“You tell him the truth and you accept his decision, whether you like it or not.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mary Whittaker’s death made world news because of her position in the government and the nature of her death. Since I was in Paris at the time, and associated with her, I’d have to be considered the prime suspect. James might decide that it would be best to have no further contact with me, and I would have to agree with him.”
“That’s ridiculous. You’re our friend and you didn’t kill her. James wouldn’t do that.”
“He might if he thought that you were in danger, and you only have my word for it that I didn’t kill her.”
“Your word is good enough. We may have our differences, but I’ve always trusted you, right from the start. You saved my life on more than one occasion and I don’t ever forget that.”
“This is different.”
“No, it’s not. It’s just worse, because whatever this is, it’s taking you and Esther and Tammy away from us.”
“My decision about that was made before this happened.”
“Then why do you have to go?” Mairead demanded.
“It’s just the way it is, and it won’t be happening before I’ve sorted this mess out.”
Mairead peered at him. “So what are you going to do about Brendan?”
“I’m going to do the one thing that makes people go away and leave me alone.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m going to pay him a lot of money to fuck off, after I’ve found out what’s he up to and how he got his information. I should have done that in the first place, but then I didn’t overly give a shit.”
“That’s harsh,” Mairead frowned.
“Maybe, but I learned a few home truths about North that didn’t sit right with me, and it wouldn’t have bothered him to destroy Mary’s life by not minding his own fucking business.”
“That’s journalists for you,” Mairead smirked, as she got up. “I’ll go get the card he dropped, and write the licence plate on it. That should help you find him.”
“And the other car?”
“It was Cadillac Escalade, but I didn’t get the plate, sorry.”
Mairead went to the kitchen and returned with the card, handing it to him. “So that’s the last we hear of Brendan North? Two arseholes out of my life in one day. I don’t suppose you have any theories on Barry Underhill? We both know he didn’t have an accident.”
“Underhill was a prick. He fucked someone off and they got rid of him. Don’t read too much into it. Mairead, I was about to leave, but if you want me to stay…”
“I’m alright, and you’ve got a long drive home.” She peered at him. “You came a long way just to tell me off, but that’s not what you really came for, is it? You knew I would look Brendan North up. You wanted to see how I would react to it.”
Dylan shook his head. “Why is it, that when I’m having trouble, you’re right in the thick of it?”
“I could probably say the same thing,” she smiled. “You’ve helped me so many times. Do you really think I wouldn’t do the same?”
“I know you would,” he nodded. “But this is something I need to deal with alone. Brendan North won’t bother you again, and I’m sorry for what you went through.”
She grinned. “Yeah, well maybe you won’t be so quick to squeal on me next time.”
“Don’t count on it,” Dylan replied. “Better a smacked arse from James, than something far worse.”
Mairead blushed and groaned inwardly, knowing how open and direct Dylan could be about their particular lifestyles.
He frowned at her. “You just make sure you tell James the rest of it, because if you don’t, I will.”
“Yes, Dylan,” she smiled. “Changing your look certainly didn’t change your sweet disposition, did it?”
“Some things are perfect,” he grinned. “Just the way they are.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
It was a peaceful drive through quiet city streets, typical of a late Sunday afternoon. James was glad he didn’t have to deal with traffic, on top of having to go the club on his day off. What he wanted was to be home with Mairead, making certain she wasn’t wilting from the day’s events.
He grinned, knowing she would be eager for his return, hoping he could be persuaded to give in to her needs, not that he needed much persuading. The challenge was in navigating that fine line of being the stern disciplinarian and the forgiving husband. At the moment, he was feeling very forgiving.
Parking in the alley, he got out and strode to the side door. Once inside, he was surprised to see the small red light on the alarm panel, indicating that it was still armed and the power was on. Punching the code in, the light changed to green.
A few steps along, he turned the light on and scowled as it lit up the passage. He shook his head and continued towards the office. It was locked and showed no signs of a break in. Further inspection throughout the building revealed no sign of any disturbance. Satisfied, but extremely pissed off, he returned to the alarm.
“Waste of fucking time,” he mumbled, punching in the code.
Hurrying out, he pulled the door after him and turned the key in the deadlock. Instantly, he was aware of the movement to his side, before he had pulled out the key. Removing it casually, he was ready for the black figure that launched upon him.
James ducked backwards, catching hold of a powerful arm and using his weight to slam the man back into the wall. Levering the arm down hard on his shoulder, he heard the yell of agony as his assailant’s elbow was dislocated. He spun, delivering rapid punches to the ski mask covered face, before he was struck solidly to the back of the head. The pain was excruciating as he stumbled back and saw the hazy vision of another person coming at him. His weakened punch didn’t connect and instead he was crippled with a blow to his kidney and launched into the wall. Body weight pushed against him and he felt a sharp sudden sting to his neck.
James straightened up, staggering back a few steps in a half arc as his vision and thoughts swiftly became unfocussed. He vaguely acknowledged that he was surrounded by four large men dressed in black and all with ski masks. They stayed back, watching him as he held himself up against the wall and slowly sank into an all-consuming darkness.
