Chapter 6
As expected, the next morning Lacy is calling regarding my job offer. I suggest that she comes to my office after school, that way I can speak to Katelynn and Beth is also going to look into any jobs that may be available for teens in her office. I would prefer to be able to offer her some options. Also I can get in some freezer time.
It's midday when I'm woken by a call. Katelynn's obviously made quite the impression with the previous day's visit. Her friend has called her to let her know about the next delivery. "Sorry to wake you but my friend is quite eager to be included in this charity celebration."
"I bet he is. That reminds me; the envelope delivered yesterday had old photos of you, me and Josef. Luckily Talbot thinks they're photos of our Grandparents." I can understand why Jackson targeted Josef and myself but Katelynn wasn't responsible for Emma's and therefore his demise.
"Well I suppose this is Jackson's way of telling me I should have gotten involved." Katelynn tone indicates more than anything that shes rolling her eyes at how absurd this all is. "I may have to buy their business and learn something about boxing."
"Jackson asked you for help?" Well this was new information. "What did he expect you to do?"
"Make their problems go away. Emma made the mess and Jackson expected everyone else to clean up after them. He wanted to borrow one of my properties to hide out in." Katelynn had clearly turned Jackson down.
"Why did you turn him down, out of interest?" I know why I got the cleaner involved, but I sense there is more to Katelynn's side of this story.
"Apart from you and Josef, nobody in the vampire community has done so much as said hello to me. Out of the blue, Jackson turns up and demands that I hand over one of my properties so that he can hide his wife who is facing a murder charge. One she is actually responsible for." Katelynn had little time for anyone who was two-faced: human or vampire.
"Jackson knew who was on the list so he put a plan in motion to take down everyone who didn't help him save Emma." The problem is that I don't know if I wouldn't have done the same thing if it were Beth.
"We all do stupid things when the ones we love are in danger." Katelynn is more forgiving than I am. "If I take over their business, I can put a stop to these deliveries and a charity will actually benefit." Or maybe not.
"When can we expect the next delivery?" And what will it be this time? Talbot wasn't stupid. He was going to figure out that most of these clues are focused on the three of us.
"On Friday. It doesn't give us a lot of time but I think we can make sure this is the last envelope." Then onto the next project to avoid being alone without Ryan.
"You can take over a company that quickly?" I had a feeling Katelynn had started the wheels in motion the moment she found that Jackson was involved in our current irritations.
"I believe so. It appears that Jackson was so eager to get revenge that he didn't tie up all of the loose ends. My Lawyers are finishing up the paperwork now. There's also the matter of the vampires who worked for them being on that list he sent ADA Talbot. I got the general impression when I was asking discreet questions that they were waiting for the blade to fall on their own necks. They aren't impressed that Emma and Jackson threw them under the bus to try and save their own necks. We won't get much resistance." Wow, I knew Katelynn was good but I hadn't realised how deep a secrets she had uncovered in one short visit.
"Perhaps you should consider a career as a therapist." People certainly enjoyed talking to Katelynn.
"I'll consider it for my next life." Katelynn would have no trouble running a company. After all, she had run a Kingdom. "So I take it, you found your missing teenager."
"Yes. I offered her a job which she has already accepted but I thought she might be more comfortable working with Beth or you in the school holidays."
"Well, find out what she's interested in and we'll see if we can accommodate her." Lacy didn't know it yet but she had just hit the career jackpot.
"Thank you. She's a good kid. I think she's going to do great things." Well, that's one item off my things to do list. "I'll get back to you once I've spoken to Lacy."
"I'll let you know when the paperwork's gone through and the business is mine. Give Beth my best." And with that Katelynn is gone.
I grab another couple of hours sleep before preparing for Lacy's arrival. Beth is dropping by after work, thanks to my earlier conversation with Katelynn we have a lot to talk about.
As I suspected, Lacy is a smart kid with big plans. She's hoping to get a scholarship and major in the sciences. All of them. She wants to discover the cures for every disease. She wants to help people. She gets good grades so it's entirely possible.
For the moment though she's happy to answer my phones, do some filing and book appointments. I send Katelynn a quick text letting her know of Lacey's plans. Hopefully between us, we can find Lacey a job more suited to her future career choice.
Beth arrives at 6pm and I order in dinner for the three of us before we drop Lacey off home. I update Beth on the days events once Lacey is safe inside her home. Things are starting to make a little more sense now and we were close to putting a stop to all of our problems.
