“Go on up, I’ll be right behind you. I just want to take Barney for a quick run. Taylor, would you mind grabbing me a bottle of water? And I’m claiming the chair that has the most shade.”
It didn’t take Megan long to take Barney for a quick walk. As she walked by them, she informed the security detail what their plans were and then she joined Taylor up on the balcony, dropping down into one of the chairs, exhausted. A long night with little sleep and the tension of the day had caught up with her.
"They’ll be okay, won’t they, Megan?" Taylor asked, as she looked over at Megan, whose closed eyes showed she was relaxing while breathing in the salty air.
"Taylor, I can promise you that Aiden will do everything in his power to keep your father safe. Believe me I know, I've been there with my life in his hands and he's come through with shining stars. Just think positive thoughts and hopefully this will all be over with soon." She answered, without even opening one eye.
Taylor looked at Megan; she wanted to believe her, but there were so many uncertainties and so much was hanging on the line. She just wanted it to be over with so that she and her father could truly get reacquainted and look towards a life that included each other again.
As promised, Beth was quick, and she came out on the balcony taking Taylor's place, letting Taylor go and get her shower. The two women sat on the balcony in a comfortable silence, listening to sounds around them, but each of them had their thoughts focused on the many possible scenarios of what could go wrong with Aiden’s plans.
When Taylor finished her shower, it was Megan's turn. Robert returned with their dinner to find all three women finally relaxing on the balcony talking about the items that had been recovered that day, deliberately steering clear of what was utmost on their minds. Since Robert had just picked up fast food for dinner, they decided just to eat where they sat and Robert pulled up a chair to join them. As they ate, Robert filled them in on the news from the neighborhood, telling of the progress that Charlotte's neighbors were making on the repairs to their own homes. Since Robert and Beth both knew most of the people in Lady Fish Bay, they were able to add little tidbits about the families as they talked, filling Taylor in on some of the details that she didn't remember from her childhood. Before they knew it, they were finished with dinner and Taylor took over the cleanup, as much as there was of it. By now the mosquitoes were starting to buzz and bite so they decided to go inside. The newscast would be on shortly and they were all hoping there would be some news that the arsonist had been found and arrested.
As usual, the newscast started out with the local weather and traffic. Then there was the national headlines and they finally focused in on the local news. Just before they went to commercial break, the news anchor announced that Kim Heart would be joining them with a special story of local interest. Megan's attention was caught at those words and she mentally braced herself, wondering what kind of trouble Kim was going to bring her way this time. The sixty-second commercial break was over and before she knew it, Megan saw Kim’s face on the TV screen with the burned-out building of the Grove cabin in the background.
"Oh no, this can't be good. I’ve got a bad feeling here," groaned Megan as the woman on the TV screen began to speak:
“This is Kim Heart, reporting. One of our local residents has suffered a double loss recently. She was one of the many that found their personal property damaged in last week’s storm. Her beach side cottage up in Lady Fish Bay suffered structural damage from hurricane Arlene. I was personally up there and reported to you about the heroic effort that Megan Cassidy and her associates are working on to retrieve items lost by local residents in the storm.
Then, just as our local leading town matriarch, Charlotte Potter is recovering from the losses of her property, she suffers another loss last night.
Flames tore through a rental cabin that she had on the outskirts of her family’s Citrus Groves out west of town. The building has been declared a total loss and, although we haven't had confirmation from the police, we do know that there were no casualties other than the building. The investigation is still ongoing to determine whether this has been a fire of natural causes or if it was a criminal act of arson.
I have questioned Mrs. Potter on the status of the person currently leasing the property. So far there has been no sign of him around the building, or around the Grove area. We're hoping that he made it out safely. Perhaps he has taken residence at one of the other properties owned by the Potter family, such as the residence up in Lady Fish Bay. Wherever you are, we wish you well and encourage you to contact me at the station so that I might hear your account of last night’s fire. This is Kim Heart reporting. Stay tuned here for Sports News after this commercial break.”
