SECRETS AND SPIES
Chapter Ten
After the patrol car has driven away and the gates are padlocked and bolted, I take a few minutes for myself before relating to the others what the cops have offered.
I need to get my head around the bombshell Bella dropped on me before talking to anyone. Her logical suggestion that dad could still be alive has shaken me to my core and thrown everything I'd come to accept, and everything I still questioned, into confusion.
What has stunned me the most though is I cannot reconcile why I haven't asked myself this before?
I'd fought and argued with Yorkie and his Chief about every anomaly associated with dad's death, so why the hell hadn't I insisted on more proof that the body in the car was definitely my dad? I answer my own question. Because of the inherent trust I, along with most other folks, have in the word of the police. It would never have occurred to me in a million years that they would either purposely or ineptly identify a body incorrectly.
Jesus! I've been so gullible.
However, despite an overwhelming temptation to believe the scenario Bella dumped in my already overloaded brain, I know I mustn't take her idea seriously yet, even though this could explain why I'm being followed and intimidated. For my own sanity I have to remain skeptical, and not accept without question her suggestion; at least not until I have absolute proof the police in San Francisco falsified dad's dental records. Only then would I begin to give her idea some serious credence.
The local police hadn't been much help, but then I wasn't really expecting much and that's no reflection on them. Colorado is full of black SUVs, admittedly not so many with blacked-out windows. I'm not brilliant at identifying vehicles but even I could see the one at the Deli was not the same one that was parked in the woods by the hotel, which reminds me to ask Bella whether her dad had sourced the license plate yet. I must remember to ask her.
Bella and Mitzi had stayed in the front yard when I opened the gates to let the patrol car in. Before Bella left me to talk to the police on my own, she'd made absolutely certain the officers knew she was the daughter of a cop.
"Hi, guys, my name's Isabella Swan," she declared cheerily as they hauled their overweight bodies from the patrol car. "My dad is a Chief of Police in Washington State, which means I've reassured my boss he should have every confidence that you guys will listen very carefully to what he has to say, and you'll definitely take what he says very seriously. I'm a witness to the threats and intimidation he's been receiving, so if you need to talk to me I'll be with the other members of staff in that office, right there."
Bella pointed to the office window before giving the officers a big smile before dragging Mitzi into the building leaving me on my own. Mitzi had been growling and snarling at the officers, which surprised me as I'd never seen her lip curl before. Either she had a bad memory of the police or she'd sensed a measure of hostility as soon as they exited the car. I was relieved she was still on the leash; the officers couldn't accuse me then of not having my dog under control.
Through the windows I can see the others have congregated in Alice and Rosalie's office, no doubt waiting for me to tell them what the police have offered regarding our security. Now that they all could be at risk I've got to give them some answers, although I'm not mentioning what Bella suggested to me. I hope she hasn't either. There's no point in having a discussion about hypotheticals. First I need to justify her theory before deciding what to do next.
If I was in a mind to believe there was a police cover-up, there's plenty of evidence to support this. The police were mighty quick to confirm the body in the car was Carlisle Cullen. It took them less than twelve hours for them to find the right dentist and compare x-rays. This despite, as far as I know, no member of the family being asked for this information before I picked up the confirmation text, which was when I got off the plane. Dad's hairbrush hadn't been requested for a DNA check either. Why not? Then there's the burnt-out car which mysteriously disappeared. What if the wreck had been another elderly Mustang acquired specifically for that reason? Was this why the wreckage hadn't been produced and why Detective Yorkie was so insistent no records were kept of which wrecker picked it up?
The instant closing of the file on dad's death and the declaration of suicide without any questions being asked about his state of mind have always been the prime indicator to me that something isn't right. Genuinely, I don't want to believe the police are involved in a conspiracy, but my instincts from the start have been telling me they weren't being entirely honest with me. Could dad still be alive, or is this nothing more than the police carrying out a lazy investigation from the get-go?
I'm totally confused about what to do next, other than find out the name of dad's dentist which must be my number one priority. I could do this from Colorado, by calling every dentist in a five-mile radius of the house. But I actually feel the need to go back to San Francisco so I can bang my fist on Yorkie's or his Chief's desk, and ask them face-to-face what the fuck is going on, or what isn't going on which is the real question.
Outside the office door, I take another moment to decide what to tell my five colleagues. I can't stop myself from grabbing handfuls of my hair in frustration. If the traitor isn't Jake, one of the guys in there is, only I've no idea who even though Bella has crept up to being number one suspect again. I still can't put a finger on why I'm suspicious she isn't who she says she is, even though I've checked her resume and she's been honest about her background.
