“Hi, Mr. White!”
“Hello Samantha, are you ready to have your head shrunk?”
Samantha looked confused and then glanced up at Jessica.
“What’s that mean? It sounds painful.”
Jessica laughed.
“It’s just an old saying that refers to psychiatry.”
“Oh,”
The chauffeur walked over.
“It’s nice to see you again sir, madam.”
“And you too, Mr. Ortiz,” he said.
Samantha took the chauffeur’s hand.
“Just call him Billy, Mr. White.”
The chauffeur nodded. “Yeah, just call me, Billy.”
“What time will you be back to pick Samantha up?” Jessica asked.
Billy said nothing, but just stared at Jessica’s pregnant stomach.
“Billy?”
“I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. You’re having twins, aren’t you Dr. White?”
“Yes, and call me Jessica.”
“My wife is pregnant again. We just found out last night.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic, congratulations,”
Samantha jumped up and down.
“Why didn’t you tell me that? If it’s a girl, are you going to name her Maria, too?”
“No sweetheart, that... there was only one Maria.”
He gestured towards the front door.
“Why don’t we go inside, and Billy, what time should we expect you back?”
“I’ll just wait for her in the limo.”
“What? But she’ll be here for hours,” Jessica said.
Billy shrugged.
“It’s better than driving back and forth.”
“All right, but come inside where it’s warm.”
“I don’t want to be in the way, Dr. White.”
Samantha began pulling Billy by the hand.
“C’mon, I want to see the inside of the house.”
***
After a quick tour, Billy was shown to the living room where he settled on the sofa in front of the TV. The dog, Stitches, sniffed Billy’s hand, and climbed up to lay beside him.
“I see my dog has taken a liking to you, Billy.”
Billy petted the dog behind the ears.
“Yeah, I do good with dogs, and this one’s a beauty.”
“We’ll be in the kitchen with Samantha, and let us know if you need anything,”
“Thanks Mr. White.”
He walked into the kitchen and found Jessica and Samantha talking, and Samantha did not look happy.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just setting down the ground rules,” Jessica said. “Such as no lying, stealing... murder.”
Samantha pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
“She hates me.”
His phone vibrated, and when he checked the caller ID, he saw that it was his sister calling.
“It’s Maggie.”
“Who’s Maggie?” Samantha said.
“She’s my sister.”
He answered the phone and listened for a moment before he spoke again.
“Are you all right?”
More listening, then, “I’ll be there as soon as I can, yes, I love you too.”
“What’s wrong?” Jessica said.
“It’s my mom. Maggie says that she passed out as she was driving her to school. The car ran into a row of hedges, but Maggie wasn’t hurt.”
“And your mother?”
“The doctors are examining her now.”
“Go be with Maggie, we’ll be all right here.”
He looked over at Samantha.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, go see to your mother and sister.”
He hesitated.
“You’re due any day; I don’t feel right leaving you.”
“If my water breaks I’ll have Billy take me to the hospital in the limo.”
“Still...”
“Go, your sister needs you.”
“What about me?” Samantha said.
He walked over and stared down at her.
“What about you?”
Samantha met his gaze, but broke eye contact first.
“I’ll be good.”
“Yes you will, and I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
After he left the room, Jessica and Samantha looked at each other.
“What do we do now?” Samantha said.
Jessica smiled. “I know just the thing,”
***
Maggie’s private school was in a town that was actually closer to their home than her own, and he reached the area in good time and found the hospital.
Maggie ran to him and he hugged her, and then he spotted the bandage near her temple.
“I thought you said you weren’t hurt?”
“It’s just a scratch, and Mom’s awake now; but they’re keeping her while they run a few tests.”
“What have the doctors said?”
Maggie wiped at her eyes.
“They think it’s her heart.”
***
“I don’t know what happened. One minute I was drivin’, and the next thing I knew I was in an ambulance.”
He was sitting in one of the visitor chairs with Maggie at his side, as he spoke with his mother.
“Have you ever fainted before?”
“No, but I have been feelin’ dizzy from time to time.”
“I talked to the doctor and you could be here for a few days.”
“I know, and I don’t like the idea of Maggie bein’ alone.”
“I’m not a baby, Mom, I’ll be all right.”
“She could come home with me. Jessica would love to see her.”
His mother stared at him, and he expected her to say no, and possibly even insult him, but instead, she reached over and gripped his hand.
“I think that would be the best thing.”
***
He and Maggie left the hospital a short time later. He was halfway home when he realized that Maggie had no other clothes with her besides the school uniform she was wearing.
“You’ll have to wear that same uniform again tomorrow, but then we’ll go shopping. Right now, I want to get home as soon as possible. I left Jessica alone with company.”
“I don’t need to shop for anything; I’ve plenty of stuff at your house from the times I’ve stayed over.”
“Good.”
“Who’s the company, anyone I know?”
