Ben collapsed onto Ana. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest. He rolled to the side, pulling her on top of him. They lay in silence, listening to nature’s orchestra. Birds circled overhead, riding the wind currents and squawking their delight to the world— to Ben and Ana’s private world in the middle of a field, where they were safe and alone.
After a while Ben stirred then said quietly, “We have to go.” Yet in his reluctance to return to dealing with the family’s predicament, he didn’t move from her side.
“Right now I hate those words.” Ana said, kissing him just under his chin, then added, “I want to stay here—make time stand still.”
“I can’t be alone with you anymore or history is going to repeat itself.”
Ana would have liked nothing better, but she sighed and rolled away from his arms. After giving Ana’s clothes a good shaking, he helped her dress, steadying her as she pulled on the Wellies. As he dressed himself, Ben heard her snicker and asked what was funny. She said she was thankful that Sir Freddie had decided to go home and hadn’t come bounding into their private space at the wrong moment.
Ben laughed and said the dog was due for a special treat. Then he turned serious. ”We’re expected to leave for London before noon. Mum and Dad are bound to wonder where we are. I don’t want them to worry.”
He slid his hand into her mass of tangled hair, holding it tightly while he kissed her cheek. They made their way back to the road, crossed, and started back across the lawns hand in hand. They stopped for a moment to embrace beside the giant Chestnut tree. When she backed away to look up at him, her face was still flushed with the glow of satisfaction. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, yet hesitated.
“What is it? If you have something to say, just say it,” Ben told her, his tone uneasy.
“Ben, every minute since the night we met you’ve done nothing but show concern for me—for my safety more than your own.” She looked down at her feet before continuing, obviously self-conscious about what she was going to say. “I don’t trust easily, but I believe I can trust you—in every way that’s important.” She then looked directly into his eyes and said, “Just don’t break my heart. I don’t give it easily.”
He leaned in and kissed her neck. Keeping his lips against her skin he whispered, “And don’t you break mine.”
Ana shook her head no and said, “That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do. Now we’d better get a move on before we’re both in trouble with your parents. I’m still trying to make a good impression and I don’t think my recent behavior would help.”
“That’s done and dusted, my dear—the good impression I mean.” He took her hand and pulled her forward onto the path. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you in and upstairs before you’ll have to explain the ‘state’ you’re in.”
They quickly covered the remaining distance to the house. Both were muddy from the knees down and their clothes were damp and dirty. Ben realized his parents would likely be in the kitchen, so he sent Ana inside through the front door, reminding her to remove the Wellies first. She did as he said, then hurried up the stairs and into her room without being seen. Ben stopped outside to remove his muddy boots and brush his pants off one more time. He went inside through the kitchen and encountered his parents finishing their coffee as they cleaned up from a late breakfast. He and Ana would have no time to eat, but he wasn’t hungry for food. After his brief tryst with Ana, he could be sated by only one thing.
* * *
Hugh was anxious to get into the city and had put everyone on notice to get a move on. Taking long strides he hurried out the kitchen door to the garage, where he climbed into the Rover and pulled it around to the front of the house. He waited with the engine idling, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while humming with the radio. But after glancing at his watch and seeing it was almost noon, he began to honk. Paris hurried out the front door and down the steps, followed by Ana and then Ben. Edith stood in the doorway and called to Paris, who turned around before climbing into the back seat. Questioned about whether they would be home for tea, Paris told her not to plan on them, that they would likely grab a bite in the city.
Ben climbed in beside his father, who ordered everyone to buckle up. Somehow he couldn’t help adding, “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” The tone of their laughter was obligatory and less than hearty. Resigned that his effort to be witty had fallen flat, Hugh smirked congenially and steered the car up the driveway and out onto the road. After about twenty minutes of narrow country road, they reached the main route to London. Hugh’s meeting wasn’t until two o’clock, and he thought it wise to leave late enough to miss the morning traffic. Once in the city they would have a vehicle at their disposal, rather than be forced to coordinate their activities with the train schedule. His efforts to lighten everyone’s mood hadn’t worked. Paris was busy on her iPad, trying to retrieve office emails, and both Ben and Ana were quiet. They gazed out the side windows at the passing landscape, both remembering what had happened earlier that morning.
As they approached the outskirts of London the traffic slowed then became congested, so Hugh turned on the radio in search of an update. Paris closed the tablet case, reached forward, and patted his shoulder— a silent message that he shouldn’t turn grumpy. Ben sensed Ana’s eyes on him and turned around to glance at her in the back seat. The smile she gave him, and the one he returned, told the story of their morning together and confirmed the fact that both had spent the drive to London reliving each moment. His parents would have been delighted, if they knew, but the whole thing was private— their secret and impulsive assignation. He wondered about the duration of their stay in the country, and how he would keep his hands off of Ana when in his parents’ company.
After having spent more than an hour on the road, Hugh pulled up near the front of the museum and stopped in a loading zone. “Everybody out… and stay together! Ben, I don’t want your mother out of your sight. If she goes to the loo, you all go. Ana goes in with her and you wait in the corridor. Is all that clear?” Hugh’s tone was authoritative, but not harsh.
