 
# DUPLICITY

Book 3

### a Calculated Risk

First Edition

Peggy Lea Baker

Published at www.Smashwords.com

Copyright 2019 Peggy Lea Baker

_a CALCULATED RISK_ is a fictional work. Names, characters, places, and incidents may be real or imaginary and used with permission where required. Similarities to persons, living or dead, or specific businesses or events, are unintentional, coincidental, or used with permission. Similarly, general locations are used with permission, or fall within public domain rules, regulations, or the law.

All rights reserved.

This e-book, or parts thereof, is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or shared without the author's written permission. To share this book with others, please purchase additional copies for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the author's invested time and conscientious work.

www.smashwords.com www.peggyleabaker.com

# Acknowledgments

Thank you to these extraordinary individuals, for their

time, talents, skills, expertise, and ongoing encouragement

Lauren Haugan – BETA Reader

Susan Martin – BETA Reader

Candice Smith – BETA Reader

Charene Zimos – BETA Reader

Cameron Fraser – Spanish Translation Consultant

Patricia Casas Garcia – Spanish Translation Consultant

Linda Vanderwold & Donald Hallberg of  
VanWrite Clear Writing System

# CHAPTER 1

Janet fought to get up, her face pressed to the floor; her arms pinned behind her back. Although dazed from the impact she continued to struggle. Her assailant persisted; with his knee firmly embedded in the small of her back. She tried to kick, without success. She tried to scream.

He finally let up and she found her voice. "Get off me!"

"Now do you understand?" her assailant asked.

"I understand you tried to kill me!"

He offered his hand.

She kicked at him.

He jumped back. "That's not going to help."

Janet struggled to her feet and faced her opponent. "Don't be so sure! Stay away from me!" She assumed a defensive posture; both arms extended; her fists doubled up. "Stay away or else!"

"Or else what?" he asked and stifled a grin. "I'm only trying to help."

"You slammed me to the floor! You nearly broke my arms and back! That's not helping! That's not teaching me anything! It hurt!" She yanked stray hairs from her face then resumed her defensive stance.

"Look," he said. "They told me to teach you self-defense tactics; so that's what I've been trying to do!"

"I don't care what they said, leave me alone!"

Zhou Yee, owner of Yee's Fitness and Training Center, watched her closely. Known as Joe or Joey by his students and close associates, he stood with his feet firmly planted on the workout mat but with his arms relaxed and at his sides.

Although he appeared to be at ease, Janet didn't trust him. She braced herself fully expecting him to come at her again. Her breathing was hard and fast, her eyes defiant. "Don't make me sing!" she yelled through clenched teeth. "Or I _will_ hurt you!"

Joe grinned. "Why on earth would I want you to sing to me and what makes you think you can hurt me? I'm a professional."

"I'm warning you!"

He relaxed his stance. "Okay. Calm down. Let's start over."

"I don't want to start over. You think I want to have my face shoved into this smelly mat again? It reeks of all kinds of disgusting odors." She maintained her pose.

"I won't toss you again," he said. "I want to try something else."

"I'll just bet you do!"

"No. Really. Why don't you step over here?" He waved her closer. "Let me show you something but in slow motion. I promise not to throw you again."

Janet kept her eyes on him but slowly relaxed her arms and straightened up. But despite his promise, she was still suspicious.

"I mean it," Joe said. "Come on. No throwdowns. I promise. Just a simple demonstration in slow motion. I'll even let you take me down."

"You will."

"Yes."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Okay, as long as you promise not to hurt me again."

"I promise. Now come on." He motioned to her.

Janet took a couple of steps just as someone entered the outer office.

Joe looked toward the outer office through strands of colorful hanging beads. "I'll be right with you," he called out. Seconds later he was on the floor in apparent pain. "What the –" he moaned.

Janet stood over him, hands on hips. "How do you like it!" She fetched her purse and faced the windows. Sunshine beckoned. Janet slapped the beads aside on her way out. Joe's assistant stood with another customer, equally startled. They stepped back as Janet marched outside. The beads calmed. The moment was over, and Joe retired to his office.

Outside, Janet greeted the day. She smiled as she approached her car and paused. The warm sunshine characterized this beautiful southern California day; a day better spent pursuing other things. She made a phone call.

"Janet," Hector said. "How are you? Did you get to your class? Find the place okay?"

"I came," she said.

"And?"

"Done for the day and I don't want to come back."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because." she replied.

Hector interrupted her. "Hold on a second," he said. "I think John's on the phone with Joe." Seconds later he was back. "What did you do to him!"

"He made me sing," she said.

"He what?"

"Made me sing. So I did. I don't think he'll want to push me around anymore, though. Anyway, I need to go."

"Wait!" Hector said. "Where? Where are you going? Get back in there!"

"I've got better things to do. It's too nice a day to inside, especially his smelly gym. I'll talk to you later." Janet hung up, turned off her phone, and removed the battery. "Now try to find me."

She was in no to discuss her short-lived lesson any further. She idly felt for the locket she kept tucked beneath her blouse. She pulled it out and gently rubbed her thumb over the delicate gold filigree then opened it.

Her eyes lingered on the photo of Craig Stevens. "Where are you?" she asked. "Are you safe? Still in Europe?" A single tear traced its way down her cheek. She thought back to San Francisco and a series of traumatic events during her time there. _If it hadn't been for him, and the guys_ , _I'd_ likely _be dead or shipped off to some foreign country to perform 'other duties as required.'_

Janet shuddered involuntarily and wiped her face. Returning the locket to its hiding place, she gazed off to the west. The day beckoned. She closed her eyes and tilted her face to the sky. The sunshine felt good and the softness of a warm ocean breeze beckoned. "I need therapy," she said. Moments later she drove away.

# CHAPTER 2

Janet didn't return to her apartment until late in the evening. She'd just gotten in and settled when someone pounded on her door. She quickly checked to see who it was then yanked the door open. "You don't have to wake the dead," she said.

"We need to talk," Hector said firmly as he and John pushed past.

"Oh, sure, just come on in. Don't wait for an invitation."

Based on their body language, she knew they were upset, and she knew why. Both Hector Mendez and John Garcia were part of Craig Stevens' elite secret operations team. She liked them both and respected them for the most part, but at this moment she wasn't in any mood to be scolded. Instead, she closed the door and asked, "What's up?"

"You know why we're here," Hector said. "In fact, we've been waiting out there for hours. Where've you been! And what's wrong with your phone?"

"Have a seat," she said.

John did.

"I don't want to sit." Hector said. "What the hell did –"

"Hey!" Janet interrupted him.

"Okay! Heck! What the heck did you do to Joey this morning and where did you run off to?" He glared at her.

She tried to suppress a grin. "Why don't you ask Joe what happened?"

"We did! He didn't have much to say. He said it was nothing, but he didn't look like it was nothing. So, what did you do to him? Beat him over the head with a chair or something? Because whatever it was, he wasn't all that eager to talk about it."

Janet began to laugh.

"This isn't funny, Janet," John said. "We sent you there to learn some basic self-defense techniques. Instead you did something to your trainer and he's not talking. Tell us what happened."

"All I did was sing to him."

"Sing." Hector said. "We didn't send you to any freaking audition." His gaze was steady and penetrating.

Although initially intimidated, Janet recovered and stood her ground. "You're right, you didn't, but in answer to your second question, where I went is my business, and as for my phone, I removed the battery so you couldn't track me."

John was impressed. "Clever," he said with a wink.

"Don't encourage her." Hector wasn't as impressed.

Janet relented. "Okay. If you must know, I went to the beach. I drove to the Santa Monica pier and walked all the way to the end of it and stared out at the ocean. And I breathed in the salty air." She tilted her head back with her arms spread wide. "It was wonderful. And then I found a sun-bleached log on the beach and sat at a safe distance and I watched the ocean waves come and go."

"The ocean."

"Yes. I was doing what my Colorado therapist told me to do and answering my phone while I'm in therapy isn't part of it."

"So, what, you just sat on a log and looked at the ocean all day? You call that therapy?"

"It is part of my therapy. And I didn't just sit. I walked around and had lunch. Hot dogs, as a matter of fact, from a street vendor. Remember I nearly drowned in the ocean; and not just once but twice! In two days, no less! My counselor at the retreat suggested ways I could face my demons safely. Going to the ocean and watching it on pleasant days is all part of my healing process. When he found out I was returning to southern California, he urged me to spend time at the beach. So, I go and listen to the waves, I breathe in the fragrance of the ocean air, and think of more pleasant activities someone could do at the ocean, besides drown!" She folded her arms. "So that's what I did."

Hector blew out air and finally sat. "Okay," he said. "Okay, but what did you do to Joey? That's all I want to know because he's not talking."

Janet snickered. "He's too embarrassed. Besides, what difference does it make? I'm not going back."

"She's right," John said. "He doesn't have to talk about it if he doesn't want to. And neither does she."

Hector glared at his partner. "You're not helping."

John shrugged and sat back.

Hector eyed her again. "Janet. He didn't say anything about asking you to sing."

"I never said he asked. I said he made me sing. All I did was return a favor, that's it. He tossed me; I tossed him, and now we're even."

Hector let out a laugh. "You tossed him. Like that's possible. He's a professional trainer in martial arts, for crying out loud! Come on. You're not making any sense."

Janet shook her head slowly. "It's not that important. All that matters now is we're even and I don't want to go back."

"He made you sing," Hector said.

"Yes." Janet looked at them both. "Okay, what I did to him is called sing. It's an acronym. S.I.N.G. You know? It's very effective, as your friend Joe can attest to." She pursed her lips tightly shut to hold back a grin. "Don't you guys ever go to the movies?" she asked.

"What do the movies have to do with this? You say he made you sing and that's what put him into a state of pain."

"Yes. Besides, he hurt me first, or did he forget to mention that part?"

John interrupted. "Wait. He hurt you?"

"Yes! First! He tossed me onto that smelly, filthy mat which hurt, then he slammed my face into it, pinned my arms behind me, and then pushed his knee into my back. It all hurt!"

John looked at Hector. "Yes, well, he was just demonstrating how an attack can happen," John said. "You know, quickly; without warning." He looked at Hector again who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah?" Janet said. "Well, I did the same thing to him."

John frowned. "Alright, alright. Unless you can carry a tune in a bucket and crack him over the head with it, I don't see how singing could hurt the man; who, like Hector said, is an expert in self-defense and martial arts!"

She let out a sigh. "Guys. I did not sing a song; and I'm sorry if I hurt him, but if he's such a hotshot at self-defense, he should have been able to stop me." She giggled. "He'll be fine. It's his ego that got bruised more than anything."

Hector was back on his feet. "Janet this isn't funny. We sent you to Joey for training on how to properly protect yourself; not beat him up in the process."

John began to chuckle.

Janet smiled at Hector. "Did you hear what you just said?"

John got up. "Okay," he said and stood in front of her. "Humor me. To clear things up, show me what you did to Joey."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not gonna hurt me."

"I hurt Joe," she said.

"Please?" John said.

Janet shrugged and stepped closer to him. "Okay. So, I was facing him like this, then I –" she paused.

"What?"

"I did this." She whacked John's nose upward with the palm of her hand then tried to jab her elbow into his gut.

"Ow!" He grabbed her arms just as she stomped on his foot instead. "Okay. I think I get it."

"Well not completely," she said. "You didn't let me finish."

"The bad guys aren't going to let you finish either," he said, gripping her tightly.

"But –" She attempted to explain further as struggled to get out of his stronghold without success.

"No. Sit down." John released her and stepped back gently touching his nose. "Go on. Sit." He pointed.

Reluctantly, she did so.

Hector gave her a bewildered look. "That's what put Joey in so much pain."

"Not exactly. The most painful part was the last piece." She eyed them both. "The 'G' part. All John got were the 'S,' 'I,' and 'N' parts, sorta.

She frowned at their expressions. "So, neither of you ever watched the movie _Miss Congeniality_?"

Hector shook his head in abject dismay. "A movie. What the heck does some stupid movie have to do with this?"

"It isn't a stupid movie and I'm sure Sandra Bullock wouldn't appreciate you saying that!"

"Sandra Bullock." Hector shook his head. "I give up. You're nuts." He sat down again.

Janet let out a sigh. "It's the letters of the word sing," she said. "It's an acronym. 'S' is for solar plexus, 'I' is for instep, 'N' is for nose, and 'G' is for groin. S.I.N.G. Simple. Easy to remember although I did it a little out of order on John, but the effect is still the same. Right John?" She smiled.

Hector immediately crossed his legs and tried not to smile. "Why does Craig think she needs any help from us?" he said.

Janet brightened. "So, does this mean I don't have to go back?"

Hector scratched the back of his head. "No wonder Joey's in so much pain." He laughed aloud.

"Yeah," Janet said and giggled. "And will you please stop calling him Joey. It's Joe. Zhou Yee.

"We know," John said. "We just like putting his first and last name together and call him Joey. He's used to it."

Janet sighed. "Look, I really do appreciate that you want to help me. I do want to be able to take care of myself. But I just wasn't feeling it with Joe or Joey or whatever you want to call him. And that girl that works for him? Kayla? Oh, my gosh," she said. "So, high school. The hair. The eyebrow ornament and heavy eye makeup. Not to mention the wad of bubble gum. Not at all professional. I'm surprised he even has much of a business."

"It's the trend right now, you know, with piercings and tats and stuff. A lot of people do that. We even have a few tattoos. Besides, she's his niece," John said.

Janet softened. "Oh."

"Yeah, well good help is hard to find so he asked his brother if Kayla could help him out. It's the best Joe can do right now."

"He isn't the one who trained you, is he? Because if he did, I'm not so sure he did you any favors."

"No, he did not train us." Hector said. "We trained at Quantico. I thought you knew that."

She shrugged, seemingly unimpressed.

"Look, Janet," Hector said. "Craig made us promise that if anything ever happened to him, we're to look out for you and that includes making sure you can take care of yourself."

Janet sobered immediately and stiffened. "Wait. Craig said that?"

"He did."

"Is he okay? Has something happened to him?" She was obviously anxious and concerned.

"No. No, he's fine. We just want to make sure you're going to be okay."

Janet nodded and let out a sigh. "Alright. I guess I shouldn't have hurt Joe like I did, even though he came at me first, but I suppose I can apologize."

Hector nodded. "That might be a good idea and then you can continue with your training."

"But –"

"No buts."

"Yeah," John said in agreement. "Continue, but at arms-length. No more auditions."

"It wasn't an audition!"

Hector smiled again. "I still can't believe you took him down."

Janet let out a sigh. "Well, to his credit, he wasn't expecting me to do anything like that. Somebody came in the front door and he looked to see who it was. He was distracted and I took advantage of the moment."

"But that's just it, Janet," John said. "He took his eyes off you and let his guard down, although I am surprised. He knows better. Big mistake, though, and I can promise you it won't happen again. So, all things considered, I guess he got what was coming to him." He grinned at Hector. "We're gonna have to rub this in a little, don't you think?"

Hector was on his feet and headed for the door. "We'll go see him. Straighten things out." He pointed at Janet. "You will continue your training tomorrow and apologize."

John chuckled as he and Hector walked out. "We should tell him we sent her in to test him."

Hector grinned. "I like that idea."

"Do I really have to go back?" Janet called after them.

"Yes," They said in unison.

John opened the car door and looked over the roof at Hector. "I am surprised that she was able to take Joe down. That's not like him."

"I know," Hector said with a slight nod and a frown. "It isn't. Curious."

John opened the car door. "Hey. Maybe we should watch that movie." He grinned.

"We don't need to watch the movie," Hector replied as he climbed in behind the wheel.

"But Sandra Bullock is hot."

"Sure, she is, but we don't have to watch the movie."

# CHAPTER 3

"Of course, I need a job." Janet said to John and Hector. She sat in her living room staring at them, not at all happy. It had been three weeks since her first encounter with Joe, and subsequent self-defense lessons.

Hector stood in the middle of her living room, hands on his hips. "Look, it's a good job. Something we know you can handle. It'll be nearly stress-free."

John nodded in agreement from a side chair.

Janet, though, wasn't so sure. "Yes, I could handle it just fine, but I don't think working for Joe is the right fit for me, that's all. I'm going to the training like you ordered me to. He and I are getting along well enough I think, but work for him? No way. In fact, I can't believe he agreed to it either, especially after our first meeting."

"We did not order you to go to the training," Hector said. "We asked."

"Asked! The heck you asked. You pointed your finger at me and ordered me to continue. You ordered me to apologize; then you sugar-coated it all by mentioning Craig!"

"Because he made us promise to look after you," Hector said. "We already explained all of that. Besides, why not work for Joe since you're there anyway? It's not like you're going to be in each other's way all day. You'll be at the reception desk while he teaches his classes. Plus, you both made peace with each other and he likes you.

Janet's eyebrow shot up. "Likes me? He doesn't like me. He tolerates me because you are all friends. I think he's afraid of me."

Hector turned away, stifling a grin.

"Look," John said, also trying to stifle a grin. "Joe says you're doing well in class, and you haven't done your sing thing to him again or to anyone else, so that's good. But right now, he needs someone at the front desk. It's an easy job. You answer the phone, set up appointments, and greet people. And in between, you keep up with your training. That's pretty much it." He smiled. "Oh, and you collect payments."

Janet eyed him warily. "What kind of payments?"

"Client payments!" Hector said. "It's a business, for crying out loud! People pay Joe to teach them self-defense skills!"

"And aerobics," she said. "Have you seen him dance around? It's kind of funny-looking; all that gyrating and arms flailing around."

"Janet." Hector's grin was gone. He'd had enough. "It's what he does! It's how you'll get paid. Just take the damn job." His patience had grown thin and the headed for the door.

"Fine." she said. "I'll do it – for now. But I am going to keep looking for something else."

"Good. We'll let him know you're delighted to take the job and will be there first thing in the morning." He was out the door.

John held back. "It's a legitimate business, Janet. Nothing illegal."

She let out a sigh. "I wasn't suggesting it was illegal, but what happened to his niece? Why did she quit?"

John stood in the doorway. "She's going to college; somewhere in Nebraska, I think." He looked out at Hector who motioned for him to wrap it up. "Okay. We gotta go."

"Wait." Janet wasn't buying it and grabbed his arm. "Nebraska? Do you really think I'm going to believe that? You saw her. There's no way she's going to live in Nebraska, let alone go to college. I think you both are up to something. Why is it so important for me to work for Joe? It can't be that hard to find someone to sit at that dumpy desk."

Hector marched back to the door. "We're not up to something. Kayla is going to school in Nebraska to help keep her out of trouble!"

"But in Nebraska? What kind of trouble?"

"That's none of your business! Why can't you just trust us? Why do you always have to make a Federal case out of everything we say or ask?"

"Because I don't trust you! I don't trust anyone anymore."

"Not even us?" John looked pained and put a hand to his heart. "After all we've been through together; trying to protect you?"

"Trying is most definitely the operative word here," she responded. "You should have tried harder because I was still captured, tied up, and nearly drowned. Protection? I think I can protect myself just fine, thanks."

"Not by singing, you won't," Hector said and headed back out to the car. He stopped and whipped around. "Look, you need work right now and Joe needs help. We're asking nice. Just take the job. And then later, if he can find someone else, you can leave and get another job and without any help from us."

She folded her arms. "Was this his idea or yours; that I work for him?" she asked.

"Both! John. Let's go!"

"Oh, I see." Janet's eyes narrowed as she followed John out the door.

Hector did not turn around. "I can't deal with her right now. She's all yours."

John put an arm around Janet's shoulders. "Look, it's just for a few weeks. We're trying to help you and Joe. He's a pal of ours and just needs some help, okay?"

Janet smiled. "You see?" she called out. "That's the way a man should talk to a woman. Politely. Not yelling and screaming."

Hector glanced over his shoulder and she tossed him a self-satisfied grin.

He stopped short. "For the record, I have not been yelling and screaming at you. And why don't you treat John like you treat me?"

She laughed. "Because I enjoy seeing your reaction. It's fun," she said. "And besides, you let me get away with it every time."

John laughed. "She's right. You do. You let her push your buttons. I think you kinda like it."

"Nobody pushes my buttons because I don't have any buttons!"

Janet grinned impishly. "Yes, you do."

"I am done. I am so done." Hector was at the car and climbed in, slamming the door.

"I'll take care of him," John said, "but if you'll please consider working for Joe, we'd really appreciate it." He kissed her cheek. "We gotta go."

The following morning, Janet quietly waited in Joe's reception area. She watched through the colored beads as John talked to Joe who nodded occasionally but glanced in Janet's direction every so often.

"So, are we good?" she heard John ask.

Joe looked in Janet's direction again then nodded but with very little enthusiasm.

"Great!" John slapped him on the back then headed back to the reception area, and dramatically shoved the beads out of his way so he could walk through. "Okay, Joe is excited that you have agreed to help out. I'll let him tell you what you need to do because I gotta go. Hector's waiting for me." John hesitated for a split second. "Okay. Have a great day. Both of you." He hurried outside.

Joe slapped the hanging beads out of his way and hustled to the front door. "Hey! Guys!"

John was already in the car and gave a quick salute as he and Hector drove off.

Reluctantly, Joe turned around to face Janet then let out a sigh. "Okay," he said. "I guess I should explain what I need you to do."

Janet attempted to defuse the moment. "Look, Joe, I'm really sorry about our first day. I am here to help, and I promise to behave." She smiled.

Joe relaxed and returned the smiled. "Yeah. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have slammed you to the mat like I did."

She shrugged. "All you did was demonstrate how something like that can happen so fast. I am learning."

He let out another sigh, but of relief. "Good."

"But," she said. "I do not want to touch that floor out there anymore. It's dirty and it reeks. You put your face down there and take a deep breath. It really reeks."

"Body sweat."

"I don't care what causes it. It's disgusting and unsanitary and I don't want to touch it. So, unless you get it cleaned and disinfected, I'm not taking any more classes. And I can tell you the guys won't be happy about that."

Joe nodded. "Yeah. Okay. You're probably right. Maybe you can check into that for me. It can be your first big assignment."

Janet made a face but said nothing.

He cleared his throat then changed the subject. "Okay, so uh, Kayla sat here." He gestured toward the desk. "You know how to use a computer?" he asked.

Although annoyed and offended by his remark, Janet nodded.

"Good. So, you think this will work for you? The job, I mean?"

She surveyed the small space. "I guess so." She stared at the beat-up desk. "What if somebody doesn't pay? What then?" Her eyes twinkled. "You want me to sing to them?"

He let out a nervous laugh. "Y-Yeah, you could just – I mean, no. Don't do that. Just ask them to pay." He forced a grin. "You didn't really mean that did you?"

A quiet pause preceded a burst of laughter. "No," she said. "I'll do my best to resist." She glanced around again. "Yes, I know how to use a computer, and I can answer the phones and smile at everyone when they walk through the door, and all that good stuff."

"Great." He looked at the desk and shoved a few things around. "Kayla kept an appointment book around here somewhere."

"I'll find it and if it's okay with you," she began, "I'd like to straighten up the office a little and clean it." She grimaced. "It's really grimy and grungy." She twitched involuntarily. "Maybe we could paint the walls and scrub the floor."

Joe brightened. "Have at it! Whatever you need to do. I-I can buy paint." He hesitated. "Were you offering to do the painting?"

She nodded. "I don't mind."

"Well if you need anything else just let me know and, and, well, I guess that's it. So yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome. Besides, I do need a job, and you need an assistant. Let's see if we can make the best of this arrangement for now until you find someone else."

# CHAPTER 4

Two weeks later, Janet had full command of the reception area as Joe's new office manager. She insisted he give her that title and he agreed without hesitation. It was late Friday evening and the last class finally ended. Once everyone was gone, Janet hurried to change into well-worn jeans and a T-shirt so she could get started painting the outer office.

Joe stepped out of his office. "How late are you planning to stay?" he asked, running a comb through his hair.

"A couple of hours, maybe."

He paused and put his comb in a back pocket. "I guess that's okay, but don't stay too late. This isn't the best part of town. In fact, I'm not all that comfortable with you being here alone at night as it is. Why not wait to start tomorrow evening when I can be here too?"

"I really wanted to get started tonight," she said. "I'll be careful when I leave." She assumed a self-defense stance.

He chuckled and nodded but hesitated a moment before letting himself out. "Make sure you lock this but call me if you need anything. And keep these blinds down and closed. Okay? I don't want anyone walking by and seeing you in here all alone."

"I'll be fine. You go enjoy your son's game."

Janet peeked through the closed blinds and watched him drive away. In the short time she'd been working for him, she discovered he'd been married and divorced three times and had one son, by wife number two. Joe made a point of attending as many of his son's activities as possible, although he explained his son's mother had full physical custody. Janet found it odd, though, that he didn't have any family pictures in his private office; not even of his son.

Redirecting her attention, Janet eyed the small reception area then eagerly got started on her task. About an hour into her project, she was startled by a knock on the locked door followed by someone giving it a tug. Although a little unnerved, she chose to ignore it and rolled more paint on a wall. Whoever it was, however, knocked again. Now definitely uncomfortable, she quietly waited for them to leave.

"We know you're in there," a male voice suddenly called out. "We just have a few questions about your classes."

Janet remained silent but reached for the desk phone.

"Come on. Just one question, that's all." The man banged harder. "Don't make us break this door down!"

Us? Now fully panicked, she ducked behind the desk taking the phone with her.

"What's your emergency?" the police dispatcher asked moments later.

Janet explained the situation as she listened to more than one person banging on the door and shouting.

"Stay on the line," the dispatcher said. "I've sent a car."

Outside, the knocking suddenly stopped. She remained under the desk, hoping they finally decided to leave, then jumped, nearly banging her head on the desk, when something hard hit the glass door.

"They're trying to break in!" she said to the dispatcher in a terse whisper.

"The police should be on the scene at any moment. Is there a place you can hide?"

Janet started to respond when she heard the window glass shatter.

The all too familiar red, blue, and amber lights of three police squad cars flashed against the darkness of the night. Janet remained inside the building but stared out the broken front door of the reception area. Police Officers had four young men in cuffs sitting on the ground in the parking lot. One officer was inside asking her questions.

"You were here alone?" the officer asked.

"Yes."

"Do you typically work here late at night?"

"No," she said but had an instant flashback to that horrible night at GHD Global in San Francisco.

He gazed at all the painting paraphernalia covered in broken glass. "Have you ever seen those boys around here before?"

"No." Janet was despondent.

Joe suddenly rushed in, his footsteps crunching over broken glass.

"Janet!" He was at her side. "Are you okay?"

She let out a trembling sigh. "Yes."

The officer asked who he was.

"Joe Yee. I'm the owner of this business. Janet works for me."

He and the officer went outside to continue their conversation leaving Janet alone. She sat behind her desk, where it was relatively glass-free, and continued to stare at the mess. Although she'd made progress painting the walls, the sight of shattered glass everywhere was overwhelming.

Hector suddenly walked through the door. He stared at the scene then came to her. She stood and started to cry. He pulled her close and held her tight.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I wish you had let us know you were going to be here so late and by yourself. We could have hung out with you and helped."

"I wanted to do this myself," she said and sniffed. "It was a personal project. I wanted to do something nice for Joe as part of my apology."

"Okay, but in this neighborhood? And I'm surprised he didn't mind you were going to be here alone."

"He told me not to stay too late. It's not his fault. I'm too independent and stubborn, I guess."

"Independent and stubborn," he said with a grin. "Now that's an understatement."

She made a face but apologized. "I'm sorry." Tears flooded.

"Don't be. How are you holding up?"

"I'll be okay," she said but continued to cling to him, taking in choppy breaths.

He finally released her. "John's looking for something we can to use to fix the door temporarily, and those kids out there? High schoolers. All of them and they all have rap sheets. It makes me sick that kids that age are into so much trouble so young."

She nodded and gazed around again. "I just wanted to make this place look nicer and cleaner."

"And it will," Hector said. "It'll all get cleaned up and then we can have a painting party with pizza and soda! Maybe we can enlist the help of some of Joe's students. They might like that."

She managed a smile and wiped her face. "I really do like you Hector, even if I do tend to push your buttons."

He gave her a look. "I don't got no stinkin' buttons."

"Yes, you do. Lots of them and I enjoy pushing them all." She giggled and sniffed.

He grinned. "Okay. Fine. I've got a few buttons, but you're the only one allowed to push them. Anybody else? I'll take them down!

"Including John?"

"Especially John." He grinned.

She managed a soft giggle. "Thanks for coming to my rescue. It seems like that's all you do; rescue me from one situation to another." She gazed around again and let out a heavy sigh. "I feel so unlucky." She started to cry again. "It seems trouble finds me no matter where I go or what I do. And I don't know why."

Hector held her again. "It's not that you're necessarily unlucky as much as it is the company you keep."

She let out another sigh. "Like all of you? So, you're saying I should I stop hanging out with all of you?"

"No way. Not us! Just all the other weirdo's you seem to find."

"What do you mean, I find. They find me."

He grinned. "Okay." He took her by the hand. "Come on. Let's get you outta here."

Hector treated her to a late-night dinner and followed her home to make sure she arrived safely. He waited until she was locked inside her apartment, and turned her porch light off, before driving away.

Inside, Janet didn't even bother changing her clothes. She stretched out on her bed but was fully awake finding it difficult to get to sleep. Outside a chorus of crickets chirped rhythmically. Lying there in bed, she was haunted by the all too familiar images that continued to plague her. It wasn't just the flames and acrid smoke from the burning buildings at the time of her friend's rescue. Now she had fresh memories of even more recent and equally dangerous events. She found herself trying to decide which was worse; burning to death or drowning. Angry at the escalating and depressing thoughts of either, she determined both were equally horrific.

She climbed out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen then yanked open the refrigerator door and grabbed a carton of juice. She took a long drink straight from the container then closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander. "I probably shouldn't have stayed late by myself. But I don't want to live in fear the rest of my life." She put the container away and headed back to bed.

Although sleep was restless, Janet awoke early the following morning. She was just getting ready to walk out the door when her phone rang. The caller ID was blocked so she waited to see if the caller would leave a message. They did not. She decided it was likely a wrong number or someone trying to sell her something she didn't need or want.

Although it was Saturday, she wanted to go back to the gym to clean up the mess. She experienced a mix of emotions on her way in, still uneasy about the break-in and wasn't looking forward to the mess she would find when she got there, either. As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw a repair person finishing up the replacement of the front door. That was one good thing. She parked and approached the building, being careful to sidestep him before entering; then stopped and stared. It was as if nothing had happened the night before. No mess. Nothing.

Joe walked through the hanging beads and greeted her with a big grin. "How does it look?" he asked.

"What did you do? Spend the night cleaning this all by yourself?"

"No. John and Hector helped. We didn't want you to have to walk into a mess Monday morning."

Janet was grateful and nodded. "That's why I came in today; to clean, but thanks. I was dreading it. Besides, you have some classes today."

"Well at least we have a new door and with better security features. I think he's about finished. So, it should be business-as-usual for the Saturday crowd." He studied her. "You sure you're okay? I mean after what happened last night?"

"I guess."

"Would you like to take a few days off?"

"No," she said and vigorously shook her head. "No, I just need to focus on work and not what happened."

"Okay, but you don't have to stick around today. I agreed you'd get weekends off so go do something fun."

"I think I'd rather stay here for a while."

"Okay. Just let me know if you need anything."

She nodded.

Joe was nearly finished with his morning aerobics class when John and Hector casually walked in. They admired the new door and pretended to be amazed at the condition of the reception area.

"Nice try, you guys, but Joe already told me you helped." She laughed at their attempt to feign innocence. "And thank you."

John gave her a hug. "It's the least we could do but we also want to take you to lunch."

"Lunch?"

"Yeah. Joe said you were here, so we decided to stop by."

"I'll talk to him," Janet said.

"No need. He already said it was okay," Hector said and gave her a hug. He pulled back and attempted to look stern. "Don't get used to this."

"What, going to lunch with you?"

"No. Hugging."

Janet laughed. "Sure. I promise. For now, anyway."

They headed for the coast. John first pulled into a small hamburger joint along the way. Hector hopped out and a few minutes later was back with a bag of hot food. They ended up at an area with beach access and a couple of vacant weathered benches. So, while other folks were at the water's edge, enjoying the day, they had the benches to themselves along with a few seagulls circling expectantly overhead.

Janet got settled and stared out at the massive expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Gentle waves came and went in the warm midday sunshine. The smell of the salt air was pleasant, and a soft breeze played with her hair.

Hector handed her a wrapped hamburger and container of fries then shoved a can of soda into the sand at her feet. He and John sat on either side of her and immediately tackled their food with gusto. Janet smiled happily. Although they were in their mid-forties, she was comfortable with them. In fact, she regarded them more like a couple of favorite uncles, but casual attempts to find out more about them and their personal lives had so far proved fruitless. She still wondered but for whatever reason, they chose to keep their personal lives to themselves. She, thought, was grateful for their occasional companionship, and the concern they expressed for her. She had finally reached a point where she felt it was genuine.

The men chatted about the weather and how nice the sea breeze felt while Janet continued to sit quietly and eat. She was transfixed, watching the churning surf roar and tumble onto the beach, but at a safe distance, then pop and hiss across the wet sand on its way back out again. It was nearly hypnotic.

"Don't you agree, Janet?" John asked. He waited a couple of seconds. "Janet. You listening?"

"Hmm?" She looked at her half-eaten burger then at John. "You say something?"

"Yeah. A lot of something. Where've you been?" He eyed her then grinned. "You okay?"

She shrugged and nodded. "Yes. Just thinking about stuff."

"Anything you want to talk about? Are you still worried about what happened last night?"

"Mmm, no. Not really."

The men exchanged looks.

Hector put his arm around her. "Seriously, you sure you're okay? You seem distant."

She wrapped up the last of her hamburger. "I'll be fine."

"You don't seem fine. What's going on?"

She reached for her can of soda and took a swig then felt for the locket through her shirt and rubbed her thumb over it. "Oh, I don't know. I've been spending time lately thinking about my life and everything that's happened to me in just the past few years." She took a drink. "Why have I been so unlucky to have had to deal with so many frightening experiences and in such a short amount of time?" She shook her head. "Never mind. It's useless thinking about it. I can't change any of it. I just don't understand why it's all been happening to me, that's all." She let out a sigh. "I mean even this morning I got a phone call from someone. I don't know who because their ID was blocked, and it was probably just a wrong number, but because they didn't leave a message, I just –" she paused. "Something like that shouldn't upset me, but for some reason it does, because I'll begin to wonder if someone is stalking me and keeping track of where I am. Silly, huh?"

Hector still had his arm around her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Oh, I don't know. People dial wrong numbers all the time, and like you said, it was probably just a wrong number. It can happen to anyone. But we understand. It's not so silly considering what you've been through, as you said, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're being stalked. I think you're right. Just a wrong number."

She nodded and let out another sigh. "Yeah."

John took her hand. "Although – we do have ways of finding out stuff."

She frowned but with a look of amusement. "What do you mean? What kind of stuff?"

"Well like a blocked caller ID, for instance. Sometimes we can trace those. If it would make you feel better, we can see what we can find out."

She looked at him. "Isn't that illegal or something?"

"What?" John pretended innocence. "Us? Do something illegal?"

"Yes, you." She slapped his knee. "You're both a couple of scalawags, you know."

"Oh, that's great," John said. "Now she's resorted to calling us names. I'm hurt." He put his hand to his chest.

"That's getting old, you know." She grinned.

"Old." He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "But you love it when I do that. I can always tell."

"Yeah, sure you can." She pulled her hand away. "Cut it out. Now you're embarrassing me."

"Embarrassing you," Hector said and laughed. "Okay, little sis, we'll see if we can trace that call to set your mind at ease."

"I didn't ask you to do that." She let a grin cross her face. "But thank you."

"Are you finished with lunch?" John asked.

Janet took a long swig of her soda. "Yes, and thanks for doing this too. I'm glad we came here."

Hector stood. "Our pleasure. Anything for our little sis."

Janet looked at him and laughed. "Since when did you decide to call me your little sis?"

"At the bluff house, remember? We all agreed you were our little sister. You were feeling left out." Hector watched her. "When Charlie and Hector went to rescue Alex."

"Yes. Now I remember. You were all talking about someone following Charlie and then how you swooped in to grab Alex and take him to the bluff house." Janet grew pensive and stared out at the ocean again. "Where's Craig?" she suddenly asked and waited. "Still on his secret mission?"

Hector put his arm around her again. "We need to get you back to work."

"You don't have to tell me where he is, just say, yes or no."

"We can't give you an answer, one way or the other, because we don't know where he is or what he's doing."

"He's right, Janet," John said. "We haven't heard from him since Christmas Day. He called and said he was going to be gone and didn't know for how long. He's been radio-silent ever since. And that's the truth."

She nodded. "Christmas Day. That's the last time I saw him. We had breakfast together that morning and then he was gone." She drew in a deep breath. "Have you pinged his phone?"

"Yes, but we got nothing. He's disabled it. But he probably has a new one by now with a number we don't know."

"Is he always like this? Very secretive? Using disguises?"

They nodded.

"Hmm. Okay."

They dropped her off at the gym so she could pick up her car, but before she left, she went inside to look for Joe, since his afternoon class had just ended.

Joe came out of his office and greeted her. "Doing okay?"

"Yes."

"Have a nice lunch with the guys?"

She smiled and nodded. "I did. It was very nice of them to do that and I think I need to thank you for letting them know I was here.

"Not a problem, besides they really like you, Janet. They care about you."

Janet smiled. "I guess so. Now they've started calling me their little sister."

Joe expressed surprise. "They are?"

"Yes. Crazy, right?"

"Not at all. But I am surprised. Neither one of them likes to form attachments like that."

Janet frowned. "Attachments?"

"You know, getting personal with people. They're pretty tight with each other but Hector doesn't say much about his family or girlfriends."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"That's not what I meant."

"Does he have a girlfriend? Or any family?" she asked.

Joe didn't answer her question. Instead, he rephrased his remark. "If Hector referred to you as a sister, then that's what he meant."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't know if he has a girlfriend," Joe replied, "but I think he has a family; cousins and such, in Mexico. He needs some sort of family here, even if borrowed or adopted. They both do." Joe grinned. "Referring to you as their sister really does mean something, coming from them."

She nodded but wondered about his remark. "Well, I think I'll go home now."

"Good," Joe said. "I'll see you Monday." Janet watched as Joe returned to his office, but her curiosity was piqued, and not just about him but about Hector and John; even Craig and Charlie. Such an odd assortment of men, from seemingly very different walks of life, and yet they all work so well together. But doing what? And for whom?

# CHAPTER 5

It had been over a week since her lunch date with John and Hector. Janet awoke to a chilly and drizzly morning. After a hot shower and hastily eaten bowl of cereal, she set out for work.

Joe arrived early on this particular morning. Once she had become familiar with the routine, he started coming in later; just in time for class. Today, though he was early. Janet, however, was unconcerned.

She placed her large bag on her desk then stopped to admire the newly painted walls. A smile creased her face; everything looked fresh and clean. New paint and furniture upgrades made a big difference.

The beads clattered. Joe grinned as he stepped into the reception area. "You did a great job, Janet. The whole place looks better." He glanced through the beads to the gym and nodded with satisfaction." The whole place."

"We all did a great job. I couldn't have done it without everyone's help, including some of your students."

"Perhaps, but it was your idea, and a good one. I thank you."

"You're welcome," she said. "Besides, it was fun."

"Yeah, it was. Hey, I need to step out for a little while, but I'll be back in time for the first class."

Janet watched him leave as he hurried across the parking lot and got into his car. She waited a moment then sat down and turned on her computer before opening the day's schedule book. Even though she tracked everything electronically, she maintained the familiar schedule book as well.

She glanced at the wall clock before she settled in at her desk; it was nearly nine o'clock. Moments later, she jerked and watched anxiously through the office window. Two police cars raced by. Their emergency lights flashed, and the sirens blared while cars scrambled out of the way. It unnerved her and she immediately realized the recent break-in was still much too fresh a memory. She took a moment to breathe, angry at her response to the unexpected but momentary drama, then got back to work.

Fifteen minutes later John and Hector arrived.

Surprised to see them, she grinned and was on her feet. She gave each a big hug then looked up at Hector. "I know you don't particularly like hugs, but as your little sister I couldn't resist."

He grinned and she let go.

"So, what are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Had to come see our favorite girl," John said and winked.

Janet made a face. "No, you didn't, and if you're here to see Joe, he's not in."

Hector seemed surprised. "Not in yet?"

"No. He came in early this morning but said he had to go to a meeting, I think. I have no idea where, but if you need a refresher course on self-defense training, maybe I can help." Her eyes twinkled.

"That all depends," John said, "on whether or not you're going to sing to us."

"Either that or I can also throw things," she said and grabbed a stapler.

"We'll take a rain check," Hector said. "Is he coming back?"

"Well sure. He has a ten o'clock class this morning. Should be here soon."

"Can we wait in his office?" John asked.

"I guess, but it's probably locked."

"That's okay. We can pick the lock," he said. Both men grinned and walked through the beads creating the familiar clatter. "I hate those stupid things," she heard John say.

"Stay out of trouble," Hector called back to her.

"Take your own advice," she replied.

For the next twenty minutes she answered a couple of calls and set three appointments with prospective new students then checked email. A short while later, John and Hector scattered the beads once again.

"No boss yet?" Hector asked and glanced at his watch.

"No. Did you try calling him?"

"Of course. No answer." He and John exchanged looks. "We'll come back later."

"He didn't answer his phone?" Janet asked. "That's strange."

"Not if he's driving," Hector said. "He doesn't like wearing an earpiece. He's probably on his way, though. We'll just come back."

"You're not going to wait for him?"

John stopped. "No. We can come back. Why? Do you want some company or need to talk to us? Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, I guess."

"You need another hug or something?" Hector asked.

"No. It's just that you guys seem to stop by about every two or three weeks these days to see Joe."

"Yeah?"

"But you never have much to say to me anymore. Like now. You seem to be in a hurry to leave. How come?"

Hector and John quickly exchanged glances again. "Well," Hector began, "we're friends with Joe and like to hang out and talk about stuff."

"Yeah, like sports mostly," John added. "We talk about sports and other guy stuff."

"Okay," Janet said. "I like to talk about sports. What kinds of sports?"

"You know. All kinds of sports."

Janet's eyes narrowed. "Okay, then what kind of guy stuff?"

John shrugged and looked at Hector for help.

Hector looked at Janet. "You know – guy stuff."

"Uh-huh." Janet wasn't buying it. "No. I think you both are up to something. I can tell. Like spy stuff."

Hector leaned over her desk and lowered his voice. "If we say we're talking about sports, then that's what we're doing, okay?" His gaze was steady and penetrating.

Janet recoiled slightly and blinked. "Okay." She blinked harder to fight back pooling tears.

He winked again. "You need to trust us, little sis. Next time we come, we'll take you to lunch again and you get to pick where."

Janet watched them leave and wiped her face. She felt scolded and didn't like it. Not from him but she was certain they were hiding something. Besides, if they needed to talk to Joe about sports or other stuff, why not meet at a sports bar or cafe? This was just one more thing to add to her list of curious questions. What did these guys do for a living? They talked about Quantico, but she did an internet search and discovered it is the name of a town, to begin with, as well as the site of one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the country. It's also the location of the FBI Academy and NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigative Services, among numerous other agencies. Were they ex-Marines, or FBI, or maybe a part of NCIS?

With her mood now less cheerful, she mechanically worked on the computer and answered an occasional phone call. Eventually, students began to arrive for class. Distracted by the activity, she let her other feelings take a back seat as she greeted everyone. And since Joe had not yet returned, she got the music going so they could warm up.

Other than that, the day continued as usual. Joe did manage to make it back in time to teach his classes and students came and went throughout the day. All the while, the usual upbeat music created a rhythm to stimulate participation, while Joe barked instructions.

The last afternoon class finally ended. Janet stood at the beaded doorway watching sweaty bodies head for the locker room and showers.

"Pretty intense," a male voice said from behind her.

Startled she whipped around and stared at a man standing in the reception area. He sported long hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck with a short-cropped beard, trimmed mustache, and dressed in clean but drab clothing – nothing outlandish. He smiled.

Janet found her voice. "Can I help you with something?"

"Perhaps."

"Okay." She reached for a brochure sitting on her desk. "Here's some information about our classes." She offered it to him.

"I'm not interested in any classes, just you."

Janet recoiled. "I-I'm sorry, but I need to get back to work." She eased past him and around to the back of her desk but remained standing.

He casually held two fingers to his lips then started to join her.

"You need to stop right there," she said. "In fact, you need to leave." She grabbed the phone.

"Wait," he said. "It's me. Alex."

Janet stared at him intently. "Alex?" She hung up the phone and continued to stare.

"Yes."

"But – but I was told you disappeared and no one – knows where you are."

"I got away from that warehouse on Treasure Island when all the feds showed up and started shooting. Janet. It's really me."

