Winds of Fire

by Kira Chase

  Suddenly, the gate reopened and Thatcher stepped on the gas and made a sharp left onto the street. The dark blue car peeled out behind him.

  “Here we go,” Frankie said smacking her lips as she started the engine and then pulled out in pursuit of the two cars. She hung back far enough to be inconspicuous. “Now the fun begins.” Her lips curved up into a smile. “I have a feeling this isn't going to be boring.”

  “I wonder where he's going.”

  “I wonder who's in the car chasing him,” Frankie replied. “I think it's a woman.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “I caught a quick glimpse when they sped out of the gate. Not much, but enough to know it isn't a man.” She slightly turned her head. “You were adjusting the camera.”

  “Well, it's clearly someone who knows him and isn't too happy with him from the looks of it.”

  “And isn't afraid of her job security,” Frankie added.

  “Maybe she's not an employee. That is, if the driver is actually a woman.”

  “Maybe not an employee, but I'll bet it's a woman.”

  “You're on. What do you want to bet?”

  Johanna was thoughtful for a minute. “Let me think. Okay, I got it. The loser has to serve the winner breakfast in bed next Sunday morning, and wash her car.”

  Frankie smiled broadly. “I'll let you know Saturday night what I'd like to be served.”

  “Sure of yourself, are you?”

  Frankie held a thumb up. “Always.”

  “We'll see,” Johanna said, peering out of the window as they whizzed by the center of Charlestown. “It looks like he's heading out of town.” The words were barely out of her mouth when Thatcher's car abruptly slowed. The second car stayed on his tail and braked when he did.

  “I don't think so.” Frankie stayed a few car lengths back and when the two cars made a right, she waited before making the turn. “I wonder what he's doing here. Not exactly where you'd expect a wealthy man to shop.”

  Johanna glanced around the small shopping plaza. “Maybe he's scouting a location for another hotel. It's a beautiful location.”

  “Here? I think this part of town would be one of the last places he'd open a Bronson Hotel. There are only a few strip malls around here. Besides, Charlestown doesn't have the clientele to support two Bronson Hotels. We don't have much tourist traffic unless there's a big event and we get an overflow from Philly. But how often does that happen? I doubt the original hotel is even doing half as well as the Bronson Hotels in Philly, New York City, Los Angeles, or any of the major cities across the country. It wouldn't be economically feasible to build another in Charlestown.”

  Johanna shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe he's planning to open some smaller more affordable versions. Let the middle class have a taste of how the wealthy live. He could be using this space as a testing ground.” She turned her head and grinned at Frankie. “I'm kidding, of course.”

  Frankie exhaled loudly. “It's probably just a convenient place to meet whoever he's seeing on the sly. After all, who would suspect him of hanging out in this part of the city?” She looked around. “I don't see any motels. Could be he just stopped in here to pick something up.”

  Johanna's eyes narrowed. “Shopping here in a strip mall? Now I find that a little hard to swallow. We have major shops in Charleston that I think would be more to his liking.”

  “Well, it's just a thought. Can you come up with something better?”

  “No. I have nothing.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Have you ever stayed in one of the Bronson Hotels?” Johanna asked.

  Frankie laughed. “No. They were and still are definitely out of our price range, unless we hit the lottery or receive a huge windfall. What's their ad say? A Little Slice Of Heaven.” She grabbed Johanna's hand and gave it a tender squeeze. “I can think of a lot better ways to spend our hard earned money.”

  “We already have our little slice of heaven, Frankie. I love our home.” She turned and looked at her.

  “Me, too.” Frankie smiled. “It doesn't get any better than what we've built together.”

  “No, it doesn't.” She turned her attention back to Thatcher's car. “Okay. Here we go. Looks like we're about to find out what Thatcher Longman is up to,” Johanna said as Thatcher's car finally pulled into a parking slot in front of a sporting goods store. She readied her camera as the car tailing him pulled up in the slot beside Thatcher's.

