Authors Note: Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter; they're all greatly appreciated. So please continue to let me know your thoughts and opinions.
I'm afraid there'll be a bit of a wait on the next chapter again, but it'll be with you as soon as I have an opportunity to post it.
Chapter Thirteen – Apprehension
Jeff Tracy rarely showed how nervous he actually was. However, as he sat anxiously awaiting for his son to emerge from the dreaded interviewing procedure, his fingers rhythmically strummed the chair arm. He sighed, leaning forward and glancing at his watch. He found himself wondering what exactly was going on in the room. More precisely, just how Virgil would react to the gruelling procedure that the others had found so distressing. Alan's reaction yesterday had been disturbing enough for him to witness.
Jeff sat back again, breathing out another sigh and letting the back of his head rest up against the wall. He couldn't help the thoughts that swam rapidly through his conscious thinking. Knowing he had to be prepared for the outcome of this investigation, either way, was certainly taking its toll. The memory of Alan's haunted expression when he materialized from this very room would remain with him forever.
His thoughts turned to the implications of this weekend. He had to hope that Alan would be vindicated and with all his heart, he wanted to believe that he would be. Deep down though, he knew he had to be prepared. And to consider all possibilities meant the prospect of an inquest. He wondered how Alan would cope with such a daunting procedure. An inquest could spell the end of his career on the race track, not to mention the allocation of responsibility. Alan felt guilty already, to have an inquest hold him responsible too; it would destroy the boy and Jeff knew it.
His mind wandered to the other implications. Implications he had put off considering for the last few days. This weekend should have been an exciting time, a time to talk of a bright future for all of them and a time for propositions. Instead, they were forced through a harsh, ruthless procedure that would determine Alan's future. A future that, judging by his and Sam's reactions to the interviews, was looking less than bright. He briefly wondered if maybe he should proceed as planned; discussion of his latest project would certainly be a welcome diversion. He shrugged the idea off though. None of his sons or even himself were in any state of mind to listen to his plans for the future. Especially at present, when their future seemed so uncertain.
He sighed again, running a hand over his hair.
A door opened further down the corridor. Even though he knew it wasn't the correct room, his head snapped up hopefully. The couple that emerged passed sympathetic smiles at his anxiousness, as they walked past. He looked away, now sitting forward and resting his head in his hands. So many things to think about, he honestly didn't know where to start.
He began to wonder what was taking so long. He was sure even Alan hadn't taken this long and glanced at his watch once more. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him. It seemed like he'd been waiting for an eternity. Though he knew his concern as to whether Virgil was really up to this, would have been affecting him subconsciously. Something wasn't right with Virgil. He couldn't explain what it was or how he knew it. He just did. He knew his sons much better than they realised, especially Scott and Virgil. The eldest two thought that by confiding in each other they kept a lot from their father. Whilst this was true to a certain extent, they often underestimated his perceptiveness.
He sighed yet again, heartily. He had noticed this morning when he returned to the breakfast table, the numerous glances and glares that passed around with increasing concern. The atmosphere alone revealed the secrecy and unease. When he glanced around the table, each one of them had given a little away in their mannerisms. He knew, despite the glares and obvious animosity between them, that Scott and Virgil would ensure each other were okay eventually. Which left Alan. Gordon's absence this morning had been an indication that all was not well between his youngest sons either. He suspected that Alan had lashed out and Gordon taken the force of his anger. After refusing to confide in both himself and Scott, Jeff knew that Alan would have been simmering away all night until he finally exploded. He was immensely concerned about how Alan's desire to be treated as an adult, was affecting how much he was allowing people to help him cope.
His 'phone vibrated in his pocket and he quickly resolved that he would talk to his youngest son when they got back to the hotel. Taking the 'phone from its confines he glanced at the caller ID; Tracy Enterprises, New York. He cancelled it. He had been determined that this weekend would be work free and had ordered not to be disturbed.