She frowned. "Does anyone else know you're around? That you're here in L.A.?"

He nodded. "Craig. Craig knows, but he's the only one, except now you know. I had to see you. I needed to see you." He eased around to the back of her desk and stood close to her.

Janet looked into his eyes and he smiled. "It is you," she said. "And you're okay," she said as she gently ran her hands up his arms the rested them on his shoulders. Suddenly she looked around. "But if no one else but Craig knows where you are, is it safe for you to be here?"

"No. Not really and I can't stay but for another minute or so. I just had to see you. So, I've been out there waiting until I thought it safe enough to come in."

"Waiting? But how did you know where to find me?"

He gave her a look and smiled. "Who do you think."

"Craig."

"Yes," he said and gently reached for her face to caress her cheek. "He said I could come just this once, so I'm here but I can't stay."

"Just this once?"

"Yes. I'm working undercover. With an assumed name, but I can't tell you what it is." He glanced toward the gym then back at Janet and pulled her close. "I had to see you one last time." He tilted her chin, hesitated for a second, then kissed her.

She responded and they were lost in the moment until he pulled back. "I have to go. I don't want to, but I have to." He wiped a tear from her cheek. "I love you. I always will." He started to step away.

"Wait." Janet said.

"I can't. I have to go."

She snatched up the brochure. "Here. Take it. In case someone was watching. At least it will appear you came in to ask about the classes."

He grinned and accepted it. "Okay. Thanks."

Their eyes locked for a few seconds then he walked out and disappeared out of her line of sight.

Janet dropped into her chair, stunned, and bewildered.

In the gym the music stopped, and the usual banter replaced it as students retired to the locker room to shower and change. Janet ran fingers through her hair, still reeling over seeing a man she thought was dead. "Just like Craig," she said. "Off the radar. A ghost."

# CHAPTER 6

Dinner was dull. A cold ham sandwich and a sliced apple quelled her hunger but did not replace the longing for Alex's company. She contemplated their brief friendship at Global in San Francisco. They never had gotten into a relationship, so to speak, but had enjoyed each other's company during that time – that is until their near-death experience that rainy night at the bluff house.

Trying to shake feelings of frustration and depressed with the knowledge she would probably never see Alex again, she hurried to clean up her dinner dishes then wandered into the living room and looked around. "Now what do I do?"

A warm shower, a short time later, helped put her in a better frame of mind. Finally, wrapped in a warm blanket, she got comfortable on her sofa and turned on the television to watch a favorite program that had just begun. Outside of missing Alex, now that she knew he was still alive, she had to admit that for now this was the first time in months, she was beginning to feel a little happier and more content. And, despite her unrelenting questions about her new quasi-family and suspicions regarding the type of work they did, her job at Joe's gym filled her time, for the most part. It was the evenings, being alone with her thoughts and memories, which were most challenging.

An hour later, her program ended. During a commercial break, she hurried to get a bowl of ice cream before returning to catch another show. Just before it was to begin, a brief news teaser promised an interesting story of an older European woman. It had to do with her family fortune, and a quest to locate a surviving heir to her estate; a granddaughter. Intrigued by the story, Janet decided to watch the news program later that evening and hoped the item about the woman would be more interesting than the typical news stories."

Eventually it was time for a late-night newscast. Of course, she had to sit through top stories consisting of world, national, and local news, sports, then a weather report, followed by a few bits of Hollywood gossip before the story of the woman, Madam Voclain, aired. According to the report, she and her deceased husband came from wealthy backgrounds. Aristocracy. Now in her early nineties, the woman was extremely eager to locate a possible surviving heir to her estate. A photo showed her, and her husband seated on an elegant sofa, several years earlier in an immense room filled with many lovely things. Most of the items appeared to be older than the aging couple.

With growing curiosity, Janet listened intently to the story. The Voclain's were among the last remaining members of two very old French aristocratic families. The Voclain estate was valued at many, many millions of Euros. After her husband's passing, Madam Voclain became desperate to locate a possible surviving grandchild and eventual heir.

Caught up in the story, Janet listened with great interest to the various theories of an infant granddaughter presumably smuggled out of France to North America. Speculation included the nanny's disappearance, along with her own young child, as well as the infant, all on the same night. Then to add more sadness to the story was the report that the infant's mother died in a horrific and fiery automobile accident a few days later.

Janet continued to watch, transfixed by the few images shown of old photographs, and amazed by the story. Soon that news story ended and another one took its turn. She felt sorry for the aging matriarch and felt her heartbreak but could not understand why she waited so long to issue a plea. Why not continue the search years ago? With a deep sense of sadness, Janet turned off the television and went to bed. Laying there in the dark, she reminisced about her own childhood for a short time, grateful that she knew who her mother and grandmother were and for her upbringing. And although she didn't know anything about her father, for the most part, she'd had a pretty good childhood. A few fond memories came and went before she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, she arrived at work at her usual time and got busy with voice messages and emails. It was the same routine, day after day. That was fine with her. The less excitement the better, as far as she was concerned, but it was boring. She glanced through the hanging beads at Joe who was preparing for his first morning class.

"Need any help?" she called out to him as he studied some workout routines.

"No. I'm good, but thanks."

She stared at her desk then gazed out the single large window across the small room facing the parking lot and busy city street while she let her mind wander. Morning traffic was pretty much the same every day. Vehicles of every kind jostled and maneuvered along. An occasional horn would honk, but only occasionally. Most drivers just jockeyed for positions, skirting around some and narrowly avoiding collisions with others. But there were always those moments when the jockeying didn't quite work out as planned.

Tires suddenly screeched and horns blared immediately following the moment of impact. Janet was on her feet and at her window in a heartbeat. It appeared that two mid-size sedans had collided on the street right in front of the gym. Other cars quickly skirted the event to avoid becoming part of it. Most moved on not wishing to get involved. A few others, though, did stop to render assistance and several people were already using their cell phones.

Joe swatted the beads out of his way as he hurried to join her. "What happened?" he asked.

"Those two cars just slammed into each other," she said, pointing to a black sedan and a silver one.

Joe watched for a moment then stepped away. "Well I hope it all gets cleared up soon. Don't need a bunch of cops crawling all over the place."

Janet kept watching and didn't respond.

Within a matter of minutes, two patrol cars quickly arrived at the scene, sirens wailing and lights flashing. Silencing the audible warnings, the officers kept the lights going as they hurried to exit their vehicles and approach the owners of the two affected cars.

A third police car arrived soon after. That officer spoke with the other two then looked around. He noticed Janet watching at her window and headed for the gym.

"Oh, that's great," Joe said standing in his office door. "I've got a class starting in twenty minutes and now he's going to hang around and ask a lot of questions. It'll distract everyone. Try to get rid of him," he said and closed the door.

Janet ignored him but decided to step outside anyway to placate her boss.

She greeted the officer. "Good morning," she said. "That's a bit of a mess out there."

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "It definitely is. I'm Officer Zeller. Mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Not at all."

He pulled out a small notepad and pen and they got started. A few minutes later, he returned to the scene and Janet walked back inside but resumed her place at the window.

"What did you tell him?" Joe called out to her from his partially opened office door.

"Not much. I told him what I thought I saw."

Joe closed his door again and Janet resumed watching the activity. She smiled as the officer looked back and give a slight wave.

She responded in kind.

"Did he just wave at you?" Joe asked suddenly from the other side of the colored beads.

Janet caught her breath. "Geez, Joe. You startled me. And yes, he did. He was very nice."

Without a word, he headed back to his office and closed the door.

By noon, the morning class was over, with only a few people lingering to chat. The door sensor beeped as someone came in. She looked and smiled at John and Hector.

"Well, hey, guys," she said. "So how about those Forty-Niners?"

"What?" John asked.

Janet smiled. "Go Niners!" she said and raised one fist in the attitude of solidarity.

"Will you lay off of that?" Hector asked. "Besides, it's baseball season, so, Go Dodgers."

"Whatever. Sports is sports, right?"

"Enough with the sports stuff," John said. "Sorry I ever brought that up."

"That's okay. I'll think of something else to annoy you with the next time you both come around."

"I can hardly wait," Hector said.

John was standing at the window.

"You see something interesting?" she asked.

He turned around. "Why was that cop talking to you?"

"You were watching?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Good grief. What's with you guys? He just wanted to know what I saw, that's all."

John appeared agitated.

"Don't worry," she said. "I answered his questions and he left." She watched him. "What's wrong?"

"He talked to you for quite a while. What else did he want to know, besides about the accident."

"He asked about Joe's classes," she replied keeping a straight face.

John didn't respond but kept watching out the window.

"He's not coming back," Janet said.

"How do you know?"

Janet let out a laugh. "He wasn't serious about any classes."

"What do you mean?" He faced her.

"He was flirting. Not in a big way, but that's what he was doing. Sizing me up but I doubt I will ever see him again, so stop worrying."

"Yeah, well, we don't want you dating any cops."

"I'll date who I choose, but like I said, I'm sure I'll never see him again."

The men retreated to Joe's office and Janet returned to her tasks. She looked out the window then at the dangling beads separating her from the gym and leaned back in her chair. "This is getting ridiculous. I know they sometimes jump back and forth across that fine line of being law-abiding or not, but what's not to like about cops? They help people." Suddenly annoyed she began to put things away then shut down her computer. She glanced at the clock; it was nearly one-thirty in the afternoon.

She dialed Joe's extension. "I'm leaving for the day," she said when he answered. "I'm not feeling well. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up, not waiting for him to reply, picked up her bag, and walked out.

A pleasant breeze swept in from the ocean along with some clouds, but otherwise, it felt good to sit on a bench and watch the waves. The breeze played with her hair and washed over her skin, cooling it a little. The waves were more aggressive today, she thought, transfixed on them; watching the bubbling foam hiss and pop as it receded.

She shivered involuntarily then closed her eyes. "Think of pleasant things," she said and drew in a deep breath. "Yes. Drink in the aroma and think pleasant thoughts."

Janet thought back to John's reaction to seeing the police officers working the accident in front of the gym. "Something is going on there and they don't want the police to know about whatever it is." She forced herself to refocus. "Breathe in," she said. "Breathe out." She continued her breathing exercise for a few minutes but couldn't shake her feelings about the earlier incident. Her eyes opened as a gentle gust of wind washed past her. "Something's up," she said. "And obviously something illegal or why else was John so upset?"

She closed her eyes again and resumed her breathing technique, working to force the prior incident from her mind. "I cannot change it, but I do not need to dwell on it. That's their lives, not mine." She reflected on the news story about the Voclain Family. "A granddaughter. Lost so many years ago and apparently close to my age. I hope she's found so that lonely old woman can find some peace in her life."

Janet opened her eyes again and watched as the waves continued to roll in and sweep out. Nearly in a trance she began to recall an early memory centered on the few but familiar stories she, and her sister Mary, had heard since they were very little. Their family traditions were simple and seemed like those of most their friends, but aside from a few oft-repeated stories and closely followed traditions, their mother, Anna Feldman, and grandmother, Gertrude, seemed reluctant to say much about their past or family history.

Her mother was now in her mid-forties, still single, and still living in Wisconsin. Nona, as they called their grandmother, had lived with them until that one odd day when she and Mary had come home from school to discover that she had died that day. Just like that. She was gone. There was no funeral and no write-up in the obituary column in the newspaper. It was so abrupt, but they didn't press their mother for more information because they could tell she was very upset about it. Even more disturbing was that everything that had belonged to their grandmother was gone. Everything. Her bedroom had been emptied except for a dresser and the bed, but even it had been stripped of all the bed linens. Everything remained that way for months.

She thought of her sister, Mary, who was away at college then back to John's reaction to the police officer which troubled her. She tried to refocus on the waves, but it didn't help much. Any brief happy feelings she'd tried to think about dissipated into sadness.

She and Mary firmly believed they had a rather typical family life when they were young, but it wasn't until they had grown older that that they realized that much of what they'd been told or thought they knew was fragmented and incomplete in many ways.

Suddenly she felt very alone sitting on her bench. The ocean air was getting chilly. She pulled her lightweight sweater around her middle but stayed put and returned to her thoughts. She often wished she had had a father around when she was growing up. It would have been nice to have had a dad to talk to and ask advice. She often imagined a father who was wise and kind. Someone who would have helped her with math and scrutinize her boyfriends as any good dad would do. Mary felt the same.

What little they had been told about him was sketchy and inconsistent. At one point, she and Mary were told he had joined the Army and went off to war someplace and never returned. Throughout their youth, they both assumed he was still fighting in some war or had been killed, or just never came home for some reason.

Janet, though, could remember three distinct times she overheard her mother and Nona speaking quietly late at night. Each time it sounded like they were talking about a man; someone they both knew. It was evident he was significant somehow, but that was about all she could determine. Nona referred to him by an odd-sounding name. Janet tried to remember what it was but couldn't. All she could remember is it sounded foreign. Nona rolled the 'r.' Yes. It started with an 'r.' Janet thought hard, searching her mind for some little clue to trigger the memory. _"_ Rye", she said, rolling the 'r.' Yes, she thought, it sounded like Rye-moonda or something like that; a very odd-sounding name.

Janet quickly looked around, hoping no one was nearby and had heard her. Seeing no one, she fell back into her thoughts and reflected on that late-night conversation between her mother and Nona. Whoever he was, the man was in some way, a significant part of their lives but not necessarily in a good way. Janet wondered about that and other conversations and if they had been about her father. Her thoughts would generally conclude with the hope that if it were her father, perhaps he was still alive and someday would suddenly show up.

Her phone rang and she snapped out of her daydreaming. It was Joe. Reluctantly, she answered.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," he said.

"Don't worry about it."

"Janet," he began.

"Joe. I'm sorry but I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go home and take a nap. I'll see you in the morning." She hung up and turned off her phone. Taking in one last deep breathe she held it a moment then exhaled. The breeze had picked up and had gotten much cooler. She wanted to get home and secure herself in her apartment. Away from the gym. Away from the ocean which was beginning to churn more aggressively. Away from everything. She just wanted to hide in her apartment and try to push away sad and unpleasant thoughts.

# CHAPTER 7

Over the next few weeks, Janet's work activity settled back into its predictable routine. Phones rang, students showed up, payments were made, and new patrons registered for classes now and then. As such, Joe's business continued to grow little by little. All in all, not very exciting, but at least for now she was grateful for a quiet uneventful routine and at the very least, to be somewhat gainfully employed.

On this day, Janet recalled the police officer who had questioned her about the vehicle accident and later came back to ask about some of Joe's classes. Although he showed an interest in Joe's business, and possibly her as well, he had not returned since, and she decided he probably wouldn't. She was a little disappointed but shrugged it off. But mixed in with everything else was the recurring dreams and unexpected moments when something would trigger a memory of a past event. Those memories continued to bubble to the surface, and more frequently it seemed. They plagued her. She'd find herself delving and regressing into more of those events; reliving each one. She didn't want to tell anyone, fearing they'd think she was going crazy or pressure her to seek more therapy. It wasn't that therapy was a bad thing, but so far it hadn't really helped all that much, at least she didn't think so.

Janet finished logging student fees and payments for the month, which was about all she was responsible for other than registering a few new students and helping Joe setting up for classes from time to time. As for the business side of things, Joe always deposited the money, took care of paying the bills, and kept the account ledgers locked in his office. She was okay with that but after a while she began to wonder how he managed to stay in business. Yes, he had a regular clientele, and yes, a few new people signed up occasionally, but then a few people would also quit. Even so, it didn't seem like he was generating enough business to cover his expenses, whatever they might be. She knew how many students he had and what the monthly fees were, but one way or another he always managed to come up with enough capital to keep things running and pay her a decent wage.

It had been several weeks since she'd seen or heard from Hector and John, so it was with some surprise she looked up in time to see John walk in one day unannounced.

"Well look at you," he said grinning. "Sitting there, almost like you own the place. How's everything going?" He was in a good mood.

"Pretty well, I'd say," she replied. "And where have you been? I decided both you and Hector had had enough of me and I'd never see either of you again. Where is he, by the way?"

"Who? Hector?"

"Who do you think? I thought the two of you were joined at the hip."

John laughed. "Naw. We do work well together but sometimes we have separate assignments. Hector's on another job right now, but I'm back and thought I'd stop in and pay you and Joe a visit. He's here, right? And everything's okay?"

"Yes, and why wouldn't everything be okay?" Her tone carried a deeper, but unspoken question.

"Just wondered." He gave her a quizzical look.

"So. How about those Dodgers?" Janet asked while looking at her computer screen.

"Dodgers." John gave her a look. "I thought we said to back off on that."

"Sorry."

"Okay, so no more intruders?"

"Nope. Nothing. It's been nice but I still keep my guard up and my eyes open, especially when I leave in the evening."

"Good girl." John looked through the beaded door to the empty gym. "In his office?"

"Yes, he is. You can go on back, but his next class starts in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks. John disappeared through the beads creating the familiar clatter.

Janet could hear him greet Joe then the office door closed with a soft click and all was quiet. She got up to prop the front door open and let in a fresh breeze then glanced through the beads at Joe's closed door. Annoyed, she sat down and got back to work as students began to arrive.

It was almost time for the class to start when a student parted the beads. "Is Joe teaching today?"

"Yes. Isn't he out there?" Janet stood up.

"No. Not yet," the student said.

"I'll check on him. She first hurried to turn on the warm-up music then went to Joe's office. The door was still closed. She tapped and waited, then tried the door. It was locked. "Here we go again," she muttered and glanced back at the class. All were involved with their warm-ups, so she tapped again. Seconds later, the door flung open. Startled, Janet quickly stepped back.

"Sorry," Joe said. "Lost track of time. He hurried to greet his students and get the class underway.

Janet stood in Joe's open doorway watching, then glanced inside the office fully expecting to see John hanging around, but the room was empty.

She looked at Joe, hoping to get his attention, but he was completely involved in his class. Hesitating a moment, she finally went back to her desk. Once again, perplexed and confused, Janet sat at her desk but wondered about all these men she'd come to know. Who were they, really? Sure, they all seemed nice enough, at least to her, but could she really trust them? And John. How did he manage to leave without her noticing? And why not at least say goodbye before he did?

Janet had a sudden thought. _I'll bet there's another way in and out of Joe's office, but where?_ She idly checked her email and resorted the day's delivered mail, but she couldn't keep from wondering and if there was another entrance, and if so where was it? She wanted to look in Joe's office but didn't have a good enough reason to go in and poke around. It wasn't until the mail arrived a half hour later that she figured she finally had a legitimate reason.

Picking up the mail, she peeked through the beads toward Joe's office. The door was still open, and he was still directing his class. She walked around the perimeter of the room until she reached the office door. Turning to face Joe, he glanced in her direction. She held up the mail and he nodded then she went in and placed it on his desk.

Bookshelves lined the back wall. She looked at a few trophies, and several other interesting items arranged in no specific order then noticed a couple of photos. Looking closely, she realized a much younger Joe was in each one but everyone one else were strangers to her. All, though, were dressed in uniforms typically worn by students of the various types of martial arts, although not all wore the same color belt.

Attempting to appear casually admiring his collection of items, Janet also wanted to ascertain whether there was another door from his office leading to the outside. She saw nothing. Disappointed, she walked out just as Joe shut down the music. The class was over.

He joined her outside his office, wiping his face and neck with a white towel. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I was just looking at all your cool stuff. Nice trophies," she said. "Nice photos, too. She smiled. "You've been doing this kind of stuff for a long time, haven't you?"

"Most of my life," he said. "Since I was a little kid."

She frowned and cocked her head to one side. "Then you must be pretty good at all of it."

"I'd like to think so." He grinned.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Then I don't get it."

"Get what?"

"Why you let me _sing_ to you that first day. I didn't catch you off guard at all. You let me do that. Why?"

Joe chuckled but looked away still wiping his face and neck. He waved at a departing student before looking at her again. "I thought we'd gotten past that first encounter."

She nodded again. "We did." She hesitated a moment then added, "I'd better get back to my desk." She walked to the beads and angrily slapped them out of the way. They scattered back and forth in a discordant clatter before eventually calming down. "He let me take him down. He pretended he was afraid of me and reluctant for me to work here. But why?"

The remainder of the afternoon and evening moved along but by seven o'clock, Janet was more than ready to leave. She began her nightly ritual of shutting down her computer and locking file cabinets. Satisfied all was in order, she parted the beads, more carefully this time, and poked her head into the gym. "I'm heading home now," she called out to Joe.

He responded from inside his office. "Okay! See you Monday morning!"

"You sure you don't need me for your class tomorrow?" she called out again.

"I'm sure," he replied, still in his office. "Enjoy your weekend!"

"Okay. She waited a moment, but he didn't say anything more nor did he come out of his office.

Janet locked the main door then hurried to her car. It was dark outside, and she was anxious to get home. Even so, her mind wouldn't stop working over several things as she waited for traffic to clear on the busy boulevard. John occupied one of those thoughts. She still wondered how he managed to leave today without being seen.

Traffic thinned out sufficiently so Janet could pull into a lane just in time to slow and stop for a red light at the corner. Impulsively she eased to the right and turned onto the side street. A short distance farther, she slowed as she pulled up to a side entrance to the parking area next to Joe's gym. It also led to a narrow alley following the entire length of the backside of the row of businesses and eventually emptied into the next side street.

Janet had an idea. She slowly pulled into the drive and stopped as she gazed down the very dark alley, illuminated only by two lights. One mounted on the upper corner of each end of the building complex as well as the eerie cast of light from the beams of her headlights which created ominous-looking shadows. She continued to stare ahead, debating her next move. Her first thought was to back up, but curiosity got the best of her. She made sure all her doors were locked, hesitated once again, apprehensive, then slowly proceeded into the rutted and potholed lane. Her tires made cracking and popping sounds as she drove over loose gravel. The headlights bounced with every bump as she carefully drove by and scanned the backside of Joe's gym looking for a door. All she saw, though, were several stacks of empty pallets shoved up against the building creating deeper shadows.

Almost instantly, a very uneasy feeling crept over her. Janet increased her speed slightly until she reached the other cross street and stopped to look both ways. She also glanced in her rearview mirror then did a double take. Standing at the other end of the alley was the silhouette of someone backlit by the lone building light. Whoever it was didn't move. They just stood there. With a shudder, she realized the person must have watched her drive through.

She wasted no time getting back on the wide boulevard and headed for home. As she passed the front of the gym, she noticed Joe's car still parked in front even though the gym was now dark. That only contributed to her eerie feelings. Had it been Joe watching her? And if so, why? But more importantly, how would he have gotten to the alley unless there was another entrance. She thought of the stacks of pallets. "There must be a door concealed behind them."

Forty-five minutes later Janet was home and hurried to get inside her apartment, still feeling creepy about that shadowy figure. She quickly locked the door and turned on a nearby table lamp before tossing her purse on the sofa. Still unnerved by the incident she checked all her windows and pulled curtains shut. A mild adrenaline rush accelerated her heart rate and she felt out of breath. She removed her jacket and kicked off her shoes then wandered into her kitchen. The tantalizing aroma of crockpot beef stew put her in a better mood. Crockpot meals were becoming a favorite as she enjoyed coming home to a hot meal that was ready to eat. Tonight, she especially hoped the stew would help settle her nerves, in addition to the fact that she was home safe and sound.

Even as she sat down to her meal and tasted the first savory bite, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd had in the alley. Janet put her fork down and sat back, mentally scolding herself for being so easily frightened. And as for John somehow leaving the gym without saying goodbye, why should he? Sure, he was funny, and she enjoyed his company, but he had better things to do than babysit her. "Get a grip," she said, "and stop being so paranoid. These guys don't have time to constantly entertain you and hold your hand." She resumed eating but still couldn't shake uneasy feelings.

Deciding to retire early, Janet cleaned up the kitchen then got ready for bed. She snuggled down under her bedcovers and stretched. Although a lot of things were on her mind, she soon fell asleep. Outside, however, a dark vehicle pulled up to the curb. It parked in front of the apartment building with a clear view of her place and remained throughout the night.

# CHAPTER 8

Janet's eyes snapped open. Her phone was ringing. "What the heck?" She blinked at her clock trying to focus. It was just after seven. With a groggy moan she answered. "Hello?" Then cleared her throat and said hello again. The response was a click. "The least they could have done was say something," she said then lay down again but now she was wide-awake. Soon thoughts of the previous night flooded back – especially the mysterious person in the alley watching her.

The rude awakening on this Saturday morning, one in which she had hoped to sleep in, was irritating enough on its own, but mingled with her eerie experience, it produced a momentary shudder. She climbed out of bed, wandered into the bathroom, and stood in front of her mirror staring at her image. Bleary eyes stared back. She ran fingers through her matted hair. "Good morning. You look a mess." She tried to freshen up then wandered to the kitchen.

Filling a teapot she set it on a lit burner then selected a favorite tea. Leaning against the counter, she continued to mull over a variety of things going on at work but especially the drive through the alley the night before. Attempting to shake the creepy feeling that welled up again, she fixed her tea then snugged up her robe and stepped out onto her small terrace of her apartment. It overlooked shrubs and trees, which lined a meandering sidewalk bordered by sculpted patches of lawn here and there. The morning air was brisk with a slight breeze, but her tea helped quell the chill.

"So. Now, what do I want to do?"

Still irritated at the early morning call she looked at the kitchen clock. It was just past seven-thirty. The early morning sunshine and clear skies promised it would be a sparkling day. She finished her tea as she continued to gaze out at the manicured grounds. Suddenly a smile slowly creased her face and a thought surfaced. The more she mulled it over, the more excited she got. "Perfect."

Twenty minutes later, and with a renewed measure of energy, Janet headed back to Joe's gym. An open and half-eaten bag of potato chips propped up in the passenger seat served as breakfast with a bottle of water tucked into a console cup holder to wash it all down.

Joe offered two Saturday classes, the first beginning at eleven in the morning. Since he generally didn't arrive for work any earlier than necessary, Janet figured she had plenty of time to check out the alley before he showed up, but in broad daylight this time. She planned to approach the building as she normally would but head straight for the alley from the opposite direction this time.

As is often the case, best-laid plans tend to end up being not so perfect. Today was no exception. Janet pulled into the narrow lane behind the strip mall but stopped abruptly and stared down the length of it. Several parked cars sat at the other end directly behind Joe's gym. Without hesitating, she eased back out and instead drove around the block behind the gym and through a neighborhood. At the next corner, she turned up the opposite side street closest to the gym. The hope was to get a better view and maybe find out what was going on so early on a Saturday morning.

She pulled over and parked at the curb in the shade of several large trees. For now, the early morning shadows would offer a good cover. From her vantage point, she watched intently. That same uneasiness she experienced the night before returned. Not wanting to be seen, Janet slid down just enough to peer through the steering wheel and over the dashboard as she attempted to get comfortable. With growing interest, she continued to watch the back of the gym and pulled out her phone just in case she could get some photos. Seconds ticked by, followed by minutes, and finally a half hour.

"I don't think I'd make much of a detective," she said. "This is boring. Beside there's probably nothing to see anyway."

She drank some water and looked away long enough to grab a handful of chips. Looking up again she stiffened and dropped the chips back into the bag but stayed down and watched.

Steadying her phone, she watched as two men stood next to one of the parked cars talking to each other. She took a picture just as they got into the vehicle and drove away.

"Who are they, and where did they come from?" she mumbled quietly.

Janet continued to watch as two more men appeared but this time, she saw them come from behind one stack of the pallets. Again, she took a few pictures, of them and one other man who also suddenly appeared. She squinted and stared then reacted. It was Hector! She took his picture but continued to stare in disbelief. Half expecting to see John follow, she waited, her phone poised, but he didn't.

She remained scrunched down. "What's going on?" Her question was barely a whisper when she reacted again as someone suddenly walked past her car. At first, she didn't think much of it, figuring whoever it was wanted to enjoy an early morning outing. However, the person stopped. He was dressed in dark pants and a sweatshirt with a hood pulled over his head. He stood in the shadow of one of the large trees, using the trunk as a shield and pulled a cell phone from a back pocket.

Janet was both intrigued and concerned as she noticed more men emerge from behind the pallets and gather around the cars. The mysterious person suddenly started taking pictures. Janet immediately took pictures of the stranger, as well as the additional men in the alley.

Her thoughts scrambled. Why would anyone else be so interested in what was going on at Joe's gym this morning? Moments later the stranger pocketed the phone and turned to retrace his steps. It was at that moment Janet realized the man was a woman.

She stayed low and kept her head down hoping the woman didn't notice her sitting there. Rhythmic footsteps crunched on fallen leaves which were scattered across the sidewalk. Janet held her breath and counted to ten then rose up slightly to look in her side mirror. The woman was gone and likely had disappeared around the corner of the neighborhood street behind her.

Her heart pounded. Janet straightened up enough to look over her shoulder, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. "How could I have not heard her coming?"

She returned her gaze to the men. They were beginning to leave. One car pulled out and turned in her direction. She eased down in her seat again until it passed.

Janet had more questions. Who were those men and why hold a secret meeting at Joe's gym so early in the morning? Then who was the woman and why was she taking photos? Finally, what was Hector doing there?

Once everyone was gone, myriad thoughts raced through Janet's mind. She started to drive away then on impulse, made a U-turn and decided to look for the woman instead. Pausing at the corner, she looked both ways then spotted the woman steadily walking along the sidewalk a block away. She'd pulled the hood off her head and appeared to be in no hurry. Once again, to a casual observer, she seemed to be out for a morning stroll. As the woman approached the next corner, a light blue compact car quickly pulled up then turned into the intersection. The woman walked around and got then the car drove away.

Janet was more curious than ever. Who was the driver and where were they going? Not only that, why pick her up a few blocks away rather than closer to the gym?

Janet did her best to keep a safe distance and not lose sight of the car. At a stoplight, she was two cars behind and tried to get a good look at the license plate. Unfortunately, she could only see a small portion, but made a mental note of it.

Traffic began to move again. They'd only driven a short distance when the blue vehicle suddenly pulled into a large parking lot and headed for a multi-level parking garage. Janet watched them enter but let another car pull in ahead of her, then followed. Eventually, the car in front of her found a place to park forcing Janet to slow down a moment before continuing. By now she'd lost sight of the blue car. Deciding to continue she drove up one more level but saw nothing.

Frustrated, she pulled into a parking space to think and decide what to do next. Disappointed she'd lost sight of the woman and her driver, she eventually backed out and exited the parking structure.

Now she had something new to fuss about. As she headed home, she revisited the morning's events. Her thoughts bounced around and bumped into each other as she struggled to make sense of what she had witnessed. She had her own reasons for spying on Joe's gym and the unexpected activity in the alley, but who was the woman and why was she interested enough to take pictures? And who was the driver of the blue car? And then there was Hector! What was he doing there? Plus, it was obvious that there had to be another entrance to the gym. Her next thought, though, was where in the gym was the access to it?

Janet pulled over to the curb. She checked the time. "I'm going back. I'm going to see for myself what's behind those pallets. That meeting is over, and Joe should be busy getting ready for his class, so now's my chance."

As she approached the gym once again, Janet pulled into the alley but parked alongside the outer wall of the building, parallel to the side street. For the first time since working for Joe, she took a minute to observe the exterior of the building as she stepped out of her car. With a wry grin, she identified a surveillance camera mounted at the top front corner of the roofline and another one at the back corner on the alley side of the building. Although she suspected they were there for building security purposes, it was quite likely more cameras were also mounted at the opposite end of the strip mall. She just never paid any attention.

Even so, she wondered about them. And given how secretive Hector, John, and Joe seemed to be sometimes, she contemplated the possibility that they might have access to the camera images. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone is watching me right now – or at the very least, I'll end up on surveillance film footage."

She debated what to do next but despite her suspicions, she was still determined to investigate the pallets. If nothing else, it would satisfy her curiosity. She walked to the back of the building and slowly approached the pallets. Three stacks, about eight feet high, were tight against each other. It suddenly struck her as odd that there were pallets stacked there at all. Joe didn't receive goods at the gym that required pallets. She took a closer look and could see they stood about three feet away from the building. Obviously, someone could easily walk behind them. She peeked into the open space and grinned. "Just as I thought." She looked up and noticed another surveillance camera mounted directly above the mysterious door.

Her curiosity satisfied, to some degree, she decided to leave. At least she got an answer to one question. If nothing else, that one security camera over the door had to be there because of the guys and all their secret stuff going on. "And there _is_ a door to the back of the building." Again, she wondered where it accessed the gym inside and decided it had to be through Joe's office somehow. "There's no other explanation," she said. Again, she felt frustrated, angry, and betrayed. "Why keep something like that a secret from me? What's so special about a hidden backdoor that nobody told me about?" She stepped away and headed back to her car. "I need therapy!"

After her morning activity of sleuthing, it was nearly ten thirty by the time Janet ended up at the same public beach Hector and John had taken her for lunch, but she found a different place to park where she could stay in her car. A fog bank lingered not too far from the coastline. She rolled down her window a few inches to listen to the waves while she idly played with her locket. A slight breeze managed to blow in through her window and toss a few wisps of her hair around. She watched the ocean waves moved in and out depositing bubbly seafoam on the wet sand. Impulsively, she got out of the car.

Although sunny, there was a slight chill due to that fog bank and she was grateful for the warmth of her sweatshirt. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. The smell of the surf seemed okay to her from this distance. She struggled, though, to imagine wading in the surf. She opened her eyes and stared out at the choppy water. Because it was breezier today, the sea water, though not angry, was still a little aggressive as it flowed in and out.

A large piece of driftwood deposited high up on the beach long ago by tenacious and persistent waves seemed a safe place to sit. She wondered about it and where it came from and decided it likely fell from a logging transport ship years ago, left to drift and toss until at some point it eventually washed up during a high tide to settle at this very spot. It was smooth from frequent use as a bench and it was bleached from the heat of the sun and salty brine of the sea.

Janet took in another deep breath. "I can do this." She heaved a sigh. "I can do this."

The sunshine felt good. Janet watched a few birds run along the beach just out of reach of the incoming surf. As soon as the water receded creating a sizzling sound, they would rush in to look for anything edible among the foaming and popping bubbles. Then they'd either run or fly out of the way when the next wave approached. Overhead, sea gulls swooped and dove or faced the breeze to maintain a lofty position in hopes of spying some tasty morsel for their breakfast.

She continued to take in deep and deliberate breaths as she reflected on what she'd witnessed during the past few hours of the morning. More questions than answers continued to ebb and flow in her mind, just like the surf. A tiny headache threatened but she ordered it away. Another gentle burst and swirl of the sea breeze carried the aroma of grilled hot dogs from somewhere nearby. She spotted a small vendor cart sporting a large brightly colored umbrella that flapped in the breeze. She checked her watch. Close to eleven o'clock. The aroma beckoned and she obliged its call.

With two steaming hot dogs in hand she returned to her log and sat quietly. Loose hair danced around her face as she focused on the waves again. A part of her wanted to wade in the surf and feel the cool water wash over her toes and feet, just like the birds. Another part of her was quick to remember her near-death experiences in San Francisco and Monterey. It was terrifying enough to be swept out to sea during a violent storm while clinging to Alex for dear life. And being tied up in a cold warehouse wasn't a good thing either. But when Craig threw her off Ray Martindale's speeding yacht, she was convinced she was going to die in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay.

Janet came to realize later; it was his desperate attempt to save her from a fate she chose not to contemplate. Even so, the bay waters were terrifyingly cold and if it hadn't been for a kind fisherman coming to her rescue, she most certainly would have died. As a result of all of it, she struggled to overcome a deathly fear of drowning in the ocean.

Janet pulled herself back to the present and focused on the birds. How unconcerned they were and seemingly unaware of the immense power an ocean can wield. So carefree, she thought. I want to feel carefree again. I want to be able to walk in the surf without the fear of being sucked out to sea and die a cold and watery death.

More seagulls glided overhead, intently interested in the increasing activity on the beach below. A couple of them came her way. "Nice try, guys, but I'm going to eat it all." She grinned as she shoved the last bite of hot dog in her mouth. Moments later the gulls flew away and again she was left with her thoughts of the morning's events.

"Do I _really_ want to know what's going on with everyone? Do I _really_ want to know why there is a concealed entrance to Joe's business?" She had no immediate answer to either question but was inclined to tell herself no. _The less you know the better_ , her inner voice counseled. She sat quietly on the log, still transfixed on the ocean, and absently played with her locket, but at the same time those nagging thoughts and questions continued to plague her.

A gull squealed overhead. Janet refocused and smiled. She realized her therapist was right about one thing; listening to the ocean and concentrating on something pleasant helped her calm down and take stock of her life and everything associated with it. Watching the birds was her pleasant activity today but she hoped her fear of the ocean would someday subside – at least enough so she could, once again, enjoy wading in the frothy surf and beach comb in search of mundane treasures.

Two hours later Janet was on her way home. Feeling refreshed she still wondered about the strange woman taking pictures earlier in the day. The same questions kept circling in her mind. She knew she wouldn't give up until she got some answers, despite her earlier inclination of not wanting to know. Of course, she wanted to know and now she was angry with Hector, and John too. If Hector was involved with whatever is going on, so was John. She let out a heavy sigh and absently fingered the locket.

"I need more food," she said. A stop at a local grocery store resulted in a couple of bags of purchases. When she arrived home, Janet marched into the kitchen dug around in one of the grocery bags and pulled out a carton of ice cream. She grabbed a spoon and a dinner plate then headed to the sofa cradling the ice cream carton on the plate.

With each bite, she allowed the ice cream to melt in her mouth as she mentally walked through the various pieces of a very jumbled puzzle. There was so much to think about but with all the twists and turns, none of it made much sense to her. She got up and put away the ice cream but remained in her kitchen mulling things over as she put away the rest of her groceries.

Hector and John. Craig and Alex. Charlie and Joe. All of them. They're all involved in something. And somehow, I feel involved too," she said aloud. "But how? Forget what happened three years ago with Sally and the Quail Club raid. Forget what happened in San Francisco a few months ago and nearly drowning." She paused. "They aren't connected. There's no way. How could they be?" She frowned. "But – if they were, why and how? What possible connection could there be?" She shook her head. "No. There is no connection. My issues are about the guys and how they all keep secrets from me, but I shouldn't let it bother me. I shouldn't attempt to create something out of nothing."

Janet put away the ice cream then stood at her glass patio door and gazed outside. "But – there is a concealed entrance to the gym," she said. "Why do they need a concealed entrance. What are they trying to hide? And where does it lead? And then who was that woman and why was she taking pictures? Who was her driver who picked her up a few blocks away? And finally, what kind of meeting would be taking place at Joe's gym early on a Saturday morning?" Janet simply could not push away the thoughts still vividly and vigorously bouncing around in her mind; still tumbling over each other and making a bigger mess.

A smile creased her face. "Okay, everyone, I'm game. You're all involved in something, and now I'm part of it too because, you all wanted me to work for Joe. Now, I've discovered your secret entrance plus I saw that woman. And, some of our paths have crossed before. You all keep pulling me in for some reason, keeping me close by, but without an explanation. I need to know what's going on and why. And I need to know how I fit into all of it."

She looked around and threw open a kitchen drawer only to quickly shove it closed. "Paper and a pencil," she murmured. She ran to her bedroom and was back in moments. Sitting at her kitchen table, she wrote her name in the middle of a piece of paper and drew a circle around it. Then she added the names of the guys, including Alex, around the edges of the paper and drew circles around them, adding a line from each one to her name.

"Okay. I met John and Hector when they rescued me from some other bad guys who attempted to abduct me. Except I don't know why I was being abducted other than I was at the scene of a crime. Yes. A crime that involved my former boss, Ray Martindale. Alright. And now John and Hector are working with me on learning basic surveillance techniques. At the same time Joe is training me in martial arts, all at Craig's insistence, but why? Craig," she said. "He seems to be in the middle of everything." She began making notes under each name. "Craig, Hector, and John have intimated that they are somehow connected to the FBI, or are they? Or do they just spend time together with FBI people for some reason? Work with them? But if they're not FBI then who or what are they? What if they're really part of something else? Something bigger. She added more notes but each with question marks. "What if everything that happened in San Francisco was part of something else." She wrote San Francisco beneath their names.

For the next several minutes, Janet created a visual diagram; a map of everyone she was aware of at that moment. Under Craig's name, she added that he was presumed dead by the rest of the world, drowned, and lost at sea. She added Ray Martindale and circled it, with the notation that he might also be dead. "And Alex." She added his name.

Janet stared at her diagram and allowed her thoughts to tumble. _Craig isn't dead. And neither is Ray or Alex. Ray was on that yacht and I'll bet he got away somehow._ "

She began writing again. "John. Comes and goes. Seems to have traveled a lot." She added similar information about Hector, finally adding, "More than meets the eye?"

"Oh! And Charlie. There is more to him than I might have thought. Just a limo driver? Hardly. He flew the helicopter to help rescue Alex and he's a smart guy, from what I can tell, so why drive a limo?" She chided herself. "Well, of course. It's his cover." She made that note.

Janet put the pencil down and studied her schematic. "They all seem to be really concerned about me for some reason, and that's what worries me the most. Why? Why are they all so concerned about me? Do all these incidents mean I'm in danger? But again why? And if so, why not call in Greg Danes to hide me in a cave again?" She snickered at that remark. "Right. Like you want to be stuck in another cave."

Janet collected her paper and pencil then got up and stretched for a moment before heading to the sofa. She put her notes on the coffee table then stretched out. "This isn't working. I feel like I'm making up stuff that isn't really real." She sat up suddenly. "But, no. I'm not imagining any of it. This is exactly what I've either experienced, observed, overheard and surmised, or they've told me things. All of it. I'm just trying to put all these pieces together in a way that makes sense. But none of it does."

She grabbed the pencil and paper. "If they really did tell me the truth about the FBI and if Craig is or was an agent as well –" Her mind continued to work on details such as they were, "And now that everyone thinks Craig is dead, then he could be anywhere doing anything." She paused. "Is he here?" Her eyes widened at that thought. " _Is_ he here?"

Janet got up and wandered to the patio door again. She stared outside then opened the door and stepped to the terrace railing to gaze across the open space of lawn and trees. It was quiet. At the end of the meandering sidewalk was a swimming pool. She could see a portion of it and the water sparkling in the sunshine. The fresh air felt good but did little to help her sort through her jumble of thoughts or make any sense of the notes.

"I'm looking at clues, but nothing adds up. So, what's missing?"

Janet remained on the patio for a while longer, then finally frustrated, she went back inside, locked the patio door, and returned to the living room. She needed a distraction and decided to watch a favorite movie. She selected a video and got it started then had to force herself to pay attention. It was one from several years ago starring Hunter Blake in the lead role as a freelance detective, Cap Granger. His character was working a mysterious case involving a murder with no viable suspects. Even though Janet knew how the movie ended, she became more intrigued as Hunter's character began to gather clues and eventually solve the case. She was especially interested in his deductive skills. Sure, it was a movie, and yes completely scripted, but believable. She knew professional consultants often assisted with the production of a movie to enhance the realism of the stories; the more accurate and real, the better.

"Deductive skills," she said. "Surveillance skills. Just like the dynamic duo are trying to teach me, and the self-defense lessons from Joe." She caught herself. "Yes," she said and narrowed her eyes. "It's as if they are preparing me for something. But what? Why is it so important that I learn this stuff?" She stared at the television screen but wasn't watching the movie any longer. Instead, she picked up the pencil again and began adding more information beneath each of her characters' names as well as her own. "They are all up to something and I need to find out what it is, and I will. And since everyone keeps telling me how smart I am, then I will figure this out. Somehow."

A week passed. Work was work and very predictable. And although she was now very suspicious of Joe and his obvious off-book activities, Janet said nothing to him. And if he was aware, she had been snooping around the hidden back door, he said nothing to her. In fact, no one else on her list of devious characters, as she called them, showed up all week.

Today was another lovely Saturday and Janet found herself studying her diagram again. She decided to identify most of the activity she had noticed as 'clandestine' meetings. She also wanted to stake out the gym again but was worried someone would spot her. Even so, several ideas crossed her mind.

"I wish Alex were here to bounce around some ideas. She put her pencil down and thought about him then sighed. "What good would that do? He's part of this too which means I wouldn't be able to get a straight answer out if him either. Besides, I have no way of contacting him and even if I did, he couldn't help." She flopped back in her chair.

"I have no one to talk to and should I be concerned? Am I poking around in things that I should leave alone?" She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contact list locating a name then hesitated. "Does he still use this phone number? And if so, would he be able or even willing to help me?"

Janet contemplated her desire to reach out then decided to send a simple text message, ' _How are you?'_ She waited. Nothing. Frustrated, she got up and headed for the kitchen to find something to eat. A few minutes later, she heard a response and rushed back to the living room. One look at the screen and her excitement dissipated at once. _Wrong number, sorry._

Disappointed, she wandered back to the kitchen to finish making a sandwich. "Wrong number. I guess his old number has already been recycled." She frowned. "So soon? I suppose it doesn't matter."

