Sins of the Master

by Catherine Taylor

  “James, you can’t always protect me, and trying to is just treating me like a moron. I have to be able to be there when you need me.”

  Before he could reply, a chime rang out, alerting them to someone at the front door. As James got up, Mairead seized his hand. “Please, James, I want to be with you.”

  “Alright,” he conceded impatiently. “But you had better hurry and get dressed.”

  Mairead leapt from the bed and hurried to the bathroom. In under ten minutes she was showered and dressed, her wet hair tied back in a ponytail. She winced to have to skip her make-up routine, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  Slipping her runners on, she hurried out to the lounge, only to baulk at the sight of several strange faces. One was a tall, slim woman in trousers and shirt, and the others were uniformed police. James was among them, tight-lipped, silent and brooding as he was handcuffed. Mairead felt the strength drain from her body, her heart aching as he turned to her.

  He smiled and his voice was calm. “Mairead, would you call Ron and let him know what’s happened. Apparently, I am to be charged with grievous bodily harm and attempted murder upon Brendan North.”

  Mairead’s stomach lurched and she had to grip the couch to steady herself, hoping that her rising nausea wasn’t going to erupt.

  “It’s alright, babe. I’m okay. We’ll sort this.”

  She nodded, trembling and staring at him. The woman looked at her.

  “Mrs. Vaughn, we are also required to conduct a search of these premises.” She went on to ramble some legal jargon, but Mairead had stopped listening.

  “When do I get to see my husband again?”

  “Someone will be in touch with you.”

  It didn’t answer her question but she was too drained to argue. Her gaze lingered on James smiling at her, looking calm and indifferent. Somehow she managed to smile back at him, but as they led him away, her nausea overwhelmed her. She hurried to the back sliding door, managing to get out on the deck before she threw up. Her stomach continued to heave for the next few minutes.

  Dropping down to sit on the deck, her tears overflowed. Wiping her mouth, she went back inside, alarmed by people walking about in her home. Scowling, she hurried to the bedroom, only to find two more men searching through their drawers.

  She ignored them and snatched up her phone, but one of them looked at her and indicated the door that led to their playroom.

  “We need you to unlock that door please.”

  Mairead smirked angrily and got the key from James’ drawer. Marching to the door, she unlocked it and threw it open. The man wandered closer and she watched his face react to the sight of a spanking bench and a variety of implements on display.

  “Knock yourself out,” she muttered, walking off.

  She felt suffocated and hurried back outside to sit on the deck again and bring up their lawyer’s number. Her lip was trembling as she spoke to Ron, detailing everything that had happened.

  “What’s going to happen now, Ron? When do I get James home?”

  “I’m on my way, Mairead. I’ll let you know the moment I know anything. Have you got someone there for you?”

  She nearly snapped back that she didn’t need anyone, but she replied politely. “Vanessa should be here any moment.” She wasn’t enthused by the idea and it gave her more determination to keep strong. “I’ll be fine. You just look after James.”

  The moment she hung up from him, she dialled another number.

  “Name.” Was the simple reply.

  “Mairead. Tell him it’s urgent.”

  She got up, just as Vanessa was opening the door. Mairead tried to keep staunch, but just seeing Vanessa’s anxious face, she dissolved into tears. She felt grateful for the strong feminine arms going around her, especially as her head suddenly fogged over and her legs crumpled beneath her.

  * * * * *

  When Mairead opened her eyes, she felt the momentary relief of having woken from a nightmare. Above her she could see the red canopy of their bed and smell the faint odour of their love-making during the night. It was the sight of Vanessa sitting on the bed that snatched her back to reality.

  She stared at her fearfully. “What happened?”

  “You fainted. I brought you in here, to get you away from them.”

  “They’re still here then?”

  Vanessa nodded. “You’ve only been out a few minutes, but I think we need to get you to a doctor.”

  “No,” Mairead said firmly “I’m fine. I just don’t deal well with my husband being arrested. This is all wrong, Vanessa. Someone needs to tell them that. James hasn’t hurt anyone.”

  “It’s all going to come to that very conclusion,” Vanessa assured her. “Unfortunately we have to go through the process, until we can establish what’s happened.”

  “My phone.” Mairead sat up, looking about. “Where is it?”

  “I gave it to Sophie. She’s waiting out in the lounge. It rang and she answered it, but it just went dead.”

  Mairead wilted, knowing who the call had been from. She needed to find time alone to call Dylan again. It bothered her that she had passed out, especially with the sickly feeling that still remained with her. Even as she stood up, her head felt light.

  “I need to eat something,” she mumbled. “And I need to make some calls.”

  Vanessa studied her. “You still don’t look well. I’ll fix you some breakfast and you can sit down in the lounge and make your calls.”

  “Thank you, Vanessa.” Mairead felt guilty for her earlier anger towards her. She reached out and gripped her hand. “I mean it. Thanks, Vanessa.”

  “No need. Just don’t go passing out again.”

