“Oh my God!” Grace says.
“What could I do?” Dad asks. “I went back to Thailand and tried to tell the judge the truth. Her whole trial was trying to prove that she didn’t know the drugs were in her bag. Well, the trial lasted less than an hour. The judge didn’t want to hear any of it. There’s always someone bigger, but it was your mom who was caught with the drugs.”
“I don’t care about any Thai judge,” I say. “I want people to know what this guy did to Mom.”
“Hope it’s been so long. I’d agree with you if something, anything could be done to get her out, but she’s gone now. You have to let this go. Look what these people did to your mom – a woman with three kids. Do you think they care one bit about you?”
I’m not convinced. I sit here with my arms crossed and a look of pure determination on my face. “I don’t care,” I say.
My dad presses on. “Well, I got a call the other day. They knew each of you by name. I started recording as soon as I knew who it was.”
My dad pushes play on the digital recorder. It breaks into the middle of the call:
“don’t underestimate me. If you ever want to see Grace or Hope or that little Grandbaby again, tell your daughter to stop sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. This is your last warning.”
When Dad stops the recording, I feel like I just took a punch in the gut. “Hope, our family has been through so much,” my dad pleads. “If something were to happen to you two girls, or God forbid to Bonnie, I could never forgive myself.”
When my mom called me after Bonnie fell in the pool, she was still unresponsive. They were getting ready to put the paddles on her chest. I jumped in my car and raced to the hospital believing I’d never see her alive again. The feeling of losing Bonnie was so real, and it absolutely terrified me.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I never thought,” I say looking stunned and defeated.
“These people will destroy our family and never look back,” Dad says.
I look at Grace. She’s visibly shaken. “I understand,” I finally acknowledge.
“Do I have your word you’ll forget about this guy?” Dad asks.
“You have my word, Dad.”
Dad gets up and holds us. “I love you girls. All I want is to keep you safe.”
….and that’s where it would have ended.
– CHAPTER 30 –
D ad and Grace are right. Maybe Mom knew or maybe she didn't. I’ll never know the answer to that question. What I do know is that she chose to date this guy. She chose to go to Thailand with some guy she barely knew. Who does that? She should have been smarter.
I have my own life to think about. This is my second semester at Stanford and the classes I’m taking are much harder. I can’t be chasing ghosts.
I’d rather die than be responsible for something happening to Bonnie. They could be following me, watching me, or listening to my calls. I take the sketch and the photos out of my file and throw everything else away. I want no trace of my investigation and no temptations going forward.
Two weeks later, I’m studying in the library when my phone vibrates from an Austin phone number that I don’t recognize. I answer the call and say, “Hold on a second.” I head for the closest restroom and then say, “Hello.”
“Hope Brunick?” the guy asks.
“Yes, this is Hope Brunick.”
“Hope, this is Zachary Bell. You called me.”
The call scares the hell out of me. I start shaking so hard I almost drop the phone. “Mr. Bell, I’m sorry. I should have never called you. Please don’t hurt me or my family,” I beg.
The man sounds drunk or something. “Don't be afraid Hope. I would never hurt you. You’re right, I knew your mom. I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you.”
I’m still shaking. I have no idea what to make of this. “Mr. Bell,” I say, practically in tears, “I promise I’ll never call you again. I don’t care what happened. You’ll never hear from me again.”
“Hope, your mother was a good woman,” he says like he might start crying. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her. You need to know the truth.”
“Then what happened?” I ask.
“I can’t talk over the phone. I’ll come to California. We can meet wherever you want. I’ll call you back when I have my tickets.”
“Mr. Bell,” I say before hearing him hang up the phone. “Mr. Bell,” I repeat.
When I hang up the phone, my hand is still trembling. I don’t know what to think. Is he legitimate or out to hurt me? He sounds real, but so did the guys in Thailand who almost carried me away.
This can’t be happening to me. It’s like some horror story where I keep trying to put a book away on a shelf, but it keeps returning to my bedside table. As much as I want to forget the whole thing––pretend it never happened––I just can’t. I’ve already come too far. Something, or someone, keeps pulling me in. I have to find out what happened. If I don’t find it then who will?
I want to call Grace, or my dad, and tell them about the call, but I can’t. I know what they’ll say and where they stand. What about Bonnie? Would he hurt a little baby? Even Blake thinks I’m making a big mistake.
“Babe, your dad’s right. You need to let it go.”
“You’ve got a mom,” I cry. “Don’t you see? If something happened to your mom wouldn’t you want answers?”
“Listen to me,” he says wanting my full attention. “Your mom got into something….something big. She couldn’t get out of it. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to lose you. I know you mean well, but Thailand is a scary place––you know that.”
I think back at Khaosan Road and start shaking again. I take him in my arms, having a difficult time knowing what to do. Everything runs through my mind. “I can’t,” I finally say. “I have to know the truth. I owe it to my mom.”
“Hope,” he says shaking his head. “What about your family? What about Bonnie.”
“How could he hurt a baby?”
“These guys don’t care,” he says.
“I just don’t know. This guy didn't sound tough or powerful at all. He actually sounded tired and shaky. He sounded more afraid than I was.”
