The emotions didn't hit Will until after he left the office near dawn. All of them were tired, so he told Benji and Jane to get some rest, get some food, and come back around noon. But he couldn't sleep. The realization that his grandfather might have been a member of the Coalition changed everything.
He needed that journal. If he was going to get the answers this case required, he had to read his grandmother's journal and find out what happened that summer.
Another thought occurred to him, one that sent chills down his spine. The Coalition operated on a hereditary basis. Father joined and passed his position down to his eldest son when his son reached adulthood. But Jonathan Blake, the son, didn't have a son of his own—just a daughter named Francesca Noelle Blake.
Will gave up on sleep and reached for the phone. He was going back to Ephraim.
oOo
Will's arrival couldn't have come at a worse time for Noelle. She had opened the restaurant, hoping against hope that Travis would leave her alone. But he never appeared. After the breakfast rush, she hurried over to the sheriff's office and filed for a temporary restraining order. It would take time for the TRO to work its way through the courts, but at least Travis would know she meant business. And, maybe, she'd be able to keep him away so that she could try to live her life.
Still, it would do nothing for the emotions and questions his visit had stirred. Just the little bit he'd told her about Will made her wonder whether she even knew her landlord. Somewhere during the long night, she'd stopped thinking of him as a friend. How could she? They might be related—cousins—and he'd lied to her about who and what he really was.
Or had he? Travis could have made up this entire story just to get under her skin and undermine her relationship with Will. Which meant she was letting Travis win by second-guessing everything Will had told her.
The phone rang as she sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. Snatching it up, she tried not to snap at the other person. "Hello?"
"Noelle?" Axel Wolff sounded absolutely broken.
Noelle sat up. "What happened?"
"It's Greta. She. . . ." His voice broke then, and Noelle knew. Greta was dead.
The phone slipped away from her ear as Axel took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions. But she didn't hear. Tears gathered in her eyes, a crushing weight on her chest, and she simply stared when Will walked through the door. He stood there for a moment, rumpled and tired and looking oh-so-wonderful in his white shirt and tan tie. Then, he rushed over and pulled the phone out of her hand. He spoke for a few seconds before ending the connection.
Greta was dead. Noelle tried to wrap her mind around that. Just yesterday, Axel had told her there was a chance Greta could improve. Greta couldn't die! She had kids and grandkids and a B&B to run and traveling to do with Axel. She couldn't give up all of that!
"Noelle." Will's firm voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she blinked, surprised at the tears that rushed down her face. He crouched in front of her, his bag next to her desk as he held her cold hands in both of his. "Breathe."
At his command, she took a deep breath and blew it out.
Will nodded and smiled. "Good. Keep breathing. Don't pass out on me, okay?"
"I'm. . . ." She stopped. She'd been about to say she was fine, but nothing could be further from the truth. "Uh. . . ."
Will seemed to understand what had happened. He put a hand on her shoulder and told her to stay put. Then, he returned sometime later. It could have been thirty seconds later or three hours later. She really had no idea. She just sat there and tried to absorb what this meant.
Out of everyone in Ephraim, Greta and Axel had adopted her. Yes, she and Will were friends and had a decent relationship—save for whatever he'd told her about his job. That was an issue for another time. Right now, he seemed to know what to do while she adjusted to the reality that a woman she thought of as a surrogate mother was dead. Who would she chat with during lunch? Who would she call when Travis showed up? Who would be there to serve tea to writer's groups and tease Noelle about Will and in general make life richer for everyone around her?
Somehow, Will found her purse and keys. He tugged her to her feet and led her out the door. She finally stirred when he opened his car door for her. "I can't." She pointed over her shoulder. "I've got. . ."
"Restaurant's closed," Will said softly. He looked her in the eye. "No one argued."
Of course he'd taken over the situation. He just knew what to do. For the moment, she decided she could trust him enough to let him get her through the rest of the day.
oOo
Will watched Noelle as he drove her to the beach house. He'd walked into the B&B to find her pale and trembling. He heard Axel Wolff's voice from the door and had instinctively taken over the situation.
