by Lisa Prysock
Outside, Reginald turned and ran to the right, following the sidewalk to a parked, armored Lexus where his driver stood with the doors open. Brad and Trisha hurried to catch up, reaching the idling car as Mr. Higgins took his seat and then engaged his seatbelt. When they were all inside the car, the driver closed the doors. He jumped in behind the steering wheel, and stepping on the gas, took the next few corners with squealing tires while Brad and Trisha hurried to click their seatbelts in place from the backseat.
When they finally reached the Knightsbridge area, they promptly got stuck in traffic behind a double decker bus stopped a few blocks away from Brompton Square. While waiting for a chance to pull the Lexus into another lane, a call came in from Miss Broughton which Reginald answered on the car’s phone speaker. At the same time, several screens activated on the dashboard. They could see Miss Broughton at her desk with headphones on, speaking into the camera, flipping her red hair over one shoulder. They could also see the position of each car on the street where they were driving, including the bus ahead of them, and the buildings to their right and left.
Miss Broughton began speaking. “They left Topshop, bought something at Zara in Knightsbridge, and we’ve now got a visual on the assailants, Mr. Higgins. Mr. Frederick used his oyster card moments ago and has just boarded a double-decker bus, #74, with Miss Jenson. I believe you are parked right behind it.” They heard Miss Broughton pop another bubble with her chewing gum, which sounded extraordinarily loudly over the speaker, forcing them to cover their ears.
“Thanks, Miss Broughton,” Reginald said in a sarcastic, dry tone. “And kindly please refrain from popping bubbles when you’re on speaker.”
“Sorry, boss. And you’re welcome.” The call disconnected.
“Would you like me to employ Operation Paddington or Westminster, Sir?” the driver asked.
“Operation Paddington,” Reginald answered.
Reginald turned to look over his shoulder before opening the car door as the driver pulled into the next lane and stopped, just ahead of and beside the bus, effectively blocking the bus from being able to pull out into traffic. “Bradley, Patricia, we’re going to board the bus with the assailants. Remember, do what I do. Our first concern is always the safety of Her Majesty’s subjects. We don’t like to create public panic, so I won’t usually arrest someone when there are too many innocent lives in a contained place, but don’t let them out of your sight. Try not to let them see you until they exit, or for as long as possible, at which time will most likely begin a mad chase until we apprehend and overtake them. Remember to consider them armed and dangerous. Understand?”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” Brad said as he clasped Trisha’s hand. He opened the rear door and turned to help her as she slid out of the backseat. Then they followed behind Reginald, running to board the bus and keep up with the agent.
Reginald flashed his badge for the driver who nodded, his eyes wide with concern as the three of them boarded #74. They followed the British agent to seats by the second set of doors. Once they were seated, Trisha and Brad looked around for any sign of Rose Marie and Jason. They didn’t see them anywhere.
“Do you see them?” Reginald inquired with a low voice.
“No,” Brad answered.
Reginald pointed to the upper level. Brad nodded, and as the bus took off with a bit of a lurch, they found themselves struggling to hold onto the railing as they climbed to the upper level. Finding two rows of vacant seats in the rear, they sat down, Trisha breathing a sigh of relief.
Looking around, they spotted Rose Marie and Jason in the third row from the front. Rose wore an olive green sweater with a black skirt and black heels, her hair pulled into a chignon. Jason wore a navy and white windbreaker with a pair of jeans and tennis shoes. Bradley pointed them out to Reginald, who nodded silently. Obviously, he didn’t want to attempt to arrest them with so many innocent bystanders riding the bus.
They rode for the next few minutes in silence, keeping an eye on Brad’s cousin and Jason Frederick from their seat behind them without attracting attention. When the bus stopped for Cromwell Road, Reginald waited to see if the assailants would exit. Rose Marie stood up along with her boyfriend and they took the steps down to the first level, so the three of them followed. All five of them exited the bus, along with a number of other people.