I can't keep the guys waiting any longer so I take a deep breath and walk into the office.
"What's happened?" Emmett asks. "Are the cops giving us any protection?"
"The bare minimum," I respond and slump into a chair. "They've offered to keep watch on the premises when they can, and they'll patrol the streets where you guys live. I gave them your addresses, and Jake's. Hope you don't mind?"
No objections are voiced so I carry on.
"I've decided to go back to San Francisco at the weekend. I need to look into something which means going through dad's personal papers. I want to talk to the San Francisco police about progress and there's some financial shit to sort out as well with dad's lawyers. If I can, I'll get everything done in one hit."
"When will you be back," Rosalie asks.
"Don't know. Hopefully I'll only need to be away three days. Four at the most. Can you guys look after Mitzi while I'm away?"
"Sure," Emmett replies with a grin. Rosalie digs him in the ribs as he shouldn't be getting pleasure out of my obvious frustration of how events are unfolding.
"So where are you staying tonight?" Bella asks. "Don't say you're going up to the cabin on your own."
"Haven't decided yet. I genuinely don't think I'm in any personal danger but I won't take any unnecessary risks."
Bella's eyes roll back in her head which means she's annoyed with me. I am nervous about being at the cabin on my own, especially as the police told me categorically they couldn't guarantee my safety if I decided to spend another night in the mountains. I need to be there though as I can't concentrate anywhere else. I can only think when I'm surrounded by silence, which is what I get at the cabin.
The others are looking at me as though I'm nuts, which I suppose I am.
"If I go home, it'll only be for one night. I'll pack my bag so I can go straight to the airport from here. I'll book a flight for Friday afternoon and be back Monday night or Tuesday."
"What are you going to do about Jake?" Alice asks.
"I don't know. I'll give him a chance to call and apologize to me first, and to Bella, but I don't hold out much hope for that."
After a few more minutes of chat about my situation, I wander into my office and stare at the backlog of work on my desk. I need to look at a set of plans for a new project but can't concentrate so fold them up and shove them in a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. Bella brings me a coffee and we sit in silence and eat the lunch we bought from the Deli over an hour ago. Mitzi enjoys Carlo's free biscuits before wandering over to her cushion where she's asleep in seconds. I watch her enviously. Why can't humans fall instantly into slumber like dogs and cats?
An air of gloom hangs over the office for the rest of the day. Everyone quietly gets on with their work; I've never known the building so silent. Jasper and Emmett go out for an hour to source some materials and to check how a job is progressing. They return with bags of stone chippings and pizza. The only task I can cope with is clearing my email inbox, deleting the countless junk items which clog up the system. There are more of the strange messages, with new ones appearing almost every hour. I move them to the delete folder along with all the other spam.
The gloomy atmosphere in the Yard is matched outside as the searing heat of midday is replaced by a blanket of ominous dark clouds; the typical warning that one of Colorado's notorious summer storms is on its way. The last two weeks in June is the danger time for hail the size of golf balls to rain down on the city, including, more annoyingly, the vegetation. Many times we've been called to repair severe damage to one of our landscaping projects after one of these storms has ripped through areas that are vulnerable. On several occasions, company vehicles have lost windshields and the bodywork dented by the impact of the hail, which means there's also a danger to life.
The first rumbles of thunder are heard around four so I shout out to Emmett and Jasper to help me cover the vehicles with tarps, placing slabs of stone on the rooves and hoods to hold the tarps down if the wind decides to pick up. Emmett wheels Jake's bike into the building and secures all the sheds in the back yard before the rain starts. Not long after we've closed all the windows and doors, the hail arrives in torrents.
Mitzi freaks out as the storm rages overhead so I sit on the floor with her and give her a cuddle. The sky turns black when the sun is obliterated by monstrous clouds, following which the front and back yards turn white as they fill with what resembles a snowstorm of hail. My main concern is the flat roof of the building which could give way under the weight of what is sitting on top of it, so all of us keep watch for any evidence of bowing or leaks in the ceiling. The sound of hail smashing against the roof is deafening but thankfully it holds while the hail turns to heavy rain.
The worst of the storm lasts for about twenty minutes before moving east, following which the light turns a sickly yellow as the sun breaks through small gaps in the clouds. The oppressive heat which still lingers in the atmosphere causes vapor to rise off the soaked buildings and vehicles, turning the front yard into a steam room. When I go outside to do a visual check of the roof, the humid air rushes into the air-conditioned building causing my t-shirt to stick to my chest.
