“It sounds like they are getting closer to figuring out who the masked men were, other than Tom Schaffer of course,” he said. “That’s good,” she said, lying through her teeth. “Are you okay?” he asked, sensing her mood was somewhat distant. She laughed, unconvincingly. “Oh yeah, I’m great, just have this benefit thing coming up on Friday that is just eating up my brain cells.”
Not fully believing what she was spewing, he asked, “You do know that I’m here for you if you ever need help or anything?”
“Yes, I appreciate that.”
Her tone seemed off and sounded unlike her that he had a difficult time hiding his concern. “You sure you are okay?”
He was truly a sweetheart, so to give him peace of mind she reiterated that she was all right. He still didn’t buy it, but it wasn’t his place to badger. “Let’s get together soon,” he suggested. “I’d like that,” she said. After they said goodbye, Remi stopped at a pizza place and bought a plain slice and large Coke. Originally she had planned to take the food back to work and eat there, but she decided to stay there instead and sit by herself for a while. All she wanted was for the heist and all its ramifications to be behind her. She sighed feeling hopeless that it was going to haunt her forever.
The moment DeGrazerio entered the police station he received the phone call, he had been waiting on. When he hung up, he turned to Weston. “The accent is Yorkshire, Northern England.”
“Great, that narrows it down to only six million people,” Weston quipped.
“Gotta start somewhere,” countered DeGrazerio as he strolled over to the big board of all things heist.
Right smack in the middle was a blown up screen capture of the grainy bank video. He grabbed a black Sharpie out of his pocket then circled the one he believed to be Liam, and the one he believed was the British man. He studied the two men then glanced over everything else posted up on the board. He then backed away from it and announced, “If Matthews doesn’t get back here soon we are going to hunt him down.”
Having been cooped up all day waiting for furniture deliveries, Liam headed out to get a bite to eat and while cruising the streets of Miami; he spotted a high-end jewelry store. No sooner had he stepped inside, a female sales associate pounced. “Hi, my name is Jessica, can I help you with anything?” she asked, her smile sincere and inviting. “I’m just looking right now, but thank you,” he said while he began maneuvering around the large cherry wood cases, loaded with beautiful gems, rings, necklaces, earrings; an abundance to choose from, but nothing caught Liam’s eye. That was until he spotted one case in particular that housed sterling silver charms. “Excuse me, Jessica,” he called out. The young woman happily glided towards her potential sale. “Are these for bracelets?” he asked. She nodded as she carefully removed two flats of charms, and placed them in front of him. “See anything you like?” she asked, watching him look. “Not sure,” he replied, perusing over the selection. Unfortunately, nothing was to his liking until he spied a simple silver charm with a small sapphire gemstone dangling from it. The biggest grin adorned his face because the significance of it was huge. The price was $1,175.00. There was zero debate as he told the exuberant saleswoman that he’d take it. “Will that be cash or charge?” she asked. “Cash,” he replied. As she began typing the transaction into the computer, she asked if he wanted it gift-wrapped. He politely declined, as he just wanted it in a box. Once he finished paying, she placed the box inside a small black bag then handed it to him. She then told him to come back again. Liam quietly chuckled at the irony of that last statement, because he could have easily stolen that charm if he had wanted to go that route. If she only knew, he thought.
When Liam arrived back at the house, he sat down at his newly purchased drafting table and set the tiny white jewelry box on the corner of it. He then removed the sapphire charm. As he looked at it, he envisioned Remi’s eyes. He then laughed because just like the music box, he wasn’t even sure he’d give it to her.
Initially thinking that he’d get a little work done, he found that impossible, with his mind, inundated with too many contradicting thoughts to concentrate. Contemplating what his future might hold, Liam knew that eventually he’d be forced to make some serious decisions. In an alternative universe, there’d be no looking over the shoulder, no waiting for the long arm of the law to catch up to him. There’d be no worries, no concern, nothing bad would ever happen. All would be right with the world. But his reality was nothing like that, though it wasn’t his life he worried about, it was Remi’s. He sighed, because he knew going back to Philly was also tossing himself right back to the scene of the crime. That said, having checked the Philly news for updates on the investigation, he was surprised there weren’t any or maybe wasn’t surprised since the investigators were too smart to broadcast pertinent information. He then realized that in just a few days, the simpler way of life would be a distant memory, and he would have to live in the real world again. A daunting thought to say the least.
