by Jan Coffey
She walked into the living room and turned on the light there, too. His jacket and hat were gone.
“I sure hope you left me a note.” Amber looked around on the counters and in the living room. It was as if he’d never been here. Nothing had been left of him but the empty wrappers from the fish and chips they’d ordered from room service.
She sank onto the sofa and slapped her hand on the cushion. She didn’t even know his last name. She had no phone number. And how many university students in Belfast were named Mick? She could have cried just thinking about it. They hadn’t run into anyone after leaving the bookstore. There was no one she could ask who might know him. She’d waved off the Secret Service agents when they reached her hotel. She hadn’t even given them a chance to learn anything about him.
Amber heard her cell phone ring. She looked around, remembering that her phone was still in her bag. She padded across the room to the counter where she’d left it.
She turned on the light over the counter and looked inside her bag. Her cell phone stopped ringing. She froze, realizing that her wallet was open. She took it out and saw the cash that had been in there yesterday was gone.
There hadn’t been much. Ten or twelve Euros, maybe…if that. She checked her credit cards. They were all there. Her passport was still in the pocket. He’d just taken a few paltry Euros. What a fool she was.
The cell phone began to ring again.
“Are you okay?” he asked when she answered. It was her father.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked.
“I just talked to one of the agents…and—”
“What are you doing, spying on me?” she cut him short. Her sadness for Mick being gone turned immediately to anger. She figured Mick’s exit would have been noticed by the Secret Service but having the news reach her father so quickly was ridiculous.
“Amber, there’s a reason why those men travel with you,” he said reasonably.
“Yes, so you can call them in the middle of night and find out who I hang out with and—”
“Listen to me. A security bulletin came through tonight. You could be in danger there. I want you to cut your trip short and come home. If you’ve got a pencil, I’ll give you the flight arrangements we’ve made.”
Amber said nothing. From her father’s committee work, she knew that the State Department and Homeland Security put out security bulletins every day. No, it wasn’t that. Her father was telling her this because he knew about her spending a night with an Irish stud who had left her in the middle of the night. He was trying to give her an out.
“Okay,” she said, stabbing at a tear on her cheek as she fished a pen out of her bag. “Okay, shoot.”
CHAPTER 50
The last thing David Collier expected when he returned to his cottage was to find Leah and Alanna sitting on the patio playing chess.
When Alanna had left the conference room, he’d wanted more than anything else to follow her and explain how this job meant the difference between life and death for Leah. But he couldn’t do it. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t put pressure like that on another person.
He had his own reservations about doing this job. Through thick and thin, no matter how far down his luck had taken them, he’d stayed on the right side of the law. But he had no choice here. The little that Galvin had said in response to David’s concern had spelled it out clearly to him. Whether they were operating in a gray area of the law or not, David would go along or the arrangements in Germany would disappear.
Each one of them had his or her own problems. Those problems—or their solution—seemed to be the driving force that had brought them to this island. He didn’t know what Alanna’s crises were, but she had to decide on her own.
“She’s been very busy tonight,” the nurse explained as he came in. The woman told him about Leah’s dialysis and the dinner she’d had afterward with Padma Alexei and her baby. “Considering the hours of travel on top of it, she’s probably asleep outside and only propped up with pillows.”
“Her mouth is moving, so she must be awake,” David told the nurse.
He thanked her and sent her off for the night. He’d already told them that, aside from setting up and administering the dialysis, they would only need to be on call to look after Leah when he was working. Or unless there was some emergency.
He went out through the glass door into the patio and both of them looked up, surprised to see him.
“Daddy, you’re back,” Leah said excitedly.
There were pillows around her, a blanket draped over her shoulder.
“Aren’t you two cold out here?” he asked.
“No, it feels good,” Leah replied. “The ocean smells so salty.”
From the way Alanna had her arms crossed, she definitely looked cold. She looked up at him and smiled. “Actually, it feels very good.”
He shook his head in disbelief and went back inside, got another blanket and came out. He draped this one around Alanna’s shoulders.
“I thought you had a lot of work to do tonight,” he asked her directly.
“I’m working right now.”
“Is teaching me how to play chess hard work?” Leah asked.
“Teaching you was no trouble,” Alanna answered. “But beating you is very hard work.”
The giggle from the eight-year-old made David smile. She knocked down one of Alanna’s pawns. “Check.”
There were only a handful of pieces left on the board.
“This is interesting, Dr. Mendes. I didn’t take you as the kind of player who would allow an opponent to go past five or six moves.”
Alanna made a move. She looked up at him. “I tried to teach her finesse chess. That way, I could have checkmated her just as you say. But your daughter, curiously, enjoys playing a more bloody game. So we have a killing field here, as you can see.”
David pulled a seat close to the table and sat down, watching them.