While Emmett and I check the building for damage, we hear sirens of emergency vehicles racing through the surrounding streets. No doubt they'll have plenty of car wrecks, flooding issues, and possibly collapsed buildings to contend with over the next few hours so we've got away lightly.
"Police are gonna be kept busy tonight," Emmett comments ruefully. "They won't have time to keep watch on us."
"True," I agree. "I don't know what to suggest. Is there anyone you could stay with?"
"Don't worry about us," he answers cheerily. "We can all go up to Rosie's parent's ranch. Everyone's welcome – you too Bella."
I hadn't noticed Bella had come outside for a cigarette.
"Thanks, Em," Bella replies looking surprised at the offer. "I might stay with my mom overnight. I didn't get to see her last weekend so it'll be a nice surprise for her."
"Boss?" Emmett asks as a question.
"No, I'll go up to the cabin and pack, but is it okay for you guys to take Mitzi to the ranch tonight? I'd be happier if she was out the way."
"She ain't gonna like leaving you," Emmett replies with a grin.
"I guess so, but she'll be okay once she's on the ranch. She loves the other dogs."
Emmett and Jasper check the vehicles for damage while I go back to my desk. The Yard had survived unscathed but I was sure the phone would soon be busy with requests to repair damaged property. Storms were good for business, but still disheartening when you witnessed the havoc they caused.
As the others are packing up to leave I contemplate the Jake situation and whether I should wait for him to make the first move towards reconciliation. Jake had obviously been under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both when he turned up for work, but whatever loosened his tongue had caused a deep-seated resentment to spill from him. I'm at a loss to know why as I'd been good to Jake, paying him way over the going rate for the responsibilities he has. His vitriolic outburst could be down to jealousy which is what it sounded like, although there could be something more sinister behind his words which bothers me.
Jake's upbringing had been tough compared to mine. He'd been brought up by his dad who was out of work and disabled. I knew there was never enough money in the house to have anything but the basics, although Jake never said it bothered him. He'd given up on school by fourteen, or rather school had given up on him. From then on he had lived on his wits, doing odd jobs here and there in the community. To his credit, he'd kept on the right side of the law and had never been in serious trouble with the police, apart from being drunk and disorderly on occasions. The local officers knew he wasn't a bad lot so would let him sleep it off in a cell overnight then send him on his way in the morning.
We lost touch for a while when I was at college so I wasn't around when his dad died when he was twenty. I came to live in Colorado when Jake was twenty-two and picked up our holiday friendship after a four-year break. When my business got going, I employed him on an ad hoc basis for about two years until he became my first permanent employee. From then on Jake had been a loyal and dedicated colleague so this outburst has taken me totally by surprise.
Emmett sticks his head around the door to say goodnight. He already has Mitzi on a leash so I get up and crouch down in front of her.
"I'll see you tomorrow, old girl," I say as I give her a hug. Mitzi licks my face then happily trots off with Emmett, which I find surprising as I'm sure she can't already have forgotten being abandoned for nearly two weeks. I'm sad to see her go but I can relax now knowing she's safe. If the SUV guys turn up at the cabin tonight they could use Mitzi as a bargaining chip, which could end up being tragic if they demanded information I wasn't able to give.
Bella comes into the office and tidies her desk before leaving.
"I'm still not happy about you being up at the cabin on your own," she says quite forcefully as she searches her bag for the keys to her truck. Then she remembers she had to walk in this morning.
"Shit!" she says out loud.
"What," I respond.
"My fu…. My truck's dead so I can't go to mom's tonight. Lucky I was going to surprise her so I didn't get her hopes up."
"I'll drive you there if you want."
"Thanks, but no, Edward. It's too far out your way. You wouldn't get home until about ten. I'll be okay."
Bella picks up her bag and heads for the door. "Stay safe," she says as she pushes her earbuds in and disappears without looking behind her.
"You stupid idiot," I admonish myself. "You could've asked her whether she wanted to stay at the cabin tonight. You missed a chance there."
It's too late to go after her so I shut down the computers and alarm the building. While I'm securing the gates behind me, I check again for suspicious vehicles in the vicinity which is now becoming a habit. Ten minutes into the journey my cell rings. Jake's number appears on the screen.
"Jake."
"Hey Ed … Ed, look I'm sorry. We need to talk. Can you come over?"