Once they were outside on the busy sidewalk not far from Kensington Palace, Reginald led Brad and Trisha over to study the bus stop’s large sign with the map of London. However, the agent kept his eyes on Rose Marie and her boyfriend as they began to cross the street while holding hands. The assailants were heading down a road leading toward the Victoria and Albert Museum, but it was impossible to know if that was their destination with so many other attractions in the area.
Reginald led them to follow at a safe distance. The couple seemed to speed up as they neared the museum, hurrying because they wanted to get ahead of a large group of students entering at the same time. They followed the students inside after Mr. Higgins flashed his badge for security. Security looked a little concerned, but the guards granted entrance immediately.
Because of the large group of students following Rose Marie and Jason, they weren’t able to proceed with an arrest. They followed the couple from behind the group of students past a display of sports cars. Then they meandered through an upper level containing all kinds of portraits, brass and metal exhibits, and jewelry exhibits. Thirty minutes later, after looking at numerous paintings and artistic items, Rose and her boyfriend headed downstairs and exited the building. By this time, the boyfriend and Rose had shifted her three small shopping bags numerous times between each other.
They followed, but Miss Jenson and her boyfriend were growing suspicious of them as they reached the top of the hill at the end of the sidewalk. They crossed the street running, all five of them. Rose pointed to some electric scooters on the sidewalk up ahead, and she and her boyfriend used their cell phones to activate two of them. It took Rose Marie an extra few seconds to loop her shopping bags onto the scooter handles, but the couple took off on them, increasing their speed as they headed toward an entrance to Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens.
Reginald, in tip-top shape, reached the scooters next. He activated three of them before Brad and Trisha caught up. “Jump on!” He grinned, doing his best to stand on one and hold the two other scooters steady.
“Here we go!” Brad hopped on a scooter laughing, bringing up the rear as Trisha took off on the other, holding onto her black hat with the pink trim and her blond wig. Reginald soon passed them and began gaining on the assailants.
However, as they sped down the busy sidewalk along the road with heavy traffic heading toward Kensington Palace, they all noticed Jason and Rose Marie glancing over their shoulders at them with growing alarm. They steered the scooters into Kensington Gardens as Jason reached inside his coat after the turn, producing a gun which he aimed back at them.
“Duck or stay right directly behind me!” Reginald hollered as he reached in his sport coat, pulling out what appeared to be a portable umbrella. It had stopped raining at breakfast, but at the press of a button, the umbrella opened as Jason fired his gun at them three times. The bullets appeared to bounce off the umbrella, baffling Trisha and Brad. They were expecting holes to appear and for Reginald to be shot.
“It’s bulletproof!” Reginald called back. Trisha steered her scooter directly behind Reginald, and Bradley did the same. They were riding along at the highest speed, and at times wobbling, but so far, keeping up. They’d manage to dodge all three bullets, but Trisha had screamed when she heard the shots fired and saw the gun. Her hat flew off the wig at that point, but Bradley scooped it up and caught up with her, returning it to her head.
Reaching the area near the entry for the general public to tour the palace, Rose Marie and her boyfriend turned their scooters around as a group of security guards—with guns poised to shoot—who’d heard the shots being fired, began spreading out toward th
em. Now Rose and Jason were heading away from the palace toward Hyde Park.
Reginald held up his badge and yelled something only distinguishable to the security guards as they passed by them while turning their scooters to follow the assailants. Whatever Reginald had said caused the guards to head back toward the palace, but Brad and Trisha guessed they were heading for their vehicles to join the chase. The guards appeared to be running at a very intense pace.
They passed numerous joggers and other people taking walks in the park as they sped along on those scooters. Rose and Jason turned, heading toward the Peter Pan statue. Jason ditched his gun in that area of the park. Trisha hoped he was out of bullets. An innocent bystander screamed when she saw it. Then they turned again, heading toward Wellington’s Arch. Some distance after the Peter Pan statue, the scooters for Rose Marie and her boyfriend ran out of battery, causing them to ditch them and continue running on foot. However, Reginald, Brad, and Trisha were gaining on them since their scooters kept going a good deal longer. When they were closer to the assailants, Reginald jumped off his scooter. Brad and Trisha did the same, catching up and pausing for a breath.