“This is a really fun game, Daddy,” Leah told him. “Do you remember how to play?”
“I think I do,” he said. David realized that Alanna had set her level of playing to that of his daughter. Leah made a move that put her queen in jeopardy. Rather than taking the queen, she told her about it and had Leah replay the move.
“Softie,” he said to her.
“No, nice person,” Leah corrected. “She is teaching me, Daddy. Teaching me.”
“Softie,” he repeated when the next move put Alanna in a checkmate position.
“A smart player always let them win the first time, so they want to play again,” Alanna told him. “Now, tomorrow we’ll play for money.”
“Cool,” Leah said excitedly. “Daddy, how about if you and I play now?”
“Leah, how about it’s two hours after your bedtime now?”
The eight-year-old let out a frustrated sigh. “Rules, rules, rules.”
“You got that right, young woman.”
He got up to get the wheelchair. Leah stopped him.
“I don’t need it. I want to walk.” She slowly pushed herself to her feet.
David watched her every move, staying close enough to give her a hand if she needed it. He was surprised when his daughter opened her arms to get a hug from her playmate. Alanna hesitated for a second, but then she had the young girl in an affectionate embrace.
“Can we play again tomorrow night?” Leah asked.
“You can count on it.” She folded the blanket that he’d put around her shoulders.
David thought that sounded too good to be true. He didn’t want to ask in front of Leah, though.
“I should head out.”
“Would you mind sticking around for just a couple of minutes?” he asked. “I have something work-related to ask you.”
She nodded, understanding. David walked with Leah to the bathroom.
“I can brush my own teeth, Daddy,” she reminded him when he hovered in the doorway. “I can change and get into bed by myself, too.”
“I’
m worried you did too much today. With all the travel and…”
“I feel great,” she smiled. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
He kissed her forehead, believing what she said. Emotionally, this was the happiest he’d seen her in a very long time.
“Go,” she ordered. “I can get to bed all by myself.”
“But you can’t tuck yourself in and kiss yourself good night,” he reminded her. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
“Daddy?”
“Yup?” He turned around.
“Thanks for bringing me with you,” Leah said. “Today was very cool.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Alanna was waiting for him on the patio. She had straightened the pillows where Leah sat and moved the wheelchair inside the door. He didn’t want Leah to hear their conversation, so he closed the door behind him.
“Have you made a decision?”
She nodded. “I’m staying.”
“You didn’t spend much time thinking about it,” he told her.
“Leah told me they’re growing her a new kidney in Germany,” she said softly.
“You shouldn’t make a decision this important based on what’s best for Leah and me or Jay and his family.”
“And why not?” she asked. “I can’t think of a better reason.”
“Alanna…I…”
She shook her head. “Please don’t say anything. Don’t try to talk me out of it. You have a very special daughter. And this job will be good for me. It’s about time I crossed the line for the right reasons. Good night, David.”
CHAPTER 51
Alanna unpacked her suitcases, took a shower and put on comfortable sweats. She’d made up her mind. She was staying. She had to let Galvin know about her decision. But first she had to clear the uncertainty that was dogging her. It was half past midnight when she called him. Steven himself answered.
“I need to talk to you,” she told him. “Can I come over now?”
“Absolutely.” There was no hesitation in his answer.
He didn’t know that she’d already made up her mind. She was certain David wouldn’t have revealed her decision. She wanted to get some honest answers, though, about Ray and the role he’d played in bringing her to this place.
She pulled on a jacket over the sweats and went out. The rest of the cottages were dark. From somewhere, she could smell a cigar, but she didn’t know where the aroma was coming from. Ground lights lit up every pathway. She couldn’t see the ocean, but she could hear it. A guard had a dog on a leash and was walking on one of the pathways to her left. He lifted a hand and gave her a silent greeting. Alanna returned the gesture.
After leaving David and Leah tonight, she’s had a little time to do some research on Galvin. Online, she’d read some of the news stories that she’d missed last year. His son’s death had been a major headline. None of the reports, though, mentioned anything about a kidnapping. There was nothing about foul play at all. The papers called Nathan’s death accidental and said that it had happened in Istanbul. A traffic accident, it said. Alanna wondered if it was the family’s choice not to get in the middle of a political situation. As far as Kei’s death, there was only the obituary. She had died suddenly at home. And that was the extent of it.
Alanna respected the privacy that Steven must have been after, especially after the back to back loss of two loved ones.
Steven met her at the entrance to the main building. He had the look of the man who never slept. He seemed as alert now as he’d been when she’d met him for the first time this afternoon.
She stepped inside the building. The reception room was lit but no one else was around.
“I’m afraid my staff insists on keeping civilized working hours,” he said. “I can offer you coffee or tea, or a drink if you want.”
“Tea would be great.”
