The Book Glasses

by Arthur Bozikas

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. I need to run all this adrenaline off anyway. But I’m going to stay and clean up here first, so please don’t wait for me.” Sam kept on with the charade.

  “You’ll have to wait until we have a statement for you to check,” Gower said.

  “Of course.”

  It was hours before they all left, having taken their statement and photos of the blood splatters on her clothes and skin.

  After they had gone, it was getting dark and too late to go running on her own, so she decided to stay there for the night. After ordering dinner, she scrubbed the remaining blood from her hands and arms as she planned out a visit to the Four Seasons Hotel on her way home the following day.

  Sam hardly touched her dinner. It was Billy’s favourite, and she had ordered for two out of habit. After eating only a few spoonfuls, she wrapped it back up and placed it in the fridge. She hid the book glasses in her old hiding spot in Billy’s apartment. She would make sure she took them with her before she left.

  Overcome with weariness, she dragged herself into the bedroom and slid in-between the cool sheets. She inhaled deeply and quickly drifted off, dreaming of how Billy would call her sweetheart.

  Four Seasons Hotel

  Waking up in the middle of the night, Sam looked over and noticed on the clock on the bedside table displayed 3:14 a.m. Noticing she was still fully dressed and even wearing her runners, she got up to get a drink of water.

  Before she reached the bedroom door, she was grabbed from behind and pulled off balance into a solid muscular torso. The last thing she noticed was a wet cloth placed over her mouth and a chemical smell before she blacked out.

  “Wake up, wake up, sleeping beauty. Dr Page, I’m glad to finally meet you. I have had such a terrible time finding you, but all is forgiven now that you’re here.”

  A well-dressed man in an immaculate three-piece blue pinstripe suit stood over her in the middle of a room elegantly decorated with mahogany wood detail and rich silks.

  “Where am I and who are you?” Sam asked, still feeling groggy. She wondered what they’d used on her.

  “You are in my suite at the Four Seasons, my dear. Let me introduce myself. My name is Antonios Garza. I’m the director of Borgata. you may call me Director.”

  At first, Sam thought he spoke with an English accent but after hearing it for the second time, it was clear to her that it was a mixture of English and Italian. It created a distinct sound with his unusual low tone.

  Pain in her wrists drew her attention to the fact the ties binding her hands were digging into them. She was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. When she tried to move her feet, she realised her ankles were also secured to the chair legs. Whoever had tied her up had done a good job of immobilising her—too good a job.

  Initially, she’d thought she was alone with Garza, but when she swivelled her head around to scan the room, she discovered two of his stony-faced thugs, one behind her left shoulder and another behind her right.

  Sam’s thinking became clearer by the minute as the fog in her brain dissipated. But she needed to buy more time to more fully recover from the drug’s effects if she were to have any chance of escape. “How did you get me up here?”

  “I have a private elevator that leads from my suite directly to my vehicle in the basement car park. I’m afraid no one saw you arrive, and no one will see you leave.

  “Enough of your questions; I don’t play games. You will not find me toying with you, Page. This is not anything like what you young people see in the movies. This is real life, and in real life, people die, just like Billy.

  “I killed him and I’m going to kill you, now tell me where the glasses are.” He turned his back on her and walked over to the huge window to look out over a magnificent view of Sydney Harbour.

  “You murdered my Billy. For that, I will kill you!” Sam screamed, her fury rising in response to his casual confession.

  “You amuse me. I see your pain; it is clear to me. And I will end your suffering; it will not be long. Just give me the glasses and I will end your suffering now.” He voice was strangely inviting and almost calming.

  “Not if I end you first!”

  The door to the suite crashed open and in rushed six fully masked police officers dressed in black with their weapons aimed directly at the two thugs flanking Sam, who were both holding long jagged hunting knives.

  No sooner did Sam notice three red dots on each of the thugs’ chests, she heard many gunshots almost deafening her. She closed her eyes as if that would magically protect her from the bullets flying around the room.

  When she opened them again, the two thugs were slumped on the floor, unmoving.

  “Dr Page, are you all right?” Detective Gower asked while untying her from the chair. “Where’s Garza?”

  “Over there, in front of the window!”

  “Where?” Roth asked.

  “Shit, he used the elevator. Quick, his private elevator will take him directly to the basement car park. He’ll get away!” Sam called out again in terror.

  The officers ran out the door in pursuit of Garza, leaving Sam with the two detectives.

  “Sorry we took so long to get here, but they got to our team and by the time we arrived at the apartment, you were gone. Our best guess was to come here and luckily, we did,” Gower explained, freeing her from the chair.

  “Why didn’t you tell us you were staying at the Manly apartment?” Roth asked.

  “Well, I didn’t intend to stay but it was nearly dark by the time I finished cleaning up. So, I ordered in some dinner and then crashed.”

  “How did Garza get to you?” Gower asked.

  Sam explained the little she remembered after getting out of bed in the middle of the night and then waking up in Garza’s hotel suite.

  “What did he say to you?” Gower asked, after getting her a glass of water from the kitchen.

  “Did he mention the Holy Book Glasses?” Roth asked.

