SECRETS AND SPIES
Chapter Five
Walking into The Yard's office after nearly two weeks away feels strange. Even though nothing has changed and everything is where it should be, it's different, probably because I'm different. I'm the one who's changed. The Edward Cullen who drove home after work the day before getting the call is not the same person who opened the gate this morning. Previous Edward Cullen was carefree. This Edward Cullen is careworn.
My usual morning walk to the lake and back came a distant second to my desire to be at work early. I got here before eight and before anyone else turned up. Not having Mitzi around made my lazy attitude to exercise a lot easier to reconcile, even though I know I'll have to do something soon to improve my fitness. The strenuous ascent to dad's house, my house now, is still fresh in my mind.
After the disturbing events of the previous evening, I'd slept surprisingly well and woke to feel refreshed for the first time since I left for San Francisco. I put this down to the mountain air I've missed so much rather than the four bottles of beer I'd rapidly consumed before the SUV incident. I'm an early riser most days as I give Mitzi a long walk before driving to the office, and as mornings in the mountains are spectacularly beautiful and also great for clearing cobwebs from the brain, it's no hardship.
Early morning is our favorite time to be out. Mitzi and I have the mountains and lake to ourselves, apart from the numerous species of wildlife that hunt and graze close to the trails. By mid-morning the terrain is populated by hikers and runners who stay late into the evening in the summer, so the solitude and silence I crave is exclusively mine only when the sun is creeping over the horizon.
Thirteen days is the longest Mitzi and I have been parted since the day she bounced into my life almost two years ago. On that day I'd been searching for a deserving home for a pick-up truck full of baskets and pots planted with summer flowers. The Yard had created a display for an exhibition which was now over, so rather than throwing them away or giving them to the disinterested exhibitors who probably wouldn't look after them anyway, I was determined to find somewhere that would appreciate having them.
Not far from the exhibition venue is the local Animal Rescue Center. I'd driven past it several times and noticed the outside of the building looked shabby so I decided it could do with a facelift and pulled up by the door. After selecting two of the prettiest tubs, I wandered into the reception area where the girls at the desk were delighted to have them and even asked if I had more as their exercise yard behind the building needed cheering up too. We went back to the truck where we all grabbed two more tubs each, after which I followed them through the building which housed lost or abandoned animals.
As I glanced into the cage containing Mitzi, she looked up at me with two sad eyes and my heart melted. The bond was made in an instant. I couldn't take her straight away as I had to be checked first. After a home visit and a background search to ensure I wasn't barred from keeping animals, I returned to the Center two days later and picked her up.
Because mom had been allergic to any type of animal fur, pets weren't allowed in the house and this was the only aspect of my childhood I'd been sad about. After mom died, dad said I could get a dog to cheer me up. I declined though as I couldn't reconcile mom's death now allowing me to have something that made me happy. Adopting Mitzi meant I was mature enough not to think this way anymore, so when Mitzi trotted out of the Center and into my life, I became a proud and admittedly nervous owner of my very first pet.
Mitzi's sad eyes soon changed into bright, intelligent ones. Her coat is chocolate brown, thick and smooth, apart from around her ears, neck and paws where it's fluffier. Her face is similar to a Border Collie. Her legs are too short for her round and sturdy body-shape and her constantly moving shaggy tail is like a windmill. It goes round and round in circles when she's happy rather than right to left. She's a total mix of varieties and I absolutely love her.
I took her to the office straight away and everyone fell in love with her too, especially Emmett who is desperate to get a dog of his own only Rosalie won't allow it while they're living in an apartment. They'd only been together for a short while and Rosalie had taken the role of 'boss' in their home from day one. This amused everyone as Emmett is a huge guy and can be intimidating at first glance. In Rosalie's presence though, he's like an adoring puppy. Emmett has to make do with being Mitzi's babysitter whenever I'm away, which isn't very often, and I'd never been gone for more than three days before now. Mitzi will have been well looked after, but almost two weeks is a long time to leave an animal and I worry she'll prefer being with Emmett as I guess he's made a huge fuss of her.
