Chapter Seven
Ben stared at the image of Margot and Rhys' alleged father for what felt like forever, though it was only five minutes since he had entered his group's secret office.
He looked up from the laptop, homemade brewed cup of coffee in hand as the door opened and Danny entered. "Hey, Danny. Heard from the girls yet?"
"They should be touching down at JFK right about now to refuel." Danny sat down on the other side of the small table facing Ben. "Do you think it was a mistake sending Alice and Tessa by themselves to meet with Sybil Griffiths? I think of her and it's hard for me to figure out if Margot emulates her."
"Sybil is a woman with a style all of her own, and mostly it involves not even getting her own hands dirty." Ben poured some coffee from a thermos into a paper cup and passed it to Danny. "Margot and Rhys made up their own techniques of ruthless behavior as time passed."
He closed the laptop and sipped on his coffee. "And speaking of Margot, how are things with you two going?"
Danny stared at Ben over the rim of his cup without drinking. He slowly set the cup down and laid his hands on the table. "I hope this won't make things … awkward between us, Ben. Me dating your ex."
Ben snorted. "Uh, Danny? I am completely fine with it."
"You two dated for fifteen years."
"Relationship had run its course. We're both in a better place. I'm engaged to Alice now."
"And of course she is the mother of your child. Your baby mama."
Ben rose from his seat to a board where pictures of the conversation between Princess Zara and the older man were tacked. "Tessa is a teenager, Danny. Not a swaddled baby."
His eyes darted from one photograph to another, acutely aware of Danny joining him. He stood beside him and looked at the board.
After several seconds, he turned to Ben. "I just don't want any hard feelings between us."
Ben rolled his eyes.
#
Alice, Tessa, and Sophie sat at a table drinking coffee in the middle of one of JFK's concourses. Sophie nervously glanced around at the passersby before looking down at her watch. "They should be done with refueling the jet by now," she said.
"Sophie, calm down," Alice admonished, laying a comforting hand on top of Sophie's. "We're far away from the mess in L.A. -"
"And on our way to a wrinkle of a time with Grandmama," finished Tessa, her eyes locked on her cell.
Alice and Sophie both glared at her. Alice was about to retort when she spotted the Hammer cutting through the crowd at a brisk pace towards them. She frowned at the sight, trying to put her finger on the cause for his hurry.
Then it dawned on her. Wait. Why is he hurrying?
She rose to her feet as the Hammer came to a halt at the table.
"We have a problem."
#
"The pilot was found unconscious in the men's bathroom fifteen minutes ago," said the Hammer as he led Alice, Tessa, and Sophie into the hangar where Ethan's plane rested. "He's already on his way to the nearest hospital. EMTs say he may have a concussion."
Sophie nervously glanced around the hangar. "Who would want to knock out the pilot?"
Alice looked over at Tessa, who returned a casual shrug.
With guns drawn, Alice and the Hammer boarded the jet, leaving Sophie and Tessa below. Alice covered the Hammer as he went the length of the cabin peering into empty seats until he arrived at the closed bathroom door. He opened it and flipped the light switch on before training his head inside.
"Anything?" asked Alice.
The Hammer withdrew from the bathroom and shook his head. He indicated the closed cockpit door behind Alice and moved behind a row of seats where he had a clear angle.
Alice crouched low and inserted a finger into the door loop. With a sharp nod from the Hammer, she pulled it opened, bracing herself for a hail of gunfire.
After several seconds of silence, she looked over at the Hammer. The uncertain look he gave her followed by him securing his weapon was the second surprising thing he had done in the space of ten minutes. She rose from her crouch and slowly peered inside the cockpit.
An elderly woman stood inside. She barely topped five feet, wearing a sweater tied over her flower printed dress which she smoothed out with one hand while sipping bourbon from a glass with the other. She looked at Alice and grinned.
"I've been wondering what's been keeping you, sweetheart," she said. Her voice resonated a deep southern dialect that matched her shawl draped over her drinking hand. "It's time to get in the air, don't you think?"
Alice did not move her head. Her pistol rounded the doorframe to aim at the woman.
"Who are you?"
The woman gave Alice a kind smile as she stepped forward and placed a weathered hand on the barrel of her gun. "Sweetie, I'm your pilot. Now, why don't you get Miss Tessa and that other young lady in here before we miss our window, huh?"
