Hidden Secrets (Garrett Investigation Book 1)

by Claire Plaisted

  Later that morning she walked into the communications hub, requesting a computer to use. Her first concern was Mr Truit. Who was he? Where had he come from? Finally, what was he doing there? Entering a computer search she waited while it went through the database they held. Ten minutes later she came out emptied handed. With a frown, she started an internet search, lo and behold there were hundreds of ‘Kevin Truit’s’ muttering under her breath she began to narrow down her search. Starting with the property, he said he owned.

  He was getting more and more mysterious, apparently a company had bought the house he lived in, or so the sales info stated. Sighing, she got up; hands in pockets she walked over to Deb, who ran searches on companies.

  “Deb can you do me a favour when you have a spare five mins. Could you run this business and let me know what you come up with.”

  “Yeah sure, just leave the info with me. What’s the company name?

  “Truit & Haier Engineering,” from what I can make out. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of them.

  “Ok, will let you know later Ana.”

  “Thanks, Deb, I owe you.”

  The rest of the day went quickly, another boxing match with Matt, who’d nearly beaten her. It seemed she was a bit out of shape after all. Checking her accuracy skills with her Browning gave her ten out of ten. Next, her favourite bow and arrow, thudding into the target and were a bit off kilter. Her knife skills were satisfactory. Tomorrow she promised herself, her body skills practice which she enjoyed more than anything.

  The information she wanted came through just after dinner, it was a boisterous affair, she’d let slip the boss was coming down.

  “Hey Ana, I got the info you wanted,” Deb passed her a sealed envelope with a curious glance, “can’t say I found much of interest.”

  “Thanks, Deb,” Ana said, shoving the envelope in her pocket.

  Later, back in her room at the cottage she settled in bed to read the information Deb had gleaned.

  Truit & Haier Engineering, founded in 1977 by three young friends to study human genetics and how they worked. Truit and a hidden partner were scientists with top marks from Harvard. Haier was a wealthy friend with interests in genetics. He supported the company through funding for their research. Their idea was to improve on human genetics by stopping abnormalities at the time of conception.

  Ana shuddered at the thought of someone messing with her DNA. She liked herself just as she was, though thinking about it, she could understand some people wanting perfection.

  The hidden partner left the company six years later, reasons unknown. Truit continued his research where today they were cloning sheep in the hope that one-day ethics would allow them to clone DNA for human improvement. They helped to promote survivor siblings genetics for those with cancer. Though it was a case by case rather than a given. Haier stayed on as a business partner, handing it on to his son when he retired. Truit retired having passed the primary part of the company on to his nephew. He kept overall control of the still private company.

  “Well, blah to that,” she muttered. Ana started a list of what would need researching tomorrow. She idly wondered who this hidden scientist was. Tiredness claimed her, with a small smile on her face she settled down for the night looking forward to Malachy’s arrival, not that she’d forgiven him yet.

  In New York Malachy sorted through the documents, he’d found. Reading them through four times now, and he still couldn’t bear the thought of some of the information. Dragging his hands through his hair, he wished his father had told him. He knew he needed to speak with someone soon, unfortunately that someone was deeper involved than he was. He couldn’t imagine how Ana was going to cope with this information; to say she’d be angry was the least of his worries.

  The phone rang. “Boss, we need you at the office. Conrad found something you should see.”

  “Thanks Yuri, I’ll get Quin to drop me off this afternoon.”

  “Quin is with Ana at Trengrove boss; I’ll come and pick you up.”

  “Fine,” he snapped distractedly slamming the phone down, “Tallon,” he roared.

  “Yes boss?”

  “Ah, sod it, never mind,” he muttered. Tallon looked on puzzled.

  “You ok sir, you seem…” he trailed off.

  “A lot on my mind Tallon,” he sighed. “Let me know when Yuri gets here. I’ll be going to the office.”