# CHAPTER 9

It was late in the day. For a Saturday, the day ultimately became dismal and had slowly trudged along, even with her impromptu surveillance at Joe's gym. Janet was despondent, depressed, and generally feeling out of sorts as she lay on her sofa. Too many unanswered questions nagged at her. All she wanted was someone to talk to; someone who would listen and at least pretend to care. But she had no one, at least no one who would understand.

A glance at the clock only made things worse. "It's only six o'clock, but all I want to do is go to bed and stay there; forever. In fact, I think I could die right now and be okay with that. And not a fake death, either. The real deal. And I doubt anyone would miss me."

She struggled to her feet and snatched up her phone then frowned and set it down again. "I don't need my phone. I just want to go to sleep."

Janet had barely pulled up her covers when someone knocked at her door. She sat up and waited. Another tap. With some concern, she glanced at the bedside clock. Six-thirty.

Another tap, only louder. She got up and made her way to the front door then peeked through her peephole. With a frown, she unlatched the chain and opened it to John.

He looked at her in surprise. "You feeling okay?"

"Sure. Why?"

"You need to come with me."

"Where?"

"The gym."

"Why?"

"Just get dressed. I'll wait." He stepped into her apartment and closed the door then glanced at his watch.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Just get dressed."

Janet didn't like the look on his face and was reluctant to go anywhere with him.

"Now."

Not at all happy, and a little frightened, she complied but frantically tried to think what was going on and why he seemed so angry.

"We don't have all night," he called out to her.

She emerged in the clothes she'd worn earlier in the day but held her sweatshirt in her hand. "I have to get my purse. I think I left it in the kitchen." She went to look.

John noticed her phone on the coffee table and picked it up, shoving it into a pocket.

Janet returned and looked at the coffee for it.

"I have it," he said.

"My phone?"

"Yes, now let's go." He took her arm and led her to the door. "You have your keys?"

"Yes."

He opened the door and pulled her outside. "Lock it."

She did.

John led her to his car and moments later they were headed to Joe's Gym.

"What's going on?"

"You'll see."

"I'm in trouble?"

"No more questions."

They rode in silence and finally reached the gym. John helped her out of the car and led her to the main entrance. He unlocked the door and they stepped into the dark reception area. The main gym was also dark except for a sliver of light coming from Joe's office door, barely ajar.

Janet was surprised he had a key to the door, to begin with, and well as feeling terrified about this late-night visit and wondered if her wish to die was going to come true. Suddenly, she didn't want to die.

John pushed the door open and led her inside where Joe, Hector, and Charlie were waiting – grim-faced. He closed the door and pointed to a folding chair facing Joe's desk. "Sit."

Janet was trembling and in tears as she sat down and faced Joe.

She'd never seen any of them this stern before and was uncertain what to expect. She was frightened. "Why am I here?" she managed to ask.

Hector leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Because you were poking around where you don't belong, young lady."

Janet's eyes narrowed and she whipped her head around. "What do you mean?"

John leaned in and whispered in her other ear. "You know exactly what we mean."

Janet looked at him as well but said nothing.

Joe motioned them both to back up then leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "You're flirting with danger, Janet, that's why you're here. Sneaking around out back in the alley could have resulted in some very unpleasant consequences."

Janet reacted but didn't respond at first. Instead, she found a measure of courage and took control of her emotions. Now a few things were beginning to fall into place. "I wasn't sneaking around anywhere."

"What would you call it?"

"Call what?"

Joe eyed her calmly. "Janet. We have you on film. You shouldn't be hanging around in dark alleys late at night; especially alone."

"Oh, that. I wasn't hanging around. I just drove through."

"Still dangerous."

"Yes, but –"

Hector interrupted. "You want to get shot? Apprehended? Tied up and held in some cold confined space with a bag over your head and left for dead like before on Treasure Island? You want to go through more of what you had to deal with in San Francisco and Monterey? That's what we're talking about!"

Janet jumped to her feet and whipped around to face him. "No! I don't. But you're all keeping secrets from me and I don't like it."

There was a moment of silence.

"Sit down," Joe said.

"I don't want to!"

"Sit anyway."

Reluctantly, she did so.

"We share what we feel is appropriate," he said. "Some things you don't need to know, like about our jobs."

Charlie cleared his throat. Joe looked up then leaned back and said nothing more.

Janet and wiped her face. She folded her arms and nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. Your jobs. Just as I suspected. You're all in cahoots with each other and playing games with me. I don't like it and you cannot stop me from trying to figure things out on my own."

"What things?" Charlie asked.

Janet did not look around. Instead, she sat quietly; arms still folded and stared at Joe without blinking. He tried to stare back but finally looked away. She finally stood up and faced Hector, John, and Charlie. "I'm going home now." She headed for the door, but Hector stopped her.

"Don't make me sing to you!" she said.

Hector grinned. "There's not a thing you can to do to me that will prevent me from stopping you, especially your sing-thing."

Janet pulled away from his grasp and bolted for the door but couldn't get it open before all four men had her surrounded.

Charlie shook his head. "Miss Janet. I will take you home."

"Fine. Take me home, but I don't suppose you'd all be interested in what I saw this morning, would you?"

That got their attention.

"What are you talking about?" John asked.

"Early this morning. When I came back to do more spying on my own. I sat in my car watching the backside of the gym. I saw a bunch of men coming out from behind all those pallets. From the secret door. I saw you with them." She pointed at Hector. "But I saw someone else watching all of you and taking pictures just like I was."

Charlie stiffened. "You were taking pictures?"

"Yes."

"And who else?"

"I don't know who she was, but I do know she was taking photos with her cell phone just like I was."

"A woman." Charlie said. "Can you describe her?"

Janet was taken aback. "Didn't you see her on your surveillance tapes? You saw me in the alley, so you must have some video of me this morning, and her.

No one spoke but each man looked from one to another before anyone said anything.

It was Janet who broke the silence. "No? Okay, then I am going home, but I'll call a cab. And don't you ever scare me like this again." She jerked open Joe's office door, but Hector stopped her again and looked at the others.

Charlie spoke. "Seems to me we need to take a look at today's surveillance tapes." He looked at Joe and gave a quick jerk of his head. "Open it up," he said to Joe, "and Hector, close the door."

Janet resisted Hector's tug on her arm. "Now what's going on?"

"You'll see," he said as he closed and locked Joe's office door from the inside.

# CHAPTER 10

Janet stood nearly at the bottom of a set of stairs that led from Joe's office to an elaborate control center in the basement of his gymnasium. She stepped down two more steps, the last one emitting a noticeable squeak.

Charlie chuckled. "One of our special alarm systems." He grinned. "Come on." He led her into a small conference room along one wall. Hector, John, and Joe were just sitting down when she entered. Still uneasy she quietly sat and waited.

John picked up a remote and clicked a button. A wall-mounted monitor blinked on. Soon surveillance video footage played. It was the alley late at night. A car came into view, headlights ablaze. They watched it stop momentarily then begin to drive slowly through the alley passing behind Joe's gym.

Janet knew it was her car.

"Okay," Charlie said. "That was you driving through the alley late Friday night." He nodded to John who started another video clip. "And this is Saturday morning." He looked at Janet who was watching intently.

The clip ended. She frowned.

"We don't see you anywhere," Charlie said.

"I wasn't in the alley. I was parked along the side street, but I didn't see me in that footage." She looked at Charlie. "I _was_ there. She looked at John. "Can you run that again?"

"Sure," he said and did so.

Janet watched intently and started to say something when she heard a soft beep.

Joe was suddenly on his feet. "I forgot to check on something in my office. Fill me in later," he said and hurried up the concealed stairs to his office, avoiding the squeaky bottom step.

Janet was curious but Charlie and John seemed unconcerned. She sat back and continued to listen to them until she had another question. "In the first video of me driving through the alley that night, I didn't see the other person."

"Wait a minute," Hector said. "What other person?"

"One of you, right?" she said. "Like maybe John or you?" She looked at Hector.

"Couldn't have been either of us," Hector replied. "We were both on a stakeout that night."

Janet did not respond but her face showed concern.

"What did he look like?" Hector asked. "This man."

"I don't know. It was just a silhouette of someone."

"And you're sure it was a man?"

"Yes. Definitely a man."

"Big? Scrawny? Anything distinguishing?"

"It was a man silhouetted by that light up on the corner of the building. It was eerie and all I wanted to do was get home and lock myself in my apartment."

"Okay," Hector said. "Close your eyes and recall that night and what you saw in your mirror. Was it a fat guy?"

"No!"

"Skinny guy."

"I don't know – I guess, maybe."

"What about his clothes?"

"It was dark!"

"Baggy. Tight-fitting."

"Not baggy."

"How tall?"

Janet kept her eyes closed. "I remember he was standing close to the pallets, and –" she frowned but kept her eyes closed. "There were a couple of the pallets that stuck out a little. They weren't squared up with the others. She opened her eyes. "He was about as tall as the top pallet that stuck out, I think."

"Maybe Joe?" John quietly asked the others.

"I don't think it was Joe," Janet said. "The man I saw was bigger. Taller."

The men exchanged looks.

"Like Charlie's height?"

"Maybe, but thinner. Charlie is more muscular. It's hard to say. It was dark and I was down at the other end of the alley watching in my rearview mirror."

"How about Frank?" Hector asked but looked at his companions.

Janet's eyes widened. "Frank? Who's Frank?"

Hector sat quietly but Janet could tell he was thinking about something.

"You see anything else?" he asked. "Anyone else?"

"No, but who's Frank?"

"Never mind about him," Hector said and stood up. "Let's go up top and take a look at the pallets."

"I'll stay down here," Charlie said, "in case Joe comes back down."

They mounted the stairs and stepped out into the dark alley. Janet stepped out into the dark alley barely lit by the one lone light mounted up on the corner of the building. "There. See how those two pallets stick out about eight inches or so?"

"Yeah," Hector said. "So where was that guy standing?"

Janet moved farther out into the alley and looked toward the other cross street. "Well from down there, it looked like he might have been standing right about here."

"John stand there," Hector said. "Janet, come with me." He took her hand and walked her down the alley a distance before turning around. They gazed back at John now backlit by the light. "Is that sorta like what you saw?"

Janet stared. "John's not tall enough, but yes."

"John's about five feet eleven inches tall." He took Janet's hand and led her back.

They gathered back in the basement and sat around the table.

"And?" Charlie asked.

"He was taller than John," Hector said. "So definitely taller than Joe but probably closer to your height."

"And it definitely wasn't you," Janet said to Hector.

"How would you know?" he asked.

"Because of your hair. I just realized that it sticks out on the sides most of the time, especially when you wear your favorite baseball cap. The guy I saw didn't have that kind of hair."

Hector grinned. "You see? If you think about it long enough you actually do see more than you realize."

"I guess so," she said and managed a smile. "So, am I still in trouble?

"The jury's still out," Hector said.

She nodded. "Okay, so why didn't you see that other woman and me this morning?"

"Let's take a look at that footage again," Hector said.

John queued it up. "What time did you show up?" he asked.

She told him and he found a timestamp then began rolling it forward. Janet kept her eye on the area across the street, but the shot wasn't lined up correctly. "You can't see me, or the other woman."

"Where was she standing?" John asked.

"Behind one of the large trees along the street. Janet grabbed her bag and pulled out her phone. "Actually, I have pictures of her," Janet said.

"You do?" Charlie asked in surprise.

"Yes. I already told you I was taking pictures and I took some of her taking pictures of Hector and those other guys." She offered her phone to Charlie. "Here. See?"

He viewed the photos with great interest and showed them to John and Hector. "Why didn't you show these to us before?"

"You were all too busy yelling at me and scaring me to death."

"What do you think?" Charlie asked John.

John began a meticulous search and finally stopped at one point. He enlarged the section of one frame. "I think I have something," he said and pointed. "It isn't much, but I think I can see part of a person's body right there." He pointed. "By that one tree just to the right of the center of the shot. See?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes. I do." He handed Janet her phone. "Well, young lady, I think you may have done us a great favor." He looked at the monitor again. "And where, exactly, were you?"

"Parked in the shadows farther back from her. I was all scrunched down hoping no one would see me."

Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "Tell us about this woman. You ever see her before?"

"No. I was startled when she walked by. She stayed in the shadow of that tree. Then she started taking pictures with her cell phone. So, I took pictures of her. Then she left. I stayed down until she passed by then I peeked at my side mirror, but she was already out of sight."

"What was she wearing?"

"Dark pants and a hoodie. I think it was dark green or blue."

"And you don't know where she went?"

"Not really. Other than I did follow her."

Charlie's face showed surprise. "You did? Where to?"

Janet let out a sigh. "A parking garage. That's where I lost them."

"Them."

"Yes. Someone picked her up a few blocks from the gym; back in that neighborhood." She gestured aimlessly in one direction. "They drove a light blue compact car. It just showed up and she got in and they took off."

"Can you tell us anything about the driver?"

"No. But I'm pretty sure it was a man."

Charlie exhaled. "How about the license plate? Did you get a look at that?"

"Just a little bit. Not much."

Charlie patted John on the shoulder. "See if you can tap into some traffic cam stored images. We might find something useful."

"You got it," he said.

Janet stood by quietly.

Charlie grinned. "Thank you, Janet. You've been of great help."

"So, I'm not in trouble anymore?"

"Oh, you're still in trouble," Hector said.

"But just a moment ago you said –"

"The jury voted. You're still in trouble."

"What vote? What jury!"

"Me. I'm the jury and it's my vote." He smiled.

Charlie grinned. "Well, maybe just not as much trouble." He winked then headed for the back stairs. "Okay fellas. I gotta go. I have a client to pick up. Keep me posted."

Janet watched him use the back stairs, curious who his client might be this late in at night.

"Are you guys still mad at me or not?"

"I'm not," John said as he scanned traffic camera footage. "But I can't speak for Hector or Joe."

She looked at Hector.

He tried to keep a straight face but failed. "Okay, no. I'm not mad at you, but you're still in trouble."

"That's not fair. I did something good. Charlie even said so."

"True, but you still could have run into some serious trouble. We don't want you to get hurt."

"But did you all have to scare me nearly to death?"

"We were hoping we would scare some sense into you because you keep getting into mischief; snooping around where you shouldn't be and spying on people who could be dangerous. It isn't safe." He eyed her suspiciously. "Who else have you been spying on?"

She gave him a smug look. "If you guys can keep secrets, so can I."

Hector shook his head slowly. "It's not that we want to keep secrets, Janet, but we have a job to do, and part of it is to keep you safe. Some of what we do must remain confidential. It's just the way things are. Besides, you're not completely vetted."

"What do you mean? Craig said I was."

"Only partly."

"Well, it's not like I've applied for spy school or anything."

"We're just doing what we've been told to do."

"By whom?"

"Stop asking so many questions."

She folded her arms. "Is that why I've been taking classes from Joe? To learn how to protect myself because it's part of some plan?"

He straightened up. "What did I just say to you about asking questions?"

"Well, I –"

"Can't you just do what we ask and exercise some patience. All we ask is that you listen to us and follow directions.

"So, you _are_ still mad at me."

"Okay! I am mad or maybe just frustrated." Hector kept his focus on the computer monitor.

"You think you're frustrated." she said. "How do you think I feel?"

He gestured to the monitor John was watching. "It was foolish of you to show up this morning to spy."

"Why? Because I saw you here with those other people? And what were you doing here?"

"What I do is my business," he said. "But you, sitting out there with no clue what's going on, is foolish."

"It was daylight this time and besides, you wouldn't have known about that woman if I hadn't been out there."

Hector had reached his limit. "I don't care what time of day it is or was, and as for that woman, what if she spotted you? What if she's not such a good person? What if she had forced you out of your car and took you with her and you ended up in that blue compact car and then who knows where? Then what?"

"But she didn't."

"Not this time. But you really don't know if she saw you or not. And what happened when you followed her or them? Did they see you?"

"I-I don't know. I don't think so."

"But you don't know for sure. And what happened at the parking garage? What did they do there?"

"I don't know. I lost them."

Hector nodded his head. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. They knew you were following them as soon as you started. They led you on a wild goose chase. They used the parking garage to lose you, and that's my point! It's an old trick, Janet, but effective. And you can be sure they were able to get more details on you and your vehicle than you did on them."

Janet fought back tears.

Hector exhaled heavily and reached for her. He put an arm around her shoulders. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. But we worry about you and not just because you're an assignment. You've become more to us than that. To me and John in particular." He put both arms around her. "Although you unintentionally put yourself in danger, you did do us a great favor. You're right. We wouldn't have known about that woman and what she was doing if you hadn't been out there and saw her."

He gave her a gentle squeeze and let go. "We just don't want anything to happen to you, but you're taking too many risks and in situations where we cannot always help you."

John swiveled around in the task chair. "He's right, Janet, but –" He looked at his partner, "at the same time, I thought we had these cameras adjusted to show more of that street out there. We should have been able to see that woman and possibly Janet's car as well. I know we've had better camera angles before."

Hector started to remark just as his phone rang. It was Charlie. Hector listened then responded. "Ok. Will do." He hung up.

"What's up?" John glanced away from the monitor.

"We've been summoned," he said.

John nodded and stood up.

"Me too?" Janet asked.

"No. Just me and John, but Charlie's coming back to take you home. Just hang out until he gets here. He'll probably come in the back way."

Janet was surprised. "Wait. You're going to leave me here alone? And what about Joe?"

"You'll only be here for a little while. Thirty minutes tops." He glanced at the stairs leading to Joe's office. "I don't know what happened to Joe, but you should be okay. Both doors to the outside automatically lock."

"So, I'm just supposed to sit down here and wait."

"Half an hour. Maybe less."

Janet sunk into a nearby task chair. "This is great. And where are you going?"

"Don't worry about us," Hector said.

"I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about me. One minute you're both chewing me out for being alone out there in the alley and now you just going to leave me here alone inside this – cave." She let out an involuntary shiver. "I don't like it."

"This is different. Besides, this is not a cave and you'll be locked inside, not traipsing around by yourself out there." He pointed toward the back stairs. "You'll be fine." Hector headed for the stairs. "Oh, and don't go back upstairs to Joe's office. He has video cameras in there."

"But we were all in there earlier."

"Right. And he'd be okay with that. It's part of our – let's say, part of the kind of work we do. Nothing suspicious. But if he sees you up there alone, snooping around, then he'd be suspicious."

"And there aren't any cameras down here?"

"There are, but we control them. We do a sweep of this area every week to ensure it's clean. Sometimes more often than that." He grinned. "You'll be fine."

# CHAPTER 11

Janet checked the wall clock. Only ten minutes had elapsed. She was still sitting in the task chair and began to spin it around a little. "I'm bored." She laughed at herself then looked around. "I wonder where their cameras are?" She looked first at the ceiling then the walls, and finally shook her head. "Probably disguised in some way so they don't look like cameras." She stood to stretch then wandered around, still looking for cameras but also at anything else that might prove interesting.

She had just finished a quick inventory of the refrigerator when she heard something – a soft click coming from Joe's office above. She immediately turned off two small lights and made her way to the conference room hoping not to run into anything in the process. Moments later, she could hear someone starting down the stairs. She scooted under the conference room table, then pulled the chairs in close and waited.

The noticeable squeak from the one loose tread, signaled someone was at the bottom of the stairs and in the main room. Whoever it was moved around quietly for a minute, then she heard him speak. It was Joe. He spoke again, only a little louder. Another voice responded from the top of the stairs. Whoever it was had started down the stairs. Once again, she heard that noticeable squeak. Two people. Joe and someone else were in the room and still speaking quietly.

She heard Joe's voice again. "We should be okay now," he said, "I've disabled the cameras and microphones. Besides, I doubt anyone's coming back tonight." Suddenly a light blinked on in the outer room. Soft light also flooded into the conference room through the windows and the open door.

Janet remained in the shadows beneath the large table doing her best not to give her presence away."

"Good," the other man said.

In that moment, she immediately froze, and her eyes grew wide at the sound of a familiar voice. She kept listening as she worked to stifle any reaction to the second voice.

"So, she's working for you now, is that it?"

"Yeah."

"And the first attempt failed?"

"It did, but we can figure something else out."

_First attempt?_ Janet wondered what that meant.

"I told you not to use kids. Too unpredictable. You need to hire some muscle to get the job done right. You've got one more chance, Zhou, just one more. If you don't succeed this time, I'll see to it you're dealt with instead and find another way to acquire what is rightfully mine."

"I understand," Joe said uneasily. "I-I won't screw up the next time."

"Good. Now where is it?"

"In an envelope," Joe said. "It's in the conference room. I didn't have time to find a better place to hide it, so I taped under the table. I'll go get it."

Janet could hear footsteps coming closer and realized Joe was nearly at the conference room door when he stopped. It was then she could hear the alley door open at the top of the other set of stairs.

The other man was near the conference room as well. "Who's that?" he whispered.

"I have no idea, but you need to get out of here. Back up the stairs to my office but avoid that last step."

Janet could hear muffled steps hurrying up the inner stairs just as heavier footsteps were coming down the alley set of stairs.

"Anybody here?" Charlie called out.

With tremendous relief, Janet crawled out from under the table and approached the door of the conference room but stayed on her hands and knees. She looked toward the inner stairs then up at Charlie standing in the doorway.

He appeared puzzled. "You okay?"

She vigorously shook her head, no.

Charlie came to her. "What's wrong?"

Janet's breathing was labored, and her face must have appeared as if she were in shock.

"Janet, honey, what's wrong?"

She started to say something then spun around and hurried back to the table. Crawling underneath she soon reappeared with an oversized envelop and handed it to Charlie.

He frowned. "What's this?"

"I have no idea, but Joe was just down here with another man. They were coming to get this envelope just as you started down the back stairs. I heard him tell the other man he had taped it under the table to hide it until he could come back and get it."

"Joe was down here?"

She nodded excitedly.

"With another man?"

Again, she nodded and looked toward the other stairs nervously.

Charlie followed her gaze then quickly opened the unsealed envelope. He pulled out a photo and stared at it for a few seconds, glanced into the envelope to look for anything else, then shoved it back and took Janet by the hand. Get your bag. We gotta go."

Twenty minutes later, Charlie and Janet arrived at a fast-food restaurant in his limousine and used the drive-thru to order something to eat. Janet was seated in the floor in the back to avoid being seen but Charlie kept the inner window down so they could talk.

A few minutes later, they pulled into the outer parking area of a large shopping mall, and up next to Hector's car. Hector climbed into the front of the limo and John joined Janet in the back.

"What's the emergency?" Hector asked.

"Take a look at this," Charlie said and handed him the envelope.

Hector accepted it and removed a photo. "Well I'll be damned," he said almost immediately then handed the photo to John who frowned at the image and handed it back to Hector.

They all looked at Janet, who was quiet until she simply said, "He knows Ray. Joe knows Ray."

John put his arm around her. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. He was there. Right there. Not dead."

John looked at Charlie. "Ray was at the gym tonight?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes. And in our control room. Joe brought him down. Our sweet Janet barely managed to turn off the lights and hide in the conference room before they got down the stairs."

John looked at the others. "So, now what do we do?"

"Get back there and check our surveillance footage," Hector said.

"That won't do any good," Janet. "I think Joe turned everything off before Ray came down the stairs."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Charlie said, "especially if they were planning to meet down there."

Janet spoke. Her question was quiet but to the point. "Do I still have to keep working for Joe?"

Charlie stared out the windshield. "That's certainly something we need to think about." He looked back at Janet. "Tell them what else you told me. About what Ray said to Joe."

Janet related the conversation then repeated the one phrase to them that continued to repeat in her mind. _That the first attempt failed, and not to expect kids to do the job right._ She looked at each man. "Kids. Like maybe those four guys who tried to get in the gym the night I stayed late to paint the reception area."

Hector eyed her and nodded. "That might explain why they were there that night." He looked at Charlie and John. "You think maybe Joe hired them to show up?"

"Yeah," John said. "And conveniently just happened to have someplace to go that night leaving Janet alone." John added.

She nodded but frowned as she thought for a moment.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe so because there was one morning before that incident took place when Joe was at work earlier than usual. He said he had an appointment before his first class and hurried out. And then the night I planned to stay late, he said he had to go to something for his son. Attend a soccer game, I think he said, or something like that. Does he really have a son?"

Charlie nodded.

John and Hector made eye contact.

Charlie noticed. "Don't you two go getting any hairbrained ideas."

"Who is the other man in the photo?" Janet suddenly asked. "I don't recognize him." She looked at each of them again. "I need to know. I have a right to know. All this secrecy has gone on long enough, especially when it involves me. It's evident my life is still in danger. And now we know for certain that Ray is still alive. And worse, he and Joe are well acquainted. Tell me who that other man is and then please take me home." She yawned. "I'm really tired and need to get some sleep."

Hector shook his head. "We're not taking you home. Joe has your address and it's for sure Ray probably does by now as well."

Janet shuddered.

John put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him. She didn't resist.

Charlie voiced everyone's question. "I wonder how long Ray's been in town?"

"Good question," John said. "A very good question."

"Probably since the incident at the gym that night with those kids," Hector said.

Janet straightened up. "I've been thinking the same thing. If I had opened the door that night those kids would have grabbed me and probably taken me to some exchange."

"Yeah," Hector said, "Except those kids would also be dead right now instead of alive and in Juvenile Hall. Joe and Ray wouldn't have allowed them to live."

"I know," she said.

"So, what about her working at the gym?" John asked.

Charlie drew in a deep breath. "We need her there."

Janet stiffened. "What?"

"We need you to continue to work at the gym."

"But why? Why me? All I do is answer phones, greet people, and collect monthly membership fees."

"You tell us," he said. "Just think about it. You saw the photo."

Janet's countenance completely changed. "I don't believe this. You've had me working there to spy on Joe. The whole song and dance routine that John and Hector provided - about how Joe needed help - all of that and more, was a lie. Oh, and that little sing-thing I did on Joe, was so bogus. I even told him so. He could have stopped me cold, but he didn't. Why not? Why does _he_ want me here if not to make it easier to Ray to get his hands on me?" She folded her arms. "And you still want me to work there. No way." She sat back and sighed. "This is just great."

"Think about the photo," Charlie said, "and think about what Ray said to Joe and his threat."

"What threat?" John asked.

Charlie turned half-way to look at Janet directly.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ray threatened Joe that if he messed up again, he'd be dealt with. In other words, I'm sure Ray meant Joe would die." She furrowed her brow. "Joe is going to attempt to have me snatched again, or else do it himself." She was quiet. Contemplative. "Joe's assignment was to get close to me." She paused. "But how did he orchestrate all of this?"

She looked at her companions then directed her next question to Hector and John. "Both of you said Joe needed an assistant. Well, actually you first wanted me to take self-defense classes with him." She frowned again. "Why him? Why not at some other fitness center? Why make it easier for Joe and Ray to grab me?"

Charlie let out a groan. "That would be my doing. You see, we've had some sketchy intelligence that Joe Yee has been part of Ray's organization for a couple of years. He meets a lot of nice young women at his gym. We think some of Ray's merchandise, to put it crudely, has been coming from places like Joe's."

Janet nodded slightly. "So – if that's true, you wanted someone on the inside to do – to do what, exactly?"

First, we needed to get you in and settled," he said. "Then, once you gained his confidence we were going to –"

"Going to what?" She had an idea where the conversation was going but waited for his response.

"Read you in on some of the stuff we needed to know, to put it simply."

Janet had to laugh. "Well, it sounds like a rather half-baked plan to me. I'm one of Ray's targets." She looked at him. "Seriously? Me?"

"Yes," Hector said, "except we never expected Ray to show up there personally."

"I know," Charlie said. "Him being there tonight is a surprise, but that doesn't change the fact that we need more evidence about Joe's involvement in the abductions."

"How much more!" Janet said. "Isn't what happened tonight evidence enough?"

"What happened tonight only proves that Ray is still hell-bent on getting to you. As for the rest of his operation, if Joe is involved and somehow orchestrates some of these abductions, we need solid proof."

Charlie hesitated before continuing. "For now, though, we need to take care of Janet. I have a plan, at least for the very short term." He looked at John. "I want you to pose as Janet's father. The two of you will book adjoining rooms at a hotel near the Long Beach ferry terminal."

John nodded and glanced at Janet whose expression spoke volumes. "We'll just pretend to be father and daughter," he said.

"I get that but why?"

John looked at Charlie.

Charlie made eye contact with Janet through the rearview mirror. "Tomorrow morning, you and John will take a ferry to Catalina Island."

"Catalina." She stared at him. "Okay, but, again, why?"

"You have to trust me," he said.

Janet had had enough. "Well I don't! I don't trust any of you. How do I know the four of you aren't going to turn me over to Ray? How do I really know you are who you say you are? Wait. I don't know who any of you are to begin with. I don't even know your real names."

"Real names," Hector said, surprised. "My real name is Hector Garcia."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Seriously. I can show you my ID."

"Oh, well, forget that. It's a forgery. You're all spies, using false identities to use me for some very nasty purpose. You might as well kill me now because I don't want to go on any stupid ferry to Catalina Island. Not now. Not ever!"

Charlie slumped back in his seat. "I give up."

"Good," Janet said. "Now, take me home. I am so done with all of this."

He started the engine and looked at Hector. "We'll take her home."

# CHAPTER 12

Janet nervously sat with John in the back seat of a cab. After finding her apartment had been tossed and searched while she had been gone, she reluctantly agreed to Charlie's plan. Now she and John were posing as father and daughter ready to vacation on Catalina Island. But first they would spend the night in a hotel near the Long Beach ferry terminal. The plan was to take the earliest ferry to Avalon on the island the next morning.

She rehearsed their plan in her mind. Spend the night in a hotel. Tomorrow morning board a ferry to Avalon. Stay on the island for a couple of days then come back. _Come back? Then what's the point of going? My apartment was ransacked. What would I have to come back to?_

She stared out her window without really seeing anything. The lights from passing vehicles erratically flickered into the cab with no sense of rhythm. Just scattered, chaotic lights. She closed her eyes and felt nearly every bump and jolt of the road as well as acceleration, slowing, and a couple of sudden stops. It didn't matter to her. She was tired and bewildered with these men and their habits. That and what at times, seemed like unpredictable behavior unrelated to the circumstances. _Why Catalina? What's to stop Ray from finding me there as easily as anywhere else?_

By the time they reached the hotel, it was nearly midnight. Charlie had already called ahead and booked the room, so all John needed to do was check in.

"My apologies for the late check-in," John said, making use of a heavier Spanish accent.

Janet did her best not to react.

"Your name, sir?"

"Jose Delgado," John said. "And this is my daughter Alejandra."

"¿De vacaciones?" the clerk casually asked in Spanish.

"Si," Janet replied. "I just wish mother could have come with us," she said, also with a slight Spanish accent. "But my grandmother fell and had to go to the hospital."

"Sí, pero ella nos acompañará por unos días," John replied.

Janet nodded wistfully, doing her best to present a believable story.

The clerk handed John two room key cards. "Enjoy your stay," he said. "Usted también, señorita."

"Gracias," she replied.

They waited until they got to their rooms before saying another word.

"You're Spanish is getting better," John said and grinned.

"I understand more than I can speak, but I've been practicing a little – usually while I'm listening to you and Hector argue with each other. So, where are we going to stay when we get to the island?"

"In an unassuming house," John replied.

"Unassuming house," she repeated.

"Yeah. Nothing fancy – at least not on the outside. It comes in handy for situations like this. You and I will stay there until Hector and Charlie figure out what happened at the apartment. Charlie and Hector are going to toss a couple of things to Joe and explain that you're having second thoughts about working for him."

Janet struck a pose, arms folded. "Second thoughts? So, Charlie is pretty much going to accuse Joe of messing up my apartment."

"I don't think they plan to bring that up. I don't think he or anyone else would expect us to know about that yet. But they will chat about a few other things. I'm not sure what, they're good at improvisation. It's kinda hard to script everything. They will watch him. His body language. His eyes. Tone of voice. That kind of stuff before they decide if they need to get into anything more interesting. We'll see what comes of it. Charlie's decided he needs to push Joe just enough to get him to either tip his hand or meet with Ray again. If he's successful, and Joe does arrange to meet with Ray, we hope to be there too, at least to watch. Like I said, we'll see what comes of their visit this morning."

"Okay, but do I or don't I still work for Joe?"

"Don't know, yet. That's up to Charlie to decide and after he's had a chance to talk with Joe." He waited as Janet checked everything.

She surveyed her room. It was comfortable looking. Nice queen-sized bed. A desk and dresser, and a television, in addition to a few other amenities. She peeked inside empty drawers then noticed a door and opened it only to see another door. She tried to open it. "Locked," she said.

"It leads to my room," he said.

"Your room. Okay." She nodded, still staring at the door, but asked, "So, Charlie. He's in charge? He's the boss now?" She faced John.

"For now."

Janet cocked her head. "For now? What? You take turns? Rotate that responsibility?"

John grinned. "Not necessarily. Plus, I don't think anyone wants to put me in charge of anything. I'm too independent. And so is Hector. Charlie's pretty even-tempered; can think on his feet, so to speak. Just like Craig." He waited for her reaction with the mention of Craig's name, knowing it would come.

She stared at him. "Craig. Where is he? He promised to stay in touch with me – even if through one of you. Is he okay?"

John glanced away. "Yeah. That. Well –" He drew in a deep breath. "Craig is in a deep undercover situation for now. He can't communicate with any of us, and that includes you."

Janet started to protest. "And just how long have you known –"

"But," John said raising one hand. "I can tell you that he isn't in any danger. He's just lying low and on surveillance only. That's it. So, he's pretty safe right now."

"Pretty safe." Janet barely offered a nod. "And you, or one of you, were going to tell me this when?"

"I just did."

"But when did _you_ find out!"

Before John could answer, there was a soft tap at the door. He hurried to check the peephole then opened the door for Charlie and Hector.

"Just in time," John whispered to them.

Charlie raised one eyebrow for a split second while Hector greeted Janet.

"How's our little sis?" he asked reaching for her.

"Just peachy, thanks," she said, as he gave her a hug.

He stepped back. "Peachy?" he asked but noticed the look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'll let you know a few years from now, after all of this is behind us and no one has to keep any more secrets. Because I'm really done with the secrets."

Charlie was curious. "Now what secrets is she talking about?"

"Craig," John said.

"Oh, Craig," Charlie repeated. "He just sent us word that he was going dark for an undisclosed amount of time."

"See?" John said.

Charlie looked at John then back at Janet. "Janet, darlin,' Craig asked me to let you know that he's fine and thinks of you every day. And as soon as he gets back, you will be one of the first to know. He made me promise to tell you that."

Janet desperately wanted to believe him, and John, but still wasn't ready to completely hand over that trust just yet. Even so, she thanked him.

He grinned. "Yes, well in the meantime we'll be keeping a close watch on things around here. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We'll just have to deal with things day-to-day. All we ask is that you keep your eyes open and don't go anywhere alone from now on. That includes your trips to the beach for those therapy sessions."

"Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not," Charlie said. "I understand why spending time at the beach might be good for you. Just don't go alone from now on. That's all we ask."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Oh, and you can turn your phone off any time you like and take out the battery if you want.

She laughed. "Well, if one, or some, of you intend to shadow me from now on, it won't do much good to turn off my phone will it?"

"Just do your best to follow our instructions, Janet. It will be in your best interest if you do." He admired her room. "Not bad. And these are adjoining?" He looked at John.

"Yup. He pointed to the interior door. "I'll go unlock the other one in just a few minutes."

Janet gaped at him. "You'll what?"

"Unlock that door to my room. Why?"

"I don't want you to come traipsing into my room whenever you feel like it."

"I'm not planning to. I'll keep mine unlocked and you keep yours locked. I just want to make sure you can get to me in a hurry if you need to."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to wander in while I'm standing around in my boxers. Unless it's an emergency, so tap on the door first."

Janet giggled.

John pretended to be hurt by holding one hand to his heart. "I'm wounded."

"Oh, stop it," she said and giggled again. "Boxers, huh?" She laughed then redirected her comments to Charlie and Hector. "Okay, so, while John and I are here, where are you two going to stay tonight?"

"We will be on a stakeout," Hector said. "Watching this place. Keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious."

"It's a big hotel," she said, "and there's only two of you."

"Three. Don't forget John."

"But he's going to be in that room all night, right?" She pointed. "When will any of you sleep?"

"Don't worry about us. We'll manage," Charlie said and grinned. "Okay, fellas. Janet needs to get to bed. Let's go."

She quickly stepped up to John. "But you _are_ staying close by, right? Dad?"

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Yes, I am, sweet daughter. I'm not leaving this floor. But like I said, I will leave my adjoining door unlocked if, for any reason, you don't feel comfortable or safe being alone in here. You can come over to my room any time and I promise to keep my clothes on." He winked.

She scowled.

Janet woke a few hours later somewhat rested but unsettled. She checked the time. It was after eight o'clock and morning sunlight faintly glowed around the edges of her closed window drapes. She shoved on her shoes then hurried to the adjoining doors and opened hers. John's was standing wide open. She rushed into his room and stopped.

Charlie looked up from a newspaper he was reading. "Sleep well?"

"I-I suppose but where's John?"

"Walking the hall. Checking the stairwells. He'll be back in a few minutes. Just so you know, I checked in with Joe already this morning and reminded him you're taking a few days off. He remembered."

"And he's okay with it?"

"He is."

"Do you think he suspects I was in the control center last night when he was there with Ray?"

"I doubt it. Why would he?"

"Surveillance cameras? And what about that envelope that was taped under the table?"

Charlie grinned. "We made copies of the pictures and put them back after you and John headed here, and we always do a sweep of the place before we get to talking about anything important. Microphones, cameras, the works. It was clean, so I don't know how he would have known you would still be down there when he came down with Ray later. He'd already left for the day, remember?"

"Actually, what I remember is hearing a soft beep and then Joe suddenly hurrying upstairs. I think he said he forgot something – in his office. He just took off in a pretty big hurry but none of you seemed concerned about it. And why not? Now I'm beginning to think he was expecting Ray!"

"Beep?" John asked.

"Yes," she said. "Similar to the one Craig heard at the Bluff House the night we were invaded. The night I nearly drowned in the ocean with Alex." She stopped and looked away, suddenly thinking of Alex, and wondering how he was and where he was.

"Beep," Charlie repeated. "Why didn't we hear it? I remember Joe took off in a hurry, but I don't remember the beep."

"Maybe because you were all focused on the surveillance videos and talking. I was just sitting here, and I heard it, but only once."

"Huh," he said but with a troubled look. "But you heard it."

"Yes."

"And you didn't say anything."

Janet looked at him in amusement. "With all the secrets you keep from me. I figured it wasn't anything I supposed to even know about or maybe it was just a reminder for Joe or a prompt. You know, like an email message or something."

Charlie let out a very heavy sigh and shook his head. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm getting too old for this stuff; too easily distracted." He stood up. "You hungry? Want some breakfast? I can order room service."

Janet's temperament softened. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you, Janet." He shook his head again. "You know, we used to have a real team of people. About a dozen of us. But little by little they found other work or moved away. It's not easy to pull together reliable and trustworthy people to work for an organization that deals with the kind of stuff we do. I don't know." He stood in the middle of the room staring at nothing. "Now we're spread so thin, we can barely keep up with the work." He let out a laugh. "Heck, we can barely think, let alone act on any tips or other credible leads. The work is getting away from us. We're floundering. And now Craig is out there somewhere – who knows where – chasing someone or something."

Charlie turned to Janet. "He seems to have a singular passion for something. He's driving himself so hard but honestly, me, John, and Hector are at a loss what exactly it is. We just don't know. And when we say we don't know where he is or what he's doing, it's the truth. We don't. He doesn't say much other than, I'll be in touch. Except it can be weeks before we hear from him."

He rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking like this. I don't want you to worry about him."

She managed a sympathetic smile. "Too late. I've worried about him and all of you for quite some time now, which is one of the reasons I ask so many questions. You've all wanted me to trust you and to believe my safety is of great concern to you. I think I see that now, but I'm still so very confused about the fact that I am obviously on someone's radar – whether it's Ray, or someone else, or both. I just don't know why."

He nodded. "I know, and I wish I had more answers for you."

Janet plopped down on the sofa in John's room. "So, I take it, you don't trust Joe."

"No. We began to wonder about him about a year or so ago. But now? That photograph certainly seems to support our suspicion that he's more involved than we first thought. Plus, what you heard Ray say to Joe also suggests they are more closely tied than we originally thought. Of course, that may have been an evolving thing. Could be Ray's been grooming Joe to take a more active role in his business." Charlie paused. "About all the secrets," he began. "I've made the decision to fill you in on a few things. But you must understand this is confidential. You absolutely cannot even breathe the slightest indication that you know anything about what I am going to share with you, especially when you're around Joe. Do you understand?"

Janet nodded.

"If you're not comfortable with that, let me know now, otherwise, I will hold you one hundred percent accountable for what I'm about to tell you. You okay with that?" Charlie waited for a response.

She nodded again.

"Alright." He sat in a chair near the sofa and continued. "Like I said, Joe's been on our radar for quite some time. Even before your unfortunate experiences in San Francisco we began to suspect him of a few things. Now it seems he's been working with Ray for a while, we just don't know how long. What we do know is that a couple of young women have been reported missing who were also members of Joe's fitness center. They fit the general description of the type of women Ray's been, shall we say – collecting, for a number of years."

"You mean like Sally."

He nodded. "Exactly. Gals like Sally, other college girls - everywhere; all up and down the coast, across the country, you name it. Even you."

Janet's expression flickered a moment, but she kept listening with great interest.

"What you heard the other night, confirmed our suspicions about Joe and confirmed that Ray is indeed very much alive. But for him to show up at the gym was a big surprise and risky. Still, we need to know just how tight Joe is with Ray beyond keeping his eyes open for suitable women to feed into Ray's business. Obviously, there is the possibility of a deeper connection. That photo you found certainly suggests that. And speaking of the photo, as I said, we put it back. Hector did while you and John were headed here. He took a photo of it first then taped it back where you found it. We just didn't want Joe to know we saw it in case he planned to go back for it any time soon. He was also going to check our closed-circuit surveillance system."

Janet nodded but remained quiet.

"Okay. Now there's one other thing I need to tell you. Listen to me first and let me explain everything before you get all upset and jump down my throat."

"What? I won't –"

"Just wait a minute. Like I said, give me a chance to explain before you get upset."

"Upset," she repeated with trepidation. "Okay," she said and waited.

Charlie continued. "So, after what happened in San Francisco, and after it was decided you should go to that retreat in Colorado for counseling and PTSD treatments – all of that, it was also decided we needed someone on the inside at Joe's place."

Janet immediately reacted but Charlie quickly held up his hand. Janet drew in a deep breath and exhaled heavily, then settled back to continue listening.

"It was decided we needed someone on the inside, as I said, but we just didn't know how to make that happen without raising any alarms. We were banking on the hope that Joe was confident we didn't know about his connection to Ray. Even though we had no substantial proof at the time. But there were too many little things that seemed to point in that direction." He paused.

"That's when someone suggested you as our inside person."

Janet's eyes were wide.

"We discussed it at length. Pros and cons. All of that. Ultimately it was up to one person to give the go-ahead."

Janet closed her eyes desperately wanting to know who it was but somehow thought she already knew. She teared up and in a quiet voice said, "Craig."

Charlie nodded. "Yes."

Janet stood and shoved fingers into her hair. She began to pace a little then faced Charlie, and let her hair fall around her shoulders. "You know I told Craig I loved him. He didn't say anything. It was Christmas morning. He'd come over for breakfast. Actually, he'd also come over on Christmas Eve and stayed for dinner." She wiped at her face. "He showed up unexpectedly. We had such a good time together. And when he agreed to come back Christmas Day, I was so excited. But after breakfast, Christmas morning, he said he had to leave and that he'd be gone for a while." She shook her head. "I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay and be with me all day. And more days. I didn't want him to leave."

She struggled. "As he stood at the door to leave Christmas morning, I begged him to take me with him. But he said he couldn't and as he stepped out the door, I asked him to wait and then I said it." She couldn't stop the tears. "I told him I loved him, and he walked out without a word. I haven't seen or heard from him since then." She lost control and began to sob.

Charlie was on his feet and pulled her close. "It's okay, Janet. You can cry all you want but I have to tell you something else."

She sniffed. "What?"

"You still have that locket?"

She pulled back and stared up at him. "How did you know about the locket?"

He smiled with tender eyes. "He wanted you to have something to remind you of him. So, we talked about it and he mentioned the locket. And it's because he loves you too that he decided to give that to you. There is something very special about that locket."

"He loves me?"

"He does. We all do."

She nodded and reached for the locket tucked beneath her shirt. "It is special. He put pictures of us both in it." She pulled it out and admired the delicate gold filigree then opened it to look at the photo of Craig.

"It is beautiful," Charlie said. "But there is something else special about it."

Janet looked at him. "There is? What?"

He grinned. "There's a tracking chip in it. That way, he always knows where you are."

