Catrina And The Duchess` Necklace (Catrina Series PART-1)

by Susan J Willbanks

  “I’ll notify Micah you’re here.” She handed Joey his drink.

  “Thank you, Miss.”

  “My name is Arlene, sir. If you need anything at all, please let me know. Have you eaten, sir? Would you care for something?”

  “You can call me Joey, and yes, I’ve eaten. Thank you, Arlene.”

  “All right then, I’ll be on my way to fetch Micah for you. Make yourself comfortable, Joey.” With that, she left the room, closing the doors behind her.

  Joey sat in the large library, wondering what this Micah would be like and if he could be trusted. Realizing he had no choice in the matter but to trust him, Joey tried to relax and took a few sips of his drink.

  After a short while, the doors opened and a well-dressed, good-looking man entered the room. “Ah, Mr. Shay, I am so glad you made it. We were beginning to worry about you. My name is Micah. I am an assistant of sorts to Patrick. Nice to meet you. I see Arlene has already gotten you a drink. Is there anything else you need, food perhaps?”

  Joey stood, extending his hand. “Good evening, Micah. Thank you for the hospitality, and no, I have eaten and really just need to relax from all the difficulties of this very long day.”

  “I quite understand, sir. If you will follow me, I’ll take you to your rooms.”

  The two men walked out of the library together.

  “Please Micah, call me Joey. Anything else sounds like my father.”

  “All right, Joey it is then. You will have a sitting room and a bedroom for your use as long as you are here. If you should require anything, there is a telephone in the room that will summon either myself or Arlene to get you anything at all—food, drinks, extra blankets, anything, whatever you need. Patrick was quite explicit that we were to take good care of you for him.”

  “When you speak to him, please send my thanks for the cordial hospitality. It is greatly appreciated.”

  “I will be speaking with him shortly and will pass that along, Oh, yes. Patrick did ask me to make sure you had the cell phone charged and on in case he needed to get in contact with you later this evening or tomorrow. Do you still have it with you?”

  “Yes, I do, Micah, right here, and the charger as well.”

  Micah stopped in front of an imposing wood door. “Here we are, Joey. These are your rooms, please do make yourself comfortable. Should you require anything at all, the phone on the desk will connect you to one of us. Relax, and have a good evening. I’ll be going now unless you have need of anything?”

  “Well, I say. Patrick sure does know how to treat a guest. Thank you, Micah, that will be all. I am just going to try to get some much needed rest and will see you in the morning. Thank you again for all your trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble at all, Joey, and breakfast is served at nine on the terrace. Shall I wake you for it?”

  “Yes, that will be terrific. I’ll see you in the morning then. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, sir.”

  Micah left and closed the door behind him. He then went into the study and called Patrick. “Hello, Patrick. It is Micah.”

  “Hello. My friend has Mr. Shay arrived?”

  “Yes, sir, he has. That is the reason I am calling, to let you know he is here, he has his phone, and I have left him in the east wing guest quarters.”

  “Thank you, Micah. I can always count on you to take care of things for me at the house until I arrive back. I should be there in about forty-eight hours. It will be nice to see all of you after such a long absence from there.”

  “It will be nice to see you too, sir. We look forward to it.”

  “All right then, Micah. Just keep him comfortable and happy till I arrive. I appreciate that, thank you.”

  “No problem at all, sir. See you soon then, goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Micah. Get some rest.”

  The two men hung up the phone.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Comfortably Naïve

  Back at the condo, Brandon, Robert, and one other gentlemen were having a discussion over a late dinner.

  “So tell me, Brandon. Have you heard anything more from your sister or Cat?”

  “No, Robert, I haven’t. Why should it make any difference anyway? You told me they weren’t going to be involved in this at all. When you approached me to assist you in getting that necklace when Interpol caught on to Joey’s involvement, you said all I had to do was help you get the necklace and get paid by your clients, and we would all share in the cash. Has something changed in your plans?”