Now, he worried for Noelle. Greta's death seemed to hit her rather hard, and his reason for being back in Ephraim wouldn't help. He still didn't know what to tell her as to why he needed to take the journal and then disappear back to Washington. And, now, with Greta's death, things had just gotten even more complicated.
As if possibly being the cousin to a member of the Coalition wasn't complicated enough. It would certainly explain why they haven't come after me, though. Was it possible? Had Noelle's father protected him from the Coalition's wrath?
At the beach house, Will parked and led Noelle into her home. She seemed to gather herself a bit and took off to the bathroom. He heard the water come on, and then the sound of crying came through the door. She needed it. She'd probably cry a lot more in the coming days, but she needed to have a few moments to grieve now, while the emotions were fresh.
Rather than hovering, Will decided to let her have some time. He picked up the journal and headed for the back porch. He had a lot of reading to do, and now seemed like a good time. Keeping an ear tuned to the bathroom, he opened the pages to where they'd left off and began to read.
oOo
Noelle sat in the bathtub long after the water had gone cold. When Will brought her home, she hadn't known what to do. Sitting and seeing him just do simple things like make her dinner didn't sound like the best way to spend the evening. But she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him right now. All of a sudden, the questions that Travis had stirred in her mind didn't matter. Right now, she needed Will around. And alienating him would undo the careful strength she'd managed to build up after getting home.
Finally, she couldn't take the cold water any longer. She pulled the chain on the plug and let the tub drain while dressing in her favorite pajamas. Something smelled good in the kitchen, and, though she wasn't hungry, she still knew she needed to eat.
She wandered into the room in time to find Will removing a grilled cheese sandwich from the skillet. He offered a smile, didn't speak, and handed her a sandwich along with a bowl of tomato soup. Comfort foods. Maybe he didn't have anything to say, but his actions spoke loudly as he took care of her.
Noelle wandered over to the couch and sat down, pulling the blanket around her body and huddling into the corner while she ate. Will just kept an eye on her, not saying anything, as she grieved in silence. By the time she finished her meal, she wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and fall asleep.
A hand touched her elbow, and she blinked at Will. He nodded toward the hallway of her house. "Go get some sleep," he said gently. "I'll be here in the morning."
Noelle nodded. "Okay." She compliantly padded down the hall and crawled into bed, wrapping the covers around her as tears filled her eyes again. Tomorrow, she would put on a strong face and open the restaurant in memory of Greta. Tomorrow, she'd be the person Axel needed her to be—the woman Will knew her to be. Tomorrow. . . .For tonight, she was just a little girl, hurting and wishing she had someone to hold her while she cried.
oOo
As soon as Noelle's door closed, Will's relaxed facade faded into a frown. He'd been uneasy since the sun set, almost like someone had him under surveillance. Since he'd come on business, he'd brought a few toys with him. And he had just the thing he needed.
Moving silently, he carried his bag to the guest room and pulled out a portable frequency detector. He swept the house, breathing a minute sigh of relief that no one had any sort of listening or recording device inside the home. But outside? That remained a big question in Will's mind. He'd never be able to find someone monitoring the house via a parabolic mic. Not without some specialized equipment that he hadn't brought with him.
Slipping out the door was easy, and Will kept his sidearm close as he circled the property. Noelle's light was out, but, as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw her still moving about. She likely wouldn't sleep until the emotions had worn her out completely, which would take time. He had yet to meet someone like Noelle. She wasn't classically strong like Jane, who could shrug off even a nuclear attack. Noelle had the kind of strength that allowed her to feel the emotions, experience the fear, and still keep going.
At this moment, he wasn't certain which one was better.
Finding nothing of concern on the perimeter of the property, Will walked to the beach and stared over Lake Michigan. It still didn't mean his instincts were wrong.
Something wasn't right here, and his case had somehow begun to center around Ephraim. Some of the pieces fit, but others didn't. And the only way he'd figure it all out would be to learn the secrets of the beach house and why his family never came back.
oOo
By morning, the shock of Greta's death had worn off and was replaced with anger. Noelle didn't understand it, but she still couldn't stop the irritation that flooded her at every little thing that didn't quite go right that morning. And nothing went right.