Being a single Father and getting the balance right between work and home had never been easy. He wasn't about to delude himself into thinking he succeeded. He wasn't the perfect businessman and he certainly wasn't the perfect parent. There were times when he got it right, there were times when he didn't. He was only human; he'd made mistakes and at times, struggled for there to be a balance at all. Of late, he felt his time had been spent far too much with his work and not with his family. This weekend was his opportunity to change that. The 'phone vibrated a second time to indicate a message had been left and this time, Jeff obliged. Placing the 'phone in his palm, he held it up to see the open screen and waited for the message to play.
The recorded image that played, showed a man Jeff was familiar with; Marcus Ford. "Jeff, Hi." He began, uncomfortably fiddling with his tie. "I know you didn't want disturbing this weekend, so I'm sorry to have to call you like this. Erm…" He hesitated again. "I heard about Alan, I hope he's okay. I need to talk to you but I'll erm… I'll call back later. Unless you call me first. Talk to you then, Bye." The communication was cut.
Marcus Ford was more than a colleague. He was a good man and a better friend. Now, he practically ran the New York office of Tracy Enterprises, leaving Jeff to spend time on his latest project. Jeff had been expecting a 'phone call to express his concern for Alan and to pass on his good wishes. However, the serious, sombre expression and the hesitation in his usually confident friend alarmed Jeff. He made the decision to call Marcus as soon as he returned to the hotel. Surely, things couldn't get any worse.
Suddenly, the light above the interview room flickered. The 'Interview in Progress, Do Not Enter' sign, illuminated in red, flashed off. Pocketing the 'phone he stood up in anticipation, grabbing Virgil's jacket from where it remained folded over the opposite chair arm. He stood there anxiously for a few minutes, waiting for the door to open and its occupants to make an appearance. After a while, the door was opened and Virgil came out, looking up to his father with a small smile. He was followed by the man Alan had identified as Dr Nickel and the ever imposing Ms Dews.
"Thank you Virgil." Dr Nickel was offering his hand out, which Virgil shook. "I hope you're feeling better soon."
Virgil smiled a little remorseful. "Yeah, me too." He swallowed, breathing slowly but as deeply as he dared.
"We appreciate your cooperation with the investigation, Mr Tracy." Ms Dews nodded a farewell as she began to walk away. Her arms wrapped tightly round a file that she hugged close to her chest. Her shoes making an annoyingly loud noise as they connected with the hard floor and she retreated.
"Thanks." Dr Nickel smiled as he followed her, rushing to keep up.
Virgil sighed, turning to his father. "Talk about good cop, bad cop."
"That bad, huh?" Jeff smiled softly, pulling his own and Virgil's jackets over one arm. "Come on, let's get you back." He placed an arm on Virgil's back as he guided him to the reception area. "We'll talk about it on the way."
"Actually Dad." Virgil paused, slowing his already slow pace down further and almost coming to a halt. "Can we …" He hesitated. "Can we go somewhere? Get a coffee or something?" He saw the look of surprise on Jeff's face and mistook it for reluctance. "If you're busy we can go straight back." He added quickly.
"No, no." Jeff shook his head. "I'm never too busy for you boys, there's a coffee shop across the road. Come on." He led the way, Virgil following slower and much more cautiously.
As they sat down at one of the small window tables Virgil winced. Though he tried to contain it, Jeff immediately looked up to him.
"You alright Son?" He frowned.
"Yeah, yeah." Virgil smiled, though he felt a little breathless. The walk had taken more energy that he thought possible for such a short distance. "There's some ibuprofen in my jacket pocket, can you pass me a few?"
Jeff nodded, picking the jacket up from where he'd laid it out and searching through the pockets. "Here." He passed the packet across the table as a waitress approached. "You want anything to eat?"
"No, thanks."
Jeff nodded at the reply, going on to order two coffees and turning back to his son as the waitress departed. "How did it go?" He asked softly as Virgil palmed the foil wrapped pills.
Virgil blew out a breath. "I'm not really sure Dad. That woman was intimidating and she twisted everything I said. The guy, the crash investigator he was okay. I don't know what I could tell them really…" Virgil shook his head. "Alan will have told them everything and anything I could."
"What did they ask you?" Jeff asked, frowning as Virgil continued to pop two pills through the foil cover.
