The Black Feather

by Olivia Claire High

  “I have to leave. Money’s on the table. Thanks.”

  He hurried outside and scanned the parking lot. The guy was probably gone. Then again, maybe not. The flash of a small flame lit up the cab of a dark colored pickup truck as someone lit a cigarette. Thad walked to his own vehicle, slid inside, and shoved his key in the ignition.

  He knew in his gut this was the man responsible for knocking him unconscious and rolling him down the hill on Catalina Island. If he was right that meant this could very well be the man who put the black feather in Liam’s golf cart. Thad had to admit he wouldn’t mind having a chance to get even if this really was the guy who attacked him from behind.

  He doubted it was a coincidence that the man happened to be here at the restaurant where Billie worked. The Montanes were thorough and probably knew of her friendship with Eric and Tina. They may not suspect that he had the phones. Yet. Thad knew he had to find Eric before they figured it out.

  His office called with the information he needed about Billie. He no sooner ended that call when his phone signaled another one. He answered it right away when he saw it was from his client.

  “Novak.”

  “The boy did it! He came through.”

  Thad didn’t miss the excitement in the man’s voice. “Sir?”

  “Eric, the young man who was going with my daughter. You were right about him.”

  “He has the phones?”

  “Better than that. He turned them into the police. I’m at the station with him now.”

  Thad squeezed his hand on the steering wheel for a moment. “That’s wonderful news. Congratulations. I’m very happy for you, but a little embarrassed I didn’t do my job better.”

  “You did plenty. The main thing is that the phones are finally in the hands of the authorities. I’ll leave it up to you to let Conway and Muriel know.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Thad realized the man he’d been watching was pulling out of the parking lot. Curious to know just where the guy was headed, he started his own vehicle while continuing to listen to his client.

  “Will you come to the station? They’ll want to hear about your part in this.”

  “As soon as I can. I have something I need to take care of first. Congratulations again, sir.”

  Thad ended the call and began to tail the truck, keeping well enough back to elude the man’s attention. He picked up his phone and made his promised calls. He didn’t expect anyone to answer because of the late hour, but he wouldn’t feel right delaying the good news about the phones.

  He left messages on Muriel’s and Suzanne’s phones all the while keeping track of the truck’s progress in front of him. Getting even with the man who’d tied him up like a rump roast was another little chore he was looking forward to. It didn’t take long to see, now that he had directions to Billie’s apartment, that the guy was heading that way.

  Thad immediately took a shortcut knowing he needed to beat him there. He arrived in time to set himself up as a surprise reception committee and smiled in the darkness, anticipating the coming confrontation.

  Thad had a couple of aching ribs and a black eye when he walked into the police station, but that was a small price to pay for the feeling of satisfaction. Eric gave him a wary look.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t help you on the island, but I wasn’t sure who I could trust. Besides that, the guy who hit you was a lot bigger than I am. I doubt if I could have stopped him.”

  “Don’t worry about it. What made you so suspicious about the man?”

  “I was at the next door neighbor’s and . . .” Eric stopped. “Oh gosh, I forgot about Mrs. Neal. I couldn’t have done what I did without her letting me stay at her place. I owe her an explanation for running out on her.”

  “I’m pretty sure the Harolds would be willing to help you with that.”

  “That’d be good. Anyway, I’ve been keeping my eye on the guy. He was posing as a water deliveryman and hanging around your friends’ house. I heard he drugged them.”

  “So it was him? No one was sure. We can be thankful that’s all he did.”

  Eric nodded.

  “For sure. I had a feeling he might be working for the Montanes. I knew I was right when I saw him put a black feather in Mr. Harold’s golf cart. I grabbed the phones while he was lugging you down the hill. I apologize again for not helping you. I should have called someone and told them what happened, but I was so nervous I forgot.”

  “You got the phones here and that’s what matters. You should be commended for doing a great job.”

  “I don’t need any praise.”

  Eric’s eyes misted with tears.

  “I . . . I did it for Tina.”

  The last stars were fading away signaling the end of night, when Thad finally left the station. Early morning traffic was already picking up, as was activity around the building. He walked to his vehicle just as his phone signaled a message. Suzanne, wanting to know when he would be coming home. Home. Now there was a word that hadn’t fit into his vocabulary for a long, long time. Thad said it out loud and liked the sound of it. He also liked the idea of seeing her again even more. Did this mean she’d forgiven him for his display of temper?

  Time to find out.

  Suzanne came out of the kitchen, as Thad was letting himself into the house.

  “What happened to your eye?” she asked, peering closely at his face.

  “I had a little run in with an old acquaintance.”

  “What did you do, greet each other by bumping heads together?”

  “Something like that.”

  She exhaled a sigh.

  “Are you going to share, or do I have to play Twenty Questions with you?”

  “He was another one of the Montanes hirelings, better known as our fake-water-bottle guy.”

  “Ah. Well, I’m not surprised. I assume he’s now in custody.”

