by Maggie Thom
Both Bailey and Graham crowded in behind him. Tarin had left open all of the emails, the websites, the things she’d googled. Guy rapidly flipped through them.
“Before you called, she was asking about a code on Caspian Winery bills. Why would she want to know that?”
“I should have looked at her emails. Dammit, that didn’t even dawn on me.”
“You’re going to hack her account?”
“I don’t have much choice.” Graham didn’t mention he’d done it before. He waved Bailey over. “She left this message on my laptop.”
Keep Chance safe. I’ll be back as soon as I have answers.
If I don’t return, please follow this link.
I’m sorry. T
Chapter Fifty-Two
Tarin knew two places she had to try, though she wasn’t ready to go near one of them. She drove for almost two hours before she pulled into a hotel’s parkade. She headed for the spaces reserved for executives, knowing she shouldn’t but it didn’t stop her from parking there anyway. On impulse, she dug through her purse and pulled out a permit with similar colors but for another hotel chain and hung it from the mirror, hoping no one would look too closely.
The dim lights attempted to cut the shadows in the darkened garage, but they weren’t enough to stop her from glancing over her shoulder. Her subconscious played games with her, turning silhouettes into assailants and the average passerby into someone that might ask her what the hell she was doing there after all this time. Her nerves were strung taut as she made her way into the hotel. The dark earth tones and buttery light cast a warm and inviting ambiance. She hoped that was the reception she was going to get.
Brushing her hand down her wrinkled skirt, she took a deep breath, tossed back her hair, pointed her chin in the air and made her way down the short hallway to the desk. “Hi. I’m here to see Mr. Cooper.”
“I’m sorry but he doesn’t—”
“Please don’t. Tell him that Tarin Roth... Madsen is here to see him.”
She didn’t have to wait long before she was ushered to a private back elevator and escorted to the top floor. Her hands were clamped together so tightly she wasn’t sure she could pry them open to knock on the lone door.
“Hmhm.”
The sound of the security guard behind her reminded her she wasn’t alone. Closing her eyes, she rapped on the solid oak door. Even though no timepiece was present, she was certain she could hear the incessant ticking of the old Howard Millar grandfather clock that used to grace the foyer at home. The door swung inward and it was only then that what she was doing hit her like a sledgehammer. She was going to ask someone she’d never met to help her. It was a shock when an old man opened the door, his full cap of snow white hair crowning a relatively long, lean frame. Piercing hazel eyes, so like hers, stared back at her. There was no sound. No air. No movement. Nothing but the man in front of her who appeared as stunned as she.
“Oh, my beautiful girl.” She was enveloped in two benevolent, solid arms.
She wrapped hers tentatively around him, but when he made no indication he was going to let her go, she held him tighter. Eventually, he pulled back, and unashamed tears coursed down his face, getting lost in the wrinkles only to find their way to his chin and drip into his open collar. She reached up to brush them off his cheek before she recognized the motherly reflex. Before she could jerk her hand back, he clasped it in his, thwarting her intent to pull away. The most beautiful smile ever directed at her lit his face.
“Come in. I’m sorry for making you stand in the hallway.”
Within minutes, an assistant served tea and muffins fresh from the oven. Not realizing how hungry she was, she’d downed two before she remembered her manners. She set down the little that was left, daintily wiped her face and hands with the lace napkin and folded it neatly beside her cup. She sat forward on the edge of the couch, one ankle crossed over the other and her hands clasped in her lap.
He sighed heavily. Startled, she looked at him. He was watching her closely.
“I know I shouldn’t have barged in here. I’m sorry. But I—”
“Don’t. I know what you want. You need me to kick my son’s butt; something I should have done a long time ago. I am so sorry to have been absent from your life.”
“I didn’t come here, Mr.—” The sorrow in the depth of his eyes was almost her undoing. “I—I don’t know what to call you.”
“Grandfather would make me happy.”
“All right, Grandfather.” The term stumbled on her tongue, a simple word with such a complex significance. With shaky fingers she reached for her tea. “I need your help but I don’t know if you’re the right person to grant my request.”
“What has that son of mine done now?”
She’d carefully studied all she could about her grandfather over the years. Everything she’d read about him depicted him as an honorable, hardworking man, fair with his staff. Well-liked. But then the media sometimes portrayed her dad that way as well, so she knew only too well that not all they published was accurate.
“I haven’t talked with Father in several years. I need you to know that up front. We had a falling out, of sorts.”
“Probably similar to the one we had thirty-some years ago. It was a few years before you were born. As soon as I learned about you, I tried to mend fences but he used you as a pawn to control me. Ultimately I knew it would hurt you so I walked away. It was the toughest day of my life.”
She had to blink back the tears in response to the devastated emotion in his voice.
“He was such a smart mouth kid, always wanting to best me. He didn’t want to work with me; he wanted to crush me. I don’t know why. His mother—your grandmother, God rest her soul, was such an enabler. I wasn’t home much so I suppose I became the target of his anger.” A sad smile curved his lips. “I tried to see you over the years but he told me if I didn’t stay way, he’d make certain I never saw you again. So I waited, hoping he’d change his mind.”