* * * * *
Stars were appearing in a sapphire sky as Adele watched the car pull away from the driveway. She stood with her parents, feeling warm and happy, waving to her brother and his family until they were far in the distance. It had been a wonderful day, with no mention of crime or trials.
Being with her family, Adele had been reminded of the purity and goodness that had always existed in her parents’ home. When she still had a career, her family had been the refuge to regenerate from the vulgarity and ugliness of clients and courtrooms. Having become part of that ugliness was the worse torment of her life.
In the calm of the evening, it was easy to believe her integrity and rectitude could be attained again. She’d learned a harsh lesson of allowing herself to be corrupted by jealousy and hate. Now all she wanted was the normality of her life and a chance to start again. Just washing up dishes with her mother felt good, laughing as they recalled Alistair’s adorable mannerisms and cute little smiles.
It was well after seven o’clock before Adele switched her phone back on. There were many missed calls but she didn’t care. They could all be managed tomorrow. A bath seemed a far better pursuit and an early night in bed with a book.
Just as she entered her bedroom, her phone rang. Adele reluctantly answered it, only to hear Brendan’s angry voice going on about being sent on foolhardy missions.
“What’s happened?” she asked impatiently.
“I got seen. That’s what happened. I did exactly as you asked and went to the Vaughn’s house,”
“You did what?”
“They had cameras, Adele. You didn’t say anything about cameras and there wasn’t a sign of Tyler. It gets worse. Mairead came afte
r me, and had a bloody go at me.”
“Brendan.” Adele was struggling to keep calm with him. “We discussed this. I told you the best place to learn about them was at the club, where you wouldn’t be seen and could talk to the staff and patrons. I said nothing about the house.”
“Yes, you did, in the email you sent me last night. You wanted me to go there. You told me Tyler would be there.”
Adele frowned. “Brendan, I didn’t send you an email. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well, I’ve got it right here in front of me, with your name on it.”
“And I’m telling you, it isn’t from me. I swear to you.”
There was a long pause before Brendan spoke again. “You’re not bullshitting me about this, are you Adele?”
“No, Brendan, I’m not.”
“Fuck,” Brendan cursed quietly. “He must have sent it.”
“Who? I don’t understand…”
“Tyler sent the email. He set me up. He knows about you and me. He must have drawn me out there to… Fuck, Adele, he knows where I am. He has access to my laptop.”
“No.” Adele shook her head. “That’s impossible. We’ve been too careful.”
“Obviously, not careful enough. I knew it. I fucking knew it.”
“Brendan, calm down. You don’t really believe Tyler has done this, do you?”
“Have you got another explanation?”
Adele frowned, thinking of any other possibility, but Brendan’s theory made sense.
“Brendan, you need to get out of there, right now. Just leave everything and go.”
“Go where, Adele?”
She struggled to think. “A restaurant. A bar. Somewhere there’s a lot of people. I know, the Pine Groves restaurant at Lambton Quay. It’s open ‘til late on a Sunday night and it’s always busy. I could meet you there in an hour.”
“And then what?”
“I’ll work that out then. Just get out of there, Brendan, please just go.”
“Alright. I’ll see you in an hour.”
She was alone again in the quiet, but all her fear and guilt had returned. She remembered how easily she had used Brendan to be at the front of her battle, refusing to believe there was any danger.
Looking at her bed, she wanted to get into it, close her eyes and roll over, and when she woke in the morning, Brendan would be alright. The last thing she wanted was to head out into the night alone, risking her own safety. Tyler could be out there waiting for her, using Brendan to make her an easy prey. It was terrifying to think of what he could do to her, but Adele knew she would get no joy waking up in that bed in the morning and finding out something had happened to Brendan.
She had spent enough time in depths of regret to know, there were some things worse than terror, and right now, Brendan needed her. Maybe this is where her redemption began.
* * * * *
For the fourth time the call rang out and went to voice message. Mairead hung up and put her phone down on the bench, and picked up a tinfoil covered plate. She went to the stove and placed it on a steaming saucepan of water, bringing the temperature down to the lowest point. She worked mechanically, refusing to allow her anxious thoughts to bring her undone.
Once the job was completed, she felt justified to ring again, only to get the same results. She looked at the time. James had been gone for five hours. Leaning against the bench, she could see the dining room, over the counter top. The table had been set for two, complete with unlit candles and a bottle of wine. The sight made her miserable and she picked up her phone again. When it remained unanswered she swore angrily and strode out to the lounge, dropping onto the couch.
“Think, think,” she mumbled.
Her instincts were telling her to get a taxi and get to the city as fast as she could. Mairead shook her head. Not the right thing to do. After a moment’s thought she snatched up her phone, scrolled through her phonebook and rang a number.
The accented male voice responded enthusiastically. “Mairead. It is wonderful to hear from you.”