  “Oh, no, Brandon. It’s still all the same plan we had from the beginning. I was just curious if you had heard when they were returning to San Francisco is all. Has Joey contacted you?”

  “Robert, Joey thinks I have been kidnapped, remember? How or why would he contact me under that assumption?”

  “Yes, that’s right, we are kidnapping you. I forgot. I am just surprised that neither he nor your sister have thought to come here to look for you or called the condo. Seems a bit off to me. If you were my brother, I’d look at all possibilities.”

  “You don’t understand. First off, I am sure that Sarah has no idea that I am not working hard at the office; she knows nothing of me being kidnapped. And secondly, Joey has not been here in years; he may have forgotten all together that this place exists, so he would have no reason to show up here either. Makes perfect sense to me. That was why I suggested we come here. We are safe, comfortable, and no one knows we are here.”

  “Hmmm, you don’t say. Well, that does make my job a bit easier then and makes me feel a lot more secure here too. Should not be much longer till we hear from the contact in Belize about the necklace and when it will arrive back here in San Francisco, then the buyers will have a final bid at it and we will be finished with this deal.”

  “To be honest, Robert, I’ll be really happy when this is all over and I can go back to just being boring me, attorney at law—a little more financially set perhaps, but back to the old routine.”

  “Sure, you wouldn’t like to stay in our business for a while, Brandon? It’s a lot more lucrative and much easier too.”

  “Nope, espionage and high adventure are not really my style, Robert. I’m more the kind of guy that likes his routine and likes to know what is happening next, just like the way we spelled out the terms of our agreement—no confusion, no misunderstandings, when it’s all over we go our separate ways both happier and having received a profit for the work preformed.”

  “Let’s hope it all works out that way, Brandon, for all our sakes.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Going Home

  Belize City Airport was filled with travelers and commotion. Sarah and Cat were already there, waiting for Patrick and Antonio to arrive. Seated in the first class lounge, the girls were having a drink and late afternoon hors d’oeuvres. Patrick felt they would be safer there than in the general population of the airport.

  Antonio was meeting with his superiors, and Patrick was sitting in on that meeting while waiting for re-assignment to San Francisco. During the meeting, Antonio was told that the contact which had possession of the necklace was in fact on the same plane back to California that he and Patrick would be on. They were further informed that Brandon, although assumed kidnapped, was in fact working with the jewel cartel on the sale of the necklace, although no one seemed to know if Brandon was being forced to participate or if he was doing that of his own accord. So everyone had to treat him as a hostile participant basically forced into this action unless new information surfaced.

  All the while, Joey was still at the safe house and getting cabin fever waiting for the others to arrive home and fill him in on what was happening.

  Cat noticed an out-of-place-looking man entering the first class lounge for their flight back to California. He was watching all around and acting very suspiciously, clutching a leather satchel. Telling Sarah to keep an eye on him, Cat called Patrick to tell him what was happening at the airport and to find out how much longer
the two of them would be.

  “Hello, Patrick. Sorry to interrupt your meeting. I just wanted to let you know there is a very strange guy in the lounge. He is acting like he is being followed, looking all over the place, very nervous type. Should we be doing anything about him or be cautious of him?”

  “No, just keep yourselves alert to where he goes and what he does for now. We have just been told that the contact that has your necklace will be on our flight. Could be him, and then again it might just be a weird traveler. So just pay attention to what is happening around you two. We will be there within the hour, almost finished up here.”

  “I’ll feel so much better when the two of you are here in the airport with us. See you soon. I’ll tell Sarah what you said. Goodbye.”

  “ I love you, Cat. Bye for now.”

  Cat went back to where Sarah was sitting, looking out the window at all the planes and people on the tarmac directing many activities. She sat next to her and told Sarah about her conversation with Patrick. Sarah decided to just sip her drink and watch the people in the lounge with Cat, particularly the gentleman who was acting peculiarly.