"They asked me about what I was doing in the car in the first place, and what I thought happened. And then about Mark and what he was like." Virgil shook his head again, turning to look out of the window. He could see divers in racing suits heading for the registration office. Further down, the revving of car engines could be heard as the enhanced vehicles made their way down to the Scrutineering cage.
"What did you tell them?" Jeff asked. "Thank you." He smiled up at the waitress as she placed two mugs of coffee before them. She smiled widely back at him and hurried back to her colleagues. Virgil watched slightly amused as they talked excitedly, obviously having recognised his father.
"Just that he could be a bit arrogant at times but that he was a skilled and perfectly competent driver. From what I knew anyway." Virgil sipped at the coffee, placing the pills in his mouth and swallowing them one at a time.
"Anything else?" Jeff asked. Virgil shook his head in the process of swallowing the second pill. "I thought they'd ask about when you were trapped in the car." Jeff said thoughtfully. "If you saw or heard anything that could help."
Virgil dropped his gaze from his fathers, stirring the coffee in front of him slowly. "Well they did." He stumbled, looking back up. Only because it was imperative that his father believed what he was about to tell him. "But I can't really tell them anything. I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" Jeff frowned; placing the mug that had previously been half way to his lips back on the table. He turned his full attention to his son. "Well, did that doctor say you would experience some memory loss?" He paused. "I mean, he said there was no head injury." Jeff added, clearly anxious. "Scott didn't think the treatment that you got was as good as it could have been. I'm beginning to think I agree."
"Well no he didn't say anything, but I think I was unconscious. They said at the hospital that I was unconscious when they pulled me out." He ran a hand over his head and Jeff studied him closely.
He was lying.
To Jeff it was obvious, but he hesitantly let his son carry on. "I remember telling Alan to jump and then the next thing I was waking up in that make shift hospital place." Virgil shifted uncomfortably, squirming under his father's analytical gaze.
"Hmm," Jeff's frown deepened. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Virgil looked up with wide eyes; worried his father had sensed his lies. He barely managed a nod. "Uh huh." He paused thinking quickly. "It was just frustrating. Stressful doesn't cover it." He wished he could summon up the courage to stretch out all the tense muscle in his body. He knew it would only be painful. "I feel uptight, and I'm still a bit sore. That's all." He smiled uneasily, hoping his father would buy the explanation.
"Relax, its over and done with now." Jeff could see he wasn't about to tell him the truth and reluctantly moved on. He picked the packet of pills up that rested on the table. Opening it, he peered inside seeing there was only a handful left. He looked up to Virgil's questioning stare as he sipped slowly on his hot drink. "Was this full when you started?" He asked.
Virgil nodded regretfully. "Yeah, Scott got them from the pharmacy when he got the prescription. I've got another pack back at the hotel though."
Jeff raised his eyebrows. "So you've been taking these with what the doctor from the hospital prescribed?"
Virgil nodded. "Yeah, he said to take them as well."
"Son." Jeff sighed. "I really think you should see somebody about this. The pain medication the hospital doctor prescribed obviously isn't doing anything for you. Why don't you let me call Charlie? He could probably give you something a bit stronger."
Virgil shook his head. "It's okay Dad, it takes the edge of it. I can handle it."
"You don't have to handle it though." Jeff told him firmly.
"Dad, I'm managing." Virgil sighed. "I'll see how it goes. If it doesn't get any better, I'll go see someone as soon as I get back to Denver."
"You don't have to put yourself through this, just one call Virgil." Jeff watched him. "That's all it'll take."
"Dad, please." Virgil closed his eyes. "It's really not that bad. I feel fine." He rolled his eyes at his father's over-protectiveness.
Jeff sighed loudly, shaking his head. "Don't look at me like that." He chided. "I'm your father; it's my job to worry." He paused. "You look pale. Have you been sleeping alright?"
Virgil shrugged slightly. "I slept okay last night. I've had a few nightmares but I can deal with it." He insisted. "I'm coping Dad." He smiled softly, seeing that was really what his father was trying to assess.
Jeff nodded. "Good. I couldn't help but notice that things were a bit quiet at breakfast this morning. I thought maybe there was something wrong and I don't want to be kept out of the loop."
