Spencer falls to the ground and dissolves into huge noisy sobs which echo out across the valley. His pain is so tangible. Raw. Fran drops down next to him, clutching him to her as he weeps. “It’s going to be OK. Everything will be OK,” she says soothingly to him. “We’ll face this together. We can face anything together.”
“He won’t go to jail if I don’t press charges,” Amelia says, stunning us all as she steps forward from her hiding place behind Dan. “If I say he’s done nothing wrong then he’ll go free.”
“What?” Dan snaps at her. “Are you crazy? You can’t do that!”
“Spencer’s right,” she replies. “I have been so wrapped up in my own success. That’s what being in showbiz can do if you’re not careful. I’ve been a selfish cow, just like he says. I needed to be taken down a peg or two. I owe Fran an apology. I owe her so much more than that too. Maybe keeping her husband out of jail can be my way of making a start on trying to right some wrongs.”
“You’re serious?” I gasp.
She nods. “Have you got the local police involved yet?”
“They’re on standby,” Dan replies.
“Can you call them off and say this whole thing was a mistake? A misunderstanding?” she asks with pleading eyes.
I see the debate going on in Dan’s head reflected in his eyes. Eventually he nods and starts talking, via comms, to diffuse the situation with the local police. It’s not going to be easy, but he’s prepared to do it. My heart flips at the gesture.
Amelia edges closer to Fran and Spencer and kneels down. “Is he going to be OK?” she asks quietly.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Three hours later we’ve managed to convince the police there was an error and no case or charges to account for, largely thanks to the agency pulling rank on the French law enforcement, which the locals were understandably not very happy about.
Dan and I are in the local police station and I’m extremely grateful he speaks fluent French otherwise this whole mess would have been impossible to sort out.
“Coffee?” I ask as I walk back into the interview room where Dan has been signing various forms and making numerous phone calls to smooth this whole thing over. I put two plastic cups from the vending machine on the table and Dan reaches for one of them and takes a grateful sip.
“Thanks,” he says as he puts the cup back down.
“All sorted?” I ask, taking a seat next to him.
He pushes a hand through his hair and nods. “Talk about bureaucracy gone mad. I reckon I’ve signed my life away and somewhere in these lengthy forms I’ve probably agreed to join the French Resistance or something.”
“Amelia really appreciates you doing all of this, Dan and so do I. OK, it would have been better if they’d all just sat down and been honest with each other from the beginning then it wouldn’t have all got so crazy and out of hand but that’s people for you I suppose, never take the easy way out.”
“Especially in this line of work,” he replies, leaning back in his chair and stretching his long legs out in front of him. “So where are Amelia and the others?”
“They’re being seen by a doctor here at the police station. The local boss demanded they were all checked over before he’d release them. I’ve just spoken to the doctor’s assistant and she told me he’s going to give sedatives to Spencer and to Fran because they’re both so upset. He’s also recommended they seek counselling when they get home. It’s obvious Spencer is emotionally unstable so that’s helped us get the case dropped.”
Dan sighs. “And what about Amelia? Is she OK?”
“Yes. Ty’s was here, she called him and he’s made a statement about not pressing charges as well. They’ve ben signing firms almost as much as you have but they’ve been released now and their car has just taken them back to the chalet.”
“And the baby?” he asks, concern in his eyes. “Amelia’s pregnancy. You said she’s OK but the baby is too?”
“Yes. They’re both fine.”
I’m exhausted and my head is spinning with all that’s happened. I’m trying not to think back to how I could have been pushed off a cliff and fallen to my death. “Do you think Amelia is doing the right thing by letting Spencer walk away from all of this?” I ask Dan.
“No, I don’t,” he replies. “I think Spencer is volatile and dangerous. He could have killed Amelia. He could have killed you.”
“I know.” A shudder runs through me and we fall silent for a few moments. “Oh, I asked Amelia about why she didn’t tell us at the start who Tom really was and explain how and why she was giving him money. I said it confused the investigation when we eventually found out.”
“And?”
“She said it was just yet another secret she was keeping because she was scared what the truth getting out would mean for her life and for Tom’s. The power of the media huh? She’s living in fear of the tabloids and their ability to ruin her career, her image and her life with just one story. I’d hate to be famous and having to live my life like that.”
The door opens and the stern looking boss of the local police strides in. He starts talking fast and loud at Dan who immediately gets to his feet and starts talking fast and loud right back at him.
I appreciate Amelia is riddled with guilt about what she did in the past and what she’s been doing now with regards to Fran and I know she thinks she’s doing the right thing by letting Spencer walk away from all of this but does she have any idea the hassle it’s caused for the agency and the French police?
The man grabs the papers Dan has signed off the table and storms out.
“I’m guessing he’s not happy,” I say with an anxious look at Dan.
“Got that right,” Dan replies, “come on, let’s get out of here.”
Exhausted I get to my feet and follow Dan out of the room. We check on Fran and Spencer to see if they’re ready to go back to the chalet which they are. Outside Dan flags down a taxi and bundles Fran and Spencer inside it, giving the address of the chalet to the driver before slamming the door shut.
