Tropical Safeguard (Men Of The Secret Service)

by Stella Kelly

  “Good evening, Secretary Mitchell. An envelope arrived for you.”

  “Oh, thank you, Gloria.” James Mitchell took the sparse looking envelope and flipped it over. His face held a puzzled expression. “How do you know it’s for me?”

  “Well, I just assumed, Sir.”

  “Okay. Let’s find out.”

  He tore at the edge, ripping it up the side. He pulled a single piece of paper out with his fingertips. Gloria watched as his expression turned from one of puzzlement to one of overt fright.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Gloria, did you see who delivered this?”

  “No, it was sticking out of the mailbox. Why?”

  “Please, will you excuse me,” Secretary Mitchell looked at her in a way that signified it was her cue to leave.

  “Yes, Sir.” Gloria shut the door behind her and quickly walked down the hallway, heading straight for the kitchen. She found Jacque preparing a late snack for the boys who were hunkered down in the entertainment room for a movie. He looked up at her as she entered. “Perhaps a little taste?” He held up a spoon of butterscotch pudding with a crumbled toffee topping. “The ultimate combination of creamy and crunchy. I’ll also make some spicy popcorn for the little men. They are not as picky as I thought.” Jacque held the spoon in mid-air, but Gloria stood speechless. “Gloria, snap into it!”

  “Huh? Oh. You mean ‘snap out of it’, Jacque,” she corrected as she became aware of what he was doing. She took a bite. “Mmm. A winner.”

  “What is bothering you then? You look very far away,” Jacque asked while spreading the crumbled toffee over the tops of each pudding.

  “A letter came for the Secretary. It seemed really odd and I think it may have been something inappropriate.”

  Looking up from his task, Jacque raised his eyebrows dramatically. “Oh? Do tell.”

  “It was in the mailbox, though it wasn’t there this morning when I brought in the mail. I just happened to notice a piece of paper hanging out when I was sweeping the front walkway.”

  “Hmm, we have a mystery. I wonder if we will discover the ending.”

  <><><>

  Meanwhile, Secretary Mitchell picked up the phone and called the Deputy Secretary’s room. He asked him to come down to the study to discuss the letter as soon as possible. He then called Agent Nielsen’s cell.

  “Agent Nielsen, I think we have a problem. Do you and your partner mind joining us in the study please.”

  “Certainly sir, right away.”

  Cole had been patrolling the grounds and avoiding Agent Kensing until he received the call. While walking, he’d often looked toward Katrina’s room and wondered what she was doing right now. Her light was on and since it was too early to turn in, he assumed she was reading. Or, perhaps she was doing some intricate Pilates pose on the floor of her room, practicing her technique. The image of her flexing and stretching her taut body flashed across his mind and he felt a flush of heat rise within. He wouldn’t mind assisting her with other interesting positions. There was no denying his attraction. Whether it was reciprocated or not was another story. Although he suspected she was flirting this morning after Noah’s incident, he really couldn’t read her at all and his head had been cloudy since Katrina took her burning hands away from his skin. The massage had ended, but the memory of her touch remained searing him down to his bones. He ached for her touch again, wondering if it would be inappropriate to request a massage daily so he could have contact, any contact with her. He’d take it in any form he could get it. Still, even with the mysterious aura that surrounded Katrina, there was something there that Cole recognized; an apprehension he’d seen on occasion when dealing with someone who’d experienced abuse in their past. She was cautious, leery of men, and here to get away from something. That much was obvious.

  Cole clicked his earphone, “Agent Kensing, do you read?”

  “Yes, I copy.”

  “There’s a problem. Secretary Mitchell wants us in his study.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Cole walked around the back lawn in the direction of the mansion’s side door – his regular throughway. In doing so, he passed by Katrina’s balcony again and saw a faint silhouette of her image standing near the curtain. It moved slightly and then her silhouette receded. Had she been watching him? He shrugged it off and continued through the pergola and onto the flagstone patio. Agent Kensing met him there and they walked to the study together.