By the time she made it to the kitchen, she was ready to just crawl back into bed and ignore the world. But she couldn't. Axel needed her to open the restaurant, and she needed to make certain the B&B was prepared for guests. Greta's family would need places to stay, and the restaurant would provide food. Knowing the books like she did, she knew that family could eat free while still charging others. It was time for Ephraim to close 'round its members, and she had no doubt it would happen.
The positive thoughts vanished the moment she gained the kitchen. Will stood there, wearing a wrinkled turquoise-colored shirt and black jeans. He'd pulled together a light breakfast and was frowning at the coffee pot as if it had talked back to him. The amusing scene would have made her laugh at any other time, but she caught sight of his grandmother's journal. He'd obviously been awake for a while and reading.
"I thought we were reading that together." Her sharp words brought a frown to his face. He took a moment to figure out what she was referring to before his frown deepened.
"We can." He straightened and stared at her. "Just because I read ahead doesn't mean we can't go through it later."
"Never mind. Not the point." Noelle snatched the coffee filters from his hands and set about making them coffee.
Will stepped out of her way. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know. . . ."
"It's fine." She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I'm just. . . .Travis visited day before yesterday, and he said some things that really just got under my skin."
Will gave her a hesitant glance. "What things?" When she didn't meet his eyes, he scowled. "Noelle."
She blinked at his tone. It didn't have the same warmth as before, and he stood like he expected her to attack him. She shrugged. "It's nothing. It's just Travis."
"What. Things?" He never raised his voice, but she heard the command behind his words.
Noelle sighed. He knew Travis, knew her ex-husband's tendencies and jealousy and wild accusations. "That we're sleeping together." She started with the one she knew was absolutely not true. "That you're a spy, that you're selling secrets, that the government denied you exist. He even called you a traitor and mentioned something about the Coalition?" She couldn't stop the question in her voice.
Will changed. As she spoke, his face closed down, and he reached for his phone.
"Will? He was right?"
He held up his hand, talking into his phone. "Benji, I need you and Jane in Wisconsin. Now. . .I'll explain when you get here, but I think. . . .Yes. Thanks."
"Will!" Noelle raised her voice as he ended the call.
He turned to her. "I can't say, Noelle."
"Can't or won't?" She stepped in his path, blocking him into the kitchen. "Was he right, Will? Was Travis telling the truth for once?"
The way he stood still, not looking at her, and how his jaw clenched slightly told her more than anything he could have said. She stepped back and pointed at the door. "Get out."
"Noelle. . . ."
"You lied to me! You knew what happened in my past, and you still lied!" She hated herself for the tears, but she couldn't stop the anger from spilling over. "The least you could have done was tell me you can't talk about your work!"
"I did!" For the first time, anger colored his voice. He stayed in place, not moving toward her as he spoke. "I told you there were always going to be secrets. You knew I couldn't discuss everything that my job entailed."
"But you said you worked for the Department of Transportation." This time, Noelle actually laughed. "I should have known! Who trains federal traffic cops? I mean, really?"
"Believe it or not, I do train people."
"Between your secret missions around the world?" She shook her head. "Benji? Is he one of you, too? A spy?"
"Noelle, you can't. . . ."
"Can't what? Ask you questions that should have been answered a long time ago? Ask you why you kept lying to my face day after day?"
Will sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his face. When he spoke, he sounded like he was trying to keep his tone stable. "I work in a very dangerous job, Noelle. One that could come after you."
"Yeah, and you said nothing to me about it!"
"I was trying to protect you!" His control broke, and he shouted at her. "Did you ever think of that? Did you ever stop to consider that my entire life has been about protecting people I care about? A nation I care about? Did you think that?"
Noelle chuckled again, tears in her eyes as she did so. "Oh, that's rich, coming from you!"