Alice's mouth fell open.
#
Aldrick Shive spun his chair as he looked up from the tablet Margot gave him. "Who is this man?"
Margot did not turn away from the view outside of the office Ben once occupied while in his year-long guise as Christopher Hall. "Who it is is not important. What he is capable of, which is the complete and utter dissolution of the Kensington Firm, is. I need to have him found and brought to me."
Shive looked at Margot's still form for a minute before rising from his seat. He slid the tablet onto the desk and slowly walked over to where she stood, taking in her shape in her black, long-sleeved turtleneck dress. "It amazes me how we never hooked up before, Margot," he said, running his hand down her backside.
Margot chuckled as she turned around, jabbing a nickel-plated .22 into Shive's jugular. The motion was sudden, but he forced himself not to take a step back.
"Are we going to have a problem, Aldrick? Because we really wouldn't want a tryst to possibly ruin a profitable business relationship, now would we?"
Shive smiled, his eyes never wavering from the weapon in her hand.
"No. Of course not."
#
Once Shive slid into the rear seat of his car, he looked up at his driver. "Did you get what I asked for?"
The driver held out a folded piece of paper over his shoulder. "I scoped out the place with some of the boys just like you asked. You were right. Something big is going on. We followed the trail to that address."
Shive unfolded the paper and looked at the contents. He whistled once and smiled. "And you're sure he's there?"
"Not completely sure. But the parking garage connects to several buildings in the area. He's close by."
Shive nodded in agreement. "Well, there's one way to find out."
#
"Sybil and I have been the best of friends since the sixties. We had so much fun following the Stones and the Beatles. She is such a sweetheart."
The woman expertly navigated the controls of the plane as Alice stood behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Tessa who stood with her usual smirk on her face. Sophie and the Hammer sat behind her conversing in low tones in their seats.
Alice turned back to the woman. "You do know that she was once the head of one of the most notorious crime syndicates in the world, do you?"
The woman laughed. "Child, you say that like it means something to me. Of course I know. I helped start it."
"Tilda, tell dear Alice about the story of you and Grandmama tossing that train coming out of Paris." Tessa grinned as she slid past Alice into the co-pilot seat. "I heard some of the things you two did to those Interpol agents are considered illegal in certain states."
Alice held up a hand to forestall further comment. "Where are you taking us?"
The woman, Tilda, looked over her shoulder. "I'm sure you know by now it's a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S."
Alice crossed her arms. "Shocker."
"So why don't you get yourself settled in." Tilda gave her a kind smile. "We have a long flight ahead of us."
"Tilda, go ahead and tell Alice where we're going." Tessa's fingers ran lightly over the controls. "I would tell her myself but she probably wouldn't believe me."
Alice's eyes narrowed to slits. "So you do know."
Tessa shrugged. "I have a suspicion."
#
Ben knocked on Valerie's door and stuck his head in the office. "Hey. I got your message."
Val rose from her desk. "Ben, this gentleman walked in and said he knows you. I tried to play it off, but he gave details of Alice's house and who was there this morning."
A well-dressed man got up from his chair and turned to face Ben, straightening his jacket. "Hello, Ben."
Ben chuckled as he stepped inside. "Aldrick Shive. Well, which one of your guys was sitting on my fianceé's house this morning? Stone? Guy?"
Shive's face was a stone mask saved for one eyebrow arching just enough for Ben to notice. "Actually, that part is none of your business, Ben. But that's not why I'm here."
"If this is about Mickey, I'm sorry but I had nothing to do with that." Ben walked around Shive until he stood between him and Valerie's desk. "Your father getting caught? That was all me, but I had nothing to do with Mickey's death."
Shive gave a soft snort and rubbed his chin. "If I had even an inkling of a thought that you shot Mickey, everyone you hold dear in life … would be dead." He looked up into Ben's eyes. "But I know you're innocent. Rhys was the one who shot Mickey. And as for Pops getting busted … let's chalk it up to you got the better of the old man."
He reached back for a coffee mug on the side table and took a sip. "Would you believe I told him to take an earlier flight? Stubborn bastard. No, Ben. I'm here because your ex wants me to pick someone up, and she didn't give me any reason why except that he could destroy the Kensington Firm for good."