Remi and Melanie met up after work to do some shopping, or more specifically to get a dress for the benefit. While the two strolled various shops, Remi told Melanie all about her phone conversation with Steve. “Charles’ goose could be cooked?” she said while giggling. Remi balked, “Not so sure about that.”
“But you said Steve told you the investigators heard the British accent.”
“Yeah, I thought at first, wow they are close, but how many Englishmen are in this country?” she asked rhetorically. “I mean it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
Melanie shrugged. “Possibly, but you don’t know what the cops know.”
A thought that hadn’t escaped Remi’s mind, as she often wondered just how deep the investigation had gotten. “AHHHH!” she shouted. “I can’t think about this anymore.”
Melanie’s eyes popped out of her head as she muttered a meek, “Okay.”
Remi fingered through the racks of dresses, still unsure of what style she wanted to wear. “I’m thinking a dark color, like black or maroon,” she said. “Like this one?” asked Melanie, while holding up a maroon cap sleeved sheath dress. As soon as Remi saw it, she grabbed it to try on. Four minutes later she walked out of the fitting room and stood in front of a full-length mirror, turning ever so slightly to get the best view possible, just to make sure the dress was the right one.
“Hey, Rem?” Melanie questioned then hemmed and hawed, as she walked up behind her. “What if Liam never comes back?”
“Huh?” she mumbled.
“If Liam doesn’t come back, what will you do?”
Remi glanced at her own reflection then scowled at Melanie. “Come on Rem, be realistic here, if he doesn’t come back then you have to…” she said, but Remi interrupted. “Have to what, Mel?”
Melanie quickly backtracked. “Nothing.”
Remi turned around to face her and snapped. “No not nothing, you obviously have some sort of agenda here, so what is it?”
“An agenda?” she angrily countered.
“I don’t get you, the constant flip-flopping on Liam, one minute you hate him, the next you think he is great then you hate him again!”
Feeling defensive Melanie tried to plead her case. “I just worry about you and the fact that you seem to have put your life on hold for him.”
“Put my life on hold—what are you talking about?” blasted Remi.
“You rarely go out anymore, and you have no interest in meeting any new guys or hell even going back out with Scott.”
“I wasn’t aware that my social life was your concern, and for the record I’m still trying to get used to the new job and get my head straight, after all, that’s happened,” she snapped.
“That’s not what I was saying,” cried Melanie.
“I have never once bitched about Justin always being at the apartment, or tell you how to live your life,” Remi said as she hurried into the fitting room to change back into her clothes. Even with the door shut, Melanie continued to
talk. “I know that and appreciate that you didn’t mind that he was there, but it doesn’t change the fact that Liam took off and left you to deal with everything alone.”
Remi waited until she was out of the room to speak then she whispered harshly, “You know what Mel, when Justin or anyone for that matter, risks his life for you—get back to me!”
Remi then rudely brushed past her to pay for the dress. Melanie caught up to her and tried to smooth things over, but Remi ignored her apology and once the cashier handed over the receipt, she announced, “I’ll find another ride home.”
Before Melanie could say anything, Remi had exited the store.
