“Aren’t you staying with us?” Hayley hadn’t expected him to leave so quickly. She thought he’d stay with them for at least tonight. If nothing else, Alice would miss him.
“I have to go home sometime. You’ll be okay with Sophie.” He moved across to their mom and held out his hand. “Come on, Alice. Let’s get you home.”
“Thank you, Tank. Have I told you what a nice man you are?”
“It’s always good hearing it again.”
Alice wrapped her hand around Tank’s elbow and walked slowly out of the room.
John picked up his jacket. “I’ll take Hayley and your mom to Tess and Logan’s home. Do you want to come with us, Sophie?”
“Yes, please.”
Hayley hugged her sister as tears filled Sophie’s eyes. The last few weeks had been hard on everyone, maybe more so for Sophie. At least Hayley had their mom with her. With Tank’s help they’d managed to get safely back to Bozeman. But what happened next was as much a mystery to her as what would happen to Tank now that he was home.
“I need to say goodbye to Ryan,” Sophie said to Hayley. “I won’t be long.”
John opened the meeting room door. “We’ll wait for you in the parking lot.”
As she walked down the corridor, Hayley took a deep breath. So much had happened since she’d last spoken to her sister. She needed to forget about Tank and find out what had been going on in Sophie’s life. And if that didn’t distract her from the sick feeling in her stomach, she didn’t know what would.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tank took the cup of coffee John passed him and sighed. It was ten o’clock at night and he was tired. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I take it you’re talking about your parents?”
“What else would I be talking about?”
John sipped his coffee. “While we were in the meeting room you hardly took your eyes off Hayley. Connor said you had an argument on the plane.”
“Connor talks too much,” Tank muttered.
“Unlike someone else I know.”
Discussing Hayley was the last thing he wanted to do. She’d gotten under his skin, made him wonder what it would be like to have a normal relationship with someone. But the secrets and lies he’d been living with had changed him, made him a different person.
“Is there anything I should be worried about?” John asked.
“Nothing happened,” he growled. “Hayley and her mom were Fletcher Security’s clients. The assignment is over and it’s time to move on.”
“Fair enough. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks.” Tank pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to work out what he was going to do about his parents, not think about Hayley. But she was as much a part of what he needed to do as John was.
“Has the reporter asked more questions about my brother?” He watched John put his mug on his desk. From the way he was hesitating, the news wouldn’t be good.
“It looks as though they’re focusing on other people at the moment. No one will uncover what happened in Afghanistan.”
Tank wasn’t so sure. “I can’t afford to ignore the reporter. Has Sam managed to find out why he’s asking questions?”
John opened a folder on his desk. “The reporter is female. Her name is Maria Hennessy and she works for the Washington Post. She told Sam she’s writing an article on military personnel who died in the line of duty.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I wouldn’t trust anything a reporter says.”
Tank left his coffee on the desk and walked across to a double-height window. The sky was so clear that he could have sworn he saw a shooting star. It reminded him of when he was younger. At night, he’d sit outside Safe Haven with his granddad, naming the different constellations they could see.
Remembering his granddad brought a lump to Tank’s throat. He’d been a good man who had endless patience with his grandsons. He wouldn’t be impressed with the mess Tank had made of his life or what he’d done to protect his family.
“I don’t want to tell my parents what happened. But if I need to, Hayley said she’d come with me.”
“Was that before or after you yelled at her?”
“I didn’t yell.”
John crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Really?”
“She fell over a log when she came out of the cabin looking for me. At a minimum, she’s bruised her shoulder and ribs. She wouldn’t go to the hospital for an X-ray or let a doctor look at her.”
“She’s a nurse.”
“She’s stubborn. I think she might change her mind about helping me. I’ve been grumpier than usual.”
“I never would have noticed.” A frown creased John’s face. “How much does she know about what happened?”
“I told her that David smuggled drugs into Afghanistan and sold them to civilians. She knows he was killed in an undercover operation and that I was there.”
“But not that you shot him?”
Tank looked away. “No.”
John leaned back in his chair. “David has been dead for five years. Maybe it’s time to tell your parents the truth.”
“I can’t. They think David was a hero.”
“Your brother made a serious mistake. We were sent to stop a shipment of drugs coming into Kabul. No one knew military personnel were involved. But even if they did, the outcome wouldn’t have been any different.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Your brother shot me and you saved my life. He could have killed both of us.”
Tank took a deep breath. He’d been living with a guilt so deep and strong that it had become part of who he was. If his parents turned their backs on him, he didn’t know what he would do.
John tapped his pen on the top of his desk. “I’ll ask Sam to keep watching the reporter.”
“Tell her to be careful. If we make too much noise the reporter will know we’re more interested in her story than we should be.”
“We’ve already had that conversation.” John pulled another folder out of the pile beside his computer. “You’ll want to see this.”
Tank scanned the first page and looked at his boss. “You found the person who was following us?”
