Chapter 10

Nearly two weeks had passed since her eventful trip home during which time she had made a quick phone call to the shop as time and laptop never seemed to coincide till now.

Hi Sara

Sorry about the gap and fact the shop was busy so could not speak to you, nice to have a quick word with Mum, hope Debbie is better. Good to hear Dad is actually seeing Dr Brown and it is helping … as Mum says man to man rather than woman to man if it had been Dr Estrada. So no padded cell then! Sorry you have to carry the brunt of it all.

Huge surprise yesterday … I thought I would be meeting new boss this morning then head for the hills and new job if we approved of each other. Instead will meet new boss but head for UK for a quick visit work come bonus … will let you know when as there will most probably be silence from me for a while.

Otherwise having fun as well as working hard.

Big hugs and thanks

Meg

Meg sent it as the office door opened and the phone rang which she answered, as Matthew walked in, she continued making notes and answering questions till she finished the call.

Matthew smiled asking as she turned her attention to him. "Everything all right?"

"Yes thanks just confirming a few things on the Baker job. Go ahead date still stays the same."

"Good. Paul is ready so I will introduce you and then you can pack your things for the trip leaving dates have been moved. I hope you're a good flyer because we will be doing UK by air, with a few ground trips thrown in."

"Wow! I managed so far... That means it's a small plane then."

Matthew laughed at her hesitation. "Well, a big one first to cross the water, then smaller private plane for the trips to Scotland and other places in UK. I know it's a small country by our standards but from past experience it takes time to travel on the roads. We will see a lot don't worry just the long road routes will be missed out. We will be off late this evening a car will pick you up from the apartment." He noted her look and added. "Like to keep you on your toes!"

"Oh yeah so I've noticed." She said with a smile, found her bag and got up ready to follow him.

Oxoxo

They arrived at Paul's office and entered. As she was introduced Meg could see the family resemblance and then stepped aside to let the cousins talk knowing they'd not seen each other for a while.

Paul was early thirty's, short with blonde hair and blue eyes which were sparkling with mischief as he greeted his older cousin though his tone definitely had a pout in it. "Decided to acknowledge me then Mat."

"Thought you might like to find your way around things and the building again. Australia not sunk yet then?" Mat replied with an air of innocence, knowing 'that' tone well.

"No everything's fine as well you know!" Then knowing it would be rude to carry on their cousinly banter Paul added. "Meg I hope Mat's has not been leading you astray too much."

That was when they both noticed that Meg was not concentrating on their talk but on a photo on a shelf to one side.

Meg's mind was in a slight haze when Mat's gentle but firm "Meg" brought her back to the office and the conversation and she answered Paul's question in a slightly dazed tone. "Sorry... No Mat's been very good to me. I was looking at the photo"

Paul came over towards her as he spoke. "Oh that's Peter. He started me off on my career in some respects."

Meg felt shock ripple through her as he carried on explaining. "We met in New York, he'd just recently come from England and was apartment sitting while the owners were away for six months. Very quiet but trusting man unfortunately we lost touch do you know him?"

Matthew gently pressed Meg to sit down seeing her reaction, both cousins knew when to keep quiet so stayed silent waiting for Meg to answer.

Meg was lost for words for moment, realising Matthew would not have recognised 'him' he had no reason too. She'd never shown any pictures of Ben and when describing him if asked he was a tall dark and handsome friend from the past. Now he was in a photo looking a bit younger and with a smile that reached his eyes standing next to a happy Paul. She wondered if she could be mistaken but as she looked at it she knew it was Ben not Derek his identical twin.

She knew was comfortable with her past, it was just the amazing coincidence of being here and seeing him and the fact he had another name that had knocked her slightly sideways. Gathering her thoughts into actions she took a photo out of her bag. She'd slipped it into the pocket a long time ago and never taken it out. Passing it over to Paul she remembered sitting on the rocks at sunset with Ben and they'd been kissing when Casey called them. They'd both looked up at him laughing and he'd snapped it. She knew she'd never get rid of it as it reminded her of the happier times together.

Paul put the photos together exclaiming. "Wow he looks so happy with you."

Seeing the photos side by side Meg thought some things never changed they were standing outside a nightclub with different coloured neon lights around the door and said quietly "He's with his wife and children now."

Paul exclaimed with some concern realising he'd put his foot in it. "Oh Meg I am so sorry. Look if this is going to cause trouble..."

Meg smiled and interrupted him. "No I'm fine about it now. The whole thing was a bit messy but he did the right thing and stayed with his wife and son now they have a baby daughter. I would like to know all about it though if you don't mind."

Paul smiled hearing the truth in her words and decided. "Fine let's have coffee … Matthew do you want to stay."

Matthew grinned. "Yes please I've not heard about this, must have been a few years ago, before you joined us."

Paul nodded and as if by magic the door opened and a member of staff bought in tray of coffee, when she left they made themselves comfortable and Paul started. "I'm not counting years back it makes me feel too old. … I must admit I did not think Peter was his real name, I used it once or twice and he did not answer it. … … Well, I had lost my job and room mate had chucked me out so I was sleeping rough …been like it for a week … knew I could not come to the family for help in case you're wondering Mat. They wanted me to come to my senses.