"That darned girl. She just doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. Now she has stirred up all kinds of trouble with her half-baked reporting." Robert shook his head in disgust, and walked away from the TV still mumbling under his breath.
"She may as well have drawn a road map for Gina and Malcolm. Now what do we do, just sit here and wait for them to show up?" Taylor looked to Megan for answers.
"Okay, let's not panic. Yes, Kim's report has, as usual, been incomplete and full of speculation, but don't forget we have the upper hand. We know at some point they're going to make a play to grab Tom. But he's not here, he's safe with Aiden and we’re safe here with the security detail. We just need to have patience and let things play out the way that Aiden hopes it will."
"Now I wish I'd gone with my dad. Sitting here, waiting, is going to be murder."
"Poor choice of words, Taylor, but I know what you mean. So instead of us being reactive, let’s become proactive. I'm going to get on the phone and talk to Charlotte. Let's see if she can get some control down in Citrus Beach. Maybe if we have enough eyes watching Malcolm’s and Gina's moves, we can stay ahead of the game. I'm also going to need to talk to Aiden and let him know what's going on so he's prepared. Taylor, I think that for the sake of safety, let's call off the volunteer work tomorrow. Just tell everyone we have plenty of work to do with cataloging and we don't want to get back logged. There's no sense in putting innocent people in danger. We will be fine here tonight; between Robert and that shotgun I know he has packed in his truck, Barney to alert us about strange noises, and the FBI security detail, we should be perfectly safe. I’m going to go ahead and make those phone calls.”
Chapter Eighteen
Megan spent the next hour on the phone, her first phone call going directly to Aiden’s cellphone. He took the news in stride and didn't seem to be overly upset about it. He advised her to stay safe and to listen to what his security detail told her to do. He almost seemed pleased with Kim Heart's report, stating that this might be the catalyst that would put everything into motion and bring this case to a close.
Her phone call to Charlotte however, didn't go as smoothly. In Megan's mind, there was nothing scarier than seeing Charlotte mad and out for revenge. Megan held the phone away from her ear, as Charlotte's voice got shriller and shriller. She let the older woman rant for a while with threats of having Kim Heart fired from the news station, which she was part owner of, to taking to the streets of Citrus Beach herself in hunting down Gina and Malcolm. Finally, Charlotte seemed to have it all out of her system and Megan was able to talk to her calmly. Megan made the suggestion that Charlotte contact the sheriff and do a little snooping into the activities of Malcolm and Gina. Maybe they could find out what they've been up to since their arrival into town. If nothing else, Megan thought it would be helpful to know what kind of car they were driving and if there were any other persons with them that might pose a threat.
Megan had barely been off the phone a few moments before Lucy called her. After reassuring her best friend that they were okay, Megan promised to listen to Aiden's instructions. She was able to convince Lucy that there was no reason for her and Paul to jump in the car and drive up that night. She smiled slightly as she hung up the phone, grateful for such good
friends.
Taylor had also finished her phone calls and Beth had gone out to talk to Robert, just to reassure herself that they would be safe. The three women convened back into the living room at the same time looking at each other as if waiting for something else to happen.
"Well, this seems rather anti-climactic. What do we do now just sit here and twiddle our thumbs while we wait? I hate having to wait."
"Oh, the impatience of youth," laughed Beth, "Taylor, my dear, you will find that things happen when they're meant to happen and all we can do is be ready. So, since we have done all that we can to be ready; I suggest that we sit back and relax to the best of our abilities and not stress out over what's going on around us. Anybody up for a game of poker?"