She stifled a gasp. "A tracking chip," she repeated softly. "He always knows where I am?"

"Yes. So, when he made the decision to place you at Joe's gym, John, Hector, and I also received orders to keep track of you – constantly. Any time you ran off, especially to do your therapy thing at the beach, we all went into panic mode, my dear. Anything happens to you – we're all gonna be at the mercy of the boss. I do not relish that idea."

"Wait. I knew it! Craig _is_ the boss. He has been all along."

"Yup. He calls the shots."

"But I was beginning to think you were the boss."

"I'm second in command, so to speak."

Janet returned to her chair and slumped down. "Wow." She started to laugh then let out a sigh.

"What's so funny?"

"Craig." She shook her head and laughed again. "He posed as this teetering old man in downtown San Francisco. I was finishing up some last-minute Christmas shopping and I ran into him – literally. But I thought he really was this old guy. He had a very proper British Accent and wore nice clothes. Carried a cane. Had gray hair and a beard and mustache, neatly trimmed of course." She paused a moment to reflect and smiled. "We rode together on the bus and I got off to head home then he called to me. He'd gotten off the bus as well and said I dropped a package. A small box wrapped in shiny green paper and tied with a red ribbon." She smiled again, at the memory. "I told him it wasn't mine.

"When he showed up unexpectedly at my new apartment, I was so excited to see him alive and well. He stayed. We had dinner together – a pasta dish. He even watched a movie with me and – well he promised to come back for Christmas Day. And he did. And we had breakfast. And we talked and laughed, and it was so nice. One of the best Christmases I've had in a long time. I remember he asked about my family. I told him about my mom, and my sister, and my grandmother who's dead. I said I didn't know anything about my father, but that all my life I wondered about who my father was." She paused then laughed again.

"I said I often imagined that my father was a spy."

"A spy?" Charlie asked with a chuckle.

"Yes. My sister and I made up these ridiculous stories about our imaginary father and we both decided he was a spy. We just felt the need to create something interesting about a man we never knew. My mom and grandmother never talked about our dad to me or Mary, so we both made up stories about him and imagined that maybe he was a war hero, or perhaps he died in a war. I remember one time I decided he was still alive but married to someone else and had another family and didn't think about us at all. And that he probably had a dog."

"A dog."

Janet wiped her face and looked at Charlie. "Yeah. I always wanted a dog." She shrugged. "Well, anyway." She paused again. "You know, before he left, he said something that really touched me."

"What was that?"

"He said that if he were my father, he'd tell me to be brave and strong and not give up. Something like that." She wiped away another tear. "It was after he left Christmas morning that I found that tiny green wrapped box with the red ribbon tucked under my Christmas tree." She struggled to hold onto her emotions. "I really wished he _were_ my father. I really did."

"It's okay, Janet," Charlie said. "Take a moment."

She sniffed and wiped at her face. "Okay. So, Craig wants me to be his inside person." She nodded. "I can do that. I'll do it for him and all of you. I guess I've already been doing it – sorta."

"You've been doing a great job, Janet. You've gained Joe's trust; at least it seems like it and that's the first step. Now all we need is for you to keep doing the same things you've been doing and to continue to pay attention to whatever is going on. Anything. And because you are very aware of the type of activity Ray's organization is involved in – at least some of it, we know you are the perfect person to be there for us. And now that you are aware of what we're dealing with and Craig's desire that you help, it will be doubly important that you not change how you handle things there."

She nodded vigorously. "I can do this. I can. And I will. If Craig trusts me enough to be there and help in some way, I will show him I can do it. I will be more cooperative and less argumentative with you guys. I promise."

Charlie's face broke into a wide grin. "We know you can handle this. I think John likes to describe you as someone with spunk. Isn't that what he says?"

"Sometimes, yes. He does." She smiled and looked at her locket again. "And Craig knows where I am."

"Yes, and – so do we now. Craig gave us the frequency, so whether your phone is on or not, even if you take out the battery, we've got you covered. We'll always be able to find you. That is unless you decide to take off that locket."

She grabbed at it through her blouse. "Never. I'll never take it off." She looked pensive. "It's almost like a mixed blessing." She laughed. "Now I have absolutely no privacy."

"Well, take heart. We can't hear anything you say or see what you're doing. We can only track your location."

# CHAPTER 13

It was a beautiful day to take a ferry across the channel to Catalina Island. John and Janet boarded just before ten o'clock and were well underway shortly thereafter. Once the pilot carefully navigated the Los Angeles River and passed The Queen Mary, a floating 1930's vintage hotel, they headed for open waters.

The day was calm, aside from a typical ocean breeze, which was warm and inviting. Janet nervously allowed John to lead her to the rail of the boat, but he kept his arm around her trying to help her admire the beauty of the ocean and the sprawling coastline of southern California. In the distance Catalina Island rose out of the sea, beckoning. Janet began to feel queasy, so John helped her back inside the spacious passenger cabin and led her to seats near the centerline of the craft. He explained that they wouldn't feel the pitch and yaw of the boat quite as much as they would sitting on either side.

It took about an hour to reach Avalon but during that time, Janet remained in her seat, clinging to John and with her eyes closed. Once they tied up, she was anxious to get off the boat and away from the water's edge. They joined a crowd of excited passengers, eager to disembark and begin a day of sightseeing, sunbathing, and shopping.

With duffle bags in hand, John held her back just long enough to allow a few other passengers to move away while he casually scanned the crowds. He then led her to a small nearby parking lot. They stopped at a parked golf cart where John loaded their bags onto a back seat then gestured for her to climb in.

"A golf cart?" she asked as she settled onto the seat.

John got in behind the wheel and grinned. "Why not? This place is crawling with them. Hang on. It's just a short ride from here to our house."

Janet was captivated by everything, including the scenery and the warm ocean breeze as they quietly scooted along. He carefully dodged pedestrians and bicyclists, and he was right about the golf carts, they were everywhere. Although there were a few larger vehicles here and there, including small delivery vans, golf carts were the preferred mode of transportation for the narrow and bustling streets.

As promised, they soon pulled up to a nice, but unpretentious-looking house. About the only thing separating any of the houses from the street was a sidewalk and although they didn't have common walls, for the most part, the easement between each one, was sparse. Their house was a two-story wood-sided building, including an upstairs covered porch overlooking the narrow street. She expected it likely provided a nice view of the hills, the city of Avalon, and the open water that stretched between them and the California coastline beyond. He parked in a narrow space adjacent to the front door of the house and climbed out then grabbed their bags from the back seat and showed her inside.

Janet admired the openness of the downstairs. It was nicely furnished, with two facing sofas and a coffee table between them. Two additional side chairs completed the group setting. She wandered into a small but efficient kitchen and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Think this will do?" John asked.

Janet nodded. "Yes. It's very nice." She nodded again. "And you guys own this place?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"I won't ask what that means," she replied sarcastically.

He grinned. "Hungry? We have plenty of food."

She eyed him suspiciously. "We just made the decision to come here yesterday. So how did –" She stopped. "Never mind. When am I going to learn to stop asking stupid questions?"

"It's not a stupid question. We stock a lot of non-perishables here just in case and we have a freezer full of frozen stuff."

"Which is great, unless the power goes out," Janet said.

"Yeah. Unless it does, but so far we've had pretty good luck."

Janet sat on a barstool at a marble countertop. "Now what? Do we just stay here and wait for the next couple of days?"

"We'll stay put until Charlie and Hector have a chance to talk to Joe, which they plan to do today. Then we'll see."

"Will we be able to get out and walk around?"

"Not right away. Sorry. But you can watch television, eat something, take a nap, read a book, stare at me all day. Whatever." He grinned.

"Yeah. I think I'll just stare at you all day. And follow you around like a faithful little puppy. I will not let you out of my sight."

"Sounds like a plan." He laughed at her expression. "I'll do the same."

She hopped off the stool. "Where will I sleep, if I do decide to take a nap?"

He took her hand. "Let's go upstairs."

There were three bedrooms, one allocated for her use alone, where she deposited her bag then she stepped into a room overlooking the street below and stood at a large window next to a door.

"Can I go out there?" she asked, pointing at the covered deck.

"Sure. Just stay away from the rail for now."

She looked at him with concern. "You think we were followed, don't you?"

"Don't know for sure, but there is always that possibility."

"Then why come here? Why not stay on the mainland? We're kinda stuck here, don't you think, since it's an island? Kinda like being trapped here."

"I suppose, except being on this particular island helps us contain our situation a little. Although it's crowded out there right now, there's still fewer people milling around and a lot of them will go back to the mainland by the end of the day, leaving even fewer people here to worry about overnight."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that makes sense. But what if we need to get off the island in a hurry, then what? The ferries only run during certain hours."

"Good point, but we have a contingency plan."

"Which is?"

"Fly out."

"Fly? From where?"

"From the Airport in the Sky."

"Uh-huh."

"Seriously. There is an airport on the island. Located on one of the highest hilltops in about the middle of the island. It's called the Airport in the Sky. It can get a little wicked landing there, with the winds at times, but it's usually okay."

"Alright, but how do you get to it?"

"From here? Drive a narrow, winding dirt road for about thirty minutes or more – depending on how fast we drive."

"Yeah. That's a sure-fire contingency plan," she said then asked. "Why didn't we just fly in, to begin with?"

"Didn't want to attract too much attention. But as for a serious emergency plan, someone will hurry to our aid in a chopper and land much closer than the airport. Just up the road from here. We've got it all worked out, so you don't need to worry about any of that. Just relax. Sit out here on the deck if you like but stay back here and away from the street. And if you do want to be out here, I can bring my laptop out here and work."

"Work?"

"Yup. It's how I get paid."

She tossed him a smug look. "Are we going to keep up our ruse of being Latino vacationers? On our daddy-daughter get-away?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On how things pan out. We'll play it by ear."

She let out a chuckle. "Do you think that guy at the hotel desk really believed we were father and daughter? The way he looked at my suggested he had other thoughts about us."

John grinned. "Does it matter?"

Janet didn't reply.

The morning wore on. Janet sat on the deck for about thirty minutes before boredom set in. She and John went back inside and while she headed for her bedroom, he settled into a room across from hers to continue working on his laptop. At one point, he got up to check on her. She was curled up on top of her bed, sound asleep. He found a lightweight blanket to cover her and returned to his room, leaving both bedroom doors open.

He had just gotten seated when his phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID. It was from Charlie.

John closed his door partway then answered. "How did it go?"

"Haven't met with him yet. We're headed their now. Just wanted to give you the heads-up," Charlie said. "How's our girl doing?"

"She's fine. Napping for now." John peeked out his door to confirm she was. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah and either me or Hector will get back to you after we talk to Joe."

"Sounds good," John said.

They hung up and John checked on Janet once more to make sure she was still asleep. She was breathing rhythmically so he returned to his computer and pulled up more surveillance footage he'd saved to a thumb drive. He continued a meticulous scan of the images in search of anything else that might provide more information about Joe's business and other known or unknown persons coming and going.

About an hour later, Janet stood in her open doorway.

John noticed and smiled. "Have a good nap?"

"I guess." She wandered across the hall. "What are you doing?"

"Checking surveillance footage from Joe's place."

She came closer. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"People."

"And?"

"So far nothing out of the ordinary." He pointed to a chair. "Bring that over here and you can help me."

"Help? You want me to help you?"

"Sure. You're very familiar with Joe's business. You might catch something I don't."

She was surprised but pleased at his invitation and pulled up the chair.

Charlie and Hector, in the meantime, drove to Joe's gym and found him sitting in his office.

"The outer door was standing wide open," Charlie said. "You good with that or do you want one of us to close it, since no one's at the reception desk."

"I guess it can stay open," Joe said. "I heard you come in. Those beads, you know." He grinned.

"Yeah," Charlie said and chuckled. "They are a dead give-away but only if someone actually walks into the gym."

Joe gave a nod.

Hector interrupted. "Excuse me. I need to use the head." He walked out as Charlie sat down across from Joe.

"Hope you don't mind us dropping in on short notice," Charlie said.

"Nope. I'm just catching up on some bookkeeping," Joe replied. "So, what's up?"

"Just a couple of things. Starting with Janet, I guess."

"Yeah?" Joe said, with a look of concern. "Is she okay? I'm a little worried about this sudden situation. I thought she liked it here."

"Oh, she does, for the most part. I think she's still a little upset about that break-in. She's had a lot to deal with for the past couple of years or so. Pretty intense stuff, actually."

"That's true. PTSD?"

"Yeah, but she's working through it. Has a therapist helping her."

"Is there something I can do to help?" Joes asked as Hector returned.

Hector grabbed a folding chair leaning against the wall, next to Joe's jacket hanging on a convenient nail, and placed it next to Charlie. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really," Charlie said.

Joe looked at them both for a moment. "Is there something else you want to talk about?"

Hector and Charlie exchanged looks.

Charlie leaned forward. "Well, it appears this place may have become compromised."

"Compromised?" Joe displayed a look of concern.

"Yeah. Someone was spying on the place recently. Took pictures. It was after that Saturday meeting."

Joe looked surprised. "Taking pictures? How do you know?"

"Got it all on surveillance footage."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Some woman."

"Really."

Charlie gave a single nod in response.

Joe sat back and let out a soft whistle. "Wow. I thought we had this place under wraps."

"So, did we," Hector said and looked at Charlie who withdrew an envelope from a jacket pocket.

"Take a look at these," Charlie said. "See if you recognize anyone." Charlie handed Joe the envelope.

He withdrew the photos and studied each one while Charlie and Hector watched him carefully.

Joe frowned then asked, "How did you get these shots? They're not from our cameras." He looked up.

"Part of the surveillance. One of my guys was parked out on that side street keeping an eye on things. Saw this woman taking shots so he got some of his own. You recognize her?"

Joe shook his head. "Not at all. Who do you think she is?"

"Don't know, but we're concerned about her and why she was so interested in our meeting."

Joe nodded. "Me too. Did you run her image through facial recognition?"

"Tried to. Not conclusive. Not the best picture of her."

Joe nodded again and handed the photos back to Charlie.

"That's okay," Charlie said. "You hang on to them, just in case you happen to see someone looking like her hanging around."

"Okay. I can do that." Joe put the envelope in a desk drawer. "Anything else?"

Charlie shook his head. "Not that I can think of. Hector?"

Hector shook his head. "Can't think of a thing," he said.

"Okay, then," Charlie said as he and Hector stood. "We'll get going. We know you have a class coming in soon, but we just wanted to let you know about that woman, in case she shows up here for some reason. Oh, and if you do see her or think of something else, let us know."

"I will do that," Joe said and stood as well.

"We'll see ourselves out so you can finish getting ready," Charlie said. He and Hector walked across the workout floor and tossed the hanging beads aside on their way out.

Joe watched then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "We may have a problem," he said when someone answered. "We need to meet. I have some photos to share with you." He listened. "Sure. Eight o'clock. I'll be there."

Charlie drove while Hector monitored sound bites from Joe's gym.

"He just made a call. Sounds like he's planning to meet with someone tonight around eight. But right now, people are starting to show up for his class. It's going to get pretty noisy in there."

"That might present a problem," Charlie said, "especially if someone in one of his classes is a contact or possibly a handler if he has one. It'll be hard to pick up on any conversation between them if that's the case."

"I know," Hector said, "but I'll do what I can."

"What about his car?" Charlie asked.

"I've been thinking about that," Hector replied. "But if Ray is involved in this meet tonight, you can be sure someone will be staked out to keep an eye on Joe and his place the rest of the day. Which means there's no way we can tag his car."

"Which is also going to make it all the harder for us to follow Joe."

"True enough," Hector said. "But I did manage to drop a bug into his jacket pocket when I grabbed that folding chair. It was leaning against the wall right next to his jacket hanging on that nail he likes to use."

"Good man! Let's just hope he doesn't dig around in his pockets before tonight."

"Yeah, and let's hope he takes his jacket with him."

"That, too," Charlie replied.

John stopped watching surveillance footage when his phone vibrated. "How did it go?" he asked, obviously anxious.

"Pretty well, I'd say," Charlie said.

"That's good," he replied and smiled at Janet. "Oh, Janet's sitting right here," he said. "Okay to put you on speaker?"

"You bet," Charlie said.

John did so and put the phone down so Janet could listen. "Okay," he said. "So, what happened?"

"Well, first off, we want to know how our sweet Janet is doing."

"I'm okay," she said, "but we're really anxious to know how it went with Joe."

"It went pretty well, for starters. We showed him some of the photos you took of that woman," Charlie replied. "Joe said he didn't recognize her, but we're not so sure about that because as soon as we left, he made a phone call. He's supposed to meet someone tonight at eight. We just don't know who it is or where so that means we'll have to tag along – see what we can find out.

"In the meantime, Hector managed to place three tiny listening devices in the gym, including one just outside Joe's office door. They don't have much of a range, so we'll have to stay close by to listen. But if all goes well, we might be able to catch some other significant conversations he might have today. Oh, and Hector also managed to put a tiny tracking bug in Joe's jacket pocket. So that makes four. We'll see what comes of it and keep you both posted."

"And you don't know who he called?" John asked.

"Nope. Not a clue at this point. He didn't identify the person by name, and we were only able to hear his side of the conversation."

"Then just be sure he's not leading you into a trap. If he suspects either of you for any reason, this so-called meet could be a setup or an ambush."

"We thought of that," Charlie said. "We'll be careful. So, how are you two doing? Find anything interesting in that surveillance footage?"

"Not yet. It's all been rather routine, but we'll keep looking. Janet's helping." He grinned at her. "Other than that, I think we're good here."

"Okay," Charlie replied. "Well, if you don't have anything else for us, we're gonna get going and set up somewhere nearby."

"Sounds good."

"Wait," Janet said.

"Yes?" Charlie asked.

"When you showed Joe those photos you didn't tell him I'm the one who took them, did you?"

"Oh, heck no. We just told him we had someone else out that morning watching things – as part of our routine surveillance. He probably thinks it was John since Hector was in that meeting. We got you covered."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Anything else?"

John looked at Janet who shook her head. "Not at the moment," John replied, "Be careful."

"We will," Charlie said. "You too and let us know if you find anything or if you need anything. We'll let you know how everything goes down this afternoon and later tonight. If we get a lead on something in the meantime, we'll let you know."

"Same here," John said then hung up and pocketed his phone. He looked at Janet. "They'll be okay."

She managed a nod, but her worried expression did not change.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Not really. First, back to that Saturday morning meeting, why was Hector there?"

John thought for a moment. "Well, that's a good question and I'm not at liberty to say anything right now."

She nodded. "Okay. Then other than that I am worried about them and that meeting tonight. What if they get caught, or worse?"

"They'll have to be extremely careful when they follow Joe. And like I said to Charlie, it could be a set up if Joe is even the least bit suspicious, especially, since they don't know who he's going to meet."

She grabbed his arm. "It could be Ray. That's what you're thinking, isn't it? And if he is there, or even if he isn't, he'll have his own people there, and probably more than just a couple of extra gunmen. There were all kinds of people at that Treasure Island warehouse where they had me and Alex tied up, remember?" She stopped and released her grip. "Sorry. I'm just worried, that's all."

"I know. Me too, and you're exactly right." He wrapped an arm around her. "The thing is, we do know a little bit about Ray and his tactics. Plus, Hector and Charlie are very good at what they do. They'll be careful."

Janet studied John's face. "You wish you were with them, don't you?"

He let go a grin. "Yeah. Kinda."

"I'm sorry you pulled the short straw."

"Short straw?" He let out a laugh. "You mean because I'm sitting here with you instead of out there with them? Not at all. I volunteered to stay with you. Besides, I think Hector is the better man in this situation. And Charlie too. They make a good team. And sometimes, fewer is better. Besides I have more patience looking at surveillance footage than either of them, so this is perfect."

He studied her face. "You know, Ray may employ a lot of goons to do his dirty work, but it's hard to keep track of a lot of people, especially the kinds he hires. Not one of them is trustworthy. Ray takes chances hiring that sort. If they are well paid, they tend to toe the line, but he still can't trust them. Not really. We, on the other hand, work best in two's or three's and are committed to our cause. So, I have every confidence in Hector and Charlie. They'll be fine."

"Your cause," she repeated. "What exactly is your cause?"

"In a phrase, get rid of the bad guys." He could tell she didn't like his simplistic answer. "Look, we've seen too much evil during our lives, Hector and I, that is. We grew up in a small town in Mexico and had to be very careful what we did, and who we hung out with, especially when we were teenagers. We saw some pretty nasty stuff and eventually took off for the United States hoping to get away from a lot of that. The problem is, crossing the border didn't help that much. There's a lot of bad stuff here too. The biggest difference is most of the cops here don't look the other way. They do try to take care of the bad stuff. But we still don't like what's going on. So, we do what we can to help eliminate it." He waited but she said nothing. "What we do covers a lot of ground."

She finally responded. "But I get the feeling that sometimes all of you do bad stuff too. Outside of the law."

He thought about that. "You're right. Sometimes we do give the bad guys a taste of their own medicine," he said.

"Yes but –"

"You've heard the phrase, 'fight fire with fire,' right?"

"Yes, but –"

"Firemen do that. Like for instance with wildfires. They'll set fires to stop a fire. It may seem like a bad thing to do – to start more fires as a tool, or a weapon, but it works. That's kind of how we approach our kind of work. We don't go out there looking for trouble and just start shooting. We shoot when necessary. Kill when it's completely necessary, but we don't go out looking to kill people just to kill. That's not us."

Janet thought about it and finally nodded. "I suppose," she said. "But you're still worried, aren't you?"

"Of course, I am. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Hey. Let's look at some more of this footage and not dwell on what they're doing right now, or what they may be doing later tonight. If there is even the slightest chance, we can find something that could help, all the better. This is important work too, and right now, you and I are partners."

Janet managed a smile. "Partners. Okay. I can be your partner. I do want to help. It's better than just sitting around or not knowing what's going on. So yes, let's keep looking."

Charlie and Hector drove around the general vicinity of Joe's gym most of the afternoon. They'd park in one place for a while, then another hoping not to catch anyone's attention. They even visited a couple of fast food places, using the drive-thru to order then park somewhere within range of Joe's Gym to eat while they listened.

The chatter coming from the gym was mundane and typical of facilities like his. Most of what they could hear was the workout music and Joe giving instructions during his morning and afternoon aerobics classes and clapping to the rhythm of the music here and there. Other than that, they would catch unrelated conversations between some of his clientele as they came and went throughout the day.

It was while his late afternoon class was wrapping up that they heard Joe's occasional clapping had changed. Now they could hear the clapping had become more continuous, unlike during his two previous classes.

They both continued to listen until Hector suddenly stiffened.

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"The clapping. Did you notice how it's changed? There's more of it and he's added in the secondary beat here and there. You know that rhythmic musical technique with those extra quick beats in between the basic beat."

"Yeah," Charlie said. "I do hear it. Syncopation, I think it's called."

Hector fished some paper from the glove box and a pencil then kept listening. He started to nod. "Yeah. I think I'm hearing something else. He closed his eyes while he listened then began to make notations on the paper at the same time.

"You think it's a code? Like Morse code?" Charlie asked while watching him make notations.

"Maybe," Hector replied.

"Clever," Charlie said then held up a hand. "Wait. Does it sounds like someone closer to one of the microphones is also clapping like that?"

Hector listened and nodded. "Yeah. I think you're right."

"Ah, damn," Charlie suddenly said. "Now more people are clapping, but to the beat of the music. Man, I wish we could see what he's doing right now besides clapping and jumping around to the music."

Hector grinned at Charlie's remark but agreed. "I know but I think I'm getting some of it."

Both continued to listen until the class was over. They could hear Joe thanking everyone for coming and to have a safe drive home then he clapped again.

Hector was visibly excited. He turned to Charlie and gave him a knowing look before saying anything. "You know, I'm hungry again. Let's head on over to our favorite burger joint."

"Sounds good to me," Charlie said. "Besides I'm getting tired. I think I need a nap after we eat. It sucks getting old."

They both laughed as Charlie pulled out into traffic. "I think I'm gonna get one of those double cheeseburgers this time," he said, "with a big order of fries."

"Don't get carried away," Hector said. "I thought you had a cholesterol problem."

"Not today. I want a double cheeseburger with fries and that's what I'm getting."

Back on the island, Janet awoke from a short nap. She was on edge and went downstairs to look for a snack. John was now sitting at the small kitchen table with his computer.

"Are you still looking at those surveillance videos?" she asked.

"Uh, no. Now I'm running some images through a facial recognition program. It's a long shot, but I decided it was better than nothing."

"I'm worried about Charlie and Hector," she said.

John glanced at his watch. He nodded. "Yeah, me too, but they should be calling in pretty soon. He let out a sigh and sat back. "Nothing came up." He looked at his watch again. "How about we find out where they are. I'll ping their phones." Moments later he had something. "Here we go," he said and pointed at his computer screen. "Looks like they're at –" he paused. "At Charlie's house. I think I'll give them a call.

"Change of plans," Charlie said when he answered. "We decided to grab some burgers and give that old rig of mine a bath – at that car wash we all like to use. Anyway, we just got in and were getting ready to call you."

John laughed. "Car wash, huh? Yeah, she was looking a little grimy. All squeaky clean now?"

"Yeah. Scraped off some bugs, polished her up a bit. She's looking real fine now." He chuckled. "Real fine. So, me and Hector decided to hang out tonight. Watch a video, maybe two, and turn in early."

"I think I will too," John said. "Hey, do you suppose I could take a few days off? I wanted to do some fishing."

"Fishing. Now that sounds relaxing," Charlie said. "Sure. Why not?"

Janet started to protest but John's hand shot up, so she remained quiet but confused.

"Thanks," John said.

"Yeah, no problem," Charlie replied. "I think maybe we all should take a break. We've got nothing going on right now and I'm tired. It's been quite a week. I've had my fill of carting high and mighty folks around these past few days. Getting on my nerves, you know? And Hector is just flat out done in. In fact, a couple of days ago he asked about taking some time off too. Okay. Well, you take it easy. Hope you catch something. Just be sure to invite me over for dinner if you do. Otherwise let's regroup the middle of next week sometime. How's that sound?"

"Perfect." John replied. "I think I'll turn in soon. I'd like to get an early start in the morning."

John hung up and put his phone down. "Interesting."

"What?" Janet asked excitedly. "What happened?"

"They aborted their surveillance of Joe for the night. Something didn't feel right."

Janet blinked then looked at John. "What? Charlie didn't say anything about that. Just that they were going to eat and watch movies – and sleep."

John smiled. "I know that's what they said, but I also know what he meant. And that part about washing his car? It's a technique we use to scan for unwanted devices stuck to our vehicles. Sounds like they found something." He stood. "I think you and I should do the same as them."

"The same? Eat burgers and watch movies?"

"We can if you want, but I was talking about getting some sleep. We'll eat, then turn in. Like I told him, we need to get an early start tomorrow."

# CHAPTER 14

Janet groggily rolled over to listen. Someone was tapping at her door. She raised up on her elbows and stared at it. "John?"

"Yup. You awake?"

She moaned. "What time is it?"

"Time to get up."

She moaned again. "I don't want to get up," she said but sat on the edge of her bed anyway.

"You have to."

Janet flopped back; her legs draped over the edge of the bed. "Why?"

"We need to get going."

She suddenly sat up, then stood and quickly went to her door. She flung it open, startling John.

He stared. "You slept in your clothes?"

"Yes."

He grinned. "Perfect. So, did I. It'll save time because we have to leave."

"Leave? Where are we going?"

"To another part of the island so get your shoes on and meet me downstairs. He started to turn away. "You got fifteen minutes, he said then hurried down to the first floor.

Although bewildered, Janet didn't dawdle, detecting a sense of urgency in his voice. She joined him in the kitchen in less than fifteen minutes with questions written all over her face.

"Before you ask," he said in anticipation of an avalanche of queries, "I'll explain." He finished preparing a simple breakfast for them and spent the next ten minutes or so sharing what he'd learned from Hector an hour earlier. "After they found a tracking device hidden on the undercarriage of Charlie's car, they decided to abort their original intention of following Joe." Then his eyes lit up. "Plus, Hector discovered a coded message."

"He what? Where?"

John put a plate of food in front of her. "Eat up," he said and sat down with his own plate before continuing. "At Joe's gym, but it was cleverly disguised."

"How?"

"In his late afternoon aerobics classes – during his routine."

"His routine?" She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just answer this question; have you ever noticed Joe clap during any of his classes?"

"Clap."

"Yeah, you know. Like to the beat of the music?"

Janet thought for a moment. "Maybe. Yes. I think so sometimes but why? Lots of people like to clap to the sound of music. Although he doesn't always stick to the rhythm."

"That's it! It's the clapping, Janet. Joe disguises messages to someone with clapping during some of his classes."

Janet stared at her plate then looked up with understanding. "Clapping. Okay, yes. Like I said occasionally he does do that. I just never thought about it. It seems kind of a natural response to music. Tap your foot, snap your fingers, or clap. You know."

"Exactly. Do you remember during which classes he would do that?"

She took a bite of her scrambled eggs and tried to remember. "It seems to me that he started to do that just in the afternoons. Like maybe the last afternoon class, but he only started doing that within the last few weeks. I thought maybe he was trying to get the afternoon crowd more energized or something." She looked up. "Does that help?"

"It might. Can you provide a list of students that come to the afternoon classes?"

"I can get you a list of members, but they don't sign up for specific classes, at least not for aerobics. The only classes anyone must sign up for are his martial arts ones – which, by the way, he's doesn't do as many of those anymore. But as for the aerobics classes, a lot the members just drop in when they can."

He nodded. "Okay. He took his plate to the sink. "Finish up. We need to get moving."

They quickly washed their dishes and put everything away then grabbed their duffle bags. John took one last look around then led Janet outside. The sky was barely a faint gray with the very early signs of the coming sunrise.

He silently motioned for Janet to climb into the golf cart then they quietly headed toward the main area of Avalon and back to where they'd picked up the cart when they first arrived. Both climbed out and John walked her to a jeep parked nearby.

She hesitated.

"It's okay. It's ours as well. The golf cart won't get us very far, but the jeep will because we have a distance to travel."

Fifteen minutes later, they had managed to work their way out of town and onto a paved road that followed the contour of a hillside on the western side of the island and to the north and higher into the mountains. It was wide in some places and narrow in others, but with no traffic at this time of day, it didn't matter. Trees were sparse but natural scrub vegetation abounded as far as Janet could see in the gloom of the very early morning sunlight. They eventually rounded the base of the hill and Janet let out a gasp of admiration at the view. The wide expanse of the channel separating the island from the Pacific coast loomed large and gray in the barely perceptible sunrise, while lights glittered along the California coastline.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"Yeah," John agreed, "and I'm glad there's no fog this morning. It's still cold but at least we can see where we're going."

The road narrowed as they continued to climb higher up the mountain but at least it was still paved. John worked the gears, shifting frequently to accommodate the twists, turns, and the safest speed.

"You haven't explained, yet, where we're going, or why," Janet said.

"Airport in the Sky," he replied and stole a glance at her. "You finally get to see for yourself it really exists." He shifted again as they encountered another tight turn.

They'd been on the road for nearly half an hour but were still climbing up the side of a mountain. They came around a curve and encountered eucalyptus trees growing along the cliffside of the narrow lane. Each had been planted in nearly uniform intervals. They formed a natural barrier from the road to a very steep drop into a rugged canyon below. Janet took some comfort in the thoughtful planting of those trees.

John shifted again to work through a hairpin turn past more eucalyptus trees and one lone, but well-established palm tree. Again, they continued their climb. By now the road was not in the best condition, and only one car wide in a lot of places. They rounded another tight turn, and again the vista was spectacular, especially now that the sun had crested the eastern mountains of the mainland to wash the entire area in spectacular morning sunlight.

The steady line of planted trees stood as protective sentinels as far as Janet could see to what appeared to be, the top of the hill ahead. "Are we close?" she asked.

"Closer than we were when we left our cozy house," John replied.

Suddenly they were at a summit. A short distance ahead, he pulled off the road and headed toward a viewpoint, complete with a bench and overhead covering.

"Let's take a break," John said. "I need to stretch my legs."

Janet climbed out of the jeep and admired the view. A gust of wind tossed her hair creating a chill and she shivered. Overhead, clouds were moving in. "Is it going to rain?" she asked and pulled her jacket tighter around her body.

"Might," he said. "You want to drive for a while?"

"No thanks. I don't know how to drive a stick."

"What?" John looked at her in abject horror. "Who doesn't know how to drive a stick?"

"Me."

"Well if you're planning to partner up with me or anyone else on this team, you have to know how to drive a stick, at the very least."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You don't have a choice in the matter. You will learn and I will teach you."

"You."

"Yup. Better me than Hector. He doesn't have the patience for that either. You can learn. It won't take long." He grinned. "You know how to dance?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Do you, or don't you?"

"Of course, I can dance."

"Then you can drive a stick. If you can shuffle around a dance floor you can figure out how to use the brake, clutch, and gas pedal on a vehicle like this one. You'll learn. It's all about timing and coordination. Just like dancing."

"You're nuts, you know that?"

"I've been called worse," he replied and gazed out at the vast body of water. "We better get going."

Underway again, they were now on a wider road of graded dirt and gravel. The road was more level and with fewer tight turns. The area around them was wide open with a few trees sporadically growing here and there, with some intentionally planted. They came to an intersection with another dirt road, but John didn't hesitate to take the left fork and continue.

Now Janet could see pear cactus growing in large groupings along the road. A few power lines and some large towers sporting communications dishes and antennae stood on higher hilltops to the west. They came upon a day-use area with tables, benches, and barbeque pits but kept going. The road climbed slightly then would dip, but for the most part, they stayed high above the rest of the island, rounding one curve after another.

"How much farther?" she asked.

"Not far."

She kept watching as they passed a few more side roads leading off to who knows where. The road they stayed on narrowed again and hugged the side of a hill.

John pulled over at another intersection and stopped. "Let's walk around a little more," he said. "We're not far but I know you're getting tired of riding in this bumpy rig."

Janet gratefully stepped down and looked at the sky, as the wind continued to whip her hair. "It looks cloudier and feels colder."

"I know. We've only got about fifteen more minutes of driving."

"Then let's go," she said. "The sooner we get there, the better."

His phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and grinned. "Right on time."

"We are?"

"Charlie and Hector are. Let's go."

"Charlie and Hector?"

"Yeah. Let's see if we can beat them." John jumped back in the jeep and motioned for Janet to hurry. He started the engine just as she sat down, put the jeep in gear and took off with a jolt. "Hang on!"

Janet wrestled with her seatbelt; grateful this portion of the road was hard packed with some evidence of paving from years ago. At least it wasn't as bumpy. Even so, she grasped the overhead roll bar with her left hand and the dashboard with her right, hoping the seat belt would do the rest. John braked hard and geared down for another curve then shifted again and sped up.

"If I die up here," Janet shouted, "I'll never speak to you again!"

John laughed aloud. "That's an understatement." He continued the race up a gentle incline situated between a short rise on the right and a gentle drop-off on the left. Between shifting down, braking, and speeding up, he was obviously enjoying himself while Janet prayed, hoping she'd live long enough to chew him out later.

She didn't think they could climb any higher on this island, but they were. And with the combination of a narrow road, a maniacal driver, incoming clouds, and a very cold wind, it all added up to a disaster, as far as she was concerned. More curves, more clouds and wind, and then suddenly she saw something up ahead. A building resembling a square-shaped tower of some kind but with a balcony, it seemed. Near it stood some tall, lanky palm trees. She fervently hoped that was their destination.

More bumps, bounces, and tight turns as John raced ahead. At the same time, the building grew closer and she could see other structures just ahead on a rise. They rounded one last turn and were suddenly there, passing through a wooden entry with an overhead sign that read, 'Welcome to Airport in the Sky.' The tower-looking building was straight ahead but now she could see it was part of a larger building. The road followed a shallow incline as John continued his frantic approach.

"What's the hurry?" she shouted.

"You'll see," he shouted back with a big grin as he pulled up parallel to the tower building. He skidded to a stop facing an enormous paved area and shut off the engine then stared ahead, focused on something. Janet noticed a few other vehicles parked nearby but immediately refocused on John, still staring ahead. Suddenly he tilted his head to listen then jumped out of the jeep and stood a few feet away from it.

Janet joined him. "What are you looking at!"

John waved her over and pointed. "Listen and watch right over there," he said.

She stepped up next to him to watch but still thought he was crazy. "You could have killed us, you know."

"But I didn't."

"But you could have."

"Look." He pointed and pulled her close to him. "There! See? Right there."

Janet squinted then uttered, "A helicopter?"

"Yup! We beat them." He laughed. "I knew we could."

Janet stared at the incoming aircraft. "Is it Charlie and Hector?"

"Yup." He could not stop grinning.

"So, you risked our lives just to get here first."

"Yes, I did," he said, his triumphant grin still plastered across his face. "We had a bet, me and Hector. Now he owes me."

"And what exactly did you win?"

John broke his gaze to looked at her. "That's between him and me."

"Great. I could have ended up at the bottom of a canyon just because you had a stupid bet with Hector."

John reached for her and yanked her closer to him. "It wasn't a stupid bet. Hey, I'm going to tell them you did most of the driving."

She pushed him away. "You are not!"

"Come on. Just play along. It'll be fun."

"You are certifiable."

"Tell me something I don't already know." He grabbed her hand. "Let's go greet them," he said and pulled her along.

The helicopter set down in a grassy area just off a taxiway, but not without some buffeting from the stiff wind. John and Janet stopped several feet away and waited for their two friends to join them as the helicopter engine and overhead rotors slowed down. Hector jumped out first, followed by Charlie, and both hurried to greet John Janet.

Hector was especially happy to see John and gave him a hearty hug and backslap. "Son of a gun, you old–" He caught himself and smiled at Janet. "Hey there little sis, how was the ride up here?" He gave her a hug as well.

"Oh, not too bad. I had a few challenges with some of the curves and such, but altogether not a bad drive."

"You had a few challenges?" He looked at John.

He offered an innocence shrug. "She insisted. What can I say?"

Both Hector and Charlie eyed them suspiciously.

"Uh-huh," Charlie said. "I'll just bet."

"Hey. She'll take you both for a spin. Right here. Right now."

"Maybe later," Hector said.

"Yeah," Charlie said. "Later. But as for right here, and right now, I say we get out of this cold wind for a few minutes. They're predicting rain so we'll need to get going pretty soon."

All four headed toward the building.

"It looks closed to me," Janet said.

"It is," Charlie replied. "We're going around to the other side out of the wind a little. We need to talk first and this is the perfect place. No one else is here yet so we have the place to ourselves."

Janet followed the men to an open patio, part of it covered by a large trellis. They chose a table up next to the building and huddled together.

"So, what have you got?" John asked.

Hector removed a sheet of paper from inside his jacket, unfolded it and spread it out on the table. "You know all that clapping we heard? A code. We weren't sure what kind of code at first, but believe it or not, it's Morse code. After I somewhat deciphered some rough scratches on another piece of paper, this is pretty much what we were able to figure out; _I'll call you after class; we'll set up a bogus meeting; Butch has tagged their car; see you at the usual place after we grab them._ "

Hector looked at the others. "Good thing we found that bug on Charlie's car and made the decision to abort our plans, even before we deciphered this thing."

Janet's eyes were wide. "So – so Joe really is a bad guy."

"Seems so," Charlie said.

"Well then, I don't want to work for him anymore."

"We don't want you to either, but for now you need to," he said.

"Why!"

"We need you there a little longer. But the thing is, you cannot let on that you know about any of this."

Janet silently looked at each man then shook her head. "I can't do that. I'll mess up."

"Just one more week. That's all we need. Five days then we'll pull you out. Just five days. We need copies of some of his records and you are our best hope at getting them."

"Wait. No! Copies? Of Joe's records? Are you crazy? He will catch me. If not directly, I'll bet he has hidden cameras all over that place. That's what bad guys do. Just like you."

"We're not the bad guys, Janet," John said. "Remember? I explained all of that to you."

"I understand and yes you did, but what I mean is, if you guys are that clever, so are they – including Joe. So, no. I can't risk it. I won't risk it."

Charlie nodded and smiled. "We understand your concerns, but just listen. Hector and I have come up with a plan that might work."

"A plan."

"Yeah, if you'll let us explain."

"Okay. Explain."

Charlie eyed her for a moment. "Did you really drive that jeep up here?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Hector laughed, "You might if he put you up to it." He looked at John.

She looked at John then back at Hector and Charlie without emotion. "Well, I'm insulted."

Charlie quickly raised a hand. "Didn't mean to insult you, we just didn't think you could drive a four-on-the-floor, that's all."

"Well, even I can have a few secrets of my own." She glanced at John.

He winked but said nothing.

Charlie glanced at John as well then continued. "Okay. So, here's what we were thinking –"

# CHAPTER 15

The meeting was brief and to the point. John, Hector, and Charlie would create a distraction or situation that would involve Joe sufficiently to give Janet time to make photocopies of Joe's private files, or at least some of them. They already knew where microphones and cameras were hidden in Joe's office as well as how to disable them.

"Then why don't one of you make the copies?" she had argued.

They provided a questionable reason but insisted she'd be fine and not to worry.

"Don't worry," she mumbled to herself as they hurried to the helicopter. It was starting to sprinkle in advance of a coming storm and the men were anxious to get going. Although Janet expected they'd all leave the island, they did not. Instead Hector piloted them farther north to the area of Twin Harbors and a lodge situated there on a knoll overlooking both harbors.

They landed across the dirt road from the lodge, then carefully made their way down an embankment. Charlie had managed to reserve two rooms – one for Janet and one for the three of them.

Janet dropped her bag onto the bed and walked to a window overlooking the Pacific to the west. She watched as threatening clouds rolled in. Raindrops were already pelting the window, driven by an accompanying wind. She shivered involuntarily and turned away to appraise her room. It was comfortable looking. A queen bed, upholstered armchair, dresser, and another door. She peeked. "Nice," she said quietly at the site of a private bathroom.

There was a tap at her door.

She approached. "Yes?"

"It's John. Are you decent?"

She opened the door. "You tell me."

He grinned. "You like the room?"

"Yes, it's very nice. Thank you." She looked past him toward the room across the hall. "And how about you guys?"

"Ours will do. Hector and I plan to share the bed and Charlie will use a cot. We'll only be here a couple of days, we figure, so we'll manage."

"And what will we do while we stay here for a couple of days?"

"Work on our plan. You want to join us for a while, or would you rather lie down and rest?"

"I'll come over."

The men's room had a view of Isthmus Cove and the faint outline of the mainland twenty-six miles across the water to the east. Janet was offered a comfortable chair and got settled while the others perched on the beds.

"Okay," Charlie said. "We've been thinking of ways to get Joe out of the gym long enough to allow you, Janet, time to make copies."

She frowned. "Do we know how many files he has? How many you want me to copy?"

Charlie pursed his lips and looked at John and Hector.

Hector adjusted his position. "Not exactly," he said. "But he only has one file cabinet in his office, and I don't think there's stuff in every drawer."

Janet glanced at their window. It was sheltered from the storm, more so than hers and not as wet. "What makes you think Joe would keep potentially sensitive files at the gym? I can understand having membership files, but questionable information? That seems irresponsible to me."

"We agree, but at the same time, he might do something like that. You know, hidden in plain sight?"

She nodded slightly, still staring at the window. "I suppose." She inhaled and sighed as she exhaled. "Okay. I'll see what I can find." She turned to Charlie. "So, what's your plan? How are you going to get Joe to leave for an hour or so?"

Again, he looked at John and Hector.

This time, so did she. "You don't know yet."

"We don't know yet," Hector and John said in unison.

She smiled. "Well, I suppose you could start a fire, call in a bomb threat, cut the power." She frowned. "But those ideas won't work because we'd all need to evacuate if there was a fire or bomb threat, and I can't make copies without electricity."

"You're messing with us, aren't you?" John said.

"A little. But in my very limited and unskilled opinion, you'll have to think of something that would require he leave. An emergency of some kind. Something that will get him out of the gym and as far away as possible so it will take him some time to get to the emergency and then back again."

John grinned. "I told you she's smart."

She eyed him. "You've already thought of that, haven't you?"

"Maybe."

"Then I'm not so smart after all and you guys are messing with me."

Charlie cleared his throat. "You are smart and no, we're not messing with you at all."

"Okay, then, what's the emergency? What's going to get Joe out of the building?"

"We're still working on some ideas."

"Yeah." Janet stood up. "I think I'd like to lay down for a while after all."

John walked her to her door.

"I can get across the hall on my own you know."

"I know," he said. "I just want you to know that we will do all we can to make sure you don't get compromised helping with this." He kissed her forehead. "As your pretend dad for now, I will personally look out for you. That's a promise."

She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Thanks, John."

He waited until she was in her room and heard her lock the door then returned to the others, pensive.

"What's wrong?" Hector asked.

"We have to make damn sure she's not harmed or caught."

"You know we'll do all we can."

"Yeah. I know."