CHAPTER 7
The next two days flew by, and it was now in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning. Liam had finished packing up his truck and was pretty much set to leave. All he had to do was unplug a few things, and take one last look around. The one thing that gnawed at him though was the fact he hadn’t installed a security system. He wasn’t paranoid, especially since adding the most sophisticated locks on the market, he just wondered if the house had enough fortification, being that it would be left unoccupied for an unknown amount of time. He figured it had to be, at least for now. He then sauntered out to the terrace and observed the waves crashing against the beach. A part of him hated to leave because the house represented the much-needed solitude he had sought the moment he departed on New Year’s Eve. Liam breathed in the salty breeze then closed his eyes for a brief second. That’s when the other part kicked in to remind him of the reasons why he needed to go back to Philadelphia. They certainly outnumbered the reasons to stay. With that, Liam locked up then climbed inside of the truck. The night before, he had programmed the route into the GPS, which according to it, the trip without traffic and other unforeseen obstacles should take about 17-18 hours and be about 1,100 miles. Before leaving, he used his phone to check the traffic conditions. A couple of minutes later, he was good to go and with the beach house firmly in the rearview mirror; Liam drove a mile down the road to a gas station where he filled up the truck’s tank and purchased an extra large coffee. Then with a short stint on U.S. Highway 1, he steered towards I-95 and bid adieu to Miami.
Remi and a few co-workers ran errands all morning, picking up various items for the benefit. Thankfully, the weather cooperated. Without a cloud in sight and a bright sun, the chilly winter temps felt tolerable, especially because she had maneuvered around the city, mostly on foot. In fact, by the time lunchtime rolled around, she was exhausted. And since all of the employees had been working their asses off, Olivia treated her crew to a huge feast of cheesesteaks and crab fries. After she had finished eating, Remi got back to work by packing stacks of booklets, auction lists, flyers, and anything else she could cram into a bankers box. Her goal for that evening would be to memorize the auction list since she was the one in charge of it. As she continued to gather things up, Olivia summoned all the workers into the meeting room, for final instructions. Though Remi listened, her mind shifted to the altercation with Melanie. The two still hadn’t spoken to each other and kept their distance, which wasn’t too difficult, being that Remi had opted to stay at Liam’s apartment. She’d be lying if she said it hadn’t weighed on her, but she just needed to get through the fundraiser then deal with all the other stuff. The last thing she wanted was to do a poor job and disappoint Olivia. When the meeting wrapped up, it was time to head out. Since Remi had the large box to take home, she decided to take a cab instead of hauling it to the train station. When she got dropped off, Remi hurried up to Liam’s place and immediately set the box down then kicked off her boots. Within a minute, she traded her work attire for the a plain white t-shirt, black sweats, and slipped her aching feet into her pink fuzzy slippers. Still full from lunch, Remi nixed dinner and plopped down onto the living room floor, where she emptied out the box. Soon, the room was overcrowded with benefit flyers, bid lists, pens, and booklets. She meticulously went through each one, double-checking that all the names and items were correct. It was a tedious process, but she enjoyed it and was grateful that she had a place to do it without any interruptions. Having the space to spread out was nice, of course, if Liam saw the mess, he’d probably freak.
Next, she tackled the auction list. Memorizing each item, over and over. She did it for almost two hours straight, to the point where she was just tapped. So, she tossed the list aside and ended up conking out on the floor.
Liam was a little more than halfway through the trip when he decided to stop in Santee, South Carolina. Though he wanted to drive straight through to Philly, he also saw no harm in calling it a night and booked a room at a hotel located off the Interstate. Not a fancy place, but it was clean and offered a complimentary continental breakfast. Liam thought about just how much his father would snub his nose at a place like this. Once he had checked in and dumped his overnight bag in the room, he ventured down the road to a small mom and pop restaurant. It was a rustic place, dark and musty, but it smelled of smoked barbecue. A teenaged waitress handed him a menu all the while describing the day’s specials. Liam thanked her then ordered a pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries and whatever the bar had on draft. As he waited for his meal, he texted Simon to see if they could meet sometime over the weekend. Simon immediately replied that Sunday would work. He then texted Chris, just to give him a heads up on his imminent return.
After he was back in the hotel room, he took a much-needed shower then called his grandmother to let her know that he would stop by to see her on Saturday. Marlene was ecstatic by the good news. Beyond exhausted at that point, he lied down on the bed and contemplated on what kind of reception he would receive from his one-time hostage. A part of him was expecting her to be happy while the other leaned more towards an icy reception. Either way, it was a crapshoot, and in less than 24 hours he would soon find out.