Any concerns of mine are immediately blown away as soon as Emmett's Chevy pulls into the front yard. I can hear Mitzi whining even through my closed window. She's out the vehicle in seconds, racing at top speed towards the building and through the open door, where she skids on the laminate floor before turning into my office. I stand up to greet her which is a mistake as she takes a flying leap into my arms knocking me backward against Bella's desk.
"Hey, girl," I laugh as she washes my face with her tongue. Her tail is spinning like an electric fan as I try to hug her but she's wriggling so hard it's difficult to get a firm grip. When she gives up on my face I snuggle into her warm fur while she barks and whimpers with glee.
"You were right," Emmett says as he wanders through the office door with Rosalie. "She smelled you the second I walked in after picking you up. She's been restless all night. I was that close to bringing her over at three in the morning. The whining was driving us insane."
"Thanks for looking after her," I respond as I try to put her down. Mitzi isn't having any of it and clings to me like a baby, still whimpering. I carry her over to my chair where she settles on my lap with her paws on my shoulders and a hard look on her face as if she's trying to say, "Don't you ever think of leaving me again for so long."
"Any time," Emmett answers eagerly. "You know I like having her. Rosie even admits she'll miss her."
"Keep working on Rosie; she'll give in one day and let you have one of your own."
"Not a chance!" Rosalie retorts as she walks over and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Babies first," she adds and winks so that only I can see. I glance over at Emmett who has definitely gone several shades paler at the thought.
"Who's having a baby?" Alice trills as she skips through the door followed by Jasper.
"No-one!" we all declare in unison. "Anyway, I've already got one," I add and point to Mitzi who has finally stopped whimpering.
Alice comes over and gives me and Mitzi a hug at the same time. "How are you?" she asks as she stares into my eyes looking for clues.
"I'm okay," I reply trying to sound convincing. "When Bella and Jake get in I'll tell you what happened. Can you wait 'til then?"
"Sure," Jasper replies cheerily. "I'll get the coffee on – they should be in soon."
I pat Mitzi on the head and try to put her on the floor again but she continues whining. Promising faithfully that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon doesn't work either so I carry on with the cuddles while I look out the window waiting for Bella to arrive.
A few minutes later I hear the distinctive sound of Bella's ancient rust-ridden/rust-colored truck coming along the street. I'm astounded on a daily basis that the thing is still roadworthy as the truck is probably as old as me and is definitely older than Bella. It rumbles through the gates into the yard and parks up next to my Shogun, only Bella doesn't get out straight-away. Her head is nodding which means she's probably listening to music which is a normal thing for her. About thirty long seconds later she opens the door and slides out her seat gracefully, dropping lightly to the ground.
Bella's in her usual attire of pale blue skinny jeans, grey and white Converse, and a pale gray leather un-zipped jacket over a tight white t-shirt showing a glimpse of creamy-white skin above her waistband. Aviator sunglasses complete the look. Her clothes could definitely be described as 'boyish', only luscious curly brown hair which hangs loosely around her shoulders and the ethnic silver jewelry adorning her neck and wrists, kills any notion she isn't 100% feminine.
Instead of heading for the building, she wanders over to the wall near the gate, pulls a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket, and lights up. She leans against the wall standing on one foot with her other foot tucked underneath her. She still has buds in her ears which confirms my music theory. I watch her as she smokes wondering why she hasn't come into the office immediately. Curiosity usually gets the better of the female sex so is she playing it cool?
After smoking about half the cigarette, she stubs the end out on the wall, pulls herself upright, and begins walking towards the door. She's only taken a few steps when Jake roars into the yard on his motorcycle and spins it to a stop in front of her, preventing her from moving any further. I'm irritated as I'm keen to speak to her and I'm tempted to bang on the window and beckon them to come in. Instead, I hold back and watch as the conversation between them escalates.