“We could have taken them back to the chalet with us,” I say, giving Dan a curious look.
“No, we couldn’t, right now the more distance there is between me and that guy the better for everyone,” he replies.
Amelia has apologised to Fran profusely and promised to help her in whatever ways she wants - career connections, financial help to try for another child. When they’re ready. She’s definite about not pressing charges against Spencer, much to Dan’s annoyance.
Spencer has explained everything to us. His anger, his hurt, his frustration. His annoyance at Amelia’s huge success with her role in the movie Forever Mine and how he used that as his sign off on the notes to try and spook her even more. How he decided to use the jewels in an attempt to convince Amelia her stalker was some rich but crazy fan. Thinking that sending her notes and flowers alone might not be enough to freak her out. Adding snippets of gossip he got from his wife to the notes to make Amelia even more worried. Which explains about the notes which mentioned Amelia’s tattoo and the green dress she was thinking of wearing to dinner. How he wanted to make her fear for her life and the lives of those she loved.
He even explained how and where he got the rifle from to shoot at Ty, which apparently was via handing over some cash to a local contact that runs hunting trips during the season. The person in question is now being interviewed by the local police after an ‘anonymous’ tip off.
Dan isn’t at all happy about Spencer walking away from this, but it would require Amelia and Ty’s cooperation to press charges and they refuse to do so.
I can’t help wondering how Ty’s parents are going to take to the news that he and Amelia are to be parents. That’ll put a stop to their plans to whisk him off to London. I hope they can all figure things out. It would be a shame for their child to not know its grandparents on Ty’s side of the family.
I settle into the passenger seat of Dan’s car as we eventually make our own wa
y back to the chalet so I can pack for our trip home.
Home makes me think of Charlie and how I once thought he would be my Forever Mine and I would be the same to him. I divert my mind to contemplate something else. I’m not ready to think of Charlie and what happens next between us. Instead I turn my thoughts to Ennis and Siobhan who had already left, before this whole thing with Spencer blew up. Understandably they were keen to get back to the UK to tell their families and friends about their engagement and crack on with their wedding plans. I’m so happy for them. Honestly I am. Siobhan wants a wedding sooner rather than later and they’re hoping to get everything organised so they can have their big day in about six months which coincides with Ennis’ next decent break from work projects. I wonder, will I be attending their wedding alone or will Charlie be back by my side?
“By the way that was excellent work back there,” Dan says, cutting into my troubled thoughts. “You used your initiative, got him talking, appealed to his guilt and emotions about his wife which finally helped him to see reason. That was good stuff. You do have a way with people. You’re a great asset to the agency team.”
I glow with pride. “Thank you. I thought you’d be mad because I’d contacted Fran and told her what was happening. I knew she was worried about her husband and I thought she might be able to help talk him around.”
“Yeah, well, you did bend the rules a bit on that front, you should have told me what you were planning so we could figure it out together, but fortunately it worked out for the best so we’ll keep that little incident between the two of us shall we?”
“You’re not the only one who gets tempted to break the rules once in a while,” I reply cheekily, relieved he’s OK about it all.
“It was a risky strategy but I like the way you think, Amber Reed. Of course it could all have gone horribly wrong but lucky for us, it didn’t!”
I glance across at him. “I guess sometimes the softly softly approach works best, not guns.”
I never told him about the fortune teller’s prediction. Does not taking the gun from him nullify the prediction she gave? Dan still tried to hand me a gun which was what she pictured wasn’t it?
Anyway, even if it does work like that and I’ve put Dan out of the equation that still leaves Charlie at risk. I can’t go back in time and change what happened that day with the water pistols with him. I shake my head. I’m being stupid and letting my imagination get carried away. I should just forget what she said.
“Something wrong?” Dan asks.
“No, no, I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
He sighs. “Look, the things I said about Sarah. I’m sorry. I should never have told you all that stuff. Can we forget all about it?”
“No, we can’t,” I say quietly. “Thank you for your honesty though, I appreciate it. Can I ask you something?”
He shrugs. “Sure.”
“Do you know where Sarah is now? I’m assuming she doesn’t still work for agency support?”
“No she doesn’t.”
“You know exactly where she is though don’t you? Have you been keeping tabs on her?”
“I might have.”
I reach over and rest a hand on his arm. “Maybe it’s time to stop doing that. Is she with somebody?”
He nods.
“Hey, I’m not one to go giving love life advice, my own is a mess, but I’m just saying, as a friend, you know, maybe it’s time to try and let go.”
“Yeah, maybe it is.”
We pull up outside the chalet and he holds my gaze for longer than necessary then takes my hand off his arm and holds it, nestling it gently between his own hands as we sit in silence for a few moments.
Eventually I slowly pull my hand away and lean over to kiss Dan on the cheek. “You know, I think I might actually be growing to like you, Daniel Stone.”
He grins back at me. “Yeah?”
“As a friend and colleague,” I add as I move to get out of the car. “Nothing more.”
“We’ll see,” he chuckles as I close the car door. “We’ll see.”