Virgil's eyes widened. "Alan dropped a bombshell." He told his father softly. "Don't say anything, he told us this in confidence, but he said to Sam and I that he's thinking about selling the car." Jeff looked up obviously surprised. "Yeah, exactly." Virgil acknowledged his father's expression. "I think we convinced him to wait for a while. It's not so much the car as the racing. This crash has shaken him up more than he's letting on. He's nervous of racing again, but I'm sure once this investigation clears him and he's got his confidence back he'll be fine." Virgil's positive attitude boosted Jeff's spirits a little.
"I can't believe that." Jeff sighed. "You and Sam have worked so hard on that car, Alan and Kenny too." He shook his head. "I could talk to him?" He suggested. "I was going to have a word with him this afternoon anyway."
"No." Virgil shook his head. "I think we've convinced him to hold off for a while. Besides, I don't know who he's told. I don't think Scott or John know. When we were talking about it, they were talking about something else."
Jeff nodded. "Okay, I won't mention it unless he says anything to me. Keep me informed though." He paused, looking down at the cooling coffee that was now only half full. He wondered whether to mention the other thing on his mind, the other thing that had become apparent at breakfast. Taking in a deep breath he looked up, catching Virgil's gaze. "I noticed Scott seemed a bit preoccupied this morning too." He paused. "Again."
Virgil looked down guiltily, a gentle sigh escaping his lips. "Yeah, I'm going to talk to him Dad. I just haven't had the chance yet, that's all."
Jeff nodded. "I know you will." He paused. "He's concerned you'll overdo it again today."
"Has he said something?" Virgil asked, suddenly frowning.
"He mentioned that I should probably keep an eye on you." When Virgil growled in irritation, Jeff sighed. "That's Scott, you know he's worried."
"Well I wish he wouldn't." Virgil griped.
"Can you honestly say that if it had been him in a crash that had killed somebody. You wouldn't be exactly the same?" Jeff asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.
"I'm not saying that I wouldn't be worried." Virgil stated. "But I wouldn't fuss around him constantly."
"Is that what Scott's doing?" Jeff asked, thinking he was finally getting somewhere.
"Not intentionally." Virgil sighed sorrowfully. "I can feel him watching me all the time. Take this morning for example, every time I looked up at breakfast he was staring at me."
"Yes, I did notice that." Jeff admitted.
"Oh good!" Virgil sighed again. "It's not just me then!" He stopped, sighing and shaking his head regretfully. "I know it's just because he's worried and I know I've given him cause to worry. I just wish he wouldn't." Virgil said softly, shaking his head again and finishing off the coffee in front of him. He smiled up graciously as, within minutes of them both finishing their drinks, the waitress brought the bill over. "I'll get it." Virgil said as he made an awkward effort to stand.
Jeff watched him, picking up the jackets and the tablets on the table before following. "You ready to head back now?" He asked as Virgil walked towards him, flicking his wallet closed and burying it into his pocket.
He nodded in answer to his father's question. "Suppose I'd better go and face the music." He smiled.
"Come on." Jeff smiled. A gentle hand on his sons shoulder as they headed to the car and set out on their journey back to the hotel. "I'm sure once you've reassured Scott that you're okay things'll calm down. Between you and me, I think he was more than a little shook up himself. Of course, he wouldn't admit to that." Jeff paused. "Not to me, anyway." He said purposely.
"You're probably right." Virgil mused as he walked around to the passenger seat in the car, lowering himself into it gently. "I tired to talk to him this morning but we had to go down to breakfast, I'll try again later. I need to unwind first, that interview was pretty stressful."
"Feeling better now?" Jeff asked having studied his son's delicate descent into the car as the engine purred to life.
"Yeah." Virgil smiled.
Silence descended upon them. A comfortable, amiable silence that continued until their journey was well underway.
"Do you think I'm ungrateful?" Virgil asked suddenly.
Jeff frowned. "No, why would I think that?"
"Well, I guess I should just be thankful that I'm still here for Scott to stare at and that I've got brothers who care. Even if Scott is still mad with me, and annoying at times." He paused thoughtfully. "That's more than Jack Jamison's got right now."
