by R E Gauthier
Willow smiled that megawatt smile that made Nikki’s knees buckle before she laid the books carefully onto the center console of Nikki’s car. “I hope no one takes these. Maybe I should put them inside the glove compartment.”
Nikki shook her head. “They’ll be safe there. It’s a parking area in the back of an old building, but there is state-of-the-art surveillance and security cameras everywhere. A mouse can’t scurry nearby without setting off a silent alarm.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I installed them myself,” Nikki replied, tongue in cheek.
Chapter Eighteen
Cassidy Torres’s PI Office (Previously, Behavioral Cold Case Office), April 14, 2012
Torres wasn’t sure why, but her hair stood up on the back of her neck as soon as Red walked off of the elevator with the woman with laughing green eyes. She got the oddest feeling that the woman with Red was one who couldn’t be trusted. Unable to put her finger on the exact reason, she smiled and tried to look relaxed. Relaxed was the furthest from how she felt. Torres had grown used to being on edge in her FBI career. Most suspects she faced tried to seem reasonable, and she saw through their deception. For some reason, Willow Matheson had the air of a person who spent many years wearing a mask.
Torres listened to Red’s plan to enter the UK under an assumed identity and how she would gain access to the estate where Red believed Mack was being kept. From the surface, the estate appeared to be like many others in the Edinburgh countryside, but Torres believed that the family wouldn’t be holed up there if they didn’t have security. Red assured her she could by-pass any modern security system. Willow Matheson, the woman with Red, boasted the ability to hack any digital-analog being used with any security program. Torres wasn’t questioning their ability; she wasn’t sure that they had ever faced the kind of system that a family in hiding would install. “I’m not sure you know what you’ll be facing there. This house won’t have your garden-variety office security. It’s not even like Fort Knox; we’re talking about spies hiding inside their homes. You could find almost anything in this house.”
“I talked to Catrina, the mother, and she’s my way into the house. Once I’m inside, I can disable the rest of the protection they have.”
Willow shook her head. “Torres is right; we should make sure we can anticipate almost anything in this house.”
Torres still wasn’t sure what to make of the woman. She could be as polite and respectful as she liked. Torres didn’t trust her. Willow Matheson was hiding something, and she wasn’t going to stop until she discovered what that was. Red seemed oblivious to any anomalies, but then again, Nikki was most certainly attracted to the woman. Torres texted Deb to get over here as soon as she could. Another pair of eyes and opinions would be helpful. Deb text back that she could be there in ten. “Why don’t I order some food, and we can work longer on some of your plans.”
Red whispered something to Willow.
Willow smiled and nodded.
“Depends on how long the food takes to get here, we’re not hungry now, but in an hour or so, we will be ready to eat again. We did say we were at Nanna’s place before we came here.” Red nudged Willow in the side, and the other woman giggled.
“I could order from that Thai place across town. This time of the day, it could take a good hour or more to get here.” Torres offered a solution and hoped Red and Willow would stay. She needed Deb’s opinion on this woman, Red’s demeanor. She worried that in Mack’s absence, Red was letting her guard down and could be in trouble with Willow Matheson.
After Red and Willow spoke quietly between the two of them, Red said, “we were going to go back to the bunker, but you’re right, Torres. If we stay, we can bounce our ideas off of you and get better clarity.”
Torres blew out the breath; she didn’t know she was holding. Deb should get here soon. She decided to order extra food and hope between her and Deb; they could come up with a reason why she came by. “Great. I’ll order the food in the other room while you two get the plan laid out. We can review it and see if we can find any weaknesses.”
Red gave her a thumbs-up sign and bowed her head next to Willow’s head.
Outside of the room, Torres texted to Deb that she was to meet her in her office. She wanted to head Deb off so they could come up with a good reason for Deb’s presence. Deb texted back; she was in the elevator. While Torres waited, she called to order the food.