  “Yes sir, anything else? All is quiet here for now. The others are just doing their rounds. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “Yeah thanks,” he smiled.

  Later at the office Conrad sat in front of him relaying what he’d found.

  “Someone created Fletcher for this job.”

  “What do you mean created?”

  “We’re not sure yet Mal. We’re still digging.”

  “Go on, what else did you find?”

  “After digging deeper we found his educational background. It looks like he’s an only child, orphaned as a baby. Someone organised his upbringing; which was clinical.”

  “Clinical?” Mal asked carefully.

  “He’d little human contact until he went to his first private school. He’d no social skills at all. They expected him to be top of the class all the time.”

  “Poor bastard,” he muttered, “anything else?”

  “He has first degrees in genetics; his thesis is spectacular to say the least.”

  “Why didn’t we find this before he went through training?”

  “Someone with exceptional computer skills hid it under layers of …”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

  “Fletcher doesn’t know any different Malachy; it’s like they brainwashed him from birth to be what he is today.”

  “Fuck, this complicates matters,” he sighed as if he didn’t already know. “If you find anything over the weekend contact me. Get yourself home; send Yuri in if you see him.”

  “He’s just outside your office boss.”

  “Well, send him in.”

  “You ready to go, boss?”

  “Yuri; you need to stop fussing. I need updates from you first.” Yuri grinned in anticipation. “So how’s Abe doing?”

  “Great, he released himself from hospital this morning setting off home to his parents.”

  “What about Fletcher and your little surprise?”

  “Well, circumstances change, now I need to know. In fact before anyone approaches anything to do with Fletcher I’ll need to know.”

  Yuri raised his eyebrow in question it went unanswered. “Need to know at the moment, Yuri.”

  “Ok. Fletcher has created a lab where he’s making a virus which we believe is substantially similar to the one from Haven Pharmaceutical where he’s going undercover.”

  “So he took the bait, that’s good.”

  “You should see the place, how the hell he got it up and running so quickly we’ve no idea. He also has a labatory assistant. Not sure what he knows.”

  “So what’s going to happen?”

  “Thought we’d blow up his lab and make it look like an accident,” he grinned.

  “Don’t hurt anyone, we don’t need any backlash.”

  “Yeah, if you look out of your office window tomorrow night you’ll see all the fun, we’ve made sure it won’t affect any other buildings or people.”

  “Fine, go ahead and keep your ears peeled for the results. It’ll be on the news later if we’re lucky.”

  “Oh and Moran is still coming up empty-handed. The guy in the tree we shot, he can’t link to anyone. No name, nothing you could say he’s rather irritated.”

  “Better like that for now we can feed him information later.”

  “Well, that’s it. I’ll escort you home if you’ve finished here.”

  “Yes, all done unless someone else comes up with something,” he laughed without humour. A knock on the door, they looked at each other sighing, “shouldn’t have said anything,” raising his voice, “Enter.”

  �
��Malachy, just an update from the assignment you gave me.”

  “That’s fine Enrique I’ll read it over tomorrow.”

  “Good, it’s a strange one to be sure.”

  “That’s all I need, another strange one; everything is happening all at once. Well, get you gone Enrique, I’ll see you early Monday before I go to Trengrove. Right Yuri, let’s get out of here before anything else happens.”

  As Yuri drove Mal home, he asked. “What you want done with the prisoner? I’ve transferred him down to Trengrove security section.”

  “Get any more info out of him?”

  “Not much, I think he was one of a hired crew, who don’t know anything.”

  “May as well do a drop Yuri Preferably in the middle of nowhere; make sure he has a few survival bits and pieces,” he grinned.

  “Great idea boss,” Yuri grinned.