  “Yes, and he thinks I have them. Just because I worked at the museum it doesn’t mean I have them!” Sam continued to play her role. “And Garza admitted to having Billy killed.”

  “Can you see what we are talking about now? Garza is convinced you have the Holy Book Glasses, and he is going to continue to kill until he gets them,” Roth said.

  “I don’t have them. How many times must I tell you!” Sam was faultless in her consistent denial.

  “Okay, okay, but look at what lengths they are going to get to you. Whether you have them or not, they will not stop until you are dead. I suggest you don’t leave your apartment unaccompanied. I will have a uniformed police officer stationed outside your door twenty-four-seven,” Gower said.

  “Come on, we need to take you to the hospital to have you checked over.” Roth helped her up from the chair and to the front door.

  She submitted to the hospital visit at St Vincent’s Hospital, detectives beside her, and let them check her out.

  Finally, the doctor smiled as she noted Sam’s pulse on her chart. “I’m happy to inform you that apart from the bump on your head and a few bruises and grazes, you and your baby are perfectively fine. Nothing to worry about.”

  The Penthouse Suite

  Sam reached out and grabbed hold of the doctor’s arm. “Baby? What baby? I’m not pregnant, I can’t be. I have no symptoms.”

  “You are most definitely pregnant. I’m guessing you are about nine or ten weeks? Some mothers don’t have any obvious signs early in their pregnancy. If you haven’t yet, don’t worry, that will come sooner or later. Just speak to your doctor about it, okay? You are fine to leave at any time you feel ready, take care,” the doctor said before exiting the cubicle.

  Speechless, Sam sat up on the edge of the bed with her legs dangling over the side.

  “Congratulations, Dr Page. Let’s see, we’re now in October, so that makes it a May baby,” Gower said as he walked up to her and stood directly in front of her.

  She shed s
ome tears and abruptly slumped onto the detective, shocked that she couldn’t control her emotions and missing Billy more than ever.

  Gower put his arms around her. “What a wonderful surprise. Take this gift and don’t look back.”

  Without a word, Roth took a seat next to the bed and waited patiently for her to recover from her surprise so they could take her home again.

  “Sorry about that. I’m fine now.” She wiped away her tears.

  Gower handed her the tissue box sitting next to the bed. “When you are ready, we would like to take you home.”

  “Sure, thanks. But can we go back to Billy’s apartment first? I left some personal items and I need to get them,” Sam said casually to avoid raising suspicion.

  Roth shot up from his seat. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  She hopped off the bed. “Look, I need to go back sometime soon and get my things and I would feel so much safer going back with you. Please? I won’t take long.”

  Reluctantly, the two detectives escorted her over to the Manly apartment and they were all in and out in less than two minutes. As they got back into the detectives’ vehicle, Roth reached over and took the backpack in which Sam had packed the few things she had gathered from the apartment and searched it for the Holy Book Glasses.

  Sam didn’t object to his search as she had hidden the glasses in her bra before exiting the bedroom.

  The detectives remained silent all the way back to her apartment. Once there, they introduced her to their colleague, Detective Taylor, and explained that each new detective assigned to protective duty would always start a conversation with a password. That way she could identify any detective as someone legitimately assigned to protect her.

  “What’s the password?” Sam asked.

  “Come inside the apartment and I’ll tell you,” Gower said. They all walked into her apartment and he locked the door behind them. “The password is ‘caution’.”

  “Okay, fine,” Sam replied and excused herself to go to the bathroom.

  Gower, Roth, and Taylor then walked back outside, making sure to lock the door and, after a short conversation, Gower and Roth left Taylor to stand guard.

  The next morning, Sam’s head was still tender and, although the swelling had gone down, she could still feel a lump. Unusually, she didn’t feel like any breakfast and got out the book glasses to read her emails on her laptop.

  After grasping the fact that she’d finally got the book glasses back, she stopped and stared at them for a while. Then she wiped her anguished tears from her eyes and proceeded to check her emails.

  She didn’t know if it was the tears or if the glasses were playing with her mind when she read that the penthouse apartment that she had so desperately wanted but failed to win at auction was now being offered to her and she had ten days to respond if she still wanted it.

  After frantically looking at the calendar, she realised that the following day would be the tenth and final day. She excitedly called the real estate agency to confirm she wanted to purchase the penthouse apartment.

  After ending the phone call, she transferred the deposit and forwarded an email to the agent, giving her permission to put her current apartment back on the market.

  This good news was what she needed to put her in the right frame of mind. But then, without warning, her stomach heaved, and she raced off to the toilet to initiate a morning ritual that would become commonplace over the next few weeks.

  The following week, Sam visited her GP, who referred her to an obstetrician. Her subsequent move into the penthouse went seamlessly and, with detectives watching over her twenty-four-seven, she had no dramas with Garza.

  She wasn’t yet showing any sign of a baby bump and continued her exercise routine of self-defence (with certain moves ruled out because of the baby) and regular runs but restricted her gym workouts to treadmills only.

