If he’d known what his job would ultimately get him involved with and at what cost, he would have settled for mediocre and tedium. In many ways the man standing before Jake had unwittingly caused the chain of events that had led them both here. Jake out of his body on life-support and Kate dead. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to hate Robert Fitzpatrick. He truly did, but at the end of the day their decision to cut Jake from Kate’s life had only been for her protection. They both loved her beyond words. Jake couldn’t blame Robert for that, for in knowingly getting involved in such dangerous work, she was always going to be put at risk.
As Robert walked through the apartment, hoping that his daughter would appear from nowhere, Jake stayed close, for it was his only connection to Kate. He felt a tense vibe resonate off Robert as it became apparent that the small villa was empty. Robert had done the same as Jake and read the faxes hanging lifelessly from the machine, tensing his shoulders as his mind ticked over at the unread pleas from his daughter’s boss.
Moving to the middle of the lounge room and tilting his head as if in thought, he shut his eyes for a moment. Jake didn’t know what he was doing. Calming his emotions? No. It looked almost as if he was trying to focus on something. His brow creased with concentration. When Robert opened his eyes he shook his head and uttered, “It can’t be. I must be hallucinating from lack of sleep.” It was almost like he’d sensed Jake’s presence, letting his guard down slightly and then dismissing it, quickly returning to cop mode.
Robert pulled his cell from his suit jacket and dialed a number before barking into the phone.
Jake couldn’t hear who was on the other line but could tell that whoever answered the phone wasn’t the owner.
“Where is Paul Hinchley?”
Jake knew that Robert could be intimidating when necessary. With a deep commanding voice, he knew how to use it to get what he wanted. It still gave him the shivers. Mr. Fitzpatrick was used to getting his own way and didn’t take kindly to irritating hassles when it came to his work. This side of him was a far cry from the soft, caring father and husband that Jake had witnessed when he’d been a part of Kate’s life. Jake admired Robert for his ability to keep work and home life separate. Well, most of the time. He could only imagine how hard it would be this time to keep work and home life distanced, now that they both had somehow managed to intercept. It would be impossible.
After a heated yet brief conversation, Robert placed one bag on the couch and opened the blue one to reveal a very impressive looking handgun. A Heckler and Koch P2000. Small but deadly. Robert loaded the magazine, put the safety on, and tucked it into his suit pants so that it sat flush against his stomach. Daddy was armed and dangerous.
After putting his wallet into his jacket pocket Robert was on the move again. Jake didn’t hesitate to follow because his instincts were telling him that the phone call had something to do with Kate. He was hot on Robert’s tail as they both fled the apartment, heading down the hill towards the heart of town.
The night had become exceptionally still with not a breath of wind, which was quite unusual for the coastal town. Normally there was at least a warm whisper blowing in off the shore.
As always when stepping out at night, the cafes and restaurants fed the locals and any remaining tourists left over from festival day, some sipping on coffee while others enjoyed quality wine.
Jake had no idea where they were going, he just knew that he had to follow. To get any answers at all would be better than the black void he felt he was in at the moment.
It wasn’t hard to keep pace with Robert. Not when he didn’t need his feet for walking any more. In fact he had to mentally restrain himself to hang back to see where they were going in the hope that the outing would give him some much needed answers.
Robert’s gait told Jake that he was fired up and ready to take someone’s head off. He’d seen that look many times and had heard it earlier during the phone call. As he eyed up Kate’s father he couldn’t help but notice how stressed man looked. It was to be expected, of course, given the man’s career.
When their little journey led them down to the water, along the esplanade and up a small street to the police station, Jake paused.
He couldn’t help but wonder why Robert was agitated about a man named Paul Hinchley and what it all had to do with Kate? Who was Paul Hinchley and why had Robert seemed so angry on the phone?
As he snuck in the door behind Robert, he muttered, “I guess I’m about to find out.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Sir! You cannot-a go back there! Please!”
The door flung open, hitting the wall as Robert stormed into the interrogation room with a look of fury on his face.
“What the fuck is going on?” His dark eyes focused in on his watcher, whose code name was The Gladiator.
“I’m being held for questioning for suspicious behavior, sir.”
Rob’s death stare turned towards the blithering cop who fidgeted under the hostile glare. The two officers from the front desk had flown down the hall as back-up and stood in the doorway, trying to assess how to handle the situation.
Robert flashed his badge to the wary trio in a bid to show his own authority. Three sets of eyes glanced over the identification before the rookie that had detained The Gladiator spoke.
“I’m sorry, Mr… How-a you say-a your name?
“Fitzpatrick! Robert Fitzpatrick!”
“Mr. Fitzpatrick. This man was-a very suspicious. We just-a try and find out what he was-a doing.”
“What do you mean, suspicious?” Robert placed his badge back in his pocket.
“He is-a dangerous. He-a has this photo and-a these weapons.”