"Is it?" Will moved across the kitchen, speaking as he went with an intensity in his eyes that she'd never seen before. "Do you know what the Coalition is, Noelle? Do you know why Travis mentioned them or what their goals are or what lengths they'll go to in order to keep themselves in operation? Do you know who their members are? Because I do! I know exactly who they are, and I have seen first-hand what they'd do to protect their investments!"
Noelle took a step back, unable to stop herself. Will hadn't invaded her personal space like Travis, towering over her and trying to intimidate her. His entire demeanor was angry but desperate to make her understand. And hurt. In spite of the emotion in his face, she saw hurt in his eyes.
He let out another deep breath, shaking his head and going out the back door. Left alone, Noelle went over the last few things he'd said. Who was the Coalition? Will knew, and Travis certainly knew. So why would they be coming after her? She had done nothing to upset them, and all she'd tried to do while in Ephraim was get on with her life.
Whirling on her heel, she found Will on the deck, leaning against the chairs she'd finally refinished. He rocked back and forth, his eyes scanning the area as if on guard for. . .something. Now that she was looking for it, she spotted the slight bulge at his back that indicated he'd been carrying a weapon since his arrival.
"Will?" When he glanced over, she sighed. "What's the Coalition?"
He straightened. "You don't really want to know, Noelle. It might. . . ." He seemed to think better of his words and glanced away, licking his lips as he did so. It wasn't attractive or even an expression she wanted to see again. "The Coalition is a group of men who help orchestrate major events such as weapons deals and human trafficking. Big things, Noelle. The kinds of things that. . . ."
"How much danger are you in?" When he simply looked at her, she knew. "And Travis is looking for you."
Will didn't say anything, but he didn't need words. His eyes told her the truth.
Noelle reached for one of the chairs and dropped into it, ignoring Will's presence somewhat behind her and to her right. He might have lied to her, but he hadn't threatened her the way Travis had. No, he just brought a terrorist organization to your door.
She dropped her head into her hand, covering her face. "Travis is part of them, isn't he?" Blinking away the headache, she steeled herself for the next answer. "How?"
"How'd he get in?"
"Yes."
"We don't know. The Coalition's world-wide, and we have only begun putting the pieces together for just a part of it."
"We?" She glanced up at him. "You're CIA, aren't you?"
"No." He chuckled, a smile touching his face. But his eyes were serious. "That's the truth, Noelle. I am in intelligence, and I do go on dangerous missions. But I am honestly not with the CIA."
"So, the Department of Transportation is just a cover?"
"Yeah."
An uncharacteristic curse escaped her lips. She didn't use such language often, but this situation certainly warranted it. "What do we do now?"
Will finally came around the chair and sat down, looking every bit as weary as she felt. "You go to work, do what you would have done anyway. Don't let Travis know you're on to him."
"And you?"
He looked around. "My team's on their way. We're going to start tracking Travis's activities and see what he's been up to. Maybe we can use him to get into the Coalition and bring them down." He turned to face her. "This is dangerous, Noelle. And I'm going to have to cut you off from a lot of it."
"To protect me."
"Yeah." He stood. "After this is over, I'll leave Ephraim. You can stay in the house, but I'll go."
Noelle watched him enter the house and head to his room, presumably to pack his things. She'd gotten what she wanted when she told him to leave. He was leaving. But it didn't feel like a victory. There were too many things going on that she didn't understand, but she did know that Will had just broken all kinds of rules by telling her as much as he had about his work and the Coalition.
The heavy feeling stayed with her as she finished brewing coffee and fixing both of them a cup. As Will walked out the door, he tried to smile but failed. He knew the same thing she felt.
Things would never be the same between them again.
oOo
Benji and Jane arrived by mid-afternoon. Will had put them on standby while he came to Ephraim, and they'd flown out of Washington within the hour after his call. He picked them up at the small airport and drove them to a hotel one town over from Ephraim. The only place in Ephraim big enough for them and their equipment was the bed and breakfast, and he refused to take that space from Greta's family.
Benji asked him about it when they finally settled. "Why here? Why not at. . . ."
