by Jody Klaire
“Nice sentiment but I doubt it. She started dating him just after I left.” Renee rubbed her thumb over the phone. “He was there, I wasn’t. Can’t blame her for wanting stability.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I tried winking at her but it was hard with heavy eyelids. Mine felt like they’d been lifting weights with Frei in the gym.
“You telling me you enjoy my moods?” She let out a hollow laugh.
“I’m telling you I love you as you are.” She turned to me and I smiled. “I wouldn’t want to change nothin’ about you.”
“I’ll remind you of that next time I’m growling at you.”
I frowned and found enough energy to lean forward and touch her knee. “You’re pretty awesome in my eyes so quit beating on yourself. Moods, temper, hot or cold, you’re the Renee I know an’ I like you that way.”
She stared at the phone. “It’s how I cope with worry.” She met my eyes. “My temper. It’s a defense mechanism.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t mean to push you away.” She rubbed at her forehead. “You tie me in knots.”
“I get that.” I watched her read another message as the phone beeped.
“Your father says he’s found at least fifty locations that could match what you and your mother saw in or around the city.” She rubbed her forehead again. “That’s too many.”
“Tell him to check squad cars. Check if any are missing.” I tried thinking through Frei’s memories. The officer who had chased her wasn’t really an officer but the car looked genuine. I didn’t know if that meant it had been stolen or not but it stuck out.
Renee tapped the message out and checked her watch. “They should be out by now.”
“Then let’s go get Huber to be useful for once.” Renee was thinking about darting me and Aunt Bess, about heading in alone and putting herself in danger. Her aura fizzled and flicked as she warred with the decision. “You need us. Trust your heart.”
She sighed and started the engine. “I know. I just don’t want you getting hurt if he’s the one who has her.”
I nodded. “Ebenfalls.”
She raised her eyebrows and stared at me. I smiled. It meant likewise. Frei had taught me to say it back in Caprock. I pointed to the road. “Helps if we drive through the gap not the wall.”
Renee turned back to the road, she had something in her hand that beeped and made the gates roll back. “Each house will have guards, all armed. It won’t take long for them to notice that someone has knocked out the guards on the gate.”
“Nope.”
She met my eyes. “This truck isn’t armored and there’s no way it can outrun them.”
“Nope.”
Aunt Bess sat up with a yawn. “Then I hope you ladies have an idea how you can get Huber on side.”
Renee and I exchanged a glance. “Nope,” we both mumbled.
Aunt Bess chuckled. “Then it’s a good thing you got me.”
Renee raised an eyebrow.
“You can raise that pretty little eyebrow all you like. I got years on you, Blondie.” She winked at me and I saw the glimmer of all the stories hidden in her eyes.
It filled me with a spark of confidence and when I looked at Renee, I saw her aura warming like she felt the same.
Chapter 59
LILIA WATCHED FLEMING as they circled the landing strip above Cincinnati. She’d have been hard pushed to find a more conflicted woman. It was clear that Fleming still adored Renee yet her actions when Renee had left on assignment and after she’d gone missing had contradicted it.
She suspected too much had to do with career and ambition. Lilia knew the man who had granted Fleming’s promotion. She knew how he worked.
“He will be wondering when you’re coming home,” Lilia said as Fleming continued to ignore the ringing phone.
“It’s Martin’s father.” Fleming stared at the seat in front of her.
“Then he’ll definitely be demanding you come home. Especially if he realizes who you’re investigating.” She was cheating slightly, she knew, but the emotions were too pronounced to miss. Nan always said, “If the signpost is flashing at you, best follow what it’s hollering ’bout.”
“I love Martin.” Said too forcefully, too defensively. “His father is more difficult.”
“Yes, well, when you marry the boss’s son, it’s bound to put you in an awkward position. Despite the initial benefits.” Fleming loved her husband and her children, Lilia could feel that, but just not the kind of love both deserved.
Once again she was thankful she’d married the man she adored. In true Lorelei tradition, when their hearts beat for someone, it was for only them. She’d never been remotely interested in another man.