“Her name is Samantha and she’s seven-years-old.”
“A little girl? Are you babysitting?”
He smiled.
“Something like that,”
***
He returned home to find Billy playing with the dog in the yard, and after introducing him to Maggie, he went in search of Jessica and Samantha.
He found them where he left them, in the kitchen, but their attitudes seemed much improved.
Samantha was standing on a chair beside the table and holding a pastry bag, as she used frosting to draw a pink rose atop a three-tiered, white cake.
Jessica was cheering her on.
“That’s it... yes; you’ve got the hang of it. Those roses look perfect.”
As Samantha concentrated on her task, the tip of her tongue stuck out of the right side of her mouth, and he found himself thinking that she never looked more like a normal child than she did at that moment.
When the last flower was finished, Samantha beamed with pride.
“I did it! I made a cake.”
Jessica smiled. “You sure did,”
He walked into the room.
“Can I have a piece?”
“Mr. White, look, Jessica taught me how to bake.”
“I can see that, and I want to eat the first bite.”
“Go get your phone Samantha so you can take a picture of it,” Jessica said.
Samantha hopped down from the chair.
“I’ll go get Billy too; I want him to see this.”
> “He’s outside with the dog, and Maggie,” he told her, and then he hugged Jessica. “I see that things have improved.”
“Despite everything else she is, she’s still a little girl, but tell me, how is your mother?”
“The doctors think it’s her heart.”
“I would have bet on her liver, wait, I’m sorry, this is no time for jokes.”
“That’s all right; I was thinking the same thing earlier.”
“I’m glad you’ve brought Maggie here, but how hard was it to get your mother to agree to that?”
“Actually, she didn’t fight it at all.”
“See, that means she’s come to trust you.”
“I suppose.”
Samantha appeared with Maggie and Billy, and everyone agreed that Samantha’s cake looked delicious.
Jessica yawned and suddenly seemed exhausted, and he insisted that she lie down for a nap.
“I’ll see to our guests.”
“But I haven’t cooked anything for dinner yet.”
“I’ll cook, Jessica,” Maggie said.
“Oh, no honey, we can order something to be delivered.”
“But I like to cook and it will take my mind off Mom.”
“I’ll help,” Samantha said.
Maggie smiled at her.
“See, between the two of us we’ll make something edible.”
“All right, but Samantha, maybe you should call your grandfather and tell him that you’ll be staying for dinner, that is, if Billy doesn’t have any plans?”
“I’m in no hurry to get back; my wife is visiting her parents to tell them the good news.”
“All right, but Maggie please be careful,”
“I will.”
He kissed Jessica. “Go lie down; I’ll keep an eye on things,”
***
Jessica awoke to the aroma of garlic and fresh bread, and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Her back ached to one degree or another at all times lately, and naps, such as the one she had just awoken from, were a daily occurrence.
Her due date was three days away, and every time she thought of finally holding her babies in her arms, it sent a thrill of anticipation through her, and each morning she said a silent prayer of gratitude for her unborn children.
The sound of laughter reached her ears, and as she entered the kitchen, she saw that a feast had been prepared in her absence.
Maggie and Samantha got along so well that they reminded Jessica of her sister and herself when they were younger, and over dinner, Billy proved to be quite the storyteller, so much so, that even her husband laughed aloud at one of his tales.
***
When everyone was fed and had enjoyed Samantha’s cake, Billy took her hand and led her to the limo, where goodbyes were said all around.
As he opened the rear door for her to climb in, Samantha turned and smiled at Jessica.
“I liked having my head shrunk. Can we do it again?”
Jessica laid a hand on her stomach.
“Soon, but not until after the babies are born.”
“Alright, goodbye Mr. White, Maggie,”
As the limo rolled off, Maggie took out her phone and began walking towards the house.
“I’m gonna call my friend, Katie, but don’t touch the dishes, I’ll wash them soon.”
“Thank you sweetie,” Jessica said, as they followed her into the house.
They settled on the sofa in front of the TV and Jessica sighed.
“This was some day, hmm?”
“A bit more social than I’m used to,” he said.
“Just you wait until our children are teenagers; that’s when things will get crazy.”
He touched her stomach, and as he did, the babies moved.
“I can’t wait to meet them.”
“They have names now, remember?”
“You haven’t changed your mind.”
“No. I like those names, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,”
Jessica snuggled against him.
“I’m so happy.”
He kissed her.
“That makes two of us.”
The television was muted, but a banner scrolled across the screen proclaiming a breaking story.
Jessica picked-up the remote and turned the sound on just as a female reporter appeared on screen holding a microphone. A man and a woman in their twenties stood at the reporter’s side. The man was tall and good-looking with an athlete’s build, and in fact, had won a bronze medal in the latest Olympic Games while competing in the decathlon. The woman, his wife, was a stunning redhead with large blue eyes and dazzling teeth.