Taylor and Megan looked at Beth not sure how to take her unexpected remarks; they seemed totally out of character for the older woman, especially the suggestion of a game of poker. Laughing, Megan got up and walked to the kitchen counter, pulled out the drawer and reached in to grab the deck of cards she knew could be found there. Looking over at Beth, she held the cards up and asked if they were going to play for money or chips. Getting into the spirit of things, Taylor went to the fridge and grabbed some sodas for everybody and within a matter of minutes they were pulling out kitchen chairs and sitting down to the table. As Megan started to deal the cards, Robert walked into the room and accepted their invitation to join them. Soon, they were all laughing, playing a rowdy game of poker, and making bets with the matchsticks that Megan had found in the cupboard.
Beth’s impromptu suggestion was just what they had needed. The tension lessened with the sounds of their laughter and teasing, and they found that they were able to have an enjoyable evening. Barney worked his way around the table, looking for attention and handouts a few times before he settled down close enough to keep an eye on all the action. Because they were able to keep their minds occupied and enjoy each other's company with laughter and goodwill, the evening passed quickly. They didn’t realize how long they had been playing until there was a gentle knock on the door that disrupted their game. Robert was the one that got up to answer the door, knowing that his large silhouette would be a deterrent to anyone with intentions of harm. When he opened the door, they found one of the security men checking in for the evening and making sure they were all okay. The interruption of the game broke up the evening and soon they were all heading off to their rooms to try and get a good night’s sleep, because none of them was sure what the morning would bring.
Megan woke up the next morning to the gentle tapping of someone at her bedroom door. Quieting the dog at the end of the bed before he could start a loud bark, Megan called out for whoever it was to enter.
"Sorry to wake you, Megan, but I need to get out of here; I feel so penned in. I was wondering if you would want to go for a walk on the beach with me. With all the security we have around here, two of us together should be fine, right?"
Megan squinted at Taylor, who was already dressed and tried to stifle a yawn. In her mind, it was too early to get up and start walking the beach, but that was just because she was not a morning person and hadn’t had a cup of coffee yet. Barney, on the other hand, heard the word walk, and was ready to go.
"Sure, why not. Just give me a second to fully wake up, Taylor. Here take Barney and I'll meet you on the balcony. If there's any coffee left over from last night, would you mind heating up a cup for me and I'll take it with us to go?"
"Sure thing, Megan, but let's hurry before everybody else wakes up and decides that there are other things we should be doing. I'll meet you outside."
Patting her leg to get Barney to follow her out the door, Taylor turned and left Megan to get dressed, closing the door gently behind her. Deciding there would be no sneaking in an extra five minutes of sleep, Megan pushed the sheets aside and got out of bed. She slipped on a pair of cutoff jeans and a tank top and grabbed her hat before walking out to join Taylor. When she walked over to the younger woman, Megan looked in her hands for a cup of coffee, but found none.
“Sorry, there was no coffee. But I grabbed a cola for you … that’s got just as much caffeine as your morning coffee. Do you want a river or beach walk?”
Megan took the soda from Taylor with a grimace; this was not how she liked to start her morning and pointed towards the beach. Smiling at her look of distaste, Taylor took a deep swallow from her own soda and turned to lead the way down the ramp to the boardwalk and beach. As they walked closer to the beach, they waved good morning to a couple of the security detail that were just coming up from the shore.
“It’s a beautiful morning for a walk, ladies. But please do not go too far down the beach. We have very specific instructions from Agent Tory to keep you all safe. I would not want to be the one to have to confront him if something were to happen. So, for our sakes, please be careful.”
The two men laughed along with the women, but they were serious. They knew that Aiden would be impossible if something were to happen to Megan because all of the security detail had been given very specific instructions about her. A screw up could easily mean disciplinary action of the most unpleasant nature.
“We’re not going to be long, or go very far, I promise, and we’ll keep alert while we are on the beach,” Megan assured them.