The less said about Eli’s loyalty, the better. She had gone missing herself and like Renee had been forced to watch someone move on in haste. It was one of the reasons why she was so fond of Renee. Despite Fleming’s actions, Renee had never become bitter about it. Hurt, yes, confused, of course, sad, for definite, but never bitter.
“She was gone. Martin was there for me.”
Lilia raised an eyebrow, she had been reading Fleming to amuse herself during the flight. “You were already carrying his child.”
Fleming scowled at her. “She chose to leave. It was bad enough when I found out about that other woman.”
Lilia caught the flash of a POI and Renee and tried not to let her surprise show on her face. Renee had a dangerous role. Her work made her appear to be things she wasn’t and like her father, she was incredible at it and cared. How had Fleming known about a POI?
The phone rang again. Fleming once again ignored it.
“You know, it shouldn’t be on while flying.” She didn’t really know the reason why, something to do with equipment.
Fleming pulled it out and turned it off. “Your silence says enough.”
Lilia held her gaze for a moment. She wasn’t going to reveal anything to Fleming that Renee hadn’t.
The plane floated ever closer to the runway and Fleming turned to stare out of the window. Lilia braced herself. Bess had done the flying. Lilia liked the ground. Nice firm, solid ground.
The plane shuddered to a halt amidst the deafening grind of airbrakes and Lilia thanked St. Christopher, thumbing over the new pendant around her neck. Eli had bought it for her and a wave of warm tender love washed over her from it.
“I need to call him back.” Fleming got up from her seat and stomped up the plane. She looked delighted to chat to her father-in-law.
Lilia pulled out her phone and fired off two texts, one to Renee and the other to Eli. She took the CIG sim card out and replaced it with her dummy one. Then she tucked the CIG one in her bra. She doubted Fleming was going to subject her to that deep a search.
A few minutes later, Fleming reappeared. “Why is she in Ocean City, Lilia?”
First name terms, interesting. “Excuse me?”
“I had two calls, Federal Aviation Administration puts the plane in Ocean City.” She rubbed her hand over her face.
“Perhaps she likes the sea?” Why did Fleming think she’d tell her anything?
“Does someone on vacation buy the first truck they find and not go to a rental place?”
Ah so Fleming wanted a GPS on Renee now. “If my daughter was with her, she would have bought it for her.” She gave her most pleasant smile, knowing exactly what she was insinuating and readying herself for the reaction.
“That wouldn’t look very good for her disciplinary record, would it?” She snapped.
Lilia continued to smile. “Neither would it look good for you if Martin’s father knew the extent of your feelings for her still.”
The door to the plane opened and a baby-faced agent stepped on board. She was quite sure he wasn’t old enough to shave, let alone wield a badge and gun.
“Where’s the owner of the airfield?” Fleming snapped, her fury swirling around her.
The agent tensed. Bless him. “The owner is st
ill at the hospital, ma’am.” His aura shuddered for him. “And the car has come up clean.”
“What?” Fleming’s tone bounced off the space.
Lilia held in her smile. The car would always be wiped properly. Frei had taught Renee, who had taught Aeron, and Bess, well, she’d have been able to teach them some extra tips.
Lilia wasn’t quite sure why she was so proud of that.
“The car is clean, ma’am,” the agent repeated as if Fleming was either deaf or unhinged. “It was hired by a Marianne Wilkins from Boston.” He took a breath. “Only she’s ninety eight and has been registered blind for twenty years.” He shrugged at Fleming’s seething stare. “Guess there was a mix up.”
“Or someone is covering their tracks.” She strode to Lilia and motioned to her handbag. She took it, fished through it, and unearthed the cell phone. She spent long minutes thumbing through the texts and call log, her brow dipping lower each time. All she’d find were mundane conversations about Eli fixing the car and her aunt Gertie, Mrs. Stein’s, bake sale.
“What mother doesn’t text her own daughter?” Fleming narrowed her eyes.