"Because Greta died." Will's terse answer stopped any more questions about it. Jane did put her hand on his shoulder as she passed him, her silent way of offering support and understanding. Will appreciated it as much as he appreciated Benji getting to work.
The Englishman started typing the moment his computer connected with the IMF servers. "So, we're looking for a Travis. . . ?"
"Gilbertson." Will looked over his shoulder. "He and Noelle Blake were married for ten years."
Benji gave Will a hesitant glance at the mention of Noelle's name but started his search. While he worked, Will picked up his grandmother's journal and continued reading.
So far, he'd only read a journal filled with stories of one perfect summer. His grandmother had fallen hard for Robert Blake, but she hadn't allowed it to destroy her marriage. In fact, the one time Robert tried to kiss her, she'd run back to the beach house and refused to see him for three days. It tore her to shreds, but she decided to stay faithful to her marriage.
Then Will's grandfather learned of the relationship. Robert had come to the door, and Joseph Hayes had answered. The resulting meltdown included accusations of infidelity and an immediate departure from the beach house. His grandmother, Maryanne, had written about the constant barrage of insults aimed at destroying her self-confidence.
All of that changed two months after they left the beach house. Maryanne learned she was pregnant. Will did the math and realized that, at the time, she'd been carrying his mother. So this is why, he thought. This explains why I was never part of the family. But he was. According to the journal, Maryanne and Robert never took their relationship into anything physical. That kiss had been the most intimate it became, and she'd run from it. Somewhere in her mind, she'd known that having an affair would cause more problems than it could solve. While she'd have the love and attention she craved, she knew Joseph Hayes well enough to understand that he'd never let her have her children. And, when she became pregnant so soon afterward, he automatically assumed the child wasn't his.
He'd been assuming the child wasn't his right up until Will's mother died. After that one summer, the journal became sporadic. Most of the pages were filled, but a few were empty. The final entry, dated just days before Maryanne died, held one secret.
I made Joseph promise. And he did. He won't disown his own daughter. But I fear for William. The boy is lost, what with no father to raise him. Michelle does the best she knows to do, but she cannot be with him at all times.
So many regrets. All centered on this house. This horrible beach house. Why did we ever buy it in the first place? Now, years later, I cannot remember. I just know that my life changed here, for the worst. And it's affected so many people. My hope, by hiding this journal with my books, is that someone will read it and learn from my mistakes. Secrets were made to be found out with time, and mine should be discovered. Perhaps they can prevent another generation from suffering the way I have.
Will blinked at the regret in his grandmother's tone. She had begun writing in the journal as a way to get her frustrations on paper. But she'd ended with a purpose: to tell the truth.
"Brandt." Benji's soft voice felt like a shout in the quiet hotel room. Jane had dozed off on the couch, leaving the two men to work through the night. Now, she blinked when Benji spoke.
Will jumped and then rose, wishing his emotions weren't so close to the surface. First the argument with Noelle and then learning that they weren't related. He didn't know if that would make things better or worse.
Benji pointed at the screen, which showed several things. "From what I can tell, Travis Gilbertson has stayed in the general area. He's got a room at a motel a few miles away, and he's not shy about where he goes." Benji's finger traced the bars that Travis had frequented. "It looks like he's been camped out here for months. But that's not what bothers me. Two days ago, he visited the hospital. I know because he got a parking violation for his visit. The ticket still hasn't been paid."
Will bent closer to the computer screen. "What was he doing in the hospital?"
"I wasn't sure. But I found a familiar name in hospital records: Greta Wolff." Benji shrugged. "That couldn't be a coincidence, so I pulled security footage for her room. Look." He hit a button, and the video played. Will could just barely see Axel sleeping next to his wife's bed. Then, when he stepped out of the room, likely to use the facilities, a male nurse slipped into the room. After checking Greta's machines, he fiddled with her IV and then left. Benji froze the security camera as it caught a good shot of Travis Gilbertson.
When Benji did speak again, he did so softly. "I did some other checking. Greta Wolff died thirty minutes after this." He stared at Will. "Brandt. Travis Gilbertson murdered her. To get to you."
Will nodded. "And it worked."
~TBC