No Way Forward

by Tressie Lockwood

  As soon as Sheila left, Novette changed her clothes. She replaced the dress and heals with comfortable sweats and sneakers. After packing a small duffel bag of extra clothes, she opened the door and peeked out. Unfortunately, her bedroom door was in direct sight of the first floor where the guards were stationed. She wouldn’t be able to leave that way.

  Mentally going over the mansion’s floor plan, she realized if she used the balcony outside her bedroom, she could get to a room out of the guards’ sight and escape to the first floor. After that, she could leave. Figuring out the security on the grounds could come later.

  Soon enough, she would on her way and reunited with Zaid. Let her dad come home later and wonder where she had gone. How she would love to see his face. She had escaped out from under his thumb once, and she would do it again.

  Chapter 21

  Azalie pulled her car to a stop in front of the mansion and grabbed her bag. She jogged up to the door and opened it to find her path blocked by a human wall.

  “Ouch, you idiot.” She rubbed her nose. “Get out of the way.”

  “I’m sorry, you can’t come in.”

  She blinked at the giant fool who thought he could defy her. “I said move right now.”

  The bodyguard raised an eyebrow. “Go away.”

  That’s when Azalie finally realized this wasn’t the usual meathead around the property. He must be new. Who could keep up with the staff around here? Well, he was kind of cute, come to think of it. She was between lovers at the moment, and even if she wasn’t, who cared? Maybe a little charm.

  She ran a hand over his chest and tossed him a saucy smile. “You know if you wanted to be nice, I might feel like being ‘nice’ too.”

  He just stared at her. She scoured her brain for another way to turn him on, one that didn’t include her hand sliding lower.

  Ugh, I’m not in the mood.

  She dropped the sweetness and scowled at him. “Excuse me? You’d better move, or I’m going to have you fired. Maybe you don’t realize how much of a close family friend I am. Richard loves me, and Novette and I are like sisters.”

  The sister thing was a stretch, especially since they had a fight. Azalie planned to make up with Novette to get the lowdown on what happened after she told Richard about Novette and Zaid. Her mom wasn’t answering her phone and neither was Novette. Curiosity was killing her.

  When the big guy didn’t step aside, Azalie pretended to give up. As soon as he let his guard down, she darted under his arm and ran into the mansion. She didn’t get more than five steps before he swooped her off her feet. She screamed the walls down.

  “Get your filthy hands off me, you beast!”

  A door nearby opened, and Richard appeared, bellowing, “What’s all the noise about?”

  “Richard,” Azalie whined. “Tell him to let me go. I’m here to see my best friend Novette. This buffoon is taking his job way too seriously.”

  “I’m sorry, Azalie. You’re not welcome.”

  Her mouth fell open. There she was hanging over the arm of a baboon, and she was hearing the words she never ever wanted to hear. “I-I don’t understand. This is practically my home. You guys are my family. My mom is your secretary.”

  Richard turned his back without an explanation. “See that she’s safely on her way.”

  Azalie found herself in the driveway with the door slammed firmly in her face. She saw her carefree life slipping away, and a sob rose in her throat. At first despairing, she sat in her car with nowhere to go. Even if she complained to her mom, it wouldn’t do any good. She might actually have to get a job. The prospect disgusted her.

  As she thought about how Richard had practically raised her, treating her almost like a daughter, her anger increased. He kind of spoiled her and then tossed her aside when it was convenient. Sure, he might just be angry and he would get over it. But he had been angry before and he never turned on her.

  “Maybe he knows,” she wondered. “No, that’s impossible. I was careful. Nobody saw me go in his office. And I didn’t even find anything useful.”

  She chose not to even think about the fact that she worked with that crooked investigator. Resentment rose inside her. Why should she lose everything? Why should Novette have it all?

  An idea about how to get back at Novette and her dad came to mind. She checked her contacts and dialed a number. “Hey, Carlton.”

  “Wow, it’s Azalie.” His dry tone irritated her. “I haven’t heard from you since I caught you in my bed at my apartment with some other dude.”

  “God, would you drop the wounded animal routine?”

  “Goodbye.”

  “Wait.” She wanted to scratch his stupid eyes out. “I have information you might be interested in.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “Do you still work for that rag?”

  “Rag? Thanks, Azalie. If I ever wondered about whether I got off easy when I broke it off with you, I’m clear on that head.”

  “Some people are such victims. Jeez, do you want the information or not? It could get you a front page article.”

  Something smashed in the background like he threw a stapler or whatever against the wall. He swore a few times, but he didn’t disconnect the call. Azalie smirked as she drove away from the Kagen mansion. Looking at the place in her rearview mirror brought on a touch of sadness. She remembered her and Novette playing as kids. Dismissing the memory, she focused on her ex-boyfriend.

  “Want the information or not. I can go to someone else.”

  “If it’s good,” he said at last.

  “It’s good, but you’ll have to do a little research.”

  “I always fact check.”

  “And I want to be paid for this. I’m not cheap.”

  “You’re cheap, Azalie. Very cheap. Be at the coffee shop on Argyle in half hour or go somewhere else.” He ended the call.

