Chapter 15: Plan
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A few days later Jack came to visit Neal in his office.
"Hi Neal." He shook Neal's hands. "Good news! Our suspect left some obvious traces."
"Any finger print?" asked Neal, motioning for Jack to sit down.
"Unfortunately he's a bit better than that," Jack grimaced. "I have all capsules, sugar, salt, every powder in Mr. Leagan's home office that morning analyzed. One sugar pouch contains potassium cyanide powder."
At the mention of that deadly poison, Neal sank to his chair "H-how come the doctors didn't know? They're supposed to do some blood test!"
"Cyanide can be detected only when the victim is dead," answered Jack shrewdly.
"Whatever happens to the almond odor signature?"
"That's unreliable except when one got lucky or in detective novels," explained Jack. "I reconstructed the scene for that afternoon. Mr. Leagan was drinking his coffee when he talked with you on the phone so he sipped the liquid little by little. Then fortunately he dropped his cup. The dose in his cup would have been lethal otherwise."
Neal nodded his head several times. He thought about the sound of broken glass when his father screamed angrily at him. Such a luck! Without it... Argh! Neal didn't want to think about it.
"I have been following Mason and took some photos. I think I got something interesting." Jack took some photos out and showed them to Neal. In one photo, Mason was kissing a girl.
"He is your sister's husband, right?" asked Jack. "Do you know who the girl is?"
"Dayna. My former assistant, " Neal murmured in disbelief. "She stopped coming to the office last week ."
"Do you have any idea why she suddenly quitted?"
"I have ideas," said Neal, greeting his teeth. "I have to warn Eliza!"
They talked about a few other things then Neal went to visit Eliza.
When Neal arrived at her mansion, Eliza was breastfeeding her baby so he waited outside her bedroom. While waiting, he was staring at the decoration Eliza hang around the mansion for her baby son. Dad was in the hospital fighting for his life and mom never left his side. What's supposed to be a happy time went almost unnoticed. They barely welcomed baby Tyler at all...
"What are you thinking about?" Eliza's voice cut his muse.
Neal turned around. "Hello there!" He opened his arms. "How are you and Tyler?" He hugged his sister and gave the gift bag he brought for his nephew.
All smiling, Eliza un-wrapped the gift. "A teddy bear!" She looked at the stuffed animal. It's wearing a blue handmade little shirt with personalized initial "T" in the middle. "Oh Neal! This is lovely. How did you get the idea?"
Alden did. She mentioned about it once when she wrote about her friend who had a baby. Neal didn't want to tell his sister about his pen-pal, though. She would think that he's grossly over-sentimental.
"I hope Tyler likes it." Neal grinned, avoiding to answer.
"He will! Thanks!" said Eliza. "I'm good, by the way. How are you yourself?"
"Busy," Neal answered.
Eliza looked examining her brother up close. "A long day? Your tie is not straight." She straightened her brother's tie like she liked to do since they were much younger. "Look at you. Serious air, confident look... A great deal like a decision maker!" She chuckled.
Neal laughed.
"You changed so much since you took over dad's job." Eliza grinned wickedly.
"Someone has to do it. Although honestly I always thought it would be you, not me."
"I am too preoccupied." Eliza gestured to Tyler's room. "Funny. Since I become a mom, I'm not interested in other occupations. I'm very happy, you know Neal," said Eliza. She dropped herself into a couch by the window.
"That's good." Neal took of his suit and sat next to her. "Oh, we got Tarbell." Neal grinned proudly.
"Swell!" Eliza's eyes glittered wickedly. "The Andrews are peanut now compared to us."
They exchanged stories. Neal told her about their parents, his speech and other things. Eliza boasted about Tyler.
"Mom still doesn't want to go home?" asked Eliza.
"She never leaves dad's side."
"Isn't it unexpected? I never saw them together and suddenly she's glued to him."
Neal nodded. "By the way, where's Mason?" he asked, pretending clueless. "I should congratulate the new father, too!"
"He-" Eliza paused, seemed to consider carefully the words she wanted to use. "I haven't had the mood to tell you. Mason and I... we have been over for a while."
"Completely over?"
"He had been calling since Tyler was born but I didn't let him come. This morning he called again, I said yes this time."
"When? Why?"
"Tomorrow night. Why not?" Eliza frowned. "He wants to reconcile for Tyler's sake, he said."
Neal took a deep breath and pulled an envelope from his pocket. He took the photo Jack gave him and passed it to Eliza. As a brother who loved his sister, he hated to tell her this but it's better she knew about it sooner than later. "Recognize them?" Neal gravely showed the photo where Mason and Dayna were kissing.
Eliza's face turned red and her lips clenched in fury. "Is this why you come to visit me?"
"Partly," said Neal truthfully.
"I always thought she is a great assistant!"