It's plainly obvious Jake is asking Bella for a date again. She's smiling and shaking her head as she tries to walk around the bike but he keeps rolling it backward and forward blocking her way. In the end, Bella does a move worthy of a football Pro. She feigns walking one way then dives in the opposite direction, pumping the air in celebration as she jogs towards the building.
Jake shouts something unintelligible after her that causes Bella to stop in her tracks, turn on her heel, and give him the bird. I chuckle for a moment at Bella's feistiness, only when I think about it I'm furious Jake may have said something to her which is totally inappropriate.
Bella disappears from view when she enters the building and I'm expecting her to appear at the door about three seconds later. I count to at least ten before she walks into the office which means she's either nervous about seeing me or she's calming down after whatever Jake said to her. I make out I'm surprised to see her as she's earlier than usual so I raise my hand in a half-wave and say, "Hi."
"Hey, Edward; Hey, Mitzi," Bella responds with a genuine smile.
"Thanks for your message, Bella. I really appreciated it," I reply as I cuddle Mitzi, but I'm actually wishing I was cuddling Bella instead.
"That's okay. I hope it wasn't too garbled and sorry about the curse words. I called after drinking most of a bottle of wine so I was a bit p… p… drunk."
I laugh at her truthfulness and also at an image that has popped into my head. Bella grins back and shrugs her shoulders.
"I've told the others I'll talk about my dad when everyone gets in. We can chat about new projects later. Have you got any appointments booked today?"
"Only one, at the hotel. I'd like to get some more photographs of the site and Jasper's ready to do the soil samples. You coming?"
"I might do. Let's see how today goes."
"Sure," she replies as she walks towards her desk. She slings her work bag on the floor then shuffles out of her jacket and hangs it over the back of the chair. "Coffee?" she offers.
"Jasper's making it for everyone."
"Tell him to put Bromide in Jake's. I like the guy but he's obviously sex-starved. I've just turned him down for about the tenth time but I'll give him full marks for persistence."
"Do you want me to have a word?"
"Nah! I think he got the message a few minutes ago. I reminded him I'm vegetarian so beefcake isn't my thing."
"What happened then?"
"He accused me of being a lesbian."
"And?"
"I gave him the bird but smiled and laughed while I was doing it. I want him to know I don't take being a lesbian as an insult and presumed he was joking. I suppose he's sulking now."
"Okay, I won't say anything unless he does. I'd rather not have any bad feelings in the company, Bella. I'm not blaming you at all. Jake's totally in the wrong here. In his defense, I don't think he's ever been turned down before so he probably doesn't know how to handle rejection."
I glance out the window to where Jake is pacing up and down like a caged tiger. I definitely will have a quiet word with him despite what Bella said. I don't want her feeling uncomfortable as she has to work alongside him; occasionally with no-one else around.
Jasper calls out to Jake that coffee is ready so I get up and forcibly place Mitzi on the floor. She whines irritably and follows me as close to my ankles as possible while I hang out the door and beckon Jake to come in.
"Hey, Jake; meeting in Alice and Rosie's office, now."
"Yeah yeah," he replies grumpily and follows me into the spacious administration office which is where we hold our planning meetings.
Jake slings himself in the chair Bella usually occupies, meaning it's obvious he's trying to make a point. Everyone has spotted Jake's mood is as dark as his abundant jet-black hair and narrowed eyes. They've seen him like this before and ignoring him is always the wisest option. Bella does a great job of diffusing the situation by cheerfully chatting to Alice while perched on her desk and blowing on her steaming mug of black coffee as if nothing has happened.