Anyway that night, actually the other side of midnight … I found this nice looking doorway it was warm because the nightclub had just closed and there was a gap under to door. So I settled down drifted off to sleep when this six footer tripped over me, I thought everyone had gone. He did not go flat thank goodness but steadied himself … I expected abuse and being kicked out physically for being there."

He gave a gentle smile as he remembered. "Instead I got an apology for not being noticed as well as an offer of food, bed and job, doorman/general help during the day and night. I got my wits together and said yes and like a good little dog followed him to the apartment. I understood he part owned the club and was baby-sitting an apartment so he had a roof over his head.

Over the coming months he showed me the ropes and business picked up. We were getting a name for ourselves he was always in the background and gave me the role of front man, which I thought was a bit strange. He once said it was because I was American, well the police didn't seem interested in him so I knew we were not a front for anything crooked or drugs. In fact the opposite, it was a safe place to go if you know what I mean and if you did have too much to drink he made sure there was a taxi home.

He knew his way around investments what he lacked was cash in hand, when the apartment owners returned we found a very small flat nearby. One day he was very quiet eventually he told me his parents had died I expected him to go back to England but he said he could not and left it at that. I think it was a couple of months later I had go into the city to do some business when I came back he'd gone. Not a trace of him the bartender gave me a note, which I have never fully understood.

It was something like "Good Luck. Saw my shadow so its time to move on everything is yours to keep or sell. If you see me around don't acknowledge me or mention I've been here. You've been a good friend don't try and find me."

I showed the bar tender the letter and we worked together. When I checked there was no other owner, so I was sole owner with profits and from then Peter never existed. When the regulars asked we said he moved on anybody else we did as he said. A couple days later I saw him in the neighbourhood it looked as though he was asking directions to somewhere, which was odd because he knew the area like the back of his hand and his memory was fantastic because he never wrote anything down unless he had to.

You know he never talked to me about his past he knew about me and everyone else's, he was a good listener. I did as he asked but I never forgot him or the way he treated everyone. … I ended up having a gold mine, which I sold and moved on later joining the family empire as an equal." He smiled and drank his coffee feeling the warmth of those memories and putting them away again and hoped he would find some more about his friend.

Meg finished her coffee thinking his story through and then was silent for a moment remembering and putting her thoughts together. Knowing she could trust them both she told what she knew. "Ben had an identical twin named Derek. Perhaps that's what he meant by his shadow, Derek hated Ben. Like you I don't know his past … I met Derek, not nice at all but had the same charm as Ben, he kidnapped Ben and took his place and deceived me and everyone else. He died trying to take Ben with him down a cliff. … Years earlier Derek had tried breaking up Ben's marriage to Maria and there was a boating accident, in which Maria was thought to have drowned. It took years for Ben to get over it then I came along and Maria reappeared at our wedding reception without a memory. Later that year her…. their young son turned up with nanny in tow. It's all very complicated. But in the end he chose to stay with Maria and Benjy and in June their daughter Samantha was born."

Matthew stayed silent and Paul said. "Meg I'm so sorry. But thanks for telling me. Can we still work together?"

She smiled hearing his concern was real and said. "Yes and its okay to talk about him in fact I'm fine with it now … couple months ago it would have been dodgy but now it's okay. He is very happy."

Amazed at the coincidences knowing how Meg came here Matthew knew he'd have to get things moving or it would be story time instead of work. He got up and took control saying. "Right I will leave you two to sort things out work wise. Then you can pick up the details for this UK trip they are in my office and pack. But leave the kitchen sink behind this time please Paul!"

"Yes Boss" Paul said laughing as he took out some folders from his desk and gave them to Meg saying. "Okay business for now - Jane is the other member of staff she is sorting out the offices we will be using so there should be no problems. Val my fiancée is the reason we are going to put a base there, she has several elderly members of her extended family to look after and a business to run so it's easier if I go there than the other way round.

We have pulled together four other businesses to run in our group so it's a very small version of this business, with a couple of others as possibilities depending on trends. We are computer based so we can expand easily once we are there. You need to read through the files for when we start which is as soon as we come back from the UK." He laughed at her expression and added. "Never a dull moment."

Meg smiled realising it really did run in this family. "I guess not, can I take the files with me and read them on the plane."

"Yes there is nothing sensitive in the files and we can work on them if needs be, there will be a small amount of work in the UK but not much. Office accommodation is fine, I shall stay with Val and there is a small apartment available. Or you can share with two others in a large house, male and female they treat each other like brother and sister. You can decide when we get there as they are both furnished. We will fly and then hire or buy cars when we arrive. That's all part of the package for the job by the way and your wages are the same as here."

"Wow a big car then!" Meg said with a grin.

He answered seriously though there was a twinkle in his eyes. "No roads are narrow and they have snow in winter."

"Okay then car in the summer snowplough in the winter. What else is there?"

He laughed knowing they were going to get of fine. "Sorting out what other paper work we need to take with us and then packing or Mat will be after us with a broomstick and that's not a pretty sight."