by K. T. Tomb
It sure does take all sorts for the world to go around doesn’t it? he thought as he watched the people on the street in front of him.
There was a couple arguing at the corner across from the trash cans; several homeless men sat with their backs against the wall on the shady side of an abandoned office building which took up most of the block; and of course, at the mouth of every alley along the street, there were one or two prostitutes out on the daylight strut. He looked at his watch. It was already three thirty; if no one picked it up in the next half an hour, he was going to retrieve the bag and leave. Just then, a prostitute strolled down the street directly toward the trash cans. She paused for a second at the corner, lit a cigarette and looked around in all directions before she quickly dipped her hand in the bin and retrieved the bag. Once she had it, she made a quick walk toward a car parked halfway down the street and got in.
Will picked up the phone and pressed the SEND button. Almost instantly, Maxwell James answered the phone.
“One of the prostitutes took the bag and is pulling out in a gold Toyota. She’s heading in your direction.”
“I see her; I’ve got it under control. Head down the adjacent street in case she notices me and tries to give me the slip.”
“Okay.”
Maxwell followed the car at a distance until they were back on familiar surface streets near downtown Alpharetta. Suddenly the car turned off the main street and was headed for the freeway. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Will.
“She’s headed onto the freeway. Get over here quickly; it’s gonna take both of us to tail her at that speed without being seen.”
Maxwell took the turn and saw Will’s SUV at the corner ahead of him. They both sped onto the freeway, trying to catch up with the gold car. They carefully followed her as she went three exits over and doubled back into Alpharetta. Soon, the car pulled over in front of what looked like a costume store. Nothing happened for about ten minutes and then the driver’s door opened. The woman who got out of the car was no longer dressed as a prostitute and she was carrying a large brown paper bag. Quickly, Maxwell pressed the gas and drove right past the car and as she turned to lock the door, he discretely took her picture with his phone. Around the corner, Will pulled up beside him and got out of the car.
“I got the photo; we know who our blackmailer is now,” Maxwell said jubilantly, as he shoved the phone toward Will.
Will took the phone and looked at the photograph. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Trying to hide his emotions, he collected himself and said, “Email this to me immediately, would you, Maxwell?”
“Sure thing. So what now?”
“I want you to stay on her tail and see where else she goes, who else she talks to or meets. Take notes and take pictures. Meet me at the coffee shop around the corner from the office tomorrow at 10.”
“Okay, boss. See you in the morning.”
As soon as Will was back inside the car, he took out his phone to check for Maxwell’s email. He could not believe what he was seeing. He started the car and turned straight for home. If he got onto the freeway quickly enough, he just might beat the five thirty traffic. That stupid woman had kept them driving around in circles for almost two hours.
He parked the car in his street parking spot and ran up the front steps.
“Aurora,” he called as he stepped through it.
“I’m in the kitchen, babe. How did the drop go? Did you and Maxwell get anything we can use?”
“You will not believe this when I tell you.”
Aurora took one look at Will’s face and she knew that all hell was about to break loose.
“What is it Will?”
“Its was Cheryl... Cheryl Smith, my secretary.”
“What?”
“Cheryl picked up the money. She was waiting on the street dressed up as a prostitute. It’s such a good thing that I thought to get Maxwell’s help or she would surely have seen me. I have no idea how long she was on the street before she made the move.”
“Oh, God! Suddenly, what Colton Reader said to me today all makes sense.”
“You spoke to Colton, the private investigator that Robin hired?”
“Yeah. He said that I didn’t want to be an Alice in Wonderland. That I wouldn’t like it when I found out how deep the rabbit hole went. He insinuated that there were several people very close to the both of us that were trying to take your father’s company down. He said that Robin felt that if he couldn’t have what he deserved, then no one would have any of it for very long either.”
“Aurora, I think we are in over our heads. It’s time we turned this over to the police.”
Chapter Fifteen
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Robin made sure that the pre-dinner cocktails flowed freely for an hour before dinner would be served.
To distract Aurora from her anxiety, Will engaged her in deep conversation with Rebecca and the they both did their best to act normally. The two women talked continuously until dinner was announced and walked into the dining room on each-others arms, the Thorn men close behind them. Will took the opportunity to seat Aurora on his left since he knew he would be sitting beside his brother. Any eye contact they couldn’t have would be for the best. When Robin and John walked in, everyone had already been seated.
John stood at the head of the table and raised his glass in a toast.
“To good family, good food and good friends,” he said.
“Here, here,” they all responded, raising their glasses.
When the appetizers were served, the conversation at the table turned to the company’s Christmas formal and how Aurora was doing with the plans so far.
“Well, we had such a grand time at the Waldorf for the awards; I thought to myself that we definitely had to top that. So this year, we’ll host the event here at Stone Mountain, on the East lawn. We’re having the garden lit up with Christmas trees everywhere. Snow on the ground and a heated, covered enclosure for the party to be held in. What do you think about that idea, Robin?”
