by Lois Kay
* * *
Muttering under his breath, Little Steven put away his cell phone. He looked anything but pleased. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles turned white.
"What's up?" Fred asked, not used to seeing his partner lose his composure.
"We're called off.”
Fred's face paled when he realized what that could mean. Shark's bait. A chill ran up his spine and he had to control himself from shivering. “W…what do we do now?” His words were nothing more than a whisper. He felt sick to his stomach and realized he was about to lose his breakfast.
“The boss wants us to meet up with him. The plan has changed. Bloody hell.” Little Steven pounded his fist against the steering wheel. “Just when we were so close”
Fred swallowed. “What does he want us to do now? I mean…are …. are we in trouble?
Little Steven cast a look at the young man in the passenger seat and felt a trace of compassion when he saw the fear in his eyes. His face softened and he even mustered up a little smile. “Nah, he needs us. Don't worry, mate. Your days aren't over yet. Neither are mine."
* * *
The drawn-out silence was getting more and more uncomfortable. The persistent ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room. The gaze of a pair of scrutinizing brown eyes, set in a stoic face, leisurely traveled between the two women and one teenager sitting in front of a desk. One of them was nervously clasping her hands, one was boldly looking around, the amusement evident in her dark-green eyes and the last one looked very calm and relaxed, meeting the almost cool stare from the woman in front of her with self-confidence.
“Why didn't I hear this before?” Inspector Wong asked. She sent Sam an inquisitive stare.
“Because I didn't know.” Sam’s voice was polished and polite.
“Come on, Sam.” The Inspector almost sneered. “I’m know you’re more intelligent than that. I did do my homework.”
Sam didn't respond, but her eyes were hooded and the expression on her face was almost bored.
“It's amazing the amount of information a few phone calls can yield. I know you’re the daughter of Richard Stevens, who happens to own a chain of hotels across the world, among other things. I also know you’re smart enough to get your business degree, cum laude, like your law degree and, what was the other one? International marketing?"
Next to her, Jody gasped. Almost invisibly Sam shrugged, returning the inquisitive stare of Inspector Wong. On the other side of her, a bony elbow poked her side. “Overachiever,” Fiona said with a smirk. Sam sent her a tight smile, before returning her attention to the Inspector who was still sizing her up.
“So, Sam Stevens, don't pretend to be something you’re not.” Inspector Wong was relentless. “You're no fool, Miss Stevens and neither am I. I’m asking you again; why didn't I hear about this when the fire brigade hauled you off that roof?"
“I told you, I didn't know,” Sam answered. “I did have my suspicions, but no proof. I first needed to know what was going on. I received confirmation about that last night and now we’re here.” She paused and met Inspector Wong’s gaze without flinching.
Inspector Wong turned to Jody whose wide eyes were still looking at Sam. To Inspector Wong’s trained eyes, it was clear Jody didn’t know whether to be annoyed or proud.
“Jody, is that true?”
“Pardon?” Jody's head turned to the Inspector and her eyes slowly lost their glassy expression. “Um…yes, it is. Sam is telling the truth. Last night Tom Stevens, her brother emailed her the results of his analysis and that's when we found out what was up. Honestly."
Inspector Wong’s face lost some of its stoic expression and a small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth. “Okay, I suppose I'll take your word for it.”
“Gee, thanks,” Sam mumbled, making Fiona chuckle.
That remark prompted an annoyed look from Inspector Wong, but Sam didn’t seem fazed. Much to Jody’s discomfort, their eyes fought a silent battle. Mentally, she rolled her eyes. A battle between two strong-willed women was the last thing they needed. She reached out and touched Sam's knee. It was a silent plea and when Sam looked at her, Jody saw her relax a little.
“What do we do now?" Jody asked, turning her attention to Inspector Wong, who sent her a grateful look.
“Well, it’s clear we’ll take over from here. We’ll look at the information on the flash drive and we’ll have a talk with William Jenkins. I’d like to know what he’s got to say.”