“There was more than one person involved. The man the police arrested in Fort Wayne was definitely involved in Hayley’s attempted kidnapping. But he wasn’t working alone. His female accomplice is still missing. Unless there are more people involved, she could have been the person you saw in the woods.”
“What’s their connection to Hayley and her mom?”
“Hayley’s sister was working with a Dr. Bernard at the University of Chicago. He tried to illegally sell an early version of the formula Sophie developed to Alberta Pharmaceuticals. He somehow met Carrie Fordyce, one of the first trial participants Sophie organized. When Bernard realized his version of the supplement wasn’t showing the same positive results that Sophie’s had, Carrie sent Sophie anonymous messages. They tried to scare her into telling them the final formula. When Sophie left Chicago, they focused on Hayley and her mom.”
“Was Bernard the man who visited Alice in the nursing home?”
John nodded. “You left Fort Wayne at the right time. Bernard needed proof that the supplement worked, and Alice is the only person with Alzheimer’s to have used the supplement. Up until then, its benefits were only documented for improved memory in people with normal brain function.”
“Has someone spoken to Alberta Pharmaceuticals?”
“The police have been interviewing them. More than one agency will be investigating their involvement in what happened. While Sophie, Hayley, and their mom are in Bozeman, they’re safe. Once the patent for the supplement is approved it will reduce the danger they’re in.”
“But in the meantime?”
“I’m keeping a member of our team with them at all times. They won’t go anywhere without security.”
“The person
assigned to them needs to know how to look after Alzheimer’s patients. Alice doesn’t like loud noises or change. When she has a good day she gets frustrated if she can’t remember things. On a bad day she forgets how to eat or go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Tank looked at the folder in his hands. “Hayley is afraid of the dark. She wouldn’t tell me why, but something big must have happened. I bought her some flashlights, but whoever looks after her still needs to know. She’s independent and can be reckless if she thinks her mom or sister are in danger. She has a good sense of humor, but you can’t let that fool you into thinking she doesn’t get stressed. Hayley feels things deeply, more than most people realize.”
“Is there anything else?”
He glanced at John before handing him the folder. “Hayley and her mom are exhausted. Look after them.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to be part of their security detail?”
“No. I’ll say goodbye to them tomorrow. After that, I’m ready for my next assignment.” He needed to keep busy and working with someone else would be a welcome distraction.
Tank glanced at his watch. John had driven Alice and Hayley to Tess and Logan’s home two hours ago. He already missed them and that worried him almost as much as talking to his parents.
***
Hayley spent the next morning talking to her sister. They caught up on what had happened and updated a spreadsheet they’d designed to monitor their mom’s progress.
Alice drifted in and out of the conversation. At times she looked as though she was with them and at others, she seemed lost and alone.
When their security guard opened the front door to Tank, Hayley was so surprised she nearly dropped her mug of hot chocolate.
Sophie made him a cup of coffee and he joined them at the dining table. Alice made sure he sat beside her while she drank her supplement. They talked about everyday things and laughed at the stories Alice told Tank. Hayley was sure most of them had never happened, but it was good to see her mom so happy.
By the time Tank took Alice for a slow walk around the backyard, Hayley was getting more confused. He hadn’t mentioned the disagreement they’d had on the plane. The black mood that had sat heavily on his shoulders had disappeared. He was more relaxed than he’d been in a long time.
“He’s a good man,” Sophie said as she watched Tank and their mom in the garden.
Hayley stood beside her sister. She couldn’t understand how he could be so patient with Alice and so short-tempered with her. “When I first saw him I got the fright of my life. I thought he was going to take mom away from the dementia unit. He was, but it was for the right reasons. For such a big guy, he’s very gentle.”
“Mom likes him.”
“His friendship with mom made it so much easier when we were moving between locations. I still don’t know why she recognizes him. It doesn’t make sense.”
“When has Alzheimer’s ever made sense?” Sophie said sadly. “I’m just glad you’re both safe. When we get home, I’ll do a full set of tests on mom to see what difference the supplement has made.”
“By home, do you mean Chicago?”
Sophie turned from the window and sat on the sofa. “Why wouldn’t I mean Chicago?”
“I thought you liked it here. You could always stay.”
“It wouldn’t work. I’ve got to be close to a lab if I want to continue my research.”
“If a pharmaceutical company bought the rights to your formula, wouldn’t they be the ones continuing the research?”
Sophie leaned against the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. “I don’t know if anyone is ever going to be interested in the supplement. I haven’t heard from my lawyer and the patent for the formula hasn’t been approved. I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.”
“But the supplement works. All anyone has to do is look at mom.”
“We know that, but even with the progress she’s made, no researcher will accept the results we have. I didn’t follow the correct procedure. Giving mom three cups of supplement each day is hardly scientific proof that it works.”
“It must count for something,” Hayley insisted. “Anyone with half a brain will be able to see the potential for what you’ve discovered.”