“Stop,” he begs.
“I can’t,” I shout. “I have to know…I have to find out what happened. Just help me. Please help me. Go with me.”
Suddenly, I’m feeling my strength and determination again. “We’ll be smart. We won’t let him know where I live. We’ll meet him in the middle of the mall, or at a big public restaurant. When he calls me back, I’ll demand more information before we meet him,. I’ll make sure who, or what, he is.”
But he doesn’t call back. Thinking he’ll never call, I dial his number and it goes straight to voicemail. I call his work to find him. “Can I talk to Zachary Bell?” I ask.
“Who am I speaking with?” the receptionist asks.
“Please,” I ask again without giving my name. “Can I just speak to Mr. Bell?”
“I’m sorry ma’am, he no longer works here. His files have been assigned to another partner. If you give me your name, I’ll connect you with someone.”
What! No longer works here? “No,” I say and hang up the phone. My determination just gave way to fear again.
I look on the Internet and find nothing. His Facebook page has no new postings over the past weeks. No phone, no work, no Internet? It’s like he just disappeared. A few days later, I look again and find a posting from an Austin news station with the story I’ve been looking for. Zachary Bell was found in his home with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The case is under investigation.
My dad was right. Some powerful people want to keep this whole thing quiet. I just wanted to find out what happened to my mom. Now I’ve gotten caught up in some nightmare, and I can’t wake up. I didn’t ask for any of this. Now any chance of knowing what happened is gone forever.
Everyone was right. If they will go after my mom, and now this guy, they’ll
surely come for me next? I don’t know what to do. I call Grace completely freaking out.
“They killed him!” I shout.
“What? Killed who?” she asks.
“Zachary….the guy who framed Mom. He called me. He said he wanted to meet with me and tell me everything.”
“Faith no!” she interrupts.
I’m sure she can hear the terror in my voice. “I know. Right after he called me, they killed him. They shot him in the head.”
“Get out of there!” she warns. “Pack your stuff and go home. Dad will know what to do. He’ll protect you. Just get home right away.”
“I have an exam in two days,” I say. “I’ll have Blake stay with me and then I’ll go home.”
“Hope, keep out of sight,” she begs. “Don’t go out––don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t. I’ll take my exam and then head home.”
“Just get home where you’ll be safe,” she emphasizes.
“I will. I’ll be home by the weekend.”
When I tell Blake what happened, he’s as scared as I am. He agrees to stay at my apartment until I leave. The very next day, Blake and I are watching a movie at my apartment when I get another call from Zachary Bell. I know it’s him because I programmed his number into my phone when he called the first time. “Oh, shit!” I say staring at my phone ringing on the table.
“What?” he asks.
“Shit…shit…shit, it’s Zachary Bell. What the hell do I do?”
“Give me the phone,” he says taking it from me. “Who the hell is this?” he snaps.
“I’m trying to reach Hope Brunick,” the caller says.
“Who is this,” he demands.
“I’m Lois Bell. Zachary Bell is––I mean was––my husband.”
Blake puts the phone on speaker and lays it between us. “Hello,” I whisper unsure what to expect.
“Hope?” the woman asks.
“Yes.”
“I’m Lois Bell. Zachary Bell was my husband. I know he reached out to you before he died. He wanted to talk to you.”
“I don’t know what is going on, but I told your husband to leave me alone. I don’t want any problems.”
“Hope, I know you’re looking for answers. I’m a mother. If something ever happens to me, I hope my children are as brave and smart as you are. I’d like to see you and tell you what I know.”
“Ms. Bell, if they killed your husband they’ll kill me and my family. Please don’t call me again.”
Before I can hang up the phone she says, “Hope, no one killed my husband. He killed himself.”
There’s a long pause. Questions swirl through my head. “What! Why?” I ask.
“It had to do with your mother. Can we please talk? I’ll meet you wherever you want. I have something for you.”
“I’ll meet you Ms. Bell, but I want my boyfriend to be with me.”
“That’s not a problem,” she says.
I cover the phone and whisper to Blake, “I don't want them to know where I live. Let’s meet her in LA next weekend.” He nods his head in agreement.
“Ms. Bell,” I say. “I’ll meet you in Los Angeles this Saturday. Let’s meet at the Omni hotel at the California Plaza at two o’clock.”
“Two o’clock,” she agrees. “I’ll see you there.”
– CHAPTER 31 –
T he Omni hotel is pretty fancy. It’s the kind of hotel we’d stay at with my dad. The front lobby has cool art, a giant flower arrangement, and a beautiful staircase. They have a beautiful restaurant and lounge that’s perfect for our meeting. No one will hurt us here.
We arrive twenty minutes early and choose a table right in the middle of the room. We both want to make sure everything is in public view.
When Lois Bell arrives she’s holding a large handbag on her shoulder. She has long blonde hair and a pretty sundress. She extends her hand and introduces herself, “Hi, I’m Lois Bell.”
Blake stands and says, “I’m Blake.” He then points to me and says, “This is Hope.”
“Can we go somewhere more private?” Lois asks.
“We’d prefer to stay here,” Blake answers.