Mr. Higgins patted his pockets and then reached inside the pocket of his sport coat, producing what appeared to be a small bottle of cologne. Shaking his head, he sighed. “Not this, that’s for nuclear distraction explosions.” He returned it to his pocket and appeared to be searching all of his pockets for something else.
He quickly reached down to the heel on the sole of his shoe and slid something out appearing much like a Swiss Army knife. He held his hand straight out, and aimed it at the assailants. When he pressed a button, a long length of netting looking very much like a large spider’s web shot through the air and fell onto Rose Marie and Jason Frederick. This tangled them up instantly, causing them to fall down. There, they rolled around and wriggled on the ground until they realized they weren’t able to escape.
“We should have shot that net at them somewhere back there, Reginald,” Trisha remarked, still trying to catch her breath.
“Yes, probably so, but I keep forgetting it’s in my shoe, and I do so enjoy the chase. It’s a silly mad game to me,” Reginald replied, causing her to chuckle and shake her head.
Nonetheless, they’d finally caught them. As they bantered, Reginald pulled out his gun as they approached the squirming bandits. He handed it to Bradley. “Would you mind the honor of keeping this aimed at them for a moment, Fieldings?”
“I don’t mind at all,” Brad replied as he threw the mustache disguise on the ground. It’d been threatening to fall off on the chase, and Trisha could see he was finished with it.
“Fieldings?” Rose Marie spat out as Higgins untangled them. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have enough work to do with Grandmother’s house? You had to follow me here? You couldn’t just leave well enough alone!”
“Is that your famous cousin pointing a gun at us? Which credit card did you use today, Rose?” Jason yelled at her.
Rose’s mouth dropped open. Then she sputtered, “Oh, I think I forgot. I think I’ve been using my other one all day...” She appeared to struggle to remember what she’d done as she realized the repercussions had cost them dearly.
“That’s just great!I told you to cut that card up. Now look what you’ve gone and done! I told you we should have left for Italy!” Jason chided as Higgins handcuffed them and forced them to their knees on the ground. Reginald began reciting their rights as four black SUV vehicles dispatched from Kensington Palace surrounded them. Trisha watched from beside Bradley as guards jumped out of the vehicles with guns aimed at Rose Marie and Jason. Those two weren’t about to go anywhere except a jail cell. Shortly after, the Lexus driver appeared for Mr. Higgins. Life could finally return to normal and Reginald could begin proceedings to have them extradited for grand theft.
Chapter 17
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12
TWO WEEKS LATER
Trisha sat beside Brad in the swing on Jake’s front porch, admiring the pearl bracelet Brad had given her beneath the magnolia tree at the Edgewater Coventry B & B when they’d returned from their trip to Europe. Then she admired the engagement ring on her hand. Her whole world felt right again and she couldn’t have been more elated.
They’d been able to deliver the real necklaces to the museum for the upcoming display about her fiancé’s grandparents. After Agent Higgins had taken Rose Marie and Jason into custody, they’d spent a romantic week exploring London. Then they’d done something spontaneous and boarded the Eurostar train to Paris. Bradley proposed to her on their second evening in France at the foot of the Eiffel Tower after a dinner and dancing cruise on the Seine River. She would cherish the memories of their time together in Europe forever and ever.
Now, they sat with Jake’s family and Reginald Higgins enjoying sweet tea and peach pie on the Pelgram front porch.
“The only thing I can’t seem to figure out is if Rose Marie had anything to do with the faulty surveillance at the bank when she took the necklaces.” Jake shifted in his rocking chair and gazed out at his spacious front lawn, admiring the landscape.