Jeff Tracy frowned as he concentrated on driving; it took a much greater effort for him when in England. It was always so tempting to revert to the right. He found his mind drifting though. He had spent the last half an hour trying to understand not just what had happened during the interview, but what the ever so subtle problem between his two eldest sons was. He had failed to get Virgil to tell him outright what was wrong. Yet he'd just let it slip in ordinary conversation.
So, Virgil was frustrated with Scott's constant concern and Scott was annoyed with his brother for some reason. Jeff pondered the thought, remembering his conversation last night with Virgil, his son telling him that he'd been, in his own words, an idiot. He sighed heavily. As capable as he was at evaluating his sons' behaviour, understanding it was an area he often lacked in. Hence the need to leave them to their own devices.
"Dad." His quite brooding was splintered by Virgil's deep but soft voice. "Green means go in England."
For a second he frowned, before glancing up at the traffic lights they'd stopped at. "Oh, sorry son." He smiled as he pulled away from the lights. His mind was somewhere else entirely.
XxxxX
Their arrival back at the hotel was undocumented. The paparazzi had nearly completely disappeared, only a few lingered on. Though both Jeff and Virgil knew, they'd be back for the preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
"I think that's your welcoming committee." Jeff smiled as he gestured to where Scott, Sam and John loitered near the reception desk.
"Hey." Scott smiled, rushing over. "Are you okay? You've been gone ages!" He exclaimed anxiously.
"We're fine, Scott." Jeff smiled. The question had obviously been directed at Virgil but Jeff quickly deflected the anxious looks the young man was receiving.
"What took so long?" Scott asked.
"Oh, we went for a coffee afterwards, that's all." Jeff frowned, shaking his head as if it wasn't really any of Scott's concern.
"Oh, right." Scott smiled forcefully. His vision turned to his brother in the same way it had at breakfast. Virgil began to feel like the proverbial bug under a microscope, again.
"Did you get the car loaded up Sam?" Jeff turned to the mechanic with interest.
"Yes, sir." Sam enthused. "I've taken a look and I think it's mostly cosmetic damage. It probably looks a lot worse than it is. We could have it rebuilt in no time. Ferrari US are going to the mechanics and Kenny and I will do the body work ourselves." Jeff nodded. "Actually, I was going to ask you if you'd give me a hand John." He turned to the only other fair-haired young man in the area.
"Me?" John seemed surprised.
"Yeah, well I wanted to upload some of the digital photos and information onto the computer. So as I can make a start on what I'm going to need. Virg said you're pretty good with computers and they're not my favourite toys. I was hoping you'd give me a hand?" Sam asked optimistically.
"Sure." John smiled. "I'll try."
"What will you be able to tell Sam?"
"Well, I can put the photos into a program that enables me to play with the wreckage. So as I can find out the best may to manipulate the panels without causing more damage. Some of it Ferrari US will have to strip off anyway." He shrugged. "But I like to know what I'm dealing with and it'll help give me a good idea of what I'm going to need."
Jeff nodded approvingly. "Sounds interesting."
"It is." Sam enthused. "It's amazing what you can do with technology these days. The program can make an estimate, based on a cross sectional diagram of the mechanics. It'll even tell us what damage has most likely to have been done under the hood. Of course, it's not accurate, it's all based on probabilities." He paused. "We're quite lucky that most of the damage is to the front and side. There's only minimal damage to the wheel arch at the back which is where the more expensive parts of the engine are found in Ferrari's." He smirked up at Jeff, who returned the gesture.
"I'd be interested to see that Sam." Jeff smiled. "Let me know when you've got it set up and I'll come and have a look."
"Sure Mr Tracy. I can get straight on it, if that's alright with you John?"
"Yeah." John nodded, "Sure."
They walked off towards the lift, talking to each other excitedly. Jeff turned back to his two eldest sons. "I can't wait to see that." He shook his head in anticipation.