“Maybe. I’ll have a better chance of attracting a manufacturer once the formula is protected. I don’t know what I’m going to do if the patent office declines my application.”
“Don’t even think about it. Have you called your lawyer to see if anything has happened?”
“Not for the last couple of days. I’m surprised he hasn’t had me arrested for harassment. The poor guy keeps getting desperate phone calls from me. After this is over, I owe him lunch.”
“I’m sure he’ll bill you accordingly,” Hayley said with a grimace. “Talking about money, do you need some more to cover the cost of Tank and everyone else?”
“I’ll let you know when I get John’s bill.”
Hayley leaped off the sofa and handed Sophie her laptop. “I’ve got a good feeling about this. Check your emails. If there’s nothing from your lawyer, we’ll call him. If he thinks one Elliott sister is bad enough, wait until he’s got two harassing him.”
Sophie opened her laptop and entered the password. “It’s a waste of time. No lawyer that I know works on a Saturday.”
“You might be surprised.” She leaned over Sophie’s shoulder and watched her emails appear in her inbox. “There! Sixth from the top. Unless Baker, Jacobs, and Miller are online retailers, your lawyer has sent you an email.”
Sophie’s hand shook as she clicked on the message. “I’m too scared to read it.”
“You’ve been hiding from some nasty people, your mom and sister were nearly kidnapped, and you’re too scared to read an email?”
“Just read it,” Sophie insisted.
Hayley pulled the laptop close. She looked at the email while her sister fidgeted beside her.
“Are you going to torture me or tell me what it says?”
“I’m building anticipation,” Hayley said with a grin.
Tank came inside with their mom. “Who’s building anticipation?”
He looked at Hayley and she felt a blush work its way over her face. “Sophie got an email from her lawyer. It’s about her patent application and the proposal she made to the pharmaceutical companies.”
Sophie gasped. “He’s replied about both things? In one email? What did he say?”
Hayley turned the laptop around. “You need to read this yourself. Go on. You’ve been waiting for this for months.”
Sophie looked at her laptop. She read the message and wiped tears out of her eyes. “I can’t believe it. After all this time someone wants to fast track my research.”
Tank looked from one sister to the other. “Do you want to tell me what you’re talking about?”
Sophie jumped up and hugged him. “They gave it to me. The patent office approved my application. No one else can copy the formula or say they developed the supplement. As soon as my lawyer had the patent secured, he went back to the two pharmaceutical companies we’d contacted. One of them wants to buy the manufacturing rights.”
“Congratulations. What happens now?”
Sophie took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I need to call my lawyer and see what we do next.”
Hayley handed Sophie her cell phone. “Use mine.”
Sophie’s hand shook so much that she had to dial the number three times before finally getting it right. After a few seconds, she looked at Sophie. “I don’t think anyone’s there.”
“Don’t hang up. Wait for the answering machine and leave a message. He might check his phone during the weekend.”
Sophie bit her bottom lip and waited. “He’s there,” she whispered. “Hi, Geoff. It’s Sophie. Sophie Elliott. I’m calling about the email you sent.”
Hayley watched her sister’s face as she spoke to her lawyer. By the end of the conversati
on, it wasn’t only Sophie’s hand that was shaking. Her whole body was trembling.
“What did he say?” Hayley asked as Sophie sat down beside her.
“Geoff spent yesterday with the company discussing the contract. He knew the figure I was happy with, but he’s negotiated a deal that’s three times what I wanted.”
“That’s amazing.” Hayley hugged her sister. “Dad would be so proud of you.”
“Of us,” Sophie said firmly. “We’re a team. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You changed your entire life to look after mom. You made sure she drank the supplement and recorded everything she said and did. I altered the formula based on the data you supplied. The supplement wouldn’t have worked without your help.”
“Thank you.” Hayley felt the weight of Tank’s gaze on her. He knew how much Sophie’s words meant to her, how much her life had changed because of her parents.
Sophie looked at their mom. “I’ve got a few things to do before it’s official, but I’m so excited. Something good has come out of mom’s Alzheimer’s. I know the supplement will make a difference to a lot of people’s lives.” She glanced at her watch and stood up. “I’ve got to go.”
Tank’s gaze shot to her. “Where?”
“The concert at Ryan’s home. I need to tell him.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “Just because you’ve heard from your lawyer, it doesn’t mean you’re out of danger.”
“Oh for cripes’ sake,” Hayley groaned. “Let Sophie go.”
“She’s not going anywhere.”
The full force of Tanks unimpressed gaze landed on Hayley. From what her sister had said about Ryan, she was half in love with the superstar musician. After everything they’d been through, Hayley wasn’t about to let Tank stand in the way of true love.
Instead of backing down, she poked him in the chest. “You will make this happen or I’ll go back on our deal.”
His eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” She hoped Tank didn’t look at her too closely. She’d never blackmailed anyone. She knew how difficult Tank’s meeting with his parents would be and she felt guilty for using that against him.
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