“I rather suspect Jason Frederick may have been at the heart of that part of the heist, but in any case, I am glad we have enough evidence that you won’t have trouble getting a conviction. Grand theft and attempted homicide when they were fleeing...they’ll be safe and sound behind bars for a long time to come.” Higgins continued to rock in his chair as he ate his peach pie, a look of pure contentment on his face.
“I’m sure it’s difficult for you, Brad, but I believe it is the right thing to do,” Jake remarked.
“I was never very close to Rose Marie, but I believe her boyfriend was dragging her down a road she was already traveling. Sadly, I think she had deep bitterness over the way her life was going prior to having a boyfriend and my grandmother’s wishes for her estate. I think it was all stemming from a warped perception of herself and a few hard knocks in life. I believe it resulted in her desire to take what was not hers to take. I’m just hoping she’ll get turned around and not be susceptible to this kind of thinking in the future. Grandmother loved her very much, as we all do, but she’s going to need some rehabilitation.”
“I feel the worst for her mom, Brad’s Aunt Tamara. She’s been taking it all pretty hard,” Trisha said with a sigh. “It was nice to meet some of his Halston relations when we were in England, though.”
Jake nodded in response to their comments. “That is one good thing. Heritage is important, and your perspective about your cousin provides good insight to what happened, Fielding. I’m sure you’re glad it’s over for all intents and purposes. It will take a few months before the hearings begin, but since your deposition is behind us, you two won’t have to appear in court much.”
“Maybe we’ll be on our extended honeymoon before Eternity’s next world tour. Presently, I’m just happy to be here with my fiancée on this swing with our friends, indulging in pie made with some of Georgia’s finest peaches.” Brad smiled at Trisha as he held his dessert plate with a generous slice of the homemade peach pie baked by Jake’s wife. He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, reassuring her of his love. She’d be accompanying the band on their tours whenever possible. Consequently, Miss Pepper would soon begin interviewing for a new administrative assistant, happy for Trisha, but somewhat aggravated she kept losing them.
Mrs. Pelgram turned the conversation toward the young couple’s wedding plans, and they happily answered her questions, glad to put the logistics of his cousin’s actions behind them. When she asked how many children they wanted, Trisha was particularly glad they’d had this discussion previously and were able to answer in unison, “Five!”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Jake’s wife smiled at her three children who were blowing bubbles from large bottles of bubbles
containing unusually large bubble wands. “I’m sure you two are going to be very happy together.”
Trisha could not have agreed with her more. She spent most of her days since coming home from Europe dreaming about their future nuptials or how to decorate the house Brad was back to working hard at renovating.
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“You look absolutely stunning, Patricia,” Miss Pepper said as the bride climbed inside her Rolls Royce parked in the courtyard shaped port-cochère connected to the bed and breakfast. Theo would drive Trisha to the Hillcrest Baptist Church just a few blocks away on the corner of Milton Gap and Dixie Crossing. She wiped a tear from her eye. “Your dress is so lovely, and I see your mother gave you the most beautiful pearl drop earrings to wear.”
“Thank you for the gift of letting me ride in your beautiful car on my wedding day,” Trisha said as Miss Pepper continued to tuck her wedding gown in properly so it wouldn’t wrinkle.
“You are most welcome. I want you to know Bradley told me the sweetest thing about you this morning when I asked him if he was nervous.” Miss Pepper paused before closing the door to the rear passenger seat.
“What’s that?” Trisha asked, wondering what Miss Pepper might say.
“He said he knew he was marrying the right woman for him, and his exact words I’ll never forget. He said you’re a woman shaped by the hand of God who is a priceless vessel, broken, tested, refined, purified, and strengthened by Him. He said God’s light shines through you more brightly than you realize. And then he said you had the most persevering heart he’s ever known. He’s waiting for you at that altar, overflowing with love for you. I know you two will be happy for the rest of your lives. Now here comes your mom and dad to follow us to the church, and I’ll follow in my Aston Martin. See you shortly. I’m going to make sure the bridesmaids spread out your train just perfectly before I sit down. Your mama asked me to do that for her because she’s worked on a thousand other things to help your day go perfectly.”