"Wow, you've had quite the day already haven't you?" Beth's a little stunned, but I think she's starting to become accustomed to strange things happening around me. I guess I should be more alarmed at how easily she accepting all of this.
"It's been a very informative day." In fact the information had been dropped in my lap. "Katelynn's confident that she will have ownership of the company by Friday when the next envelope is due to be dropped off."
"So if Katelynn owns the Monaghan's company there will be no need to deliver the envelopes. But won't our Postman notice that there is no charity event?"
"No Katelynn's already working out the details for a charity event." Katelynn was good with details.
"Josef has been known to run events for charity. Perhaps he can help." Beth was amused by Josef's crush on Katelynn. However Katelynn was finding it annoying.
"I doubt Katelynn needs his help. She probably needs a bit of space. He left so many messages for her while she was helping us out that he filled the message box on her voicemail." Katelynn was older than both myself and Josef. She could take care of herself.
"What's Katelynn going to do with the business? Does she know anything about boxing?" Beth only knew a little about the Monaghan's business.
"Emma and Jackson had a number of investments under the umbrella of the business which manages the boxers. Besides Katelynn's a quick learner and I get the impression she is looking for something to fill up her days now Ryan's gone." I have no idea how she was holding it together. If I lost Beth I would be a wreck. But having been royalty, that wouldn't be something she would allow outsiders to see.
"She's so poised and in control that I forget that she's also a widow." Beth snuggled into my arms. "I'm not sure that helping us is good for her. She needs time to grieve."
"While I agree with you, it isn't just us Katelynn's helping. She's in as much trouble as we are if Talbot works out what all of the clues add up to." I was certain that once we were all safe Katelynn would disappear to allow herself to miss Ryan.
We find out the next day that Katelynn had been busy making plans for the taking over of the Monaghan's business. Due to Emma's actions, the boxing side of the business was like an albatross around the business' neck. It was going to have to be cut loose. But my text to Katelynn about Lacey had given her some ideas. She could turn the company into something positive and great.
Lacey turned up right on time and was ready to work. She had a bright future ahead of her if she didn't get side tracked. Beth came by when she had finished work and the two of them started talking. By the time Lacey was due to head home, Beth had found out Lacey's life story. Must be the investigative reporter in her. As with the night before, we had dinner and then dropped Lacey off home. If the teenager noticed anything strange about my eating habits, she didn't say anything.
We had fallen into a routine of sorts. So much so that I had forgotten that Josef knew nothing about boundaries. Beth's shriek of surprise propelled me from the freezer on Friday morning. Luckily Beth had thrown one of my shirts on before going downstairs. I however had not.
"Damn it Josef. Could you at least knock before you break in?" Not that it would give Beth much notice, but I would know he was there.
"When were you going to inform me that Her Royal Highness was looking into a new business venture?" So much for good morning.
"First of all if Katelynn wants you to know about her business ventures, she will let you know. Secondly, don't ever let yourself in here again. Beth doesn't have to worry that every time she comes downstairs you're going to be lurking around." This was annoying when Beth wasn't staying with me. Now it was just intrusive.
Josef looked at Beth. "Sorry. Katelynn isn't returning my calls."
"Because I don't owe you any explanations." Damn, I hadn't heard Katelynn come in. "My business is not yours." She looked over at Beth. "Could I trouble you for a moment?"
"Of course." Beth leads Katelynn into my office for some privacy.
Suitably chastised Josef heads to my kitchen to get something to drink. "You might want to throw some clothes on."
"Sure. Its only my home." By rights I should be able to wear as much or as little as I wanted. "Go shut the door before anyone else lets themselves in." I race upstairs to put some clothes on.
When I get back downstairs Katelynn and Beth are going through some paperwork on my desk and Josef is sulking in the living room.
"Why are you out here?" Normally Josef would find any excuse to be the centre of attention. Especially when Katelynn was present.
"I've been banned from the office." So he had tried to muscle in on whatever Beth and Katelynn were doing.
I put the coffee machine on for Beth and get Katelynn a drink. Dropping the drinks off for the two women, I grab a couple of files and start working on the coffee table.
About an hour later I glance at the clock. "Babe, if you're heading into the office, you might want to get ready." She would be late for work if she took much longer.