Ben glanced at Val. "Who?" he asked.
Shive pulled a cell phone from his jacket and held it out to Ben. "She didn't give me a name or anything. Just wants me to track him down and bring him to her."
The image of Margot and Rhys' alleged father filled the small screen. "I wasn't planning on making contact with you at all, but I haven't gotten as far as I have in this business without planning my route from point A to point B. I want to know what I'm getting myself into."
"When it comes to Margot, I completely understand," said Ben. He took a seat on the couch and indicated for Shive to do the same. "I'll tell you what I know, but I need you to do me a favor."
#
Humhumalé
Island of the Maldives
A sedan came to a stop in front of a spacious terrace townhouse on a busy street. The driver exited the vehicle and rushed to open doors for Alice and her companions.
Tilda draped a sweater over her shoulders and took in the scenery as the driver unloaded the bags. "Your grandmother has really taken to this place, Tessa," she said. "Gazebo out by the beach, walking distance to the market for shopping and the finest restaurants, and our favorite: no extradition."
Alice glanced at the set of double doors behind Tilda. "Will you be staying long?"
The older woman smiled and wagged a finger at Alice. "Oh, Sybil warned me about you, young lady. She said you could be very … inquisitive. I guess it's the private investigator in you."
Tilda smiled and turned to open the doors with a flourish. Alice, Sophie, and Tessa followed with the Hammer and the driver bringing up the rear with bags in hand.
They came to a stop in a circular room. A fountain rested in the center underneath a glass dome emitting a reasonable amount of sunlight. Twin staircases arched on both sides leading to the second floor. A long hallway led to another set of double doors. Alice could see the gazebo Tilda mentioned earlier.
The woman turned to face her guests. "All right. Ms. Novak and Mr. … Hammer, if you follow Refé here, he'll get you settled in your rooms while I take these ladies to speak with Sybil."
Sophie and the Hammer glanced at Alice who gave a small nod of consent. Sophie nodded back and she followed the Hammer and the driver upstairs. Tilda indicated the doors at the end of the hallway. "Let's get some fresh air, dearies," she said.
Seconds later, the three women stepped out onto a porch as long as the house itself. A row of white rocking chairs sat neatly in a row facing out towards the railing and the beach. A set of steps led down to a brick walkway which through an impressive garden to the Victorian-style gazebo.
Sybil Griffiths sat underneath at a glass table in a straw beach chair. The golden-haired former head of the Kensington Firm looked up from the book in her lap as the three women walked up the steps. "Ah! Welcome, welcome, welcome," she said as she rose to her feet and placed the book on the table. "Tilda, I trust you experienced no difficulties during your journey?"
Tilda shook her head. "They were well behaved, though I think the redhead didn't appreciate me taking her pilot out. She contacted his boss in L.A."
Sybil smiled as she looked over at Alice. "As much as I wanted to avoid drama, I couldn't take the chance of you contacting anyone concerning my whereabouts once you knew of your destination. Though I admit I'm surprised that you brought my granddaughter along with you. Hello there, young one."
Tessa walked up to Sybil and kissed her on the cheek. "I only realized where we were going when I saw Tilda for the first time."
Sybil squeezed Tessa's hand. "Dear, why don't you head up to your room? I left you a present up there that I think you will definitely enjoy. Your stepmother and I have much to discuss."
Tilda hooked an arm into Tessa's. "Come on, young lady. Let's see what your grandma got you and then get something to eat. You must be hungry."
Tilda and Tessa began walking back towards the house, leaving Alice and Sybil alone. They stared at each other for in silence. Neither one took their eyes from the other.
"I feel like we're about to have a shootout," Sybil said finally. "Do you mind if we stare at each other across the table while sitting down? My left knee has been bothering me as of late."
Alice did not take her eyes off of Sybil, but she did slowly move to an empty chair facing her and sat down, placing her purse beside her. Sybil did the same.
They continued to stare at each other for several more tense seconds until Sybil decided to speak. "First of all, I want to assure you that I mean you absolutely no harm, Miss Vaughan. You have nothing to fear from me or my associates during your stay here, which I hope will be an informative and relaxing one."
