Chapter 9
Borne Within the Heart
Pasadena - Three Weeks Later
Wondering what his friend had up his sleeve, Frank rushed headlong into Starbuck’s. Brandt had certainly sounded animated on the phone, prompting Frank to hurry over as quickly as possible.
Holding out his hand to Brandt, Frank inquired breathlessly, “Hey, what’s up?”
Shaking Frank’s hand, Brandt responded, “Hi, how’s the jet lag?”
“Funniest thing, I didn’t have it when we got home,” Frank replied.
“Right. The only time you don’t get jet lag when you get back home is when you turn right around and come back within a couple of days,” Brandt replied, and without so much as another word, he carefully lowered his clinched fist ceremoniously onto the table and opened it wide, saying, “What do you think of this, Frank!” Within his hand he held a large barrette.
Frank stared at it blankly for a few moments, realization dawning on him, then replied with what could only be described as pure joy, “Why am I not surprised? I assume that this is the genuine article, right?”
“Yep, it’s the real thing, Frank. It arrived yesterday by snail mail at my apartment. I would have called you sooner, but I didn’t get home from work until late last night, and I didn’t check my mail until this morning.” The two of them stared in awe at the object before them, Brandt observing, “So she’s definitely alive. Patience has escaped yet again.”
“It does seem so,” Frank replied with a smile, and he could tell that Brandt was every bit as overjoyed as he himself felt.
“Even better, your case is back in good shape, Frank,” Brandt exclaimed manically.
“What makes you think that?” Frank asked in confusion.
“Frank! She sent me the barrette! Don’t you remember what that means?”
“Refresh my memory,” Frank replied with an exhausted look.
“I asked her to send me the barrette if she ever needed me.” At this, Frank perked up, scrutinizing the barrette with newfound interest.
“So, she’s finally figured out she needs you. Kudos, Brandt. You’re the man! But I still don’t get it. You can have no idea where she is just from this.”
“On the contrary, Frank, I know exactly where she is!” Brandt crowed proudly.
“Why? What makes you say that, Brandt?”
“Because by sending it to me, she implied that she needs me, but she gave no clue in the package, or at least I thought at first that she didn’t. That means that she trusts me, and only me. She couldn’t risk including a note of any kind for fear that it might fall into the wrong hands.”
“Okay, so where is she, Brandt.”
Chuckling at this, Brandt responded, “I’m not going to tell you, Frank.”
Rolling his eyes and gazing skyward, Frank murmured, “Aw, for God’s sake, we’re not going through that again are we, Brandt?”
An enormous grin spreading across his face, Brandt posited triumphantly, “Nope, not this time. This time we’re going to go get her, Frank!”
“What, you and me?” Frank responded doubtfully.
“Yep, just you and me, Frank, ol’ buddy. Call up the Federal prosecutor’s office and get that jet ready because, after searching for fourteen years, you and I are finally going to go get Patience.”
Still uncertain, Frank queried, “Where are we going, Brandt?”
“Europe, that is all I shall say at the moment,” Brandt responded enigmatically.
“Listen, you are probably my best friend in the world, Brandt, but this manic behavior is trying my patience. Could you come down to earth and talk some sense?”
Brandt simply grinned, replying, “Just meet me at the airport, Frank.”
“Okay, sounds good to me,” Frank responded. “When do you want to leave?”
“The sooner the better,” Brandt replied euphorically. “How about in three hours, same place as last time?”
“Okay, see you there,” Frank replied and, rising to leave, he suddenly halted, turned and exclaimed, “I know I’ve said this before, my friend, but I can’t help saying once again – You are way gone, guy!”
Three Hours Later
Brandt arrived at the airport counter and, on seeing him, Frank blurted equably, “Brandt, you SOB, I got approval to go on this wild goose chase, so you’d better know what you’re doing.”
Glancing at him with a feigned expression of hurt, Brandt replied, “Since when did I steer you wrong, Frank? Trust me, you’re going to finally meet the elusive Patience, and within the next twenty-four hours!”
Frank eyed him doubtfully, replying, “Soooo, where are we going, Brandt? Come clean now, I have to tell the pilot so he can file a flight plan.”
“Okay, but promise not to call your office after I tell you, agreed?”
“Yes, yes, I agree. Where to?”
“We’re going to Scotland, to Edinburgh Airport.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Surely she’s not in Scotland, the land of the leprechauns.”
“That’s Ireland,” Brandt replied matter-of-factly.
“What’s Ireland?” Frank asked, “I thought we were going to Scotland.”
Brandt eyed him a moment but, thinking better of belaboring the point, he said, “Never mind, just get the pilot to file a flight plan to Edinburgh, Scotland. Okay?”