“What about those goons who were after Fiona?" Sam asked. There was a grim expression on her face. “We don't know who they are and who sent them. I want my family to be safe.” Those last words were spoken without thought and a happy blush colored Jody's face, while Fiona looked up at Sam with nothing less than pure adoration in her expressive eyes. Inspector Wong however noticed their reaction and suppressed a smile.
“We’ll do our best to find out who they are as soon as possible, Sam,” she replied. “I know you want more, but we have to go by what we know. William Jenkins might be able to shed some light on who else is involved.”
“That hardly seems sufficient,” Sam objected. “I want them safe. No risks. I don't want those idiots around Fiona or Jody or anyone else.”
“I can't make any promises, Sam,” Inspector Wong reasoned. “I understand your feelings about all of this, but we don't know who they are and we don't know where they are. You know that. My staff is running the license plate number right now and I hope that will provide some answers, but I’m not holding my breath. I’d expect the car you described to be stolen.”
“I know, so do I.” Sam raked her fingers through her hair and felt helpless. “What about police protection?"
Inspector Wong pressed her fingertips together and creased her forehead in a deep frown. Her eyes rested on Fiona for a while and she exhaled slowly. “I’ll ask my Superintendent. But I must warn you that I don't think he’ll give permission. We are badly understaffed as it is already. The only promise I can make you is that we’ll increase our patrols around the McDonnell's house and Fiona's school. Any other decision is up to my superior. Like I said, I can't promise anything. I’m sorry."
“Fiona's not going to school then,” Sam decided, without even looking at Jody. “I’ll keep an eye on her myself.”
Fiona beamed. “Cool. No objections from me.” Her dark-green eyes were sparkling with an adventurous glint and Jody sighed when she saw the expression on her youngest sister’s face.
“This is not a vacation, Fiona,” she reprimanded, but Fiona shrugged, sporting a broad grin.
“Oh, she’ll study alright,” Sam added. She bumped Fiona’s shoulder. “Just not at school.”
Fiona's triumphant grin disappeared quickly and she shot Sam a look filled with chagrin. “Spoilsport,” she muttered.
Sam grinned and playfully ruffled Fiona’s hair. “Come on, Fi,” she teased. “It's better than sitting in class with Mr. Richards,”
“It’s absolutely easier to only have to keep an eye on just the house,” Inspector Wong agreed.
“She won't be there either,” Sam said.
Jody's eyebrows disappeared underneath her hair and she looked genuinely puzzled. However, she had faith that Sam knew what she was doing and decided to stay silent.
“She won't?” Inspector Wong responded. “Where will she go? We can't keep an eye on her, if we don’t—”
“She’ll be with me and Jody,” Sam interrupted. “She’ll be safe, don't worry." Those last words were directed at Jody and were accompanied by a reassuring smile and a look that made Jody understand Sam would explain her plans later.
“Care to elaborate?” Inspector Wong was not able to hide her irritation.
“Not really,” was Sam’s blunt answer. “It's not that I don't trust you. I do. And I really appreciate you taking our concerns seriously. But as you said yourself, your department is understaffed. If Fiona is with us, she’ll be safe. I can be reached on my cell pho
ne at any time.”
“But—”
“It will make things easier, Inspector. For all of us.”
Inspector Wong was truly impressed by Sam's determination and firm attitude. She leaned back in her chair, not sure whether to thank Sam for making her task easier or to pummel her senseless for her stubbornness. “Alright. I can live with this arrangement,” she said. “And you’re not going to tell me where the three of you will stay?”
Sam shook her head. “I can be reached on my cell phone.”
“And you’ll let us do our jobs?”
Sam smiled. “Of course. And if I even think I see anything out of the ordinary, I’ll call you immediately.”
Inspector Wong nodded and let out a slow breath. She felt she had fought a battle and lost. It wasn’t something she was used to. She directed her attention to Fiona and sent her a warm smile. “Fiona, I’d like you to talk to one of my staff and give a statement about what happened yesterday at the store and this morning, at school. The more details you can remember, the better it is.”