  She also went back to work and her private elevator, in addition to stopping at ground and basement car park levels, was configured to stop on the thirty-fourth floor. This meant the added security and convenience of not changing elevators to reach her office, thus avoiding interactions with strangers and unnecessary conversations. This fringe benefit was p7riceless to her and made her love her new penthouse apartment even more.

  With a sensational rooftop level in addition to a luxurious two-floor apartment, Sam’s penthouse was three levels of sheer opulence that far surpassed her expectations. The transparent glass elevator opened its doors into an awe-inspiring foyer with an unforgettable view. Off the foyer was a boardroom with one wall made of full-length glass windows providing an unobstructed panorama of Sydney Harbour. In the middle of the room sat a magnificent solid oak boardroom table which she simply adored.

  After a brief trip to Perth to deal with business with Malcolm, she answered her mobile after noticing Detective Gower was calling. “Hello, Detective.”

  “Hello, Sam. Just touching base to see how things are going. Are you well?”

  “All good, and thanks for understanding regarding my Perth trip.”

  “Detective Roth told me you are working on a new business venture. I take it the Perth trip was fruitful for you?”

  “Yes, it’s my business. Well, half of it is. I have a fifty percent partnership and I’m really enjoying it.”

  “Yeah, the bloody rich get richer, I think,” Gower said with a touch of bitterness.

  “Now, now, Detective, your claws are showing,” Sam said with a laugh.

  “On a more serious matter, please keep alert. We have heard through our sources that Garza is renewing his efforts to get at you. So please listen to the detectives and you will be safe. We planned for this and you keeping within your apartment as much as possible helps us manage the situation.”

  “Will do. I will let you know if I need to leave my apartment, don’t worry.” Sam replied, not happy at all.

  Passing Of A Great Man

  Sam spent the entire weekend with Sister Sue at her apartment. Sue had been shocked, saddened and thrilled at the news of her pregnancy and had assured Sam that she would be there for her through both the highs and lows.

  Monday morning started no different from any other but, just after 9 a.m., Sam received a phone call from Malcolm's assistant, Betty Tamis, to inform her that Malcolm Sutton had passed away during the night from a massive heart attack. It was 6 a.m. in Perth and Betty told her she was needed there later that day to sit in on a crucial meeting on his behalf.

  Sam was shocked to discover that Malcolm had been in the midst of discussions regarding a takeover bid for Swan Coal Energy, and had a meeting scheduled with their top executives at 1 p.m.

  “He was working on this deal before you came on board,” Betty explained. “You were the clincher to finally securing the deal. News of the business’s turnaround has spread throughout the industry and Swan Coal Energy wanted in on the action.”

  From what Sam had seen of Swan Coal Energy, if the merger happened, they would end up a giant within the industry and would earn billions from securing a thirty-year contract to sell coal to China. “Okay, it sounds like a good deal.”

  “It is,” Betty said, her voice turning soft. “Poor Malcolm. He said that this wouldn’t have happened without you coming on board. You should have seen his face the day he told me about this deal. It was the happiest I’d seen him for decades.”

  Sam took a few minutes after the phone call to compose herself before she called Barry to inform him of the passing of his friend. Finally, she updated Gower and promised to continue to phone him daily.

  Sam had less than an hour to get to the airport where Malcolm's private jet was standing by to take her to Perth. Betty had thought of everything and had organised the jet hours before talking to her. His assistant was a true gem and Sam knew from the moment they’d met that they would work well together.

  Due to Betty’s efforts, Sam arrived at the 1 p.m. meeting on time with all the necessary information, which Betty had emailed to h
er while she was in flight.

  Walking into the boardroom at the head office of Sutton & Page Global with less than a minute to spare, she was astonished to note that Swan Coal Energy CEO, Alex Foley, had four lawyers, his PA and two senior company directors with him.

  Thanks to Betty, Sam recognised Alex Foley instantly and, after accepting all their condolences, asked to see him privately outside.

  “Thank you, Mr Foley, for obliging me. I don’t want to embarrass you, sir, but this meeting will only commence if it is in private between the two of us,” Sam said.

  “I always have my meetings with Malcolm this way!” Foley said, looking furious.

  “I’m not Mr Sutton, sir. And it’s up to you. If you refuse to meet in private, then you leave me with no choice but to cancel the meeting indefinitely,” Sam said, standing her ground.

  He scowled. “I don’t like this, missy!”

  She didn’t break eye contact. “What don’t you like, sir? I will not have anyone with me in the meeting either. It will be just the two of us. And, by the way, it’s Dr Page, thank you!”

  But he wasn’t backing down either. “Malcolm told me he hadn’t yet read you in on this deal, so I wonder if I’m wasting my time talking to you at all.”

  “Do you want to hear our offer or not? It’s up to you.”

  “Yeah, okay. But I don’t like it. I’m here anyway, so let’s hear the offer. Okay, okay, I will get them all to wait in the foyer,” he reluctantly conceded.

  “Thank you,” said Sam before walking back into the boardroom.

  Foley asked his entourage to leave the boardroom and he and Sam took a seat opposite each other. Betty walked in with afternoon tea for all the meeting attendees and Sam could barely conceal her amusement when she rolled her eyes in shock upon seeing all of Foley’s advisors filing out the door.