by Jianne Carlo
Jake draped an arm over her slouching shoulders and dragged her close. His lips brushed her temple, and he whispered, “Easy, easy. Breathe.”
She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until then.
“Want a minute?” Worry bedeviled his onyx eyes, and he held her gaze searchingly.
She shook her head.
“Alex,” she said and turned to face him. “Tell me everything. I need to know.”
“We can’t find any record of Tony’s parentage. Let me first say, all of this is speculation based upon a birth certificate, a driver’s license he obtained at sixteen, and a marriage register in a village church, which shows them tying the knot around that time. The photo ID is positive, though, unless Tony had a twin.”
Jake twined his fingers with hers and gave a quick, reassuring squeeze.
“How? Where?”
“They both grew up in the same rural village in Uruguay. The priest in charge of the parish back then is dead, so technically no one can authenticate the marriage.”
Her forehead throbbed, and she knuckled the skin there. “You knew about this?”
“Not until I checked my e-mail last night when I arrived in London.” A corner of Jake’s mouth lifted, and he shrugged. “I didn’t think it was the right time to tell you.”
“I see,” she said and tried to hide her irritation. “When would have been the right time?”
“Daylight, much like now.”
“Does this mean he and I were never married?”
“Right now, there isn’t enough evidence to support that. Sorry.” Alex stood, dug balled fists into the small of his back, ambled over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and tugged the blinds covering them open. “What a quagmire. The only positive I get out of this is, legally, no one has anything on either of you.”
She stared at the windowpane. A gray rainy day, it matched her mood. “What do I do now? They said they were coming back with a warrant for my arrest.” Tee stared at Jake. “Isn’t it strange? Homeland Security wants your passport, Interpol wants to talk to you, but the only one they want to arrest is me? It makes no sense.”
“Jesus, she’s right, Alex. It doesn’t add up. We’re missing something in all this, some fact that fits all these pieces together.”
“Like why did he marry Tee in the first place?”
“I can’t help you there, I’m afraid. I have no clue, and I was the one who said, ‘I do.’”
Raindrops struck the glass, setting up a low, steady drumroll. The teacup rattled in its saucer as Jake placed it on the table; his face wore a grim, foreboding expression. “Tee, consider your father may know about the news flash. Remember what the inspector said. A diplomatic request came to them from Trinidad. Maybe we should give Henry a call?”
“No,” she said. “I am handling this on my own. Alex, can you represent me if they do take me into custody?”
“Unfortunately, no. But I do have a couple of good friends here who can, and they’re top men. I’ll leave voice mails for them now.”
“Thank you.”
Alex flipped open his phone and presented his profile to them.
Jake brushed her lips with his, once, twice, his sable eyes boring a promise into hers.
Alex coughed, and she jumped, color flooding her face. Her stomach rumbled loudly. The sound resonated in the room.
“Let’s get you fed, little lady.” Alex grinned at her.
“Stop flirting with her,” Jake admonished.
“Room service?” Alex suggested, his crooked smile making her sigh and roll her shoulders. “We can brainstorm and eat at the same time. We need a plan of action. I suspect the Scotland Yard officers were bluffing, so I see no reason they’ll return, but there are simply too many coincidences for my liking.” Alex fingered the collar of his shirt, undid the top button, and tugged his tie loose. “Tony’s the catalyst in all of this. Why did he marry you? Why was Graziella in Trinidad? How are they connected to all these events?”
“Food first, then we can speculate.” Jake pressed the send button on his cellular. “Mr. Brown, can you provide us with a hot breakfast? Bacon, eggs, and some toast. There are three of us.” He paused when Tee held up her hand. “Hang on.” Jake covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “What?”
“Could you order a full English breakfast with kippers? They’re my—”
“Favorite.” He cut her off with a smirk and relayed her wishes to the concierge, and then dropped the phone onto the table. Scraping a thumb over the stubble on his chin, he mused. “Now that I think about everything, Tony’s convenient death seems suspicious.”