  At eight, the following evening Malachy stood in his darkened office waiting for the big boom promised by Yuri. A small smile crossed his face as he saw a distant building burst out with huge yellow flames, followed by another explosion as something added to the ferocity of the fire. Malachy wasn’t a scientist, so he’d no idea what Fletcher had in the lab, he hoped to god the fire would be under control shortly. Sighing, he left the office organising last minute details before he went to Trengrove the following morning.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The drive to Trengrove was uneventful. Malachy arrived safely at Rose cottage with the same care and ease Anastasia had. The same welcome from Abigail, who’d got to know him well in the last few years.

  “Malachy, as handsome as ever,” she retorted.

  “Hi Abigail, how’s business? Is Anastasia around?”

  “She’s at the garden centre helping out. As for you, settle in your room then perhaps you can retrieve Ana for afternoon tea.”

  “Of course Abigail,” he grinned as he ducked into the cottage, up the stairs, placing his bags in the room next to Ana’s with great relish.

  Sauntering down the drive to the garden centre he soon found Ana filling up a display with soft pink miniature roses. Closing in behind her, he wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her back into his body, making her squeal in surprise, placing a quick kiss on the back of her neck.

  “Shit Mal, scared the buggery out of me,” she said, turning her head looking up at him.

  “I couldn’t resist Ana; you look so divine.”

  “Thought you were off me right now,” she said remembering to glare.

  “Nope, in fact, it’s more likely to be the other way around by tonight, “he sighed. “Abigail is dishing up afternoon tea, she asked me to find you,” he grinned.

  “Well, help me finish this then we can go,” her heart beat rapidly at his touch.

  “Ok,” he smiled not letting her go.

  “Mal, please let me go,” putting his chin on her shoulder, he pulled her closer splaying his hands over her stomach. “Mal,” she whispered.”

  With a groan, he released her, “soon Ana, we’ll sort this out very soon,” he promised.

  Finally finished, they made their way back to the cottage side by side, both unsettled with their thoughts; both trying to calm their bodies instincts; just to hold on to each other. Ana wondered what had changed; he’d made her nervous with his part revelation. Crossing her arms suddenly cold, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Mal watched, hoping to god what he said would help rather than hinder.

  Afternoon tea was a silent affair; neither knew what to say, both leery of upsetting the apple cart.

  “Ana, we need to go somewhere private to talk,” Mal said with a sigh.

  “My aunts office is the most private we can get, she had it soundproofed before I came to her my first summer,” she smiled wanly, “this way.” Sitting comfortably by the fireplace, they remained silent for a while.

  “I’m still not sure how to go about this Ana. Some of it is about your family who you asked about researching a few days ago.

  Ana gasped, “You know who they are? Tell me.”

  “It’s more complicated than that Ana. First, let me say I found a portrait painting in the secret room. There was a woman who I recognised as my mother; she was very lovely,” he said fondly, “On her knee was a baby of about three months give or take a few. At first I thought it was me. When I approached closer I realised it was a girl with black hair and green eyes.” He looked up straight into her eyes. “According to the documents I read the baby was you, Ana.”

  “No-no,” she jumped up, “no way, I’m not your sister that’s just obscene.”

  “No, you’re not Ana. We’re not related at all.”

  “Thank god, just the thought is ugly,” she sat back down gathering a deep breath, “what was I doing with your mother? I don’t understand.”

  “You will shortly,” Mal replied gently. He drew his chair closer to Ana’s enclosing her legs with his holding her hands. “Now for the hard part, well part of it.”

  “Go on Mal, who are my parents?”

  “You have a sort of brother due to some of the same DNA in both of you.”

  “A brother,” she smiled, “way cool.”

  “No, actually this is the part you’re not going to like Ana. Fletcher is your brother in a weird kind of way.”

  “Hell no way, you have to be joking. For god’s sake, we’re nothing alike.”

  “That is why I said sort of brother. You are both part of an experiment that dealt with altered genetics. You both have different mothers, your father at this stage in not named, however you have lots of different DNA in your genes.”

