CHAPTER 8

(GIDEON)

I am not saying anything as I look around the table, and I see Grey is doing the same thing. I think Ray's idea was spot on earlier, although I didn't really like it at the time. Getting myself and Grey out of the room so our wives could talk in private was the best decision he could've made. You could feel the tension in there, and almost cut the atmosphere with a knife. Both myself and Grey were determined not to say or do anything which could fuck things up and because we were so on edge, our wives picked up on it and it made them on edge as well.

I like Ray, he seems an honest and straightforward kind of man, he reminds me a little of Victor. He clearly loves Ana dearly and he even seems to have some affection for Grey. He had gently told him to calm down and that Ana would be fine when we all left the room and Grey had listened to him. To be fair, seeing Grey today has changed my opinion of him in some ways. He clearly loves his wife completely and I see many parallels and similarities between his devotion to Ana to mine with Eva. I no longer believe he is the complete asshole I assumed he was. In fact, the slightly uncomfortable truth that is dawning on me is, we are very alike.

I am surprised at the remarkable bond which seems to have formed between our wives in such a short space of time. They are chatting now like old friends and they are both oblivious to everyone else around them, and it is like they have known each other all their lives.

Grey catches my attention and smiles ruefully. "I think that we are surplus to requirements" he mutters and I can't help but let out a small laugh. This attracts Eva's attention, and she pauses in her conversation with Ana and looks at me questioningly.

"I'm just chatting with Christian" I say and at that Ana also looks up. She glances at Grey and then flushes slightly. She realises that we seem to have been set aside and she quickly apologises for the fact she and Eva have practically ignored us since we have all been here.

I tell her that it doesn't matter and that I am happy she and Eva are getting along so well.

I turn my attention to Ray, when we were alone, he had barely said anything. He hadn't offered anything about himself other than he was Ana's step father, and I am curious to know more about him.

"So, tell me Ray what do you do?" I ask politely and Ray shuffles uncomfortably. I can tell he isn't keen on talking about himself and would rather just blend into the background.

"I'm just a carpenter" he says with a shrug.

I see Ana almost bristle with anger at that comment and she stiffens dramatically.

"Dad! Will you stop selling yourself short" she rebukes sharply and my attention is fixed on her as she addresses me. "Ray is a master craftsman; he can make anything out of a piece of wood. The furniture he has made is amazing and very beautiful. People ask him to make things and he just does it, he can turn a piece of wood into something outstandingly beautiful". You can hear the love and pride in her voice as she talks about her stepfather and his work.

Grey smiles and adds his own comment to this conversation, "He can, he made me a custom-built desk for my office at Grey House. I love it, it's one of a kind and it provokes a lot of comments when I have visitors in my office as it is so unusual".

I see Ray put his head down, he is clearly embarrassed by this and I smile. "I will have to come and have a look for myself when Eva and I visit Seattle… I am certain that is going to happen sooner rather than later" I say as I look at our wives who have returned to their conversation.

I hear Eva telling Ana that she and Christian must come to New York to visit and she can show her all the sights. Ana laughs and tells her a story of the first time Christian took her to New York. I know that Grey has an apartment in New York, his penthouse is actually not too far from my own home and is in a building which I own, which isn't hard considering the fact I own a large number of the buildings in New York City. I hear Ana responding with how Eva and I should visit Washington and Christian can take us up in his helicopter and show us some of the stunning scenery from the air.

"You have a helicopter?" I ask turning back to Grey, my interest peaking at that snippet of information and he nods.

"Yes, Charlie Tango. She was the first thing I bought when I was in a position to do so. I got my pilots licence so I could fly her myself and not have to rely on Stephan… he's my pilot," he says with an obvious enthusiasm and I realise that flying must be a passion of his.

"Do you fly your jet as well?" I ask but Grey shakes his head.

"No, just Charlie Tango… that's why I employ Stephan" he explains.

I smile, "I look forward to seeing Washington from the air with you as my tour guide" I say and Grey smiles back at me, clearly amused by my comment.

It is still slightly awkward between us but conversation is starting to flow a little easier now, but Ana and Eva are chatting as if they have always known each other. I listen in and catch a snippet of their conversation and realise their talk has moved back on to their biological father and what they are going to do next to try and track him down. I take the opportunity to lean forward.

"Angus is now on the case…" I pause and glance at Grey, "…as is Welch, so I'm sure they will come up with something which will give you a lead" I say.

I have barely got the words out of my mouth when I hear my phone buzz with an incoming text, I reach inside my pocket and glance at it.

I have a lead on Frank Lambert

My eyes widen in surprise at the speed which Angus has found something, but he is an ex spook so knows exactly how to find someone who does not want to be found.