“He was on the way to Venezuela with another friend. Tony liked gambling on cockfights.” She shuddered.
The doorbell sounded.
Alex shrugged off his blue Ralph Lauren blazer.
When Tee got up to open the door, she heard his whispered words. “No wonder you visited Trinidad once a week. She’s lovely, Jake. Elegant, poised, almost regal. Not a hair out of place. I approve—she could hold her own in Palm Beach society.”
“I’m thrilled.” Jake’s tone dripped sarcasm. “She does trick riding, buddy. Let me tell you, she may look like the perfect simpering princess, but she’s fearless. She turned a somersault off a moving horse and landed as if it were the easiest feat in the world.”
Out of the corner of one eye, Tee caught Alex’s complexion blanching, and he murmured, “A moving horse. They’re nasty animals. I rode one once, a cruise day thing. The damned creature bit my ass. Why on earth would she want to get near such an animal?”
“I’ll tell you about it later. Shush.” Jake’s voice held a hint of pride.
Her entire body lit up. If she could’ve done a two-step without drawing their attention, she would have. Tee surrendered to the broad grin chasing her lips.
Two waiters wheeled in the room service cart. While they fussed about it, she went to wash her hands in the bathroom. Passing through the bedroom, she caught sight of the miniature pirate chest and grabbed it from the dresser. Her hands prickled, and a pins and needles sensation ran from her fingertips to her elbows. Balancing the chest on her palm, she returned to the living area, uneasy, but determined to follow Douglas’s instructions, and placed the heirloom on the breakfast table next to Jake’s plate.
“Here, this is what Douglas Graham sent for you. Careful, it’s quite heavy.”
Jake picked up the small trunk and turned it in his hands. “You’re right, it’s heavy.”
“I never knew your great-uncle, but Tricia did. Maybe she’s seen it before. I’ll ask her about it when I see her again.” She hesitated and then asked, “Does it make your hands tingle?”
He frowned and shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Let me see it.” Alex held out his hand.
Jake dropped the chest into his open palm.
Her stomach rumbled as she lifted the silver dome off a covered plate, and the smell of bacon and eggs filled the room. Tee opened another covered dish. “Mmmm, kippers.”
Jake groaned. “Fish first thing in the morning—you’re one crazy woman.”
Hunger drove them all into a comfortable silence. For the first ten minutes, the conversation centered upon the food and the condiments. The tinkling of cutlery on china, and the murmur of contended munching mingled with the patter of rain against the picture window.
“That hit the nail on the head. I feel a helluva lot better.” Jake patted his stomach. “More coffee?”
“Actually, I prefer tea. Would you pass the teapot please?”
Alex took three croissants out of the breadbasket, frowned at a cinnamon raisin bagel, and said, “What the heck, I’m still hungry.”
Tee’s cell phone rang just as Alex finished the last of his bagel. She glanced at the LCD display. “It’s Dad, damn, damn, damn. I wanted to handle this before he heard about it.” She edged forward on the seat.
“Stay here.” Jake kept her hand in his and refused to let her move away.
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“Hi, Dad.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Tricia.
“Oh, it’s you, Mother. Why are you using Henry’s phone?”
A haloed chill encased her, descending inch by inch with each syllable her mother elucidated. She’d always known it would come to this.
“I see.”
Every ounce of blood drained to her toes, and Tee’s knuckles whitened as her grip tightened on the metallic silver telephone, listening to her mother’s icy, contemptuous words.
When she physically cringed, Jake tried to grab the phone from her. Tee swiveled away from him, jumped to her feet, and walked to the window, her spine finishing-school straight, every vertebra in perfect alignment.
“Of course, Mother, I understand.” Her voice wavered. “I know it’s always been Henry’s dream. I promise you, I won’t get in the way of his appointment.”
Alex mouthed, “What’s happening?”
Jake shook his head and put a finger to his lips. In the silence that followed, she swiped at the moisture on her cheek. “I know you’re taking an enormous risk for me. Thank you for the warning, Mother. I’m happy to hear the press will be silent about my arrest.”