"She was … I can't take over dad's job without her."
"Was?"
"She stopped coming to the office a few days ago."
"I should have listened to dad. He's right about Mason." Eliza burst in anger. Then, she started to cry.
"I'm truly sorry." Neal put his arm around her back. For a moment she pressed her face into her brother's chest, crying her heart out. He wanted to wail too but refrained against doing it. Eliza needed a man to rely on now that she had a little baby and mom and dad were not around.
"I will tell Mason that he's not welcomed!"
"Actually," Neal said thoughtfully. "Since you have told him he can come, I want him to come. I have a plan."
"Plan? What plan?"
"There's something else. I believe -"
Tyler's bedroom door swung opened and they heard a baby cry. Tyler's nanny soon appeared.
"Mrs. Fern, Tyler is awake," said the nanny. "He seems hungry."
Eliza's face beamed instantly. "So fast?" She glanced at the clock. "It's already almost three hours! Excuse me, Neal. My son needs me." She got up instantly and left. "Just do whatever you want to do. I trust you."
Eliza disappeared into Tyler's bedroom.
"I'll be back tomorrow before diner!" yelled Neal.
"Okay!" cried Eliza before she shut the door behind her.
.oOo..
Before dinner the following day, Neal came back with Jack and several security officers. Neal took them around the mansion and discussed their plans. Since Eliza didn't show up as she promised, Neal went to look for her. A servant said Eliza was giving Tyler a bath.
"Eliza," said Neal, knocking at the bathroom door. He pushed the door a little and peeked inside.
"What is it Neal?" Eliza frowned, clearly felt disturbed.
"I have to tell you about our plan for tonight."
"Close the door. It's windy. Tyler could catch a cold."
Neal entered. "For precaution, we think Tyler should be moved to a guess room tonight."
"Why?" Eliza unhappily protested.
"For his own safety, sis. I and Jack plan to -"
"Ok... ok..., spare me the details." She studied her brother up and down. "You're from the office. Yes? Your suit carries germs. Things have to be strictly clean around Tyler. I'll look for you later," she commanded and shut the door on him.
Neal obeyed and left. He took Jack and the officers to have dinner first. But even until after dinner Eliza still had not showed up. One servant came saying Eliza and her nannies were preparing a bed for Tyler in his new room. They couldn't use the crib since it's too big and didn't fit inside.
Neal went to his sister again. "Eliza, I need to tell you about our plan."
"Later! Tyler's bedtime is coming. And we can't get his crib in."
"Then don't use the crib," Neal grumbled. "At his age, he can't flip yet! Just put pillows or blanket rolls around him. It should be fine for tonight."
Eliza frowned curiously at her brother. "How do you know that?"
"I just do." Alden mentioned that once in her letters. Sweet lovely Alden... she liked babies and children. "Can we talk now?" Neal asked quickly before Eliza demanded how he got his baby knowledge from.
"Ok!" Eliza sighed impatiently. "Just tell me the part I need to do."
"You must make sure that you stay in your room. This is very important because -"
"That's it?" Eliza broke off.
"Pretty much! The crux of the -"
Eliza already started walking away. "Fine!"
"Don't change rooms!" Neal yelled one more time to emphasize.
"Fine fine...!" said Eliza. She disappeared. "I won't change rooms. We'll talk more later."
Neal finalized his plan with Jack and other officers. He waited for Eliza but until almost nine, she still didn't come. Neal went to look for her again.
"Eliza." Neal quietly knocked at her bedroom's door and entered.
She was rocking Tyler in her arms lulling the boy to sleep.
"Ask his nanny to carry him! We need to talk!" Neal said irritably.
"To put your own son to sleep at night is crucial to strengthen the bond between the parent and the child!" snapped Eliza.
Neal rolled his eyes.
Eliza suddenly noticed her brother carrying a revolver on his belt. "You'll use that?" she asked, grinning.
"To protect you? Yes." He grinned back at her. When it came to his sister, he could never stay annoyed for long. "Yell if something went wrong. We'll be outside. Remember don't change rooms!" warned Neal.
Tyler fussed and released a faint grunt.
"Okay, okay… Ssh!" mouthed Eliza.
"Take care, " Neal whispered.
"Alright!" she waved her hand sending her brother away.
Neal shrugged and left. With Jack and other officers, they waited outside watching under Eliza's window.
Time passed by and nothing happened. He heard the clock chimed eleven times.
Neal started to wonder if he made incorrect guesses. What if he was all wrong about Mason and Dayna? Men and women kissed, that's a fact. He started to feel awkward hiding behind the bushes under his sister's window with a detective and security officers. What if presently Eliza was reconciling with her husband and was having an intimate husband-and-wife moment? His heart flipped uneasily at the thought...
-To be continued-
Thanks for reading.