“Yes, actually. I’m right down the street. I could meet you in ten minutes.” He’d stop in the men’s room to kill some time.
“There is an employee cafeteria on the mezzanine level, but you have to take the service elevator from the kitchen.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“How will I recognize you?” Colette asked.
Thompson stopped for a moment. He knew what she looked like, but she didn’t know what he looked like. And he wasn’t about to tell her, either.
Conversely, he didn’t know that she knew he was a fraud.
They each thought they had the upper hand.
He gathered himself. “I’m wearing a gray jacket with black pants. I’m bald, with black-framed glasses.”
“All right, Mr. Taylor. I will sit close to the elevator door.”
“See you soon.”
Colette called the front desk immediately. It was the same music she had heard in the background when she was on the phone with Taylor. Or whatever his name really was. She was taken aback that he was already in the building. Now she was really on her guard.
She stood and leaned over the barricade that separated her desk area from her coworker. “Dottie? Got a few minutes?”
“What do you need?” Dottie answered.
“I need for someone to come with me to the cafeteria.”
Dottie chuckled. “Can’t find your way?”
“No. Just come with me, and I’ll tell you. Like now!” She yanked her head in the direction of the elevator.
“OK. OK.” Dottie grabbed her purse and met up with Colette at the elevator. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know yet. But someone who claims to be with my previous employer’s law firm wants to talk to me.”
“What do you mean, claims?” Dottie asked.
“Someone sent a letter to my sister’s house, where I’m staying with my son. The letter said he was from the law firm and had some questions for me. But I left his card in my car, so I phoned the law office directly. When I asked for him, they told me there was no one by that name working there.” Colette was almost out of breath.
“Jeez. So?”
“So, he just called me. From a house phone. He wants to meet me in the cafeteria to ask me some questions.”
“Sounds a little nefarious, dontcha think?”
“Very.” Colette exited the elevator and walked to the nearest table that was empty. “Go sit at another table and just keep an eye on us without looking like you’re on a stakeout.” Growing up, Colette had watched a lot of crime dramas and used the jargon often.
“Roger that,” Dottie joked. “I’ll be right over there. With my camera.”
Colette gave her a look.
“Relax. I am a primo stealth photographer.” Dottie gave her a wink.
“Please. I’m nervous enough. I don’t want to know about any of your dark secrets. At least not right now.”
The elevator door opened, and the self-described bald, black-rimmed glasses man stepped out. He recognized Colette immediately, but he pretended to look around. Colette seemed to cringe when he approached her. Was it her imagination, or was she being paranoid?
“Colette?” the man asked.
“Yes. Hello,” she replied evenly.
“Did you have the opportunity to read my letter?”
“Yes, briefly. As I mentioned, we were terribly busy this morning. I glanced at it in my car but didn’t have time to read it carefully. And, unfortunately, I left it in the visor.” Her thought trailed off to and I called the office and you don’t exist. Even though she didn’t say it, the words were floating in her head.
Taylor, or whatever his real name was, shook her hand and sat down across from her at the small, square table.
Colette laced her fingers together and placed them on the table. She sat up tall. “What can I help you with, Mr. Taylor?”
“You were present when Mr. Randolph Millstone passed away, correct?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Did Mr. Millstone ask you to witness papers at some time before he died?”
Colette sat up even taller. “Yes, he did. About two, maybe three weeks earlier.”
“And what was on those papers? Did you read them?”
“No. I was only told to witness his signature. And that I be present when he signed it. That’s all he instructed me to do. There was no reason for me to read the document.”
“Do you know where that document was kept?”
“I do not. But I would think it would be in his safe. That was where he kept all the important documents.” Colette remained calm. But her mind flashed to the envelope. The envelope she had not been able to retrieve from the drawer in which she had hidden it. Then to the small spiral book under her passenger seat. She cocked her head. She had to pay attention and not give him too much information. She wanted to find out who this man really was and why he was asking her these questions.
“Apparently the document in question was not in his safe.”
“I really don’t know what to tell you, Mr. Taylor.” This time, she couldn’t help but emphasize “Taylor.” It occurred to her that he hadn’t asked about the notebook, and she was not about to offer any information about it either.
“Just so I can close this case, you affirm that you did, in fact, witness a signature of Mr. Randolph Millstone on a document, but you do not know the nature of said document?”
“That is correct.” Colette looked him straight in the eye. Something wasn’t right with any of this.
“Well, thank you for your time, Ms. Petrov. If you should think of anything, please call me. Have a good afternoon.” Taylor got up, extended his hand for a shake, turned, and waited for the elevator. To Colette, it seemed like an eternity. As soon as Taylor, or whatever his name was, disappeared into the elevator, she nodded at Dottie. The two women hurried to catch the next car. Colette wanted to follow him as far as she could without being noticed. She and Dottie entered the lobby and watched Taylor walk to the guest elevators. Colette thought he might be staying at the hotel. Colette told Dottie to watch the elevator light and see if she could tell on which floor he got off. Meanwhile, Colette walked over to the front desk. “Hi, Eddie. Do we have a Jacob Taylor registered here?”