Rob grabbed the crumpled photo of Kate, looked at it briefly, and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
“I realize you were following protocol but I assure you there is nothing suspicious going on here. My daughter is missing and Paul was helping me find her. We are wasting valuable time with this nonsense. Now. If you don’t have any further questions for my associate, we’d like to continue our search.” Robert motioned for The Gladiator to stand and then handed a piece of paper to one of the officers. “Here. Call this number and everything will be explained to you. I’m sure you’ll then realize that this has all been a huge mix up.”
Eyeing the weaponry and phone sitting on the small table, Robert picked them up and handed them to The Gladiator, where they were stashed back in their rightful, inconspicuous places. In a sure and confident manner, Robert and The Gladiator strode past the watchful constables without so much as a glance sideways, not caring if they were breaking protocol but knowing that Gary would take care of the details. Details that were holding them back from finding Kate. As the minutes and hours ticked away, finding her safe was becoming more of a concern.
“Wait!” one of the officers called before the Americans disappeared into the night.
Robert motioned for The Gladiator to wait outside. “I’ll handle this.”
Trying with all his might to smile and look placating, he then turned towards the stunned officers and spoke in a softer voice. “My good men. Come.” He motioned for everyone to gather around him and listen. “Please call the man on the piece of paper I gave you. He’ll verify what I just told you but I urge you to hurry. My daughter may be in danger. I have flown from the US and haven’t slept in nearly two days. There is no trouble here, I assure you. Please.” It was just this side of begging as Robert motioned to the telephone.
There was a moment of silence and at first it appeared that the officer hadn’t heard Robert, then he slowly walked to the telephone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kate stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down at her supine form, twisted from shattered bones, finally understanding and remembering what had happened to her. It was almost as if the closer she was to death, the more she could recall. Everything became clearer. Her soul was opening up. Memories zapped forth, sharp and crystal clear. Running from t
he festival. Taking her sandals off. Sitting to put them back on. Standing close to the edge. Too close… Falling…
A sadness washed over her as she looked at her fragile form, barely holding on. Trying to fight. Time was running out. She had fallen to her near death. She knew that with such clarity. If she wasn’t found soon, she would slip away, alone, without anyone knowing.
It was hard to think of that. Death. One doesn’t think it’s ever going to happen while they’re young and in the prime of their life. Not like this. There were so many other ways to die, but falling off a cliff just didn’t seem like something that would ever take her away from her loved ones and the life that she knew.
She looked at her current ethereal body and gasped. She was still in the clothes she’d thought up last night but her skin was luminous. Last night she had appeared solid. Now… well… she looked kind of freaky. Shimmering with golden wisps of light as if she’d swallowed a light globe. What was happening? She still felt the same—in fact, she felt great. Weightless and full of energy, unlike the crippling pain her human body on the ledge had to endure.
Thoughts flicked back to the previous night. Waking up in her apartment, naked and confused, now made sense. She was out of her body just as Jake had said. His words played over and over.
He said I’d looked different than earlier at the festival and then he had gone all weird. I didn’t take that much notice because I’d been distracted by his derailing good looks. His arrival in Vernazza—wait a minute! Jake! He knew! How had he even been able to see me? To feel me. To kiss me when I hadn’t even really been there at all. He’d been in my apartment as real and as solid as I’d seen him five years ago. How was it possible? Was he able to see ghosts?
In that moment of frantic realization all she wanted to do was return to her apartment. Jake may still be there. Maybe he could help her after all. If he truly could see ghosts then he was the only one that could help.
In an instant she was through the door into the familiar foyer and flying up the stairs into the lounge room, desperate to see Jake again and have him make everything alright.
“Jake! Jake! Where are you?” It was wretched wailing. “Jaaaake!”
Kate hadn’t even bothered to open the door manually. Without even knowing it, in her frenzied state she’d gone right through it and up the stairs without touching them. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she stopped.
In the middle of the room sat a suitcase and smaller bag. She’d never seen them before. They hadn’t been there before. Were they Jake’s? Did he expect to move back in with her?
“Jake?” Silence cut through her sharply as she slowly inched towards the bags, hoping to identify the owner. As she moved closer, something familiar hit her. She sniffed the air, trying to determine what it was. The scent clung to her in a warm, soothing way. A way that felt as if big, strong arms were wrapped around her.
Kneeling on the floor and searching the suitcase, her hand found the luggage tag.
She turned it in her fingers and looked down to read the label that had been encased in clear plastic and attached to the handle.
The name written in the looped scrawl that she knew all too well, jumped out at her, momentarily confusing her.
“Dad?”
It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be. He was back in the States. She’d only spoken to him days earlier and he’d mentioned nothing of a visit so soon. Why would he not have told her he was coming? Had he wanted it to be a surprise? Where was her mother’s bag? Was she not here? Why would her father have come alone? He’d said they were coming at Christmas.
She stood and hurried through the apartment, calling his name. Jake was now forgotten.
“Dad! Dad! I’m here. Where are you?” For a moment she wasn’t a ghost. She was a daughter in need of a hug from her father. A man who loved her no matter what. A man who had always been her hero. She worshipped the ground he walked on. It had been so long since they’d seen each other. He was the only real thing in her life at that point.