Lilia toyed with how to explain that little gem. “Aeron doesn’t own a phone.”
Fleming exchanged a look with the young agent. “Try again.”
Ah yes, everyone had to own a phone. Explaining Aeron’s effect on technology wouldn’t help much. “She spent a long time away from society. She can’t use a computer either.”
That earned her an incredulous look from both. She didn’t care. Aeron was perfect as she was.
“If it makes you feel better, her father isn’t the best at them either.” She could see him typing one fingered, tongue sticking out. It must take him hours to type up his reports.
Fleming put the phone in her own handbag. “It won’t matter if I hold on to it then, will it?”
Lilia sighed. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes.”
Right. Wonderful. Lilia got to her feet and met the young agent’s eyes. “Are you taking us to the hospital?”
He nodded. So at least he was old enough to drive.
“Good. The quicker we interview him, the quicker I can explain to Aunt Gertie why I don’t have time to make the cakes she’s expecting.” She scowled at Fleming for effect.
“Your agents are evading the authorities, a lead agent is missing, and you’re worried about cakes?” Fleming stared at her. Even motherhood hadn’t thawed that inner ambition. Not really.
“My agents are not evading anyone. They are on vacation. No doubt they are with Ursula . . . and yes, I am worried.” She sighed. “You don’t have to explain to Aunt Gertie.”
“Can’t you bake them when you get back?” the agent asked, leading them down the steps to the waiting car. “My mom makes batches for birthdays.”
“You can’t rush genius.” Lilia motioned to the car door, and he hurried to open it. A boy who talked about his mother was bound to have good manners.
Fleming glared at him as he tried to do the same for her. Lilia smiled encouragement at the agent as he drove them out of the airport and met her eyes in the rearview mirror. It took all her years of experience to appear so detached. She could feel traces of Aeron, Renee, and Bess just walking to the car.
Aeron was struggling, weakening, and not willing to give in. It made Lilia proud and petrified all at once.
“The lock is the key,” she mumbled to herself and caught the flicker of memories. Ursula’s memories. She stood as a teenager with tears soaking her cheeks. She slid on that familiar jacket, the ring. They were getting closer, it just wasn’t quick enough. She glanced at Fleming who sat in the passenger seat. Not by a long shot.
Chapter 60
WE PULLED UP to the gated walls outside Huber’s place. I could feel his energy buzzing from it but I sighed. He was out.
“Wonderful.” Renee met my eyes as if she felt the same. She pulled over and gripped hold of the wheel for a moment like she was contemplating banging her head against it.
“I guess he ain’t in,” Aunt Bess said, sitting forward and scouring the distance.
“There was the guy she liked. He drove Huber around,” I said, hoping that Frei wouldn’t mind me revealing that.
“Fahrer,” Renee whispered, picking at the wheel.
“Driver huh?” Aunt Bess shook her head. “Guess they named folks by trade.”
Renee and I turned to stare at Aunt Bess. When did she learn German?
“You want to ask twenty questions or are we avoiding those guards?” She nodded in the direction of two armed guards heading our way.
“There was Megan,” Renee said, checking her gun. “She’s not a friendly.”
“Back up ’round the corner,” I blurted out, getting a sense of someone close by. “Aunt Bess, can you give Renee the lock . . .” Didn’t really know why but I was going with it. “We can go on foot.”
“You sure?” Aunt Bess pulled the lock out.
“No.” I shrugged. “I just got a feeling.”
Aunt Bess handed the lock to Renee in a handkerchief.
Renee met my eyes for a moment, then nodded, took the lock and reversed back around the corner. We got out, kittens, case an’ all. I knew that if Frei had been with us, she’d have rolled her eyes at the sight.
“Any ideas?” Renee asked. She gripped the case handle so hard her fingers turned white.
“We’re being watched.” I tried sensing the location but with my drained energy, it wasn’t even close to clear.
“By?” Aunt Bess asked, catching my elbow as I wobbled.
“Me.” A gun clicked.