"It's pretty cool." Virgil told him. "Sam and I used the program when we were trying to decide where the stripes would go. You can make up a three dimensional hologram that you can then manipulate to see what your idea would look like if you actually did it. It means you can modify your ideas, and in Alan's case realise how stupid they were, without even touching the car."
Jeff nodded with a smirk. "Right well boys, I've got a few calls to make. I'll be in my room if you need me." He nearly walked off before turning back to Scott. "Oh and if either of you see Alan, will you tell him I want to talk to him."
"Sure Dad." Virgil responded.
Scott nodded. "Okay Dad." He smiled as his father placed a comforting hand on Virgil's shoulder before following John and Sam towards the lift. "And then there were two." Scott turned to his brother. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Virgil snapped. "I'm sorry." He said immediately. "I didn't mean that how it sounded, I'm just… that interview wound me up." He sighed frankly. "I think I might grab a sketchbook and go out in the gardens for a while." He looked down, moving fractionally away from his brother.
"Virg…" Scott stopped him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.
Virgil shook his head. "Not really." He sighed, turning and continuing to walk towards the lift.
"Well, hold up!" Scott called, taking hasty steps towards his brother. "I'll come with you. I haven't been out in the gardens yet."
Virgil came to a stop, standing by the lift quite still. He waited for Scott to catch up with him. "Scott," He said slowly with a soft smile. He was attempting not to come across as abrupt, and failing. "I just want to go out there for a few minutes to get some fresh air and sketch a bit." He opened his arms as if he was going to shrug but then changed his mind. "On my own." He paused. "Look. You were the one that was so insistent that I took it easy today, so why don't you just let me do that?" By the time he finished, he realised there was a little more bite in his tone than was absolutely necessary.
"But this morning…" Scott frowned. "I thought you might want to talk." He sighed. "After what you said to Dad."
"I … I did, I do." Virgil told him. "You said when I was ready." Scott nodded. "Well right now I'm stressed and I just want to chill for a while. If that's okay by you." He added sarcastically.
"Okay." Scott nodded slowly, frowning slightly at his brother's brusque tone. "Okay." He told Virgil's retreating back.
He stood there for a few minutes watching his brother walk away and cursing himself for thinking of his stomach that morning. If he'd taken the opportunity earlier to continue their discussion then maybe, he thought, his brother might not be clamming up on him now. He shook his head, strange how Alan, Sam and now Virgil had all come back from their interviews in such terrible moods.
A hand grasping his shoulder startled him and he turned quickly to its possessor. "Hey!" Gordon was smiling at him, Alan matching his grin.
"Hi!" Scott returned the grins, noting that his younger brothers seemed much happier and more relaxed. Scott supposed he could safely assume that they'd sorted out their earlier disagreement.
"Is Virgil back yet?" Alan asked.
"Yeah." Scott replied. "You just missed him." He gestured to the lift they'd only just got out of.
"Where is he?" Gordon asked. He was watching Scott carefully, noticing the subtle hints that Scott was preoccupied with stressing over something.
"He's gone to get a sketchbook and then he's going to the garden for awhile." Scott explained, smirking to himself at Gordon's wide-eyed stare.
"The garden?" The redhead was asking incredulously. "As in flowers and grass and stuff?"
Scott nodded, bemused by Gordon's obvious distaste. "Yes, Gordy the garden as in flowers and grass and stuff. Lots of nice pretty scenes for him to sketch."
"Well what are waiting for?" Alan asked. "Come on, let's go." He turned on his heel, fully expecting his brothers to follow him.
"Al, wait." Scott called. "You can talk to him later, just leave him awhile. Yeah?"
Scott watched with trepidation as Alan glanced to Gordon for conformation before answering. The young aquanaut fractionally shook his head when it looked as though Alan was about to question their big brother. It seemed to have the desired effect.
"Okay." Alan frowned suspiciously at Gordon, obviously expecting some kind of explanation later on. "We were going to go and grab something to eat, Gordon's hungry. You want to come?"
"Erm, thanks but no, I'm not really hungry." He paused, remembering his father's words. "Oh, and Dad's looking for you. I think that maybe you should go up and see him. He's in his room." Scott smiled. Pleased both of them were willing to let him deal with Virgil and were happy to let the subject drop without further question. "I think I'm going to go find Sam and John, I'll catch up with you later."