Alice did not relax, but she did sit back in her chair in an effort to make herself more comfortable. "Let me assure you, Sybil, that if turning you in would get Ben and Tessa off the hook with the FBI, I would do it in a heartbeat. But seeing that it won't, the only thing I'm here for is any information concerning your late husband."
Sybil nodded. "Very well. What would you like to know?"
"I guess the first thing would be how exactly did he die?"
The expression on Sybil's face changed at the question. "My dear Trevor, God bless his soul," she said sadly. "He survived everything thrown at him. Assassination attempts. Bombings. Financial ruin. No matter what it was, Trevor Griffiths always found a way to walk away unscathed."
The sadness in Sybil's voice softened Alice somewhat. "It was implied by one of your children that you killed your husband."
Sybil snorted as she rose from her seat and walked over to a mini bar. "The one thing I do not like about living here is that alcohol is prohibited except for the resorts. Fortunately, we are close enough where the local authorities turn a blind eye as long as the stores are not past a certain amount. Bourbon?"
Alice nodded. "Margot says so many insane things in anger. She has certainly said that many times." Sybil finished pouring the drinks and walked them over to the table. "The last time was when she staged her little coup. When she made a play for my organization by going under my nose and snatching up Lena Wells."
Alice accepted her drink and took a sip. "I remembered that didn't turn out very well for you that night."
Sybil smiled as she sat down. "And I heard it didn't turn out well for you that night, dear. Something about the FBI finding a stolen painting at your house? My daughter certainly put the screws to both of us that night."
She took a drink and shook her head. "But Margot could not have been more wrong. I did not kill Trevor. Cancer did."
The sadness was more evident in Sybil's voice as she continued. "Trevor was diagnosed with lung cancer sixteen years ago. Never smoked a day in his life. It snuck up on him rather quickly."
She fell silent, leaving Alice with an opportunity to ask a question. "Were you with him when he died?"
Sybil shook her head. "I was in Denmark … with Margot. She was in labor with Tessa at the time. Rhys … he was God knows where. Trevor … died alone. No family there … to say goodbye."
Sybil picked up a napkin from the table and dabbled at the corners of her eyes. "I flew back as quickly as I could, but he left instructions to cremate his body after he died. When I returned to London, an urn with his ashes was waiting for me. He had arranged everything without my knowledge."
Alice reached down into her bag and pulled out a tablet. "I have pictures and video of the man who interrupted our con against Rhys. Are you up for taking a look?"
Sybil smiled. "That's why we're here, my dear. Show me."
Alice held out the tablet to Sybil. She sipped on her beverage while Sybil looked down at the small screen. Her expression did not change for the four minutes she examined the evidence in silence.
Finally she looked up at Alice and smiled. "Thank you for bringing this to me, Alice. I certainly do appreciate it very much. I believe I can now shed some light on this mystery of yours."
Alice leaned forward in her seat. "So he is your husband."
"God no!" Sybil waved the suggestion away as she slid the tablet on the table. "My Trevor was a handsome man. Much more handsome than his older twin brother."
"Older brother? Twin?"
"By seven minutes. And being nearly identical twins is pretty much where the similarities end. Oliver was a constant troublemaker. Could never hold a job. Always in and out of prison. I believe he lost his eye during a fight in a Turkish jail."
Alice found her interest peaking. "Margot and Rhys never met him?"
"Oliver was considered to be the black sheep of the family so, no. They did not even know he existed. Trevor did not want him anywhere near the children. The last time I ever saw him was … eighteen years ago. I honestly thought he was dead. Until now."
Sybil jabbed a finger at the tablet. "Alice, if Oliver is in Los Angeles, his intentions are not honorable. Margot and Rhys, they may be some of the most despicable, conniving people you have ever met, but they are still brother and sister. It's a relationship they both recognize and respect no matter the circumstances. Trevor and Oliver? It was a wonder they did not kill each other while gestating in the womb. Oliver is much more dangerous than my children ten times over."
She rose and moved to a chair close to Alice. When she spoke again, her voice took on a more pleading tone. "No matter how you may feel about me, you and Ben are the only ones I trust at this point to watch over my family. I hope that you will do the right thing and make sure that my daughter is protected. That my granddaughter is protected. I know you are working to bring Rhys in, but please make sure he is safe as well. They have no idea what he is capable of."
#