  Frankie slipped into a parking space near the entrance of the strip mall where they would be obscured but still have Thatcher in their sites. She killed the headlights and then leaned back in the seat and watched the two cars. “Can you see the license number on the second car?”

  “Yes, I'm zooming in on it. Perfect! I wish the woman would get out of the car so I can get a better shot of her.”

  “I win the bet!” Frankie gloated.

  “Damn.” Johanna scowled at her and then grinned. “Don't rub it in.”

  “That's half the fun of winning,” she replied as she kept her focus on the two cars. “I wish they would do something to prove he's cheating. It would be great if we could get the goods on him tonight.”

  Johanna chuckled. “I know how your mind works, Frankie. Even if we get the goods on Thatcher, you won't be satisfied until you know everything he's been up to.”

  She made a face. “You're right, I won't. And neither will you.” She craned her neck. “Looks like Thatcher's getting out. I'm going to roll down the windows and hopefully we can hear some of what he's saying.”

  Johanna looked up at the sky. “It's too early for the sun to set, but it's getting awfully dark. We're in for a storm.”

  Frankie looked at the rapidly darkening clouds. “Hopefully it will hold off until we're home.”

  They watched as Thatcher, with stiff shoulders, bent down toward the driver's side window of the second car. The overhead lights popped on and cast a soft glow over the front of the cars.

  Johanna snapped several pictures. “I wish I could see the woman's face. I can't even get a partial, but I have several of Thatcher. Can you make out anything that they're saying, Frankie?” she asked in a soft voice.

  “No,” Frankie whispered. “He's talking too low, but his body language makes it evident that he's not too pleased with her.”

  “Probably someone he dumped. I'm sure he has a string of women he's been seeing.”

  Frankie sighed. “Who knows at this point?”

  Johanna lowered her camera. “I just thought of something. I don't know why neither of us thought of it before. We've overlooked something very obvious.”

  “What?” Frankie turned her head and looked at her.

  Johanna pulled on her chin. “She followed him out of the Bronson Enterprises parking garage. She must be a disgruntled employee.”

  “We already said it was probably an employee.” Frankie was thoughtful. “Maybe it's not an employee at all. It could be someone there on a business matter concerning Bronson Enterprises.”

  Johanna laughed. “So she gets so upset over a business meeting that she chases him down with her car? Come on, Frankie.”

  Frankie laughed, too. “It's no different than your assessment that an upset employee is chasing him. Once we run her plate we'll find out who she is.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Who knows? She might be angry enough to spill everything she knows about him.” She cleared her throat. “Now that would be a coup. But if she is a disgruntled employee as you suspect, it looks like her employment options just took a dive.”

  Thatcher suddenly stood, moved away from the woman's car, threw his shoulders back, and then walked toward the sporting goods store. He stood facing the window of the store and then suddenly whirled around. He ran a hand over his face and watched as the woman slowly backed out of the parking space and drove toward the exit.

  Johanna noted that instead of exiting back out onto the street, the woman hung a quick right and proceeded toward the back of the shops. “I wonder where she's going
. Is there another exit? I can't tell from here.”

  Frankie kept her eyes on Thatcher. “I don't know. If our focus wasn't on Thatcher, I'd be on her tail. It's times like these I wish we'd brought separate cars.”

  “I know.” Johanna snapped a few more pictures of Thatcher. He watched the fading brake lights until the car disappeared from his sight. Johanna doubted from where he stood that he'd seen the turn the car had made. He took a deep breath, straightened his suit coat, and then began to walk past the Biggs Sporting Goods store. He stopped in front of the Kramer Insurance office, then opened the door and walked inside.

  “Now what's he up to?” Johanna wondered aloud. “I doubt he's purchasing a policy.”

  “I have no clue, but he could be. Who knows at this point,” Frankie said as she stretched and leaned her head back against the headrest. “All we can do is wait.” She reached a hand out and patted Johanna's knee. “I wish you would have kept your skirt on. Hidden here in these dark shadows where no one can see us, we could have had some fun.”