Janet had no idea what time is was. She dug around in her duffle bag and retrieved her phone. Once glance and she groaned. "Really?" She shoved it in her pocket and approached her door. Opening it slowly she noticed the door across from hers was slightly ajar. Approaching with care, she tentatively pushed it open a little more to find Charlie seated in the chair reading a newspaper.

He looked up. "Janet. Come in," he said and stood up.

"You don't have to get up," she said and sat on the edge of the larger bed.

He settled back down. "Have a good nap?"

"I guess, but I slept too late. Now I won't be able to get back to sleep tonight until who knows when."

He chuckled. "I know the feeling. But don't worry about it."

"So where are the guys?"

"The dynamic duo took off a couple of hours ago," he said. "To do a little snooping around. They promised to be back by lunchtime."

"Snooping around. Here? What's here to snoop?"

Charlie chuckled. "Good question. Mostly, they want to make sure we weren't followed here."

"Oh," she said and heaved a sigh. "Will this ever end? Will any of you ever catch up to Ray long enough to arrest him or something?"

"We hope so," Charlie said, "but until then, this is what we do. We collect information. Do a little digging around. Watch people and protect you."

"In other words, you spy."

"Okay. We spy, but it's part of the job."

Janet glanced at the window, still wet from falling rain.

"When you showed Joe those photos I took of that woman, how did her react?"

"Good question. For the most part there weren't any noticeable giveaways except one of them which showed her from the front. Her face is obscured a little by the hood of the sweatshirt she was wearing, but we both thought we saw a flash of recognition on Joe's face."

"Interesting."

"Yeah. So, you hungry?" he asked. "I brought a bunch of snacks with me. They're in my bag."

She shook her head. "That's okay. I'll leave you alone so you can get back to your newspaper."

Janet returned to her room and repositioned her chair so she could sit and watch the rain pelt her window. Then, lost in her thoughts, she imagined being ten years old again, at home with her sister and mother and watching it snow. A smile creased her face for a long moment, then faded. Next, her thoughts tumbled forward, spending too many seconds dwelling on Cold Creek and her friend Sally. She fast forwarded again to San Francisco, then immediately thought of Craig Stevens. Another smile came, but a sad one. Tears followed but she shoved them away then stood up.

"I can't keep doing this. It's too much. Too much to process. Too much to overcome. I can't keep doing this."

She stepped up to the window. Wind blew, rain fell, and she could see palm trees farther out bending with the wind, their fronds dancing with the gusts – graceful at times, erratic at others. She stared, mesmerized for a time then closed her eyes and imagined a more perfect world. A more perfect place far from here. Someplace safe and secure. A tap at her door broke into her trance.

"Yes?"

"It's John."

"And Hector."

She wiped her face again and drew in a deep breath to calm herself then opened the door to two very wet men and greeted them with a gentle smile. "Find any bad guys?' she asked.

Hector grinned. "One."

Janet reacted. Startled. "Who? What was he doing?"

John displayed a look of disgust. "Ignore him," he said.

"What." Hector replied. "That guy was an idiot."

"Maybe so, but we don't have to scare our girl here."

Janet relaxed with a sigh. "Okay. Other than the idiot, did you see anyone else?"

"Nope," John said. "But we did bring food. They both held up damp paper bags. "Here you go. All the snacks you can eat, compliments of us and the General Store."

"Nice," she said. "Thanks."

"Yes, well, we decided you shouldn't be seen around here anywhere, so we'll bring you food so you can stay in your room."

"What about you guys?" she asked. "You shouldn't be seen around here either."

"We've already been out there," John said. "If someone was going to spot us, they would have already, even though we did a pretty good job of sneaking around, I think." He looked at Hector who nodded in agreement.

"So, we're going to share what you brought back," she said.

They looked a little sheepish. "Not exactly. We'll eat with some of the other guests, but we'll bring back something for you. We promise."

Janet peeked in the bag. "Don't worry about it. I can exist on this stuff." She looked up. "I'll be fine."

A short while later, Janet settled into her comfortable chair and Charlie brought his room chair over to keep her company while John and Hector headed for lunch. The two of them dug into the bags and lined up a nice assortment of snacks on her bed.

"You didn't have to hang out with me, you know," she said. "Why don't you join them for lunch. I'll be fine."

"I know," Charlie replied, "but to be honest, I'm not all that hungry and I didn't feel good about leaving you alone, so here I am." He surveyed their spread. "I think I want one of those packages of little donuts," he said and grinned happily as Janet picked up two packages.

"Chocolate or powdered sugar?"

"Which one is your favorite?" he asked.

"I like either one," she said. "So, take your most favorite, or both."

"I kinda like the chocolate best. Not as messy."

Janet laughed and handed him his donuts. "Here you go, and I'll have a bag of potato chips and a blueberry muffin."

"They really outdid themselves, didn't they," he said then popped a donut in his mouth. "Mmm. Really good."

"Yes, they did. I just hope their lunch is half as nice as ours."

They both laughed and ate their snacks. Charlie was glad to see a genuine smile on her face.

Janet noticed him watching her. "What? Do I have something on my chin?" She wiped at it.

"No. I'm just glad that for the moment you seem a little less stressed, that's all."

She nodded. "I'll be okay, Charlie." She eyed her half-eaten muffin. "You know, it's crazy but the longer all of this continues, the more _normal_ it's beginning to feel. I thoroughly expect to have to deal with more trauma before any of this is resolved – if it ever is."

"Maybe so, but let's not worry about that right now."

Janet shrugged and nodded but remained quiet. Between bites of potato chips and her muffin, she gazed out at the water. The rain had let up a little and she could see a good many boats in the small harbor, all at anchor and could only imagine being onboard one of them. She hadn't been happy on the ferry, so scooting around in a sailboat would be worse. Sure, a lot of people love to glide along under full sail, but then most of them hadn't experience two nearly fatal ocean disasters like she had. A sudden burst of wind and rain lashed against her window and broke the spell.

She blinked and let out a sigh. "I wish it were warm and sunny outside. I'd like to sit where I could watch the sea; from a safe distance, of course." She smiled. "I hope someday I can overcome my fear of the ocean once again. I used to love being at the beach with friends. We'd stay all day. Build a big bonfire in the evening. Tell stories. Eat S'mores. Laugh." She looked wistful then suddenly drew in a deep breath and found something else to nibble on. "But that's all in the past. Gone, and probably for good."

"Don't be so sure," Charlie said. "Give it time." He popped another chocolate donut into his mouth, then asked. "How was the trip over to the island? On the ferry?"

She gave a slight shrug. "Okay, I guess."

He stood up. "I'll be right back."

Janet resumed watching the occasional bursts of wind and rain play against her window. She closed her eyes and attempted to gather up all her sorrows, fears, and troubles, and just send them away with the wind outside.

Charlie stood just inside his doorway and watched her then sent a text. Moments later he received a response. He checked the time then put his phone away and rejoined Janet.

By the time John and Hector got back from lunch, Janet was taking a nap, her door slightly ajar so Charlie could listen if she roused.

"How's she doing?" Hector quietly asked.

"Good, I think," Charlie replied. "She seems a little more relaxed." He looked at his partners. "I hope you have something good to share."

"Maybe," John said. He looked at Hector.

"We didn't waste too much time eating then excused ourselves and headed back outside to scout around one more time," Hector said.

"And?"

Hector shook his head. "I think we're okay – at least for now."

"Yeah," John said, "but have you heard from him yet?"

"A few minutes ago," Charlie said. "I sent him a text and all he responded with was, I'll get back to you."

A few hours later, Janet stood in their doorway.

Hector looked up with a big grin. "There she is. All rested?"

"I slept, I guess, but not well. I had dreams, which have faded like they usually do, but I do remember feeling lost or abandoned or something. I just want to go home. I want a normal life again. I want friends I can hang out with and have a good time with. But these days, I can't go anywhere or do anything without worrying if I'm going to be followed or if someone is going to grab me again. And if that does happen, I'm beginning to think my luck is running out and none of you will be able to rescue me in time. Everything has changed and I don't like it." She blew out air. "What time is it?"

Charlie motioned her into their room. "Almost five o'clock. Come sit down," he said and surrendered his chair. "I understand, Janet," he said, "we all do, and we wish we could make it all go away. You're right about how all of this has changed your life, or at least the _direction_ of your life but right now there's not much any of us can do about that. Besides, lots of people experience life-changing events that they cannot fix or change back to how things used to be. One way or another you're gonna have to accept what's happened to you and find a way to file all of that away somehow and keep moving forward." He offered a smile. "Just know we're all here for you."

She sat back. "And that's another thing. Why? Why are _you_ all here for me? Who am I to all of you? I don't get it unless it's just one of those situations where you were all in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up getting stuck with me."

Charlie chuckled. "I'm sorry, Janet, and I don't mean to laugh other than for the very reason that none of us feel like we're stuck with you. Not for a minute. You've taken hold of our hearts and we wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled. "You want something else to eat?"

"Food. Food can't fix any of this." Janet rubbed her forehead with both hands. "And as for taking hold of your hearts, as you put it, okay, but once all of this is over, you'll all go your way and I'll go mine. And that, will be that." She looked at the window again. "How long are we going to stay here?"

"That's a very good question and we are waiting for the answer," Charlie said.

Janet frowned. "You are. From –?"

He smiled again. "I think by now you should know that answer to that question."

She narrowed her eyes a moment then a look of recognition crossed her face. She nodded. "Of course. Craig."

"You got it," he said.

She looked at each man. "You mean you've heard from him? And he's okay?"

Charlie smiled.

"And what kind of answer are you expecting?"

"Whether or not he has definitely decided if you're going back to the gym and keep working for Joe, or not."

"I thought that was already decided."

'Not fully. Soon, though, we hope. I took a chance and contacted him earlier; just before you dozed off. Surprisingly, he responded and said he'd get back to us."

"How is he?" she asked.

"Fine, as far as we know."

She nodded without much emotion. "Okay." She watched all three men who appeared fidgety, especially Hector and John. "You guys okay?"

"To be honest?" Hector replied. "We don't like just sitting around here. Something doesn't feel right. Personally, I think we need to get off this island and back to the mainland. We'll have more maneuvering room, for lack of a better description."

Janet grinned. "I agree with you completely. I feel like a sitting duck."

Hector walked to her and pulled her up out of the chair. He gave her a big hug then looked at Charlie. "I know Craig calls most of the shots, but John and I have a very uneasy feeling about being here. Something's off. We can feel it and we trust our gut."

"Even though you haven't seen or heard anything in particular?" Charlie asked.

"Yup."

Charlie looked at John, then Janet, and back to Hector. "Okay, then. Let's bug out."

After a careful examination of their aircraft, John texted Charlie to get Janet and hurry. Hector was already in the pilot's seat and had the engine fired up. John occupied the cockpit of the helicopter while Charlie and Janet climbed into the passenger compartment. By the time they got going it was after six o'clock in the evening. Janet watched out her window as they traversed the inky blackness of the ocean waters far below in the waning evening light. They experienced some buffeting wind gusts as the storm continued to blow through the region and on eastward, but nothing too severe.

Charlie reacted to the vibration of his phone and quickly retrieved it from a jacket pocket. He removed his headset long enough to answer. "Craig," he said over the noise of the rotors. "What's the good word?" He listened. "Funny," he said. "We had the same feeling. We're halfway across the channel. Won't be too much longer." He listened again. "Okay. I'll let them know."

He put his phone away and put his headset back on. "Craig just called," he said through his microphone. "He wants us to head for the Fullerton Municipal Airport. He'll have a car waiting for us."

"Copy that," Hector said, and adjusted his flight path accordingly.

Janet listened but remained silent as she watched ahead at the well-lit and vast Los Angeles basin. Although grateful they were off the island, she still wondered what to expect once they were back on the ground. _Once we land, where will we be headed next?_ she wondered.

# CHAPTER 16

Staying at another hotel hadn't been Janet's idea of going home, but at least she wasn't hiding out on an island any longer and didn't have to bounce around in a jeep along a narrow winding road lined with scrubby plants and occasional cactus. Instead, on this chilly and gray morning, she was sitting comfortably in the back of Charlie's limousine and on her way to work at the gym. The decision was made. The call came in the early morning hours. She had been sleeping but was awakened by Charlie with the news.

Her mind wandered back to the brief call. Charlie and the others left her alone so she could talk to Craig privately. It had been an emotional communication with a man she had bonded with so closely months ago. A man she felt such deep emotions about and for.

In their brief but tender communication, Craig explained his decision. He had let her know how much he cared for her and how much he trusted she could carry out an assignment – to return to the gym and continue to assist Joe.

"I need you there, Janet," he had said. "You will be safe, but we also need you to be there to help us find and destroy Ray."

_Destroy Ray_ , Janet rehearsed in her mind. How can I possibly help do that?

The limousine slowed and pulled into the parking lot. Charlie drove up to the main entrance of Joe's fitness center and got out of the car. He opened her door and smiled. "You ready?"

She nodded and climbed out, eyeing the building in general then focused on the entrance. "I have to be ready." She looked at Charlie. "Someone will be close by, right?"

"Someone will."

"And you're okay with this? With me coming back?" Her eyes searched his face.

"I am confident that you will do fine," he said. "We know we can count on you."

"That's not what I asked, Charlie. Are you okay with me coming back?"

He thought a minute before responding. "I know you can handle the job. But as far as being okay with it? No. Not at all but that's because I've formed a strong attachment to you. We all have. You are family to us. Our little sister, or in my case, more like a special niece. We'll worry. But we will be close by and you do have your locket. We can track you; keep tabs on you no matter where you are."

She nodded again. "Thanks for your honesty. That means a lot to me."

Charlie watched until she was inside then climbed back in his vehicle and pulled away. "She's in," he said quietly. "You're up, John."

"Copy that," John responded via his communication device. "I'm already in place."

Joe was sitting at Janet's desk; his face was contorted as he stared at the monitor.

He looked up at the sound of the door and jumped to his feet with a big smile. "Janet! You're back. Just in time. I can't find someone's membership record."

"And good morning to you too," she said.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry. I hope you were able to relax a little during your time off. It's just – well, I missed you not being here, that's all, and – well," He walked around the desk and up to her. "Can I give you a hug?"

"Sure."

They embraced briefly then separated.

He glanced through the front window. "Where'd you park?'

"I didn't. Charlie brought me."

"Charlie did."

"Yes. My car is being serviced today," she said.

"Oh, okay," he said and nodded with a grin. "So – can you help me out?"

Janet shoved her bag in its usual place, an empty desk drawer, and sat down.

Joe explained what he was looking for and watched as she searched for the information. "Did you have a good time off?" he asked.

"I did," she replied, still watching the computer screen.

"Where did you go?"

She stopped and looked up at him. "The beach. You know how I like to spend time at the beach."

He smiled. "Yes, I do."

She refocused on the computer monitor. "Here you go."

He looked, found a scrap of paper, and wrote down some information. "Thanks," he said. "This guy says he's all paid up, but it doesn't look like it to me."

"Not unless he sent a payment while I was gone. Where's the mail?"

"On my desk. I'll go get it. I haven't had a chance to go through it all. Sorry."

"No problem," she said. "I'll take care of it."

Joe hurried to his office and quickly returned with a short stack of unopened mail. "Sorry to dump all of this on you."

"It's my job to look at the mail, Joe. It's okay." She smiled. "You'd better get ready for your first morning class." She waited until the hanging beads nearly stopped clattering before sorting through the stack of correspondence and advertisements. Organizing everything into short piles, she methodically began to open and examine each piece.

An hour later, Joe turned on his warm-up music in advance of his first class. Soon some of their clients began showing up and within twenty minutes the class was well underway. The music was rhythmic and the energy level high. For a martial arts instructor, she thought it unusual that he seemed to have more classes for aerobics than those tailored for self-defense, but it seemed these days, more folks were interested in the aerobics stuff.

Although back in the swing of her workday routine, she found herself thinking about her new assignment – that of keeping closer tabs on Joe's comings and goings as well as anything else out of the ordinary, or even class members. Craig was especially interested in any more of Joe's clapping during classes. He reminded her, though, that she was not to put herself in any compromising situations. _You're not a spy,_ he reminded her firmly, _just an observer. That's all. Devise a way to keep track of things that won't seem suspicious to anyone else._

She let out a soft laugh recalling that remark. _Devise, huh?_ she thought silently not wanting to say anything aloud – just in case someone might be listening electronically. _Okay. Sure. I'll devise something._

Janet focused on her computer screen for a moment while absently fingering her locket through the fabric of her blouse then had an idea and started to put it together. She was intently focused on her idea and how to implement it when she heard the door open and looked up. A very nice looking and tall man walked in and approached her desk. She figured he might be in his late fifties. His hair was a soft blend of grays, and well-trimmed.

She greeted him with a smile. "May I help you?"

The man peered through the beaded opening before responding.

"I was hoping to see Joe for a few minutes. We're old acquaintances and I was in town. Thought I'd stop by and say hello, but it looks like he's busy."

"I'm afraid so. His class just got started and won't be over for another forty minutes or so, but you're welcome to wait." She gestured to the two new chairs across from her desk.

He looked at his watch. "I can come back later, unless he has another class on the heels of this one."

"No. Actually, he spaces his classes to provide cool-down time before the next group arrives. I'm sure he'd like to see you, though."

The man looked through the beads one more time. "I'll come back later."

"Okay," she said. "Oh, and may I tell him who to expect?"

The man grinned. "No. I'd like to surprise him." He winked at her. "It'll be our secret."

Janet returned a courteous smile but wondered about him as he walked out. _A man in a suit unexpectedly shows up to see Joe_ , she thought silently. _This is most definitely unusual_. She also sensed there was more to the surprise than he let on. She stood behind her desk to watch through the front window until he reached his car then quickly headed to the front window, curious to see which way he headed. She watched as he pulled out in medium gray-colored mid-sized sedan and quickly memorized the license plate ID. Moments later, he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy boulevard disappearing into traffic. Back at her desk, she wrote down the plate number and glanced through the beaded opening at Joe's class vigorously engaged with their activity then quickly texted her team members. _I need a thumb drive,_ was all she wrote and sent it. Moments later, John replied to everyone. _I'll get one to you ASAP._ With a sense of relief, she settled back into her regular work.

A half hour later, she received a text from John. _Outside, at base of strip mall signpost._

Janet casually got up and stood at the window of her reception area. She gazed in the direction of the tall metal post that supported signage for all the businesses housed in the block-long commercial building.

The music stopped and she gazed into the gym. Class was over. With some hesitation she pushed the beads aside and walked up to Joe. "Mind if I step outside and stretch. I feel stiff."

"Nope. Go ahead. I'll listen for the phone."

"Thanks." Janet returned to her desk to get her phone and headed outside. She strolled along the storefronts of the various businesses and gazed into several of the windows. There was an assortment of stores, ranging from an accountant, a jeweler, sporting goods, insurance sales office, and a couple of vacant spots with signs indicating they were 'available.' When she reached the last one, she walked to the corner, casually looked up and down the street, then headed back along the sidewalk adjacent to the busy street. She eyed the location of the tall metal signage pole and the base of it.

Just as she stepped past, she looked down and saw the small thumb drive lying in the dirt just behind it. She stooped over and picked it up, keeping it in the palm of one hand. She also picked up a rock and straightened up to examined it, as if there was something interesting about it, then tossed it back and shoved both hands into pants pockets to continue her walk. At the next corner, she paused, pulled her hands out of her pockets, brushed some hair out of her face then turned around and headed back through the parking lot to the gym.

Once inside, she stretched, sat down, and unlocked her computer, but decided to wait until Joe's next class got started before using the thumb drive still safely tucked in a pants pocket.

Her cell phone rang. It was John. She smiled and stepped outside to answer. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," he said. "And nice moves out there."

"You were watching."

"Of course," he said. "You're a pro. Hope it helps with whatever you're doing."

"It will," she said. "Hey, a man came in a little over an hour ago. He wanted to see Joe. Did you happen to see him?"

"I don't think so. I had to buy the thumb drive plus I keep rotating my position, so I must have missed him. Was there something unusual about him?"

"Yeah, mostly because he was in a suit. Joe doesn't get visitors during the day wearing suits."

"What's his name?"

"He wouldn't say. Said he wanted to surprise Joe. That they were old friends."

John was silent.

"John?"

"Can you describe him?"

Janet did her best then waited.

"Did he say when he was coming back?"

"Not exactly, but I told him when Joe's class would be over. And it is, so I expect he may be back any time now."

"Where are you?"

"You can't see me? I'm standing just outside the door. Don't want anyone to overhear our conversation."

"Get back inside. Stay put. One of us will be there shortly."

"Okay, but –"

"Just sit tight."

In less than fifteen minutes Hector and John both showed up.

Janet sat back, surprised. "Both of you?" she asked.

"Yes," Hector said. "Can you describe the car he was driving?"

"Yes, and I wrote down the license ID." She handed it to him.

"I'll check this," he said and gave a nod to John, who walked out the front door.

Hector motioned for Janet to stand up and join him. He took her hand. "Come with me."

"Why? What's going on?"

Hector walked her across the workout area to Joe's office and closed the door.

Joe looked up, startled. "What's going on?"

"You may have a visitor any time now," Hector said then activated the access door to the control room. "Get down there and stay put," he said to Janet. "Understand?"

"Y-Yes, but –"

"Don't worry. You'll be safe. Just stay down there."

"But –"

"Just get down there! Go. Now." He pointed; his face tight.

Hector waited for Janet to descend the stairs then closed the secret door and at looked at Joe.

"Who's coming? Do you know?" Joe asked.

"I think so," he said then turned around as John hurried in.

"A gray car just pulled up out front. Man, in a suit, just like Janet said and the license ID matches the one she gave us."

"Guess it's showtime," Hector said.

"Who is it?" Joe demanded.

"Based on Janet's observations, a man fitting the description of an old acquaintance of ours happened to stop in earlier. Said he'd come back after your class was over."

"Old acquaintance?" Joe looked worried.

"Go on out there," Hector said. "Since he didn't give Janet his name, it's obvious he wants to surprise you. So, get out there and act surprised."

Down in the small conference room, Janet sat quietly waiting and absently played with her locket then stopped to gaze at it. She had already decided it was old, like perhaps it was a family heirloom, like an antique. She opened it, gazed at the photo of Craig, and wondered where he was right now, even though they did speak on the phone a day ago. "What are you doing? Where are you, and who are you with at this very moment; a moment in time which we both share?" She continued to stare at the tiny photo of him then frowned. It seemed slightly askew. She attempted to straighten it, but it was well-wedged into its place. Even so, she wanted to center it better and carefully managed to remove it then let out a quiet gasp. Beneath it was a tiny black and white photo of a woman; young and beautiful. Janet could tell the photo was old and wondered who the woman was as she squinted at the tiny and somewhat faded image. Why would Craig have placed it in the locket beneath his photo?

She jerked at a sound and realized someone was coming from the alley entrance. She quickly closed and replaced her locket then slipped out of her chair and onto the floor, scooting under the conference table once again. Soft footsteps headed her way. Keeping her eyes on the doorway opening from her hiding place, she waited then caught her breath at the sight of two large feet standing in the opening, knowing instantly who it was.

"Janet?" a deep voice called out. "It's me, Charlie. Where are you?"

She climbed out from beneath the table and stood up.

He grinned. "There you are. I should'a known. Well, good. I've come to keep you company."

"You have?" she asked. "Is it because of that man that showed up earlier today?" She immediately answered her own question. "Well, of course it is."

"Yes, it is because of him."

"Do you know who it is?"

"I have a pretty good idea," he said.

"And?"

"And you and I are gonna wait right here until we know for sure."

"Is he dangerous?" Her eyes were wide with concern.

Charlie shrugged. "Don't know yet which is why we need to stay right here."

She frowned.

"We need to decide if he's still one of us or if he's turned."

"Turned."

"Yeah. Become a bad guy."

She gave him a disgusted look. "Compared to what? All of you? Because the jury's still out on that, as far as I'm concerned."

"You're breaking my heart."

"Oh, come on. You know what I'm talking about. I mean, just look at the way you all live. Secret hideaways, secret missions, sneaky behavior."

"Sneaky!"

"Yes, sneaky and suspicious all the time. You're always looking over your shoulder; not trusting anyone. Look at us. We're hanging out in this secret hideout while Hector and John are upstairs with Joe scoping out this new guy."

"Secret hideout." Charlie repeated and chuckled. He gazed around. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Although we like to call it our base of operations, but yeah, I guess it is a secret place, sorta.

"Sorta?" she said. "Secret entrance from Joe's office. Hidden entrance at the back." She watched Charlie who was now keeping an eye on his phone. "You're not even listening to me. You're just waiting for a message or signal from one of them. All secret stuff."

He merely nodded.

She looked away and sat at the table.

"Look," Charlie said. "If he's who we think he is, he used to be part of our team. Then he had to go rogue, cross over to another side; one not so friendly to us." He sat next to her.

"Rogue?" she said. "I thought all of you were rogue, to some degree anyway."

Charlie laughed. "Sure, we are, but we really are the good guys and yes, we can be a little bit rogue at times too."

"A little bit." Janet let out a sigh. "So, what you mean is you're wondering if he's still your kind of rogue or someone else's."

"Something like that." His phone gave off a quiet chirp. He looked at the message. "He's here. Now we wait."

Janet was uneasy. "We've _been_ waiting."

Charlie reached for her hand. "I know but we'll wait some more. It's okay. We'll stick together, you and me. Oh, and by the way, letting us know about this guy today, is one of the reasons we need you here. None of us can be everywhere at the same time. So, thanks, for telling John about him."

Although it hadn't been all that long, since the mysterious stranger returned to the gym, waiting downstairs in the base of operations, as Charlie described it, was agonizing, nonetheless. And though not necessarily fearful, Janet was agitated and anxious. Charlie had taken up a position at one of the computers out in the main area while she remained in the conference room fussing with her necklace. It provided a measure of comfort knowing it came from Craig even though he was the one who had sent her back to work for Joe. She gently rubbed her thumb over the filigree and wondered about it but now also about the photo of the woman as well.

Charlie quietly returned to the conference room and stood in the doorway watching her gently handle her locket. A faint smile creased his face, but he said nothing. Instead, he quietly sat down at the table and Janet slipped the locket back inside her blouse.

Frustrated and impatient she got up and wandered around the small room stopping at the door. Most of the lights were turned off in the outer area with only the glow from the one computer screen giving off any illumination. It was one of a line of workstations positioned in the middle of the room facing a large wall monitor like the smaller one in the conference room. She'd never really taken a good look at the space and all the equipment before. In addition to that, a small kitchenette stretched across the back wall and to the right of it was a wall that jutted out into the room a few feet separating the kitchen area from stairs leading to the alley entrance above.

"What's taking so long?" she finally asked.

"Not sure," Charlie said. "Let me see what I can find out. He sent a text to someone and set the phone down on the table. "You hungry?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, I'm gonna grab something. All this waiting makes me hungry." He headed for the kitchen. She eyed his phone and stepped closer when it lit up suddenly. Hector replied to Charlie's message. She frowned and stared then picked up the phone taking it to Charlie.

"We get something?" he asked taking the phone from her. He raised an eyebrow as another message come through.

"What?" she asked. "What's happening?"

His lips were tightly drawn. "I don't know about this."

"What?"

"They're bringing him down," he said.

"You mean _here?_ Down here?"

"Yup."

"You don't look pleased."

"I'm not, but we'll see what comes of it." He put his phone away just as they heard footsteps on the upper stair treads leading from Joe's office. "Why don't you go hunker back down under that table for me."

Janet wasted no time crawling back under the table, but at the same time suddenly felt a little foolish. But from where she waited, she could hear voices as the others reached the bottom of the stairs, each one stepping on the squeaky tread. They joined Charlie who was waiting farther out in the larger room. Everyone exchanged greetings and seemed friendly enough as far as Janet could tell. No one was shouting or acting angry, at least not at the moment.

"Maybe we should all go into the conference room to talk," she heard Joe say.

"Why don't we all just hang around out here instead," Charlie replied. "It's cramped in there."

There was a fractional pause then Joe agreed.

The conversation between the men was superficial; nothing noteworthy. In fact, they began talking about sports until the other man attempted to redirect their conversation.

"Look," he said. "I know none of you trust me, but it was necessary that I go deep to gain their trust and prove my loyalty _to them_ , and I have. You know that."

"Yeah, but just how loyal?" she heard John ask.

"Enough to be included in their top-level meetings, for one thing," the man said.

"Look, Frank," Joe said then immediately stopped talking. No one said anything.

Janet was completely alert now. _The man's name is Frank. Okay_.

The man broke the awkward silence. "Where's the young lady I met earlier?" he asked. "Did she leave already?

"Why?" John asked.

"I just wondered. She seemed very nice. Polite."

More silence then Janet noticed a pair of big feet standing in the doorway of the conference room again.

"Janet?" Charlie quietly called to her.

"Yes?" she said equally as quiet from beneath the table.

"How about you come on out here and meet someone."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Come on."

Janet eased out from under the table and stood up. She paused in the doorway. All eyes were on her. It was a very uncomfortable moment.

Charlie held out his hand. "It's okay."

Janet let him lead her to the others where she faced everyone. Besides Charlie, Joe, Hector, and John, the other man smiled and said hello. It was the same man she'd met earlier. She realized now he was Frank.

Janet studied him but said nothing.

"Do you remember me?" he suddenly asked.

Janet recoiled. "Yes. You were here a short while ago looking for Joe."

"Besides then."

No, should I?"

He smiled. "If I told you I've worked with Greg Danes in the past, would that help?"

"Greg? You know Greg?"

He continued to smile.

Then she caught her breath. "Wait. It was you. It was you in the cave with –"

He nodded. "Yes."

She stood closer to Charlie and took his hand.

"It's good to see you again, Janet. A little older and hopefully wiser."

"Wiser. What do you mean?" She released her grip on Charlie and noticed Hector standing to one side and behind Frank. He grinned and winked.

"Nothing in particular," Frank said.

"If you are referring to me chasing after those goons who kidnapped my friend Sally, I'd do it again. She'll never be the same, you know. She's still in a mental health institution. She isn't coping with what happened to her. Not at all."

He nodded but his smile was gone, replaced by a more serious expression. "I'm very sorry to hear that. We did our best." He turned away and sat on a nearby task chair.

"So did I," she replied, defiant, but remained standing.

Joe looked at everyone and suggested once again, that they gather in the conference room. Slowly, they did, except Janet who hesitated just outside the room, uncertain, as the rest of them settled into chairs around the table.

Charlie motioned to her. "You too," he said. "You're part of this team."

She entered the room and decided to sit directly across from Frank. She wanted to study this man. Even though he may have helped in Sally's rescue, in some way, as well as her own, she wanted to watch him and gage for herself if she thought she could trust him.

Once settled, Joe continued the discussion. "So, Frank, why come to us now? Heck, it's been almost a year since you've been in touch. What's so important that you'd risk being seen with us?"

Frank scanned his audience, pausing a moment to look directly at Janet. "You're right, it has been a year, but like I said to you a few minutes ago, I had to gain their trust. Now, though, I'm sensing some changes coming in Ray's organization."

Janet's expression changed as she let out a quiet gasp.

Frank noticed but continued. "I'm aware that some subtle power-plays are taking place, and from some unexpected individuals."

"Like?" Hector asked.

"I need to do a little more investigating before I start pointing fingers."

John was fidgety. "You plan to keep us in the loop on these changes?"

"I do. That's why I'm here."

Janet surprised herself with a question. "Were you followed here today?"

"No. Of course not."

"How would you know?" she asked.

"I just do."

"Do you drive a light blue-colored sedan?"

Frank seemed both annoyed and amused at her question but simply answered, "No."

She persisted. "Do you know anyone else who does drive a light blue-colored sedan?"

Now definitely annoyed he glared. "No. But why do you ask?"

She just shrugged and shook her head.

Frank looked at the others. "What's so important about a light blue car?"

"We'll have to do some more investigating," Hector said, "before we start pointing fingers." His tone was dry with no veiled attempt to mock Frank's earlier response.

Frank understood Hector's intent and surveyed the group with a critical eye. "I get it. It's about trust. I don't blame you. Any of you." He looked directly at Janet again. "But I'm still part of this team. Maybe not like before, but my loyalty remains here."

"And your loyalty to those other people?" Janet couldn't resist asking.

"Fabricated." He stood. "By the way Janet, Craig sends his best wishes." His tone wasn't comforting. It was mechanical, unfeeling, and almost on the verge of something sinister.

Janet's face froze. He intentionally wanted to unnerve her, and her thoughts raced. _How dare he mention Craig's name and so callously?_ She did not blink, and she did not respond.

Frank headed for the door. "I'll let myself out the back way if you don't mind. I'll be in touch."

No one spoke until they heard the alley door close. John immediately headed up the same stairs and soon came back. "Did we change the code on that door? We did, didn't we?"

"Yes," Joe said. "He can't get back in without the new code or through my office either. Both require the same code."

John sat down next to Hector and exhaled loudly. He quietly drummed his fingers on the table.

Janet was getting better at picking up visual clues between the two of them, but now she wondered about the finger-tapping. Moments later, Hector drummed his fingers as well. There was a certain rhythm to the tapping she thought. She was gradually learning they had several unique ways to communicate information to one another, but at that moment she was certain just about everyone was thinking the same thing.

"So, what do you think?" Charlie asked. "Do we trust him?"

"Hell, no," Hector said without hesitation.

"What if he's telling the truth?"

Hector shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe."

Janet held up a hand. "He didn't have time to put a bug in here somewhere, did he? I mean, to listen to us?"

Although certain Frank probably didn't do that, they performed a quick electronic search of the entire basement space anyway. Finding nothing they began to bounce around comments, personal thoughts, and well-honed insights from years of experience. Unfortunately, they had no solid conclusions, at least not now. The decision was to play along for the time being. And the general plan was to pay close attention to conversations, body language, gestures, and the type and frequency of information Frank shared with them.

John looked at Janet. "You game?"

She was surprised at his question but responded. "Of course. But I never had a chance to get to know Frank those few years ago, so I don't know anything about him. But based on this meeting, and the tension in the room, I'm not so sure I'd trust him either. You know, during that rescue," she continued, "everything was so chaotic. It was dark. And there was a horrible fire. Women were screaming. Men shouting. Guns firing. It was later that I found out a man named Frank was Greg Danes' partner on that assignment. Looking back, I'll bet he was the one I heard one time with Greg in the cave where he'd taken me."

Hector stiffened. "What cave?" he asked. "I don't recall the debrief mentioning a cave. What exactly did they do with you in that cave?" He showed obvious concern.

Janet was surprised. "You were debriefed about that? Wow. Well, they didn't do anything _to_ me other than hide me from the sheriff. Sheriff, Wilcox, I think his name was. He was a piece of work and crooked as heck. He operated that so-called Quail Club, or if not operated it he had something to do with it. That's where we found my friend and he was right in the middle of everything." Janet had to pause and collect her emotions. "Greg was really kind to me. He didn't do anything inappropriate. Absolutely nothing."

"Okay," Hector said. "Just checking." He looked at John and whispered, "Did you know about that cave?"

Joe looked at the group. "I need to get back up to my office. I have one last class this afternoon. They're gonna start showing up, so if we're done here for now –" He looked at Janet. "You ready?"

She nodded and they both stood.

The others watched them leave then re-huddled.

"Okay, so what do you really think?" Hector asked.

"Not sure," Charlie said. "My gut says to keep an open mind but to be wary at the same time."

John and Hector nodded.

"Okay, then," Charlie said. "I have a job this afternoon as well. Hunter Blake needs to go on a few errands before heading to the airport."

"You would have to drop his name," John said.

"Of course," Charlie said and laughed. "Heck, he's not so bad, but Gerald Allensby? Now he's a piece of work, and so's his wife, Carolyn. In fact, she's worse. I hate driving them around, especially when they're together, but I keep the partition window lowered about an inch so I can listen in case I hear anything we need to know about, but I keep my mouth shut, besides, other than to say, "Yes'm and no, ma'am. Other than that there's not much else _to_ say. They're always bickering, and she usually gets the last word. In between all of that, I open and close doors and drive all over town."

Janet got settled at her desk contemplating what went on in the basement moments ago then got up and parted the beads enough to get Joe's attention. He was gearing up his class with some warmup music and moves. She waved to him. "I need to run a quick errand. I won't be long. I promise."

"Sure. Go ahead," he called out to her.

"Thanks!" Janet hurried back to her desk, grabbed her bag, and was out the front door. It was getting close to five o'clock and she wasted no time hurrying to the end of the small shopping mall. She wanted to get to the jeweler's business before it closed for the day. Pushing open the door, she heard the gentle jingle of a bell letting the owner know someone had come in. She stepped up to the counter as he came through a draped opening and greeted her with a smile.

"May I help you?"

"I hope so," Janet said and removed the necklace with the locket. "I'm very curious about this. A friend gave it to me, but it looks rather old. I just want to know for sure."

"Certainly," he said, pulling on some white gloves. "Let's take a look. He gently accepted the locket from Janet and began to examine it, allowing the light to play on the detailed filigree. His eyebrows furrowed with curiosity as he used a jeweler's lens to examine the locket more closely. He took his time and finally put the lens down, cradling the locket in his gloved hand.

He looked at Janet. "This is a beautiful piece of jewelry," he said with genuine admiration. "The workmanship is exquisite, and I would agree; it is old, probably early eighteenth century, and I would estimate very valuable, especially considering the very distinctive craftsmanship, which is the delicate filigree; it adds to its value." He gazed at the locket again. "The gold is still very lustrous."

"Still?"

"Yes. It is pure gold. Not mixed with any other precious metal, such as copper or silver, which would give it a different color. Mixed with copper it would have more of an orange tint. With silver, it would have a green-gold appearance. He handed it back to her. She put it back on and promptly dropped it behind her blouse and against her skin.

"You always keep it there?" the jeweler asked.

"Yes. I don't want it to bang into anything or get scratched."

He nodded. "I would take very good care of it if I were you. There are already a few scratches on the back side and of course where it comes in contact with the chain. Some wear and tear are to be expected. Do your best not to drag the locket back and forth on the chain, which would do irreparable damage to it. Gold is soft and malleable and can be marred. You can buff the scratches out with a polishing cloth made especially for that purpose, but it won't do much for deep gouges or unnecessary abuse. The cloth will remove oils and dirt and help maintain its rich color."

Janet nodded but frowned. "Old _and_ valuable. How valuable?"

"Many thousands of dollars, I would estimate. Or more."

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth dropped open. " _Many_ thousands? Seriously?"

The jeweler chuckled. "Your friend. A special young man?"

"What? No. No." She shook her head. "No, just a friend." Janet felt for the locket. "Thank you."

"You seem more than just a little surprised at its value," the jeweler said.

She nodded. "Yes. I guess I am. You've been very helpful. What do I owe you?"

"Absolutely nothing." The jeweler smiled. "Thank you for bringing in such a beautiful piece. It's a nice way to end my day."

Janet left his shop and slowly walked back to the gym. She forced herself not to touch her hidden treasure until she got back to her desk. _Why would Craig give me such a valuable locket?_ she thought silently. _And again, who's the woman in the hidden photo?_

Joe's last class ended. Janet began locking up files and arranging non-essential paperwork, then shut down her computer. She was straightening up the last few items on her desk when Frank walked in again.

She looked up in surprise, feeling a little uncomfortable. "You're back."

"I am. I didn't want to miss you."

"Miss me?"

"Yes. I'd like to take you to dinner." He grinned.

"Dinner," she repeated. "Well, I don't know. I was just planning to go home and relax. It's been one of those days."

"I can imagine."

"Do you want me to let Joe know you're here?"

"Not necessarily. I'd really like to spend some time with you. I have some information about that previous event you might be interested in. Some things that never made it into the report."

She was at once suspicious. "What kinds of things?"

"Things best discussed over dinner."

"I, uh –"

The beads clattered and Joe stepped into the reception area. "Good evening Frank. You're back. Anything I can do for you?"

"No. I was just trying to persuade Janet to have dinner with me so we could catch up a little."

Joe looked at Janet curiously.

She stammered. "I-I said I just wanted to go home and relax. Like I told him, it's been a long day and I'm tired."

Joe nodded. "Probably a good idea." He looked at Frank. "I'll have dinner with you."

Frank laughed. "You will?"

"Sure. You buying?"

"Of course." Frank grinned at Janet. "His company won't be quite as enjoyable as yours, but since I already have a reservation for two at a very nice place not far from here, why not?" He looked at Joe.

Janet clutched her bag and walked around her desk to the door. "See you tomorrow, Joe. Have a nice evening both of you."

"Tomorrow," Joe replied. "Get some rest!"

Both men watched until she pulled out of the parking lot.

Joe looked at Frank. "What are you trying to do?"

Frank grinned.

"It's too soon," Joe said. "She needs to warm up to you first. Just give her some time." Joe gave Frank a wry grin. "So where are we going for dinner?"

Frank laughed. "Our usual place. Come on."

# CHAPTER 17

Janet fidgeted as she waited for Hector and John to show up. Pacing back and forth in her hotel room, she'd stop every few steps to part the drapes at her window just enough to look down at the hotel entrance. Her thoughts shifted to her most recent exchange with Frank. He seemed secretive and she didn't like that.

She checked the window again, and thought she saw them pull into the parking lot. She waited and watched. Definitely them. She hurried to her door and peered through the peep hole waiting until she saw them step off the elevation. They'd barely tapped when she flung open her door.

Both men entered without a word.

She closed and secured her door then faced them.

"What's wrong?" John asked noticing her agitation.

"He came back."

"Who did?"

"Frank!"

"What? When? Here? _"_

"No. At work. Just as I was getting ready to leave. He asked me to have dinner with him."

Hector frowned. "You're kidding."

"No. But Joe came to my rescue fortunately and said he'd have dinner with Frank instead. Then I hurried back here and called you." She shook involuntarily. "He seemed, creepy. Frank, that is. What do you both know about him?"

Hector led her to the sofa and motioned for her to sit while John chose a side chair.

Once settled next to Janet, Hector filled her in. "Frank was right when he said he was part of the team," he said. "That was a little over four years ago. At the time, we were watching the movements of some groups of people involved in what we believed was some serious criminal activity. That incident in California you ended up being a part of, was one such group. So, we decided someone needed to get a little closer to people we were watching. It was an assignment and Frank won the honors, so to speak."

"He volunteered," John said.

"Yeah, okay. He volunteered," Hector replied then continued. "So, right after the time of your California adventure, so to speak, he suddenly dropped off the radar. At first, we were concerned because prior to that, he'd been staying in touch on a regular basis. He paid infrequent visits to the Quail Club to meet up with a woman he'd befriended." Hector paused to look at John, then continued, "but we didn't hear from him much after that raid. In fact, we didn't know where he was, or what he was up to, or if he was even alive."

"Yeah," John said and picked up the story. "In fact, around the time you were in San Francisco we got a tip that he was there too, but we never could find him or find anyone who'd seen him."

Janet frowned. "The Quail Club. The woman he visited was the mother of one of the guys who helped rescue me, I found out later."

Again, Hector and John exchanged glances.

"Wait. You think he –"

"We don't know for sure, but we've heard stories to the contrary."

Janet grew quiet and stared off to one side.

"What?" Hector asked. "What's wrong?"

"If what you say is true, then Seth and his mother are in danger or already dead because she would know too much." She frowned again. "And now I know too much. That's what this is all about. They think I know too much about what he'd been doing at Cold Creek, except I didn't know." She looked at them both. "I had no idea. And you say he was in San Francisco. He was part of my abduction there, wasn't he?"

"We don't know that. We couldn't find him or any trace of him being there. We only heard rumors."

"But that doesn't mean he _wasn't_ there," Janet said. "I know you guys are good at what you do, but I suspect he's equally as good or he wouldn't be able to play both sides of this game so comfortably. That's what he's doing, isn't it?"

"It appears so, but we really don't know for sure," John said. "I mean, we'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. There was a time when we'd both trust our lives to him. So, if he was telling the truth today, then it all makes sense. He would have had to separate from us long enough to convince whoever he's hooked up with that he's loyal to them. The trick is not to lose sight of your mission and not get sucked up into an organization, like this particular one, to the point that they turn you."

She frowned. "Turn. You mean, to _their_ side."

Both men nodded.

"Yeah," John said. "That's exactly what we mean. Like you said, Frank is good at what he does. Plays his parts well, and if he's been playing both sides of the field, as you suggested and we've suspected, then we can't fully trust him. Not yet. Although it could be to support his cover, but we don't know for sure."

"I agree," Hector said, "except –" He paused. "Because he is so good at what he does, he may not have turned, at least not yet, but he's gonna have to prove himself to us this time."

"What organization?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"You just mentioned a particular organization."

"It's the only way we can describe it. No one has given it a specific name," Hector said. "At least not that we're aware of. Even Craig calls it The Organization."

"That's right. So Craig," she said and sighed again. "Will I ever see him again?"

