Chapter 11

The news about the missing man disturbed Gwen. It took all her effort not to let on to Arthur. Now and then, she caught him looking at her. As if he were working out in her head what was going on with her. She put on her best smile. It almost killed her. When she got to her office at Penn, the first person she called was Merlyn. The second was Gareth. Both men were in her office within minutes. The men were polar opposites. Merlyn came in looking like he overslept, sleepy eyed and yawning. Gareth arrived with a morning stubble, looking like he hadn't slept at all.

"Any news?" Gwen dropped her usual morning greeting to the men.

Gareth pulled out his phone to show her an image. On the small screen, Gwen saw the prone figure of a sleeping man. His surrounding showed that it was a hospital setting.

"We found around six a.m. Berlin time. Bruised ribs, broken finger and he'll be on a liquid diet for a while." An exhausted Gareth said.

Gwen fell into her seat, her head in her hands. "This has gotten out of hand. I need to tell Arthur."

"Tell him what?" Merlyn said as he stared at Gareth's phone. "That your once driver, now security department head, sent a guy to Berlin for an unknown reason and he got beaten up. Fashion's a cutthroat business, but not that cut throat. He'll know that you're up to something else. That else has to do with her sister."

Gwen raised her head and glared at Merlyn. He was right, of course. If she went to Arthur, she would have to tell him everything. Her suspicions about his sister. That's all she had. Keira and Arthur were closer than ever now. Her suspicions wouldn't be enough.

"He's right, Mrs. Penn." Gareth said. "Ritter Kranz is a power player in the business world. If he's targeting Penn with the help of Keira, it won't be enough to just tell Arthur."

"I could always tell him that Cassandra said something bad was going to happen." Gwen said almost wistfully.

Merlyn laughed at the mention of the tea maker. "You bring up that woman's name and Arthur and he might divorce you. Let not bring up her. He's not a fan of her voodoo."

Gareth cocked a brow at him and shook his head.

"I don't know if you're aware that Arthur had me look into Ms. Drake. He seemed suspicious of her and didn't seem pleased you like being in her company." Gareth said.

Gwen straightened up at that. This time, she cocked a brow at Gareth. She didn't like when Arthur was overprotective of her. That was one of the reasons Gareth was in her life. She'd married into a powerful family and he didn't trust her sometimes lackadaisical attitude toward safety.

"I don't want to know." Gwen shook her head.

"I do!" Merlyn interjected.

Gwen made a face at him.

"You want me to go see her, I think I have a right to know?" Merlyn protested. "Last time I went there, I was color blind for days."

When realized Merlyn was serious, she nodded to Gareth, sat back in her chair. Certain it would take more than a simple request for Merlyn to visit the tea maker after Gareth.

"After her dismissal from Penn, she disappeared for about two years. She shows up again in England. Stayed there for about another year. Disappeared again and showed up in New York City to open her tea show. The former building's owner signed over the building to her. I won't tell how much that real estate is worth in New York. She doesn't have any credit cards, a car, cell phone or even a television from what we found. They shipped her supplies from all over the world. Her customer list is exclusive. I've seen billionaire walk through that shop door and along with a homeless guy."

Merlyn's eyes widened.

"You don't find that suspicious?" He said.

Gwen sighed. Cassandra was a lot of things. Once a coding genius working for Penn, disgraced by the elder Penn, she reinvented herself after firing. Gwen knew she was tied to the Penn family in ways that were hard to explain. Despite Arthur's distrust of her, Cassandra seemed driven to save him. Driven to keep what she and Arthur had together. Casandra pushed her toward Arthur. She pushed her toward saving Penn the first time Keira tried to take it over.

"I went there," Gareth said. "To the shop. I was curious what was inside."

"Did you go colorblind?" Merlyn asked.

Gareth shook his head. He gave Merlyn a hard, long look.

"She served me the tea, strong black and sweet. The cup was the old ceramic mug. It seemed important."

Gwen nodded and remembered the delicate China cup Cassandra served her.