Doubtful Magic
Tee stared out the window, her shoulders rounded, her head hanging. The phone fell onto the sofa.
Jake crossed his hands over her flat stomach and kissed the tail end of her eyebrow. “Alex, give us a moment, will you?”
He waited until the bedroom door closed and then turned Tee around to face him. Her cheeks were wet. He resisted the urge to call her mother an ice-veined bitch, swept her into his arms instead, walked to the sofa, and settled her across his thighs.
She reached over to the tissue dispenser on the table, grabbed a couple, and dried her cheeks.
Jake stroked up and down her spine and pulled her head onto his chest. “Want to talk about it?”
“Scotland Yard is on their way to arrest me.” She hiccupped. “The prime minister withdrew his support and ordered my dad to do the same. I forgot—you don’t know. Before I left Trinidad, Tricia told me the prime minister will appoint Henry the next president of Trinidad and Tobago. He’ll be invested in a few weeks.”
Jake whistled. “An impressive way to end a career. Although the rumors were rampant, and Henry is so perfect for the job, I’m not surprised. Everyone expected the announcement.”
“It’s been my dad’s dream.” She crushed the tissue in her hands. “The Trinidad government is no longer preventing my arrest. Mother warned me they’ll waste no time.”
The decision made without a nanosecond’s hesitation, Jake hugged her, and knew he’d do anything to protect this woman. When she’d told him to put the business ahead of her, clarity dawned; he could always build another business, another fortune, but would he ever find another Tee? Did he even want to?
“Then we have to move quickly. You have my support, babe. Between Alex and me, we’ll keep you safe until we can prove you’re not involved in Tony’s schemes.” He brushed his mouth across her lips. “We’ll talk more about this later. Right now we have to get moving.” Jake stood up and let Tee slide down his body to the floor. He kissed the tip of her nose.
“Come on back, buddy.” He raised his voice so Alex could hear him in the other room.
“What’s up?”
Jake’s summarized the situation.
“Count me in. Heck, an adventure.” He rubbed his palms together. “We’re on the lam, Mathews, the wrong side of the law. My partners are going to fall over their asses when this breaks. Now, what’s our plan of attack?”
“Lay low until we can prove Tee innocent. I can get Brown to keep mum about us leaving the hotel, I think, but we can’t involve him in anything else.” Jake paused. “I gave him all my cash yesterday. How much do you have?”
“You know me, exactly under the limit to have to declare anything, just under 10K, mostly big bills, but we can change them cautiously. Obviously, from now on we can’t use any credit cards.” Alex frowned. “Though I should mention, the firm owns a two-bedroom condo near Knightsbridge. I did the purchase contract, though, so my name is all over it.”
“Then we can’t use it.” Jake kissed Tee and smacked her bottom. “Go pack, witchy woman, for me too. Where’s your luggage?”
“Um, I have money too. Almost as much as Alex,” Tee said as she headed in the direction of the bedroom.
“Brown has my carry-on in the lobby. We need to leave the city quietly.”
“I know, but where should we go?” He rubbed his chin with his thumb. “I had planned to go to the property in Scotland, but we can’t rent a car.”
“No, and I think the cab ride would prompt notice. Wonder how much it costs to take a taxi to Scotland?”
“I’m not sure you could even get one to do that,” Tee said as she propped the two carry-ons against the side of the sofa. “And you’re right, someone would notice. I know where we can go. My nanna left me a cottage up north in a small town. You can reach it by train.”
They spun around to face her.
“It wasn’t mentioned specifically in the will. Douglas told me about it three weeks ago.”
“Douglas again,” Jake said, reacting with raised hairs to another blasted coincidence. “Tee, at some time we have to discuss him.”
“Who is this man?” Alex demanded. He shot a glance at the table. “The one who gave you the miniature chest. Exactly how did that come about?”
“Later.” Jake waved a hand. “Where is this cottage?”
“Near Almwch, in northern Wales. The cottage is on a farm.”