The next morning, Remi awoke and immediately stretched, her body all cramped up from sleeping all night on the floor. Tonight was finally the fundraiser, and she needed to be at work a little earlier than usual, which meant less time to get ready. Therefore, she took a quick shower and got dressed in record time. But as she waited for a cab, she picked up some articles of clothing that were lying all over the apartment and tossed them into the large pile that had accumulated on Liam’s bedroom floor. “I really need to do some wash,” she said, adding his Cornell shirt to the top of the heap. When she got down to the front entrance, the cab was already there. Unbeknownst to Remi, someone was watching her. Driving a rented silver Lexus Hybrid, Charles pulled out behind the cab and began following it. He didn’t have to tail her; he knew where she was going; he just couldn’t wait until that evening to see her. Weeks of evading the young woman who he and Denton believed single-handedly changed the course of the heist, have led back to where he will once again cross paths with Remi. The anticipation was palpable as the wait was like a slow, torturous burn. He relished the notion of getting underneath her skin, and without Liam around, the element of surprise was on his side.
As soon as the cab pulled out in front of her workplace, Remi climbed out of the back seat with the bankers box in tow. Parked across the street, Charles observed her disappearing inside then he picked up the flyer that Mitchell had given him. “The Olivia Denton Foundation’s 7th Annual Benefit,” he muttered. He wickedly grinned as he then read, “The Promenade Hotel Banquet Hall.”
When Remi walked into the lobby, four of her co-workers were already there waiting for instructions from Olivia, who had just stepped off the elevator. “Good morning, ladies,” she said then immediately informed that a limousine was outside ready to take them over to the hotel and that all they needed to do was load everything into it. When the limo departed, Charles was in close pursuit. The hotel was only a few miles up the road, but with mid-morning traffic, the ride wasn’t short by any means. And with much to accomplish in a limited amount of time, the women got busy as soon as they got there. Charles parked nearby and watched them carry stuff in and out of the
hotel banquet area. Though he remained fixated on Remi, when she was out of view, he found himself intrigued by Olivia. He like many others couldn’t understand how someone so beautiful and sophisticated could ever be with Mitchell. He stayed there for a little while longer, but once they were inside working, there was no point in him hanging around. Besides he figured, later that evening, he would get to observe Remi for hours, which gave him some sort of twisted satisfaction.
While Olivia dealt with the wait staff and caterers, her assistants concentrated on place cards, table settings, and decorations. Remi’s responsibility was a 60 by 126-inch auction table. Her first task was unfolding a long white polyester rectangle tablecloth to cover it. Next was to smooth it out with her hands, making sure there were no creases. She then meticulously laid down the bid lists for each auction item then booklets for bidders to look through. As she performed those actions, Olivia complimented her efforts. That gave Remi a boost in confidence, being that she was a tad unsure if she was doing a good enough job. From start to finish, the entire event setup took close to five hours, so when they all finally finished, Olivia allowed them to go home to get some rest.
It was almost three o’clock, and Liam had been making great time up until he was just about to enter the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, where a major accident snarled traffic for hours. Sitting there, not moving was beyond aggravating. He had hoped to be in Philly hours earlier. Though he had accounted for road construction and possible accidents, a five-car pile-up wasn’t one of them. He sighed in frustration, knowing there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to rectify the situation. All he kept telling himself was that he was only two hours from home.
Remi had ended up taking a nap for much longer than she intended, which meant she was rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get dressed. With leftover fundraiser paraphernalia lying all over the kitchen counter, along with clothes and random items, Liam’s apartment was in shambles. Wasn’t much she could do about it at the moment; she just figured she’d spend Saturday cleaning up and doing laundry. As she finished applying makeup, there was a knock at the door. She peeked through the peephole to see Melanie standing on the other side. She opened the door, and at the same time, they both said, “I’m sorry.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 8