"Sure." Gordon smiled, as he led Alan away. "We'll see you later." Scott watched them as they walked away, smirking to himself as Gordon tried to field Alan's urgent questions.
He headed off in search of Sam and John, completely unaware of the grisly discovery he was on course to make …. …
XxxxX
Jeff was relatively surprised at the image that his 'phone projected when the video call was answered. Marcus sat back in his leather chair, tie askew and shirt sleeves rolled up. He looked tired, no, Jeff corrected himself, he looked exhausted.
"Marcus." He greeted with a false smile. "You look how I feel." He smirked.
Marcus stifled a yawn. "You only just caught me Jeff, I was about to leave for lunch."
It was only at his words that Jeff noticed the light skies behind his friends head. "I'm sorry Marcus, I completely forgot about the time difference! I'll call you back after lunch if you want?"
"No, no." The response came, with a shake of the head. "Not at all. It's a good excuse not to meet Dawn actually. She has her parents coming and you know how much they love me. I wouldn't be too bothered if I had to work through lunch." Jeff chuckled at the dry humour, spying the cup of coffee in his friends hand forlornly. "How's Alan?"
Jeff's lingering smirk suddenly faltered. "Honestly, Marcus. I don't really know, more to the point I don't think he does."
"Poor Kid." Marcus shook his head in sympathy. "I can't imagine what he's going through."
"Yeah." Jeff agreed. "He's determined he's okay, but I wonder how much of his courage is just an act."
"No, he's a strong kid, Jeff." Marcus disagreed. "He'll come through this okay." Jeff's only response was a sigh. "The media's reporting that there was someone else in the car. It didn't say whom, just Alan's older brother which doesn't narrow it down much. It was Virgil wasn't it?" Jeff nodded, deciding on a scotch himself. "Is he alright?" Marcus continued.
"Yeah." Jeff hesitated to sip at his newly poured drink. "They're coping Marcus, it's just… well, there's just so much to consider. Has there been any backlash on the company?" He scoffed to himself. 'That was a stupid question.' He thought wryly.
Marcus smiled warmly. "Nothing we can't handle. The press have been trying to get another statement out of us, but I've just fed them the 'no comment' stance so far. I mean, at the end of the day this is a private matter and they know it's got nothing to do with us."
"That won't stop them pestering you for your comments on the situation though." Jeff replied miserably. "And this is just the kind of publicity we don't need at the moment."
"We can handle it Jeff. Don't worry; they won't get anything out of us." Marcus assured the older man. "You just concentrate on the boys."
"I always went out of my way to ensure they were kept out of the media as children Marcus. I know they're men now, but they'll always be my sons. And I'll always do anything I can to protect them." Jeff ran a rough hand over his face. "That includes keeping the publicity to a minimum, for Alan's sake."
"I understand that Jeff, of course I do." Marcus smiled. "The Press Office can handle it; that's what they're paid to do. How are things there? Do you know what happened yet?"
Jeff shook his head sadly, sipping at his scotch slowly. "No, not really. There's an ongoing investigation, but they can't tell us anything. They've only just allowed us to pick the car up, this morning."
"Well, do they think it was a fault on the car or ..?" Marcus shrugged.
"They're not at liberty to say." Jeff ground out a frustrated sigh. "They must know, if they've released the car but we just have to wait until Wednesday. There's going to be a preliminary hearing where the investigation team will present their findings. Then a committee will decide if there's sufficient evidence for a formal inquest."
"Well what do the mechanics think?" Marcus was frowning. "Surely they must have an idea? Alan's always going on about how good that Malone guy is."
"Kenny Malone? Yeah, he is, he's very good but he couldn't be here this weekend. You've heard him talk of Sam Marshal haven't you?"
Marcus nodded. "Yeah. Virgil's friend, right?"
Jeff nodded too. "He's stepped up to head the mechanical team."
"Oh." Marcus deflated. "And you're worried that Malone could have done a better job?"
"No." Jeff replied automatically. "No," He repeated more surely. "Sam's perfectly capable."