“Right,” Frank responded, and so saying, he wandered off to complete his assigned task. Returning shortly thereafter, he had decided by this time that he wanted to know more, thereby prompting him to ask, “So what makes you think she’s in Scotland, Brandt?”
Pulling an object from his pocket, Brandt responded, “This.”
“Right, it’s the prodigal barrette,” Frank replied, nonplussed. Examining it for a few moments, he then said with a blank look, “I don’t get it. How does this tell you she’s in Scotland, Brandt?”
“Look very carefully, Frank,” Brandt replied, “What do you see?”
Frank studied it again, then replied, “I see a barrette.”
“Anything else? Look again, Frank.”
Frank stared at it, uttering, “It’s just a barrette, with a small chain attached to it. I see nothing else.”
“Right, you’ve got it, Frank! That’s it!” Brandt exclaimed.
“What’s it?” Frank queried. “I still don’t get it.”
“The chain, Frank. Look at the chain!”
Frank studied the chain and, scratching one wrist, he mumbled vacantly, “Looks like any other chain, probably sterling silver if my guess is correct.”
“Bingo!” Brandt replied with a huge grin, “Stirling!”
“Aw, heck,” Brandt, “Could you just cut to the chase? What the hell is the significance of sterling?”
“It’s not sterling, Frank. It’s Stirling, with two i’s. Stirling is a city in Scotland. She’s gone to Stirling, Frank.”
“That’s ridiculous, Brandt. Are you telling me you think she’s in Stirling, Scotland because of a silver chain hanging from the barrette?”
“Right,” Brandt replied triumphantly.
At this, Frank turned around and, striding away, he announced over his shoulder, “This is ridiculous! I’ve got to go stop the pilot from filing that flight plan.”
“I knew you’d say that, Frank. Why do you think I refused to tell you before now? But hear me out. Here’s the thing. First of all, I’ve seen the barrette before. There was no chain of any sort on it. Secondly, there was nothing else whatsoever in the package that I received, so the chain is definitely the clue. Thirdly, I told Patience that my closest living relative lives in Stirling.”
Staring at him doubtfully, Frank inquired, “Do you really have a relative living in Stirling?”
“Yes, Frank. My closest living relative, Aunt Winnie, lives in Stirling!”
Glaring inquisitively at him a few moments longer, Frankly finally blurted, “Alright, Brandt. It’s thin, but it’
s the only lead we’ve got. I must be out of my mind, but I’m beginning to believe that you may just be right. Let’s go. With luck we can be there in fourteen hours.”
Stirling, Scotland – The Same Day
Aunt Winnie was sitting quietly within her parlor when Patience came down for afternoon tea. Patience had grown quite attached to Aunt Winnie in the three weeks that she had been with her. Aunt Winnie had queried her as to the events that led up to her arrival at her doorstep in Stirling, Patience having been quite forthright in her description of the deplorable events that had resulted in her demise and current state of concealment. It seemed that it was quite impossible to practice evasiveness with any success when one was in the presence of Aunt Winnie.
“Patience, my dear,” Aunt Winnie commenced, “I think that I should perhaps tell you a story. Please, sit down.” Patience complied politely, aware that something important must be coming, as Aunt Winnie had thus far refrained from exposition during her visit. “I am going to tell you the story of a young woman who went off to college in the hope that she might be liberated from her mother’s somewhat antiquated, perhaps even Victorian views. The young lady was named Rebecca. She went to a lovely university in the United States of America. Things went along fairly well for a while, until she met a fellow at the beginning of her sophomore year who turned out to be a despicable man indeed. I shall not dwell on the details too much. In fact I think that I shall just jump to the deplorable part straightaway. It seems that the young lady became somehow intertwined with this man in such a way that he induced her to perform in a rather questionable dance contest at a fraternity house, against her better instincts, I might add. She somehow won the contest. Then, to make matters worse, the man induced her to perform her act a second time, and this time she was involved in a heinous crime that forced her to go into hiding for several years.”
“Oh, that’s terrible!” Patience replied with evident concern.
“Yes, I’m afraid it was, my dear. But now we fast forward several years, and the young lady has moved on. All thoughts of this despicable man had now slipped from her mind, or so she thought they had, until he came back into her life once again. This young lady despised this man for good reason, but it developed that he had changed in the intervening years. In fact, he had changed so much so that the young lady discovered by exercising compassion that the man was now worthy of her affections. She subsequently married the man, and he gave her the affectionate nickname “Winnie”, because it had all started when she had won the dance contest so many years before.”
At this Patience peered thoughtfully at Aunt Winnie and, realization sweeping over her, she exclaimed, “My goodness, Aunt Winnie, you were once forced to go into hiding?”