A stunned silence fell over the room and everyone looked at Robin, waiting for his response. Under the table, Will took her hand and squeezed it for support as Robin lifted his napkin to his mouth and swallowed.
“I think you have an exquisite vision. Winter wonderland on the lawns of Thorn; it will be beautiful.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was aiming for. That is a perfect description... winter wonderland.”
There was almost a collective sigh of relief at the table when their exchange was over. Everyone had been anticipating what would fall out of Robin Thorn’s mouth in Aurora’s direction. It was no secret anymore that he despised her and the relationship she had with Will. During the main course, several little conversations started around the table as each couple chatted about their day or other personal matters. Will and Aurora were a little quieter than the others, taking the time to listen to what was being said around them.
“I didn’t mean for the checks to go out late, Dad,” Robin said. “When I brought them in for your approval yesterday morning, you weren’t there.”
“Yes, I’m sorry about that,” John apologized. “But I’m not your CEO anymore Robin. You should have had Will look them over. That’s his job now and he’s quite capable.”
Aurora could not believe the blatant lie Robin had told his father. He was in Atlanta the morning before, hugging Cheryl Smith on the curb after collecting the blackmail money from her.
After dinner, they retired to the drawing room and Robin once again made the rounds with the wine and whiskey bottles. When everyone’s glasses were full again, Aurora patiently waited for the different conversations to strike up before she went over to confront Robin Thorn.
“Robin,” she said, “may I speak to you in private?”
“Umm, why of course, Aurora,” he replied. “Let’s step into the study.”
He closed the study door behind them and went to stand behind the
desk, making sure to keep an appropriate distance between them. Aurora sat on the other side of the desk and placed her glass on it.
“Why did you tell John that you were looking for him yesterday morning?”
“Because I was...”
“We both know that you were in Atlanta; more precisely, at Cheryl Smith’s house. I saw you so let’s just move over all the B.S. Tell me why you’re blackmailing our people and whatever else you’re involved in.”
“I can’t do that, Aurora.”
“Oh, no. You have to.”
“Anything you want to know about it, you will have to ask Xaoping. I cannot answer any of your questions.”
“What does Xaoping have to do with any of this? Come on Robin, spill it. If you’re in deeper than you can swim, we can help.”
“No one can help me, Aurora. Especially not a grasping, upstart bitch like you!”
Aurora was shocked, but she also knew she wasn’t going to get another word out of him so she turned and went back into the drawing room. Aurora knew she wouldn’t be able to set her mind at ease until she knew what was going on with Robin. The police were going to arrest him that night, but if this was even deeper and it involved the yakuza-funded Xaoping Exports, Will had to be advised. She picked up the snifter of Bristol cream she was sipping and went in search of him. She found him leaning against the balusters of the terrace looking out over the lawns.
“Hi,” he said as she walked toward him, “Too stuffy in there for you?”
Aurora laughed and shook her head. Instinctively, she made her way into the valley of his shoulder and rested her head against him. His nose went to her hair and he breathed in the scent of peaches and vanilla. They stood like that for a while before she raised her head to look at the sky. Stars were shining down by the millions that night.
“Walk with me?” she asked, pulling on his hand.
“Okay.”
They went down the steps from the terrace and out into the yard. After a few moments of silence, Will spoke up.
“What’s wrong with you, Aurora? You’ve been disengaged ever since you came home last night.”
She stopped walking and turned to look at him.
“Yesterday morning when I was pulling up to my yoga studio in Atlanta, I saw your brother walking down to the street with Cheryl Smith. I was so shocked, I didn’t even know she lived in that neighborhood. I pulled over so they wouldn’t see me. They talked for a while on the curb, then they hugged and Robin left. When I confronted Robin for lying to your Dad about where he was, he said he wouldn’t tell me why he was there and that I should ask Xaoping.”
“Well, that’s too suspicious. What did he mean by ‘ask Xaoping’?”
“I think your brother is in more trouble than we know that he caused around here. I think he’s being used by Xaoping to take us down from the inside and that he’s being threatened by the yakuza to do what they say.”
“If that’s the case, the sooner he’s in police custody, the better. Let’s leave it to the lawyers and such for now, Aurora. I think we’ve fought this battle long enough.”
Will picked her up off her feet and carried her to a garden bench. He put her down on it and sat beside her.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“No, it’s not bad tonight. Winter’s coming, but it’s surely not in much of a hurry this year.”
Will laughed at her comment.
“Do you remember the way you used to wait for the first snow every year when you were a kid?”
“Yeah, I don’t remember a winter when it didn’t snow. There are holidays now when snow that sticks to the ground is a rarity in these parts rather than a guarantee.”
“Global warming,” Will quipped.
Aurora laughed and put her head on his shoulder and tried her best to clear her mind. They didn’t even hear when the sirens made their way up the driveway to take Robin away.