"If he has anything to say about it, you will," John said.

"Does Frank know where I'm staying?" Her concern was relevant.

"Anything's possible."

She drew in a breath and looked away, wiping her face. "That's, a little unnerving. Now I'm scared again. I hate being frightened. I just want my life back. I just want to go to work, spend time with friends, which, by the way, I don't have any at the moment."

"What do you mean?" John asked. "What do you call us?" He pretended to be hurt in his usual way.

"You know exactly what I mean. Besides, you're old enough to be my –" she stopped and looked at John's contorted face. "Oh, stop it."

Hector eyed her. "Old enough to be your what?"

"Old enough to be my uncles. And how many women do you know who spend a lot of time hanging out with their older uncles?"

"Seriously?" John said. "In the Latino community, everyone hangs out together. The _whole_ family and we're talking _everyone!_ "

"Okay fine. Then you're both old enough to be my –"

"Stop right there," Hector said pointing his finger at her. "If you say, father or grandfather, I'm outta here!"

Janet managed a laugh. "Never mind, although I was going to say older brothers. After all you do call me little sis now and again."

"Okay," he said. "But at the same time, how many beautiful women, your age, do you know who get to hang out with two genuine, and very buff and handsome Latino men who would do anything to protect you? Hmm?"

She giggled. "Buff?" She laughed as John yanked up his shirt sleeve to show off his biceps. "Okay," she said and sighed.

"You know, I kinda like the idea of being your uncle," John said.

"And my big brother?"

"That, too," John said.

"And my dad?"

"Okay, that was temporary."

She laughed. "I just never wanted to presume you both considered me to be a friend. Like I've said before, I've felt like I'm just another assignment."

"You are an assignment," Hector said, "but a special one. But whether you are an assignment or not, we'd still look after you, and happily so."

"But why?"

They looked at each other then back at her and shook their heads.

"How many times do we have to tell you?" John said. "Because we care about you. We really do. So, how about we keep calling you our little sister and you can think of us as a couple of older brothers like you just mentioned?"

She let out another sigh and nodded.

"But not too old," Hector said and grinned.

"Well, then, you see, it's settled," John replied. "We're family. And family sticks together."

Hector nodded but changed the subject. "Do you happen to know where Frank and Joe were going for dinner tonight?" he asked.

"No, other than Frank said something about already having reservations at a very nice place not far from the gym. Does that help?"

"Yes and no." Hector looked at John. "What do you think?"

"Makes sense. Frank did have a place he liked to frequent back then and it's not that far from the gym. I suppose we could check it out."

Janet was on her feet. "I'm going with you."

"Hold on," John said.

"No! I do not want to stay here alone, even if it is a very secure hotel. I'm afraid. Take me with you. I'll sit in the back seat and not say a word."

Hector was skeptical. "I don't know. It's not the best plan."

"What about Charlie?" John said. "Maybe he could –"

Hector stopped him. "He's shuttling someone around tonight if you recall."

"Oh, yeah, right."

"Shuttling someone around?" Janet asked.

"In his limo," Hector said, "You know. His cover?" He exchanged glances with John.

She noticed. "Okay, you two. Who's he driving around? It's someone important isn't it?" Her eyes lit up. "Anyone I know?"

Both men exchanged looks.

"Will you both stop doing that? It's becoming annoying."

"Doing what?" John asked.

"That thing you both do. Those looks you give each other all the time."

"Annoying, huh?" He looked at Hector and laughed then back at her. "It's no one in particular. Just some old guy," John said.

"Some old guy."

"Yeah. A really old guy. We gotta go."

"And I'm coming too!"

"Then hurry up."

Janet sat quietly in the back seat of Hector's beat up dark sedan. Everyone remained silent for several miles then both men began talking softly to each other in Spanish. She was annoyed, and folded her arms, getting ready to say something when John turned halfway around to talk to her.

"When we get to the restaurant Hector's going to let me out and drive on. I'm going to scope the place out; see if they're there."

"Does it really matter where they're having dinner?"

"It all depends. Is it just them, or will there be others?"

"What others? He just asked me to have dinner with him. He didn't say anything about anyone else joining us."

"Just stay low and don't make eye contact with anyone, understand?"

"But –"

"Janet, _please_ ," John said. "If you want to ride along with us, you have to do what we tell you without always questioning everything."

"Okay," she said and anxiously watched as Hector began to slow down. He drove past a restaurant called the _Flaming Sword_ then finally pulled over. John got out and walked up to an adjacent business, closed for the day. He waited for Hector to drive on before heading back toward the restaurant.

Janet sat half-turned around in the back seat watching until Hector pulled over again a short distance away. He stopped this time, turned off the engine, then kept his eye on things through the rearview mirror. They both could see John go inside then moments later come out, pause for a moment, then disappear around the corner of the building to a parking lot. A couple of minutes later, he returned and reentered the restaurant.

"Okay," Hector said as he and Janet waited and watched anxiously.

"Okay?" Janet asked. "What's okay?"

Hector visually checked their immediate vicinity then focused on the restaurant again. "Okay. He just checked the parking lot."

"How do you know?" she asked and peered out the back window.

"It's one of our little techniques. He goes inside for a moment, starts to get a table, then pats himself down and tells the host he can't find his keys or his wallet and says he'll be right back. Then he comes out, gives me the signal and goes looking for his keys or wallet."

"Gives what signal?" Janet looked at him.

"You need to pay closer attention, little sis."

"To what?"

"To what he does. To what we do. What did you see?"

Janet looked out the back window again. "I don't know. He went in. Came out. Stopped a moment then – wait. It looked like he checked his pockets, I guess." She stopped.

"That was the signal." Hector said. "It meant he was going to check the parking lot."

"It did?"

"Yes. He just needed to have a good reason to be out in the parking lot looking around. Patting his pockets was the signal. You know, like he was trying to find his keys, or a wallet, or whatever."

"Oh," she said. "Then what?"

"We wait and see."

Janet slumped in her seat with a sigh. "I would not be good at any of this on a regular basis. All you seem to do is sit and wait."

"It's called patience. Something you have to develop if you want to get anywhere in this business."

"Who said I wanted to get anywhere in this business? You can keep it. I'll just concentrate on registering new students for Joe and collecting their monthly fees."

Hector chuckled softly then nodded toward the back window. "Okay, he's back."

Janet sat up and looked. "He is?" She stared out the back window.

"You missed him. He went back inside."

"Dang. How did he look? Did he send you another signal?"

"He looked fine, and yes he did."

"And?"

"You shouldn't give up so quickly. If you'd kept watching, you would have seen what he did."

"So tell me."

"Nope." Hector settled back into the driver's seat and started the engine.

"We're leaving?"

"In just a minute," he said then stiffened when he checked his rearview mirror. "Well, now, looks like we have company."

"We do?" she asked and looked behind.

"Get down; way down! And stay there. _Now!_ "

Janet slumped over.

Hector did the same and sent a text to John. Then he had another thought and sent a second text.

Inside, John glanced at his phone then waited for the hostess to return to her station. He mulled over the fact that a black sedan with tinted windows sat discreetly in the back of the lot, backed into a parking space. Typical routine, he thought, thinking of the number of times he'd done the same. Easier to leave quickly. But now knowing Hector had company, gave rise to grave concern. He smiled at the hostess who returned from seating other patrons.

"Table for one?"

"No. I'm waiting for friends, but, could I use your restroom?"

"Of course." She gestured to a hallway at the back of the main dining room.

He started in that direction but checked the second message Hector sent. Without stopping he casually took note of everyone seated and eating. He eyed the door to a private dining room, now closed but muffled laughter and conversation emanated from within. _That's where they are,_ he realized.

The narrow hallway led to two restrooms. He passed a kitchen entrance on the way and quickly looked through a round window. There was a lot of activity typical of a busy restaurant establishment. Just inside the doorway to the kitchen, he spotted a coat rack and an overhead shelf which housed extra white jackets, shirts, aprons, and hair nets.

John entered, donned a jacket then pulled on a hair net. He picked up a nearby empty tray and headed for the back of the kitchen. No one seemed particularly concerned about him.

A bag of garbage sat just inside the back door. He put down the tray, picked up the trash, and stepped outside. A trash receptacle was close by. It gave him a chance to glance around the parking lot again, but in a less than conspicuous manner. The black sedan was still there, but from this vantage point, the lights in the parking lot helped him get a better look inside and it didn't appear to be occupied, at least no one was sitting behind the wheel waiting.

Depositing the trash, he noticed what appeared to be a narrow walkway leading around behind the building. John pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit up. His smoke in hand, he wandered along the side of the building then entered the narrow passageway. Once there, he walked halfway, then stopped and extinguished the cigarette placing it back in his pocket. He quickly opened an app on his phone then reduced the volume to the point that only he could listen. At the same time, he walked to the other end of the passageway to see what was going on out at the street. By way of his phone, he could hear several conversations but the one he was most interested in was between Joe and someone else.

He shrugged out of the white jacket and pulled off the hair net. Another trash receptacle belonging to the adjacent business served as a suitable place to discard the items. At the same time, he noticed a dark sedan slowly drive by heading in Hector's direction. Its brake lights suddenly came on.

An uneasy feeling swept over him. All appeared clear on this side of the building, so he quickly made his way to the street and looked for the sedan. Two men got out of the car, now parked behind Hector's. John had to think fast. He needed to create a distraction and frantically looked around. A good-sized rock up next to a side fence caught his eye. He picked it up, took aim, then sent it flying at the sedan. It skipped off the roof of the car, but the impact was enough to activate their alarm system. An array of annoying, but loud sounds ran through a familiar cycle, along with head and taillights flashing in sync. Both men raced back to their vehicle to stop the commotion but ended up jumping in and driving away.

Hector waited for John, with the engine still running.

Janet remained crouched down in the back. "Can I sit up now?"

"Not yet," Hector said. A moment later, John climbed in. Hector turned on the headlights and calmly eased away from the curb and into light traffic.

John checked the passenger side mirror. "All clear?"

"Looks that way," Hector said and turned at the next corner. "You can get up now," he said to Janet. "And belt up. We'll take you back to the hotel." He glanced at John. "Anything?"

"Yup."

"And?"

"I think Joe's in a lot of trouble," John replied. "I did pick up on a conversation he was already having with someone. He mentioned the Saturday morning incident and demanded to know why they would send _her_ to spy and take photos of everyone."

"Did you happen to catch her name."

"No, but I heard Joe suddenly protest to someone and I think he got frisked down because the next thing I know I lost the signal."

"They found it and destroyed it," Hector said.

"Yeah," John replied. "I kinda feel bad for Joe, though.

"Me too," Hector said. "I didn't mean for him to get caught with it. Not by that bunch. So it was something more than just dinner."

Janet listened with her undivided attention as her mind raced with thoughts of 'what if's.'

"Joe?" she asked. "What did he get caught with?"

John turned in his seat slightly to look at her. "A very tiny listening device. Hector dropped it in his jacket pocket that day he and Charlie were going to follow Joe. While you and I were camped out in Avalon."

"Oh. So what did you hear?

"Well, let's just say I don't think you're gonna have to worry about working for Joe any longer."

# CHAPTER 18

Charlie piloted a helicopter over neighborhoods and businesses before finally reaching the Pacific coastline. He, along with Hector, John, were en route to a late-night meeting on Catalina Island. The ocean below was black, except for a few glints of moonlight caught by the crests of waves. Charlie called an emergency meeting of the three of them to discuss what little they knew and try to formulate a plan of some kind. He felt it was urgent and waiting another day would not be in their best interest.

Reaching the island, Charlie headed back to The Airport in the Sky. Moonlight glistened off the few buildings alongside the airstrip as he landed close to one large hanger. And just like the last time, there was no activity this late at night which made it a perfect place for them to gather. And at least this time, it wasn't raining; the skies were clear, due to an offshore breeze.

Charlie climbed out of the cockpit and waited for Hector and John to join him. The breeze rustled dry brush nearby. And just like before, they headed to the outside patio and sat down at a table up close to the building. Even at this hour, the coastline and cityscape of Los Angeles and adjoining neighborhoods was spectacular. The immediate landscape was shrouded in nearly total darkness aside from a couple of exterior lights on the restaurant. They admired the distant sights for a few moments before sitting down.

Charlie had some things on his mind and this secluded rendezvous was a perfect place to talk uninterrupted. Even so, no one spoke for a few minutes allowing the ocean breeze and the moment of solitude distract them from the mounting tension they'd been feeling lately. The quiet was a nice contrast to the several events they'd been dealing with.

Suddenly the stillness was interrupted by the sound of another aircraft on approach. They could tell it was another helicopter and stood up, waiting. The aircraft came in closer and soon landed not far from Charlie's. He excused himself and headed in that direction and around the corner of the restaurant, out of sight of his two companions.

With concern John and Hector waited.

"Wonder who that was coming in?" Hector asked. "Think it's Craig?"

"Don't know," John replied. "Guess we'll find out." He wandered off in the same direction to look and soon returned.

"They're on their way back," he said.

"Do you know who it is?" Hector asked.

John shook his head. "Not yet. Just their silhouettes barely backlit by the light of the half-moon dipping into the ocean."

Minutes later, they had their answer. Charlie returned with Frank.

"Frank," Hector said. "What are you doing here?"

"Charlie invited me. He wanted me to share a little more about the Organization I've infiltrated. This seemed like a good place to talk, so here we are."

"Okay, everyone. Let's sit down," Charlie said. Frank sat next to Charlie while John and Hector sat across from them.

"Okay guys," Charlie said. "Sorry to bring you here without much explanation, but I called Frank late last night and briefed him on some of the information Janet gave us about her Saturday surveillance."

Both men quietly nodded in acknowledgement.

"He agreed to join us here so we can discuss a few things." He looked at Frank. "I also thought maybe he could help connect some of the dots for us."

Frank drew in a deep breath then chuckled. "So, Janet's been a busy girl. Doing a little spying of her own I hear." His remark drew a few looks but nothing more.

"She is something else, I will say that." Frank grinned. "Okay, so how about first filling me in on whatever you have."

For the next several minutes Charlie shared what they knew about Janet's discovery of the woman who had been spying on the gym that Saturday. He also told him of her attempt to follow the woman and her driver as well as her bumbled effort at the parking garage.

"Parking garage." Frank nodded again. "They figured out she was following them."

"Yeah, that's what we decided," Charlie said.

"So, no Joe?" Frank asked. "Isn't he joining us?"

"I have him on another task at the moment," Charlie said. "We'll bring him up to speed later."

Frank nodded. "Yes, well in the meantime, as I explained the other night, I am embedded in Ray Martindale's organization and it's still actively recruiting younger women."

"Abducting, you mean." Hector's tone was dry.

"Uh, yes."

"You think he's still alive?" Hector said knowing full well that he was.

"Unknown, actually," Frank replied, "but the organization is operating as if he's still around."

"Yes," Charlie said, "and we keep getting reports that several young women, mostly college age, are missing from this general region; Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Bernardino, Irvine, and San Diego. All college towns."

Frank nodded. "Yes, we have men watching all potential coastal exits; small marinas especially."

Hector gazed out across the island toward the California coastline. "So, you think whoever's taking these women will try to get them out of the country by boat?"

"Yes," Frank said. "Just like in San Francisco."

They were quiet for a moment.

Frank continued. "This feels much like the other similar abductions we've been chasing down for the past few years," he said. "Including when Janet helped rescue her friend a few years ago. I'm convinced it all ties into Ray's operation."

"I would tend to agree," Hector said, "but again I thought – we thought – he was dead." He was testing Frank.

"Without a body, there is no proof he died," Frank said. "It's mostly speculation for now, so without physical proof we really don't know."

"Okay," Hector said, "but let's say he is dead. Who else might be running the organization now?"

Frank's expression was grave. "That's a very good question, but I'm operating on the premise that he is still alive. But if someone else were running it, I'm not sure who that might be. His organization is built around small sectors across the globe. Different individuals have a great deal of latitude and responsibilities for their own sector, or territory, if you will, but ultimately, they all report to their regional headquarters who in turn, report to Ray's group. But like I said, I'm not ready to declare Ray dead quite yet. We need to work on the idea he's still alive and still calling the shots."

Hector nodded. "Okay. Which means Janet is still in danger, right?"

"We have unanswered questions about some of what took place in San Francisco, and yes, that includes concerns about Janet and her safety. The people Ray works with are determined and fanatical about their business. Their empire."

Hector stared out at the dark wide channel again. "What I don't understand is why Janet continues to be a target. Is it just because of the Quail Club incident or something else?" He looked at Frank. "Why her?"

"That's another good question and as soon as we can figure out if there is a connection, it might make our job a little easier." Frank sighed. "Although I don't think what happened at the Quail Club is the only reason, she appears to be a target, I just don't know how to answer your question right now. In the meantime, each of you keep doing what you've been doing to ensure her safety and do your best to keep up with your other investigative work concerning all of this."

"We intend to," John said. "But other than that, anything else?" he asked.

"Wait for instructions," Frank said. "Charlie's taking point on this. He has access to people and places the rest of us don't. It's our hope he'll see or hear something that might help."

Hector kept his eyes on Frank. "Charlie drives around movie stars all over the place, don't you?"

Charlie grinned. "A few, yes, but I also take many other jobs carting around other individuals with their fingers in all sorts of things. Frank's right. I do have an advantage, in some ways. I'll keep my eyes and ears open. In fact, I have a job tomorrow afternoon that might help me glean a few answers. We'll see."

"What kind of job?" John asked.

Frank redirected the conversation. "We need to concentrate on our own responsibilities. You each have your own jobs to do and Charlie has his. We'll keep everyone posted on any news or updates." He shifted to stretch his legs then continued. "Okay. Now for Joe."

"Wait a minute," Hector said. "Who's in charge of this meeting? You? Or Charlie?"

"Well like we said at the outset, Charlie called the meeting, but I'm here to fill you in on what I know. So, I guess for the moment, I'm in charge and if you'll let me continue –"

Hector glanced at Charlie, who nodded, then back at Frank. "Fine. Continue."

"Thank you. As I was saying, unless the gym is bugged, we're beginning to suspect Joe could possibly be our leak, and not just with this. But that's another matter. I'll deal with Joe."

"Wait, wait, wait." Hector eyed Frank. "What's all this about Joe? When did Joe become a suspect and who said anything about a leak in our group?" Even though he and John knew more about Joe than they intended to let on, he didn't want to tip their hand.

Frank stared at the group of men. "I thought you wanted to hear what I've found out. If so, let me finish. If not. I'll leave."

"Come on, fellas," Charlie said. "Let the man speak. Let's hear what he has to say." He nodded to Frank to continue. Frank quickly assessed his companions then continued. "You know, before we discuss anything else, I need all of you to swear to complete secrecy on all matters we talk about, whether together such as this or in smaller pairings. Doesn't matter. Complete secrecy. Otherwise, this and all other meetings will prove to be pointless."

Hector let out a sarcastic laugh. "Since when did we have to be reminded of our responsibilities, especially regarding secrecy? We already know that." He glanced at Charlie. "We'll continue to keep confidential information confidential and we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to protect Janet which means we all have to stay in close contact. I'd like to suggest we use our familiar code system when we text each other."

"Good idea," Frank said. "Do it. And speaking of Janet, how is she doing? I see she didn't tag along to this meeting."

Charlie chuckled. "It's late and she's a little tired. We've been keeping her pretty busy lately and providing a little extra training. I made sure she got home safe and sound. Hopefully, she's sleeping."

"Extra training?" Frank looked at Charlie. "What kind of training?"

"Oh, learning a little more about surveillance, practicing how to poke around and not get spotted, like when you follow someone." He grinned. "How to find and recognize pertinent clues but without leaving a trace in the process, reading people a little better, that sort of thing. She's been getting pretty anxious lately and wanted to be more involved. So, we've given her some things to do that'll keep her busy and help her feel like she's contributing something."

"I see. Frank said. He nodded. "That's all well and good but without a sense of urgency or fear of getting caught, she may not be as diligent as she should be."

"Don't worry. We're taking care of all of that. So far, she's done pretty well.

Frank grinned and stood up. "Okay. Well, I'd better go."

"That's it?" John asked. "I thought you had more to share with us."

"I've decided to check in with some of my other men first and find out if they've come up with anything else, then we can meet again." He stopped when his phone buzzed. "Hold on," he stepped away with his back to the others. His conversation was quick, and he was back. "Like I said, I need to go." He glanced at everyone. "I'll stay in touch with you, Charlie. You can keep everyone else up to speed on details." He motioned to him. "Walk with me."

Hector and John watched until they disappeared around the corner of the restaurant. Hector shifted his gaze back to the open water glistening in the moonlight. The breeze had picked up a little more. He walked to the edge of the patio.

John joined him. "So, what's on your mind?"

"A lot of things. For instance, this meeting was a waste of time. He was fishing."

"I agree, but anything else?"

Hector was quiet.

"What is it?" John was concerned.

Hector started to say something when they heard a helicopter's engine startup. "We've known each other all our lives and been partners in crime, so to speak, for a very long time. Seen a lot of stuff; had to deal with a lot of stuff. We've done things we weren't too crazy about and we've done some pretty damned good things too."

"All true," John replied quietly.

Hector breathed in deeply. "Is it just me, or do you feel like there's more to all of this than we're being told?"

"Yup."

"I need to know I can trust you," Hector said.

John looked at him with concern. "Seriously? We're family. And after all these years, and what we've been through together, you have to ask me that? Of course, you can trust me. Why?"

"Because you and I also believe Joe is an informant, no question. Especially after seeing that picture Janet discovered under the conference room table. There were a couple of other people in that photo you and I have dealt with – years ago, but just the same, something more is going on than just human trafficking and drug running when it comes to Janet. I've suspected that for some time, just didn't want to say anything until I had more to go on, like who Joe reports to.

"You have any idea who his contact is?"

They both looked out as Frank's helicopter took off.

"Not exactly, unless he just flew away." Hector gave John a knowing look. "Other than that, just some unconfirmed suspicions, but that's what you and I need to find out. Frank can promise us the world, but I'm not convinced we're going to get to the truth thought him. We'll hear what he wants us to hear. We have to be careful not to be led down rosy paths that lead nowhere. We need to gather our own intelligence and I'm not so sure we should share everything we find out. Once you and I get more of our own answers then maybe we'll be able to figure out what's really going on, like what Joe's up to and why, and who he really works for, because, I don't think he's the only one going behind our backs."

"Roger that," John said.

"Plus, I have a suspicion who else might be informing on us."

"You mean maybe Frank. And who are these other men he mentioned? And are they anyone we know?"

"Perhaps," Hector said, "but I have someone else in mind as well, as an informant. In fact," he began but before he could continue, Charlie called out to them.

"Keep this between us," Hector said quietly. "We'll talk more later."

They both joined Charlie who sat down with a sigh. "So, what do you think?" he asked, after they got settled.

"What do we think about what?" John asked. "He didn't tell us anything we didn't already know or suspect."

"I agree."

"So now what?"

"We head back to the hotel," Charlie said. "Go to bed. Get up tomorrow and hope for the best 'cos you never know what tomorrow might bring."

Hector let out a sarcastic laugh. "What prompted you to suddenly wax poetic?"

"Well, think about it; we have to travel across that stretch of water out there in the dark and hope we don't collide with some other aircraft." He nodded toward the channel. "After that, we have to get in a car and drive back to that hotel on some of the most dangerous and congested roads in this country, even at this hour. So, anything can happen." He stared out into the darkness. "This meeting wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, based on a conversation I had with Frank earlier. He was more interested in what we knew than he was in sharing what he knew." Charlie focused on Hector and John. "I'm sorry I dragged you both out here tonight." He stood up. "Come on," he said. "I'm tired and getting punchy. Let's go."

They got up and headed for his helicopter.

"Want me to drive?" Hector asked.

"Sure," Charlie said. "I'd appreciate that."

# CHAPTER 19

At Charlie's request, John and Hector headed up to Janet's room at the hotel later that morning. They figured she would have had time to get up and have breakfast. Charlie wanted them to escort her back to her apartment to pick up all her personal belongings then take her to a new residence they'd cleared as safe and suitable for her. After the late-night meeting at Catalina, they took turns watching the hotel overnight, and walking the perimeter now and then to check entrances, and even walk the halls close to Janet's room just in case.

It was a little past nine when they arrived at her room only to find the door ajar. With concern and caution they quietly pushed it open and were surprised to see a housekeeper already at work stripping the bed. She looked up, startled, and stopped what she was doing.

"May I help you?" she asked nervously.

"Well, yes. We were supposed to meet someone here this morning," Hector said.

"No one is here. The guest has checked out."

"Checked out," he replied.

"Yes."

"Did you happen to notice when she left?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to guests and visitors. I need to get back to work. You can talk to the desk clerk downstairs."

"Desk clerk," Hector said. "Well, that won't do us much good if she left by some other exit."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot help you." The housekeeper stood rigidly clutching a bed sheet, keeping her eyes on both men.

"Okay." Hector said. "Thank you."

They left and headed to the elevator.

"Checked out," John said. "Didn't Charlie tell her we'd be coming to get her?"

"I thought so," Hector said. He pulled out his phone and dialed while they waited.

"How's she doing?" Charlie asked.

"You tell us," Hector said. "She's gone."

There was a momentary pause before he exclaimed, "She's what!"

"Checked out," Hector replied. "We thought you were going to tell her we were coming to pick her up this morning."

"I told her I'd send someone. I didn't say specifically who because I didn't know if it would be me or you two." Charlie was silent a moment. "Find out if you can look at surveillance footage."

Hector let out a laugh. "That'll be tricky without a warrant or something. No one's going to let us check camera footage if they don't know who we are or why we need to see it."

Charlie expressed frustration. "Well, see what you can find out some other way. Do you know when she checked out?"

"No. We spoke to the housekeeper in her room, but she wouldn't or couldn't tell us anything. That's okay, we'll keep checking around, at least until they threaten to arrest us if we don't leave. We'll get back to you." Hector put his phone away.

John was talking to someone also waiting for the elevator. Hector joined them just as the woman shared what she knew.

"Yes. Right after breakfast. A man and woman knocked on her door and went in. But that's all I know."

"Can you describe the man and woman?" Hector asked then stopped. "How about I just show you some photos of people," he said. "Just nod if you recognize any of them, that's all." He pulled up a photo of Frank, then Joe, and finally Ray.

She looked at them but shook her head. "No. None of them," she said, then asked. "Are you both hotel security? Because if not, I probably shouldn't be talking to you."

The elevator car arrived. She stepped onboard and quickly pushed a button.

Hector and John remained where they were and watched the doors closed.

"We'd better go," Hector said. "She's probably gonna say something to someone at the front desk and that means security will send someone up here in a couple of minutes."

"Then we should take the stairs," John said. "But we need to try to avoid any cameras, if we can," he added.

They managed to leave the building without incident and headed back to Joe's gym. Hector remained silent as he drove. John called Charlie on the way hoping he was available and maybe had some answers by now, but the call went to voicemail. He left a brief message to call back as soon as possible then stared out the windshield. "This feels really bad," John said. "My gut's in a knot."

"I know," Hector said. "Do you realize how attached we've become to our little gal?"

"Yeah," John replied. "I've thought about that off and on. We don't normally get so personally involved with clients."

"Except she's become more than a client for us mostly because there's some kind of a connection between her and Drew, which might explain why we've developed a tighter attachment to her as well.

"Yeah," John said, "but I'd sure like to know what Drew's interest is. And does Janet even know his real name?"

"I doubt it," Hector said and let out a laugh. " _Is_ Drew his real name?"

"Good question," John said. "But for now he's Craig," he said. "But you're right. There is something between them, but I don't think she even knows what it is, not really. She formed an attachment to him after their experiences in San Francisco, but other than that, I have no idea what has drawn him to her so intensely."

"Yeah, and he won't talk about it." Hector kept watching the rearview mirror."

John noticed. "You see something?"

"I thought I did, but the car turned a block behind us."

John let out a sigh. "We're seeing things where there's nothing to see these days."

"I know," Hector said then stared in the mirror again. "Or maybe not. Leapfrog maybe?"

"Really." John checked his side mirror. "Which one?"

"Light blue compact car."

John looked at his partner. "Light blue. Just like the car Janet talked about."

"Yeah. And I have an idea." He grinned.

They approached a shopping mall complex. Hector pulled into the large open parking lot then headed to a three-level parking garage. "Let's see if we can catch them at their own game," he said. "Let's have some fun."

"You think it'll work? If it's the same people Janet followed, they won't fall for the same trick."

Hector said nothing as he entered the parking structure and immediately took the ramp up to the second level. Once there, he quickly circled around, tires squealing and came to a stop hoping they wouldn't be seen. They watched the blue car race up to the next level. Hector was now in pursuit but kept his distance, hoping the blue car wouldn't have time to double back.

Reaching the third level they were out in the open on the rooftop of the garage. The blue car was hustling to come back around so Hector pulled around sharply to block the exit ramp just as the blue car raced for it. It skidded to a stop then reversed gears, burning rubber in an attempt to back up.

Hector raced forward heading straight at the blue car. The driver panicked and slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting a parked car behind him. Hector braked as well, coming within inches of the blue car's front bumper before stopping. John was out of his seat and raced to the car, his gun leveled on the driver. _"Hands where I can see them!"_

The driver was a young kid, about twenty-four years old. He was dressed in a T-shirt, faded and dirty jeans, and wearing a baseball cap with a Dodgers logo on it. Obviously agitated and ill at ease, he sniffed and coughed and rubbed his nose a couple of times.

"Get out of the car," Hector ordered, yanking the door open. "What's your name, kid?" he asked gruffly.

"N-Neil," he said, timidly stepping out. "H-Hey. What's going on?"

"Neil. Nice name," John replied. "Why were you following us?"

"I-I wasn't."

"Really. Then why did you try to get away from us just now?"

"I-I thought you both were going to rob me or something."

"Now why would we do that?"

"I don't know."

"I don't believe you," Hector said. "I think you were deliberately following us, and I want to know why."

"I-I can't tell you."

"Wrong answer. We have ways of making people talk, you know."

Neil started to shake. "If I tell you, they'll kill me."

"If you _don't_ talk, we'll kill you" John said. _Who sent you!"_

"I don't know nobody's name."

"Someone told you to follow us. Who was it!"

"Look. I don't want to die."

"Then answer the question. Who told you to follow us?"

"I said I don't know. All I can tell you is I was h-hired to."

John was skeptical. "Hired? And you don't know who hired you?"

"I don't know his name. I met him at a park someplace and he gave me an envelope."

"An envelope." John leaned into him. "What envelope?"

"I-It's in the car. Front seat." The kid looked in that direction.

John reached inside the open driver's side window and retrieved a mangled manila envelope. He opened it and looked. Standing next to Hector, he pulled out a note, some cash, and photos.

"Not bad," John said to Hector showing him a photo. "At least they got your good side."

"Give me that." Hector yanked the photo from John and stared at it. He showed it to Neil. "Okay. I'm going to ask you again, who gave this to you?"

"Like I said. I don't know the guy's name. He just handed me that envelope with the note."

John read the note. "This is incredibly detailed. It's specific, right down to the time we showed up at the hotel." He looked at Neil. "Describe the guy who gave you all this stuff.

"S-Shorter than both of you. Asian. Wearing –"

"Wait." Hector stopped him. "Asian?"

"Yeah."

The men looked at each other. John immediately pulled up a photo of Joe on his phone. He showed it to Neil.

"Yeah. That's the guy. You know him?"

"That's not important," Hector said. "How do you know him?"

"Well I," he hesitated. "I owe him some money."

Again, the men looked at each other then back at Neil.

"You'd better start talking kid. What's with all the money in this envelope?" John asked. "Is it the money you owe?"

"N-No. It's, it's a-a payment. From that guy." He pointed at John's phone.

"A payment? You just said you owe him money, and yet he's paying you? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

"N-No."

"Why is he paying you?"

"To-to follow you guys."

Hector eyed their young captive then asked, "How much money do you owe him?"

"A lot."

"Like how much?"

"Too much. I can't pay it off. I don't have the money, b-but this job was to help pay him back."

"You owe him money, but he _paid_ you to follow us." Hector held up the envelope.

"Why do you owe him money?" John asked, but already had his suspicions.

"H-He's my-my dealer. I-I buy from him."

"Directly?" Hector asked. "You deal with him directly?"

"Well, no. No. I have a friend and he gets the stuff for me. I'm not allowed to deal direct." Neil kept sniffing.

"Until today," Hector said. "Today you dealt directly with him."

"Look, man. I'm hurtin'." I need some stuff. He promised me some stuff as soon as I finished the job."

"And what exactly was the job?"

"I already told you. I was to follow you."

"And that's it. Just follow us."

"Well, a-and to-to wait for you both to stop and leave your car someplace so I could put this on it." He pulled a small item from his jeans pocket and handed it to John.

John looked it over and showed it to Hector. Neither one spoke. Hector gave a nod. John dropped the tiny tracking device on the ground and smashed it with the heel of his boot.

Hector yanked Neil to his feet. "You're coming with us," he said.

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked, struggling.

"What do you care?" Hector said tightening his grip.

"But they said they'd kill me if I got caught by you guys."

"Right," John said, "and like I said we might kill you too, for following us."

Hector stared at him. "They. Who else are you talking about besides this dealer of yours?"

"I don't know! I was on a phone call with him and there was this other man talking in the background. Some gruff-sounding guy. He kept telling him what to say to me."

Hector frowned. "A gruff-sounding guy." He looked at John. "You got any zip ties with you?"

"Yup." John pulled one from a back pocket and proceeded to restrain Neil's hands behind his back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to resist again but John managed to get him into a stronghold to finish the job.

"Protecting you." Hector said. "And us. More than likely they followed you using that tracking device just to make sure you did what you were told. The minute John busted it they knew something went wrong and any minute now someone's going to drive up that ramp, guns blazing. So, if you want to live, you do what we tell you. You wanna die, then just sit here, and wait for your friends because here's a news flash for you; they were going to kill you no matter what. These kinds of people don't like loose ends and that's exactly what you are." He looked at John again. "Okay, one of us takes the kid and the other drives his car. Take your pick."

John grabbed Neil's hat and shoved it on his head. "I'd better not get head lice from this thing, because if I do –" he didn't finish his thought. "I'll drive his car. I'm about his build. Plus, our little gal is right. Your hair does stick out on the sides." He grinned and climbed behind the wheel. "I'll follow you," he said to Hector.

Hector forced Neil into the passenger seat of their sedan. "Just sit there and pretend everything is fine. You make any sudden moves or attempt to get outta the car and I will permanently put you out of your misery. You understand?"

Neil simply nodded.

John put on sunglasses he found lying in the passenger seat and slid down slightly in the driver's seat of the blue compact car. Soon he was rounding the bottom ramp keeping a modest distance from Hector who'd already exited the garage.

Hector exited the parking garage and pulled out onto the busy boulevard heading west. John did the same still maintaining his distance and at the same time watched his mirrors. It wasn't long before he knew he'd picked up a tail. He used the hands-free feature of his phone to let Hector know.

Hector decided to head for Joe's gym. If someone was following them, they were also familiar with their hangouts and general routines. Therefore, going there wouldn't necessarily raise any flags.

John in the meantime called Charlie. "We have a situation," he said. "Can you talk?"

"Hi, honey. I'm sorry. Now's not a good time. I'm right in the middle of something. Can I call you back?" He paused then continued. "Yeah. I had a good time the other night too. It certainly was a surprise when everyone showed up unexpectedly. You really know how to liven up an evening, you know?"

"We'll wait for your call," John said quietly.

"Okay, sweetie," Charlie said. "I'll talk to you later."

They hung up. John communicated with Hector. "I just called Charlie. Something's up with him too. Unexpected company, from the way he was talking."

"Then we'll not go to our original destination. Plus, we need to find out about Janet. Who else might know something?"

"I have no idea at this point," John said, "because I don't know who we can trust anymore."

"Copy that," Hector said. "You still being followed?"

"I think they pulled another switch on us, so it's hard to say."

"We'll just keep driving unless you think we should call Frank."

"I don't know about that," John said. "What I'm worried about most right now is Janet."

"Yeah, me too," Hector said.

"And what do we do with our friend?"

"I have an idea," Hector said. "Follow me to another shopping mall." Twenty minutes later, Hector and John pulled out of the shopping mall parking garage. "Boy, he didn't waste any time running away from us," Hector said, about Neil. "But if he's smart, he won't go back for his car. That is if he was paying any attention to us."

"Yeah," John said. "I did what I could to wipe his car down. Should be okay."

"Good, because we need to find Janet, and fast," Hector said just as a police car pulled in behind them, lights flashing and the siren blasting for a couple of beats.

Hector pulled over. "What the –" he muttered. "Now what? I wasn't speeding; didn't make an unsafe lane change."

"Let's just be cooperative so they'll let us go," John said, placing both of his hands on the dashboard while Hector rolled down his window. He placed his hands on the steering wheel in plain sight and waited for the officer to approach.

Hector grinned. "Hello, officer. What's the problem?"

"We received a BOLO on this vehicle," he said. "Please step out of the car but keep your hands in plain sight; both of you."

They did so, just as two more units arrived also with lights flashing but no sirens. With their hands on the roof of the car, John silently tapped a finger for a moment. Hector acknowledged with a few silent taps of his own.

After a quick pat-down, they were taken to a police station for questioning. Over an hour later, they were released with the typical warning not to leave town. A squad car took them back to their car and drove away.

"Someone is doing everything they can to keep us from finding Janet," John said as he climbed in. "I'll ping her phone."

Hector carefully moved into traffic waiting for John.

Moments later he shook his head. "Nothing. Now what?"

"Call Charlie," Hector said then noticed they'd picked up another tail. He began his customary routine while John talked to Charlie long enough to fill him in on their current status then hung up.

"We got more company," Hector said. "I'm trying to shake them."

"You think someone tagged our car while we were being interrogated?"

Hector shot him a disgusted look. "Guess it's time to wash the car again."

After a quick stop to do that and check their vehicle for hidden tracking devices, they finally met up with Charlie at the Griffith Observatory in the hills north of Hollywood. He was anxiously waiting for them by the time they arrived.

"Where've you two been?" he asked and glanced at his watch. "You said you were on your way."

"We were," Hector said. "Had to take a couple of detours, unfortunately."

"Okay. Well, what did the cops want?"

"They asked a bunch of questions that didn't have anything to do with that kid," John said, "or anything else we're involved in right now."

"Well, what then? What did they want?"

John shrugged. "We have not idea except we think someone is trying to prevent us from finding Janet."

"Yeah, it was all bogus," Hector agreed. "Like John said, their questions didn't have anything to do with any of our activity. Anyway they kicked us loose, gave us ride back to our car and here we are."

"And you led them here," Charlie said.

"Seriously Charlie?" Hector said. "That's why we're late. Besides, this is kinda out of the way, don't you think? Plus the congestion and all these people wandering around."

"I know but I didn't have much choice. Had to take the Allensby's to the LAX, last minute and then a client I'd already booked to come up here with out-of-town guests."

"Okay," Hector said, "but we had to take a little extra time to get here just in case we were still being followed. So we stopped to pick up some burgers; here you go, by the way." He handed Charlie a bag. "Drove to a gas station with a convenience store. I filled the tank, John bought some snacks, we drove around some more and then came here – in a round-about way. But we kept watching for a tail, just in case."

Charlie pulled a hamburger from the bag. "Thanks for this. I was hungry." He took a bite. "So to slow you down you think."

"That's what we figured," John said. "And with all the time it has taken to deal with the cops and get here we're worried about Janet. We tried to ping her phone but got nothing.

Charlie frowned but nodded.

"So," Hector began, "your unexpected company. The Allensby's?"

Charlie was disgusted. "Yeah. They're headed to Mexico on another one of their so-called vacations."

"Okay," John said, "but we still need to find Janet."

Charlie nodded then looked at them both. "What about her locket?" he asked.

# CHAPTER 20

Janet was cold, groggy, and her head hurt. Her blouse did little to help her stay warm as she sat in a dark and damp place. Her hands were tied behind her back and to the metal chair she was sitting on almost the same as when she had been tied up in that warehouse on Treasure Island. And just like before, she had a cloth bag over her head. This time, though, her mouth was taped shut. She was terrified and had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there. The last thing she could remember was room service showed up with her breakfast order. The server left then almost immediately there was another knock at her door.

Someone called out, 'room service' and she reopened her door expecting to see the same server. Instead, she faced a man and a woman. Both pushed their way into her room and closed the door. That was all she could remember.

Now she sat alone, unable to see anything, and extremely frightened. She strained to listen for any distinguishable sounds. Every so often she heard a faint hiss in the distance as if from a steam vent, followed by a muffled clunk of some kind. Other than that, the place was cold and creepy. Her head throbbed and panic began to set in as more memories of the warehouse incident on Treasure Island returned. There, she and Alex were both tied up and left alone. Now she began to wonder if she was alone or if someone else was nearby, quietly watching her.

Janet remained still until it felt like something was crawling up her leg. She let out a muffled shriek and attempted to shake it off and kick at whatever it was. Seconds later, she heard rattling keys and stiffened. A deadbolt released and a door creaked open. She heard someone enter the room accompanied by the acrid smell of cigarette smoke; a familiar smell, and her heart sank. Her visitor remained quiet for a few seconds then finally let out a laugh and spoke.

"What's the matter, sweet Janet? Something frighten you?"

Janet's stomach knotted. It was Ray Martindale; very much alive! She made no attempt to respond.

"Hungry?" he asked in a taunting voice. "Was your breakfast interrupted this morning? Huh?"

Hungry or not, she remained silent.

"Have it your way. You can starve for all I care."

She heard his footsteps and the door close with a solid and metallic thud. She waited for the sound of the deadbolt, but all was quiet, except for the smell of that disgusting cigarette smoke still lingering. She knew he was still in the room.

"Think you're tough, don't you?" he finally said, growing impatient with her.

The smell of the cigarette smoke triggered the need to cough but the tape on her mouth made that difficult.

"Don't you even want to know why you're here?" He waited for a response then shouted at her. _"Speak up!_

With her mouth taped shut, all she could do was make an inaudible sound.

In anger, he stepped closer and yanked off the hood. "Ah, yes. Still gagged, I see." He viciously tore off the tape.

"Ow," she said followed with, "I'm cold."

"Cold. That's all you have to say. That you're _cold_?"

"Yes."

"Foolish little _girl!"_ He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke directly at her.

This time she did cough, then asked, "How long are you going to keep me here?"

"Ahh. Now that's more like it. An honest question." He let out another laugh. "Oh, I don't know. As long as it takes, I guess."

"I don't understand."

"We're just waiting to hear back from someone. See if you're worth as much to them as we think you're worth to us."

"Worth? Me? I'm just a receptionist."

This time he let out a much louder and more sinister laugh. "Oh, my dear! If you only _knew."_ He laughed again. "Sit tight. Hopefully, our demands will be met, and you will no longer be my responsibility. Otherwise, I have another plan in mind. One that will –" He didn't finish. Instead, he laughed again.

"That will what?" She attempted to convey a measure of confidence.

He continued to laugh as he walked away. She watched as he opened the metal door then closed it hard. The sound echoed eerily, then the deadbolt slammed back into place and the jangle of keys confirmed there was no escape, even if she could figure out a way to extricate herself from the chair.

From the other side of the door, he called out to her. "They have only a few hours left to make up their minds! After that, it'll be a game changer! Hell! You might even end up spending the last moments of your silly life all alone right here where you are! It'll all depends on my mood!"

Janet waited. The cigarette smoke lingered for a while then slowly dissipated. A chill ran down her spine, and not just from the cold. Ray was still very much alive, and she shook, both from the cold and with mounting fear. Her thoughts cascaded. She believed him. She knew he meant what he said. But who was he waiting to hear from? What was he expecting? A ransom?

Janet wanted to scream but knew it wouldn't help. She was his prisoner, but for what purpose, she had no idea. She tried to shift her position on the metal chair just enough to relieve some of her discomfort, but it was of no use. She was tightly bound on all sides. Instead, she listened, but all she could hear was that occasional distant hiss and the accompanying rhythmic clank. In between those, it was deathly silent.

# CHAPTER 21

Charlie paced, obviously agitated. "Did you get a ping yet?" he asked.

"Working on it!" Hector said then reacted. "Got it!" He and John stared at the blinking light on the screen of Hector's phone.

"That's not good," John said. "It's in a warehouse district near the rail yard although not that far from here."

"Then get going!" Charlie ordered.

They jumped back in their car and seconds later were making their way down the winding hillside road to the surface streets in the neighborhood nestled below Mount Hollywood. Using the frequency of the tracking chip on Janet's locket, they were able to determine she was in a warehouse area about ten miles away, but traffic wasn't cooperating. By the time they arrived, it was late in the afternoon, but businesses were still open and traffic still busy which hampered their ability to move around. They impatiently followed the signal through stop and go traffic, finally arriving in the general vicinity forty-five minutes later.

