Their Secret Pact – 7
"Seven months ago …" Matt echoed softly while C.J. and Roy watched his facial expression, watching for clues as to what he was going to say on the subject. But he was at a loss for words… and rightly so, preoccupied rationalizing why Elizabeth would receive such a large sum of money around the same time Matt was kidnapped and brainwashed. And the amount deposited in her savings account was the same amount she received after visiting Truman Masters a day prior. Was it a coincidence? Did she have something to do with that whole episode?
He was doing his best to think like a detective and not like a confused ex-lover. He kept staring at the numbers on the page, hoping it would prove him wrong.
"Houston …" C.J. dared, about to ask him the obvious when he read her mind.
"I don't know what to think but it probably wouldn't hurt to know as much as we can about her past. I hate to admit it but I guess there are a lot of things I don't know about her. I've kind have taken things at face value with her, forgot my head."
Roy gave a sympathetic smile.
"You wouldn't be the first."
Baby's screen suddenly flashed a humorous tease.
"But wait, there's more…" it said.
The trio turned and watched the screen.
"Elizabeth Sheridan, born 08-04-54, s.s. # 230-87-1456, education Arizona State University, major: theatre, minor: psychology. Degree: BA; G.P.A. 4.0."
C.J. and Roy looked at Matt curiously.
"She told me she never finished college… never mentioned her major."
Baby's screen continued. "College activities: Theatrical Productions, Musicals, Acting Troupe."
"Acting Troupe?"
C.J. answered. "I've heard of those – Harvard had one. It's where theatre majors get together and hone their craft by acting out scenes in real situations."
"Real situations?"
"You know like taking a scene from a play and performing it at a local diner or in a park."
A photo flashed on Baby's screen of Elizabeth and her acting colleagues, taken from the college yearbook. There were seven people in the photo, including one person who looked very familiar.
"Truman Masters, a.k.a. Peter Martin Delaney," Matt uttered with a hard fix on the photo. His stare remained for several seconds, arguing with his conscious as if he had two voices. Either it was just all one big coincidence or they knew each other. Either way, he knew there was only one way to get to the bottom of it.
"C.J., ask Baby to find out what airport, which flight Elizabeth is leaving on."
C.J. forgot her earlier concerns and obeyed without pause, quickly sitting down at the keyboard and typing. If Elizabeth did have something to do with the worst thirty days of Matt's life, she had nothing to worry about as far as her personal status in Matt's life.
Seconds later, Baby had an answer.
"L.A.X, flight 801. Delayed due to traffic. ETD 2:40PM," she read as Matt's eyes followed the information on the screen. He glanced at his watch and made a beeline for the elevator.
He spotted her at the gate, nervously pacing, looking back and forth at the clock and the flight schedule. She definitely looked like a woman trying to get out of town as fast as possible. He took a deep breath and approached slowly, anticipating all the different scenarios that could happen.
He got within ten feet her when he stopped and waited for her to notice him. She seemed to sense him, then swung around sharply.
"Matt…"
She acted surprised to see him.
"Elizabeth …"
"What … what are you doing here?" she asked as she glanced to the right quickly.
"Wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh?" she asked, taking a quick glance to the left. "I thought we said everything we had to say to each other?"
"I thought we did too, but then …"
He paused. She looked distracted.
"Look, uh, whatever it is, it'll have to wait. I really have to go."
He grabbed hold of her wrist.
"No, please. I need to know something… something very important."
She looked at his eyes and wrestled with his grip… now growing stronger as he felt her resisting him.
"Matt, look, there isn't anything I can tell you … and both of our lives will be in great danger if we're seen together. So please, let me go."
An announcement came over the p.a. system.
"Flight 801 to Zurich now boarding. Gate 57."
"Zurich, huh? I don't suppose it has anything to do with your Swiss bank account and Truman Masters."
"Huh?"
"Oh, maybe you know him better as Peter Delaney."
She stared back at him, seemingly unnerved by the mention of the name.
"You do know him, don't you?"
She set her jaw.
"Matt, look, I really must go."
He searched her facial expression for the answer to his question. The answer was in her eyes.
"How could you …" he commented with a hard fix on her.
Suddenly the sound of bullets coming from behind him distracted him. He reactively let go of her wrist, swung around and ducked behind a chair and onlookers screamed and scrambled for cover.
He looked for the source of the gunfire and saw none. He looked back at where Elizabeth had stood and she was gone as if she vanished into thin air.