he’s one of three who are good friends with Baron…”
“Just a guy,” he replied, turning and striding back toward the outside but not before both women caught sight of a tinge of red in his face, similar to that in the faces of their men.
“Yeah…uh-huh…” Kate lifted Dylan’s hand in his. “I quite fancy your hands. Let’s see if we can’t finish some panels.”
Simon stopped, his eyes caught on a figure in the parking lot coming their way. “Griss is here. We’ll handle the panels. I never wanted to look at the file again.”
Chloe hugged him tightly. “It’s okay.”
“I’ll check it out later,” Kate took the file held out to Simon and tucked it into Chloe’s backpack. “We’ll go to the kitchen and talk to Bella.”
“Free food, Griss…for a little manual labor?” Chloe chimed, kissing Simon and striding off with Kate.
“Should I ask, boss?” Griss followed Simon and Dylan, his jacket tossed to a chair outside.
“There are some serious doubts that Turner died in a car crash,” Simon said simply, talking as they worked.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe inhaled the baking muffins and dragged a stool into the kitchen. “This is a great kitchen, Bella.”
“We never believed you were…” Kate began.
“Loopy,” Chloe supplied.
Bella looked from one friend to another. She sighed heavily. “I know. I was part of the team, remember? Even to me, there was no evidence, but I knew…I just knew. If anyone was good at revenge, it’s Turner.”
“He wants revenge for going to jail. Simple. At least it’s making a little bit of sense now,” Chloe leaned back thoughtfully. “The hard part is getting anyone to believe us. Did you see the way Sam handled that gun? He is not just a guy…”
“I can start the ball rolling and eye brows being raised,” Kate slid her phone out of her pocket and tapped in a number. “Carolyn…how goes Thursday?”
“You are supposed to be off until Monday.”
“Yeah…you know me and orders…anyway, I need some files. On my desk by Monday, I hope. A car accident six months back. Timothy Turner. Drove his car off a cliff, suggested suicide, nobody ever recovered. Get Jack to start an inquiry and get all pertinent files and said paper trail, please. That’s all. Toodles.”
“Our previous careers come in handy at times,” Bella nodded in approval.
“Our previous careers aside,” Chloe leaned her elbows on her knees. “You really think all three of them were dancers? Seriously?”
“Chloe,” Bella shook her head. “They haven’t let the bodies go…you mean you didn’t realize…” She looked from one to the other.
“I did…Chloe has been dazzled by really great sex,” Kate teased with a laugh. “Dylan’s got some seriously great muscle tone,” she confided with a deep sigh.
“Huh…” Chloe just sat there a moment, picturing it in her mind. “Wow.”
“She’s catching up,” Kate said with a wink. “Put your fantasies away, Chloe. We came up here to help Bella get ready for the weekend. I’ll take housekeeping.”
“I’ll check security and the grounds. And yes, I will be most diligent,” she assured them with a jaunty tip of her fingers off her forehead.
Bella wasn’t surprised that things were going smoothly. She had a good staff and very good friends, she mused, standing at the registration desk awhile later and making certain she had them checked into the right rooms.
When she renovated, she had built into the new plans for a section to be for visiting staff and an overflow, if ever needed. She had good friends, with good skills. All she ever wanted to really do was cook. So the next step was to find a very good, very trustworthy manager, she mused, fingers easily going down the pending guest list for the weekend.
“What’s after the panel assembly?” Sam Franklin stood in front of the desk, hands wiping in a towel he’d claimed from the dining area.
“Just a minute, please,” Bella looked from the ruggedly blond man to her receptionist. “June, I’m going to show Sam his room. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“No worries, Bella. We got it covered.”
“You have some good people workin
g for you,” Sam commented as they walked, her long legs easily matching his stride.
“I think so, yes,” she answered vaguely, uncomfortably aware of the male at her side. If Chloe was right, and she was rarely wrong, there was much more than meet the eye to Sam Franklin. “I have some papers you need to fill out. Once you get settled. I need a good bar tender tomorrow night. So until about four tomorrow, you’re off.”
“Baron said you needed help in several different areas. What can I do today?”
“Alright, I have tons of things I need someone to oversee get done and done well,” she admitted, deciding he was definitely old enough to know when to accept time off and when to work.