  “Enjoy your walk?” Cole asked. Agent Kensing had been patrolling the front of the property just for something to do even though his shift hadn’t officially started.

  “Yes, my walk was fine, nothing special. Anything to report from the back lawns?”

  “No,” Cole answered, keeping his civilities low-key as they traveled down the long hallway. Cole could hear the loud action sequences of the young adult flick coming from the entertainment room as they passed. Looking in, he saw all three boys with their faces glued to the oversized screen, their mouths gaping in trance-like awe.

  “Totally distracted,” Cole pointed out, expecting a chuckle from Agent Kensing.

  The veteran simply sniffed and shook his head. “When I was that age, I’d have been in bed already. Kids these days are so spoiled.”

  His colleague’s cynicism did not surprise Cole. If anything, he’d learned not to expect anything less.

  As they opened the door of the study, The Secretary, The Deputy Secretary, and Helene Greenbaum were already there. Cole could tell right away something had frightened Secretary Mitchell the moment he saw his face.

  “What is it, sir?”

  “This letter arrived after the regular mail delivery and it’s a concern.” Secretary Mitchell passed it to Cole, but Agent Kensing stepped forward and took the letter first. He opened the paper and read it silently before passing it to Cole who read it aloud.

  You can run, but you can’t hide.

  I’ll find you in your nightmares.

  I’ll find you in the daylight.

  There is no escaping me.

  You’ll be sorry you ever left.

  I’ll make sure you’re sorry.

  Trust me, I’ll make sure.

  Agent Kensing looked over at Cole with a knowing expression. “This is very personal. Clearly you know this person,” Agent Kensing addressed Secretary Mitchell. The man’s mouth fell open.

  “But I have no known enemies, aside from those who oppose my political views. Strangers really. How personal are we talking?”

  “Someone close to you. Someone who knows you on an intimate level perhaps.”

  Secretary Mitchell fidgeted at the word ‘intimate’. In reality, the word implied so much. He’d lost his wife over three years ago now to cancer and he had only been intimate with one person since. James Mitchell thought about this person and then dismissed the notion that she may be involved entirely. It was preposterous to think about. Clearly, the Secret Service agent was mistaken. “I really don’t know what you are implying, but I don’t think this letter is from anyone I know personally. I think I’d know if someone had it out for me.”

  “Yes, it’s obviously from some crazy lunatic,” Helene attempted to sooth Secretary Mitchell’s worries.

  “But this person knew you were here at this particular mansion during this particular week.”

  Cole cleared his throat. “Agent Kensing, is there a possibility that the letter wasn’t intended for The Secretary, but rather for someone else? After all, it wasn’t addressed to anyone in particular.”

  Cole’s comment suddenly spurred a fire in his colleague’s eyes. Agent Kensing shot him a stern look, grimacing as if in pain. “Listen, I’ve seen this kinda stuff before, many times, and this is a threatening letter directed at the most important man here. If it were intended for anyone else, it would state as such.”

  The room was quiet. No one wanted to interfere with Agent Kensing’s theory. Cole felt publically reprimanded and the action smarted. Agent Pri
ckly had gone too far.

  Cole tried to redirect the situation and put everyone at ease – something Agent Kensing wasn’t achieving. “The mansion has security cameras, so I’ll check the surveillance video and double check all the exterior doors and outbuildings right away and make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. Often, the culprit will hire someone to do his dirty work for him. An innocent person may have delivered the mail unknowingly. After all, the letter was sealed.”

  “Right, right. That could have happened,” Agent Kensing piped in.

  “And I really don’t think it’s necessary to get all worked up over this incident, sir.” Cole turned his full attention toward Secretary Mitchell. “Just relax and enjoy your holiday and we’ll take care of it. Besides, you really don’t know for whom the letter was intended. Perhaps the owner of the mansion, Mr. Winters, has an ongoing disagreement with someone. We can’t rule that out either. Are you aware of your friend having any known enemies?” Cole asked directly. He could feel Agent Kensing’s eyes burning into him.