"You don't sound convinced." Marcus observed.
"It's just… Something caused Alan to spin. If Alan's didn't make a mistake, which I doubt he did. The only other cause I can think of is that there was something wrong with the car…"
"And Marshal should have picked up on that." Marcus finished for him. "You're going to kill me for suggesting this but Alan's pretty high profile; have you considered sabotage?"
Jeff nodded. "It's not a thought I want to dwell on. I've considered it but in all honesty, Marcus, somebody was with the car almost all the time. Virgil and Sam were working on it right up until the last minute."
"So what? Now you have to wait for the preliminary hearing to see what they found." Jeff's small nod was his only reply. "And what then, what if there's an inquest?" Marcus asked.
Jeff shrugged. "It could go on for months. If they decided that Alan was at fault, he could lose his licence. Or worse, be facing criminal charges."
"What?" The exclamation was spluttered out, with nearly half a mouth full of coffee.
"Yeah." Jeff nodded. "Apparently, if they find him negligent, they can bring manslaughter charges. So I'm told anyway." He paused. "I've got people working on it already."
"You don't think it'll come to that though?" Marcus frowned. "Do you?"
Jeff sighed yet again. "Based on Alan's capabilities? No. Never. I have every faith in him; you've seen him race Marcus. He's good. I know he wouldn't have caused that accident. Sure, he can be hot headed and he's a got a temper on him sometimes, but he's a different person in that car. I know he'd never put Virgil in danger. If anything, having him in the car would have preventing Alan from taking risks he might otherwise have taken." He paused. "But then again, the way Virgil and Alan have reacted to these interviews with the investigators, I'm not so sure."
"How do you mean the way they reacted? I thought the boys were doing okay?" Marcus continued to frown in response.
"They're doing as well as can be expected I suppose. I can't pretend I understand what either of them are feeling right now. They've both taken it pretty hard." Jeff took another sip of his scotch, taking a long pause. "Alan's not really said much. I know Scott and Gordon have both been trying to get him to open up a little, but …" He trailed off, illustrating their lack of success. "And then there's Virgil. I'm sure he's hiding something but I can't think what. Everyone's been so preoccupied with Alan just lately; I'm worried I'm missing something."
"I'm sure Virgil would tell you if he thought you needed to know." Marcus reassured him. "He's probably just trying to save you the worry."
"You're probably right, but I'm supposed to worry."
"The joys of fatherhood, huh?" Marcus grinned. "Tell me about it!" Jeff grinned in response. "You know if there's anything I can do to help. Just call."
"Thanks Marcus. I appreciate it." Jeff smiled sincerely. "Are you sure you can handle the media?"
"Ah yeah, sure. I'm more worried about Dawn's parents!" Marcus smirked, attempting to put the senior man at ease. He didn't quite succeed. "We can handle it Jeff, don't worry."
"I thought I might sit in on that board meeting tomorrow, after all." Jeff tested the waters. "They're bound to be getting cold feet after all this. I was thinking, maybe me being there would settle a few nerves, and stifle some of the gossip too. Actually, I thought you'd be calling to request my presence."
"It was brought up at the general meeting this morning. I thought you'd want to spend all your time with the boys so I quashed the idea." Marcus smiled. "It's up to you."
Jeff nodded. "I'll think about it and let you know." He paused. "And you're absolutely sure you'll be able to manage the press situation?" Marcus nodded slightly, grinning. "Thanks Marcus. If you have any problems, you just let me know." He was about to go further when a short, sharp knock at the hotel door prevented him. "That's probably Alan; I'll let you get off to Dawn."
"I'm in no rush." Marcus smiled, glancing at his watch. "In fact, I'll probably be too late now." He grinned. "Such a shame." He added sarcastically. "I'll probably talk to you tomorrow anyway, the Fletcher Aerodynamics Contracts up for review." There was another impatient knock. "I'll let you go. If I don't see you before, I hope everything goes okay on Wednesday."
"Thanks Marcus, me too. Talk to you later." Jeff smiled as he cut the connection and headed to the door. "Me too." He mumbled again, pensively.