I turned around with my best confident smile. “Doctor Stosur.” I hoped I could disarm her with words because she’d grown an extra layer or two of steel over the years. “Frei needs your help.”
Her face remained stoic but her aura flinched at both names. Renee’s gaze tracked over Stosur like she could read it too.
“How do you know that name?” She held her gun up. The patrol was still strolling down the same street we’d pulled off.
“You broke her out of Caprock. We helped her shut it down. We got Jessie out.”
Again, her aura flinched. I had to keep going.
“You taught her everything she knows. If you’ll just listen to us, Renee can prove it.” I didn’t know why I’d said that and opened my mouth to take it back but Stosur motioned with her pistol.
Renee nodded to me like she was fine with me dropping her in it. I weren’t. It didn’t matter that Frei had told me to trust when my mouth fired off because it was my training. I didn’t want Renee in trouble, no way.
Stosur motioned again at a side gate. It would run along the parameter wall. Aunt Bess strode forward and Renee and I filed in behind her.
The second she closed the gate behind us, Stosur clicked back the gun priming it to fire. She’d fire without a flicker of worry.
I needed to talk fast . . . somehow.
“Kinda convenient being head of security,” I said, trying not to stare at the barrel. “Helps to keep an eye on things.”
Stosur’s aura prickled with her panic. I took a deep breath. She was ready to fire.
“Renee, show her the lock.” I hoped I sounded less faint than I felt.
Renee met my eyes, hers glinting with awareness. She’d put herself in front of me. She was ready to fire too. Tension rippled up and down my arms.
I nodded.
Renee reached into her pocket, slowly, and pulled it out.
“Huber gave it to Frei the first time she ever picked it. She keeps them as trophies. You ain’t so bad at undercover yourself.” I breathed hard and slow, my knees wobbled. “You went in to Caprock as a doctor to get her out.” I sighed, wiping the sweat trickling down the back of my neck. “You tried warning her that they were luring her sister and Suz out.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Renee frown. Stosur’s neck flexed as her gaze flicked over the lock.
“Mu
st have been agony losing one of your girls.” I offered her a sad smile, knowing it didn’t bear thinking on too much. “Losing her to the guy you’d fought so hard to escape and watching Frei have to pick up the pieces . . . I don’t know how you did it.” I clasped my hands together to stop her seeing the tremble.
Stosur’s gun wobbled.
I didn’t have the energy to comfort her like I wanted to. She wouldn’t have accepted it anyway.
“You’re her mom?” Renee whispered with a smile filling her eyes. “She thought she’d lost you.”
Stosur looked to Renee and back to me. Aunt Bess edged closer to me as my strength waned. I was gonna pass out if I had to keep reading her.
“Who are you?” Stosur’s voice wobbled.
“I’m Renee Black.” Renee moved close to me as if she could sense my weakness too.
Stosur watched them and lowered her gun. “The woman who lured her away. You must have been special.”
Renee smiled. “She’s special to me. She risked a lot to help me.” She motioned to me. I knew she didn’t understand what Frei had given up to save her. I wasn’t going to fill her in neither. “This is Aeron and . . . um . . . Aunt Bess.”
Stosur’s eyes travelled over the carry crate.
“Frei and Jessie are in trouble.” I swallowed. Nausea rolled around in my gut. “We need to get to Huber, to see if he has her or can help us.” I glanced at the gate. The patrol were searching our abandoned truck, trying to ring through to the guardhouse.
“She’s sick,” I blurted. “Real sick.”
Stosur holstered her gun. She turned and strode off.
“Guess she wants us to follow, huh?” Aunt Bess mumbled, cradling the crate.
“At least we know where Urs gets her manners from,” Renee muttered.
Both of them helped me stagger over the lawn as I tried to hold on long enough to get us to Huber. “Frei can’t know. It’s to keep her safe.”
Renee nodded then stopped us as we reached a helipad and a large, sleek helicopter. I waggled my finger in my ear at the buzzing sound. There was a lot of electricity some place nearby.