  “Not that I know of, but there is always someone possessing jealousy and resentment toward success and wealth. It comes with the territory.”

  “Should we warn the boys?” Helene asked.

  Cole thought for a moment. “No, I think the best thing to do is carry on. The boys don’t need to know about any of this. But I would inform the staff here in case they see something suspicious. If they are aware of the threat, they’ll be more observant. I don’t want to offend anyone when I ask this, but thorough security checks have been performed on the present staff members, correct?”

  “Yes, Aubrey forwarded their police checks and details before leaving on his safari. He knew my office would have to follow a specific protocol before we arrived. My assistant Vivian received all of that information.”

  “Aubrey, meaning Mr. Winters?”

  “Correct.”

  “Okay, so they’re clear then.” Cole thought of Secretary Mitchell’s immediate staff members; those he’d arrived with. The group was sparse. The only other ‘employees’ accompanying him were the nanny and the agents. “Like I said, lets carry on as usual and try to enjoy this holiday with your son, sir. Agent Kensing and I will take it from here.”

  Secretary Mitchell nodded followed soon afterward by Deputy Greenbaum and Helene.

  “Where’s Trudy? Should someone go and tell her the news?” asked Deputy Greenbaum.

  “I couldn’t reach her when I called up to her room earlier. Maybe she was in the shower or out for a walk,” Secretary Mitchell commented.

  Cole thought about Trudy for a moment. She was missing in action during a time of crisis and no one could find her, just like earlier when Noah had fallen over the cliff. Perhaps Trudy knew more than the others believed. He made a mental note to call Intel and do a personal check on the nanny in the morning. What Agent Kensing didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Cole cringed at the thought of including the veteran on his suspicions. There was no telling how he could inadvertently screw it up. “I’ll check the front and also scan the surveillance tapes. I’ll report back to you when it’s complete,” he mentioned as the agents turned to leave the study.

  “Fine. I’ll check the back of the property this time in case you missed something,” Agent Kensing announced as he strode off with purpose.

  ‘Nice. One last insulting little jab, how professional.’ Cole bid everyone in the study a goodnight and then retraced Gloria’s steps leading away from the study back toward the foyer. He opened the front door and peered into the mailbox. Looking up, he noticed the security camera in the left hand corner. He walked down the immaculately groomed front walkway toward the circular drive, past the fancy lampposts and neatly groomed hedges until he arrived at the front entrance. The security gate was closed and there was no way of entering the property without having called the main house and being buzzed in by someone. How had the person put the letter in the mailbox? Cole’s mind instantly veered to the staff again. Inside job for sure unless there was another explanation for the delivery.

  Cole turned and faced the mansion. From a distance, it resembled any of the many mansions he’d seen in the Hamptons. Relaxed yet grand with typical Bermudan architecture. Standing stationary, he scanned the lawns with his eyes, really taking it all in. The yard was well lit with strategically placed spotlights pointing toward a stone wall that ran the entire perimeter of the property. The spotlights created a pattern of lit uniformity along the sturdy wall. Coupled with the bright moonlight, the grounds were anything but dark. Everything was beyond immaculate, even at night. George the groundskeeper obviously took his job very seriously and had a green thumb.

  Cole wandered around the perimeter of the lawns toward George’s small cottage at the far right corner of the property. The lights were on so Cole decided to seize the opportunity by knocking lightly. A moment later, George answered the door.

  “Good evening, Agent Nielsen. What can I do for you?”

  “Good evening, George. I was just wondering if you noticed anything strange this evening.”

  “Strange? What do you mean?”

  “There was a threatening letter delivered to the mansion and it’s a mystery how it was put in the mailbox. Does the postman have access to the gate?”

  The elderly man scratched his head in thought. “No, Gloria buzzes the postman in every morning during the week. He drives his mail car right up to the front door and either drops it in the mailbox or he hands it directly to Gloria. No one came in this evening that I saw. That gate makes a humming sound that I hear every time it opens. I can’t miss it. I didn’t hear anything tonight.”