  Sophie was sitting on the couch when they came out. She stood, smiling awkwardly to greet Mairead. Strangers were still walking in and out of the house and Mairead scowled.

  “Hi Sophie. Welcome back to the insane asylum. We do try not to make this a regular habit.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mairead. Are you feeling okay now?”

  “Yeah, just a bit too much excitement.” She looked at the phone in her hand. “Thanks for looking after my phone.”

  “Go and sit down, Mairead,” Vanessa insisted. “I’ll get the kettle on and some food into all of us.”

  “I’m just going to get some fresh air first.” She headed back out to the peace of the outdoors, sliding the door shut after her. Bringing up her phone, she dialled a well memorised number.

  “Name.”

  “It’s Mairead again. Tell him I’m alone this time and I need him urgently.”

  There was no reply. The call ended and she waited nervously, glancing back to make sure no one was coming out to join her. A minute later her phone rang and she answered immediately.

  “It’s me, and I’m alone. I passed out and Vanessa’s girlfriend answered my phone. Dylan, they’ve arrested James. Brendan North got beaten up last night. Tell me, that it wasn’t you. Tell me that wasn’t your fucking answer to solving your problem.”

  “Mairead, just calm down and listen to me.”

  She shook her head angrily. “No, you just fucking tell me that you didn’t do it.”

  “I didn’t do it,” Dylan replied angrily. “And if you start falling apart now, you’ll be useless to James, me and yourself. Do you understand that, Mairead? If you want my help then fucking calm down.”

  As much as she wanted to give him a mouthful, right then he was the only one able to make sense of what was happening.

  “I’m calm,” she said quietly. “And I’m listening.”

  “Tell me everything that happened.”

  She walked out to her garden as she related the entire events.

  “So you do understand this is a setup?” Dylan told her.

  “I don’t understand anything,” she replied wearily. “What do you mean by a setup?”

  “Someone is framing James for this. Look at the timing, Mairead. Underhill dead, North shows up at your place, a fak
e call from the security company. Yes, all that could be me, and you have every reason to suspect me, but I think someone else you know is more likely to be behind this.”

  “Adele.” Mairead gritted her teeth, just speaking her name.

  “Mairead, I still hadn’t located North until this morning, and then only when his name starting going rampant through the system. The apartment where he was beaten up belongs to Adele’s mother. Somehow, Adele’s learned of my association with you and has gone digging for answers. That’s why North is here.”

  “Then she knows about you and Mary.”

  “Yes, which means this could all get out of hand very quickly.”

  “But why have Brendan beaten up when he was helping her, and how was James dragged into this?”

  “No doubt evidence has been planted, and if James is locked up, you’ll be alone and vulnerable. She may come after you, or she’s assuming that you’ll turn to me and draw me out in the open.”

  “I have turned to you,” Mairead replied miserably. “What else am I supposed to do?”

  “It’s alright. I’ve already been on this for hours and you won’t be alone, I promise, but I have to keep a low profile.”

  “Could she be listening in on my phone, right now?”

  “No, because both you and James have software installed on your phones which encrypts all messaging and calls between us, and wipes the history of our communication.”

  “So tell me what you do know, because I need to get these fucking police looking in the right direction.”

  “With what evidence? According to the report, Adele is the one who found North. I think she’s going to use my past association with him to blame his assault on me.”

  “But they didn’t come after you.”

  “Because she knows I’m not easy to find, so she’s got to do it by framing James.”

  “How does that work?”

  “Think about it, Mairead,” Dylan said. “You’ve already asked me if I did it. After what you found out about me and Brendan North, I’m surprised you didn’t turn me in the moment James was arrested.”

  Mairead frowned. “James still doesn’t know about you and Brendan. I didn’t get time to tell him, and he had no way of knowing where Brendan could be found.”

  “Yes, but he has a friend who is a skilled hacker and could locate the address for him.”

  “Is that what happened?” Mairead began to gasp. “Are you telling me that you and James cooked this up between you?”

  “No, I’m not, but you’re already wondering whether that’s possible, aren’t you, and that’s how easily they’re going to get to you.”

  She gritted her teeth against her tears. “Fuck you, Dylan. I’m going out of my head with worry right now and you’re playing fucking mind games.”

  “It’s no fucking game, Mairead. That’s exactly what will happen. Adele is thorough and if she’s got evidence planted, it’s going to stick. You have to be prepared for things to get a whole lot fucking worse before I can do something about it. I just want to know that you’re up to that.”

  “What is it with me?” Mairead asked angrily. “Am I so fucking fragile that no one has any faith in me?”

  “I have plenty of faith in you, but what happens if James doesn’t get released?”

  Mairead swallowed nervously. “That isn’t going to happen.”

  “But if it does? Mairead, they’re going to ask both of you about me. The police will examine your computer and know that you did a search on North. They will also know by the camera footage that he was at your house. You can’t deny any of this or what happened when you confronted him. For all intent and purpose, it’s going to appear that James went after the man who accosted his wife.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I need to know you will trust me, no matter how bad it gets.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  “Then I’ll turn myself in, take the rap and James will be released.”