“Good evening, I’m Kathy Cooper and I’m here in Boston, Massachusetts with famed criminologist Dr. Summer Gray and her husband, Olympian, Steve Gray. Dr. Gray and her husband have just solved a case that has plagued the city for weeks, the so-called Boston Basher. It was their work that led to the arrest of a man named Hugo Thiel, a lifelong petty criminal, who police now believe was the man responsible for nearly a dozen assaults committed with a blackjack, two of which sadly ended in fatalities.”
The reporter’s smile widened as she placed the microphone before Summer Gray.
“Dr. Gray, please share with us how you caught the Boston Basher.”
Summer Gray grinned seductively as her eyes twinkled.
“I’m afraid that’s a trade secret, Kathy, but I would like to say that my husband and I are available to help law-enforcement whenever needed.”
“A colleague of mine said that you and your husband reminded him of Dr. Jessica White and her husband, who also work as a team, and who have solved numerous cases over the years.”
Summer Gray placed a delicate finger to her lips as her eyes looked upward and to the right, as if she were struggling to remember something.
“Dr. Jessica White? Oh yes, she was quite something back in the day, wasn’t she?”
“Back in the day?” Jessica said, incredulous. “We solved a case in Detroit only a few months ago, and more recently you captured Robert Rothman.”
The reporter nodded in agreement to Summer Gray’s statement.
“Yes, Dr. White does seem more invested in being a writer these days than a Criminal Profiler, but luckily for us, you and your handsome husband are ready to step in and take her place. In Boston, I’m Kathy Cooper.”
Jessica shut the TV off and frowned.
He took her hand.
“You miss being out there, don’t you?”
“A little, but I loved writing the book and soon our babies will demand most of my time.”
“Still, neither of us would be happy without the chase, the excitement, and when the time is right, we’ll get back to it.”
“Yes, profiling is in my blood.”
He kissed her. “And you’re in mine,”
***
The following day was a Wednesday, and Maggie had only half a day of school before beginning a winter break.
Amanda drove her there and then picked her up, so that he and Jessica could spend time together, but in the afternoon, he drove to a nearby office building where he had rented a conference room for a meeting with a company well-known for video game development.
It was an unusual request to meet with them outside their headquarters, but needed, if he was to demonstrate the new 3-D technology that he and Michael had created, technology that was truly revolutionary.
He arrived at the conference room the same time as his lawyer. The lawyer was Thomas Roman, and he was Jeff Roman’s son. Jeff Roman was an old friend of Jessica’s father, as well as a lawyer who had once defended him against serious charges while he was in college.
Unlike his famed father, the younger Roman didn’t practice criminal law, but was an attorney who specialized in intellectual property rights and was roundly regarded as one of the best in his field,
Michael had arrived earlier to set-up and test the equipment they would need for the demonstration.
As he enter
ed, he saw that everything was in place, and he introduced Michael to Thomas Roman.
Roman shook Michael’s hand and held it, as he studied his face.
“Hartmann? Good Lord, why didn’t it occur to me before, you’re Xavier Hartmann’s son, aren’t you?”
“Yes, he was my dad.”
“No wonder you’re so gifted; you must have inherited your mind from your father.”
He looked back and forth at them.
“What’s this about your father, Michael?”
Roman answered.
“Michael’s father, Xavier Hartmann, he was a mechanical genius whose work gave birth to modern robotics. However, he earned little more than praise for his efforts, because the company he worked for claimed that his designs were theirs to patent, and not his own, and legally they were right, but what they did to him in the courts was morally repugnant.”
“History won’t repeat itself this time; show him the contract, Thomas.”
Michael appeared wary.
“What contract? I didn’t sign any contract.”
He placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder.
“No, you didn’t, but I’m hoping you will. Please read it over.”
Michael accepted the contract from Roman and then sat down to study it.
***
Michael read the contract, and then read it again. It was two pages long and constructed as simply as the law would allow.
“You want to give me twenty-five percent of your project? Why would you do that, you already paid me?”
“You’ve earned it. The difficulty I had getting the opacity right had plagued me for months. You overcame it within hours and eliminated the translucency in the projections, and you were invaluable in other areas. I paid you well, that’s true, but it wasn’t nearly enough to equal your contribution. Take the contract to a lawyer of your choice and discuss it.”
Michael still looked a bit wary, or perhaps confused, but nodded agreement.
***
The team arrived from the games developer. They were three men and one woman.
His team now also numbered four, as a Mr. Chimera had joined them.
After introductions, they sat around the conference table, and Michael handed out the laminated fact sheets concerning their invention.
The head of the other party, a Mr. Talbot, looked up after reading.
“If you can deliver even half of what you claim here, we’re very interested, but we’ll need a demonstration before we discuss this any further.”
The TAKEN! Series - Books 9-12 (Taken! Box Set Book 3) Page 23
