by Anise Eden
I did my best to play along as Ben and Pete worked to convince Skeet that they believed his story and that there were no hard feelings. I managed to keep a half-smile on my face while my stomach busily tied itself in knots.
Vani arrived just in time to join us back in Pete’s room for coffee. As usual, she looked like the cover model for a health and lifestyle magazine. Even her pearl-white turtleneck sweater was a step up in elegance from what most people considered casual wear. It was no wonder she attracted admirers like flies to honey.
She wrinkled her nose as she sat down next to me on the couch. “What did you do to yourself?” she asked quietly. “Your aura is dim and closed off.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, even as my thoughts wandered to the internal lockbox where I’d temporarily confined all of my troublesome emotions. “I didn’t do anything to myself. I’m just trying to focus.”
“Ah.” She pursed her lips. “You shut down your heart chakra so you could think. Not a good idea for an empath, Cate. You can’t use your gifts if that chakra’s closed down.”
I had only used that visualization technique to better cope with what I was feeling. I had no idea it would actually affect my heart chakra. And Vani was right; it had impacted my abilities. “I noticed that,” I said, remembering my failed attempt to empathically read Skeet and Ben at dinner. That settled it; I would have to work on prying that chakra open again and just deal with whatever emotions emerged. Now more than ever, I needed the advantages my gifts could provide.
We spent about half an hour filling Vani in on everything that had happened. I appreciated that she was as horrified as I was by the drugging incident, but she wasn’t yet willing to conclude that Skeet was responsible. After all, she pointed out, the other part of what he told us was true: Skeet had walked in on Vani and Kai while they were planning a ritual the previous week. There wasn’t a lot of space in the sub-basement where we were sequestered, so they had been working in the makeshift staff lounge. Skeet had come in to make coffee—after asking their permission, she emphasized—so he would certainly have heard what they were discussing. She couldn’t remember specifically whether they mentioned our double kheir while he was there, but she said they might well have. After all, at the time, they were more focused on curing me than on anything else, and they didn’t know of any reason to keep secrets from Skeet.
Still, my instincts screamed that Skeet had been trying to get information out of us the night before, either by debilitating Ben and leaving me vulnerable, or by getting Ben to let his guard down so that Skeet could ply him with questions. Fortunately, we’d left the table before he got the chance to execute either of those strategies.
Ben pointed out that if I was right and Skeet had orchestrated the drugging with ulterior motives, then my idea to create a Star Wars distress signal had truly saved the day. He told that part of the story with great relish, and Vani and Pete duly expressed admiration for my “secret agent” skills.
By that point, I was blushing hard. I didn’t like being the center of attention, and I’d never taken compliments well. Ben suggested that we take a short break and pulled me into a far corner of the room. He tucked my hair behind my ear and placed his lips an inch away from it. “You were brilliant, by the way.”
My pulse skittered. “How so?”
“The way you managed to work that Star Wars line into the conversation last night,” he murmured. “Terrific problem-solving, quick on your feet. You got me out of that situation just as skillfully as Pete or anyone else could have. I was too out of it to say it then, so I’ll say it now: Thank you.”
I turned my head so that our eyes met. A warm wave of emotion crashed through the portal between us, filling me with the pride and love Ben was feeling and cracking my heart chakra open. I blinked back tears. “You’re welcome.” My voice hitched as I remembered the intense fear I’d felt the previous night. “Just don’t get drugged again, okay?”
With his fingertip, Ben traced an arc from my temple to my chin. “I promise,” he whispered. Then he pulled me close, holding me until I relaxed into a deep sigh.
When we rejoined the others, Vani gave us each bracelets of braided black leather that Kai had sent with her. Since we didn’t know exactly what kind of sensitives Skeet would be bringing in, Kai had woven some crystals and stones into the bracelets that would block any telepaths from being able to read our thoughts. As Ben pointed out, we had to defend against all potential methods of surveillance.
Once all of our bracelets were tied on, we went down to the cove. Vani and I sat on a bench along a walkway that led down to the pier, and Ben and Pete went down to look at the skiffs. It was so quiet that we could hear the water lapping against the shoreline. The scent of cattails tickled my nose as the sun drifted higher, taking the chill out of the air. The sound of distant honking broke the silence, and Vani pointed to a double-V formation of Canada geese flying high overhead.
In that peaceful moment, exhaustion began to set in. My worries about Ben combined with poor sleep had done me no favors. When Pete and I had finally gone to bed the night before, I had begged my mother’s spirit to appear to me in my dreams, as she had in the past. I had a long list of questions for her. But no dice. It occurred to me that she might be avoiding me for some reason—or worse, that she might have visited my dreams for the last time, then moved on to some other spiritual dimension. But that thought made my throat tighten, and I couldn’t afford to panic. I forced the whole subject into the back of my mind.
For Ben and me, the morning was going to be spent meeting with Skeet and Harris, my father’s estate lawyer. Skeet’s research subjects would arrive that evening, so the afternoon looked like it might be the only free time we’d have for a while.