"It appears Angus has a lead already" I say and both Eva and Ana stare at me in surprise.

"Already?" Eva asks and I nod.

"Yes, I have to say I am as surprised as you are that it has happened so quickly. I know Angus is good, I didn't expect him to be quite that good though. But then again I should've realised that Angus would know exactly where to look with his contacts and experience".

I quickly call him to find out the information he has uncovered.

"Angus, have you found something?" I ask as he picks up.

"Ay lad, I have. Grey's man sent me the information he had on Frank Lambert including a couple of photographs of the man. I ran a search of Franks personal details and got a number of hits with similar dates of birth but there was one who ticked all the boxes right down to a similar name. If my hunch is correct with what I have found, Frank Lambert is alive and well and living over the border in Vancouver, Canada".

"Well, thank you and well done for finding it so quickly, I'll tell Eva and Ana and see what they want to do" I say.

I hang up and turn towards Eva and Ana who are both watching me closely.

I take a deep breath as I prepare myself to break the news to them that their father did fake his own death. "Angus seems to believe that Frank Lambert is alive and well and living in Vancouver" I say.

Ana's face registers surprise, "Vancouver… Oregon?" she gasps and I shake my head.

"No, Vancouver, Canada. If Angus is right and I have every faith in him that he is, it appears that Frank escaped over the border into Canada when he faked his death".

"What name is he going by?" Grey asks and I shake my head.

"I don't know, at this stage Angus said it is only a hunch based on the information Welch sent him and what he has managed to uncover as a result, but I am fairly certain he must be pretty confident in his findings to have said something at all" I say.

I feel my phone vibrate again and it buzzes alerting me to the fact another text has come through. I open it up and find some information from Angus which I have to admit does look compelling.

It is a news clipping from a local paper from Vancouver of a story about a man who saved a small boy from drowning at a swimming pool, the man is named as Francis Lamb. There is no photograph, but Angus has taken that simple clue and researched the hell out of the man, and come up with an address and a number of personal details. As I look through them I see Angus has also given the corresponding details of Frank Lambert and they are identical, so if this is the same man and the evidence is certainly compelling that it is, it appears he didn't go to great lengths to hide his true identity, it's almost as if he was hiding in plain sight.

I hold out my phone to Eva and she takes it from me without a word and she quickly scans the screen before handing it to Ana to read. After she has read it, she gives it to Ray and he also reads it.

"A hell of a lot of coincidences" Ray says simply as he hands me my phone back after he has read the information.

I glance at Grey and see he is also reading something on his own phone, and I am guessing his man has furnished him with this information.

"Welch has found a photograph of this Francis Lamb character" he says and as he says this, my phone buzzes again. I look down and see a message from Angus telling me Welch has sent him this photograph. Both Grey and I look at Ray as he knew the man personally.

"Do you think you would be able to identify him, Ray?" Grey asks as he holds out his phone.

Ray shrugs and takes Grey's phone to look at the photograph, Eva says my name and holds out her hand for my phone which I don't hesitate to pass to her. Both Eva and Ana crowd around it peering at the grainy image.

"Where did Welch get this from?" I ask.

I see Grey shuffle in his seat, "He said it was from the newspaper who ran the article about the drowning boy which this man saved, but the man insisted that the photograph was not published".

My eyebrows rise significantly at this, "So how did Welch manage to get hold of it?" I ask.

Grey smiles ruefully, "It's best not to ask those kinds of questions" he says simply.

My attention goes back to Ray who is now speaking, "That's Frank" he says simply.

"Are you sure?" I ask and Ray nods grimly.

"I'm certain, yes he has obviously aged which is to be expected, but I'd recognise that face anywhere" he says.

Ray, Grey and myself turn towards Eva and Ana who are sitting staring at my phone in silence.

"Baby?" Grey asks gently and Ana looks up at him and smiles.

I glance at Ray and see he is also watching Ana's reaction closely. I look at Eva and whilst she isn't saying anything, she doesn't look too upset by this news which I am relieved about.

"I'm fine, it just seems weird that's all" Ana says, but we can all tell she looks unsettled about something.

Eva nods in agreement, "Yeah, it is" she agrees. I see her attention is taken by Ana and she is looking at her closely, and I see that Ana now has a frown on her face as if she is trying to remember something.

Grey notices this too as he speaks gently to her.

"Ana, baby? Are you ok?" he asks, the concern and love is evident in his voice.

Ana shakes her head, "It's just… it sounds familiar… I've heard it somewhere… that name it is ringing bells with me and I can't think where from" she mutters distractedly.

"What name baby?" Grey asks.

"Francis Lamb…" Ana replies.