  Thad nodded.

  “Tucked up in a cell like a baby at bedtime; I didn’t expect to see you up so early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  He looked over her shoulder.

  “I take it your mother is still in bed.”

  “Nothing interferes with my mother’s beauty sleep.”

  “How are things going between you two? Have you had any good girl talks?”

  “Mom doesn’t do girl talks.”

  “I thought surely after that episode on the island things may have changed.”

  “Not happening. I’m thankful she got David away from me, naturally. At least I’ll always have that to remember, even if she did do it because she was angry with him more than out of concern for me. I got your message about the phones,” she said, changing the subject. “That’s wonderful news. How is Eric?”

  “He’s good.”

  Thad sniffed the air.

  “I smell coffee. Do you mind if we talk while I have a cup – or maybe even two?”

  She shrugged.

  “All right.”

  Thad followed her into the kitchen. She poured him a cup of the steaming brew, and they sat down at the table.

  “Eric is one brave young man,” Suzanne said, when Thad finished telling her what happened.

  “Yes he is.”

  “I’m so ready for this to finally be coming to an end.”

  “Actually, getting those phones to the police will start a whole new beginning. It’s going to take a lot of man hours to investigate the information your father collected. The Montane lawyers will be fighting this every step of the way.”

  Her fingers gripped the edge of the table.

  “You don’t think they’ll get them off, do you?”

  “No, but it’ll take months to sift through everything. The authorities are going to have their hands full making sure the Montane brothers are kept where they can’t slip away.”

  Thad’s phone rang, and he checked the screen.

  “It’s Muriel.”

  Suzanne stood up.

  “Go ahead and take i
t. I’ve already talked to her and my dad. I’m going to shower. Then I’ll check on the Queen Bee.”

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “No big deal. It was already made.”

  Thad frowned at her.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I’m thinking you may be upset with me after the way I left things between us.”

  “I guess I am overly sensitive. But the thing is Thad, I keep forgetting that you like to play by your own rules, and most of the time I end up fouling out of the game.”

  He watched her leave and thought of following when his phone chimed reminding him of his call.

  Suzanne headed for her bedroom. Thad was probably right when he said this was only the beginning. Once again, she thought of what so many people had gone through to get those phones with the damning evidence. But most of all she thought of her father and how brave he’d been in daring to defy the odds against him to gather the incriminating data.

  Her dad was a hero, and come to think of it, her mother was in her own way. It certainly felt good to finally feel like she had parents she could be proud of for a change. What about Thad? He’d put himself in harm’s way to keep her safe. Didn’t that make him a hero? But what about the woman, Ann Marie? Was Thad responsible for her death, as David claimed? That wouldn’t make him much of a hero in anyone’s book if it was true.

  Suzanne supposed she was guilty of being morbidly curious, as Thad had accused her. But who wouldn’t be in her position? Would Thad ever tell her the full story? Part of her wished he would, but another part of her wanted to let it go, especially after witnessing Thad’s angry reaction to her query.

  The man still had the ability to confuse her no matter how many times she thought she’d figured him out. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger wondering why it was so difficult to find love without always having so many complications thrown at her.

  She remembered how he’d told her he longed for her touch. He’d said it to her, but perhaps he was really thinking about the Cameron woman at the time. Suzanne lowered her hand and stood quietly, thinking. Maybe he couldn’t get the girl out of his mind because they were lovers. And maybe that was because he was still in love with her. Was that why he couldn’t bring himself to talk about his feelings?

  Another, more disturbing thought wedged its way into her conflicting theories. Perhaps Thad couldn’t forget the woman because he was haunted by something else. Maybe he didn’t like sharing what his life had been like with her for another reason. Could that reason be because he really had been responsible in some way for her death? If that was true, then just how much was Thad actually involved?

  Had Ann Marie Cameron lost her life because Thad left her?

  Or had she died because he’d stayed?

  Twenty-eight

  Suzanne showered, wrapped a large towel around herself, and walked into the bedroom. She stopped when she saw Thad sprawled across the bed on his back breathing deeply. She couldn’t help thinking that he looked dangerous even in his sleep. She saw that he’d removed his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt exposing his bruised ribs.

  She should have known he’d keep any other injuries from her. The man was a master at evasion, including talking about past lovers. Thad may never tell her about Ann Marie. Could she live with that? She didn’t know. It wasn’t fair that he had a whole file of data about her thanks to his agency, while she had to pry out of him what little she knew; and who’s to say that was real?

  She went to the closet, took out a blanket, and spread it over him. His eyes immediately snapped open, and he bolted up, wincing as he jarred his sore ribs. She’d forgotten how easily he could be awakened.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Covering you with a blanket. Go back to sleep. Everything’s fine.”

  Thad mumbled his thanks and closed his eyes. She tiptoed around gathering her clothes before letting herself quietly out of the room. Bobbett joined her just as Suzanne finished pulling on her jeans.

  “What are you doing dressing in the living room?”

