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Chapter 7: Family Reunion
Miss Parker pushed open the glass doors to her father's office. How many times had she gone in there? How many times had she pushed open those same doors? Now, however, everything was different. One quick glance around the room told her that. There were no pictures on Mr. Parker's desk or trinkets she had given him for various birthdays and father's days. The desk was barren save for a lamp and papers.
She drew in a deep breath. It had taken all her guts to walk through those halls. She had spent the night at Sydney's house and they had stayed up late talking about everything and anything. She'd told him all that she remembered of her true life and Sydney, being the shrink that he was, had found it all very fascinating. He denied, however, her accusations that the Centre might somehow be involved. Miss Parker had let it go, but she couldn't help but think that the Centre was involved.
This morning, Sydney had brought her to the Centre and had walked with her down its halls. Keeping her head high, Miss Parker had made it through the stares, dropped jaws, and gasps. Her resemblance to her mother obviously made people do double-takes. Now, here she stood in front of her father's desk, ready to make the biggest confession of her life.
Mr. Parker was leaning over some papers, signing one of them. His brows were knitted together and he seemed in deep thought. To her, he hadn't changed one bit. He hadn't looked up when she walked in and didn't even seem to know who she was as he signed the papers. Without looking up, he addressed her.
"I'll be with you in one second." One second wasn't soon enough for her.
"Daddy." Her soft voice made his head snap up. His look was incredulous. To him, she must be a ghost of the past; a ghost that was thought never to rise again.
"Angel?" She nodded and Mr. Parker sprang up from behind his desk. They both nearly fell into each other's arms. He kept mumbling about how good it was to see her and asking where she had been. Miss Parker just stayed silent and enjoyed the comfort of her father's arms. Jarod was wrong: her father loved her and would never do anything to ever hurt her.
"How did you get here? Where's your mother? It's so good to see you again, Angel." Mr. Parker said, pushing her back so he could get a good look at her. "You look just like her." Miss Parker smiled.
"It's good to see you again, too, Daddy. I've missed you. Mom's fine. I don't rightly know where she is, though." She prayed he wouldn't see past the lie. Miss Parker wanted to protect her mother. Mr. Parker was about to reply when the door opened and a relatively handsome, suave young man walked in. Mr. Lyle. Miss Parker drew in a deep breath.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He said. "I just wanted to drop by and give you these reports on what the sweeper team found." Lyle tossed some folders onto the desk.
"Thank you. Angel, this is Mr. Lyle, an associate of mine. We hired him for his excellent tracking skills." Mr. Lyle extended his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. And, without trying to be rude, may I ask who you are?" Miss Parker shook his hand, eyeing him carefully. He looked just like her Lyle, except he still had a thumb.
"I'm Miss Parker." Was all she replied. Lyle looked from one to the other, his facing showing the shock he must have felt at those words.
"Yes, it's true. This is my daughter. I haven't seen her in ages. But, everyone must return to their true home sometime. Right, Angel?" Miss Parker nodded her head. Yes, everyone had to go home sometime. And that's just what she was going to do.
"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you. But, if you'll excuse me, there are a few business items I need to attend to." With a smile, he walked out the door, but not before he sent a meaningful glance Miss Parker's way. She cringed.
"Same old Lyle." Miss Parker muttered under her breath. She wondered what business items he needed to attend to. Probably nothing she wanted to know about.
"Did you say something, Angel?" Mr. Parker asked, going back behind his desk and sitting down. Miss Parker turned to face him.
"Oh, I was just thinking how nice he seemed."
"Yep, that's Lyle. He can charm anyone, even a snake, but don't get too many ideas in your pretty head. He's working here to help us with some…um, tracking." Miss Parker wondered who they were tracking. It struck her as funny that despite supposedly never seeing her father in over twenty years, how quick he fell into the old routine. Maybe this Andrea had contacted her father behind everyone's back, too. It was a thought.
"Who's he trying to find?" Miss Parker asked.
"Jarod." Miss Parker started. He was the last person she would expect them to try to track. "The Triumvirate has been quite upset over our loss of him and wants to reinitiate the Pretender project." He gave his daughter a sly look. "You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"
"No, but I'm sure I can find out." Time for her sales pitch. "I didn't just come by to see you, Daddy. I want a job. Life on the run is not what it's cut out to be. I want to be home, with you. Let me help you track Jarod." Her father seemed to consider it for a second.
"I don't know, Angel. You've been gone a long time and the Centre isn't quick to place its trust in someone known to have gone against it." Miss Parker made a move to protest, but her father kept on talking. "But, I'll see what I can do. I've always wanted my daughter to share with me the glories and power associated with working here. I'm pretty sure I can work a deal with the Centre." Patting Miss Parker on the shoulder, Mr. Parker smiled. "Don't worry, Angel."
"I won't, Daddy. I know you always do what's best for me." Mr. Parker nodded and walked out of the office. Miss Parker slumped into the first available chair and breathed. That had gone off better than expected. And now she might get a job here which would help her in the search to find a way back home.
All she hoped was that she was a good enough actor to fool them into thinking that she was actually looking for Jarod. As much as she hated the Wonder Boy, Miss Parker did not want to lead the Centre back to her mother. She refused to do that at all costs.