Chapter 2
Sara walked into the office at Vorschlag Industries and the woman at the main desk
looked up. "Go on in. He's expecting you." This had become routine. She didn't know what was
between Mister Irons and this woman. What she did know was not to ask any questions.
In his office, Kenneth Irons was studying something on his desk. He looked up when Sara
walked in. "Sara, how wonderful to see you again."
She just glared at him. "You called me, remember. You had some information for me."
"Yes, I do. First, I had nothing to do with it."
"Of course not," she said, rolling her eyes.
He continued. "I had an interest in the two victims...alive. So, I had my man, ian
Nottingham, you know of him right?"
"You know I do." She practically growled at him.
He nodded. "Well, I had him follow them to make sure they were the right ones for the job
I wanted done."
She saw the vision of someone following them and nodded her head.
"But he had nothing to do with their death," he added.
"Do you have any information that might actually help me?" She asked sarcastically.
"Remember that everything is connected."
"Oh yeah. That helps a lot."
He had gone back to studying the thing on his desk. Sara left, realizing their conversation
was over.
*******
They walked back into the house and Renee saw her father sitting at the table looking at
something. She walked over to him and looked over his shoulder.
"Dad, put those away!"
"Renee, they're only pictures."
"But..." She growled in her throat.
Gabriel walked over to the table, sat down, and pulled a photo album in front of him.
Renee rolled her eyes and sat down across from him.
When he was finished looking through them, they went into the living room. "What do
you do, Gabriel?"
Renee and Gabriel exchanged a glance before he answered. "I sell antiques and artifacts."
"How much do you make doing that?"
"Enough," he answered. that was an understatement. It seemed there was no limit to what
some people would pay for some of the things he sold.
"You live in the city?"
"Yeah."
Michael noticed Renee was asking him with her eyes to stop asking these questions. He
turned to her and asked, " What have you been doing in the big city?"
"Writing."
"Why did you have to go there for that? You could do that here."
"But not for a big newspaper," Gabriel put in for her.
"What paper would that be?"
"The Vorschlag View," Renee informed him.
"Yeah. I guess you're right. Renee wouldn't have the chance to write for that big a
newspaper if she stayed here."
They talked of other things and before they knew it, it was getting late. The three of them
went to their rooms and were soon asleep after a long day.
*******
Sara looked at her clock for about the twentieth time in the last half hour. The digital
numbers read 11:11. She finally decided to get up since there was no point in staying in bed when
she couldn't sleep. She swung her feet to the floor and walked over to the wall and light switch.
As soon as her room was lighted, her eyes fell on Conchobar's guitar case.
She walked over to the table where it was laying and opened it. On top of the guitar was
the last song he had written, "Sara". Tears started to form in her eyes as she read the words. It felt
like he was there with her once more.
Putting the song down, she picked up a folded piece of paper. She opened it and started
reading.
My Dear Sara,
I love you more than words can say. But I will try to express it here in case I never get the
courage to say it to your face. I love the way you look in the morning. I love the way you look at
me and I can see right into your heart. I love the way you feel as you lay in my arms. I want you
to know that if we ever have to be apart, I will never forget anything about you. Every little thing
makes you perfect.
Always Yours,
Conchobar
Tears had started streaming down her face soon after she had started to read the letter. By
the time she had finished, it was spotted with tear drops. She put the papers back in the case and
closed it. Sitting down in a chair, she laid her head on her arms and cried. She cried like she hadn't
done since Conchobar's death.
Once she had become exhausted from crying, Sara pulled herself out of the chair and
crawled back into bed after turning off the light. This time she was asleep within minutes.
*******
Renee smiled when Gabriel came downstairs the next morning. She was drinking
something hot.
"How can you always be up so early and happy?" It didn't make any sense to him.
Her smile just widened. "Some things can't be explained."
He slid into the chair across from her. "That coffee?"
"Hot chocolate."
"Your dad have any coffee?"
"Yeah. He drinks it."
"Think he'd mind if I made some?"
She shook her head. "I doubt it."
Renee showed him where it was and waited while he made it. Once he had the hot cup in
his hand, he looked over at Renee and smiled. "I take it you slept well."
She smiled back. "Yeah. Did you?"
"Too well."
She laughed. "We had pancakes for breakfast. There's some left if you want to eat."
"Sure. Where are they." He hadn't seen any sitting in the kitchen.
"In the oven."
"You make pancakes in the oven?"
"No. We put them in there to keep them warm."
"Oh okay."
They went into the dining room and sat down. After he had taken a few bites of a
pancake, he said, "These are good. Did you make them?"
Her smile brightened. "Me and my dad."
"Where is he?" Gabriel realized he hadn't seen him yet this morning.
"He went down to feed the animals."
Just as he finished eating, the door opened and Renee's dad walked in. "Good morning,
Gabriel."
"Hello, Mister Mackenzie. You and your daughter make very good pancakes."