  She cursed him out although he was already gone, but Carlton was the only media person she had contacts with. She could of course find someone to charm, but that would take time. Someone else might get wind of what she knew and beat her to the punch. Carlton was it.

  A half hour later, she sat down with a caffé latte and waited for Carlton to show up. Twenty minutes later, he strolled into the shop as if he had all day and night to get there. She knew he did it just to get back at her. Any other informant would have been respected but not her.

  “You took your time getting here,” she growled.

  Carlton dropped into the seat across from her after he bought a coffee as well. She recalled when she met him she was involved with another guy and dumped him because Carlton was prettier with his melty green eyes and his messy hair, which needed a cut but why bother because he looked so good. There was also the potential of getting in the paper, but Carlton had told her she wasn’t important enough. That’s when she decided to pay him back for that remark. Boy oh boy did she make him pay, and he was still whining about it.

  He didn’t beat around the bush. “So what do you have, and who’s it about?”

  “It’s about Richard Kagen.”

  “Yeah, he was in the news. Somebody tried to kill him. That guy’s one of the most successful lawyers in the country.” He snapped his fingers. “I forgot your mom works for him.”

  “Do you know about his daughter?”

  He messed around on his phone and nodded. “Her face was there too. Funny how no one remembers her before then. That picture the reporter took went viral. She’ll never walk down the street unrecognized after that. It was sad. She looked so scared and vulnerable. Pretty girl.”

  “Shut up, Carlton.”

  He chuckled and leaned across the table. “Still all about you, huh? You know you’re a lot more beautiful when you’re not trying to manipulate and scheme.”

  “I don’t recall asking for your advice. Anyway, I have information about the two of them that nobody knows. This is the perfect time to explore it, after that news report.”

  “Let’s hear
it.”

  “No, I need money.”

  He sighed. “I’m not authorized to—”

  She held up her phone and slid her finger over the screen. “I’ve got all kinds of photos on my phone you can use. And the information could be a huge scandal if you know what to do with it.”

  Reluctantly, he agreed. “You’re right. If what you know is juicy, this is the perfect time to publish it, right after that shooting. Let me call my boss.”

  She waited, tapping her foot while he wandered over toward the door to chat on his phone. Her own phone drew her attention, and she texted Novette. “Are you there, Novette? Are you okay?”

  She didn’t know why she did it or why she cared one way or another. Novette didn’t respond. Her face grew warm. She shouldn’t even have tried. Novette didn’t deserve a warning about what was coming.

  Carlton flopped down in his seat. “You’ve got a deal, Azalie. He says he’ll be very generous if you give us all of those pictures and the information is juicy. Spill it.”

  She knew Carlton wouldn’t go back on his word. He took care of his informants if he promised he would. “You know Novette is adopted, right?”

  “Yeah, they brought out that fact in the article.”

  “And as far as everyone knows he found her at an orphanage.”

  “Well a residential group home. They don’t call it an orphanage anymore.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Okay, yes, I know about his Daddy Warbucks venture.”

  “Daddy what?”

  “Never mind. What’s your point?”

  She grinned. “What would you say if I told you Richard Kagen knew Novette’s mom and that she wasn’t just some random orphan?”

  Carlton’s eyes rounded. “Are you saying she’s his illegitimate love child?”

  “No.” She blinked. “I don’t know. I didn’t think of it that way. Anyway, he knew her mom—and her dad, I think. Not sure. But you can find out. The point is he lied. She wasn’t just some charity case to lavish his fortune on.”

  “Oh man, this could be huge. I can’t believe no one has looked into it before now.” He pushed his fingers into his hair, grinning like a loon. Azalie could already see all the money the rag would pay her. She might be able to take it easy a bit longer. Maybe long enough to find a husband.

  The thought surprised and intrigued her. She had never considered marrying before, unless it was to Zaid. But marriage might work if the guy was rich. She could still have her affairs if she was careful, and she never had to work a day in her life. Oh, this was an exciting twist.

  “So?” she said. “It’s good, right?”

  “Very good.” He stood. “You’ll get your money, but I’ve got to get out of here and get to digging. Thanks, Azalie. Thanks a lot.”

  Chapter 22

  Novette made it all the way through the maze on her dad’s property. The other end of it let out on several acres of woods and then beyond that a back road to some other people’s homes.

  She considered heading to one of them and ask for help but decided against it. Her dad had thrown many parties over the years and knew everyone in the neighborhood. Although he wasn’t close to anybody, she wasn’t sure if a neighbor would call him the second they found her at their door.

  Instead, she used Google Maps to locate the nearest way out of the area and started along the road. The rumble of a vehicle speeding along behind her signaled that she had already been found.

  She ducked off the road and into the trees. The vehicle’s tires squealed, and footsteps pounded the earth. She ran, half aware of the navigation system telling her it was recalculating. A rumble of panicked laughter rose in her throat just as a huge hand dragged her from behind.

  She broke free of the hold and rounded on the man. A jump and a hard kick connected with his chin. His head snapped back, and he lost his footing to hit the ground.