Barney gave an impatient bark to get their attention, he was ready to chase the waves, not stand there and talk. Giving a wave of dismissal the two men continued on their rounds, and the women followed the puppy to the beach. As they walked, Megan’s mood could not help but improve. The sun was bright, making the surf shine like diamonds and there was just enough breeze to make it pleasant and keep away any of the early morning mosquitoes. They laughed at Barney’s antics as he played the never-ending game of chasing waves and seagulls. As they watched, Megan grabbed Taylor’s arm and pointed to a small pod of dolphins that was following a fishing boat. They watched silently, in awe, as the dolphins took turns cresting the boat’s wake until they could no longer see them on the horizon.
“No matter how many times I watch the dolphins, it never seems like enough. They are so fascinating.”
“They are. I’ve had my jet ski out there and they just show up, like they want to play for a while. It’s just so awesome,” Taylor agreed
"You're right. Whenever I see them, I always look at it is a personal sign that something good is going to happen, or just that everything is all right in the world."
"I could just stay here all day and relax and enjoy. But I guess that is not going to be possible today. Let's just get in a small walk and then I guess we should go up and start the day. Let's hope the sighting of those dolphins really does mean good luck."
Nodding her head in agreement, Megan led the way down the beach, walking along the edge of the sand right where the waves broke. The two women were quiet, enjoying the morning sights and sounds, smiling as the puppy constantly ran back to them as if to tell them to hurry up. When Megan felt they had walked as far as they could safely go, she gave the signal to Taylor that it was time to turn back. Giving a small sigh of regret that their morning walk was ending so quickly, Taylor followed her lead and they started back towards the cottage.
It didn't take them long to walk back to the temporary stairs to the boardwalk. Taylor reached down and grabbed Barney, putting him up on the boardwalk first, then she climbed up behind him, with Megan right behind her. The air was quiet. There didn't seem to be any sounds, even from the birds and for some reason, the hair stood up on the back of Barney's neck. Taylor seemed oblivious to the changes in the atmosphere, but Megan picked up on it right away. She looked around her not sure what she was looking for, but she knew there was something off. By the time she realized what was making her so nervous, it was too late.
Simultaneously, Barney growled and gave a bark of warning, while to the left of her, Megan saw a blur come out from the under bush, heading right for Taylor. Before she could issue a warning, Megan herself was pushed to the ground.
; Her hat was knocked from her head and she felt the sting of a brush burn from the wood decking on her knees. She was hauled back to her feet roughly before she even had a chance to feel the pain in her knees. Masculine hands held her tight, making escape impossible, even if she had known some basic self-defense moves. She couldn't see who it was that held her captive, because he was holding her from behind, but she was clearly able to see what was going on with Taylor and her assailant.
Taylor was being held by her curly hair by a woman, not much taller, but with a striking resemblance to her. By most standards, the woman was beautiful, but an ugly sneer marred the beauty of her face. This is not the look of motherly love that Gina Jamison was giving her daughter.
"Where is your father, Taylor? Don't you dare tell me you don't know! Somehow, you and your grandmother have found him. I want to know how and what he's told you."
“Let me go! I won’t tell you anything, so just stop. Malcolm, let Megan go, you’ve hurt her,” Taylor yelled right back at her mother. Either she wasn’t aware of the danger they were in, or the habitual pattern of arguing with her mother simply kicked in before she could think about what she was saying.
Gina, however was too furious to jump into an argument with her daughter, instead reached out with her other hand and slapped Taylor across the face. The red welt from Gina’s hand stood out on the girl's cheek and Megan sucked in her breath sharply. She could not remember ever hitting Emma like that, no matter what her daughter may have done. That simple act of violence was enough to confirm in Megan’s mind that they were in serious trouble. Squirming, she tried to loosen the grip Malcolm Fields had on her. As she tried to break his hold, she also was looking around for the security detail that they had just chatted with earlier.
“Hold still, woman. Taylor, this is no game. Tell us what we want to know, before I have to take measures to make you talk.”
SCENT OF A MYSTERY...A CITRUS BEACH MYSTERY (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 2) Page 18