Thinking quickly, if Jake is in with these people I could be walking into a trap. Jake has never invited me to his place in all the years I've known him which makes me instantly suspicious.
"I'm already on my way home, Jake. Can it wait until tomorrow?"
"Yeah ... okay ... fine. Look, Ed, my bike's been stolen."
"It's not stolen. You rode it to work this morning and Emmett took you home in his Chevy. The bike's in the back yard under cover."
"Shit!"
"You're lucky you're not dead, Jake. You could hardly stand when you came in. God knows how you controlled that thing. I'll ask Jasper or Emmett to pick you up in the morning and we can have a long talk tomorrow."
"I think I was drugged."
"We think so too. Get some more sleep, and Jake …"
"What?"
"If you come in tomorrow smelling of alcohol, we're done, okay?"
"It won't happen again, Ed. I'm sorry."
"See you tomorrow."
I disconnect and I'm pleased he made the first move. From what he said, I'm guessing Jake has limited memory of his outburst this morning if he can't remember what happened to his bike. He knew he had to apologize for something, only I doubt whether he has full recall of what he actually said.
When I'm on the freeway I remember I hadn't returned Sue's call as promised. I find the number on the touch screen and hit the call button on the steering wheel. She picks up almost straight away.
"Sue, it's Edward. Sorry I couldn't call earlier. It's been a crazy day."
"Don't apologize, Edward," Sue replies sympathetically. "I'm sure you're very busy."
"Did the security guys turn up to change the locks? I emailed them to find out what was going on but haven't heard back yet."
"Yes, they reset the alarms and put a new lock on the front door. They're sending you a new set of keys by special delivery. You should get them tomorrow morning. I spoke to one of the guys and told him I was in touch with you. He said, confidentially, the break-in was a professional job and they knew what they were doing. The lock had hardly been damaged and they stopped the alarm using a manufacturer's code."
"That's interesting. Have the police been there today?"
"If they have, I didn't see them," Sue replies. "What do you think they were after, Edward?"
"Same as before; dad's work papers and computers. Not many people knew we had a basement so they must have found out about it somehow. I know they didn't get anything because there was nothing down there. I cleared it before I came back here."
"That's a relief," Sue sighs. "Now, how are you, Edward? Are you coming to terms with what happened yet?"
"I suppose so. There are moments when I still can't accept he's gone. I keep reaching for the phone to call him, but I can't. That's the worst of it. I know he's dead, but I still expect him to be there for me when I need him. It's weird."
"I understand, darling boy. They say time is a great healer, but in your case, I don't think it will be until you find out what really happened to him. It's keeping me awake at night, so I can't imagine what you're going through."
"I'll be okay, Sue. Don't worry about me. While I've got you on the phone, do you have any idea which dentist dad used?"
"No, I don't, sorry … why?"
"I just want to thank him or her for getting dad's dental records over to the police so quickly so his body could be identified. I'm coming back to San Francisco over the weekend. I'll look through dad's things while I'm there."
"Well, come visit me, won't you," Sue replies cheerily.
"Sure will. Be seeing you."
Sue hangs up and I put some music on to calm me. Sue hadn't told me anything new as I'd already guessed whoever broke into his house would be 'professionals', as the security people suggested.
The drive through the newly-washed landscape is glorious, although throughout the forty-five-minute journey I'm constantly checking my rear-view mirror for any following vehicles. After leaving the made-up road I haven't seen another soul on the track, apart from two cars and one cyclist traveling in the opposite direction. The absence of hikers on the trails I guess is due to the hailstorm earlier.
When I get indoors I throw some clothes in my carry-on bag and make pasta for dinner. After cleaning the kitchen I collapse on the sofa and play video games for an hour, wondering whether Bella is doing the same this evening or whether she's made it to her mom's. I'm tempted to call her but resist.
Emmett sends a text to say they've got to the ranch okay and warns me they may be in late tomorrow morning. They'll have a long journey back plus Rosalie's mom is sure to cook them a mammoth breakfast. I text back saying to take their time as Friday is the quietest day of the week and also to remind one of them to pick up Jake. After I press send, I remember the phones will probably be busy first thing because of the storm damage.
I try to use the quiet in the cabin to think about everything that happened today starting with Sue confirming the house had been targeted again. Jake's outburst happened next, and then the SUV threatening Bella outside the Deli. All that on top of the suggestion dad could somehow still be alive and being forced to produce what he'd invented for a rogue Tech company. I find it impossible to think though because I can't stop myself listening for the sound of vehicles coming along the track, or expecting to see armed men in black clothing peering through the windows.