  “Thad’s asleep in the bedroom. I didn’t want to wake him.”

  “What’d you do, tire him out with some early morning sex?”

  Suzanne’s fingers clenched on the hem of her tee shirt, as she jerked the garment in place.

  “Not even close. What would you like for breakfast?”

  “Just black coffee and a piece of dry toast. My stomach doesn’t do well if I eat too much so early.”

  “I thought you’d sleep longer.”

  “So did I, but I kept having nightmares about people waving guns and chasing me.”

  Suzanne nodded.

  “Welcome to my dreams.”

  “Well who needs that? Did Thad find the kid he was talking about?”

  “Yes; and not only that, but Eric was able to get the phones to the police. They’re rounding up the Montane brothers and their henchmen as we speak.”

  “About time. Much more of this and I’d go crazy. I hope this means I’ll be able to go back to normal living again. I’ve decided I’m tired of being gone; I want to spend more time in my condo and catching up with my social life. Am I going to have to have someone dogging my every move?”

  “I wouldn’t think so.”

  “Good. You can arrange for my transportation after you fix my breakfast. I’ve got a million phone calls to make myself. I hope I can get an appointment with my beauty salon. My hair and nails are a mess, and I’m in desperate need of a massage, not to mention a session with my personal trainer.”

  Suzanne’s nostrils flared.

  “Is that all you can think about? A lot of people put their lives on hold and in danger to get those phones to the right people. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  “You celebrate in your way, and I will in mine. But to answer your question, yes I know about the sacrifices that were made. That was their choice.”

  “People don’t always have choices, Mother. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do.”

  “I can’t do anything about that. There’s nothing wrong with looking after oneself. People do, you know. I just don’t hide the fact. If you want to keep laying your head on the chopping block that’s your business, but don’t try to make me feel guilty because I’m not there holding your hand.”

  Her mother’s indifferent attitude made something inside Suzanne snap.

  “No, you’d be the one holding the axe.”

  Bobbett lifted her brows.

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say about your mother.”

  “What else would you expect? You’ve never been a mother to me. You’ve always been too busy doing some kind of personal body maintenance or trying to snag your next man. Don’t you ever worry about having men respect you?”

  “If I wanted respect from them I would have become a nun. And now that we’re on the subject, look where all that respect has gotten you when it comes to men. You drive them away, while I prefer to reel them in.”

  She nodded toward the kitchen.

  “So, how about my breakfast?”

  “There’s coffee in the pot and bread in the breadbox. I’m sure you can handle that while I make the arrangements for someone to take you home.”

  Suzanne whirled around and fled the room. How could she have possibly thought of her mother as a hero? The woman was far too self-centered to ever truly care about anyone except herself. The sooner Bobbett left the better off they’d both be. She made the call for her mother’s transportation and returned to the kitchen a few minutes later.

  “Your ride will be here in an hour. Don’t keep them waiting,” she said in a frosty tone.

  “What are you so crabby about?”

  Suzanne’s hands clenched at her sides.

  “You just don’t get it, do you? Having a manicure is more important to you than seeing that innocent people get justice. A lot of people suffered at the han
ds of the Montane brothers.”

  “Oh climb off your soapbox. How many more times are you going to give me the same old lecture?”

  “Oh don’t worry, I’m done.”

  Suzanne had to leave the room because her mother’s continued callous behavior was making her sick to her stomach. She walked outside onto the patio hoping the fresh morning air would help to clear away the anger that had her bound up in its grip.

  Bobbett tapped on the sliding glass door a little under an hour later.

  “My limo’s here.”

  “Fine. Have a nice ride home.”

  “It sounds like you still have that chip on your shoulder. You should learn to lighten up more.”

  “Seriously, Mother?”

  Suzanne let out a weary sigh.

  “Oh come on, I’ll walk with you outside.”

  Later, when she was asked to describe what happened in the next few seconds Suzanne could barely recall the details because it had all gone so fast. She opened the front door and the man standing there pulled out a gun from beneath his suit jacket. Bobbett instantly pushed Suzanne away and ended up taking the bullet herself.

  Suzanne remembered screaming as her mother fell, and then hearing the sound of another gun being fired. She spun around to see Thad standing there holding his weapon, before she fell to her knees to cradle her mother in her arms.

  “Mom!” she yelled in a strangled voice.

  “Oh my God. Why did you do that?”

  “I guess I do get it after all,” Bobbett moaned, before her body went limp.

  Suzanne paced the floor in the hospital hallway waiting for news of how Bobbett’s surgery was going. Her mother saved her life. Again. Now she might die without giving her daughter a chance to thank her. Thad came up behind her.

  “I brought you some coffee.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t think I could swallow right now.”

  “Try. It might help. I’m guessing your throat is feeling pretty raw right now from crying.”

  She took the cup from him.

  “I know I’ve been a big baby.”

  “I didn’t say that. You have a right to be upset. It’s not every day a person witnesses what you saw.”