  Johanna chuckled. “That's why I changed. I have to make sure not to distract you from our business at hand and these jeans will do the trick.”

  Frankie groaned. “Doesn't matter. Just looking at you makes me want to forget everything else.” She licked her lips. “Wait until I get you home. I'm going to ravish your body.”

  “That will depend on if Thatcher is a good boy and we can get home at a decent hour or if we have to chase him around the city half the night.” She nodded towards the insurance office where Thatcher was exiting. “Well, he didn't stay in there long.”

  Thatcher was smiling broadly as he left the insurance office and walked to his car. He stepped inside, but didn't start the engine.

  “Looks like he's waiting for someone,” Frankie observed.

  A few minutes later, a leggy young blonde wearing a tight, short black dress emerged from the office.

  “Should I take a picture?” Johanna asked.

  “It might be a good idea since Thatcher was just in there. We don't know if he has any connection with her, but if he does, you'll have some clear pictures.”

  Johanna snapped a few pictures of the blonde. “Do you really think he stays in the office all day like Kendall believes? I mean how realistic is that? You know as well as I do, Frankie, that he must leave for outside business meetings.”

  “It does seem odd, but then we don't know what kind of elaborate networking system he has set up. Most business today isn't even conducted face to face. Maybe he conducts it with a video cam.”

  “That's true. I just find it odd that he wouldn't step out of the office even for a breath of fresh air or a business lunch.”

  “Maybe he has everything he needs right there at his fingertips. I'd love to see the set up. Maybe we should pay a visit to Bronson Enterprises just to see what it's like.”

  “We'll need to come up with a viable plan for being there, but I doubt we'd even be allowed near his office.” She paused. “I wonder how often Kendall stops in to check out her various enterprises. You'd think she'd be involved with her own company.”

  Frankie scratched her chin. “If Thatcher, for any reason during the day, leaves the building, it would be impossible for Kendall to know about it unless she is notified by someone in the company. Thatcher's personal secretary undoubtedly covers for him if he is absent in the event Kendall should call.” She let her breath out slowly. “You know how that goes. Sometimes the boss's personal secretary becomes a confidant and takes care of his every need. Most would never undermine their boss by sharing any information even to a spouse.”

  “Actually, I don't know how it goes since I've never had a personal secretary.” Johanna grinned. “But I'll take your word for it.”

  Frankie drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel. “Why is that woman still standing there in front of the door? Thatcher hasn't left either.”

  “That's why,” Johanna said as a car a few slots down from where the blonde stood turned on its headlights and seconds later pulled out of a space. The woman waited until the car had passed her, then walked swiftly to Thatcher's car, opened the door, and slipped into the passenger seat. “She must have been waiting until the coast was clear so no one could see her.”

  “Looks like it. I wish he'd put his arms around her, kiss her, or something.”

  “I doubt he'd do it in public. That's why she was careful not to be seen getting into his car. Did you see how she was dressed? And she looks young enough to be his daughter. How disgusting,” Johanna said.

  “Remember, we still don't know if there's anything going on between them. It could be innocent. She could be a relative or the daughter of a friend of Thatcher's.”

  “If that's true, why would he be giving her a lift? Then, too, if Thatcher and she have something going on, doesn't it seem odd for them to meet in the open instead of being discreet? Something's not right about this.”

  “I agree,” Frankie replied. “Maybe there's nothing sexual between them, but it does seem strange that he'd drive way out here to see her if she's a relative or the daughter of an acquaintance of his. We'll have to wait and see. He's pulling out. Here we go.”

  They followed Thatcher for the next fifteen minutes as he made his way back through the business center of Charlestown. He finally slowed and then parked his car, but kept the engine running. Frankie pulled into a spot a few cars behind.

  “Now what's he up to?” Frankie wondered out loud.

  “It looks like the blonde is getting out of the car.” Johanna squinted. “Maybe he really was just giving her a lift. So far he's done nothing we can use against him.”