Beth glanced at the clock and raced back upstairs. While she was jumping in the shower, Katelynn gathered up the paperwork. "Do you need someone over at the District Attorney's office to wait for the post?" We seemed to be cutting it close.
"I'll be there. I came across more paperwork than I was anticipating." Katelynn shoved the papers into her bag. "My apologies for disturbing you both so early."
"You weren't the one doing the disturbing." I was fairly confident that Katelynn would have knocked if she had arrived before Josef. "I'm not sure what else Emma and Jackson could have on us."
"A lot of businesses have cameras." Josef pointed out. "Did you get the footage from those cameras every time you used your superpowers?"
"You're a vampire with morals." Katelynn pointed out. "Everybody knows that. Emma and Jackson would have kept their bases covered. Especially Emma, considering she was cheating on Jackson."
"You think she collected information to use in case someone found out?" It made sense. There would be no need to have blackmail content if you weren't doing anything wrong yourself."
"Guilty people always try to cover their tracks." Josef piped up. "Why expect anything less from Emma Monaghan?"
"So I am going to see if I can intercept the next envelope." Katelynn glanced up as Beth came down the stairs. "From what I found out the other day, the envelopes get dropped off mostly during the day."
"When all of you would be less likely be up to stop them." Beth offered. "I know at least one of them was dropped off in the early evening."
"That must have been the evening he got into a car accident." Katelynn shrugged it off. "He mentioned delivering one envelope late."
"So I guess it's bring a vampire to work day." Beth looked to Katelynn for confirmation.
"If you wouldn't mind." Katelynn is giving Beth a chance to say no. She has no wish to make her uncomfortable.
"Of course not. There are cameras outside the ADA's office though. After the last envelope was dropped off, Ben had cameras put in." Beth knows that Katelynn's movements won't be picked up on camera but our Postman's would.
"That's why I will be dropping by to take you lunch." I would be picked up walking in the front door but if I took the stairs I could grab the camera footage and no one would be the wiser.
"We could short out the power in the building." Josef offered. "I know a vampire." Really he just doesn't want to be left out.
"I'll text you both when the envelope is dropped off." This is going to be thrown together at the last minute but Katelynn would be with Beth so I was confident that this would not affect Beth negatively.
And so our day begun. Katelynn walked into Beth's office on the pretence that she would need some assistance with the paperwork needed to take over the Monaghan business. Any boxers still on the books she had organized their contracts to be taken up by Managers with stellar reputations. She also wanted to open a science division and that alone had a substantial amount of paperwork to go with it.
Josef and I pulled into the underground carpark and waited. Josef had his friend on stand by to cut the power but apart from that all we could do was wait. Then at a little after eleven, the text came through.
At Josef's text the power went out and we made our way upstairs. Footage from eleven to when the power was cut would need to be wiped as our Postman would probably still have made it into the shot. After a quick stop at the security office Josef and I continued onto where Beth's desk was. Katelynn lightly tapped her bag to signal she had whatever had been dropped off, but to an outside observer she just appeared impatient. Josef texted his friend to restore the power and it all took approximately five minutes.
"Katelynn, I didn't expect to see you here. I was just dropping by to ask Beth if she was too busy for lunch." I hadn't thought of how I was going to explain Josef being there.
"Turns out taking over a business has a lot of paperwork with it. Beth has been kind enough to help me." She glared at Ben Talbot. "However Mr Talbot tells me its not part of her job description."
"I have no problem with Beth helping you out but she has her own work to do." Ben Talbot is gritting his teeth. Clearly a lot happened before we got here.
"What hasn't been done?" Since Katelynn was really here to keep an eye out for the delivery, Beth would have gone about her normal day as if Katelynn wasn't there.
Talbot walked over to Beth's desk where, as I suspected everything was up to date apart from whatever task Beth had been half way through when the power cut out. "Did you loose anything when the power went down?"
"No." Beth shook her head. "I had just saved it." She turned to Katelynn. "Was there anything else you needed?"
"Thank you for your time. You've been very helpful but I think I have everything I need." Before Talbot could ask any questions Katelynn headed for the door. "Josef! Don't we have a meeting to attend."
"I believe we do." Josef dutifully followed Katelynn over to the lifts.
"My lunchbreak's at twelve." Beth's just provided an excuse for me to leave as well.
"I'll be back then." Without thinking I kiss Beth good bye.
As the lift doors close I hear Talbot mutter "So, you and St John."