I watch her as she tries to figure out where she knows it from. I am about to offer the theory that it is because it is so blatantly close to Frank Lambert. That it is just that which is making her think she has heard it before, when realisation seems to hit her and her eyes widen and she reaches out for Eva's arm.

"Oh my god I know where I have heard it from!" she gasps and immediately she has everyone's undivided attention on her.

"I had a manuscript come through, it was a story about a man who had faked his own death and the author was someone called Francis Lamb…" she pauses and we all gasp as we reel from this disclosure.

"Are you sure baby?" Christian asks and Ana nods emphatically, and much to everyone's surprise she rummages in her purse and pulls out a notepad.

"Here look" she exclaims as she waves the notepad in the air.

"What's that?" Eva asks as she looks at the notepad.

"That's Ana's notebook which she uses to write down comments, opinions and thoughts about manuscripts she reads… why do you have that with you baby?" Grey asks with a note of amusement in his tone.

Ana shrugs, "I brought my laptop with me and was doing some work on a couple of electronic manuscripts I had, I did it to take my mind off the meeting with Eva… but I like to make my notes the old fashioned way and I just shoved my book in my purse" she says with a nervous smile of embarrassment.

Eva laughs, "God we are so alike, I brought my laptop with me and I was working on a marketing project for work to take my mind off things too" she says.

I hold out my hand for Ana's notebook, "May I see?" I ask and Ana nods as she flicks through the pages to the notes on the book in question. Then she hands me the notepad.

I quickly read what she has written.

Dying to Live by Francis Lamb

Adventure

Synopsis: A man fakes his own death to avoid being forced into an arranged marriage and starts a new life in a different state, always looking over his shoulder until his past catches up with him.

Pro's: Good prose, interesting premise and engaging plot.

Cons: Slightly unbelievable in some parts – but easily remedied with some editing.

Marketability: average to good.

"Do you think he approached you knowing who you were?" I ask carefully and Ana freezes, it is obvious that scenario hadn't occurred to her.

"I… I have no idea" she says and she looks at Grey and it is as if that thought has upset her, which is totally understandable. After all, if someone who faked their own death just to avoid the responsibility of parenting you, but then turned up years later and approached you and not only that but they told you how they did it and expected you to help them make money out of it in the process. Well, it's not a nice thought.

"I don't know if he realises who I am. I hope not as that would be beyond awful if he was trying to cash in on my position as an editor at a publishing house, after abandoning me" she says, confirming for me my own thoughts on the matter. "It was covered, quite extensively in the media when we married. It was mainly because of who I was, compared to who Christian was and where I came from and there was speculation of the size of the pre-nup Christian would have me sign. Ray was named and mentioned as my father, and as a result he was hounded a bit by the press for a while..." I watch as Ana glances at Ray, "weren't you dad?" she adds and Ray nods.

"I was, but it wasn't your fault" he states firmly.

Ana smiles before she continues, "So, that being said he would recognise Ray as being his old army buddy, mom was mentioned briefly… but I do know Christian managed to keep her name out of the press as much as possible. All that was ever mentioned about her was that I was estranged from my mother who lived in Georgia… I don't think she was ever named directly so he wouldn't be able to make the connection with her".

I think about that for a moment. "So, if there was any recognition, it would be with Ray and he could just have assumed that you are Ray's daughter," I say.

Both Ana and Grey nod in agreement with that.

"So, it is also reasonable to assume that he sent the manuscript of the story to you, assuming you are Ray's daughter. There may be some ulterior motive involved but I am assuming it would be more in line with him trying to reconnect with Ray rather than you as there was nothing made public about you being linked to your mother," I say.

Everyone seems to agree with this point but before I can say anything else Grey butts in with a comment.

"The media were far more interested in the age gap between us, my wealth and how we met," he says bitterly.

"How did you two meet?" I ask curiously and I hear Grey snort with obvious amusement.

"Ana fell into my office one day and that was all it took" he says fondly.

I watch Ana flush and shake her head in embarrassment, then she looks at me and starts to explain.

"I was commandeered by my friend Kate… that was my room-mate at college to interview him. She had pulled the scoop of the year and managed to get him to agree to being interviewed for the university newspaper, for the graduation edition as he had been asked to confer the degrees at the ceremony. She was studying journalism and worked on the paper as an editor. The day of the interview I went with Kate to Seattle as she had asked me to help her out. I waited in reception for her and she came out quite quickly. I asked her what had gone wrong and it seems she had upset Christian by asking inappropriate questions. I told her she shouldn't have said what she said and Christian had followed her down and he agreed with me. He asked if I wanted to interview him instead, and Kate pushed me to do it and handed me the recorder and her list of questions. I was incredibly nervous, I mean I'm not a journalist - I had no idea what I was doing and as I walked into his office I tripped and fell in head first," she explains and I smile.