Fiona nodded and straightened in her chair. She watched as Inspector Wong grabbed her phone and punched in a two-digit code. “Do you have time to take a statement? Great. Thanks.” She turned her attention to Sam and Jody. “I’ve put my best people on this case. I can assure you they’ll do anything they can to get some answers.”
The door of Inspector Wong’s office opened and a tall, uniformed officer stepped inside. Inspector Wong gestured to Sam and Jody. “This is Senior Sergeant Waters.”
Jody smiled up at the tall woman. “Hello, Senior Sergeant. I’m Jody McDonnell and this is my…, Sam Stevens.” Behind her, Jody could hear Fiona’s soft laugh and she felt her cheeks grow warm.
Trishia Waters’ clear eyes showed genuine sympathy when she looked at Jody. “I’m so sorry about your apartment, Miss McDonnell.”
“Please, call me Jody and, thank you.”
Sam stood and shook Trishia Waters’ hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Senior Sergeant. Are you involved in the investigation?”
“She’s the lead investigator, actually,” Inspector Wong said.
Sam looked pleased. “Did you find any helpful clues yet?”
Trishia Waters shook her head. “No, not yet. I’m sorry.” She looked at Inspector Wong. “You said you needed me to take a statement?”
Inspector Wong nodded and pointed at Fiona. “This young lady may have been almost kidnapped twice.”
For the first time since stepping into the office, Trishia Waters’ gaze landed on Fiona. When it did, her eyes widened, something that didn’t go unnoticed.
Jody chuckled. “Let me guess, you’ve met our sister, Lucy.”
“We’re twins,” Fiona said with a grin. “Twelve years apart and I’ve got all the freckles.”
Chapter 15
The long hospital hallway seemed endless. It was quiet, visiting hour hadn't started yet. Joan McDonnell wrinkled her nose when she took in the typical hospital smell. It was a mixture of dry, cool air and disinfectant. It smelled sterile. It was colorless and emotionless. Cold and distant. With every step she took, she realized it mirrored the feelings in her heart. When she had first met him, David McDonnell had been an enthusiastic, handsome young man. He had been a man of faith and full of ideas and ideals. His desire had been to raise a large family and live close to nature. He wanted to work the land and live off what it provided. His goal had been to shelter his family from bad, worldly influences and install a love for God and nature in his children. His wish was to help them grow into responsible adults who would be able to make a difference in society.
At first, Joan had shared his ideas, finding his outlook on life interesting and his ideals worth fighting for. But during their marriage, her husband had gradually changed into a person she no longer pretended to know. Or to love, for that matter. He had forced his own ideas upon his children, demanding obedience and not accepting anything he didn't believe himself. Things were alright when the children had been very young, but as soon as they went to high school and were confronted with the outside world, it had all changed. Jody had always had a mind of her own, but when she met her father's stubborn and rigid perspective, she had become withdrawn. She did what was asked of her, without complaining once, but from an early age on Joan had noticed the fiery spark in Jody’s expressive eyes. Her daughter had a determination she envied. She knew Jody was waiting for her chance to get away. She was patient and never rebellious, but had made her plans very early in life. Joan sometimes thought of her as a prisoner; captured between walls, doing her time and waiting for the day to step out into the sunshine. Waiting to be free.
Lucy was a totally different story. She never took 'no' for an answer and had always been ready and willing to debate, argue and rebel. She had pulled her chains at every opportunity she saw fit and never gave up voicing her frustration and discontent. More times than she was willing to remember, Joan had to save her daughter from severe and sometimes even violent punishments from her father by jumping into the battle field, telling her husband she would deal with it and that she would talk to Lucy. Which she tried, but Lucy had always been stubborn. And more than once, she had silently agreed with her daughter when she complained about being treated unfairly. After Jody had left home things got progressively worse and a year after Jody had left, Lucy had followed suit. She never came back. Now Fiona had reached an age where she no longer was willing to put up with her father’s strict rules and ideas. Her rebellion was matching Lucy’s, with the difference that Fiona was even smarter than her older sister. Often, she threw her father’s words right back at him, something Joan knew infuriated him. Fiona’s independent streak was a constant source of tension and Joan feared the day the simmering animosity between father and daughter would explode.