Glancing at my colleagues it's painfully obvious they are doing their best trying not to make eye-contact with me. I presume it's their attempt to help to put me at my ease as staring at me expectantly might make my situation more difficult. I'm a private person who rarely talks about my family in San Francisco, so they will have guessed I'll be feeling uncomfortable talking to them about dad's death. They all know he was some sort of Tech genius, and Jasper had heard of him before he knew I was his son, but that's as far as their knowledge of Carlisle Cullen goes.
I sit in my usual chair and Mitzi flops on the floor next to me with her paw on my foot. I smile at the gesture, ruffle the fur on her head and take a drink of my too-hot coffee to line my vocal cords. When everyone's settled I start my half-prepared speech.
"I guess you know my dad was found dead in his burnt-out car nearly two weeks ago, and I presume you've read what was reported on the internet - that the police initially called it a suicide. I've called bullshit on their opinion as it is just that, bullshit. I'm confident now my dad was murdered and probably because of something to do with his work."
There's an audible intake of breath from everyone in the room including Bella. I continue talking though before any questions are asked.
"When I got home after the funeral, dad's house had been broken into. His office had been cleaned out completely, which meant whoever got in was after what he was currently working on."
"What was he working on," Emmett interrupts.
"I don't know," I reply, making a mental note that Emmett asked first. "I hadn't had the presence of mind to go through his office before the funeral, but even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to understand any of it. I've tried before but it's like attempting to read hieroglyphics"
"Jeez" Jasper exclaims. "Have you any idea who'd want your dad dead?"
"Not individual names, but if they were after dad's work it would have to be someone from the Tech industry. Dad was freelance. He didn't work for any of the big names like Microsoft or Apple, or any of their subsidiaries or smaller Tech companies. He just sold his ideas and patents to whoever he thought should have them."
"So your dad didn't leave a note?" Alice asked.
"Nothing, apart from the usual, 'In case I die suddenly' list of instructions which he left with a neighbor. Stuff like who his lawyer is. Look, my dad wasn't in the least bit suicidal so I'm not even considering it as a possibility."
"So what are the police doing about it?" Emmett asks and I can hear genuine frustration in his voice.
"Zilch. They're leaving the file open, only without any leads they've nothing to go on."
"That's shocking," Rosalie exclaims assertively. "Surely you're not going to leave it like that."
"Of course not. I've given them a week to get back to me on progress. To be fair to them though, I haven't a clue either where they could start looking for answers but that's not the whole story. Last night after Emmett left me at the cabin, I went through my telephone messages and there was one that was just silent. I could hear someone breathing on the other end so it wasn't one of those accidental calls cells make from purses or back pockets. Later on, probably about an hour after I got home, the phone rang again at exactly the same time as a giant SUV was racing up the slope towards the cabin with its main beam on. It stopped only a few yards short of smashing into the veranda. A man's voice on the phone ordered me to 'back off' and referred to how dad died, which I presume means backing off looking into dad's death. I know this was a warning; I've absolutely no doubt of that."
"Are you going to tell the police you've been threatened?" Alice shrieks.
"What's the point? I've got no evidence, apart from the first silent call that's still on the answerphone. If the police in San Francisco aren't taking my assertions seriously, why the hell will the Denver police? At the moment all I can report are two prank calls and somebody messing about in an SUV."
The expressions on my colleagues' faces have altered from sympathetic to incredulous in the space of a minute. Even Jake's sullen face looks shocked and he's pulled himself up from his slumped position. I can see from his expression that he's steaming angry as Jake had known dad since we were both kids.
"This is totally fucked-up, Ed," he pronounces and shakes his head in disbelief.
"That's one way of describing it," I respond.
"What I don't understand," Jake continues and then he pauses and waves his hands in the air to stop anyone else speaking while he gets his words right.
"What I don't understand," he repeats, "If you're sure Carlisle was murdered, he would've been abducted by these assholes in the first place. And if he was murdered because of his work, why didn't they take what they wanted from the house when they grabbed him and his car? Why wait until after the funeral?"