Bella had given me one of her 'you're an idiot' stares before she left tonight which is understandable. I know she thinks it's reckless and stupid of me to be here on my own but I have to find out who these people are and I'm not going to do that by hiding from them. If I'm going to solve this mystery, offering myself up as bait is possibly the only avenue open to me. It's dangerous, but frankly I have no other options. At least if they grab me here I'm not putting any of the others at risk.
My phone has been pinging all evening with new emails. I expect most of them will be about storm damage. While I have my laptop out I check whether anything interesting has come in before heading for bed. There should be a response to my email from the security company in San Francisco which means scanning a long list of junk for their company name. I'm annoyed that they haven't responded yet, but there are plenty more of the strange emails. I choose one to open hoping for a return address so I can stop any more clogging up my inbox.
The email address is a 'noreply' one which means a dead end. The message is the usual few lines of jumbled letters so hit delete. I continue casually deleting more of them plus other junk after reading the top line of each message until a faint but familiar noise breaks the silence. I stop deleting and place the laptop on the coffee table as the noise of a vehicle, or vehicles, approaching gets louder. As the volume increases, it becomes obvious the motorcycles are back on the track. There's definitely more than one heading this way which means I could be in trouble, even though after their last visit, one of them left me a reassuring message.
My first instinct is to turn the lights off and hide somewhere but I can't move from the sofa. My bravado about wanting to be caught has disappeared out the back door, which is where I should be heading too but there's no point. There's no way I could out-run a bike if they're after me. As the noise gets even louder I pray they pass by and disappear into the wilderness like before, only I know this isn't going to happen. My heart feels as though it's in my throat. Blood pounds painfully in my ears. My hands are shaking so violently I tuck them into my armpits.
The volume of noise suddenly reduces which indicates the bikes have come to a halt. Without looking I guess they're directly in front of the cabin. Their engines are still running though. This is it then. I'll find out soon whether they are friend or foe.
I contemplate sending an emergency email to Emmett to tell him what's happening and wonder whether I have time. As I pick the laptop up again, I spot an actual word among a group of garbled letters in the weird email currently displayed on the screen. When the seven letters register in my brain, the significance of the word makes me shriek out loud.
I almost drop the laptop but end up tossing it onto the coffee table before backing away from it as though it's radioactive. The whole world comes to a screeching halt as I stare at a word only I would recognize as being important to both me and dad, as the word is the password to the computer in the basement …
Lychees
And I know for certain that somehow dad is trying to get a message to me.
At that exact moment, there are several loud bangs on the door followed by a female voice screaming …
"Edward, you've got to get out of here!"
I recognize Bella's voice immediately.
Even though I still have the presence of mind to consider this might be a trap, I run to the door not knowing what to expect on the other side. Bella is standing on the veranda, dressed from head to toe in biking leathers with a man-sized dirt bike parked directly behind her. On the track below I can just make out in the gloom five other bikes with riders and pillion passengers dressed in black. Some are shouting at us to join them.
"Edward … they're right behind us. You've got to leave now."
"Who's behind you, Bella? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck's going on."
"There's no time for that. I'll tell you when we've got you somewhere safe."
Too much is happening at once for me to assess my situation and consequently make the right decision. Do I trust her or not? Should I place myself in her hands? I'm the only one who can answer those questions.
"Who the hell are you, Bella?" I hiss. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me who you're working for?"
"I'm not the enemy, Edward. I'm here to protect you."
"Protect me!" I yell.
"Yes!" Bella yells back even louder. "Believe it or not, I'm your bodyguard."
Whatever I expected to hear as an explanation this is not it. Although my suspicions about Bella have been justified, she still hasn't answered my second question. I can hardly speak to ask her again as I'm not ready for what the answer could be. I draw a deep breath and steel myself for her response.
"Again, Bella. Who the fuck are you working for?"
"Isn't it obvious by now, Edward? I'm working for your father."
Yikes!
A lot of you guessed Bella was some sort of 'protector', (I wish Fictionpress allowed hand-clapping emoji's on here), or she could be working for the CIA, FBI, or a private investigator. I've been laying clues fairly thickly that she isn't 'just' a landscape gardener. A few of you suggested Carlisle could be involved as well. Do you believe Bella, or do you think this is another lie? Most importantly, should he go with her now? He hasn't got much time to think.
Next chapter ... nah, wait and see. I think you'll like it though (evil smirk).
Joan x