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
I arrive home in the UK, a part of me hoping to see Charlie’s car outside my flat and another part of me dreading it. We still haven’t spoken since our ‘on a break’ conversation. I miss him and my mind is going a mile a minute. How much of a break are we on exactly? I still don’t know if this is one of those ‘too busy to deal with this right now’ type breaks, or something more permanent.
Plus we still need to talk about this Sarah business too.
The taxi rounds the corner and I see the building, a former chapel, which houses my tiny flat and I hold my breath, my palms sweaty with nerves.
There’s no car outside. Charlie isn’t here.
Inside the flat I dump my bags on the floor and fall onto the sofa. What now? Should I call him and find out exactly what’s going on? Where I stand? Where we both stand? See if we can patch things up?
My stubborn streak kicks in. Why should I? He’s the one who decided we were on a break. He’s the one hand in hand with another woman.
But I miss him.
A lot.
And he can be every bit as stubborn as I can. Do I want to let our negative character traits keep us apart when, before all of this, things were going so well between us?
My phone rings and I hastily search for it in my bag. It’s hiding at the bottom amongst sundry other items as usual. Is it who I want it to be? Is it Charlie? Is he back in the UK? I check caller ID. No. Not Charlie. My heart sinks.
It’s Dan.
“Hi,” I say, trying and failing to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“Hi to you too,” Dan says. “You sound miffed off. What’s up? I just thought I’d check in and make sure you got home OK.”
Sweet of him.
“Just got back about five minutes ago,” I reply.
“Well don’t go unpacking just yet.”
Instantly alert I ask, “Why?”
“I got a call from the agency with my next case and I suspect you’re about to get one from them too.”
“You’ve been assigned another case already? Where?”
“Canada. I’m on the one o’clock flight to Vancouver.”
“Vancouver. Wow. Canada’s answer to Hollywood right? So many films and TV series are made there these days.”
“Yep. It’s a big case as well apparently. I get the feeling it’s going to be an all hands on deck job. They wanted at least a full team of two agents plus support on this one.” There’s a pause before he adds, “Charlie’s already out there.”
My mouth goes dry. “Charlie’s in Vancouver?”
“Yeah, he went straight there from LA. I take it you guys haven’t patched things up yet then?”
Silence. What can I say?
“Right,” Dan says. “Well. I’ll meet you in departures then.”
“They haven’t even called me yet,” I protest.
“They will.”
The phone goes dead. He said that with such certainty a part of me can’t help wondering if he might have suggested to agent allocation that they put me on this case. Why? Because he thinks I’m good at my job? Because he wants Charlie and I to have the chance to patch things up? Because Dan wants to stir things up between Charlie and I? Because Dan wants to work with me again?
I’m surprised to say I did enjoy working with Dan in France. Funny how things change when you become involved with someone. When Charlie and I first met he encouraged me to try things and push myself outside my comfort zone. Then we began a relationship and he became more, I suppose the word is protective. In France Dan had challenged me, like Charlie used to. He’d got me skiing glaciers, driving on scary snowy mountain roads.
My phone rings and I check caller ID again. Agency allocation.
“Hello,” I say, trying to sound professional, ready for anything they might be about to throw at me.
“Amber this is William in agent allocation. I appreciate you�
�ve only just returned from France but we have a situation in Canada. We’d like you to fly out to Vancouver this afternoon.”
“Yes, of course, that’s not a problem,” I reply, putting on my I-can-cope-with-anything voice.
My phone buzzes to tell me I’ve got another call coming in but I daren’t ask William if I can put him on hold to check who the other call is from.
“Excellent, we’ll confirm your bookings for the flight and accommodation. Agent Stone will meet you in the VIP lounge in departures to brief you on the case.”
“Right, OK, thanks.” I have to ask. See if it is true or not. “Are there any other agents assigned to this case besides Dan?”
He replies without a beat of hesitation. Obviously he doesn’t even need to check his records. “Agent Huxton is already in Vancouver and will lead this investigation. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
I end the call.
Good luck.
I’m going to need more than good luck if I’m working an investigation case with Dan and with Charlie.
Much, much, much more than that.
Plus, there’s still that whole fortune teller scene stuff - a man with two guns, putting himself in danger because of me. Is it Dan or Charlie that she meant? I don’t want either of them in danger at all, and especially not because of me.
I check my phone and see the call I just had to ignore was from Charlie.
By heartbeat kicks up another notch as I listen to his message.
Amber? Hope you’re OK? I heard the case is all sorted in France, congratulations, that’s brilliant work. Well done. I’m through in LA as well which is a huge relief. I’m glad to get out of there. That case was a complete and utter nightmare. Anyway, I’m sorry and I know you’re going to be mad with me even more than you are already, but I’ve been assigned straight away to a new case in Vancouver. I’ve just arrived here actually. That’s the bad news, more work, but the good news is you should have had a call from agency allocation to say you’re on this case with me. Please will you let me know what time your flight gets in at Vancouver? I can come and meet you. We need to talk. See you soon.
Forever Mine: A Fun and Flirty Romantic Mystery (Amber Reed Mystery Book 3) Page 21