Eddie scrolled through the database. “No. No Jacob Taylor.” Colette stood there, thinking for a moment, when Dottie dashed over. “The elevator stopped at the fourth floor, then continued up to eight.”
“Eddie, can you check who is registered on those two floors?”
Eddie ran down several names that didn’t sound familiar. Then Eddie came to a Jerry Thompson, who was with the Millstone Group. Colette gripped the counter. Why would that man lie to her? Something was terribly wrong. She needed to find Clive Dunbar.
“Dottie, can you cover for me?” Colette asked in haste, not waiting for an answer. She sped back to her cubicle and dialed Clive’s office number again. Again, the same cordial receptionist answered.
“Dunbar, Wilson and Chase. How may I direct your call?”
“Hi, it’s Colette again. You said Mr. Dunbar was out of town on business? Do you know where?”
“Let me put you through to his assistant.”
“Clive Dunbar’s office. How can I help you?” A familiar voice was on the other side.
“Hi, it’s Colette Petrov.” She could barely breathe.
“Colette. Nice to hear from you. What can I help you with?”
“I need to find Mr. Dunbar. It’s particularly important.” Colette slowed down.
“He went to Toronto on business and was going to meet up with his son at their cabin on Cranberry Lake in upstate New York.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Colette tried not to sound desperate.
“Not until the end of next week. Is there something I can help you with?”
“I don’t think so. But thank you. Please tell him I called. I have the same cell number.” Colette gave it to the assistan
t just in case. “Thanks very much.”
Colette grabbed her purse and made a beeline to the employee parking garage. She zoomed out and proceeded to Max’s school. The imposter knew where she lived and where she worked. Colette tried to keep her wits about her, not knowing what kind of danger they were in. She phoned the school to let them know she was picking him up. Family emergency was her reason.
Colette remained calm when she arrived at Max’s school. She explained that they were going on another adventure. “For how long?” Max was curious.
“Just a few days.” Colette hoped it would only be a few days before she tracked Clive Dunbar down. If memory served her, she had a rough idea as to where his cabin was located. She had certainly helped Randolph plan a few trips there, but she didn’t have Clive’s cell number. She thought about calling the office again and asking for it, but right now, she wasn’t sure whom to trust. That could have saved her a lot of trouble, but she had to move, and move fast. Think. Think. How many cabins could there be on Cranberry Lake? She would soon find out.
When they got back to Irina’s house, Colette helped Max pack a small bag with three days’ worth of clothing and a few games. She threw a few things together for herself and left her sister a note:
Had an emergency to deal with. Nothing terrible but had to leave town for a couple of days. Will call later. Love, C.
Confident she had not been followed, she packed up the car with a small cooler filled with water and juice boxes. On her way out of town, she stopped at a large bookstore and purchased a spiral-bound road atlas. She also let Max pick out a book. Since she wasn’t sure of the exact location of the cabin, once she got there she would need something that showed the area and the terrain. Sitting in the car, she opened the atlas and saw it would take the better part of five hours to get to Cranberry Lake. She would have to wing it the rest of the way.
* * *
Colette and Max had been on the road for almost four hours. It was getting late, and they were both hungry. Colette decided to stop for the night and get a fresh start in the morning. She pulled out her phone and searched for a decent motel. There were several national chains outside Watertown. From there, it would be another hour to Cranberry Lake. They would get up early, have breakfast, and get back on the road. It would be much better to navigate in daylight. Plus, she needed to rest and regroup. The last twenty-four hours had been alarming.
They pulled into the parking lot of a Courtyard by Marriott and dragged their bags into the lobby. Checking in was no problem, and there was a nice family restaurant several yards across the parking lot. Colette took it as a good sign.
Max was always excited when they would go out for a meal. It wasn’t that often, so it was a big treat when it happened. Colette was happy that Max was in good spirits. She had been concerned he wouldn’t do well with another shuffle. He had been quite fine with the move to Buffalo. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were a loving family and welcomed them with open arms. Colette thought Max was a well-adjusted boy with a positive temperament. He was happy and bright, with a kind, sweet disposition. Colette thanked her lucky stars for that. And today he was all in for an adventure. As long as she could remain calm and make it appear that this was totally normal, Max would respond to her mood. She prayed she had the strength and asked St. Jude, the saint of hopeless causes and miracles, to intervene. And anyone else who might be listening. She smiled, thinking about her former employer. And you, too, Mr. Randolph.
“What kind of adventure are we doing?”
“Remember Mr. Randolph, my former boss?”
“The one who went to heaven?” He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.
Colette smiled. “Yes, that’s right. Well, he has a friend named Mr. Dunbar, and I have something I need to give him.”
“Like a present?” Max asked with wonder.
“Sorta. Like a present.” Colette hoped it would be a welcome gift. It was certainly an unexpected one.
The waitress came by to take their order. “What can I get for you?”
Max was bobbing in his seat. “I would like a cheeseburger, please.”