“Hi Chandi,” she smiled. “How are you?”
“I am so happy to be hearing your voice, Mrs. James Vaughn. Your wedding was so beautiful. My aunt wanted to know why I hadn’t married you. She said that you are the most beautiful girl and James is a lucky man. I agree.”
“Thank you, Chandi. Your aunt did a fantastic job on the catering. Everything was perfect, but there’s something I need to ask you.”
“Ask away.”
“Are you in town at the moment?”
“I am. Your call is well timed. Nobody wants to catch a cab on a Sunday night and I am sitting here going crazy with boredom.”
“How would you like to swing by the club for me, just to see if everything is alright?”
“Of course, but is there a problem?”
“Not really,” she replied, trying to keep upbeat. “James had to go to the club and he left his phone home. He might not hear the office phone if he’s working outside or something. I just wanted to see if he had left yet, if his car is still there.”
“I’ll do that and I will ring you to let you know.”
“Thank you, Chandi. I really appreciate it. I’ll wait to hear back from you.”
She felt better for having done something positive. Getting back up, she went to the windows to draw the many curtains of the ceiling to floor windows that ran the length of the lounge and dining room. It was upon drawing the last in the dining room that she saw the movement outside.
She froze, trying not to show any reaction. It had been so quick, a flash in the gap between the closing curtains, that she wasn’t certain what she had seen. It had looked too big to be a cat or anything simple to explain it away.
Staring at the curtains, Mairead tried to reassure herself that there was nothing but darkness beyond them. It was tempting to draw them open again and prove it to herself, but she couldn’t. Fear had already got its icy hooks into her, prickling her skin and make her heart thump.
When nothing happened for the next few minutes, she opted for the conclusion that she was allowing her worry to get out of hand. It was time for a more sensible approach and she returned to her phone, scrolling through to find Vanessa’s number.
She answered. “Hello, Mairead, what can I do for you?”
Mairead breathed out, determined to keep her voice light and calm. “Hey Vanessa, I don’t suppose you’ve heard from James? He went into the club a few hours ago and he must have let his phone go flat or something. He’s not answering his calls.”
“Mairead, why would James be at the club on a Sunday night?”
“He went to the club because the power was down and the alarms were off.”
“That doesn’t make sense. If the power goes out, the battery kicks in.”
“Well it didn’t. The security company rang him.”
“Okay, let me ring you back. I’ll be five minutes.”
The phone rang the moment she hung up, and she answered it quickly. “James?”
“No, it’s Chandi.”
Mairead bit hard on her lip and sniffed in air to breathe, enough to keep her voice even. “Chandi, what did you find?”
“I’m at the club now and there’s no sign of James’ car, so he must be on his way home.”
“Does everything look normal?”
“Indeed, it does. I knocked on the side door, but no one answered. Would you like me to do something else?”
She smiled bitterly. “No, as you said, he must be on his way home. Thank you so much for doing that for me, Chandi.”
“Always my pleasure, Mairead, and you come and see me soon.”
“I will. Goodnight, Chandi.”
She wandered into the dining room and sat down at the table, looking at the shine of the empty glasses and the flowers picked from her garden.
When her phone rang again, she looked at the screen to see Vanessa’s name.
She tried to keep her voice pleasant. “Yes, V
anessa?”
“Okay, I can’t get hold of him either and I rang the security company. They didn’t call him and there’s nothing wrong with the alarm.”
“What?” Mairead’s heart sank. “But he said they called.”
“Mairead.” Vanessa tone became distinctly maternal. “Did anything happen today that might have made James a little touchy.”
“We didn’t argue,” Mairead stated angrily. “Yes, there was a stupid incident, but it was sorted and James was perfectly fine with me. I’m worried about him.”
“Okay, we’ll give him another half an hour, and then Sophie and I are coming to your place.”
Mairead could hear the slight impatience in her voice. “I’ll be fine…”
Vanessa had hung up before she had finished, only infuriating her that little bit more. She regretted having rung her, and now her worry was worse, knowing there had been no summons to the club over alarms. It certainly didn’t help knowing James may have lied to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Adele looked at her watch and felt sick with worry. It was nearly two hours since Brendan had rung and there was no sign of him. Only a few patrons were left in the café and the staff were beginning to stack chairs onto tables. Reluctantly, she returned to her car and sat inside.
It was a ten minute drive to the apartment, but first Adele tried to call Brendan again. After a few rings, it went straight to voicemail. There were few options left and she knew she had to take the worst of them.
Up until then, it had never bothered her driving through the city at night. Now it looked far too abandoned and unfriendly. When she turned into the street the apartment was on, she pulled over and studied the road in front of her. There were a few cars parked along the sidewalk but none were occupied.
Adele resumed a slow drive, looking for anything out of place. She was able to park directly out front in a no-parking space. A ticket was the least of her concerns. Getting out, her skin prickled as she looked up at the apartment block before hurrying to the lobby door. Taking out her key card, she waved it in front of the sensor, unlocking the door.
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