Several minutes later, Torres watched the silent exchange between Red and Deb. Deb was extremely uncomfortable. The blonde kept glancing at her watch and fumbling with her empty gun holster clip. Her eyes darted between Red and Willow. Red cleared her throat several times while she introduced Willow to Deb. The redhead also frowned and glanced her way. Torres had explained that Deb came over to see how Torres was settling in, and Deb said she had some time off from the taskforce and thought it was a good time to check in on Torres. Nikki appeared to be appeased by their explanations, but every movement was stiff and uncertain. I need to get Deb alone with Red. Those two need to talk. An idea for an excuse to get Willow out of the room struck her, and she said, “Willow, I’m wondering if you could show me how I could upgrade my office software?”
Willow furrowed her brows, and then she shrugged. “Sure, I think I could do that. Red, we can get back to your plan when I get back.”
Red mumbled something incoherently as she turned away.
***
Deb shook her head. “I see why you never called me back. How long did it take you to get her into your bed?”
Nikki frowned. This complication wasn’t what she needed right now. She knew she should have talked to Deb sooner and let her down easily. They had left things up in the air even though Nikki knew their relationship wasn’t going anywhere. Swearing under her breath, she tried again to explain herself. “Deb, I’m sorry I should have—”
“Do you think? Nikki, Torres tried to warn me about women like you. You even warned me about yourself how bad you were for me; how could I have been so stupid?”
“Deb, please…”
“What? Please let you off easier? A simple phone call or text telling me you were not interested in having anything further to do with me would have been the right and decent thing to do.”
“I know, and I tried to tell you that it was over, but you kept telling me this wasn’t serious for you. I thought you wanted it casual.”
“That would make it easier for you, wouldn’t it? What have you told Willow to get her into your bed? Or did you use your sadness or grief of losing your best friend?”
“Jesus, Deb, that wasn’t what happened between us, and you know it. I didn’t want to give in to my attraction for you. Mack forbade me, and even after she went missing, I wanted to honor my promise to keep my hands to myself.”
Deb snorted. “I recall all too well that you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself, and it didn’t take much to make you forget about your promise to Mack. When did this, Willow, come back into your life? Were you sleeping with her before you and I hooked up?”
Nikki felt the accusation hit her squarely in the gut. Blowing out a breath, Nikki turned around. She had a hard time looking into those moist blue eyes. I’m such an asshole. Mack would be berating her for disrespecting the two women. “She contacted me the other day.”
“When did you sleep with her?” Deb asked.
“That night, we went back to her hotel room,” Nikki said softly. She was feeling guilty voicing the reply.
Deb swore and laughed. “I’m not surprised. I knew if you were the fuck-them-then -leave-them kind of woman. I know you slept with that woman from the Baltimore Taskforce. Sleeping with our Unsub should have been my first and best warning. I was stupid to think I was anything more to you. I hope one day, you will learn that you cannot play with women’s emotions as you do. I hope you feel as bad as I do right now, and then you will get what you deserve.”
Willow walked in just as Nikki was about to say s
he was sorry. “Torres’s computer software needs a complete overhaul. Nikki did you…?” The rest of her query was drowned out by Deb slamming the door as she left the room.
Nikki turned to see Torre’s questioning eyes and Willow’s frown. Shit. Can I start today over again?
***
“Besides Red being a total bitch, tell me your honest opinion of this woman? I knew Red, and you may have had something after Mack’s disappearance, but I had no idea it was more than messing around.”
Deb scowled. “It wasn’t. Nikki told me from the beginning she didn’t want anything serious. But she has a way of making you think that you mean more to her than just a roll in the sheets. If I'm honest, Nikki was adamant that she didn’t want to give in to her baser instincts where I was concerned. Nikki’s problem is she doesn’t have much self-control. You tried to warn me, and I didn’t listen.”
“The world is full of Red’s type. The woman or man who cannot get through life without acting on their desires and never getting serious, but then one day it hits them. I used to be like her, and casual sex was my companion, but one day, I realized I had nothing but loneliness and a handful of out-of-service numbers of people I would call when I needed to forget how lonely I was.”