"That's a good point, Jake, and I've thought long and hard about that. One theory is they wanted the police and his family to believe he'd committed suicide, and the burglary afterward was opportunistic so they wouldn't be investigated together, which means they've succeeded as far as the police are concerned. The other more sinister option and the one I think most likely is ..."
I have to stop here and take a few breaths before I can continue as my voice has begun to break.
"Sorry guys. This is difficult," I say and take some more breaths.
"The more sinister option is that they abducted my dad and were trying to get information directly from him about what he was working on. He was last seen three days before his body was found. If he'd been refusing to co-operate, which is highly likely, they may have killed him either purposely or accidentally, which would explain why they burnt his body. Then they went back for his notes and computer."
"Are you serious," Jasper practically spits amid the gasps from the others. "Do you really believe a Tech company would torture or kill someone for information?"
"Yes, I do. Whoever develops the next level of technology is looking at billions of dollars of profit. The competition out there is fierce and ..."
I stop speaking mid-sentence because talking about dad in the past tense is really painful. I know this is part of the process of coming to terms with losing him but the now familiar lump is in my throat again. It's going to be difficult carrying on without completely breaking down in front of my friends. I manage though, after drawing several more deep breaths and concentrating on staying in control before speaking again about my dead father, even though I can hear my own voice wavering.
"Guys, my dad had a phenomenal brain and he was always one step ahead of everyone else in the Computer Technology field. He was a good man in every way, but unlike most highly-motivated people in the Tech industry, money meant absolutely nothing to him. As long as he had enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table that's all he wanted. Money wasn't able to keep his wife alive, so to him, wealth was just numbers on an accountant's report. After mom died, any spare money he earned he donated to cancer research. So despite the fact that I now own our family home in San Francisco, which admittedly is worth a mint, I'm not instantly wealthy and I won't be retiring to the Virgin Islands anytime soon. Unless I sell the house of course."
The others laugh, which breaks the gloomy spell and Bella is smiling too. I'm aware though she's the only one who hasn't made any comment. It could be that as she's only been at The Yard for a short time she doesn't feel part of the 'family' yet, or … well, I'm not ready to consider the possibility she may be working for the people who murdered dad.
"D'you feel safe to stay in the cabin on your own?" Emmett asks. "You can stay with Rosie and me for a while if you like."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be okay up there. They don't frighten me, and anyway I've got Mitzi with me now." I bend down and ruffle Mitzi's coat. "You'll protect me, won't you?"
Mitzi responds on cue with a 'ruff' noise and everyone laughs again.
"Okay, that's it, apart from thanks for keeping everything going while I was away. I can't begin to tell you how much it helped knowing I didn't have to worry about what was happening here. I couldn't've made any important decisions anyway, so I'm really grateful."
There's a chorus of, "you're welcome," as everyone stands up and wanders away. Jake is the only one who remains seated and I can tell he's agitated.
"Jake, have you got a minute?" I ask and point towards my office.
"Sure," he grunts in response and follows Mitzi and me across the corridor.
I close the door behind us and indicate I want Jake to sit down.
"What's up," Jake asks as he settles himself.
"I was going to ask you the same question," I respond. "I saw you talking to Bella out there, and you looked as though you were chewing on a wasp the whole time I was talking. What's going on?"
"I asked Bella for a date and she said no, again."
"And?"
"I like her, and I can't see what her problem is?"
"Her problem?"
"Yeah, I'm a good looking guy – why wouldn't she want to …"
"Jake!" I interrupt before he digs himself into an even deeper hole. "Rosalie and Alice are both gorgeous, amazing girls. Both of us knew them long before they started dating Emmett and Jasper so why didn't you ask either of them for a date?"
"What makes you think I didn't, eh?"
"I've never seen you sulk like this before."
Jake looks angry for a brief second and then his expression turns to a look of resignation. "I wasn't attracted to either of them; they both scare me."