  “Let me finish Ana.” He said. “At birth you were swapped with each other. The girl was stillborn; she disappeared off the radar. The company running the experiment wanted a son, so he gave the male child to the other woman who helped with his care. That child, of course, was Fletcher.”

  “So what happened to the girl, to me if you wish? Obviously I wasn’t stillborn.”

  “Complications again, this is how you came to be in my mother’s arms. My father was apparently a genetic scientist who worked for this company. Dad didn’t like the way the research was developing. He fell in love with my mother who happens to be Fletchers birth mother. They took you escaping the compound, knowing they couldn’t keep you they had you adopted out for your own safety.”

  “Y-you’re Fletchers half-brother?”

  “Ironic isn’t it,” he sighed.

  “So who’s the man behind the company? My supposed father?” she asked.

  “Still working on it, my dad didn’t name him. However, I think he has something to do with whom Fletcher is working for.”

  “What happened to your parents Malachy?”

  “He eventually had them murdered so they couldn’t talk; sadly it was a waste of time since I now have the full story.” Looking up at Ana, he asked, “you mentioned you’d read about genetics the other night, tell me why and who it involved.”

  “I met a man on the hill where I run. I was suspicious as he came upon me too quietly for my liking. Said his name was Kevin Truit. He must be in his early fifties at least.”

  “What did he want, what has this to do with genetics?”

  “I researched him when I got to the centre. Deb got me info on a company called ‘Truit & Haier Engineering’ founded in 1977.”

  “Why ask Deb?”

  “He said he’d bought the Johnson place a couple of years ago; it was the company who bought it, not Mr Truit personally, I was curious.”

  “So what does this company do?”

  “Mr Truit and another scientist messed with DNA. Money wasn’t a problem; the third partner Henri Haier was a wealthy man. One scientist left due to some disagreement. That is about all I know at present.”

  “No way can this be a coincidence. Your birth was in what 1982. Maybe Mr Truit is my missing connection.” Rolling back in his chair, he stood, wandering the small office thinking back to the documents and what Enrique had found. “Look
, we need to think on this Ana. Maybe we should sleep on it. I’ll get our top researchers onto it tomorrow.”

  A knock sounded at the door, opening Abigail put her head round. “Time for dinner. I made your favourite roast beef,” she smiled.

  “Thanks, Abigail, you spoil us too much,” Ana replied. Grabbing Malachy’s hand Ana pulled him into the dining room where the table was set charmingly for two. A red candle in the table centre with a white velvety rose setting off a delightful fragrance, the best cutlery and dishes. Abigail had outdone herself. A sly smile at her two favourite people; she left them to eat.

  Ana smiled at the cosy little scene Abigail had managed, looking across to Mal she saw his eyes trained on her lips, he blinked when he noticed Ana was staring back at him.

  “Well, this is cosy Mal, did you organise it?”

  “No, Abigail has her own methods, naturally she sees more than most,” he replied as they began to eat.

  “What are we going to do about us Mal? This connection is weird,” she sighed. “Are we continuing our relationship or not?”

  “Why not see where it leads us; you make me feel things I’ve never felt with any other women. There’s something different about you which I’ve yet to work out.”

  “What about all you’ve told me?”

  “There’s more to this story yet Ana. I’ve told you what I learnt about you and Fletcher. It makes me wonder if he knows.”

  “Good question, but probably not. How could he know, if we didn’t?”

  “Forget Fletch for now. Will you come to me tonight Mal; I missed you over the last few days,” she sighed. “You’re right about us; we need to find out where we’re going.”

  “Yes Ana tonight is for us. I ache to touch you,” he took her hand in his, his thumb swirling circles on her palm as he stared deeply into her emerald eyes. “I need to be with you tonight Ana before you drive me insane with need.”

  Her eyes lit up at his words, leaning forward into a kiss, their lips brushed lightly making them both tingle, their heartbeats speeding up. Gently Malachy lifted her hand to his lips, “Come, let’s go Ana.”