I glance at Eva and she knows that I am remembering her less than dignified tumble at my feet in the lobby of the Crossfire.

"Do you think I should reach out to him?" Ana asks, which brings us back to the subject concerned.

Eva sighs, "Were you planning on publishing the story?" she asks and Ana nods.

"I was as it was a good, compelling story… now though I'm not sure, not now that I know it is based on fact rather than fantasy… Plus the fact I am not certain about the authors motives".

Eva reaches for Ana and wraps her arm around her. "If you want my opinion, I say you continue as you were planning to do. Invite him to your office or whatever it is you do in these situations. But when he shows up confront him with what you know. Let me know when you plan to do this and Gideon and I will make sure we are also in Seattle to offer you support… and so I can also meet daddy dearest and put my own list of questions to him. He won't be able to run away if we are all there" she says.

Ana thinks about this and nods, "That sounds like a good idea… I was planning on arranging a preliminary meeting with him as soon as I had decided to publish the story, but now I just want to confront him and call him out on what he has done and to ask him what on earth he is playing at. When we get back to Seattle, I'll set the ball rolling and call you to arrange a mutually convenient date and time".

oooOOOooo

One Week Later…

We have now been back in New York a week and since that initial meeting with Ana and Christian in New York, things have progressed rapidly. Eva and Ana talk most evenings either by phone or Skype and they text and email regularly. I have noticed that Eva has become very protective towards her younger sister and has slipped readily into the big sister role.

Nothing has appeared in the media about the fact that we along with the Grey's were in Chicago at the same time. We were also incredibly lucky that nothing was made of the fact that we were seen together having lunch. The moment was commented on but no further speculation made. I have also spoken to Grey a couple of times since we have been back in New York. Partly due to business, we have been discussing the offer I made for him to have access to Nexus for his cell phone project. We have also talked personally. Grey is determined that Ana will not be hurt by Frank Lambert and I am of a similar mindset as far as Eva is concerned. The more we talk the more I am warming to the man and I grudgingly admit that I now like him.

As I am working on a current project my cell phone rings and I look at the screen to see it is Grey calling me. My eyebrows rise and I quickly answer.

"Cross" I say by way of greeting.

"Cross, it's Christian Grey. I'm just giving you a heads up, Ana has called me and is probably on the phone to Eva as we speak. She has secured an appointment with Frank Lambert later this week. He allegedly is coming to Seattle then – he said he was visiting family, which we know is a complete lie which makes me wonder if he does know who Ana is?"

"Hmmm" I say thoughtfully. I lean back in my seat and think about what I have been told. "Or he could just be making things up. From what Ray said back in Chicago he appeared to be a bit of a fantasist and liked to make things up or exaggerate to make himself look good. We all know that he has no family in Seattle. But he doesn't know that. Does he need this book deal? So… does he want to get it done as soon as possible but doesn't want to appear to look too eager about moving quickly".

There is a brief silence as Grey is obviously considering that. "Possible" he concedes eventually.

"Has Angus found out how he has been surviving all these years? As a dead man he would have no social security number or any identification which would make it easy for him to get work. Plus, if he is in need of financial assistance and that is his motivation for approaching Ana with his story, he is taking a huge risk. If his book were to be published and it took off, there would be a certain level of publicity involved, which could run the risk of someone from his army days recognising him just as Ray did" Grey adds after another moments silence.

"Angus is still looking and he said something about there being no trace of him, but if there is anything to find I am confident Angus will find it… and I quite agree, about the risk he is taking which does make me wonder why he is doing it. Does he have an inkling that Ana is his daughter and he knows who she is married to? If so imagine what a surprise it will be when he discovers who his first child is married to. He will think all his Christmases have come at once to suddenly have two billionaire sons-in-law" I reply dryly.

I hear Grey snort loudly at the other end of the line. "He can think all he likes. It doesn't mean anything will actually come of that connection and if he thinks he can come waltzing back into Ana and Eva's lives and mooch off them I am pretty certain our wives will disabuse him of that notion very quickly".

I laugh at that as I can just imagine Eva telling him quite bluntly to take a hike if she gets any hint of him only reappearing for financial gain.

I hear my phone ping telling me I have a call waiting. I quickly glance at the screen to see Eva is calling me, so I quickly decide to wrap up my call with Grey.

"Listen, I have to go I have another call coming in. Thank you for the heads up about the meeting, I'm sure Eva will let me know shortly about it" I say.

"No problem… Goodbye Gideon" Grey says and I am momentarily taken aback by him using my given name.

I quickly pull myself together to respond, "Yes… goodbye… Christian" I say.