“Perfect.” Alex smacked his hands together and grinned. “We’ll need to take the Tube. I’ve never been on it before. Why on earth do they call the subway the Tube?”
“Picture it underground. It looks like a cylinder, or tube. That’s how it earned the nickname.” Tee smiled. “Officially, it’s the London Underground.”
The sound of sirens grew louder.
“We have to leave now.” Jake grabbed his cell phone off the table. “Let’s take the stairs.”
On the way down, he phoned Brown and asked him to meet them at the ground floor staircase with Alex’s suitcase. George escorted them to the staff exit.
“The Yard arrived five minutes ago, sir. They’re on their way up to your suite. I had a fellow employee tinker with the lifts—both are stuck on the third floor. By the time they figure it out, you should be at the train station.”
“You’re a good man, Brown.” Jake clapped him on the shoulders. “I’m afraid I’m flat out of cash, but as soon as things settle down, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”
“Actually, Mr. Mathews, my mum’s a Graham. My Uncle Douglas asked me to take good care of you. No compensation is necessary, although it certainly won’t be refused. Good luck.”
Dazed, Jake shook Brown’s hand. “Thank you, George Brown.”
It took them the rest of the day and well into the night, but they finally reached the cottage deeded to Tee by her nanna.
They took a taxi from the station to the farm, and when they paid the cab, Jake relaxed on a long exhale. After the vehicle departed, the three of them stood in silence, surveying a red-bricked two-story building lit almost orange by a waning sun. Set amidst rolling emerald hills, the farmhouse dominated a long, graveled driveway.
“I don’t call this a cottage.” Alex scratched his cheek.
“It’s not what I expected.”
“It’s a helluva lot better than I thought. Tee, you do have keys to the house?”
She tiptoed and whispered in his ear, “I don’t need any.”
Jake groaned He bussed her lips and patted her rear end. “Go on, you explore the house. Alex, let’s get the lay of the land.”
The sun hovered above the horizon; a faint red ball misted by white clouds smudged a rusty brown here and there. The crisp country air held a hint of manure and freshly cut grass.
“I hat
e to say it, but this is lovely. And this from a confirmed city boy. The air smells so clean. From this hill, the view is all meadows and trees, not another building in sight. A perfect hideout, but how the hell are we to prove Tee’s innocence in the middle of nowhere?” He threw his hands up in the air.
At this point, keeping Tee’s powers secret worried Jake more than the authorities. A lawyer like his best friend wouldn’t accept conjuring as readily as he had.
Had he?
“Let’s go see what she found.”
The front door stood open. Inside they found a cozy living room with a few chairs, a sofa, and an oversized armchair. To the right of a stone fireplace, a wire basket held a stack of logs.
Alex’s eyes gleamed. He rubbed his hands together.
“I’d forgotten what a pyromaniac you are. Actually, it’s not a bad idea to start a fire—the sun’s setting.” Jake grinned at his friend. “Go ahead, buddy, I can see you’re dying to burn the house down.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Alex saluted him.
He surveyed the room again, and a slow, spine-tingling recognition and realization set in. The pieces matched the furniture at Greenbriar to a T. All the muscles in his back clenched, setting off an ache across his shoulder blade. Jake rolled his arms backwards, and he jumped when Tee spoke.
“Dinner should be ready soon,” she said, wiping her hands on an apron while standing in an open doorway.
In the process of turning to face her, Jake tripped over his own two feet. “You cooked?” He choked on the last word.
“Sort of.” Tee lowered her voice and glanced at Alex, who whistled Beethoven’s Fifth as he built a pyramid of logs for the fire. “I figure it’s best if we don’t go into town, so I sort of wished everything.”
“Sort of?” Jake glared at her.
“I don’t know why you’re angry. This helps us.” She bit her lower lip, but stuck out her chin. “I’m right, and you know it.”
He hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I’m not angry, simply worried about Alex finding out. We’ll pretend you asked for the house to be prepared for your arrival. Can you really cook?” He chucked her chin up and met her eyes.