CHAPTER 16 Gone

"Are you at the cottage?"

"No, I was expecting your call, so I left. Do you really think they put bugs in the cottage?"

"I'm pretty sure of it, Teresa. Julian and Alistair can be pretty devious."

"I miss you so much, Nicholas."

"Me too, but it's one more week. It's going to be worth it, I promise you."

"I know. But three months is such a long time."

"I feel the same way. The house is almost ready."

"I can't wait to see it."

"I transferred part of the money into a new account under your new name. You will transfer the rest when you leave Harmony."

"I'm scared, Nicholas."

"Don't be, everything will go smoothly. You will take a plane from Boston to London and from London to Switzerland. Then from there, you will go to your final destination."

"Ok, and what about the papers?"

"Your identity cards and everything else will arrive by tomorrow at Whitney's place."

"She's not going to get in trouble, is she?"

"No, she'll be receiving a new tennis rackets and the papers will be hidden in a sown pocket."

"You thought of everything."

"Yes, I did. Are you at the beach right now?"

"I'm walking near by."

"You made sure that no one followed you."

"There's no one behind me and no suspicious cars."

"Good. It's the last call for my flight."

"You're going somewhere?"

"Yes, I'm meeting with Crane clients. There's a huge contract on the line and I have to take a commercial flight."

"You're still sitting in first class."

"No way am I ever flying coach. I really got to go, I have to catch my flight. I'll see you in a week. Good luck, honey."

"I love you, Nicholas."

"I love you too. Be safe."

"You too."

The line went dead. She walked back home and looked over her shoulder from time to time to make sure that she wasn't been followed.

***********************************

Whitney had just gotten back from her tennis practice. She went up to her room and turned the television on. Wimbledon was set to start in a few minutes. She got changed and sat on her bed, ready for the first match up. The commentators were as usual discussing the players and their strengths when the news went on.

"No, don't do this to me. Why do things have to happen when I'm watching tennis."

The newscaster was talking about a plane crash that happened a couple of hours before.

"We are saddened to announce that flight 25 from the British Airways crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight was making the liaison between Madrid and London. The information concerning the passengers is starting to filtrate. We can confirm without the shadow of a doubt that there are no survivors. We are also able to confirm that the sole heir to the Crane empire, Nicholas Foxworth Crane was among the victims."

Whitney brought her hand to her mouth as a photograph of Fox flashed across the screen. A smiling Fox, full of life.

"Oh my God, I have to find Teresa."

Whitney left her room and drove to the Crane estate.

"Please let me find her."

She arrived at the cottage and knocked but there was no answer.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Whitney looked at the gardner.

"Yes, have you seen Teresa?"

"Mr. Ethan came to get her a few minutes ago. Mr. Fox died today."

"How was she when she left."

"She didn't know yet. She is at the main house right now."

"Thank you."

She walked to the mansion as fast as she could.

"If I'm feeling a certain agony over this, I can only imagine how Teresa is feeling right now. What am I going to tell her?"

****************************************

She was picking up some of her clothes and shoving them in her suitcase.

"Ok, Teresa. He said the strict minimum."

She looked at her the clothes she had spread on her bed and started choosing. Then she sat and started dreaming. She was leaving to meet him in a week, then they would get married and would live happily ever after. A smile touched her face. She was brought back to reality when she heard the knocking on the door. She got up, walked through her room and the living room.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?"

"You have to come up to the mansion."

"What? Why? No, I'm not going."

"You have to Teresa."

She was staring him straight in the eyes and she was scared.

"If you don't tell me why, I won't go."

She was panicking. What if Alistair and Julian had found out. No, Fox had been careful with everything. She knew that he didn't leave anything to hazard. And she had made sure that she never spoke to him when she was at the estate, and she was never followed. Or was she?

'Oh my God, what if they found out?' she kept thinking. They will ruin our lives. They will destroy everything we've worked so hard for.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to say anything."

She was feeling sharp pains in her stomach and she held it. She had to sit.

"Ethan, please you are scaring me."

He grabbed her arm and led her to the door.

"Quit stalling Teresa. The sooner we get there, the sooner you'll know what's up." They walked to the mansion silently. Teresa was frightened and shaking. She was a wreck. They arrived in the library where the entire Crane family, including Alistair was reunited. Ivy was sitting in an arm chair, livid. All color had drained from her face. Teresa felt the earth shaking under her feet.

"There she is."

Teresa walked in the library and Alistair showed her a seat.

"No, I would rather stand. What's the secrecy about?"

She was looking at them. Julian was drowning his brandy as usual, although he seemed worst than she'd ever seen him before.

"Teresa, I think you'll need to be seated for this."

"I said no."

"Suit yourself. Pilar should be here any minute."

"Why do you need my mother here?"

"Because this concerns her also."

The library door opened and Pilar walked in.

"Mr. Crane, you asked to see me?"

"Yes, Pilar. Now that everyone is here, let's cut to the chase."

He went behind Julian's desk.

"Teresa, I wanted you to be here not because I care about you, but because I know how much my grandson did."

"What are you talking about? Are you talking about Nicholas?"

He nodded.

"What do you mean did?"

"Foxworth was on a flight that crashed into the ocean. There are no survivors."

Teresa put her arms around her stomach.

"No, he is not dead."

"Yes he is Teresa."

"How could you say that Ivy? He is your son."

"Alistair and Julian obtained a tape from the airport security cameras. It filmed him giving his boarding pass to one of the employees."

"I want to see it."

Alistair popped the tape in the VCR. She looked at the time on the tape. It was only a few minutes after she had hung up with him. Fox dressed in a gray suit handing his pass to an airport employee. He was smiling. She approached and touched the screen with her fingers, like she wanted to feel the face she adored so much. The camera followed him until he disappeared in the tunnel that took him to the plane and then nothing, he was out of sight.

"No, he can't be gone."

Ethan went to her and took her by the shoulders.

"But he is."

"Don't touch me."

She shoved him.

"Don't ever say that he is dead. I love him. He can't be gone."

She stormed out of the library and started running. Tears were flying out of her eyes. She could feel the cold air whipping her face. She ran as fast as could, trying to escape her pain. She arrived at the lake and collapsed. She was sobbing so much she couldn't catch her breath.

"No, Nicholas, why did you have to leave me? Why?"

She was like a wounded animal.

"Nooooooooooooooo! No, no, no."

"Teresa?"

She looked up.

"What am I going to do without him, Whit. He is gone. The love of my life is gone. He is never coming back."

She was rocking back and forth. Whitney sat next to her and held her. She didn't realize that she was also crying. She knew that Teresa would never recover from this.