Based on the signal from the locket, the building they were looking for was just ahead. However, as they passed an entrance to a narrow alley between a couple of buildings, Hector suddenly stopped and backed up. He and John both stared into the lane and noticed a silver-colored sedan parked about thirty feet away.

"That looks like Janet's car." Hector said. He frowned. "And it has her plate ID but what's it doing here? I thought we stored her car." He looked at John. "And why is it parked here when the signal from her locket is coming from that other building up ahead?" He gestured. "What do you think?"

John opened his door. "Pull over and wait. I'll go check the car but keep the engine running." He stepped out and looked around before crossing the street to the alley. There were no other cars parked nearby and the buildings on either side of it appeared to be empty. He had his hand on his gun but kept it holstered for the time being as he took his time to examine any likely hiding places as he approached. He reached the car and looked inside. It appeared empty. Even so, he pulled his gun and kept it leveled at the car as he continued to carefully walk around it. He listened and looked for any signs of life or danger but neither saw nor heard anything.

Hector remained alert as he kept an eye on the area around them and John and anxiously watched as his partner continued his examination.

John, in the meantime, approached the trunk and tapped on the lid but no one responded. He tried to open it but couldn't and debated whether he should pick the lock. For some reason, he chose not to then visually examined the interior of the car once again. He took a couple of photos with his phone, including one of the license plate then trotted back to Hector and climbed back in their car.

Both gazed ahead at the other building emitting the signal.

"Didn't see a thing," John said, "And I couldn't look in the trunk without prying it open, but I decided not to. I did tap on the lid, just in case but heard nothing. I just hope she wasn't in it and unconscious."

They exchanged worried looks.

Hector glanced at the car one more time then decided to pull away and had driven a short distance when a loud explosion erupted, startling them both. He slammed on the brakes. They both turned to look as smoke and ash burst from the alley entrance. Burning debris began to rain down. Both quickly jumped out of the car and carefully but cautiously approached the alley, and waited for some of the smoke to clear, before they could get a good look.

"What the _hell!"_ John exclaimed staring into the alley entrance. Flames licked up the stucco wall of the building closest to the burning vehicle. "Was it just pure luck I wasn't still standing there when that thing blew or was it a warning!"

They looked at each other.

"Good question," Hector said. "But right now, we need to get out of here. Someone's going to call that in," Hector said, "which means we don't know how much time we have."

"Yeah," John replied. He checked the blip on his phone screen. "We need to check that building up there," he said. "And fast."

"I just hope Janet wasn't in the car," Hector said.

"Oh, God!" John said suddenly, "I hope she wasn't stuffed in the trunk and unconscious! I should have picked the lock."

Hector stared straight ahead. "No. That might have triggered the explosion as well." He continued to stare. "Get a hold of Charlie. Now!" Hector said, "We need to check that building. But the last thing we need is to get caught, especially since we've already had a nice little visit with the cops this afternoon."

They carefully but quickly approached the suspect building. John made the call to Charlie and let him know what had just happened and what they planned to do.

"And you have no idea if Janet was in that car," Charlie said.

"No," John said, "but we're still getting a signal from her locket. As for that car, all I can tell you is when I walked around it, I couldn't see anyone sitting in it or laying down in the back seat. And I didn't see or smell anything suspicious. I banged on the trunk lid to get someone's attention but heard nothing. I even thought about picking the lock, but I didn't."

"Probably just as well," Charlie said. "That could have triggered the explosion."

"Yeah, that's what Hector said."

"So, it was just abandoned there?" Charlie asked.

"We think so," John said, "and the next thing we know, that whole alley lit up. If I had hung around for even a few seconds longer, I could'a been toast."

"True. But you weren't, thankfully." Charlie said then sobered. "Okay. I'm going to listen to the police scanner to see what I can pick up. You two be careful but keep your eyes open. And as soon as I can wrap up this job, I'll join you. Wait. It looks like my people are coming my way. Okay. I should be able to be there within the next thirty minutes or so."

"Copy that," John replied and hung up.

Hector pulled over and stopped well back from the building. He carefully scanned the immediate area then refocused on the building. "You think someone might have been watching Janet's car? Waiting for us to show up?" He looked at John. "Like you said, a couple of seconds after you were out of that alley it blew."

John nodded as he contemplated where Hector was going with the thought. "A warning maybe?"

"Possibly, but why? Why not blow it up while you were standing next to it?"

John's expression suggested he wasn't too happy with that notion."

"Don't look at me like that," Hector said. "I don't want you to get blown up, but it just seems odd, that's all. It all seems too _planned_." He gazed out the window again. "Hopefully, Janet wasn't in the car."

"But maybe someone wants us think she was? That she died in the explosion?"

"Yeah. But if she didn't, she has to be in that building." He nodded in that direction. "And she's still wearing the locket."

John stared straight ahead. "Then we need to get in there and find her before that place blows up."

Hector breathed in deep and exhaled with a nod. "Yeah, and with her in it," he said.

"Then let's go," John said as they both weighed in on that sobering thought.

"She'd better be alive," Hector stated flatly, "or someone's gonna pay if she isn't."

They exited their vehicle and began to approach with caution. At the same time, John received a text from Charlie texted saying he was taking his clients back to their hotel and would hurry to join them as soon as he could. He also said he'd continue to monitor police activity on his scanner.

John stared at the building. "It looks abandoned to me." He noted several broken windows and a rusted iron grill across one entrance. The only anomaly was a small compact car parked at the curb and a dilapidated door bounded by barred windows on either side. Then he pointed toward the top of the building and faded signage. "Used to manufacture paint and varnishes here. Combustibles."

Hector simply nodded, his eyes focused intently on the building and the entrance door. "Interesting to see a car parked here."

John agreed. "Yeah, especially when it's for rent," he said and pointed to a sign hanging precariously from a metal fire escape at a second-floor window of the three-story brick building.

They continued to watch the intermittent traffic and listen for any sounds coming from the building. Other than the police radios and other related activity now coming from the crime scene down the street, they heard nothing else.

Stealthily, they proceeded along the sidewalk and approached the street corner just across from the abandoned building to watch and assess the situation.

"There," John whispered. "I see a light moving around through the window on the left of that door."

"I see it," Hector said and texted their observation to Charlie and to ping their phones for their exact location. "You see any surveillance cameras anywhere?" he asked John.

John kept looking but shook his head, no.

"Then let's go in," Hector said, just as his phone vibrated. He checked it and frowned. "Charlie wants us to stay put. He says some patrol cars have been dispatched to check the surrounding area."

They exchanged nervous looks.

"Okay," John said, "but they'll see us standing out here plus if Janet is in there, we need to get to her. There's no telling what might happen."

"I know," Hector said. "Charlie says he's nearly here. Maybe another five minutes or so, but a lot can happen in five minutes."

"Yeah, and my gut says we don't have five minutes. Besides that parked car says something's up inside or it could be another car bomb and Janet may be inside it."

"I agree," Hector said. "And whether she's in that car or the building, she's definitely in trouble and needs us. And I agree with you. That car makes me nervous and if it _is_ another car bomb, it could go at any minute and possibly trigger an even bigger explosion inside the building."

John nodded. "And I'm willing to bet that's where she is; inside the building. Much easier to destroy evidence with a bigger explosion."

Hector looked around. "Okay. How about you move our car farther away while I check that blue car. Then hustle back so we can check inside the building together."

"Roger that."

John sprinted for their car while Hector made his way across the street. It didn't surprise him that he couldn't see any obvious cameras. The building was presumably empty and there would be no point in adding cameras now, especially if someone were holding Janet captive inside. No evidence of their activity.

He cautiously approached the blue car, trying not to bring too much attention to his activity, although the area was nearly cleared out, given the time of day. He casually checked for his concealed weapon but left it in place for now as he began a visual examination of the car. Although he couldn't check the trunk, he didn't see anyone inside the passenger compartment.

Hector checked over his shoulder. John had parked the car a couple of blocks away and around a corner but was on his way back. But rather than wait for him, Hector cautiously approached the door from one side, to avoid being seen through either of the two windows framing it. He positioned himself next to the left-hand window to listen but heard nothing even though he knew someone was inside.

He looked around for a hiding place in case he needed one. His only option was the side of the building. It would have to do. He took a breath and started for the door when he had to stop. He could hear someone talking inside and coming closer. He hurried to the corner of the building just as the door opened. Because his hiding place wasn't ideal, he didn't dare look for fear he'd be seen. Instead he remained hidden but could hear two people talking in low tones as they exited the building. A man and a woman.

The woman anxiously said they needed to leave the area as quickly as possible and referred to the previous explosion. Hector remained where he was as he heard two car doors open and shut, followed by the sound of the engine starting. Moments later it drove past his hiding place. With relief, he watched as it continued to the next street corner where it turned and quickly sped away.

"Okay," Hector said to himself. "No car bomb, which leaves the building." He stepped out from the side of the building just as John hurried to join him.

"How's the police activity look?" Hector quickly asked.

"Still down the street," John replied. "But did you get a good look at those two people who just drove away?"

"No. Did you?"

"Yeah. It was Ray Martindale and some woman I didn't recognize."

Hector's face was grim. "We gotta get in there!" He called Charlie. "We're going in," he said when Charlie answered. "We're outta time. Ray was just here with some woman and they left in a big hurry. We can't wait for backup. Not if Janet's inside this place."

"Copy that," Charlie said, "but watch your backs. I'm close by but more police cars have shown up along with fire trucks and an ambulance. Looks like they may have pulled what's left of a body from the wreckage of that car."

"My God," Hector said.

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "I'm standing by and I'll keep listening to the scanner but you two be very careful. I don't feel good about any of this."

They hung up.

John waited while Hector cautiously opened the door. They were not surprised it wasn't locked but paused to listen as they peered into the dim and dusty space. Lingering smells of oil and varnish, along with the mustiness of the place, didn't set well with them. John shown a light around which revealed a long narrow hallway just beyond a front office space. They paused to listen but hearing nothing unusual yet, they still needed to search the building. Hector used a small canister to spray a mist into the space to detect possible infrared beams. Nothing. They left the outer door slightly ajar allowing late afternoon sunlight to spill through then cautiously made their way farther in. John kept his flashlight aimed ahead while Hector continued to spray and to watch for possible trip wires or anything else resembling a booby trap.

There were a couple of locked doors along the way but neither of them could detect any sounds. The narrow hall intersected with another one that ran perpendicular to it. They waited while John checked the phone app, he was using to track Janet's location. He pointed to the right. Hector pulled out his own flashlight and together they cautiously proceeded along this hallway.

Each carefully checked one door after another, finding nothing until Hector stopped at a third door. It was metal and had an external bolt on the outside with a newer looking padlock. He listened and now thought he heard something behind the door. It sounded like bumping and scraping on a cement floor.

He jammed his flashlight into his armpit then retrieved a small kit from a pocket and selected a couple of tools. With practiced skill, he was able to pick the lock and remove it. With caution he unbolted the door but before entering, he used his flashlight to examine the door frame for any signs of wires or other potential threats. Seeing none, he carefully opened the door about an inch and looked for possible secondary trip wires. Again, nothing. This room was pitch black and smelled of dampness and mold. If there were any windows, they were either covered or painted over. The scraping sounds had stopped so he waited and listened again then pushed the door open a few more inches to get a better look. He put the spray canister in a pocket and pulled his gun then shone his light through the narrow opening. Suddenly there was a loud thump and a painful moan. With care, he opened the door wider and aimed his light in that direction.

John waited at the open door to keep watch while Hector entered the room. In the glow of his flashlight he could see someone on the floor tied to a chair that had tipped over. He knew instantly it was a woman, hopeful it was Janet, but still approached with caution. She moaned then began to struggle. Hector kept his light on her as he approached. He could tell she was gagged by the sounds she was making and had a hood tied over her head. He quickly glanced back at John with a thumbs up then reached for her.

She jerked in response and tried to scream.

"Janet. Hector said. "It's us. Hector and John. We're here."

She stopped struggling.

He helped get her upright, though still tied to the chair as she began to sob. John hurried to assist and together they quickly untied her and removed the hood and gag. John helped her to her feet. She had a hard time standing and wobbled when she took a step.

He steadied her and pulled her close. "We thought we lost you," he whispered.

"I'm so scared," she replied. "It was Ray! It was _Ray_!"

"We know. I saw him leave. With a woman. Do you know who she was?"

"No, but she and one other man showed up at my hotel room. Food service had just delivered my breakfast and left then they knocked again, or so I thought. But instead it was a man and woman. They pushed their way in, and he put a cloth over my face. The next thing I remember is waking up here, tied and gaged.

"Okay," John said. "But is there anything you can remember about her?"

"I don't know. Wait. Yes. Right before I passed out, she said something to the man but in French!"

"French. Okay," John said.

Hector helped steady her. "We need to get you outta here as quickly as possible. Police are crawling all over the place a couple of blocks from here."

"They are? Why?"

"Car bomb."

"What?"

"Yes, so let's get outta here before anything else blows up."

"Anything else?"

"You never know."

Still terrified, she gratefully accompanied them out of the room. "I'm glad you found me. It's so creepy in here," she said as they hurried down the hallway. "I kept hearing a clunking noise and then what sounded like a steam leak, plus it smells really bad in here."

Just as they reached the intersecting corridor, they heard a popping sound, followed by another one.

John reacted. "Do you smell that?" he asked.

"Yes, I do." Hector said. "Let's move!"

They practically picked Janet up between them and raced for the exterior door. Another pop, only closer, was followed by an explosion. The building tremored as they raced through the main door and out of the building into the street.

"Go right!" Hector shouted. They sprinted away from the front of the building and farther down the sidewalk to the side of a neighboring one just as they heard a bigger explosion roar through the building accompanied by a ball of fire that burst through the open front door. Everything shook, including the building they were using for shelter. Additional explosions followed.

"Come on." Hector said. "We've got less than a minute to get outta here before more cops show up!"

Still hanging onto Janet, they hurried across the street and farther away in search of better cover.

"I'll get the car," John said just as another vehicle raced up and skidded to a stop.

" _Get in!"_ Charlie ordered.

Without hesitating John climbed in then reached for Janet as Hector jumped in as well. He slammed the door shut and Charlie sped away from the area and the current ongoing police activity just as another explosion ripped through what was left of the building. He wasted no time putting distance between them and the resulting inferno. Sirens blared as emergency vehicles from the other investigation began to race to the new scene, lights flashing.

John looked back at the building. It was now completely engulfed in flames. Dark smoke billowed upward, carrying ash and debris high into the sky, while dislodged bricks, mangled metal, and broken glass shards began to rain down.

Hector held Janet tightly.

She sobbed hysterically. "They tried to kill me! They tried to _kill me!_ "

He held her tighter. "You're safe now. We have you. You're going to be okay. We'll take care of you."

After managing to retrieve their own vehicle without incident, Hector and John sat with Charlie around the conference table in the quiet and dim light of the conference room of the control center below Joe's gym. Across from them sat another man slowly turning pages of a file spread open in front of him. His graying hair appeared in need of a cut. His clothes were plain but well-worn.

"How's Janet?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Physically, she's fine," Charlie said. "Some scratches and bruises, but emotionally, I don't know. She's sleeping right now, on the sofa in the next room."

The man nodded.

"I gave her a mild sedative," Charlie said, "but I'm worried about her. We all are."

The man nodded again. "I know, and so am I."

"Who else besides us knows you're in town?" Charlie asked.

"Hopefully, no one."

"And who are you at the moment?" Hector asked.

"Let's stick with Craig, for now." He pushed back from the table and stood up. "Less complicated when we're around Janet. She's had to deal with so much already. No point in adding another wrinkle to everything just yet."

He closed the file. "I want to thank all of you for the excellent work you've been doing but things are escalating. As you know, Alex went missing right after that warehouse incident on Treasure Island and that has put a crimp in things. He was a good recruit and a valuable member of the team. He worked hard for me in San Francisco and did his best to provide protection for Janet, especially that night at the bluff house."

Charlie shifted to get comfortable but had to ask, "Just how did he and Janet survive that night after they were sucked off that bluff?" he asked. "We were sure they'd been swept out to sea."

"They were, but a small submarine was already on scene. Divers picked them up."

"Already on scene? In that weather and rough seas?" he asked.

"Yes," Craig said. "It had been dispatched to that location by Ray. His original intent was to quietly extract Janet from the house during the night, but my guess is Marcus Cummings showed up before he was supposed to, or else just decided to disobey an order from Ray, or something. But whatever the reason, he and his men came rushing in, guns blazing. That changed everything. I doubt we'll ever see him again. Ray will have someone take care of that loose end; I can assure you if it hasn't already been done. Anyway, I figure the gunfight spooked Alex and he took matters into his own hands. I have to admire his resolve; his determination to save Janet, but unfortunately, they were both captured anyway."

"Okay," John said, "but first, how do you know all of this – about Ray's plans and the submarine, that is, and then how did anyone know where Janet was to begin with? It was supposed to be a safe house. One of ours, but evidently not."

Craig acknowledged with a nod and a sigh. "I know. And as for how I found out? Frank told me. But as to how they knew about the bluff house, I don't know, but somehow they did, and Marcus found out, and here we are."

Hector let out a cynical laugh. "Yeah well, if Frank shared something with you, what's to say he didn't also share something with Ray? Like about the house."

Craig looked at him. "You could be right, but right now I need Frank. We're a little short-handed at the moment, don't you think?"

Charlie shifted again, but uncomfortably this time. "And you don't think that Marcus fella is going to show up again? Guns blazing? You really think Ray took him out."

Craig shook his head. "Like I said, I'm sure Ray has dealt with Marcus by now. As for how anyone else knew about Janet's location that night, is yet to be determined. I never told Frank about that house, but if he somehow managed to find out about its location, and told Ray, then that's a loose end _we'll_ need to clear up but not right yet. Like I said, I need him."

Everyone reluctantly nodded their silent agreement but not without concerns of their own.

"Okay," Charlie finally said, "So what's happened to Joe? Anybody know? I saw some signs in the front window of his business when I arrived tonight saying he had an emergency and had to cancel his classes indefinitely."

"In the wind at the moment," Craig said. "But now, after definitive proof that he has been working closely with Ray – well, I'll be blunt; I have him in my sights and right now have no intention of showing him any mercy. He can't be trusted. Even so, I'm confident we'll find him. I have someone working on that."

"Someone?"

Craig eyed his men and hesitated before responding. "Frank."

Eyebrows shot up.

"Frank, again. Seriously?" Hector said, contempt in his voice. "You still trust him enough to pull him in on some of this stuff?"

"Not entirely, but right now I have to. I have a very sensitive and crucial job for him. I need him."

"What job?"

"I'll get to that."

"And where is Frank?"

"At his home in Idaho. He had a couple of personal clients to check in with."

"You believe that?"

"His law practice provides him a believable cover, which is the reason I need him right now. It's his legal expertise for some matters regarding another assignment, so he's busy prepping for that as well."

"Isn't it kinda dicey to contact him in the first place?" Charlie asked. "I mean, after all, you're supposed to be dead."

"He and I communicate by phone on a secured line. All calls are bounced off an array of cell towers to help us stay nearly invisible."

"Yeah," Hector said, "but that still won't stop him from telling someone you're alive, will it. It's still risky."

Craig was growing exasperated and impatient. "Yes! I know," he said. "But it can't be helped."

Charlie looked at his companions for a split second before asking another question. "Well, at the risk of getting my head chewed off for asking but if Joe's not coming back any time soon – or maybe never, what gonna happen to this control center? Our place of business?

"I could care less," Craig said. "And although this has been a good location for us up to now, it's been compromised to the point that we need to abandon it."

"And go where?" Hector asked.

"I don't know. We'll find another place. Somewhere. We found this one. Heck, maybe we'll relocate to another region entirely. But whatever we do, we need to dismantle this place and leave no trace."

Heads soberly nodded again.

"That's probably not a bad idea," John said. "So now what?"

"We need to adjourn." Craig pulled three envelopes from an inner jacket pocket. He handed one to each of the men. "This is just a little something extra from me with my thanks. Please wait to open them. I don't want to hear any protests." He grinned. "I'm sorry I've been a little testy this evening. There's just a lot going on. But I'll be in touch."

He gathered his things and started for the back stairs but hesitated long enough to look toward the room where Janet was sleeping then around the large outer room and finally at his comrades. "Please take good care of her, and I hope I never have to see this place again."

# CHAPTER 22

Janet opened her eyes and lay quiet in the bed but still felt drowsy and had a tiny headache. Attempting to focus, she was aware of a soft glow coming from a nearby table lamp. It seemed to be the only visible light in the room. She thought she could see someone sitting in a chair off to one side of her bed and tried to focus again. Yes. Someone holding a newspaper. Probably a man, she guessed, based on how he sat but his face was hidden by the newspaper. She slowly looked around and winced slightly at the tiny but persistent headache. She decided she was probably in another hotel room, but why? Her mouth and lips were dry. She tried to moisten her lips but couldn't.

The newspaper rustled slightly. Janet eased the covers up to her eyes and waited. The man shifted in his chair and re-crossed his legs but made no other sound. She waited a moment longer then continued her quiet inspection of the room. It seemed large. Moving her head slightly she could see a sofa and two side chairs. Then, without warning, she involuntarily sneezed and yanked the covers up over her head.

The newspaper rustled again but no one spoke.

She barely lowered the blanket to peek and realized the man was watching her.

"Waking up?" he asked.

"Who are you?" she managed to ask from beneath the covers, her voice raspy.

"Your guardian for the moment. How do you feel?"

She tried to clear her throat before responding. "Where am I?"

"In a hotel room. Safe."

"Safe."

The man stood up and approached the bed. "Do you remember what happened late yesterday afternoon?"

Janet frowned but finally shook her head no.

"Okay. Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"Thirsty."

He brought her a glass of water.

She accepted it but pulled it beneath the bed covers to take a sip as she continued to watch him. "Do I know you?" she asked, trying to focus on him.

"Yes. You don't remember?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she stared at the draped window and could hear the faint barking of a dog somewhere outside. "What time is it?"

"About four o'clock in the afternoon."

"Four o'clock."

"Yes. You've been asleep for almost an entire day, but you needed the rest after what you went through."

She lowered the covers enough to place the glass of water on the nightstand. Then she propped up on her elbows. "Yesterday afternoon."

"Yes. You don't remember?"

She lowered her gaze to the bed covers thinking then slowly began to nod. "Smoke. Fire. _An explosion."_ She looked at the man. "I was in a building, but it was dark and cold, and I was tied up. She paused. "Yes! And I could hear –" she paused again. "I could hear hissing and clanking sounds from somewhere in that building."

She closed her eyes tight then opened them again, hoping to see better. "Can you turn on another lamp or open the drapes? Please."

"Sure." He switched on a lamp across the room and returned to her bed side.

Janet looked around again then looked up at the man. "Who are you?"

"Why don't you tell me what you can remember about yesterday; starting with breakfast."

"Breakfast," she repeated. Her expression changed and her breathing became rapid. "Ray! Ray Martindale was there! I was his prisoner! He had me tied up and gagged." She grew agitated and struggled to kick the covers off.

He went to her side. "Hold on," he said. "You're safe here with me."

She lay back down and started to cry. "He tried to kill me. He tried to kill me _again_." She wiped her face. "Why is he trying to kill me?"

"Let's not worry about that right now."

She stared up at him. "Tell me your name!"

"It's Frank. Remember? I was at the basement control center with Charlie, John, and Hector the other night. You and I met that afternoon to begin with. I came to see Joe and I asked you to have dinner with me."

"Frank." She repeated his name and studied him in the glow of the lamplight then looked at the draped window. "I'd like you to open the drapes please."

He did so. "That better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Do you know _your_ name?" he asked.

"What?" she expressed surprise at the question.

"Your name. What is it?"

She frowned. "Why wouldn't I know who I am?"

"Hysterical amnesia maybe."

"I'm not hysterical. Just angry at Ray _and terrified_ of him."

He grinned. "I know. Hysterical amnesia simply refers to a temporary loss of memory due to a traumatic situation. It isn't common but it's also not long-lasting. I just want to make sure your cognitive functions are intact."

"Are you a doctor?"

"No."

"And we've met before."

"Yes."

"At Joe's gym?"

"Yes. I told you. Yesterday, in the basement control center. And before that, I showed up at the gym looking for Joe."

"The gym. The Control center." She hesitated a moment then nodded. "In the basement of Joe's gym."

He nodded. "That's right."

She nodded and pondered on that for a moment they eyed him closely. "And we also met a few years ago."

He drew in a deep breath and walked back to the chair. Once seated he responded. "Yes. Eastern California." He watched her for any signs of recollection. "The Quail Club?"

Janet's countenance changed and her face clouded, but she nodded. "Yes. The Quail Club. A terrible place. Sally was there." She eyed him again. "You _were_ there, weren't you?"

"Yes. Helping with the rescue."

She nodded again but didn't say anything more about it. "I need to get up," she said and pulled off her covers.

"Not yet, young lady," he said and approached the bed again. "You are under doctor's orders to rest. And I'm here to make sure you do."

Even so, Janet sat on the edge of the bed, still fully clothed. "What doctor?"

"The one who examined you late last night. After we brought you here."

She frowned again. "I don't remember a doctor. I don't even remember coming here."

"You were pretty shaken up."

"Where are the others?"

"Who would that be?" he asked.

She stared at him in frustration. "You know, the others."

"They'll be here soon."

"You are a man of few words," she said.

"Keeps me out of trouble." He grinned then asked, "You mentioned Ray. What did he say to you?"

She remembered but decided to pretend she didn't. "I-I don't remember."

"That's okay. Don't worry about that right now." He pulled his phone from a pocket and dialed a number. "It's me," he said to someone. "She's awake and seems to be a little disoriented but otherwise okay." He listened. "Alright." He put his phone away. "The guys are on their way."

She stared at Frank again then suddenly asked, "Was I drugged?"

"You were given a sedative to help calm you down so you could sleep. Just relax and rest. If you're hungry I'll order room service. You can have anything you like."

"I _was_ drugged."

"Not with anything illegal, just a mild sedative so you could sleep, like a sleeping pill. You were agitated after your ordeal. You needed to rest."

She picked up her water glass but continued to look around the room. "Ray tried to kill me," she said again. It was almost a whisper. She suddenly began to cry. "I don't want to die."

Frank knelt beside the bed. He brushed some loose hair from her face. "You're safe now. We're watching out for you."

Janet looked at him. "But why are _you_ here? Where did you come from and where exactly are we?"

He grinned. "We're in a hotel not far from the Los Angeles International Airport – LAX and I already told you I agreed to stay and look after you. The others should be here soon."

She continued to study him. "I'm beginning to remember some things," she said. "Joe's gym – and I do remember now. You were there with John, Hector, and Charlie."

"Yes."

She closed her eyes as if deep in thought. "I don't think the guys trust you, do they?"

"They have their reasons."

She opened her eyes. "Should I trust you?"

"That's up to you."

As was her habit, she reached for her locket, but it was gone. She panicked and looked around, feeling the bed, checking under the covers, then at Frank. "Where's my locket?" She frantically shook the bed covers and felt all around again. _"Where's my locket!"_

"Right here." Frank pulled it from a pocket and handed it to her.

"Why do you have it?" She snatched it from him and put it on, tucking it beneath her blouse.

"We removed it so the doctor could examine you."

Her eyes were big. "Were you in the room when he examined me?"

"Yes, but all he did was check your vitals and felt your arms and legs looking for any signs of injury or trauma. We did not remove your clothing."

She nodded slightly. "So why take my locket? It wouldn't have been in the way."

"The doctor handed it to me. So I put it in my pocket."

Janet let out a heavy sigh. "I guess I should thank you, for –" she paused, "for helping me again. She sighed. "You said Hector and John are coming? And Charlie? They were all with me. They helped me escape. Are they okay?"

"You see? I knew you'd begin to remember and yes, they're okay and on their way."

She frowned and became agitated. Her breathing more rapid.

"They're fine and they're with Craig."

She stopped and stared at him. "Craig!"

"Yes, but right now you need to lie down again and rest. You're getting a little worked up.

She sat up. "Is Craig coming too?"

"Why don't you lie down and wait." He hesitated a moment then offered her another sedative.

"No," she said, waving him away. "No more drugs."

"Okay, then do your best to calm down. Take easy breaths. You'll be fine and the guys are on their way."

"Including Craig – and Charlie."

"Yes."

"I really like Charlie," she said. "I like them all, but he is very calming."

"I like Charlie too and you can talk to all of them when they get here." He checked his watch.

"Where did they go?"

"No more questions, Janet. Just rest." Frank got up and closed the drapes. "Try to take a nap. The time will pass more quickly."

Janet took another sip of water then pulled up the sheet and blanket but stared up at the ceiling.

Frank returned to his chair and picked up the newspaper.

Twenty minutes later, there was a light tap on the door. Frank got up, glanced at Janet, then let the others in. He motioned for them to be quiet. Craig stepped over to the bed and watched her; grateful she appeared to be okay, at least for now. He joined the others already settled on the sofa and side chairs. Frank pulled his chair over to join them.

"How's she doing?" Hector whispered.

Frank glanced toward the bed. "I think she'll be okay. She was a little dazed when she woke up a short while ago, but that seemed to pass."

"Did she recognize you?" Craig asked.

Frank hesitated then grinned. "Not at first, but then yes."

Hector, John, and Charlie listened and remained quiet although curious about these two men who seemed so alike at times, but vastly different otherwise. They'd all come to realize both men had personal history, but what it was they had no idea.

Frank leaned in closer and kept his voice down. "I thought she received treatment in Colorado."

"She did," Craig said. "She was there for about three months, maybe four – diagnosed with PTSD, although not as serious as some cases. They discharged her with high recommendations and stated in their evaluation that she seemed to be responding well to the counseling, treatments, and the program, overall." He let out a yawn. "Sorry. It's been a long night."

Frank stared absently at the floor. "This is probably going to put our plans on hold, you know. I don't think she's going to be up for the task."

The others exchanged curious glances, obviously not fully informed of the plan Frank referred to but continued to remain silent for the time being.

Craig nodded and looked toward the bed. "You may be right. Which means we'll have to think of another approach. I just don't know what that might be right now."

Frank nodded. "It was going to be tricky enough with her there, but without her, I don't know."

"I understand," Craig said. "We'll work something out. We have to."

"Wait," Hector said. He'd had enough, listening to their secret conversation. "What are you both talking about? And are the two of you working together again?"

"We all are," Craig said. "As I mentioned last night, we need Frank and his legal expertise as well as some of his connections."

"Connections," Hector said. "What kind of connections and for what?"

"It's part of a plan we've put together. An important plan."

"You intend to share this plan with us? And how does it involve Janet?" he asked. "Because based on this little exchange you and Frank just had, obviously Janet _is_ involved, and it sounds dangerous. Am I right? You're going to put her in danger again? After what she just went through? Not to mention the other ordeals she's already experienced."

Craig motioned for him to quiet down. "Last night's unfortunate disaster was unexpected," Craig said. "Previous to that, Alex was supposed to keep Janet safe and occupied at the bluff house, while we put together another project. An important project. One that involves all of us. Unfortunately, things at that time didn't quite go as planned."

"You got that right," John said, "and what about Alex? You still don't know where he is?"

Frank shook his head. "Not at the moment we don't but I'm looking into it."

Once again, John, Charlie, and Hector quickly exchanged glances.

"Okay," Hector said. "So, what's this project?"

Craig glanced across the room at Janet still asleep. "Frank and I have been putting together a plan that most certainly involves Janet. And it's going to take all of us to pull it off. In fact, I've asked Jeff to join us. He's flying in the day after tomorrow."

Hector let out a sarcastic laugh. "So, when you say, putting together a plan, and that it will involve all of us, is this something illegal?" Hector was less than cordial. "And when are you both gonna stop putting our girl in danger?"

No one responded.

"I thought so," he said. "You're using her for some half-baked scheme, and already I don't like it – whatever it is, so count me out."

"I agree with Hector," John said. "We've been busting our chops to protect her because you've insisted, Craig. And as a result, we've become rather fond of her and more than just a little protective. We care for her. Deeply. She's like family to us, so, if your plan is to put her in harm's way once again, we won't let that happen."

John and Hector both leveled steeled gazes at Craig and Frank.

Craig nodded. "I know how you feel about her. I feel the same. But we are working on behalf of a client," Craig said.

"A client." Hector said. "Does it _have_ to involve Janet?"

Craig and Frank immediately motioned for him to keep his voice down again.

John frowned. "What client is so damned important that you have to drag Janet into another mess?"

Craig hesitated and glanced from man to man before responding. "Because Janet _is_ the client."

"I'm _what!_ " She sat straight up.

Startled, Craig hurried to her side. "Janet. You're awake."

"Yes, I'm awake and I have been ever since you got here. What's going on? What are you talking about?"

"Janet," Craig began.

"No! Tell me! Tell me now! Tell me or I'm leaving and you'll never find me!"

He let out a sigh and sat on the side of her bed. "You're not leaving and yes, we would find you. Look around." He gestured toward the others. "These men are the best at what they do, which includes finding people. Besides, you probably just heard John say how much he and Hector care about you. They'd find you for sure."

"Yes, well, based on their comments I bet they'd help me escape and the three of us would hide somewhere you'd never think to look." She folded her arms in protest and stared at him. "I was having flashbacks when I first woke up; while it was just me and Frank here. At first, I thought I was back at that horrible club trying to rescue Sally. After he and I talked for a few minutes, I remembered what happened yesterday and I played along with him long enough to see if I could figure out what he was doing here." She glared at him. "He's very secretive." She refocused on Craig. "I am tired of running for my life! I am tired of always looking over my shoulder! I just want a normal life again! And now you say I'm your _client!"_

Charlie interrupted them. "Okay. Before we all get worked up, I think I can speak for all of us and simply say, tell us about this plan you're talking about and why Janet is now our client? What does she need us for, besides protection from some incredibly determined idiots?"

John and Hector exchanged worried looks this time.

"Look, I'm with the guys, here," Charlie continued. "Just how dangerous is this plan, especially for her?" he asked. "I mean what the hell kind of plan would bring the two of you back together again?"

Craig didn't respond immediately.

Frank did. "If everyone does their part, there should be very little risk for her."

"Very _little_ risk?" Hector was on his feet. "Stop being so vague. I hate that. We need to know exactly what this presumed plan is and now, or we're walking outta here and taking her with us. And she's right. You'll never find us!"

John stood next to him. "But before we decide if we're going to do that, just tell us what you've both cooked up this time. I mean, how much more do you think she can handle?" He gestured toward the bed and a very attentive Janet. "She just said she's still having flashbacks. We had to sedate her last night when we got her back to the control center, just so she could sleep. She's not like us. We are hardened, insensitive, cold-hearted bad guys."

"Speak for yourself," Charlie said.

John tossed him a look.

Hector agreed with John. "He's right. We've all been doing this kind of work for so long we don't have much of conscience anymore. We've beat up people, tortured them when we've had to, hell we've even killed people. All without a second thought."

Janet's eyes grew big.

John noticed. "Just the bad guys, little sis. Remember what I told you before. We don't go around killing people just for the heck of it," he said. "We only kill the bad guys and only when absolutely necessary."

She nodded, recalling a similar conversation they'd had the weekend they spent in Avalon, posing as father and daughter, after she had nearly gotten caught by Ray and Joe at the gym.

"Yeah, okay," Hector said, then resumed. "But that's second nature to us – up until she came along, that is. In the time we've gotten to know her and been able to hang out with her, At your insistence!" He pointed to Craig. "She's singlehandedly infused a little bit of humanity back into us. All of us. But she's still not like us. I mean, she's delicate, eager to learn, sure, and with a great desire to be a part of our team, but for her, we've become more like her family." He looked at her. "Other than your mom and sister, right?""

"Yes, but they're in Wisconsin."

"Yeah, They're in Wisconsin. So we're like her extended family since they're not close by." He stopped out of frustration but let out a heavy sigh and looked at Janet. "I don't know. I just don't think we need to put you through anything more. And whatever this plan is," he continued, redirecting his remarks toward Craig and Frank, "you should at least be a little more respectful and conscientious of her and what _she_ wants."

Frank stood his ground. "She doesn't know what she wants."

"Excuse me!" Janet tore off the sheet and blanket and was on her feet. She marched up to him and looked into his eyes. "What makes you think I don't know what I want? What makes you think I don't have plans of my own? Dreams of my own!" She poked his chest emphatically.

"That's not what I meant."

" _Then say what you mean!_ I want to know what this plan is too. If it involves me, I have a right to know what it is, just like Hector said! And then, if I like it, maybe we'll move forward. If not, then it's no deal. Done. Over. I don't want any part of it!"

Craig reached for her hand. "It's not that simple but once we explain, you'll probably change your mind."

"Of all people, I thought you cared about me," she said. She pulled her hand away and struggled to keep her emotions in check. "You gave me this." She pulled out the locket. "I look at it every day. I think of _you_ every day." She lost the emotional battle and teared up. "I thought this was to remind me that _you_ cared about me and wanted to protect me from danger, not put me in danger."

"Honey," he began.

"Honey? I'm not your honey. I'm just Janet Feldman. So, tell me your stupid plan. What is it? And I want to know how dangerous it could be. I want to know everything." She pushed him away. "Just tell me what's going on and what you're planning to do with me!"

Craig had no immediate response. Her outburst wasn't completely unexpected but her reaction to him; pushing him away, was.

Hector placed himself between Janet and Craig. "I'm with her. Get it out in the open. Obviously you and Frank have cooked something up, so tell us what it is and tell us now. Otherwise, John and I will escort Janet out of here. And know this –" he paused just long enough to make sure he had everyone's attention. "What you said about us? And how good we are at what we do? Just know that John and I _will_ disappear _with her_ and you will never find us! Ever.

Charlie had had enough. "Okay, stop. Everyone. Let's all calm down." He had both hands up in a gesture of peace-keeping. "Let's give these two yahoos a chance to do exactly what you're asking. Let them tell us what's going on and what their plan is," he said, "and how this plan makes Janet our client. Then we'll decide what is or is not in Janet's best interest here. Fair enough?" He looked from man to man then at Janet.

She finally nodded. "Fair enough," she said. "We'll listen. But first, I'm hungry. And, I need a shower, so you all need to leave. But not a word about this plan without me."

John grinned at her and winked. "Let's go, guys. Do what she says."

The men regrouped in the adjoining room, but Hector remained near the connecting door, slightly ajar, while the others found places to sit.

Frank remained standing. "All this talk about her infusing you with moral values, that's all fine, but don't let your guard down. Don't get soft on us, either one of you. Like you said, you're highly trained and skilled covert operators and assassins. Don't forget that. In fact, if she knew half of what you've both done in your respective careers, she'd run as far away from both of you as possible."

Hector stood his ground. "You plan on filling her in on any or all of that?"

"If I have to."

Hector believed him. Since there had been no contact with Frank for over a year, his sudden appearance was enough to give rise to serious doubts about his loyalty to them. _How deep has he gotten in that other organization?_ he wondered silently. _And, if he's turned, is he now on a fishing expedition and looking for information with the intention of further betrayal or does he have another agenda of his own?_

The tension in the room and the silence that followed Frank's threat, created a definite air of hostility, uncertainty, and trust issues.

John finally broke the silence. "Okay, what's this plan?"

"We'll wait for Janet, as she requested," Craig said.

Hector resumed his place at the adjoining door and the tense silence continued. Each of them had questions and misgivings about a plan Frank had anything to do with.

Frank, at the same time, was fully aware of their distrust of him but kept his cool.

Likewise, Craig was equally aware of the issues regarding Frank, but he needed him to ensure the plan would succeed. He checked his watch then sat back and closed his eyes. It had been a long night and day for him and with little sleep. His thoughts turned to Janet. _If things go well, she will finally get answers to questions that have plagued her for years. And in just a short while, they'd know whether they would all either move forward or disband and permanently go their separate ways._

# CHAPTER 23

Charlie placed an order with room service and put a rush on it with the promise of a generous tip. Janet took her time taking a hot shower and getting dressed, even though she was very curious about their plan. At the same time, she didn't want rush into anything and was determined to have some control over the situation. By the time she rejoined them their meal had been delivered. Hector and John flanked her in an obvious display of protection. Everyone ate quietly but were equally anxious to know about the plan Craig and Frank had devised and why.

Finally finished, John pushed the food cart to the hallway so they could begin their discussion. The tension was still just as paramount as all eyes focused on Craig and Frank.

Craig took in a deep breath and looked directly at Janet before he began. "You may or may not be aware of a news story which aired recently, along with some follow-up reports. It's about a French family in search of a granddaughter.

Janet frowned suspiciously, fully aware of the news item, but said nothing.

Craig continued. "We think, that is, Frank and I," He paused. "We think we've located that granddaughter."

Janet tentative eyed them both – her mind racing. "You have?"

"Yes," Craig said. "All the evidence we've collected so far seems to point to one person."

Now they had everyone's undivided attention.

"Who?" she asked with some trepidation.

Craig drew in another deep breath and managed a smile. "You."

A quiet clamor erupted among the men while Janet exhaled heavily and clutched her chest. All were in disbelief of Craig's announcement.

Janet stared. "I have seen that story, and as sad as it is, and as much as I'd love for that dear woman to find her granddaughter, it isn't me. I can't be me. I've never been to France. I was born in Wisconsin! I'm an American, not French." She shook her head violently. "No. You're wrong. It isn't me and I won't have anything to do with a scam like this."

Craig looked at Frank, who took up the conversation. "We have proof, Janet."

"Proof. What kind of proof?"

"DNA. It was nearly a perfect match to your birth mother."

"Okay. I can believe that since my birth mother is Anna Feldman."

"No. She isn't."

"Hold on," Hector said. "Just hold on." He glanced at a stunned Janet. "DNA can be tampered with, especially if you've got enough money and if you're dead set on trying to pull something off." He steadied his gaze on both men.

"Yeah," John said. "Besides, who's going to believe it? Really? You know the French authorities are going to take one look at her and say she's just another American looking to make a fast buck at the expense of that French family. She just told you where she was born."

"Yes," Janet said. "And I have a birth certificate to prove it!"

"It's a fake," Frank said.

Janet narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."

Charlie looked at Janet then glanced from man to man finally leveling his gaze on Craig. "Just hold on s second. Whatever gave you the idea that Janet is that granddaughter? I'm with her. And if she has a birth certificate that says otherwise, then what are you both trying to do?"

Craig help up a hand. "That particular birth certificate is a forgery," he said.

"What?" Janet could only stare.

"A forgery."

She shook her head violently. "NO! I am Janet Feldman and my mother is Anna Feldman!" She jumped to her feet. "I don't want any part of this. I don't. So stop talking about it. Find someone to pose as that granddaughter." She eyed them both. "I _have_ seen the news stories. There is a lot of money involved. Millions and millions of Euros. None of that is mine and if you think I'm going to get involved in some underhanded scheme to take that fortune away from that family then you're wrong. I won't do it. I won't!"

Craig let out a sigh. "It's more complicated than that, Janet."

"Complicated? Really? How is it complicated? I am not that granddaughter. It's that _simple!_ "

"Janet. If you will allow us to share what we know. What we have discovered, you will likely change your mind. But you have to listen first. The story is a long one and yes, complicated. But before I share anything else, I'd like to propose a compromise. A deal. Let us share some of the story and explain how we've come to this conclusion. Then – after we do, I'm willing to drop the whole thing if you, Janet, are absolutely certain you do not want to proceed. But – if you do proceed, you will find out who your true birth mother is, and that your grandmother is Lissette Rousseau Voclain; the woman looking for her granddaughter."

"NO!" she said vehemently. "I already know who my birth mother is," Janet said. "She's Anna Feldman. And I knew my grandmother, Gertrude Feldman. We called her Nona and she lived with our family. With me and my sister Mary, and my mom. She worked a night job and my mom worked a day job. That's how they supported us. My grandmother, Nona, died unexpectedly one day while we were at school. It was – it was –" she started to cry. "There was no funeral but she's dead, not alive and looking for me." Her sobs deepened and she could hardly speak. "One day she was alive and next she was dead. But that's who my grandmother was! Not this French woman."

Craig shook his head. "Janet, I'm sorry, but the woman you believe to be your mother is actually your aunt. Your sister was her daughter which means you are cousins. Anna's real name is Tatiana. Tatiana Dubois; a half-sister to your birth mother."

Janet stood frozen.

"Half-sister?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," Craig said. He looked at Janet. Do I have your permission to continue to share what we know? What Frank and I have discovered."

Janet nearly fell back into her seat, in obvious shock. "Cousin," she said, staring at the floor. She started to shake her head then stopped and wiped her face. "It can't be." She closed her eyes then nodded her head. "Okay. Fine. Go ahead. Tell us what you know. I just want to get it all over with so I can move on with my life. Maybe I'll just move back to Wisconsin so I can be closer to my mom and sister." She opened her eyes. "And you and Frank can find someone else to promote as this granddaughter."

Craig ached for her. He was torn and debated with himself about whether to continue.