“Very well,” Lois says. She sits down and sets her handbag beside her chair. She scoots her chair in, crosses her arms, and looks right at me. “What a beautiful girl you are. I’m so glad to meet you.”
“Thank you Ms. Bell,” I say.
“Why are we here?” Blake asks.
“Hope, my husband was really troubled.”
“I know, he was a drug dealer,” I interrupt.
“He wasn’t a drug dealer. He was a good man. He was my Husband. He was a father.”
“He was a drug dealer,” I insist like she’s not going to treat me like some fool. “I saw his record.”
“Hope, I don’t know everything. I can only tell you what I know. It’s my hope that I can give you the answers you need.”
“We’re listening,” Blake says.
“Zach and I met a little after he graduated from college. He just started working as an electrical engineer. I just got my pharmacy degree. He was so full of life,” she continues as her eyes tear up. “He was so energetic and fun. Everyone wanted to be around him. I fell in love with him right away. It was different times back then. Everyone was partying on Sixth Street. Hope, you’re right. Zach was arrested for drugs. He wanted to make some easy money so he’d buy Ecstasy and sell it to his friends. Soon everyone became his friend. It was stupid.”
“What’s this have to do with my mom?” I ask.
“Zach was desperate. He was caught with a lot of drugs. He was looking at ten years in prison. He made a deal. He agreed to cooperate with some investigation of your mom in exchange for all the charges being dropped.”
“A deal with who?” Blake asks.
“I don’t know. I guess the deal was with the police or the prosecutor. Your mom was being investigated. It was someone who had the ability to dismiss all his charges.”
“What kind of information?” I ask.
“I guess for drugs. Zach met with some undercover police officer. He gave him all the information. Zach was supposed to take her out a few times and find out what she was up to.”
“Was he a big guy with glasses and a goatee? I ask.
“That’s him,” she confirms.
“It’s Tom Flint, the investigator,” I say to Blake.
“To be honest with you, I was jealous. We were planning on getting married, so I didn't want him going out with some strange woman. He kept saying he had no choice, and it was all just acting. I learned she was very beautiful. I made him promise to never sleep with her, and he gave me his word.”
“Zach had nothing – he was just starting to make money at his job. Next thing he’s driving a brand new black Mercedes with beautiful tan leather seats. He’s wearing expensive suits and nice clothes. He even had a fancy Rolex watch. It was all this elaborate scheme,” she says. “They wanted him to be some big shot businessman. They gave him some business cards and a new iPhone.”
“What did the business cards say,” Blake asks.
“I don’t know. Some name for a business he was supposed to be president of. I remember it was in New York. We thought it was all pretty funny. It was nice to see how the other side lives for a change.”
Blake and I look at each other with the same look of amazement. “I can’t believe this,” I say.
“This guy gave him all the information about her––what food she liked, the music she listened to, what movies or television shows she watched––everything. So Zach took her to dinner, to movies, dancing, talked with her on the phone – the whole nine yards. After doing this for months, he found nothing. She never even talked about drugs. She went on and on about God and her kids. Zach didn’t understand what it was all about. As far as he knew she was just some religious chick with three kids down on her luck.”
“I didn’t like it. I asked if they kissed, and he said he had to but nothing more.
He kept saying it meant nothing – it was just acting. Well, I’d heard enough. I told him he had to choose – her or me. He kept saying he had no choice. He begged me to stay, but after playing this game for two months I left..”
“Zach came back a month later and said it was all over. He swore they never had sex. You know, I believed him.”
“So what evidence did they find?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I was jealous. I wanted to know every detail, but Zach didn’t want to talk about it. He said they went on some vacation and that was it. When I asked about the vacation he’d say it was no big deal. He didn’t want to talk about it.’”
“So that’s it? That’s all you know?” Blake asks.
“Zach changed after he came back. He stopped going to work and almost got fired. The fun, happy Zach was gone. He didn't want to talk, didn’t want to go out, didn’t want to do anything. He was never the same.”
“J..e..s..u..s,” Blake sighs drawing out the words.
“Well one day I woke up and he wasn’t in bed. I walked into the kitchen and there he was on the computer. I walked up and was standing behind him. When he saw me, he jumped a mile. He tried to close his computer, but I already saw enough. I made him open it up and show me everything. It was all about your mom.”
“What about my mom?” I ask.
“He tried to explain, but I was so pissed I couldn’t see straight. I freaked out––I started screaming and throwing things. He tried to calm me down, but I didn’t want to hear a word he had to say. ”
“I threw his laptop at him and yelled, ‘All these years….all these years I’ve put up with your shit, hoping things would get better. I keep hoping you’ll get back to the Zach I once knew. Now, I find out it was her all along.’”
“‘You’ve got it all wrong,’ he said trying to stop me from packing.”
“‘You want her, you can have her.’ I yelled. ‘I’m done. I opened the door to leave, and he slammed it shut. He blocked my way out and said, ‘Lou’ – that’s what he’d always call me.”
The Beginning of Hope: The Highly Anticipated, Mind-Blowing Sequel to the Killing of Faith (The Killing of Faith Series Book 2) Page 17