"It is. Go back. It changes." Gwen explained.

Merlyn threw up her hands. "Why don't we start a cult."

"Did you dream?" Gwen asked.

Gareth nodded.

"Nightmares right," Merlyn pointed at him.

Garth shook his head.

"I dreamed of friends I lost. Friends, I didn't say goodbye too. People I once served with." Gareth said.

"Are you going back?" Gwen asked tentatively.

The slight smile on Gareth's face surprised her. It softened the hardness of his face.

"She said that I didn't have to. I'd gotten what I needed."

Meryln huffed. "Well, clearly, I haven't."

Gwen gestured toward Gareth. "Are you going to see her? If you don't, she'll find you and you won't like it."

Merlyn shuddered, but agreed.

Gwen took a deep inhalation. Now that she sorted out Merlyn and Cassandra, there was Keira to deal with. She needed to take care of the man in Berlin and bring him back home. Her biggest problem was finding out more about Ritter Kranz.

"What about Kranz?" Gwen asked.

"Maybe we're going about this all wrong. Instead of digging into Kranz and his motives. We should do it through Keira. We have access to her through Penn. Trust me, there is a trail somewhere. She's not the only computer whiz around here." Merlyn said.

"Keira's smart, you poking around could be difficult." Gwen said.

"I'll still stay on Kranz. Look at his past business deals. It might give me an idea where he's going with this." Gareth said.

They all agreed.

"What bothers me is that Keira can't bring Kranz into Penn. No matter how nicely, she wraps him up, Arthur won't allow it. He'd block every avenue."

Merlyn made a face. Gwen needed to clarify with both men.

"Kranz has the clout to get the board on Keira's side. The only obstacle to that is her brother. Arthur out maneuvered bigger men than Kranz. For her to succeed is to get rid of Arthur. To either eliminate him, or sideline him." She explained.

"He is her brother!" Merlyn said, surprised at Gwen's theory.

"This won't be any sly business move with a man like Kranz," Gareth chimed in. "My man in Berlin proved that. He won't play nice."

"That's what worries me. Whether Keira understands she's gotten in bed with a viper is the question. If she doesn't, that's one thing. If she has, then she lost her ever loving mind." Gwen said.

"If she has, then Arthur's in danger." Merlyn said.

The dread Gwen felt the moment she got the call from Gareth about his man in Berlin deepened. To know that Keira would go to any length to rid her of her brother, to gain control of Penn, stirred something in her. Something dark and equally dangerous.

"Merlyn, do what you have to do with Keira. Gareth, find out as much as you can about Kranz. Both of you please be careful." Gwen reached for her desk phone and dialed a familiar number. The men watched as the phone rang.

"Hi Keira, it's Gwen."

"Gwen." There was an assured brightness to the voice that surprised Gwen. They had left on the best terms the last time they spoke. But Keira was a brilliant actress.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said last time I spoke. I'm still a little sensitive about what happened last time." Gwen said contritely.

Keira gave a playful laugh.

"I told Arthur about it. We both had a laugh. He loves that you're so protective of him. I appreciate that about you." Keira said. "I remember a time when you were that way with me."

This made Gwen pause. This was true, and she missed their closeness.

"I know it's hard for you to believe, but I love my brother. I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."

Gwen wanted to believe her, but Kranz lay waiting in the wings for a reason.

"I know that now. I love you both, and I don't want anything to happen to either of you. So, I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me." Gwen begged.

"Of course, love. We'll do lunch tomorrow at my favorite place. A girl's day. Like old time." Kiera chirped.

"Wonderful. I want it to be like it was between us. Thanks for being good about this." Gwen said.

Keira laughed. "I can't wait to tell Arthur."

When Gwen said goodbye and replaced the receiver back on its cradle, she looked up to find Gareth and Merlyn staring at her. Gareth had a pleased expression.

"I give that a ten, with extra points for execution and believability," Merlyn said with a smirk.

Gwen sat back in her seat and spoke.

"The actual performance will be that lunch."