I can't help laughing because I know exactly what Jake means. Both Alice and Rosalie are fiercely independent and would be a challenge for any man.
Emmett had slowly and very cleverly worked on Rosalie. After a year of gentle persistence, she'd caved. With Jasper and Alice, Alice had been in the driving seat from the day she decided Jasper was the man for her and had in so many words told Jasper they were going to be together and that was the end of it. Jasper was so laid-back he just smiled and took what was on offer without resistance and they'd been a couple ever since.
I knew I couldn't leave it there with Jake. He's in danger of turning into a serial misogynist but he really can't see it.
"You're implying it's okay if you're not attracted to a girl, but not okay if Bella isn't attracted to you. There's such a thing called chemistry, Jake. If it's not there in the first place, there's no point starting anything. I'm sure she likes you, just not in that way."
Jake grunts but doesn't come back at me. As I'm watching his face, I'm wondering what Jake's reaction will be in the future when I ask Bella for a date, which I plan to do once all the intrigue about dad's death has been resolved. She might turn me down of course, but I'll think about that possibility later.
"So what you gonna do about your dad?" Jake asks changing the subject. "I guess you've hired a private investigator."
"No, I haven't. To be honest I haven't considered that option. I'll wait to see what the police come up with first then take it from there."
"What about who was in the SUV? If you want I'll get some of the guys to stake out your cabin …?"
"No," I interrupt. "If the guys in the SUV wanted to do me harm they would've done it last night. If something happened to me as well as my dad, it would definitely look suspicious and would mean the police would be forced to look into dad's death again. The man telling me to back-off on the phone obviously doesn't want that."
"You think the police are somehow involved then? From what you're sayin' …"
"I don't know, Jake," I cut in again. "I seriously hope not but nothing would surprise me at the moment. Look, do you mind if we don't talk about it now, but thanks for your concern and offer of help. I need friends I can trust around me at the moment so I'm grateful you've got my back."
"Anytime, Ed; we go back a long way."
"True," I reply with a smile. "Twenty-two years isn't it?"
"About that; I remember when I first saw you with your mom and dad in the social club. You were too shy to come over and play catch with us."
"Yeah, I remember. You and your friends looked kinda scary to a city kid from an expensive school. You were all covered in cuts and bruises and looked feral compared to me. I presumed you'd got your scars from fighting, not from climbing trees and playing in the forest. It didn't take you long to drag me out there though and I'm still convinced my dad paid you guys to toughen me up over that summer."
Jake laughs at my suggestion which he's heard many times before. As he stands up he winks.
"You'll never know now whether he did or he didn't. If Carlisle didn't tell you, then neither will I."
"Bastard!"
"Yep. It's the only thing I'll ever have over you, Boss."
As Jake wanders out the office and disappears down the corridor, I recall the glorious summer of 1997, when not only did I get to know the boy who would become my best summertime friend, but that season was also when I fell hopelessly and irrevocably in love with the forests and mountains of Colorado. Jake and his gang of friends took me to places where you couldn't hear or see another soul, and that was when I had also fallen in love with silence. Jake had enhanced my life immeasurably, so how could I not trust him after twenty-two years of friendship?
But dad's words of warning are indelibly imprinted on my brain.
"Don't trust anyone, Edward. Remember, money corrupts."
"Fuck it," I hiss out loud, just as Bella walks into the office.
Mitzi sounds adorable. Pity she isn't a Rottweiler or a Doberman though - Edward needs some protection in his cabin even though he's convinced he's safe for the moment. Bella needs some protection from Jake as well. You can't blame him though. (Yes you can, I hear you all shouting)!
Laura's quick absence is definitely making you guys suspicious as you think Bella's appearance is timely. Also, some of you have the notion she might be there to protect him. Hmmm. Jake raised a good point about why Carlisle's house was turned over ten days after he was last seen. Edward has a lot to think about.
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, and to my guest reviewers who I can't personally thank.
Joan xx