As they all unbuckled their seatbelts Ben answered, “Yes, Dad, I’ve got it covered.”
He opened the rear passenger door and helped his mother out, exchanging glances with Ana, who seemed to enjoy seeing him being told what to do. Hugh had put the driver side window down and Paris leaned in to give him a quick kiss. He assured her he would call her mobile phone as soon as he arrived at Lloyd’s and was inside the building. He mouthed I love you and drove away. Paris took both Ben and Ana by the arm and led them around the building to the administrative entrance.
Lyle Brett heard voices in the hall and peered out from behind his office door. He was disappointed to see that she wasn’t alone, and shocked to see that she was with Ben. He wondered about the other woman who accompanied them. Something about her seemed familiar. He called out an uncharacteristic greeting and Paris reciprocated. She unlocked the office door and they quickly went inside. Before hanging up her coat she took a moment to scan her desk for anything new that hadn’t been there when she left for home the day before. Nothing seemed amiss, so she took her mobile out of her purse and put it on the desk to await Hugh’s call. She told Ben to pull the two extra chairs up to her desk. Ana sat down while Ben paced around the office. They were quiet, and the ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to become increasingly louder as the wait continued.
Eventually Ben sat down. He fidgeted in the chair for a while and then leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. He turned to look at Ana and said, “This waiting is killing me.”
She nodded in agreement and glanced at Paris, who expressed her own frustration with a loud sigh. Before another word was spoken her mobile rang. It was Hugh, confirming his arrival and that a meeting was going forward, the results of which would depend on what she would find out from whoever contacted her. Paris sat back in her chair, a look of relief on her face. Just then th
ere was a tapping at the door.
“Come in,” Paris answered, turning to see who would appear.
Lyle Brett opened it slightly and stuck his head through. Next came his hand, which was holding a rather thick manila envelope. “This came to me by mistake. It’s addressed to you.” He waved it around a little and continued, “My oh my, it’s quite thick.”
Paris got up, walked to the door and took it from him. She thanked her colleague and put her hand on the doorknob to close it, but he stood firm in the doorway and said, “There’s something else. I want to let you know that I won’t be in the office for a few days—maybe a week.” He waited for questions, but no one asked why, so he offered the information. “I decided to take a little vacation— not sure where— just need a bit of relaxation.”
She thought that his timing was bad and typical of his lack of concern for fellow employees. She dreaded the fact that with the promotion offered, she would be his superior and responsible for his job performance. Considering her increased workload, she asked, “Will there be someone covering your duties while you’re gone?”
“The director said he would try to find someone, but at this point I can’t confirm that.”
Paris hid the annoyance she felt at the realization that she would probably be doing his work as well as her own, but she said nothing—just wished him well and shut the door quickly, causing him to jump out of the way. She returned to the desk, broke the seal on the envelope, and allowed the contents to slide out. The first page looked like a transport manifest. She sat down slowly as she perused what was written. Both Ben and Ana sat forward on the edge of their chairs, waiting for Paris to say something.
She finally looked up and said, “This is the information on an exhibit that’s coming in, supposedly within the next few days.” She paused, trying to sort her thoughts. “I knew very little about this, but when the director asked me to fill in as head of department, he did say that I’d have my hands full very soon. I didn’t make the connection.”
“What’s the exhibit?” Ben asked.
“Let me read the rest of the document.” After a few minutes she looked up again, her expression both concerned and surprised. “I’ve already received the preliminary information on this exhibit. It’s extremely valuable. It’s part of a collection of gold doubloons from a Spanish ship sunk by an English warship off the coast of Portugal in the 1800’s. It was recently salvaged, and after ongoing litigation with the American treasure hunters who salvaged it, the Spanish government has retained ownership. It had originally been on view in Madrid, but the Spanish government is allowing a portion of the treasure to be a traveling exhibit. The whole of what was salvaged is said to be worth something like 350 million Euros. The value of this portion isn’t stated, but it’s probably a small portion of the total.”
“Still a lot of money. Where is it coming from? Portugal maybe?” Ben asked. Ana had nothing to say, but her mouth hung slightly open at the contemplation of such wealth.
“The previous information I received said the portion coming here is presently in Cartagena, Spain. The fact that it’s being moved has been kept quiet—no media coverage. There are instructions not to talk about it until it’s in place—here—under lock and key.”
Ben shook his head. “Even if a treasure that size could be stolen, there’s nothing a thief could do with it. Even a half-million in gold doubloons is rather high profile.”
Ana chimed in, “If they found someone who would melt it down, it would soon just be a lot of gold bars. Not sure how or if they could be traced.”
“I wonder how pure the gold is. I don’t know anything about gold bars, or the karats or how the purity is measured.” Ben paused, obviously thinking. “I also wonder if the value is linked to the historical value, or just to the actual weight and purity of the gold.”