  Cole took a step down and looked toward the rot-iron gate. There had to be another way that the person had accessed the property. He turned his attention back to George. “Okay. In case you do see or hear anything suspicious, please let us know. I’d appreciate that.”

  “No problem.”

  “Goodnight then.”

  “Night, Agent Nielsen.”

  Walking away from the cottage, Cole skirted the flowerbeds that ran along the perimeter of the grounds. He walked past each spotlight until he noticed something odd. Two of the spotlights pointing toward one section of the stone wall had smashed bulbs, throwing an entire section of the wall into darkness. Cole knew this would allow someone to jump over without being detected. It was clearly deliberate.

  He waded through the flowerbed until he was at the wall. Hoisting himself up and perching at the top with his elbows, he looked over and noticed a few logs leaning against the wall on the other side where someone could easily climb over. This was definitely the ‘where’, now he had to figure out the ‘when’. If it had been tonight to deliver the letter, that changed things. If this had been the point of entry for the delivery then the eye of suspicion was taken off the immediate staff members. It was still too early and there was still not enough evidence to conclude either theory. Jumping down, Cole clicked his earphone. “Agent Kensing, we have a security breach.”

  Chapter Seven

  Jacque brought out a platter with a pot of Earl Grey tea and mini-croissants filled with watercress and shrimp with a light mayo dressing. Little bowls of Devonshire clotted cream and lime jam were placed beside a small mountain of rum scones.

  “You know you’re in Bermuda when we serve afternoon tea with an island vibe. This little snack encapsulates this tradition perfectly. Bon appétit!” Jacque admired his handy-work and smiled at his audience, their mouths salivating in anticipation. They all thanked him profusely before he bounced back to the kitchen with his trademark enthusiasm.

  Cole was standing at the bottom of the stone staircase that led away from the flagstone patio where the dignitaries and their families sat eating their lunch. He paced a little, watching the edges of the property like a hawk though his eyes were a little unfocused and bloodshot. Last night had been a late one. He and Agent Kensing had meticulously gone over the surveillance footage and discovered a hooded fig
ure glide in, drop the envelope into the mailbox, and then glide away like a ghost in the darkness. They hadn’t seen the person’s face, but by his stature it was easy to see it was a large, muscular male.

  After thoroughly checking out all other possible ways of accessing the property, from the disturbed spot Cole had found to the unguarded access at the far side of the beach, the agents hadn’t gone to bed until the wee hours of the morning. Cole’s morning ritual had been shelved for the first time in a long time. He was sorry to have missed his opportunity for a one-on-one Pilates class with Katrina, though part of him was grateful that he wouldn’t have to partake in something he knew nothing about. He felt a little unsure of himself in that department, but still, it would’ve been an interesting experience just to have her guide him through it. He’d spotted the boys playing in the water and Katrina giving Helene and Trudy a Pilates class this morning on his rounds, but he hadn’t had the chance to talk with her.

  When the group dispersed after lunch, Cole made his way into the staff’s area and sat down to eat the scrumptious delicacies Jacque had provided. Agent Kensing was just finishing his lunch with the rest of the staff when Cole arrived.

  “Agent Nielsen, the dignitaries and the boys want to go on a fieldtrip and the women want to go shopping in Hamilton.”

  “Okay,” Cole said as he filled his plate. “So?” Cole looked up and met Agent Kensing’s steely blue eyes.

  “So, we’ll split up then,” the seasoned agent instructed as if he were solely in charge.

  “What’s your preference?” Cole asked, not too bothered by what he was given.

  “Fieldtrip. I’ve never been one for shopping. My wife’s the shopper in the family.”

  At his comment, Cole was reminded that this man actually had a life aside from work, as rocky as that life may now be.

  “Alright, shopping it is. I can handle that. Will you drive then?”

  “No, I’ll take the driver. I’ll have both dignitaries with me so I need to be overly aware of the surroundings.”