  A short time later, Patrick and Antonio wandered into the lounge, their own drinks in hand. They still had nearly an hour before they could board the plane. Cat pointed out the guy they had been watching, and Antonio identifies him as the contact that was supposed to have her necklace.

  “Antonio, why can’t you just go over there and get my necklace? Why do we have to wait to return to California before we even try to get it back?”

  “Because, my dear, we need to know who his contact will be back in the States. We need to be sure of the group he is working for, then we will get the necklace back for you and see that Brandon is safely returned to his family. If we move too quickly, harm might come to Brandon or the necklace might be lost again.”

  “Cat, Antonio has to do this in the best way possible for all the people involved, not to mention to catch the right ones and put them in jail for a long time. Come sit here with me now, and we will just relax until the call out flight.”

  Cat sits with Patrick and he holds her close.

  At that moment, Antonio received a phone call from his superiors at Interpol. “Barbieri. Yes, captain, I understand and that will be given full consideration at the time we have the necklace in hand, sir. Yes, sir, I’ll do my best, sir. Patrick is here with me, we are traveling together. Yes, sir. Yes, he is my FBI contact, that is correct, sir. Thank you, sir, we will keep in touch, of course. Goodbye.”

  “Patrick, that was Captain Welsh. He has informed me that the Russian government is now placing agents in California but they have no idea what is happening on this case. They are simply interested in recovering their national treasure without regard for anything else. This can complicate things a bit for all of us. We need to try to work with them but still be mindful of all the civilians and undercover agents involved so no one gets hurt.”

  Ding, Ding, Ding. “First call. All passengers for flight 1052 to San Francisco, we are preparing for boarding at gate five. Please proceed to the gate for check-in and boarding instructions.”

  Sarah stood up. “That sounds like us, everyone ready to go home?” Without waiting for an answer, she picked up her drink, took a last gulp, and retrieved her carry-on bag from the concierge, waiting for the others to do the same and join her at the door to leave for the gate.

  Having been in the first-class lounge and boarding as first-class passengers, they had no need to check-in; that was done for all of them courtesy of the lounge concierge, all they needed to do was board the plane.

  Ding, Ding, Ding. “Will all first class passengers please report to the boarding area gate five, flight 1052 for San Francisco, we are ready to board.”

  Standing at the head of the line with his arm around Cat, Patrick looked over his shoulder, taking one last look around the airport area. Feeling good about getting back to the states and his favorite home, he was also thinking of Cat and where they could take their relationship once the fiasco is over with. Then the stewardess interrupted his thoughts.

  “May I have your boarding passes please?”

  He handed her both his and Cat’s passes. ”Welcome aboard, Mr. Ahearn, Ms. Malley. Please proceed to the first-class section of the plane, and enjoy your trip. Next please.”

  Patrick and Cat waited just inside the tunnel to the plane while Antonio and Sarah showed their boarding passes, and then off they all went to the first-class area of the plane together. Seating was no problem, as that area of the plane was not sold out and very roomy. The four of them choose to sit at a table together so they could talk while watching the other passengers who were boarding the plane, both in first-class and the rest of the plane. Cat kicked off her shoes and rested comfortably back in her seat, waiting for take-off. Patrick pulled her feet onto his lap and rubbed them gently while talking to Antonio across the table. Sarah leaned back and looked out her window, still feeling a bit anxious about what might happen upon their arrival back home.

  Ding, Ding, Ding. “We are preparing for take-off. Please observe the seatbelt signs and stay seated until we have reached cruising altitude, thank you.” Then the cabin staff went over the exits and oxygen information while the four of them continued on with their own private discussions and thoughts as the plane taxied to the runway and prepared for take-off to San Francisco.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  The return home

  After landing, Antonio took them all through customs quickly. Being with Interpol had its advantages, and that was just one of many of them. Picking up the bags at the baggage claim was also a breeze since Patrick had their bags pulled off the plane separately from the other passengers.