Someday, perhaps the two could compare stories about all the things her father had done, but right now she couldn’t waste time going down that road. When he paused for breath, she said, “I need your help.” Once she started, she couldn’t seem to stop. She told him everything, including things she’d never told another living soul, including about Chance.
He listened without interruption. Nothing she said seemed to faze him, although her cheeks felt as if they would burst into flames borne of embarrassment. When she’d finished, he stood and opened his arms wide. The years seemed to roll back as she rushed into them, the little girl who’d always dreamed of familial love. The minutes ticked past as they held each other. Then eventually, they sat side by side on the divan while he made a telephone call.
“Dorothea. We have a bit of a situation. You recall our discussion last week about the sale of your winery? Right. Okay. We’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning. What? He’s there. Okay. I’ll tell her. Thank you. Bye.”
Tarin tried not to eavesdrop but since she was right beside him it was impossible not to.
“I’m sure you heard that Chance is at the estate with Dorothea. He’ll be safe there.”
“But I left him—” A sob ripped through her, preventing her from continuing.
“My dear, you made the most difficult decision a parent could make. But I think it was a smart one. You found someone you could trust.”
“I don’t really know him. Them.”
“Your indoctrination, no doubt, was unmitigated under my son’s tutelage.” He winked at her and smiled. “But it’s good to know you overcame that to follow your gut instincts. I’ve known Dorothea a very long time, and I would trust her and her family with my life. She is the best of friends but she is certainly one lady that cannot be trifled with. You can call in an hour to speak with your son. Graham is tending to his bath at present.”
Though she tried not to react when he mentioned Graham’s name, his shrewd perusal made her realize he had see
n right through her. Her cheeks felt so heated, she was certain they were crimson, but he only beamed in response.
“Our plan for this evening, my darling, is to have a warm, relaxing dinner followed by a full night’s sleep, for tomorrow we have work to do.”
“You knew Dad was trying to take over the winery?”
“Let’s say it had come up recently.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
~~~~
“You were right. She arrived at Cooper-Lite Hotels to see her grandfather.”
He clenched his fists. At least he finally knew her location. “Thank you. Good job. Keep an eye on her.” He’d also just learned that Dorothea was meeting with Guy, Bailey and Graham. The timing couldn’t be better to take out all of those who had tried to ruin him.
Chapter Fifty-Three
She felt like a prisoner entering an interrogation room with all eyes upon her. Her own were locked onto only one pair. Graham stood and brought her son, happily snuggled in his arms, over to her.
“Mommy.”
She laughed as she pulled him to her chest and hugged him. It was the longest she’d ever been separated from him. She’d awakened her grandfather at 4:00 a.m., but he said he’d forgiven her because he understood a mother’s instinct to reunite with her son. Chance wrapped his tiny arms around her neck and squeezed tight. The joy she felt reminded her that what she was doing was for him. For them.
“So this is my—”
Tarin spun around and shook her head at her grandfather before furtively glancing at the others. “Mr. Cooper, I’d like you to meet Chance.”
“Calib. Please. Hello there, young man.” The two of them beamed at each other like they were already the best of friends.
“I’ll talk with you later,” He said to the others. Before they could respond, he left.
A fit, smiling woman that looked to be only slightly older than Tarin entered from a side room. She immediately started engaging with Chance, who clearly loved all the attention.
“I’m Amanda. I’m going to watch your son while you’re meeting.”
Tarin clutched Chance a little tighter. “I—”
“It’s fine,” Graham said. “The woman has her early childhood education, several years of experience and a black belt in karate. Besides there’s a window here that lets you watch everything they’re doing. The only exit is through here.” He opened a panel over a large window into the small but well equipped playroom. It helped to ease her fears, especially when she noticed Chance was already leaning toward the woman. Reluctantly, Tarin let him go and watched as Amanda playfully chased him into the play area. He laughed and giggled as he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Tarin pressed her hand to her heart, unable to tear her eyes away from them.
“He’ll be fine.”
Graham placed his hand on the center of her back. Though it helped to steady her, she stepped away from him when she discovered the others’ questioning eyes upon them.
“Everyone will tell their story. What they know, what they think and who it might be.” The authority in Dorothea’s voice brooked no argument as she entered the room on Calib’s arm.
Tarin’s eyes met her grandfather’s as he gave the slightest of nods. She knew he trusted them implicitly but she didn’t and couldn’t share her darkest moment with them. Not in that way. She shook her head with barely a hint of movement but the widening of his eyes let her know he understood. There was a deep empathy in his expression and she knew he’d stand behind her either way.
Somehow this entire chain of events was linked to her. How she’d brought it to these people she didn’t understand but there had to be some connection. Looking at her grandfather and then at Dorothea, she wondered if she was mistaken and it wasn’t actually her father behind it. Fighting back a nervous wave of nausea, she moved to the center of the room.
Tarin sighed heavily. “Everything I’ve found appears to be tied to Caspian Winery. I don’t know why. I don’t know if I’ve brought this on—”
“You didn’t,” Graham’s response was immediate.