“Yes, my dear, I was, and for quite a lengthy period of time, I might add. I am telling you this story so that you will understand - I have been in your place. And I must therefore caution you to exercise compassion, sometimes even to those that you perceive deserve it the least. And most importantly, my dear, temper your compassion with patience. Patience is the parent of compassion, and compassion is borne within the heart.”
“I understand your statement,” Patience replied, “But I’m not sure exactly what you are referring to, Aunt Winnie.”
“My dear, I am referring to my nephew, Brandt.”
Edinburgh Airport – The Following Day
Having slept soundly on the private jet, Brandt and Frank landed quite refreshed. Clearing passport control and customs, they grabbed a quick breakfast, thereafter renting a car. From there it was little more than a pleasant two hour drive to Stirling.
By midafternoon, they had arrived at a sumptuous home on the edge of the city. Brandt rang the doorbell, calling out presumptuously, “Aunt Winnie, it’s me, Brandt, your long lost nephew. I’ve come for a visit!”
The door opening shortly, an elegant looking woman peered at the pair of interlopers and exclaimed with little apparent surprise, “Why, Brandt MacCauley, it’s been quite too long. How on earth are you, my boy?”
Wading into her arms, Brandt replied, “I’m doing just fine, Aunt Winnie, just fine. And how have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Brandtie. I had a feeling you might be coming to visit.”
“Oh,” Brandt replied. “Why is that?”
“You know, Brandt – that woman! You sent her here, so you should know!”
“Is she here? Is Margaret here, Aunt Winnie?”
“Margaret? Who on earth is Margaret? I only know Patience,” she replied in obvious confusion.
“Patience! Right, Patience,” Brandt responded with an enormous grin.
“So which one is it, Margaret, or Patience, my boy? You don’t seem to be too picky.”
“Patience, definitely Patience,” he replied. “Where is she?”
“Oh, she’s not here, Brandtie boy.”
At this, Brandt paled and, turning to Frank, the pair exchanged a look of total deflation. “Oh, no! We’ve missed her again! Do you by any chance know where she has gone to, Aunt Winnie?”
“Oh, she’s up the hill at the castle. I made her get out and do some sightseeing. She’s been cooped up indoors here for three weeks, so I made her go for a walk. I told her it would do her good.”
Brandt embraced his aunt and mentor yet again, exclaiming breathlessly, “Wonderful! Listen, this is my friend Frank, from America. We’re going to go find Patience, and we shall be right back with her in just a few minutes.”
“Ha!” she replied enigmatically, “There’s more here than meets the eye, if you ask your old Auntie, eh, Brandtie boy!”
Brandt, smiling sheepishly, responded, “We shall see about that, Aunt Winnie. Be right back.” And off went Brandt and Frank in search of Patience, a mission that had been underway for too many years to count.
They huffed their way up the hill, finally passing the King’s Arms Pub, and thenceforth the parking lot. Arriving at the gate to the castle, Brandt bought two tickets for entry within. It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather for a visit to the castle and, as Frank had never seen anything like it, he was a bit overwhelmed by it all.
“I’d love to give you the tour,” Brandt called over his shoulder as he rushed ahead in anticipation, “But at the moment we are on an even grander mission. So please - follow me, Frank.”
Brandt raced headlong up the hill into the northern courtyard of the castle. There, standing at the north rampart gazing down into the valley, exactly where he had pictured her in his mind, was Patience. He hurried stealthily in her direction, hoping desperately to discern an unguarded moment of delight in her eyes when he surprised her with his presence, but it was not to be.
Upon his arrival at her side, without so much as turning to speak, she announced, “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting and waiting.”
Obviously deflated by her lack of surprise, he responded breathlessly, “I’m so sorry, Patience, the package only arrived two days ago. I came as fast as I possibly could.” He paused, incapable of doing more than simply staring at her standing there glaring sidelong at him, but then, realizing how foolish he must appear to her, he blurted anticlimactically, “Patience, are you okay?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied, turning now to face him squarely. Crossing her arms imperiously, she announced, “So you had no trouble figuring out where I was, I presume.”
“No, not at all, once the package arrived. That was easy, but the plane ticket to Sydney, that had me perplexed. That was a really smart move on your part. I’ll bet Al-Wadi’s goons are pouring over the whole of Australia as we speak.”
“Let’s hope so, let’s certainly hope so,” she replied matter-of-factly.
At that moment, Frank trudging up breathlessly, Brandt took the occasion to introduce him to her. Shaking his hand, she said pleasantly, “I’ve heard about you from Brandt, Mr. Hollister. Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he responded, clearly impre
ssed to the point of near speechlessness at finally meeting her after so many years.
“So,” Brandt continued, “How did you pull off the plane ticket to Australia, Patience?”
“What do you mean, pull off?” she responded condescendingly.