"Thank you. It was mostly her though. I just made sure they didn't get burnt. Renee," he
said, turning to her. "the stairs do not tell you when the pancakes are done."
Her face was starting to turn red.
"I think she was waiting for you," he whispered to Gabriel.
"I was just wondering if he was up yet," she said defensively.
"About sixty times an hour," he told Gabriel.
"Dad, will you stop it!"
Both him and Gabriel started to laugh.
"Glad you find me so amusing."
She couldn't stay mad at them for long however. Soon she was laughing too.
*******
Jake was already there waiting for her when Sara arrived at work in the morning.
"Any leads?" She asked him.
He threw a file on the desk in front of her. Opening it, she scanned the contents. "I knew
there were some sickos in this city, but I think this one beats them all, she said when she had
finished. "He slit their throats first, then..."
"Yeah. He gutted them." Jake looked ready to throw up from just saying it. "We need to
find this guy, and soon."
She stood in front of her partner for several minutes, just thinking. Then she said, "Let's
go check out the crime scene again, Jake. Maybe we'll find something we missed the first time."
"Yeah. Good idea."
*******
Renee and Gabriel were sitting on the couch in the living room when they heard a knock
on the door. She heard her dad walk to the door and open it. Voices floated in to them as Michael
welcomed their guests. "Come on in." she heard him say. She looked up as the sound of the door
shutting came to her ears.
When she saw who the visitors were, her face turned pale. "Hello, Renee," the younger of
the two men said.
She had to find her voice again before she could reply. "Hello, Andrew," she greeted him
with an edge of coldness in her voice.
Gabriel looked at the two of them and was curious. As soon as she had seen who it was,
Renee had acted like she had to overcome a huge obstacle. Andrew looked to be the same edge
or a year younger than Gabriel with brown eyes and hair. The sound of another voice broke
through his thoughts.
"Renee, it's been a long time."
"Yes, sir, it has."
"Sir? My name's Tom, remember?"
"Sorry."
Gabriel could tell she was a bit nervous. He stood up and walked around the couch to the
newcomers. "Hello," he said, holding out his hand.
"Who are you?" Andrew asked.
"Gabriel Bowman. Who are you?"
Andrew Delany looked at him through narrow slits. "I'm Andrew Delany. Me and Renee
are old friends."
Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw Renee's eyes narrow at this. He didn't know what
had happened between these two, but obviously Renee hadn't forgotten about it.
Realizing Andrew wasn't going to take his outstretched hand, he left it drop back down to
his side. "Well, me and Renee are new friends," he said, mimicing Andrew's tone.
Andrew opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Renee asked, "What are
you two doing here?"
"We came to wish your dad a happy birthday." Tom said.
And you couldn't use the phone, she said to herself.
Gabriel smiled at them. "That's nice."
Andrew looked at Renee. "I haven't seen you in so long. Did anything interesting happen
to you in New York?"
"No. Nothing really."
Gabriel just looked at her. That was an outright lie. "What about..." he started.
"Oh yeah. I met Gabriel."
"And that's it?"
"Yeah."
Gabriel just looked at her, then shrugged. She obviously didn't want to tell them what did
happen there. he put his arm around her shoulders.
Andrew was looking at him with thinly veiled hatred. Gabriel didn't know what made this
guy hate him. it seemed that Andrew had hated him from the moment he had laid eyes on Gabriel.
Renee looked over at Gabriel and smiled warmly. The thin veil started to slip away. Renee
looked at Andrew curiously. The three of them stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes.
Then, Andrew's dad came in and said, "Come on. We have to leave now." He smiled at Renee.
"We'll be back later for your dad's party."
She just nodded her head. As soon as the door closed behind them, Renee turned to
Gabriel and wrapped her arms around him.
*******
Sara was frustrated. They had combed over the crime scene several times. Yet, they still
came up empty. her mind was busy sorting through what evidence they did have while Jake drove
her home.
She walked into her apartment and stopped as soon as she stepped through the door.
Standing in the middle of the room was Ian Nottingham.
"What do you want?" She asked a little sharper than she had meant to.
He winced at the harshness in her voice. "I am sorry to startle you, Lady Sara. But I have
come to help."
"With what?"
"Your case."
"Did your master send you?"
"No, Lady Sara. I came against his wishes."
This took her by surprise. She didn't think Ian did anything without Irons ordering him to.
She closed the door behind her and walked further into the room. "What information do you
have?"
He raised his head to look at her, then quickly looked down again. "I do not know who
killed them. But I do know why."
"Well..."
"My master hired them for a job."
"Yeah, I already knew that. What do you know that can help me?" She didn't mean to
snap at him again, but this was adding to her already high level of frustration.
He gave her a pained look, then looked at the floor again. "The person who killed them
didn't want to do the job."
"What was the job?"
"That I do not know."
She let out a sigh.
"I will try to find out if you like."
She looked at him in surprise, then nodded her head. "Yeah. Thanks."
He nodded his head at her in farewell. Stepping through the open window, he disappeared
into the darkness.