The conviction in his voice nearly had her believing him. She glanced at him, thankful for his presence but she didn’t want to be distracted. She picked up a felt pen and turned to a large flip chart set up at the front of the room. She quickly divided the page into quarters. In one quadrant she wrote Caspian Winery, in another Knights Associates, in another her name and she left the last one empty. Bailey walked up, took the felt from her and wrote her name in the fourth square. Tarin frowned as she watched her but Bailey was busy writing bullet points.
Geoff
Abduction
Kidnapping
Explosion
Dead?
Tarin wasn’t sure what to make of it but everyone was nodding. Then she added,
Wedding
Sabotage???
Guy came up next. Under Caspian Winery, he wrote,
Vinegar wine
Hijacked loads
Staff issues
Geoff?
Graham filled in under Knights Associates,
Flood of requests
Tail chasing game
Someone has been hacked
Geoff?
Tarin wasn’t sure what all of it meant but she definitely wanted to learn more about Geoff. Under her name, she put,
Someone tried to take Chance
Someone after me
I left my husband
Bad relationship with my father
She was tempted to write Geoff to keep with the theme but didn’t. She had no idea who he was or why they thought he’d be behind this.
“Could Geoff have really survived that blast?” Dorothea spoke quietly but it cast a silence over the entire room.
No one said anything for the longest time. Guy and Bailey looked at each other, obviously sharing similar thoughts but debating whether to voice them.
“Grandma,” Guy said finally. “We don’t think he died. We think he staged it. His garnet ring was the pinnacle because he never took it off. Wouldn’t that be the perfect way to ensure everyone thought you were dead?” He looked at his grandmother apologetically.
Bailey sat beside Dorothea and clasped her hand.
“Who’s Geoff?”
Dorothea whispered something to Bailey who quickly rose and left the room.
“He’s Dorothea’s half-brother,” Guy explained. “When Bailey was a baby, he abducted her to sell her on the black market.”
Tarin couldn’t hold back the gasp or prevent her mouth from hanging agape as she listened to Guy’s story.
“We found her only two years ago and brought her home to meet her real family. Then Geoff tried to kill her. He wanted Caspian Winery and saw her as direct competition.”
Tarin immediately looked at Bailey when she re-entered a minute later. Never would she have guessed this woman had been through something so devastating. She wondered what her life had really been like. Sympathetic guilt must have shown on her face because Bailey gave her a slight nod and a warm look that she had no hard feelings. She was carrying a picture frame in her hands and she handed it to Tarin. Frowning, she accepted it and turned it over. The sun was pouring in the picture windows behind her so when it hit the framed photo, the glare made it difficult to decipher. She adjusted it a little bit.
The room darkened and everything around her seemed to morph into an impressionist painting with no defined edges. Her fingers became numb as though they were completely disconnected from her. She couldn’t feel the object slip from her hands but vaguely registered it shattering on the floor near her feet. Somewhere in the distance, someone called her name but like a total eclipse, her world faded into blackness.
Chapter Fifty-Four
“What’s going on?”
“I can’t see much. You didn’t tell me the place was locked down like Fort Knox.”
“But they’re there.”
“Yes. All of them. Dorothea. The two y
ou gave me pictures of and a few others.”
“Who?”
“How am I supposed to know? You asked me to do away with her and her family, not get to know them. Just some people.”
He laughed. Those who were trying to prevent him from his grand plan were going to pay and pay dearly. He didn’t care who else was involved.
“You’ve got everything in place?”
“Working on it. You didn’t give me much notice, you know. I need another half hour.”
“Where are they?”
“In a room on the second floor.”
“Perfect. Make sure you have time to get away; I don’t want anyone discovering you by accident. Disappear. Your payment will be waiting in your bank account. Check your phone; I’m sending confirmation that it’s been transferred. Don’t screw up or you’ll be joining them.”
~~~~
Voices floated in and out of her consciousness. They were near and then they were far. A gentle touch to her face had her turning her head to seek more of it. But then it was gone. She felt as if she was drifting on a cloud. There was no real connection to anything. No weight. No shape. Nothing. But then it would change. She could feel her body. Feel the headache tapping away at the inside of her skull. The one thing missing were thoughts. Just awareness, like fleeting images that danced elusively just out of her reach.
Something cool brushed her face before being placed across her forehead. This time she was instantly brought back.
“Hey. You okay?”
She didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was Graham’s low soothing voice. It dawned on her she had known all along it was him there with her. Tempted to hide, she realized all she was accomplishing was wasting time. Realizations of everything that had happened and everything she suspected came stampeding back and reminded her of why she’d blacked out in the first place.
“I’m all right. Sorry.” She sat up and he instantly shifted some pillows behind her back. When she was upright, she glanced around the bedroom she found herself in. Everything was pristine white from the bedcover she was resting on to the furniture, the walls and the curtains. Her eyes were drawn to Graham not only because he was the only color in the room but because she needed reassurance that she really hadn’t passed over to the other side. Although she was sure where she was going wouldn’t be white; fiery hot red maybe.