  “And then they’ll go after you for Mary as well, won’t they? Why the hell would Adele want that? How does that help her?”

  “My guess would be that she’s about to accuse me of identity theft, setting up false accounts in her name.”

  “Did you?”

  “No. Her Cayman Island account was real, but it doesn’t matter. She just has to prove that I’m capable of doing it, casting enough doubt with a jury to exonerate her. It’s a smart move.”

  Mairead shook her head. “I’m not about to let that happen. That bitch does not get to fuck my life up again. Right now, you’re the best chance James has, so if it’s my trust you want, you have it.”

  There was a pause before Dylan replied. “Just let me know if it gets too much.”

  “It won’t,” Mairead said firmly. “Just tell me what to do.”

  “Keep as close to the truth as possible. Don’t deny that we are known to each other, but I’m going to ask you to keep that other business between me and North to yourself, and a few of my other activities. As far as you know, I’m a photographer and a casual friend. Hopefully James will say something similar. And then just give me a little time to find out exactly what Adele is up to. Above all, keep safe, Mairead. Somebody will be watching over you.”

  “Fine,” Mairead answered.

  “I know how much I’m asking of you and I’m not about to let James rot in prison.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Good luck, Mairead, and I’ll be in touch.”

  When he hung up, Mairead shivered with the cold morning air. It was tempting to give into her despair and just fall to her knees in tears. Instead, she breathed deeply and thought of the commitment she had made to Dylan. She wondered what James would have thought of it, pitting his freedom against a man she knew little about. Only the future would deem it a good or bad decision.

  Mairead suspected she would be making a few more decisions, whether she wanted to or not. This was not the independence she wanted, but had to make the most of it. It was time to see what she was made of.

  .

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  A uniformed officer entered the room, carrying a steaming mug. He placed it in front of Adele, and looked at her father, sitting beside her.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you one, Mr. Easton?”

  Lance waved him off gruffly and returned his glare to the detectives, a man and a woman, sitting across the table from them.

  “What’s going to happen to him now?”

  “Forensics, blood tests, that all takes time, Mr. Easton.” Senior Detective Elizabeth Cooper, wasn’t about to let Easton throw his political weight around. Already she had given him warning over an earlier outburst. “At this stage, James Vaughn will be charged with grievous bodily harm and the attempted murder of Brendan North.”

  “And what’s he saying?”

  “Very little. He’s letting his lawyer run the proceedings, but there’s more than enough evidence. We will be formally charging him soon.”

  “And you’ll keep him locked up?”

  “We’re certainly going to oppose bail. Given the circumstances, a judge would be reluctant to release him. Brendan North’s condition remains critical. If he dies, Vaughn will be facing a murder charge.”

  “This is my fault. If I hadn’t got Brendan involved in this…” Adele broke down, burying her face into a scrunched handful of tissues.

  “Miss Easton,” Cooper said softly. “We need to understand the exact nature of your business with Mr. North.”

  “I told you,” Lance replied angrily. “Adele has been trying to clear her name against these false allegations that have been cooked up. Brendan was helping her to do that. Obviously the real culprits didn’t like how close he was getting.”

  “So you suspect James of being this cyber-terrorist you mentioned?”

  “No,” Lance replied. “But it doesn’t surprise me that he’s involved.”

  Adele wiped her face. “Brendan an
d I have been trying to find a man whom I believe is responsible for creating false foreign accounts in my name.”

  “And how was Mr. North helping you with this?”

  “He’s had dealings with a man who has extraordinary expertise in computers. I believe we were getting close to tracking him down.”

  “And how is James Vaughn connected?”

  “We believe that James’ wife, Mairead, is closely associated to this criminal. Brendan received an email yesterday morning, instructing him to visit the Vaughn house. That email had my name on it, but I didn’t send it. I only learned of it from Brendan last night when he rang me, and I knew then that he had been duped into visiting the house, for the sole purpose of drawing him out into the open. No one knew where Brendan was staying except myself and my parents. By going to that house, he was captured on their security cameras and confronted by Mairead. According to Brendan, Mairead chased after him and got quite nasty.”

  “Did the altercation get physical?”

  Adele shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of, but I can imagine James wasn’t happy. He’s very protective of Mairead.”

  Cooper leaned forward, looking at Adele. “And you think James might have gone to speak to Brendan?”

  “I don’t know,” Adele frowned. “James does have a temper, but I don’t believe he would be capable of what was done to Brendan. The other man I’m not so certain about.”

  “Other man. You mean this one who is good with computers?”

  Adele looked up. “Detective Cooper, you have to understand, Brendan and I have worked hard to put this evidence together. We’ve uncovered information of how dangerous and powerful he is. To hand all that over now… my life, my reputation, my freedom… all of it is on the line if he leaves the country. This is out of your league and needs the attention of someone in the SIS.”

  “I can’t just bring in the SIS on hearsay. At this stage we have a clear cut suspect, with a strong motive and physical evidence that he attacked Mr. North.”