“I know it was wrong pursuing her, especially after what happened to Mack. Mack’s disappearance tore Nikki up, and even if she wanted to, I don’t think she could have stopped me. It is just as much my fault, but today seeing her with that woman made me see red.”
Torres now regretted mentioning Deb and Red’s relationship. She wanted to help Deb work through her hurt feelings, but she wanted to talk about Willow Matheson more. “Yeah, about that woman, what do you think? I’m getting some seriously questionable vibes off of her.”
Deb rubbed her face and pursed her lips. “My observations might be clouded, but when she was talking, she seemed to be putting on airs. I’ve seen it in someone trying to convince me they’re not guilty or when a person is telling me a trumped-up story.”
“Exactly. I got a distinct feeling Willow isn't honest with Red, but she’s not thinking clearly. I don’t know the whole story, but Red said Willow found her and has helped her locate Mack’s whereabouts.”
Deb gasped. “Nikki has found her?”
With everything going on with Willow Matheson’s arrival on the scene, Torres forgot to mention an essential part why she wanted Deb to come over today. “Sorry, I got so caught up in having you here to reinforce my concerns, that I forgot the most important reason.”
“Where is she? They were talking about a plan. What is this plan?”
Torres cleared her mind of her views on Willow and tried to focus on explaining what Red had learned and the plan she had to bring Mack home. “It’s a long story, and again I think Red may have got caught up in Willow’s version of things. I just hope Red’s inattentiveness to details doesn’t get her hurt.”
Deb snorted. Serves her right if she does get hurt.”
“No, you shouldn’t say that. If I’m right and Willow is as dangerous as I think she could be, Red isn’t only risking having her heartbroken.”
Deb frowned. “I don’t want Nikki to get hurt, but the way I feel right now, I do hope she does get her heartbroken. I have the day off, so I have plenty of time for you to tell me how Nikki found Mack and this plan she has concocted.”
Torres heard the elevator call button ring. “Well, the food sounds like it’s here. We can eat, and I can tell you the whole sorted details.”
Chapter Nineteen
Somewhere in Scotland or England, April 15, 2012
Kelsey’s eyes blurred as she started at the date on the calendar. She missed both she and Aisling’s birthdays. Even Aisling and Aunt Cat had not mentioned these dates. April the fifteenth was a bit more than seven weeks from June fourth. She had promised to be home for her birthday, and now with their wedding date closing in on her, Kelsey made a vow she wouldn’t miss another special date. Kelsey missed Miranda with her entire heart. She felt the physical pain every time she thought about the two weeks they would never get back. Two weeks passed by with Kelsey hanging on without knowing where she’d be going or what she’d be doing. She never knew such aimlessness in her life.
Aisling promised yesterday to have a surprise for her; Kelsey hoped it meant they would be going home. Aisling has also not returned Kelsey’s amulet, and Kelsey fingered the spot on her throat where the warm stone had laid for weeks. Without the power of the amber, Kelsey couldn’t reach out to Miranda. Every one of her dreams began and ended with Miranda’s face. Every nightmare began when Kelsey woke up.
Closing her eyes, she allowed the sun’s warmth to bathe her face. The sun may be warm, but the wind was still cold. After sitting out in the garden and breathing in the air for days, Kelsey had guessed that they had her somewhere far away from the US. They needed a boat to transport her. She surmised it was England or Scotland with all the workers on the property speaking Scottish Gaelic or country dialect of English. The wind brought her the smells of the ocean, and crisp Spring airs over fields and forests. Her eyes had scanned the hills, and she couldn’t see another house for miles. Kelsey narrowed her guess to the lower highlands of Scotland near the sea, and Aisling nodded and smiled. It hadn’t been an admission, but it also wasn’t a denial either.
Kelsey hadn’t had this much time to think about her life since she was a child. Every day of every year had been filled with one purpose and one goal. For the first time in Kelsey’s adult life, she had no FBI case occupying her mind, and she didn’t have a suspect to pursue. Aunt Cat and Aisling still wouldn’t tell her what kept them in hiding. They had only said that people were after them, and they had to remain hidden. Kelsey wanted to get back to her life, and to do so, she had to convince Aisling and Aunt Cat they could trust her. Maybe she could convince the two women to let her in and see if she could help.