***
One Week Later
Stone Mountain, Georgia
In the warmth of the living room in Thorn Cottage, Aurora and Will sat down to watch the evening news. As soon as it started, the anchor announced that they had breaking news in the Hong Kong espionage case and that they would be going live to the Alpharetta Police Department for the press conference.
“As a result of weeks of reconnaissance and fact checking, we have reason to believe that Cheryl Smith, an executive assistant at Thorn Investments, is a viable suspect in the blackmailing of several key executives at the firm, and that these illegal activities are what indeed led to the previous implication of Zach Thorn in the Hong Kong corporate espionage scandal. At present, we have Miss Smith in custody and the interrogation process has only just begun. But we are confident that we will be getting a break in the case very soon, which will lead us to the spy and ultimately, justice for those directly impacted as well as the people of Alpharetta and Hong Kong. Updates will be furnished as the case progresses, but due to the sensitivity of the investigation, I will not be answering any questions from members of the press tonight. Thank you.”
Will switched off the television and turned to Aurora on the couch. He took both her hands in his and sighed.
“I have to say, I’m starting to feel relieved that I won’t have people looking at me like the rich boy who sent his brothers to jail.”
“Yeah, I’m glad they agreed to keep Robin’s name out of it, if only for his own safety. We’re almost at the end of it, Will. Soon all this will be over and life can go back to normal.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, kissing the top of her head and then resting his cheek there.
“My life will never be the same again, but I certainly won’t be regretting that.”
“What do you mean?”
“If all this had never happened, there’s a big possibility that I would never have met you in the flesh, Aurora. I wouldn’t have you here like this and, even though it hasn’t been like this for a long time, I still can’t imagine having it any other way.”
Aurora looked up at him with an expression of complete devotion as he bowed his head and touched his lips to hers. They kissed passionately for a long time, holding each other as if there was a possibility either one of them could fade into thin air at any moment.
“I couldn’t either, Will. You completely blindsided me with this whole relationship, but I just couldn’t say no to you. It just feels so natural to me.”
“We do have a lot of drama to build on. That makes it easy,” he said, smiling playfully. “Hey, I have something cool to show you. Wanna see?”
Aurora gave him a skeptical look, then cocked her head to the side.
“You know what? I do wanna see.”
In the loft Will pulled Aurora down gently into the bed with him and he kissed her and touched her all over her body, restraining from going any further. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, having confirmed to themselves that what they shared was far more than the physical. It was a connection of their hearts and their souls more so than their bodies and that the sheer ecstasy of being in each other’s company was more than enough to sustain their love.
***
Alpharetta, Georgia
“It’s quite important that the menu is light but robust,” John insisted the next morning in his office, as Aurora and the caterer decided what food they would serve at the party. “It’s not dinner, but it should still be sturdy.”
“What my boss is saying is that it should be able to stand up to the morose amounts of alcohol his colleagues are used to consuming.”
Aurora continued talking with the caterer while John got up to watch Will make martinis at the wet bar. He placed four glasses on the countertop and watched him pour.
“I know all about you and how you feel about her and about us; Aurora told me everything.”
“I knew she would, Will. You two have a special bond. It’s not dissimilar to what your mother and I had. Aurora knew who I was before I even quite sure myself and even n
ow, she still knows me better than anyone. I’ll never give her friendship up, son; you and your brothers can have anything that I can give that could possibly make you happy, but I’ll never allow anyone to let Aurora down again.”
“I understand Dad; believe me, I do.”
***
Stone Mountain, Georgia
A few weeks later, Thorn House was a hive of activity as party planners and suppliers came and went through the ancient wrought iron gates, delivering floral arrangements, tableware, stemware, flatware and exquisite linen. A sparkling white marquee tent was erected on the green manicured front lawn and people were setting up tables and chairs while others draped the roof and sides of the tent in luxurious chiffon in all shades and tones of white and silver. A giant crystal chandelier was poised to be raised to the highest point under the marquee.
More than enough assistants buzzed around, placing things and making fine adjustments while their bosses shouted at delivery people who were forming a constant stream into the tent. Will watched patiently from the terrace, trying to make out the form of Aurora among the hustle and bustle. As soon as he saw her, he started to descend the steps toward the lawn. He placed both hands on her waist and held her rooted to the spot while he placed tender kisses on her shoulder. She jumped with surprise, but melted under his touch.
“Calm down, darling. Take deep breaths.”
“Oh, hush up, Will. I’m beginning to think this whole thing won’t be coming together before dark, much less before the guests start arriving.”
“Look at it, Aurora; they’re almost done. All I can see that needs doing is to lay out the food and bring in the ice sculptures, and that can’t be done as yet anyway. Go inside and start getting ready. Rebecca and I will take care of everything else.”
He took the clipboard from her hand and shoved her in the direction of the house. With a beckon from his hand, Liz approached to lead Aurora inside. When she was out of sight, he turned with a serious look on his face to Rebecca.