She needed to find out what had led him here in such haste. She didn’t for a minute suspect that his visit had anything to do with her accident. How could her father have found out?
It didn’t take long to establish that she was alone. He wasn’t there. He’d gone out but she knew that he would have to return if his bags remained. Maybe he’d gone to get something to eat. Even with the riddle of his arrival, she couldn’t quell the excitement coursing through her as she sat on the couch to wait. Everything would be okay now. Her father could fix anything. She believed that to be true. What she had forgotten was that he wouldn’t be able to see her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Robert waited in anticipation as the officer made the call that would get The Gladiator off the hook.
Gary’s voice could be heard saying, “How did you get this private line?” The rest was a blither of yelling mixed with curses. The officer looked stressed as he tried to calmly talk his way through the conversation. He was, after all, just doing his job. He didn’t know these strangers or what their motives were, so treading with caution was vital, even if it meant being yelled at by another stranger who sounded like he was ready to blow a gasket.
When he hung up, he walked over to Robert with sweat on his brow and motioned towards the front door.
“I’m-a sorry to waste-a your time. You are-a free to go now.”
Finally! They could get this search going again. Robert shook hands with the officer and added, “If you really want to assist you can help us search. Now that we have wasted so much time here, the chances of finding my daughter are dwindling away. Paul Hinchley and I are going to check from the Esplanade across towards the tower and up the hill. You boys can look on the other side of town behind the church if you could.”
Robert hadn’t wanted to get anyone else involved but too much time had already been wasted. His daughter was in mortal danger, he could feel it. There wasn’t much time left. The agony of it was eating him alive. He had to try and stay focused and not lose it totally. If he didn’t think without a doubt that his daughter’s life was hanging in the balance he wouldn’t have traveled on an urgent whim and involved Gary or The Gladiator. He’d had his suspicions about Kate’s boyfriend long before their last phone conversation. The fact that he was away all the time shouldn’t have worried Robert in the least. He should have taken the whole ‘salesman’ act at face value, but when he had feelings about a person he couldn’t shake, he’d learned after years of experience not to ignore them. It wasn’t that he had betrayed Kate by enlisting a watcher for her. He’d been merely keeping an eye on her for his own piece of mind. It was lucky The Gladiator was already in Rome when Robert had called Gary. After pulling some strings he’d had the soldier on a helicopter to Vernazza immediately.
Being a quiet night, even with a number of tourists still remaining in the town, two of the officers decided to join in the search. They each grabbed a flashlight and headed out the door, happy to have something exciting to do to pass the time.
Robert walked out behind them and moved towards The Gladiator. Jake didn’t wait for the door but moved through it as close to Robert as he could be without touching him.
The Gladiator held out his hand to Robert.
“Sir.” He held Robert’s gaze as both men shook hands and nodded at each other.
“You need to tell me everything. I want you to take me to the place you last saw my daughter so we can start our search there. You need to tell me where you have searched and how thorough you’ve been. I want no stone left unturned. We need to think of all possibilities. People don’t just vanish.”
“I understand, sir.” The hulk of a man’s voice rumbled, deeply.
“Lead on.” Robert motioned for The Gladiator to proceed to the last point of contact with his daughter, not wasting another second.
The tension hung in the air like a heavy blanket, following them on the steep hike up the sharp incline. It was Robert’s first trip to
Vernazza and under normal circumstances he’d be in awe of the antiquated town, but on this particular night his mind was only focused on one thing. Finding his Katie. If this wild goose chase proved nothing more than a waste of time and money and Kate was fine and well, then he’d be able to relax and play the innocent tourist. Until then, he would stay centered and on top of his game. His gut still screamed at him that all was not well in this chaotic assembly of thrown together buildings that was one of Italy’s gems. Seeing the numerous faxes left unread on her machine regarding work had almost confirmed his theory that she was in danger. It was uncharacteristic of Kate to leave work unattended to. She was a workaholic like himself.
As they climbed some uneven concrete steps to another terraced level, Robert’s cell rang. The screen revealed it was Gary. He’d been expecting the call.
“Hi, Gary.”
“Jesus, Rob. What the hell is going on over there? I’ve just had the Italian police calling me to verify who you and our watcher are. Why are the police suddenly involved?”
“I’m sorry, Gary. We’ve had a slight hiccup but it’s all sorted now. Our man was detained for suspicious behavior but he’s been released and we’re on the move.”
“How much did you tell them?”
“I had to tell them why I was here and what our watcher was doing. Two of their men are helping in the search.”
“Fuck, Rob. We weren’t going to have anyone else involved. I don’t like this.”
“I know, but they won’t find out about The Organization’s possible involvement. I didn’t mention anything. I was just a concerned parent, wanting to find my daughter. I’ve sent them on a search over the other side of town. They’ll come up empty, I’m sure. The Gladiator is leading me to where Kate was last seen and it’s nowhere near them.”
Gary let out a loud sigh. “Keep me posted, okay?”
“Will do.” Robert was about to hang up when he quickly added, “Oh, and Gary?”
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