“Do you mind if we go back to my part of the house? They don’t trust me touching any of their appliances around here.”
Although he knew perfectly well, why she was here, he didn’t press her with questions. Instead, as they walked through the house, he chatted about the people who kept his estate running here on Grand Bahama Island. In the course of the afternoon and evening, Alanna had probably run into most of them—except for the kitchen staff. He seemed to know all of them personally.
She was impressed that a man with his level of wealth, power, and intelligence was so adept at putting a stranger at ease. She remembered reading in some of the articles about him how well he was liked and respected in the business. She could see why he had that reputation.
“This is the lived-in part of the house,” he said, taking Alanna past the library and the area where they’d dined.
“Kei loved lots of windows. When she was working with the architect, she was determined to have a view of the water wherever she was in the house,” he explained. “So the three connecting structures were built in a U shape, hugging the marina.”
“Front office, work area, and the private residence,” she commented.
“Exactly. It’s an ideal design. A few friends keep boats in the marina, too.”
“Did she spend much time here?” Alanna asked.
“After I retired, we tried to spend at least a couple of months a year here. We both enjoyed sailing. We’d usually fit a long weekend in here and there during other months, too.” He stopped at a double set of French doors. “I think she wanted us to really retire here. Living here year round and having our son and his family, if he ever got around to having one, come out and visit us. I guess it’s the kind of dream any parent would have.”
Alanna had only met Steven today. She’d never known Kei. But she had no trouble understanding how deep his love for her must have been. What she herself had with Ray was different. It was infatuation, passion…but it was nothing like this.
He opened the door and ushered her through. A beautiful living area decorated and furnished in white and teal blue greeted them. There were lots of windows with window seats. She couldn’t see outside, but she imagined watching the sun rise through one set of windows and watching it set through the opposite. A stylish, well-designed kitchen and a cozy dining area opened into the living area.
“This was where we spent most of our time when we were here.”
He walked to the kitchen. Alanna took her jacket off. There were family photos everywhere—all of Nathan and Kei. Most of them were from the time Nathan had been really young. They were gone, but their memories were preserved here.
“Caffeinated, decaffeinated, herbal?” he asked.
She went to the kitchen and he slid a box of tea bags with a dozen choices in front of her. Alanna chose one.
“Honey, sugar, lemon?”
She shook her head to all of them.
“I came to tell you that I’ve made my decision,” she said flatly. “But first I have some questions.”
He chose a tea bag himself. “Which means that my answers have no effect on the outcome?”
“That’s right,” she said. Alanna discarded the tea bag and took her cup. He led her to the fireplace where small flames flickered around some logs. Two chairs and a coffee table were arranged in front of it. She sat down.
“Ray Savoy,” she said.
He leaned forward and put his cup down on the table. “I’m sorry. He left this afternoon. I had hoped that he’d change his mind. But he didn’t.”
She’d already learned from David that Ray had left. Already a strange tautness had taken over the section of her heart that her love for him had occupied.
“He wasn’t one of the people you had Diarte and Lyons find for you, was he?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
He sat back in the chair. His feet crossed, fingers laced on his stomach. “No, he wasn’t. He was the connection we needed to convince you to consider this project.”
“And I was chosen…?”
“After Kei died. As soon as I knew how I could get revenge
on the people who’d killed my son,” he told her. “From the beginning. I realized you were the key to the plan. Nothing else could work unless you agreed to be part of it.”
“Why didn’t you contact me then and just ask?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think you know yourself very well, if you ask that. At least, you don’t know the kind of dedicated, driven person you were a year ago. Your work has been your life. Any deviation from established protocol—any argument to deviate from procedure—would have been futile. No matter where that request came from.”
Alanna wanted to argue and tell him that wasn’t the truth. But she knew it was. This is who she’d been. “What makes you think I’m not still that person?”
“You’re here. You listened to my plea. That’s all I could ask for. A year ago, I wouldn’t have gotten you to come this far.”
“So Ray…his relationship with me…everything that happened was a setup, from day one?” It hurt to ask, but she had to know.
He shifted in his seat.
“I’m not proud of that,” he said finally. “He was already involved with you when we ran into him, though. All I can say is that he may never have really been the man you thought he was.”
Alanna kept her voice strong. “How so?”
“In a lot of the details, he is who he says he is. He does have an engineering degree and has been a contractor for most of his working life. As far as how we should convince you to come here so many months later, that was all his own doing, his own planning.”
“You mean he faked his own death,” she said, still not believing how far Ray had gone.
“That’s right,” Steven admitted. “We didn’t suggest that. But he was in trouble before we got involved with him. Gambling debts. Some rather tough gentlemen that he owed money to. That story about the witness protection program, that was all a lie, too. He told Diarte and Lyons exactly what to tell you. He scripted the meeting you had with them in Sonoma Valley.”