“I know you promised not to try anything more than contact Miranda, but I need you to understand why it’s so important.” Aisling strode across the garden with Kelsey’s amulet in her hand. “Happy, belated birthday.”
The words Aisling spoke sounded hollow or forced. “Thank you; I thought you and Aunt Cat forgot about it.” Kelsey watched as the sun glinted on the gold chain. Remembering the day, she put that amulet around her neck, Kelsey smiled. I miss you, Nikki. She would contact Miranda, but she would try to contact Nikki as well. Her best friend also deserved to know she was alive; besides, Kelsey needed to ask for Nikki’s help. If she was going to get out of this mess, she trusted only Nikki to be there for her.
Aisling frowned. “You haven’t given us a chance to celebrate. You hid out in your room and then…well, it doesn’t matter. You deserve better, but I’m afraid we don’t have that luxury.”
Kelsey frowned. “I’m sorry for acting like a spoiled child, but I think…never mind. Happy belated birthday, also.” Kelsey saw Aisling smile; briefly, she wished they didn’t have this distance between them. “I know you’ve said many times that you’re in danger, but maybe I can help.”
Shaking her head, Aisling said, “you cannot help us, or you’ll be in more danger than you already are.”
Kelsey felt her blood pressure rise, tightening in her chest, and her throat close over. Closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, she tried to push down the frustration that boiled up. Aisling underestimated her, and she wasn’t going to stand for it much longer. Kelsey wasn’t used to being left out of solving problems, nor was she going to stand by while people thought she couldn’t do something. “Please tell me what has you all running like rabbits. After all these years, how can there still be such a threat?”
“It’s a very long story, one I have been told and lived by for many years.” Aisling folded her arms over her chest.
Kelsey laughed sarcastically and turned around with her arms out. “I have nothing but time on my hands. Is there somewhere you need to be?”
Shaking her head, Aisling sat on the bench in the
warm sun. “Sit and get comfortable; we’re going to be here a while.”
Kelsey sat and pulled the blanket around her legs to block out the wind. “I’m ready when you are.”
***
The sweat beaded on Kelsey’s brow as the memory took over, and she saw Aisling huddled under the bed, and the man grabbing at her. Kelsey clenched her eyes closed. “You don’t have to do this. I know what happened that night.”
“Kels, I’m sorry I summoned you that night. I didn’t know you would come. I had tried to reach you many times before, but that night you came. I needed you with me, but after what happened, I wished every day that you were not there.”
“Nanna succeeded in keeping us from reaching out to one another, but I was sick and not eating or drinking for a few days. I had the stomach flu or bug, and at first, Nanna told me that it had been a fever-induced nightmare. I believed it was a memory of what happened the night you died. Imagine my anger when I learned Nanna had been drugging me to stop me from learning the truth?”
“Don’t direct all of your anger at her; she did what she thought was best to save you from the pain of the truth.”
“I could have endured the truth better than the lie. If I had known you were alive but couldn’t be with us, I would not have spent my life with rage and revenge as my only friends.”
Aisling closed her eyes. “At least you were not in danger because you knew the truth.”
Kelsey’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “But it as anyone’s right to decide what lies to tell and what truths were told.”
Aisling’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry you hurt so much. The danger is still out there. That night was a warning to keep my father in line. They shot him and raped mom and me to make sure he stayed dead and quiet.”
Throwing her hands into the air and standing, Kelsey demanded, “who are “they”?”
My father worked with some very dangerous people while he tried to take down an International crime syndicate. He was a double agent and in deep undercover. His identity was compromised, and a man hunted him. This man is known only by the Ghost. He worked for the syndicate and given the job of killing my father for his betrayal. No one has been able to infiltrate this group, and when dad fell in love with the leader’s daughter, he wormed his way into the business. He was the first outsider in a long time to do so.”