We had discussed how best to spend those free midday hours. After hearing more about the property, Pete was itching to take one of the boats and “check things out.” Ben thought we’d appear more trusting—not to mention trustworthy—if we were seen to be casually enjoying Mercier’s amenities, so he and Pete told Skeet that they wanted to take a boat out fishing. Vani and I had decided to do our part by visiting the spa, even though I would have preferred to take a long nap.
But first, Ben and I had to get through our meeting. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves in one of the lodge’s offices, seated around a small conference table with Skeet and the estate lawyer. Harris appeared to be in his fifties and had a healthy tan, like he spent a good amount of time golfing or playing tennis. Everything else about him was understated and nondescript—his features, his clothes, his mannerisms, and his soft, clear voice. It was as though he didn’t want to stand out in any way. However, his light blue eyes were unusually sharp and alert, and his head turned at every sound, like a bird of prey. He greeted Ben and me warmly, and seemed genuinely somber when he extended his condolences about my father’s loss.
Harris pulled a stack of papers out his briefcase. “So, Cate,” he began, “I guess Skeet gave you the basics. Joe was one of ten founding members of Mercier, so with his passing and no one else having a claim on his inheritance, the ownership of his tenth of the property goes to you.”
He slid a copy of some papers over to me and looked at a copy of his own. I moved the papers so that Ben could also see them as Harris explained the details using terminology that was completely foreign to me. I was utterly baffled by the time he asked, “Any questions?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, shooting Ben a pleading look. “Ben, do you have any?”
Under the table, he rested a reassuring hand on my leg. “This all looks pretty straightforward. However, Cate will want to have her lawyer review everything, I’m sure—to get a handle on the potential tax implications, that kind of thing. Right, Cate?”
I had no idea who my alleged lawyer was supposed to be, but I trusted that Ben did—and I hoped that it would be someone who could explain everything to me in plain English. “Yes, of course. If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” If Harris was the least bit fazed, he didn’t show it. “You’ll also want your lawyer to look this over, then.” He slid another set of papers over to us. “Joe was a passionate philanthropist; he left most of his assets to NIMH. However, he did leave you a small nest egg. In his will, he noted that he wanted to make up for the years your mother refused his offers of child support.”
I looked at the piece of paper. There were countless numbers on the page, but one was large and bold in the lower right-hand corner. I rubbed my eyes and looked at it again, then looked at Ben, then at Harris. “I’m sorry, what’s the value of this nest egg?”
Harris dropped the news casually, as though he were accustomed to saying large numbers out loud. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, give or take, based on today’s interest.”
I froze. “Two hundred…what?”
Harris clasped his hands on the table and looked solemn. “Joe wanted to meet you when you turned twenty-five. But when he passed away before your birthday, per a prior agreement, this was all left in trust to your mother to handle as she saw fit. The nest egg was meant to be ten thousand dollars for every year he’d been away from you. I’m just sorry Joe didn’t get the chance to give it to you himself.”
“Oh my goodness.” I rubbed my face. “That’s just…incredible. I mean, that’s…a really big egg—much bigger than I expected. Not that I was expecting anything…”
“Of course,” Skeet said, smiling. “We research scientists aren’t exactly known for our wealth. But Mercier has become quite a profitable sporting retreat. All of the initial investors receive a monthly income based on Mercier’s profits, whether they’re active in the business or not—as you will, now.”
“Oh.” I could only imagine how much Mercier charged for a night at the lodge, and we’d seen so many guests already—people from D.C. who were probably happy to pay a premium to stay at such a beautiful resort, not to mention one that was secure and assured their privacy. And if it was a destination for people to entertain prominent guests… The financial part of things was starting to make sense. “So, you were all fraternity brothers? All of the founding members?”
“That’s right,” Harris said.
I bit my lip, imagining how much of an outsider I was going to feel like in that group. “Will I be the first female co-owner?”
Skeet chuckled. “Yes, now that you mention it. I hadn’t thought of that. But you won’t be the last. A few other members have willed their interests in Mercier to their wives and daughters.”
“I was just curious.” I shrugged. “I don’t really know what else… Ben? Can you think of anything?”
“Well, knowing Cate’s lawyer,” Ben said, flashing Harris a collegial smile, “she’s going to want to see Mercier’s financials so she can work up an estimated income—give Cate some idea of what to expect—and start planning on how to invest it.”
“Certainly,” Harris said. I might have imagined it, but I thought a look of annoyance flickered across his face. “I’ll put those together and send them to you as soon as I can.”
“Thank you.” If Harris had been annoyed, it must have been at the prospect of doing more paperwork. After all, there was no reason why they should be reluctant to show me Mercier’s financial records, given that I was part of it all now.
Harris tucked his papers back into his briefcase. “I was going to ask you to sign a few things, Cate—you know, to make things official—but that can wait until your lawyer has had a chance to review. Meanwhile,” he said warmly, standing and extending his hand to me, “allow me to be the first to welcome you to Mercier, Cathryn Duncan, our newest owner!”