Colette said, “I’ll have the same. Medium rare for him and rare for me. Lettuce and tomato on both, please.”
Max made a face. Colette gave him a sideways look. “You know the drill.”
“Always have greens at dinner.” Max heaved a huge sigh of resignation.
The waitress chuckled. “Wish my kid were that smart.”
Max sat up straight, realizing that this nice lady thought he was smart.
“They come with fries. Is that OK?” She looked at Colette.
Max was mimicking a plea. Colette couldn’t resist how cute her kid was, and said, “Yes! Fries for both of us.”
Max clapped his hands gleefully. “Thanks, Mom.”
Colette noticed that he had stopped calling her “Mommy” lately; she was now “Mom.” Occasionally, he’d call her “Mama,” but only if he wanted something really badly. It made her feel old, but she understood the need for a kid not to be thought of as a mommy’s boy, especially around new friends.
“Anything to drink?” the waitress asked. Water for both of them. As she was about to turn away, she pointed to the container of washable crayons on the table. “Feel free to use them on the place mats. If you turn it over, there are drawings on the other side and you can color or draw however you like.”
“Thank you!” Max whooped with delight.
“So what kinda present are you giving Mr. Millstone’s friend?” Max went back to their original conversation.
Colette wondered how she should answer. Be honest. He doesn’t need details. “It’s a book.”
“What kinda book?” Max started to draw on the place mat.
“It’s a surprise.” Colette didn’t know what else to say, but it wasn’t far from the truth.
“What kind of surprise?” Max kept making circles on the paper.
“Well, now, if we knew, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” Colette was relieved that Max accepted that answer.
Max nodded in agreement. “So what else are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe that will be a surprise, too!”
“Goody!” Max was content with the plans for surprises.
Several minutes later, the waitress brought their food. Colette was so hungry that she thought she would inhale all of it at once. Max dived straight into the fries. “Easy now.” Colette was speaking to him, and to herself.
Max proceeded to tell his mother about some kids at his new school who play in the Pee Wee League. “We can talk about it after your next birthday. Then you’ll be old enough.”
“When is my next birthday?” Max still wasn’t old enough to grasp lengths of time very well. Something months away might as well be a decade for a kid his age.
“You have four more months to go.”
“How long is that?” he asked innocently.
“It’s a little while. Not too long. Now finish your dinner before it gets cold.”
They ate in a comfortable silence, listening to the music playing in the background. It was Ed Sheeran followed by Sam Smith. Men in love. She hoped one day someone would feel that way about her.
“Mom?” Max broke the spell.
“Yes, love?”
“Can we watch some TV when we get back to the hotel?”
Colette checked her watch. “OK. But not too long. We both need to get a good night’s sleep.” She hoped she would be able to sleep. As exhausted as she felt, her mind was racing at a hundred miles a minute.
The waitress returned to collect their plates. “Anyone for dessert?”
“Ice cream, please?”
“Sure. Why not. We’re on an adventure.” Colette smiled. “A scoop of chocolate for me, and a scoop of vanilla for Max.”
“Very good. I’ll be right back.” She was about to remove the place mat but Max stopped her. “Please, can I keep it?”
She looked at Colette.
Colette saw that it hadn’t been soiled too much. Just a few dribbles. “Of course.”
“A suberneer.” He meant souvenir, but his mispronunciation was endearing. Neither corrected him. It was the sentiment that was important.
They finished their ice cream, Colette paid the check, and they walked back to the motel, Max skipping a few feet ahead. Colette stopped at her car before they went to the room. She wanted to get the notebook and the road atlas. She opened the trunk, retrieved the books and then closed the trunk. They walked from the parking lot into the motel lobby. Max pushed the button to bring the elevator to the first floor. On the ride up to their room, Colette thought she’d study one book and try to unravel the meaning of what was written in the other while Max watched a movie.
“Go put on your pajamas and brush your teeth.” Colette ruffled Max’s hair.
“OK, Mom.” He opened his backpack and pulled out his pj’s and toothbrush. “Toothpaste?”
Colette handed him the tube. “Remember the rules?”
“Don’t squeeze hard.”
“And?” she urged.
“And put the top back on!” Max grinned.
“Right-o.”
Max marched into the bathroom. He could barely reach the sink, but he wasn’t going to say anything to his mother. He wanted her to think he was a big boy. He struggled to reach the faucet, but he was determined. Much like his mother.
He climbed onto the lid of the toilet seat and reached over. One twist, and a big splash of water came out and hit the sink with so much force, it splashed all over his pajama shirt. He tried not to panic. He didn’t want to upset his mother, but he knew that if he tried anything less than the truth, it would make her sad. “Mom!” Max yelled.
Colette ran to the bathroom. “What? What happened?”
He turned to face her. His eyes welled up in tears. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
He called her “Mommy.” Colette’s eyes also welled up in tears. She gave him a big hug. “It’s OK, sweetie. Come on, let’s put a dry shirt on you.” Colette knew it had been a stressful day for both of them.
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