Paris answered, “I don’t have an answer for that, nor do I know where to find out. I imagine someone must have that information.” She continued to peruse the document before continuing. “I had thought it would be sent across the channel by ship—off-loaded at Calais and the rest of the way either by truck or train. Let me see what it says about that.” She read further, turning over page after page. “Well, it says that transport will be by plane, landing at either Gatwick or Heathrow— to be determined. From that point an unmarked armored truck from a security company will be used. I haven’t come across the company name yet.” She looked up and said, “Evidently the plans weren’t complete when the paperwork was handed over to me.”
Ben looked confused, and asked, “So who’s in charge of getting it here, then placing it under lock and key?”
Paris looked first at Ben, then at Ana. “Looks like I am. Seems it’s up to me to book the transport—unless there’s a name somewhere in the …” She turned the pages quickly, scanning for more information.
A hush fell over the room as each of them imagined what was ahead. Ben was the first to speak and looked at his mother. “I can see now that there’s a reason for all this. I just don’t know what it is, or how you fit into it.”
Paris said, “Well, it must have to do with the control I have over the exhibit—maybe the transport. What else could it be? Whatever they want me to do must be significant or it wouldn’t have been worth trying to kidnap you.” She began to thumb through the papers again, but stopped and looked at Ben. “Since they didn’t succeed at that, what kind of leverage could they have now?”
Ana had nothing to say, feeling that it wasn’t her place to offer an opinion. Yet she was very sure they weren’t home free. Something bad was coming. She was sure of it. Ben told his mother all that could be done was to wait, that whoever was running things would reveal himself soon enough. Paris felt a rush of anxiety, and her heart began to pound as she wondered what kind of threat was coming.
Ben asked the women if either needed to use the loo. Paris shook her head no, but Ana said yes. Paris suggested that they should get some fresh air in the small garden at the center of the building where there was no outside access. Ben agreed, but said they wouldn’t stay away long, that there could be news at any time. As they got up to leave, he told his mother to lock the office door behind them. She did so, and Ben walked Ana down the hall. When they reached the lady’s room he took hold of her arm gently and turned her to face him.
“I hope you know how much it means to me—that you’ve hung in there through what’s happened so far.”
The intensity of his stare all but buckled Ana’s knees. The urge to kiss him, to tell him that she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, required a strong will. She had to make certain things clear first. She leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. “Ben, you know this all started because of my need for an interview.” Ben nodded, his expression showing doubt at what might be coming. Ana reached out to stroke his arm then said, “Since shortly after we arrived at your parents’ house, nothing has been about the interview.”
Ben took both her hands in his, but looked down rather dejectedly. “Like I said, I’ve probably done a bang-up job of getting you fired.”
“None of that matters.” She began to pace in circles, thinking. “I’m going to call my editor and tell him that I can’t complete the assignment because something important has come up.” He could see she was adamant in her decision. She stopped pacing, faced him, and said, “I’m part of this mess until everything is resolved. You’ve become many things to me in a short time, Benedict McKinnon. A job is not one of them.”
“The first moment I see that I can’t keep you safe, you’re out of it. Understand that and don’t question me.”
“You haven’t seen my stubborn side yet. I basically won’t be letting you out of my sight.”
Ben shrugged his shoulders, deciding to let her vent but knowing things would be done his way. He quickly decided to divert the conversation away from a battle of wills and said, “You may come out a winner yet. When all’s said and done, this could make quite a story—an exclusive for y
ou. No doubt you’d be back on your editor’s good side.”
Ana pushed the restroom door partially open then turned around. “Maybe,” she said. “As long as the story has a happy ending.” She disappeared inside, and Ben leaned against the wall to wait, his face drenched with worry about what that ending would be.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gareth had managed only a meager amount of sleep before leaving for the airport. He was weary and sleep deprived, but spent most of the dawn flight to Madrid worrying about his identity. He would have to go through customs and present a passport that identified him as Gareth Logan. Clive Warren couldn’t check in at any hotel because that also required passport ID. Renting a car would present the same problem. Gareth wondered if his alias was now useless to the plan in which he was being forced to take part. He turned the instructions he had been given over and over in his mind, not really believing he could carry through with most of it, but knowing that somehow, he must. His biggest concern was whether he would have to see Olivia, who no doubt had already been taken. Whatever happened from this point on, he hoped it wouldn’t include her finding out about his role in her abduction.
After landing in Madrid, Gareth easily made it to the connecting flight to San Sebastian. He was unable to relax, and his fatigue caused him to forget whether someone would meet him, or if he was supposed to take a taxi to Pamplona. Perhaps he had been told that if no one showed up, he was to take a taxi. The uncertainty frightened him. He had come too far to fail now and have his brother pay the price. As the approach to the landing strip was announced and the small plane began to reduce altitude, his heart began to race. He now suspected that courting Olivia had been the easy part, yet he had never intended to connect with her emotionally, let alone so strongly.
Good Deed Bad Deed : A Novel Mystery Page 20