The rest of us stood as well, and I accepted Harris’s handshake, followed by Skeet’s congratulations. “Though the circumstances are tragic, we’re certainly glad to have you,” Skeet said. “I know Joe would be incredibly pleased to see you taking your place here.”
“He would, indeed,” Harris agreed. “If there isn’t anything else…”
I glanced at Ben, who shook his head. “I don’t think so, not at the moment,” I said. “Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve gone over things with my lawyer.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you, then,” Harris said, handing me his business card.
“Go ahead, Harris,” Skeet said, shooing him towards the door. “I know you have a date with the dogs!”
The two men chuckled. After Harris left, Skeet asked Ben and me to sit for a few more minutes. “Please allow me to apologize again for what happened last night,” he said somberly. “Nothing like that has happened before, and I assure you it will never happen again.”
Ben gave Skeet a nod. “I appreciate that, but there is no need for any more apologies. It’s already forgotten.”
“That’s very gracious of you,” Skeet said. “Since our conversation last night got cut short, I just wanted to reiterate how happy I am that you’re here this week, so that you can meet some of the members of Team Forward and learn more about what we do. Which brings me back to your father, Cate.”
I tried to maintain my outward composure, but internally, I was steeling myself. “Yes?”
Skeet looked thoughtful as he rubbed his hands together in slow motion. “You know that he wanted you to be involved in our paranormal research studies.”
“Yes,” I said, “from infancy, apparently.”
“Well, I share his desire for you to be a part of our work—you, and the whole MacGregor Group. As the week goes on, I’d just like both of you to remember that you have an open invitation to join us.”
“Thank you,” Ben said, taking my hand. “That’s very generous of you, and we’ll certainly keep it in mind. We’re eager to meet Team Forward.”
“They’re looking forward to meeting you, too.” We all stood. Skeet shook Ben’s hand, and then put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “I’m so glad you’re on board.”
I forced my smile to stay in place. “Thank you.”
After Ben and I were a safe distance down the hallway, I allowed myself to shudder.
“Come here.” Ben pulled me tightly against his body and squeezed. I clung to him, soaking up his warmth, his scent. Ben’s lips grazed my cheek. “You’re incredibly brave, do you know that?”
I pulled away. “What are you talking about? I’m a ball of nerves!”
“Which makes how you’re handling all of this even more impressive. You’ve had a lot of bombs dropped on you in the past two days.”
“Yeah, well.” It was true, I had—and I knew that if we started talking about it, I’d probably end up crying, which I had no desire to do. Instead, I steered the conversation elsewhere. “Some of the bombs have been worth a quarter of a million dollars, so…not so bad.”
“Yeah, I guess that wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened.” Ben’s light brown eyes shimmered gold. “So, are you going to quit the MacGregor Group now that you’re independently wealthy?”
“Please don’t say that,” I said, wincing. The truth was that the idea of having money was so foreign to my experience that it seemed surreal. “And of course not. Paying off my student loans alone would take a sizeable chunk out of the nest egg.”
“Well, I’m sorry about the loans, but glad to hear that your debtor status means you won’t be leaving us.”
As a smile crept across my face, I soft-punched him in the arm. “I will be getting an income from this place, though, and you know what that means.”
“I do?”
“It means I can finally buy you some gifts for a change.” Ben’s family was well-off, having earned a good amount of money in Scottish shipping. He had been extremely generous to me ever since we’d started dating, and it irked me that I’d been unable to return those gestures.
Ben put his hands on my shoulders and held me at arm’s length. “What are you talking about?”
“You know,” I reminded him
, even as I felt a blush creeping up my neck. “I told you how uncomfortable it makes me that you keep buying me things, and I can’t afford to buy anything for you. Well, now I can.”
Ben tilted his head to one side and said, softly but firmly, “There is nothing I want that I don’t have—right here, right now.”
I pressed my lips together, trying and failing to suppress a smile. “That’s what you think.”
“Oh.” His brows arched upward. “You have something in mind already?”
“Maybe.”
“Hmm. Interesting.” He offered me his elbow. “I think it’s time for lunch. But after that, I may have to find a way to get this secret gift idea out of you.”
“Promises, promises. Oh, hey, wait!” I grabbed his elbow. “Since when do I have a lawyer?”
“Since you joined the MacGregor Group. We keep an attorney on retainer. Danielle works for the IRS, but she also has a private practice.”
“Oh. Well, thanks for that. I had no idea what Harris was talking about most of the time.”
“No reason why you should; that’s why we have Danielle. I can tell you more over lunch. Shall we?”
“We shall.” I walked with Ben down to the dining room, smiling to myself as I turned my secret gift idea over and over in my mind.
Chapter Ten
Pete, Vani, Ben, and I stood in the hallway. Vani and I had just returned from our ridiculously relaxing afternoon at the spa, where we indulged in hot rock massages that left me feeling like a cooked noodle. Meanwhile, Ben and Pete had already showered and changed after taking one of the skiffs out on their mysterious outing. We were just getting ready to go downstairs for dinner when I told Ben, “You and Vani go ahead. I need a word with Pete.”