“Where did you find a look-alike to go in your place?” he queried.
“I didn’t. I went myself,” she responded.
“What!” Frank blurted, “How did you do that?”
“Easy,” she replied, “I just got on the plane and went. When I arrived in Australia, I immediately flew back. I figured nobody would think to check return flights on the same day.”
“Damn!” was the only reply Frank could conjure up to such simple brilliance.
“I told you, Frank – sharper than a bullwhip. Al-Wadi’s network may never catch up with that one. I checked myself, but even I didn’t think to check return flights on the same day.”
Patience’s singular reply was a wordless smile of superiority.
“So how did you get to Stirling?” Brandt queried.
“I simply avoided all forms of transportation that required disclosure of personal information,” she responded.
“Such as,” Frank queried.
“I took local trains in Italy. You can get your ticket with cash. Same thing across France – local trains. I went to Cherbourg. From there I took a ferry to Portsmouth. It took three days to get that far from Milan. Once I arrived in England, it was a simple matter to go by train to Stirling. I never had to use my name, and I only had to show my passport a couple of times. Each time they were only doing visuals, so I used one of my fake passports just to make sure that my name was not recorded. I’m confident that nobody except the two of you and your Aunt Winnie know where I am at the moment.”
At this point Frank interjected surreptitiously, “Patience, the time has come, as I’m sure you know…”
“Yes, I know, Frank. That’s why I sent the barrette to Brandt. May I please have it back now, Brandt?”
At this Brandt pulled it from his pocket and, examining it momentarily, he surrendered it to her. She then continued with, “What’s the plan?”
“We really shouldn’t dally around here at all, Patience,” Frank replied.
Glancing back over the valley below, she answered, “I understand. It’s been a bit boring here in Stirling, but actually, I think I’ll kind of miss it. I will miss Aunt Winnie especially. She’s a treat!”
Gazing at the surrounding scenery, Frank replied, “I can understand that.”
Thinking of Aunt Winnie rather than the scenery, Brandt responded, “So can I.”
“So when do we have to leave?” she asked.
“As soon as you’re ready, Patience.”
“Is Brandt coming into the witness program, too?” she asked.
“Not right now,” Frank responded. “We’ll add him if it becomes necessary, depending on how soon we can get Al-Wadi to trial.”
“So Brandt won’t be around? You mean - I’ll be all alone?” she queried with a look of dismay.
“I’m afraid so,” Frank responded.
“For how long?” she queried miserably.
“Oh, God, Patience. That’s anyone’s guess,” Frank replied empathetically. “Could be up to a year, but it will surely be nothing as compared to what you’ve already suffered through.”
At this Patience winced, but said nothing in reply to Frank. She then turned to Brandt and said, “Thanks Brandt. It seems that once again I owe you.”
“I can’t take credit, Patience. Had I checked my facial recognition software like I should have over the weekend, they never would have found you. That reminds me, what exactly happened in Castiglion? Obviously, they found you, or you wouldn’t have fled.”
“Oh, nothing much happened, Brandt,” she replied nonchalantly. “Paulo Ribusti told me that two guys came snooping around at church on Sunday. So I laid a trap for them.”
“A trap? What sort of trap?” Frank queried doubtfully.
“Oh, I just led them up the street at night, as if I didn’t know that they were following me, and I ducked into an alley. When they walked by I tasered both of them and gave them a shot of pepper spray for good measure.”
“Damn, girl!” Frank expostulated in profound admiration. “God forbid that I should ever tangle with you! I’ll bet Al-Wadi was none too happy with those two when they got home!”
At this, Brandt chimed in, “If I were either of them, I don’t think I would have gone home!” At this, all three of them laughed convivially, causing the nearby tourists to wonder what they’d been drinking in the King’s Arms. The three of them remained for a few moments longer, gazing silently towards the Battle of Stirling Monument down in the valley, all three aware that this was one of those moments that come along only rarely in a lifetime.
They stayed for dinner with Aunt Winnie, who was apprised of the situation in sufficient detail to satisfy her insatiable curiosity. When the time came to depart, Brandt gave her a loving embrace and, promising to return as soon as time permitted, he hoped against hope that he actually would do so sooner rather than later.
For her part, Aunt Winnie returned his embrace, responding astutely, “Now look here, Brandtie boy, you never could put one over on me. I see how it is between the two of you. So you must promise me, the next time that you come to visit, you must bring that lovely drop of sunshine with you, my dear.”
Brandt, commencing to deny her accusation, was cut off by her rejoinder, “Ah- Ah-, no excuses, my boy. Just do as I say, as you always have before.”
The plane flew out that night. After fourteen years in hiding, Patience was now under the protection of the FBI.
Finding Patience Page 11