Joan reached the door of her husband’s room and tried push down the queasy feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath, trying to muster up strength and courage. As soon as she entered the room, she was greeted by a pair of indignant eyes. She knew it wouldn't be an easy visit. David McDonnell was sitting up in a chair near the window and looked at her disapprovingly. Before she could even say one word, he gestured her to sit down.
“Father Jamison said you weren't in church yesterday.” The tone of his voice was accusing.
Joan McDonnell had not expected that tidbit of news to travel so fast and she braced for the storm that was quickly approaching. “I went to see Jody,” she truthfully answered.
“Jody?" He almost spat out the word. “You chose a sinner over God?"
“She’s my daughter, David. She’s our daughter and she needed me. Her apartment was broken into and I needed to see if she was alright.”
“She's no longer a part of our life, Joan. She lost that right when she ran away from home and decided to live a sinful life. I don't want to talk about her. She's no child of mine. She chose the devil over God. There's no place in our lives for her."
Joan cast down her eyes to hide the tears that were pooling in her eyes and threatening to fall. His words cut her like a knife and her heart bled for Jody. She knew how Jody had suffered for being disowned by her father. And Joan had never been able to forget the look of profound hurt on Jody’s face when her father had told her Sam had left. It had been the moment her heart had been broken. Now was not the place, nor time, but soon she would let her husband know that no child deserved to be cast away, just because they loved differently. Jody had grown into a warm, loving woman who had long forgiven her mother for not standing up for her when she needed her support the most. Joan was tired of the prejudice and hate she was confronted with every day. Things would have to change. Soon.
* * *
“Are you sure about this, Sarah?" Jody asked for the second time. She searched her friend’s face for any sign of discomfort.
“Of course, Jody,” Megan answered. She put a hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “Fiona can stay here as long as she needs to. No worries
. We’re glad to help. We’re family, remember?”
“Thank you. You guys are amazing,” Sam said. “I really appreciate this. I'm sorry we didn't have time to discuss this before we dropped this on you, but—”
“It's alright, Sam.” Sarah’s eyes were warm and compassionate. “I know this situation must be hard on all of you, but like Meg said, we’re family.”
Jody turned to Fiona, who was casually leaning against the railing of the veranda. The expression on her face was a mixture of curiosity and mischief. Jody caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow in a silent warning. Fiona merely smiled. “I will behave, sis, don't worry. I can't say I'd look forward to meeting those idiots again. So, I’ll do as I'm told."
“Thank you,” Jody said. She turned to Sam and cast her a serious look. “I’d like to talk to you, please, Sam,” she said. She didn’t wait for an answer but walked inside the house toward the guestroom they were sharing. Sam raised her eyebrows and the expression on her face was so comical that Fiona started chuckling.
“You're in trouble, Sam. I know that look and I’m thrilled it’s not directed at me this time.”
Sam cast Fiona an annoyed look before she silently followed Jody, who had already disappeared into the house. When she entered the guestroom, Jody was leaning against the window sill, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked vulnerable but determined. Her green eyes were calm when they looked at Sam, but deep inside there was a smoldering fire. Sam closed the door behind her and walked toward Jody, but stopped halfway. Suddenly she realized there was a distance between them that was not caused by a physical separation.
“Why, Sam?” Jody's voice was calm, but Sam could hear an undertone of anger and hurt.
“Why what?” Sam replied, puzzled.
Jody bit her lip and tried hard not to be swayed by the genuinely confused look in Sam’s clear blue eyes. “Why did you treat me like a child when we were at the police station? I felt like it didn’t matter what I was thinking. All the decisions made this morning were yours, Sam and even though I agree with them, I still felt left out."