  “I don't know,” Frankie replied, not convinced. “She couldn't call a taxi? Why call Thatcher? That's quite a drive and certainly out of his way. No, they have some kind of connection.”

  “Good point.”

  They watched as the woman closed the car door, crossed the street, and walked to the entrance of the Bronson Hotel.

  “I'll be damned. Now this is the perfect cover. No one would ever suspect him of any wrong doing by coming here.” Frankie shook her head in disbelief.

  Johanna's eyes narrowed. “Why do you assume that? I don't buy it. It makes absolutely no sense. Why would he have an affair in a public hotel? Especially the hotel his wife owns. It would make more sense for him to go to the woman's home instead, or to a discreet motel somewhere.”

  “Point taken. Unless she's involved with someone or has a roommate and can't bring him there.” Frankie bit her bottom lip and then snapped her fingers. “I've got it! Maybe she lives here.”

  Johanna's brow puckered. “Why would she live in the Bronson Hotel? She'd only be able to afford to live here if she had the means to pay for it.”

  “She doesn't have to pay for anything since Thatcher has control of the hotel. Or she could have gone inside to rent a room where Thatcher will join her later. Maybe he gave her the money to pay for it.”

  “Why rent a room?” Johanna asked. “Now that makes no sense at all.”

  “To throw off suspicion. Later he can come in and sneak up to her room. Who would know? It's the perfect foil. No one would suspect him of having an affair with someone right under their noses. It happens all the time, Johanna.”

  “One problem with this scenario, though,” Johanna said. “He's not getting out of the car. In fact, it looks like he's leaving. I guess we're both wrong.”

  Frankie grunted as she started the car. “Where the hell is he going now?” She trailed him as he drove slowly down the street, and then made an abrupt right at the light.

  “He's going around the block!” Johanna exclaimed. “I'll bet he's picking her up at the back of the hotel.”

  “Or maybe he's going to park in the guest parking,” Frankie added. “And then go into the hotel through the back entrance.”

  Thatcher made a sharp right and turned onto a one way street, which led to the parking area behind the back of the hotel. He braked and sat idl
ing without moving to a parking spot.

  “Yep, that's exactly what it looks like he's doing,” Frankie said as she drove a short distance past the street then pulled over. “Let's get out and peek around the corner. It's dark enough. He won't see us.”

  They quietly got out of the car then walked to the edge of the drive behind the hotel and peered around the corner of a large building on the opposite side of the hotel. The blonde exited through the back entrance with a blanketed bundle she held tightly in her arms. Thatcher immediately got out of his car and rushed over to her.

  “What the hell?” Johanna's jaw dropped. “It's a baby.” She adjusted her camera.

  They continued to watch as Thatcher gently took the baby and spent a few minutes cuddling it before handing the child back to the blonde. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

  “Can you hear anything of what they're saying?” Frankie whispered.

  “No. Damn, I wish I could.”

  The woman took the envelope. Thatcher bent and pulled back the blanket and kissed the baby's cheek.

  “I wish he would kiss the blonde,” Frankie said.

  “Well, I got some good pictures. Not that they prove anything against him.”

  Frankie shrugged. “You never know.”

  Thatcher stepped back into his car. The woman waved and then walked to the door and stood watching as he drove away. She held the blanketed bundle close to her chest.

  “We'd better see what he's up to,” Frankie said as they rushed back to the car and jumped inside. She quickly stepped on the gas and made a sharp turn down the next street. “Thank God this is a one way street,” she said relieved as she made another left.

  “I think that's him up there,” Johanna said. “I recognize his brake lights.”

  They continued to tail Thatcher as he drove to the outskirts of Charlestown and to the Bronson Estates.

  “I guess he's going straight home. So far, he's sticking pretty close to the schedule Kendall gave us except that he's returning home earlier than usual.” Johanna was thoughtful for a few seconds. “But of course Kendall has no clue if he sneaks out at night. For all we know he could sneak back to the hotel, spend a few hours, and return home. Kendall would be none the wiser.”