  “Patrick, I could get used to this easy entry and customs checks,” Cat said. “It is much better than waiting in that long line and having agents search through all your things when you come home from your trip.”

  “At least working for National Security agencies has a few small advantages, Cat. I’m glad you are pleased. Let’s go find a taxi. I am anxious to meet with Joey and talk to the agent that is watching the condo at the beach to see where things stand since we left. Let me get that for you, Cat.”

  Patrick picked up his bags and Cat’s, and then saw Sarah and Antonio coming their way. “Antonio, I am going out to hail a taxi to the house in Nob Hill. Will you and Sarah be joining us tonight at the house, or has Interpol set you up somewhere else?”

  “We are all staying at your house, Patrick. I feel that is best, for all of us to be together. We are easier targets if we are separated, and that would not be good for the girls or for us. So I have informed my captain of where we will be and given him the appropriate information about the house’s whereabouts.”

  “Okay, looks like we are all on the same page then. Let’s get out of here and on to the house. The faster we get there, the better chance we have of resolving all this soon. We also need to find out where the necklace is at the moment and where the Russian agents are.”

  “Lead the way, Patrick, we are right behind you. Come on, Sarah, we are going to ride with Patrick and Cat to the house.”

  “Right behind you, Antonio. But why are those two fellows watching us and what is that they are wearing?”

  Antonio reached for Patrick’s arm to tell him quietly that the Russian agents were following them and that they would need to take precautions in going to the house now. They did not want the agents to be aware of the safe house and its location. They also couldn’t take a chance in tipping them off as to the location of the condo where Brandon was being held. Unfortunately, the Russians’ only concern was the return of the necklace to the Russian government and not the safety of the others involved.

  Patrick suggested that the two of them take separate taxies to the Embarcadero; he had a contact there that could get them away from those that would follow them quickly and effectively. The two men took the women and found separate taxis, directing the drivers
to go to Seafood Grotto Restaurant. The restaurant manager was Patrick’s FBI contact. Patrick placed a call to Steven and made the necessary arrangements for the four of them, knowing they would arrive in separate vehicles and need to be placed at separate tables for a time. With this short delay, the quartet would at least receive a wonderful sea food lunch before heading to Patrick’s home and meeting up with Joey. In the meantime, Patrick had also placed calls to both Micah and Joey, updating them about the current situation and letting them know to expect them to come in from the subterranean level of the house.

  Patrick and Antonio were keeping in touch through a sophisticated texting sequence developed by Interpol a few years before.

  TEXT: Arriving at restaurant with Sarah. Will eat at separate tables, then initiate exit from kitchen on ocean as planned.

  TEXT: Confirmed. Micah expecting us to enter through subterranean garage, do you still have access codes and knowledge of same.

  TEXT: Affirmative. Will be seeing you at 1700 hours.

  Knowing they could not acknowledge one another from there on out, the two couples arrived and entered the restaurant separately. Cat and Patrick were shown to a lovely table that overlooked the ocean and the bay. Antonio and Sarah had a booth inside to the left of the front door where they could easily keep an eye on who came and went. Right then, they were aware that the men following them had stayed outside, waiting for them to exit and go on with their journey.

  TEXT: P, surveillance team remains out front, plan “A” in process.

  TEXT: Good. Eat, then exit. We will leave last. Transportation under dining room, see Steven and he will direct you when ready. Let surveillance team see you at least once before departing.

  TEXT: Understood. Be safe, see you at the house.

  Patrick turned his attention to Cat and the meal they were sharing. “Cat, we are going to have a few difficulties because of the involvement of the Russian government. We will be eating here and leaving in about ninety minutes. Antonio and Sarah will be leaving in about an hour. After that, we will meet Joey at my home in Nob Hill. Are you going to be all right in all this? I am sure it is difficult to deal with having not come from any type of police training.”