  She spun and started running again. Blood rushed through her ears, making it hard to hear. A shadow danced on her right, and she slammed into the chest of another guard. His hands nearly crushed her arms to her sides. She screamed.

  “Stop, Ms. Novette.”

  “Let me go!” She kneed him between the legs. He expelled a heavy breath and wobbled and sank to the ground. When his hold loosened, she was off again. Before she could get out of reach, he grabbed an ankle and tumbled her.

  He scrambled on top of her, pinning her face down on the ground. Tears of frustration filled her eyes.

  “Don’t do this,” he panted. “Wait for him.”

  She froze. “W-what did you say?”

  He didn’t repeat himself, but she was sure she’d heard right. The guard pulled her to her feet, and the man she kicked caught up to them. A satisfying bruise was already forming on his chin, and he worked it, wincing in pain.

  She expected the men to exact revenge on her, but they simply returned her to the car and stuffed her inside. She sat in the back with one of the men beside her. He was careful to keep a tight grip on her arm and forced her to sit in the middle of the seat rather than near the door.

  Before she knew it, they were at the mansion and she was tucked into one of the living rooms. A guard stayed with her. She folded her arms and glared at him. “I need to use the rest room and to clean up.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Did you hear me? Please. You don’t understand.”

  No response.

  Hours dragged by with her stuck in that room. A maid brought her food but left before Novette could ask for help. The guards escorted her to one of the downstairs restrooms, a half one which didn’t include a window she could escape through. She was well and truly trapped.

  The guard had said she should wait for “him.” Did he mean Zaid? Of course he did. Zaid was the only one of her dad’s employees who had nothing to lose. He would risk everything to come for her. She was convinced of it. Then she supposed they would live their lives on the run. Her dad would no doubt get the police to believe Zaid took her without her consent.

  At some point her dad would return home, and eventually she would be allowed to go to her bedroom. She intended to get her passport and to be ready. Zaid would come.

  Novette pushed her food around on the plate. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but she knew she needed to get something down before she had to deal with a headache or worse dizziness.

  The last three days had dragged by with no word from Zaid. Of course with her phone gone, she couldn’t expect to hear from him. Still, she thought there would be some signal—an explosion on the grounds perhaps? She almost chuckled at the idea, but she didn’t have much humor either.

  “Ms. Novette, would you like more coffee?” The maid stood at her elbow holding the French press container. Novette nodded without thinking about the offer. The woman added cream and sweetener the way she liked it.

  “Has my dad left for the day?”

  “No, ma’am. He hasn’t come from his room yet.”

  Novette didn’t really care. He could stay up there. The night before he’d told her he was almost ready to leave. When she had searched for her passport, she found it missing and assumed he confiscated it from her room. How would he get her on the plane? Drugs? Probably.

  “Oh.” The maid’s soft murmur bought Novette’s head up.

  The maid focused on the television mounted on the dining room wall. It was an unconventional location, but her dad liked to stay current with events. Novette had watched her morning shows while munching cereal when she was younger.

  Her face and her dad’s was plastered on the TV screen again. “Turn that up, please.”

  The maid complied.

  “Attorney Richard Kagen is in the spotlight again along with his adopted daughter Novette Kagen. An article on the father-daughter duo has gone viral, which claims to have uncovered the fact that Novette wasn’t a random orphan that Richard decided to share his life and prosperity with. Richard Kagen knew Novette’s birth mother, and she may have worked for
him.”

  Novette’s fork slipped from her fingers and fell on the floor. The maid moved to pick it up, but Novette paid her no mind. Her gaze remained glued to the TV screen. This must be some kind of mistake.

  From an early age, her dad told her that he adopted her. When she was old enough to be curious about where she came from and who her biological parents were, he said he didn’t have any information about them. The records were lost, he’d said, and she saw no reason at the time to think he was lying.

  “He lied to me!” She shoved her plate away, feeling sick to her stomach.

  “Diane Leggett worked as a receptionist at a small sales firm that Richard Kagen owned.”

  A woman’s photo appeared on the screen. She looked to be a few years older than Novette. There was no mistaking the shape of the nose and the bone structure in the jaw and chin. Even the eyes and eyebrows looked so similar to Novette’s.

  “Ms. Leggett died—”

  “Turn it off!”

  Everybody in the dining room jumped at the bellow. Novette twisted around in her chair to find her dad standing in the doorway. His pale skin and troubled eyes told their own story. He’d known about Diane Leggett all along.

  The maid scrambled to click the TV off, and the dining room plunged into silence. Anger bubbled inside Novette, so much so she couldn’t form words. This man, who she thought was too overprotective, was really a bully, a liar, and who knew what else.

  “What do you want from me?” she asked him. “What have I done or what has that woman done to make you treat me this way?”

  He charged forward. “We’re leaving now, Novette. If you haven’t finished your breakfast, you can get something on the plane.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me. What are you hiding from me, Daddy? Or should I say Richard?”

  He tried to touch her cheek. She smacked his hand away. Guilt filled his expression, shocking her.

  “Please, dear, we can talk later. Right now we have to go.”