"Really, Craig. I want you to tell us what you know. Especially since it sounds like you've been working on this plan for quite some time."

He managed a tentative smile. "Thank you. I would like to, at the very least, give you an opportunity to consider what we're about to share." He looked at Frank who agreed with a single nod.

Janet eyed both men but remained still then returned her gaze to Craig.

"Okay," he said. "There was a man. Ferdinand Gaston Voclain, the third. He was betrothed to Lissette Rousseau, the daughter of his best friend, Yves Rousseau. At the same time he had a mistress, a prostitute, Eva Dubois. Together they had three children – or so he thought. A son born two years before he married Lissette, whom they named Gaston and two girls – twins named Natasha and Tatiana. Within the year after his marriage to Lissette, she also bore him a child; their only child – a daughter, Julienne Lissette Rousseau Voclain. Julienne and his twin daughters were roughly the same ages. All three of his illegitimate children carried their mother's last name of Dubois. Ferdinand, though pleased to have fathered a son, did not want to publicly claim those three children as his own.

"Through our process of discovery, we learned that it is highly likely that Gaston was not Ferdinand's son. We believe Ferdinand eventually found out, but it was not for quite a long time – at least according to some of the townspeople."

Janet stopped him. "This is all very interesting, but I don't understand how this anything to do with me."

"If you'll let me continue –"

She put both hands up. "No. No, I don't want to listen to any more of this. I don't. I'm not who you both want me to be. I can't pretend to be someone I'm not, and I especially cannot agree to do something that could do irreparable emotional damage to that sweet woman. It just isn't right!"

She got up and quickly walked to the adjacent bedroom and closed the door. They heard a click.

Craig leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his clasped fists.

Charlie was stunned. "Dear God, Craig," he said. "What are you trying to do here?"

Craig let out a very heavy sigh. "Clear up a mystery of attempted murder, intrigue, deception, and a torn-apart family. That's all." He stood up and walked away from everyone.

"Frank?" Charlie asked.

"There's so much more to this story," Frank said. "We've barely scratched the surface, but Janet is very much involved in it. The attempted murder was hers and her real mother's."

"What?"

John and Hector exchanged troubled looks.

"Then maybe you both should go ahead and share the rest of it with us," Charlie said. "Give Janet a chance to pull herself together a little."

Hector stood up. "Does someone have a key to that room?"

Frank withdrew his key card and tossed it to him.

"Thanks," Hector said. "She shouldn't be alone." He stepped out into the corridor.

Craig straightened up. "I think Charlie's right. Let's continue. Maybe if the rest of you know more of the story you may be better able to help Janet think through this as well."

For the next hour, Craig and Frank shared the Voclain story, including that of the presumed death of Janet's birth mother, Julienne Voclain. They explained that the trail grew cold, once Tatiana, the nanny, made it to Canada. It was a desperate attempt to save the life of Julienne's infant daughter.

Everyone sat in silence. Each doing his best to wrap his head around a very fantastic story of love, intrigue, attempted murder, and a missing granddaughter. The biggest shock was learning of Ray Martindale's involvement all those years ago.

John was beside himself with worry. "If what you're telling us is true – really, honest-to-goodness true then this means Janet isn't safe as long as Ray is alive."

"That appears to be the case, unfortunately," Craig said. "For Ray, this is now a matter of conquest. Ray managed to find out about Janet through someone else. Plus, I found someone from the French village near the Voclain estate who was willing to open up and share some additional information."

Frank gave Craig a curious look. "What information?" he asked. "Who did you talk to?"

"A man who remembers the whole series of events leading up to that fiery car crash."

Frank eyed him. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I was already in France conducting more inquiries. We needed to gather as much conclusive information and testimony as we could to support the claim, but there are still too many loose ends and unanswered questions."

Frank nodded but watched Craig warily. "Okay. But I get the feeling you don't trust me."

"That surprises you?" Craig said. "Do you trust me?"

"Not entirely."

"Well, then I guess we need to remember that we both have a potentially vested interest in this case."

Charlie shifted. "Both of you? What kind of vested interest?"

"We're not at liberty to discuss that right now," Craig said. "You'll just have to trust me."

John was still agitated. "Here we go again. Trust. I'm not sure I can trust either one of you, anymore, to be honest."

Frank pulled the conversation back around. "Okay, what else did you find out?"

"Something I was unprepared for," Craig said. "According to this source, Julienne's father arranged to have her placed in the hands of Ray Martindale."

"Wait!" Charlie was incredulous. "His own daughter? Julienne? And what about the baby? What about her?"

"She was to be abandoned at a monastery."

"Dear God," Charlie said quietly and sat back in his chair. "How could any man do that to his own daughter and grandchild?" he asked. "And what about his wife?"

"She was supposed to be in the car with Julienne the night it crashed and burned, which by the way, was deemed an accident."

John let out a low whistle. "Unbelievable! I mean, the guy was ruthless, but why?"

Craig stood and began to pace as he continued. "His marriage to Lissette, as we said, was arranged. Evidently his father and Madame Voclain's father, Monsieur Rousseau were very close friends. They arranged for the marriage of their children to guarantee their mutual family fortunes would remain in the family, so to speak. Both were very greedy and controlling men, or so I've been told. And both inherited their fortunes. The Voclain and Rousseau families stem from early sixteenth-century stock as a result of bloody battles and conquests.

"Monsieur Voclain's preference was for his mistress Eva Dubois, a woman he'd been involved with for two or three years prior to his marriage to Mademoiselle Rousseau. That affair continued after the marriage. Their son, Gaston, is older than Julienne by two years, but the twin daughters and Julienne, as we already mentioned, are about the same age."

"Did any of them know about each other?" John asked.

"I'm not sure," Craig said. "I doubt it but that's another loose end which may or may not have any bearing on our case."

He continued. "This is where Ray Martindale comes into the picture. He'd been in Europe for a number of years running brothels and exporting women to other countries for a profit. Somehow he and Monsieur Voclain became acquainted. When Ray discovered Ferdinand's dilemma of having both a mistress he preferred, and a wife he rarely spent time with, he offered the Monsieur a solution. One that Ferdinand was receptive to.

"Which was?" Charlie asked.

"Ray would take possession of Julienne. They contrived a scheme and thought it worked."

"Yes. The fiery car crash," Frank said, picking up the story. "They both thought it would be fool-proof."

Craig nodded. "But it didn't work out quite the way they planned, although they didn't know it at the time. As such, Ferdiand decided not to continue to collaborate with Ray. As for Ray, when he couldn't take possession of Julienne, as promised by her father, he looked for other ways to obtain what he determined was his due. All the while nearly everyone presumed Julienne and the baby were dead.

Craig paused to collect his thoughts. "During Ray's activities in Europe, he had enlisted the woman who eventually posed as Janet's grandmother, to work for him. Her real name was Olivia Pasqual. She'd helped Ray operate a few of his brothels he'd established in Europe, ones in France and Germany in particular. "But getting back to the disappearance of Julienne and her baby, it turns out that Madame Voclain had found out about her husband's heinous plan by way of her personal assistant – Anatole. He had been approached by Ferdinand and offered a great deal of money to quietly orchestrate the fatal car crash. Unfortunately for Ferdinand, Anatole was far more loyal to Madame Voclain than he was to him. Anatole told her of the plan. She then devised an alternate plan. There was, indeed, a fiery car crash, but staged, and successfully with the help of the local police, and her loyal staff member.

"The police helped?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," Craig said. "They dispised her husband and were more than happy to help with the coverup. So for years, no one knew what actually happened. Everyone assumed Julienne and her baby died in that crash. Over time, a few loose lips – more than likely a retired policeman, sitting in a pub swaping stories with the locals. But whatever the case, we suspect that one of them may have hinted at something secretive. That's how I've been able to discover more information, but only recently. So while I'd been listening to various stories the interesting thing is, some of the stories matched up pretty well with some of the other information both Frank and I were able to gather."

"Okay," Charlie said. "So, I guess Ray found out about the alternate plan."

Craig nodded. "Perhaps, or more than likely quite by accident, based on a photograph he saw of Janet soon after she showed up in Cold Creek."

John stopped him. "Cold Creek? You mean that whole thing about Janet's friend and her abduction?"

"Yes."

"What about a photograph? What photograph?"

"One taken by Sheriff Wilcox's deputy. It was shown to Ray and he immediately saw a remarkable resemblence between Janet and Julienne Voclain."

John shook his head. "This is too neat. Too convenient."

"Frank and I were able to track down photographs of Julienne when she was about the same age as Janet is now. We have to agree the resemblance is uncanny."

"Are you going to show us those photos?" John asked.

"We will but not before Janet has a chance to take a look at them first."

Charlie and John exchanged looks, skepticism showing in their faces.

Craig gave them a moment before he continued. "I know this is hard to take in, but would you like to hear more?"

They both nodded.

"Okay. Then let's circle back to Janet's Nona, as she described her. The woman posing as the grandmother and going by the assumed name of Gertrude Feldman. As I said, she had been working for Ray for a number of years. Frank and I have speculated that she may have spotted Tatiana and the two little girls near the wharf. Perhaps she was out scouting for possible new recruits for their flourishing business – you know, young women who seemed to be more or less available. And, again, this is speculation, but what if she struck up a conversation with Tatiana. She would have known that Ray wasn't interested in young women with children, but I wouldn't put it past her to be curious, at the least." He gave a not to Frank who picked up the story.

"As Craig stated, if Olivia happened to run into Tatiana and somehow found out she was headed to the Americas – to get away from someone. She wouldn't have necessarily said who she was running away from, but it is possible that perhaps Olivia was tired of working for Ray. Think about it. He's difficult. Demanding. Tyranical at times – and perhaps more. If Olivia suddenly got a notion to leave Ray's employee suddenly, what a perfect opportunity. Assume the role of a grandmother, and mother to a young woman and her offspring."

"Okay," John said, "but once they got to whereever they were headed, they would need new identities. You know? A place to stay. Money for food and whatever else."

"All true," Frank said, "but Olivia had certain skills, shall we say, that she could have put to use in exchange for fake ID's, at the very least."

"I suppose," he said, "but this is a whole lot of 'what-ifs' wouldn't you say?"

Frank nodded. "Yes, but somehow Tatiana managed to get from France to Canada and finally into the United States without raising any red flags. They all settled in, Olivia and Tatiana, now going by the names of Gertrude and Anna Feldman. They both found employment and a place to live. They were able to provide for themselves. We know that much based on what Janet has told us."

John shifted. "Tatiana."

"Yes. One of the twins we already spoke of. Ferdinand's daughter by way of his mistress, Ava Dubois. Tatiana is a twin. Her sister is Natasha. So, anyway, in addition to Olivia and Tatiana changing their names, Tatiana's young daughter became Mary Feldman, and the baby, Monique Voclain, became Janet Feldman."

A hush fell over the room.

Craig finally broke the silence. "We realize this is a very fantastic story. Nearly unbelievable, but the clues seem to lead to this outcome. Yes, we are speculating in some respects, but logic and a measure of deductive reasoning, tends to lend some plausibility to it. Plus, we have DNA proof. It's kinda hard to fake that."

John looked at Charlie trying to get a read on his take regarding the story but couldn't tell if he believed Craig and Frank or not. He finally had to ask the question. "If this is even remotely true then has Ray been on the hunt for Janet all this time? Do you think he somehow knew she ended up in this part of the world? And even if he did find out, why would he care? What's so important about her that he'd be so determined to get her?"

Frank nodded. "All good questions, but another theory we are contemplating is what if he discovered Olivia's plan to desert him, if that was, in fact, what she was going to do. Some of his men may have possibly caught up to her, either before she left Europe or once she ended up in Canada."

"And you're sure that's where she was headed. To Canada."

"Yes. Nearly sure. If this is the case, then she was likely threatened then offered the opportunity, if you will, to help further his business on this side of the Atlantic. He could keep track of her, and Tatiana, and both girls."

"Yes," Craig said, "And we are leaning toward this scenario."

"But that still doesn't answer my question," John said. "Why is he so interested in Janet?"

"We're getting to that," Frank said," but first trying to lay a foundation of plausible evidence for you to think about. We believe Ray was responsible for providing the false identities, including birth certificates, and whatever else Olivia and her new little family would need. It's also possible that Tatiana, or rather Anna at this point, didn't know anything about all of this until much later."

Frank continued. "Remember Janet telling us that her grandmother died suddenly while she and her sister were at school? And she said there was no funeral, nothing. Just that she was gone and her mother didn't want to talk about it."

"Yeah?" Charlie said.

"Well we began to wonder if maybe Ray decided she wasn't worth dealing with anymore. He may have had her eliminated, or ordered her back to Europe. Either way, we've not been able to track her down. We've even scoured notices of unknown women found dead or unidentified, during that time, but we couldn't find anything. No Jane Doe's that matched her description, nothing."

Charlie rubbed the top of his head and sighed. "Yeah, well, knowing Ray as we do, he knows how to dispose of a body where there's nothing to find."

All heads nodded at that sobering truth.

"Okay, so, one way or another," John said, "it's beginning to sound like Ray may have known about Janet for quite a long time. Even from the time she was born. But if that's true, why not grab her years ago? Or even when she was living in Wisconsin?"

"That's a good question," Frank said. "But Ray isn't one to draw attention to himself. An abduction of a minor would have brought out an army of law enforcement agencies eager to locate a missing child and invoke the strongest punishment possible."

"Okay," Charlie said, "but even the abduction of an adult is pursued with as much effort, right?"

"Yes," Frank said, "but the abduction of children arouses much deeper feelings in most people. As for a missing adult? Still not a good thing. And as tragic as those case are as well, they generally aren't regarded in the same way by the general population, as a child abduction is. And that alone can be a powerful motivation to hunt down and stop a pervert."

"Perhaps," Charlie said. "But the abduction of anyone stirs up a lot of emotion in me."

Frank watched him for a moment before he continued. "Okay. Even so, Ray may be a lot of things, but being impatient with a long range plan isn't one of them. He can be, and is as patient as a saint when he needs to be. With regard to Janet, we believe he has exercised tremendous patience. How, exactly, he intends to influence her, is to be seen. He didn't exactly win her over when she worked for him in San Francisco. And that botched abduction he had orchestrated that one night, didn't help matters either. As a result, it seems his patience is beginning to wear thin."

Frank paused to glance at his notes. "He wants access to that vast Voclain wealth. He's desperate for it because he needs money. Lots of it to help fund his ongoing and illegal businesses of drugs and human trafficking. The business has grown so large and so quickly these past several years, that he's having a hard time managing all of it. He's had to partner with other similar factions. Some of those are just as power-hungry as he is and I'm sensing some activity is brewing – in terms of a possible attempt to take over Ray's entire empire. If, though, he can get his hands on the Voclain wealth, what I'm hearing is he feels confident that he can sustain his business for decades and perhaps absorb some of these other smaller factions in the process."

John was still skeptical. "Okay, but how is all of this going to affect Janet?" John said. "I mean, if she really is who you say she is, and ends up inheriting that family's wealth what's Ray planning to do with her in order to get his hands on it?"

"We don't know," Frank said.

"They why the hell are we pushing her into this? Why not let her go on being Janet Feldman and let someone else deal with Ray and his greedy plan of acqusition?" John looked at Craig. "And you of all people. The way you dote on her and with that locket you gave her, with your picture in it no less. What's with all of that?" He eyed him carefully. "Just how well did you know Julienne Voclain? Or you too," he asked Frank.

"Don't change the subject!" Craig said.

"I'm not! But all of this; everything; apparently directly involves Janet!"

"Yes! It does, but hear us out," Craig said.

Frank stepped in. "Craig's right. Just let us finish explaining things. Ferdinand is already dead, it was presumed that Julienne was dead, although with his network, how Ray didn't find out that she is still alive is a mystery to us, but that leaves Ferdinand's widow, Lissette. Considering her age and poor health, he's looking forward to the day when she dies. At that point in time, with the exception of a five year waiting period, all of her wealth is earmarked to be split between several favorite charities. The problem with that is, most of them are already controlled in part, if not completely, by the organization Ray is a part of.

"Julienne has remained at the estate ever since she was able to return home after the death of her father. However, we are convinced that Ray is now fully aware that she is alive and well. We also believe that Ray will attempt to coerce her into providing ongoing and generous donations to these charities, both now and especially after the passing of her mother. And since she is next in line to inherit, he may have already begun to solicit her to set up large donations from one or more of their accounts automatically."

"But how?" Charlie asked.

"Through one of her attorneys or a bank officer who would likely receive a tempting fee in exchange. So, in essence, he'll still end up with the fortune, no matter what; just in a more round-about way. But, if Janet is declared a rightful heir, and agrees to accept that responsibility, she can change all of that."

"Unless any of that planned giving is irrevocable," Craig said.

"Yes. Unless that's the case."

"Which means," Craig said, "that the sooner we take care of this matter of identity and inheritance, the sooner Janet will have the ability to help her mother see through a lot of these masquarades and put a stop to Ray's attempts to get his hands on that wealth." Craig stared at John then Charlie. "Janet is a critical key to helping us stop Ray's organization and right where it's going to hurt the most – financially."

"But what about long term?" Charlie asked. "Or what if something happens to Janet before she can make all of that happen?"

"That, my friend, is the crux of all of this. We have to keep protecting Janet to ensure she will have the opportunity to take control of that family's wealth and assets in order to protect them."

Charlie's face spoke volumes. "So Ray doesn't want anyone to discover Janet's true identity, especially her, if in fact she is the granddaughter. He'd rather sit it out and wait for the grandmother to die. Well, and Julienne too, for that matter, and keep Janet under wraps." He shook his head. "There are simply too many variables."

"Something like that and yes, you're right; a lot of variables."

"Then why doesn't Ray speed this up a little? Do the old gal in now; somehow? Pay a staff member to poison her or something? Why wait?"

"Autopsy" Frank said. "An autopsy might disclose the cause of death as something not natural and could possibly void whatever is in the the grandmothers will – her last wishes, for instance and how her estate would be distributed." Frank said. "If nothing else, it could all end up in a very lengthy probate action. No. He'd rather wait. Get the money legitimately with no strings."

A soft click interrupted their conversation, and everyone turned to look. The adjoining door opened. Hector stepped through and waited. Janet followed; her face strained and her eyes red from crying.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Craig went to her. "You have nothing to apologize for. It's a lot to take in and you haven't heard the half of it."

"Really." She exhaled hard, still struggling with her emotions.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing." He pulled her close and held her. "We went ahead and told Charlie and John more of the story. It was decided maybe they should hear some of it first. And if they thought it was too farfetched, we'd drop the whole thing and not move forward."

She pulled back and eyed everyone but focused on Charlie and John. "And? What do you think?"

Charlie looked at John who looked at Hector. "You and Janet might want to hear what they've already told us," Charlie said quietly. "You never know. It might be something to think about."

Janet was silent for a moment, surprised at their sudden change of mind. "Really?" she said then focused on Craig for several seconds before saying anything. "Okay. I'll listen," she said. "But you'll need to do a lot to convince me I'm that granddaughter."

He nodded. "Okay."

After everyone was seated again, Craig generally recapped what he and Frank had already shared with the others but reduced their previous heated discussion to something less detailed. Janet sat with Hector and both listened quietly but attentively, asking a few questions here and there, but for the most part, taking it all in with a solemn but growing interest. Janet was especially intrigued with their speculation about Olivia's sudden disappearance those many years ago.

She finally had to ask, "Okay. Some of it seems plausible, other parts not so much to me, but even if a portion of what you're sharing is true, what is the point of all of this?"

Craig glanced at Charlie and John then Frank before he said anything. "The point is, that we think it would be a good idea to take you to France to meet your mother and grandmother."

"My _presumed_ mother and grandmother, you mean."

"Yes. Of course."

Janet looked away. "I'm not so sure I like the idea. You still don't believe you have any solid proof that I'm who you think I am or who you think you want me to be. It wouldn't be fair to them. To raise their hopes simply on speculation, or some wild guesses." She returned her gaze to Craig. "Don't you think? And if we did go and I did meet them, then what? I mean is that all you want to do – have me meet them?"

"Not quite."

Janet slipped her hand into Hector's, then eyed John and Charlie. "What else, then?"

"Janet," Craig began. "You and your biological mother, who is Julienne Voclain, are the rightful heirs to the Voclain estate. We want to prove that in court. A French court."

She leaned back and stared at the ceiling with a laugh then closed her eyes. "How on earth are you going to prove any of this?" She straightened up and looked at Craig again. "You have no proof."

"We do have proof."

She stopped and stared. "Proof? That I'm that granddaughter? What kind of proof!"

"DNA."

"What?"

"DNA.

She laughed again. "You really think you are going to be able to convince a French court that an American is that granddaughter."

"You are French," Craig said.

"I am Janet Feldman. All American girl. Not French and I don't care what your test results may claim. It isn't true."

"It is true," he said.

Frank nodded.

"You're both crazy," she said. "Absolutely crazy. To me this sounds more like a scheme to debunk that French Family of their generations-old fortune."

"Your family fortune," Craig said.

"Stop saying that!"

"But it's true, Janet. It's all true. We have the evidence. We have the proof."

Janet stood up. She shoved fingers through her hair as she walked around the room. "No," she said vigorously shaking her head. "No. This is too unbelievable. Too incredible. It's got to be a mistake."

"It's no mistake, but –" Craig paused. "But you can leave it all alone. Walk away. We'll not reach out to the Voclain family's counsel."

Frank shot him a look.

Craig noticed but continued. "We'll just drop the whole thing. However, that won't stop Ray from pursuing you."

Janet looked at him with concern. "But if I proceed and we are successful, how will that stop him? He would still pursue me, anyway."

Craig's demeanor softened. "Last night when the guys brought you here, you were hysterical. You kept saying over and over that Ray tried to kill you."

"Right, because he did! And I think he will continue to try to kill me. So again, what's the point?"

"The _reason_ he's been attempting to get his hands on you, beginning with that party fiasco that your dear friend fell victim to, has been to ensure that you _don't_ discover your true identity. To prevent you from becoming a legitimate heir to the Voclain family wealth. If he had gotten his hands on you at that party, we would not be here having this conversation. None of us, and it's quite likely you would be dead. End of story. But you didn't die and now he's a little desperate. If you are legally declared to be a rightful heir, it would interfere with his plans. It could force him to look elsewhere for his funding if you take responsibility for your family's fortune. It's that simple."

"Take responsibility? For that family's wealth? You call that simple!"

"Your family's wealth!" Craig blew out hard. "Janet. Your mother is a sweet and kind woman, but she is also easily manipulated. She never had much of an opportunity to learn people skills; how to handle herself; make decisions. She's easily persuaded.

"You, on the other hand, have enough gumption; spirit; fight in you – whatever you want to call it, to take a stand and not be pushed and pulled like she would be."

"Gumption, huh? You all have fussed about me and my independent streak. All of you. Now you _want_ me to behave that way. Really?"

"Janet," Frank said. "Up until now, we had to insist you curb some of that independence because we've been doing our best to protect you from Ray. You just said he tried to kill you last night. In San Francisco, he tried to have you abducted. We are convinced that he was planning to either dump you at sea or cart you off to some place in the world where you wouldn't be able to get away. Ever."

She exhaled. "Why now? Why not grab me when I was a kid? Helpless."

"Well, we explained that to John and Charlie. In a few words, child abductions don't sit well with law enforcement agencies. There would have been a massive manhunt."

"Yeah, there would have, but he still could have killed me, buried my body, or worse, and still gotten what he wanted."

"All true, but he didn't. For some reason, he didn't do that. He waited. Now you are being hunted. Now you are a threat to him. But that can change if you do the right thing and allow us to help you discover your identity."

"I still don't get how discovering my _true_ identity, as you say, if in fact you're right about all of this, is going to stop him. He'll still come after me and attempt to extort if from me, one way or another."

"Yes," Frank said. "He might try that because this business of his is expensive. Sure they turn a profit, of sorts through the transactions they conduct, but we think he has even grander ideas which will require additional funding. Right now, he's obligated to share the profits with other business entities tied to his. But if he could gain access to your family's wealth, he'd keep it all for himself."

Janet's mind was in chaos and she threw up her hands. "Just stop. I can't process this right now. I still don't get how me being declared a member of that family will do any good!"

"Because you would be in control of the family's wealth. You would be able to set up accounts and protect them from extortion."

"Then why not help Julienne do that!"

"She can't do it," Frank said. "She doesn't have what you have; determination and conviction. You won't let anyone push you around! You defy authority and hate to be told what to do! You would not be a push-over! Your mother isn't like you. She is too vulnerable. Too easy to manipulate! Plus! You know Ray. You know his tactics, to some degree. I'm confident you can handle him."

Janet started to laugh. "All those things you just described about me are the very same things you _hate_ about me!"

"We don't hate any of that about you. But we were trying to help you learn to handle those skills and emotions. In matters such as these involving Ray, all those things about you are valuable traits and assets. Assets you can use to stop Ray Martindale."

She laughed again. "I don't know the first thing about managing wealth. Not a thing. I'd need help but who would I be able to trust to do that?"

"We can help you."

"You." she laughed even harder. "Seriously Frank? Trust you? Why should I? All you've ever done is lie to me and keep secrets." She gazed around the room. "Most of you have been keeping secrets from me and yet you still expect me to trust you." She returned her gaze to Frank, then to Craig and shook her head. "To me this feels like a very cleverly put together scheme and I don't want any part of it. You are all extorting _me_ – personally."

John clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back with a big grin.

She noticed. "What are you grinning about?"

"You," he said. "I am so proud of you."

"Oh, please."

"No. Seriously."

"Why?"

"You are tough and determined, just like he said, but immovable when you need to be. You stand your ground." He looked around. "I'm not so sure I'm sold on this idea either, but – if there is a way to shut Ray down, and if this is the best way to do it, you might want to reconsider." He leaned forward. "Because here's the thing. No matter what, you will always have me and Hector at your side, watching your back, keeping you safe from anyone who dares to mess with you. That's a promise." He sobered. "I'm not telling you to do this. That's your choice alone, but if you do choose to see this through, just know that you have two allies who will stand with you and go the distance with you no matter what."

He leveled his gaze on Frank and Craig. "But – if it looks like she's being used for something other than what you've shared with us; if it ever looks like she's being put in unnecessary danger for some other end you both may have in mind, we will pull her out and disappear in a heartbeat; and good luck trying to find us."

Hector grinned at his partner. "Amen, brother."

Frank bristled. "I don't like being threatened."

"That was no threat. It was a vow. A promise. That's all." John offered a smile. "I have no intention of knifing you in a dark alley if that's what you're worried about. Unless, of course, you come at me first. I'm all about _self_ -defense."

"Now, that is a threat."

John shook his head. "No. I think, friendly warning, is a better description."

Amid the very palpable tension in the room, Craig remained quiet, his mind racing.

Janet finally stood up. "I'll think about it," she said. "But right now, I'm going back to my room. I just can't deal with any more of this right now."

They watched until she disappeared and closed the adjoining door.

Charlie breathed in loudly and exhaled. "Wow. That girl has come a long way," he said. "Talk about determination and being tough." He smiled and nodded. "But I have to agree with John. If this is legit and if she says okay and wants to proceed, then I'm onboard just to make sure nothing happens to her. Otherwise, count me out."

Craig continued with his quiet and personal wrestle for a while then finally stood up. "I'm going for a walk."

# CHAPTER 24

Janet sat on the side of the bed and pulled her locket up and out of her blouse. She opened it and stared at the picture of Craig then gently removed the tiny black and white picture behind his of the woman. "Who are you?"

She laid the locket on her nightstand and stretched out on the bed.

"Are you Julienne Voclain? Are you really my mother? Am I really a French woman? Does any of this help explain all those questions I had growing up?"

She rolled over. "Do I really want to know?"

Janet's thoughts tumbled in a cascade; all of them bumping into each other; none of it making any sense. "Who am I? Really?"

Exhaustion eventually overtook her, and she drifted into a fitful slumber.

Muffled sounds roused Janet. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over enough to try to focus on the bedside clock. "Really?" she muttered. "A.M or P.M.?" She got up and looked at her draped window for a moment before heading for the bathroom, deciding she'd rather take a shower and freshen up before knowing what time of day it was.

The comfortably hot water caressed her entire body. She needed to release the stress, the anxiety, and the tension that raked her. She immediately thought of Alex for some reason. Pretending he was dead would be challenging. She needed to push everything about Alex as far back in her mind as possible to make sure she wouldn't accidently blow his cover. But for these few minutes, she wanted to reminisce. She needed to reminisce. Alex had been a good friend nearly since the first day they met in San Francisco at GHD Global Security and Investigations. She cared about him and knew he cared about her beyond the fact that they worked together. She even spent a few moments wondering if they might have become more than just co-workers and friends. Now, though, she'd never know. That saddened her. A few tears mixed with the shower water, but she forced herself to stop crying. "Alex," she whispered. "You will always have a special place in my heart. You've watched out for me, laughed with me, protected me, and comforted me, especially last Christmas Day. But now I must let go. I cannot continue to harbor 'what if' questions about you or us any longer. I have to say goodbye."

Managing to pull herself together, as she continued to let the water cascade down her back for a long time. Anger slowly replaced remorse. She had to be careful though. Revenge never did resolve anything. Not really.

_The mind is a powerful thing_ , she silently reminded herself. Her counselors at the Colorado retreat instilled that in each member of her recovery group, as well as in their individual counseling sessions. _Replace the negative thoughts with powerful positive ones_ , they said. _When necessary, allow the negative thoughts to play through, but always with the intent of watching them as a bystander. Separate yourself from them. Watch the events unfold if necessary, but never allow them to wash over you. Keep your distance. Push them farther and farther back until they nearly vanish. They may never leave completely but you do not need to allow them to control you. You cannot change the past,"_ they continually declared, _"you can only choose what you will do right now and how you will live moving forward._

Janet pushed at her traumatic thoughts and experiences while at the retreat. She pushed at the Quail Club catastrophe; she pushed at the San Francisco events, and now she tried to push away her most recent and utterly catastrophic event, but it was still too fresh; too painful. "How did I get to be so lucky? Is it really because of the Voclain Family? Am I a Voclain?" She tried to push away even a remote consideration of that possibility. "Possibility? Is it a possibility?" She shut off the water and stepped out of the shower.

Wrapped in a towel, she stood in front of the mirror and stared. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders and face. She pushed some of it out of her eyes. "Push back? Not anymore! I'm tired of just pushing. That's too timid. Too passive. I'm tired of pushing and failing. _I'm_ the one who's _being_ _pushed and from every direction!_ From now on, I'm not going to just push! I'm going to _fight_ back! And one way or another, I will overcome all of it! I will beat these demons who are coming after me! Whatever they are. _Whoever_ they are!"

Janet traded her towel for a thick, white terrycloth robe. She peeked out into the sitting room grateful no one had come in. Still tired, she wanted to lie down again but someone knocked at the adjoining door between the two rooms. She opened it slightly and peeked. It was Craig. "What do you want?" she asked.

He held up three large designer bags. "I come bearing gifts. May I come in?"

She eyed the bags for a moment but remained where she was.

"New clothes," he said. "Just delivered."

She looked at him quizzically. "What for? I didn't ask for new clothes and if you think you can persuade me to accept your hypothesis by bringing me a bunch of new clothes, think again."

"No matter your decision, I still want you to have these."

"But –"

He interrupted. "No arguments."

"Look, Craig, I –"

"You've been through a lot," he said, "and not just recently. The clothes are an unconditional gift from me, as part of an apology. You're right. Nobody likes to be pushed around and we have been pushing. And I am sorry."

She opened the door wider. "Come in."

He entered and she shut the door.

"Please sit." She gestured to a chair then sat in an adjacent one, keeping her robe wrapped tight. "I think I understand your very deep interest in all of this. You loved her, didn't you? Julienne. And I don't think she was just a one-night stand." She watched him. "She's the one you want to protect."

"I want to protect both of you."

Janet gave a nod but eyed him closely. "Who is my father?"

He hesitated. "We don't know yet. We've sent DNA samples to a French lab to test."

"French lab. Why not here?"

He let out a sigh and managed a smile. "In preparation of the court date. The one we were hoping you'd attend."

"We."

"Frank and me."

"I see." She got up and walked a few feet away. "If I agree to go, to France with you and Frank, and if the French court determines I am not who you want me to be," she stopped and turned around. "Will I still be able to see you occasionally? Can we still be friends or something? I mean, can I still be part of the team? Still help?"

Craig stood and walked to her. He put his arms around her and gently pulled her to him.

Janet pressed her head to his chest and closed her eyes listening to his heartbeat.

"I would like nothing better. Friends, partners in crime, casual acquaintances." He chuckled. "I'd still like to be in your life in some way."

She looked up into his eyes. "Okay. Then I'll go. I'll go because you've been working very hard on all of this. I can tell. And I'd hate for all your hard work to be wasted. So, I'll go, and we will see what happens."

"You're sure."

"Yes," she said and let out a heavy sigh, "because you and Frank have stirred my curiosity and now, I need to know. I do. But I have to say it's a little scary thinking about the possibilities. More than a little scary, actually. It's terrifying. Frank mentioned being responsible for that family's wealth and that is a terrifying thought. Very weighty."

He nodded but smiled. "I know, but I also feel confident you could handle it. And you would have help. Your mother's –" He stopped himself. "I mean, Julienne's personal accountant is very trustworthy. I've personally checked his background, even before all of this. I needed to know that Julienne's best interests are being handled with the utmost professionalism and care."

"Was that an accidental slip or your deep-down conviction – that she is my mother?"

"The latter. I have no doubt. But only lab test results and a court official's decision, along with a few other things, will legally determine that for sure."

"Okay. Then I want to consider this trip as much of a pursuit of truth as much as a determination of my heritage. But it's also going to be a redemption of sorts, I guess, of Sally's death, Alex's disappearance, and hopefully give me some peace of mind. Maybe close the book on some of my nagging questions."

Craig sobered and gently took her chin in his hand. "I want that for you too." He released her and stepped back. "Now, get dressed. Breakfast will be here shortly."

"Breakfast! So it's really morning?"

He grinned. "It is. You needed to sleep." He stepped away. "I'll be in the next room talking to Frank."

Twenty minutes later, Janet stood in the connecting doorway. Both men turned to look.

"Stunning," Frank said and stood up, admiring her with a smile.

"Absolutely beautiful," Craig said, already on his feet. He walked to her. "Happy with the selections?"

"Yes, I am but how did you know my size?"

"That's my secret." He smiled. "Breakfast is ready and waiting." He held out his hand. "Come sit. Oh, and just so you know, Frank agreed to bunk with me until everything is ready for the trip, so you'll have that room all to yourself."

Janet accepted his hand and followed. Once seated, she breathed in the tantalizing aroma of a hot meal.

Frank sat across from her and grinned. "You look wonderful and much more refreshed."

She nodded and drew in a deep breath letting it out slowly.

"Craig tells me you've decided to travel to France, for the court hearing."

"Yes, I have. As much to put an end to all these heated conversations as to find out for sure if what you've both shared is true.

She looked at Frank. "I want to apologize for some of the things I said to you Frank, and my stubbornness."

"Completely understandable," he said, "but you don't owe me an apology. And as for your stubbornness, as you put it, don't change – not completely."

She laughed. "Okay. Deal."

Craig's eyes fixed on her. She was beautiful, and in that moment, he was happy, but the moment soon passed, and he began to explain what they were going to do the rest of the day. "First the three of us are going to enjoy this breakfast. Then, unfortunately, we need to begin prepping for the trip. Frank and I will spend time today sharing a few other things we've found out, that we didn't share with the others yet. At the same time, we don't want to overload you, but time is pressing. Ask questions when they come to your mind. We'll do our best to answer. And we'll take breaks to give you a chance to think about everything and try to put it all into some sort of perspective."

She nodded. "Okay, although, it's still a fantastic story."

Frank agreed. "Very true."

Craig continued. "Once we finish breakfast, Frank has some things to take care of for the trip. He'll join us later, but in the interim, you and I will chat for a while on some of the details of the trip and what you should expect. After that we want you to relax, watch television, take a nap; whatever you want to do. We need you refreshed and open to additional conversations we'll be having with you. Just know we are convinced all will work out as planned. Once Frank is back, as I mentioned, we will share more and explain how this whole process will take place. We just felt it would be best for you to listen to everything without a crowd around. The others have already been briefed and are doing their parts in preparation for the trip."

"So, do they all think I'm Monique?"

"Yes and no," Craig said. "I think it's kind of hard for them to take it all in just as it is for you. If Frank and I hadn't come to the same conclusions about all this some time ago and were listening to all of it for the first time, I think we'd both wonder about it as well."

"And the other guys are helping with this? Will they be going too?"

"They've all had some part in collecting pieces of the evidence for us for a while; they just didn't know what they were collecting and why. We needed to keep this as quiet as possible. We couldn't afford for any part of it to get into the wrong hands. Overall, it's been a team effort and I think everyone is pulling for you."

"Really."

"Yes."

"Even Hector and John?"

"They said that as long as you are a willing participant, they're onboard.

"Okay."

He looked at her empty plate. "Still hungry?"

"No, I'm fine," she said but drew in a very deep breath and heaved it out just as deeply.

Craig gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We know this is a lot to think about, but you won't be alone. Someone will be with you the entire time."

Frank got up. "I'll take off now and finish up those last few things," he said, "then I'll see you both later."

Craig and Janet watched him leave then Craig got up to clear their items from the table and put them back on the cart.

"If you'd like anything else, I can order more," Craig said.

"No. Really, I'm fine. It was quite good, or maybe it was because I was very hungry.

She got up, wandered to the window, and started to part the drapes.

Craig stopped her. "I'd rather you not stand at the window."

"Why?" she asked then her face fell. "Wait. You don't think –" She looked at the draped window and pulled her hand away. "You think we're being watched? That they don't think I died in that explosion?"

"We don't know because you were not mentioned in any news reports, and there was no mention of any bodies discovered, other than the one from the car bomb."

Janet nodded but had to ask, "Who's body was it?"

"I have no idea. At least not yet. There's been no mention of the victim's identity."

She nodded. "Okay. Just wondered."

He continued. "As for being watched. We don't know the extent of this organization's reach, Janet. It's not unheard of for an investigative or coroner's report to get into the wrong hands. Someone might have seen Hector and John getting you out at the last minute. There could have been surveillance cameras in the area we were not aware of. We just don't know right now. But either way, I'd rather we play it safe. Besides, we have other things to worry about right now. He led her to a small sofa and they both sat.

"I know you've been through a lot," he said. "And like I've already explained, I don't want to give you too much too quickly, plus we're still putting a few pieces together." He stood up but motioned for her to stay put.

Janet nodded but worried as she watched him quietly retrieve a device from his pocket.

"When we arrive in Paris," he continued, "we'll check into our hotel and get settled. We figure we'll all need a few of days to acclimate so we're arriving a week before the hearing."

"Okay," she responded automatically, then put a hand over her mouth.

Craig smiled and gave her a thumbs up as he walked around the room with his device. "Not only that, I think you'd enjoy seeing some of Paris before things get started. It's a beautiful city." He stopped at a bedside lamp and held the device steady for a moment then moved on. "Think you'd like that?"

She nodded.

He motioned for her to speak.

"Uh, yes, I would like that – very much." She watched him scan for more listening devices. "I'm still trying to grasp everything that's happening. But yes, I would like that. I'm sure there are lots of amazing things to see and do in Paris."

"There are indeed." He continued to move around the room and paused at a picture frame before moving on.

"How long do you think this is going to take?" Janet asked. "Seeing the – Avocat? Is that what you called him?"

"Yes, and probably just a day, but before that, there are a few things we need to take care of regarding their court system. Frank will oversee that. Even though he doesn't practice law in France, his knowledge of law, in general, will be very helpful to us. Plus, he's been studying up on French law a little, especially inheritance law." Craig returned to his seat. "I apologize about the pacing. Just like you, I'm getting a little anxious about everything and have to walk it off."

"I understand. Maybe I need to walk around." She grinned.

"You can if you like, or we could take a walk out in the hallway; fewer obstacles to avoid. He cocked his head toward the door and offered his hand.

"That might be nice. I am beginning to feel cooped up a little, especially with all the drapes closed. Are you sure it's safe?"

"I'm sure." He escorted her into the hallway and held her hand as they walked. They ended up at a window with a view of downtown Los Angeles. It was a beautiful day and everything glowed in the morning sunlight as traffic steadily moved along broad boulevards below.

"Both rooms are bugged," he said quietly. "Don't react or look surprised, please. Just gaze out the window."

Janet curbed her initial response, but had to ask, "If looking out our hotel room window isn't safe, how can this be?"

"No one is expecting us to look out this particular window," he said then pointed at nothing in particular and she followed his gaze. "Just nod, as if you see something I'm pointing to."

She nodded. "You think someone is watching us right now, don't you?"

"Perhaps," he said.

"From out there or in here?"

"More than likely in here."

"Right this very minute?"

"I would think so." He pointed again. "Remember to keep the locket with you at all times."

She nodded and kept looking out the window. "I thought I'd lost it. When I woke up yesterday morning it was missing."

"Missing?" he stole a glance at her. "Missing how?"

"Frank said it was in the way of the doctor examining me. He had it in his pocket and gave it back."

Craig returned his gaze to the window and remained quiet for a moment. "I'd like John or Hector to look at it before we leave for France. Hand it over to one of them, discreetly though. We'll see them later today. I'll let them know to expect the handoff."

"But why do they need to look at it?"

"Just a precaution."

"Can I ask you something? About the locket?"

"You can always ask me something."

"I found another photo in it. One tucked in behind yours."

He didn't respond.

"It was a small black and white photo of a woman. Very pretty and smiling. Did you put it there?"

He continued to gaze out the window. "I'll ask the guys to take a look at the locket."

Janet frowned. "But all I want to know is whether or not you put it there? Because if not, who did?"

"Just make sure John or Hector gets the locket later. I'll have them check it out."

She leaned against his arm. "I'm suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable about all of this. Would it be too much to ask for a hug?" she asked.

He looked at her with tender eyes then wrapped his arms around her. "This should all be over in the next few weeks.

# CHAPTER 25

Frank returned from his errands and soon got back to discussing the trip. Craig joined Janet on the sofa and Frank sat across from them in an armchair. Although slowly becoming more intrigued by the Voclain family story, Janet was still concerned about their insistence she was also a Voclain and struggled with much of what they'd already shared. She did, however, make up her mind to at least listen objectively.

"During one of my trips to France," Frank began, "I was able to discover that quite a few years ago, but following the death of her husband Ferdinand, Madame Voclain met with the trustees of her estate and asked that they make a slight change to her last wishes, which was to divide her estate equally between some of her favorite charities – five, to be exact. However, as we've already disclosed to you, she asked that they wait for five years after her death before they distributed her wealth in that manner. If, however, during that time, her granddaughter was discovered, then the entire estate was eventually to be hers. If not, they were to pursue her new request."

Janet shifted but nodded.

"You have a question?" Frank asked.

"Well yes, actually, I guess I do. Technically, Julienne is the next in line, correct?"

"Yes, but you, or rather the granddaughter would be next in line following her," Frank said. "Besides, not much has been shared openly about Julienne because of any danger she might be in. After all, it was presumed for years that she did, in fact, die. She did not return to the estate to live with her mother until after her father's death. And even then, she stayed out of sight. So, to most of the rest of the world, it's boiled down to Madame Voclain and the possibility that there is a long-lost granddaughter."

Janet nodded but remained quiet, although her mind raced, and strange feelings began to well up at the same time. She thought about the photographs Frank and Craig had shown her, but one, in particular, was of Julienne Voclain. Although she continued to try to listen, her mind was consumed with too many pieces of information, and that one photo. There was a resemblance, she had to admit, but that didn't necessarily mean there was a blood relationship. It could simply be a rare coincidence. No matter what, though, she now struggled with the remote possibility that their supposition might prove to be true.

Janet watched Frank closely as she listened but finally had to stop him. "I'm sorry but, I'm having a hard time concentrating on all of this. Your evidence could be interpreted more than one way. Besides, I have no memories of France. I still believe I was born in the United States. I have a birth certificate that says so. My legal name is Janet Feldman, not Monique Voclain. I am not yet convinced I am French but rather I _am_ convinced I am an American citizen."

"Janet," he said. "Look at the photograph of Julienne again." He held it up so she could see it. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She gently placed a finger on the likeness of Julienne but kept shaking her head as more tears flowed. "As much as I want to know the truth about my parentage, and especially about my father, I'm feeling torn with all of this. I do agree there is some resemblance but that could be a fluke, a coincidence. I'm sure a lot of young women might resemble her. Up until now, I was sure my mother was Anna. Anna Feldman. And I thought I resembled her, although not as much as Mary, but then maybe I look more like my biological father. Anyway, I had no reason to think otherwise."

He nodded. "I understand your dilemma, but Anna's real name is Tatiana Dubois. And as for the resemblance issue, you both do share some DNA."

She kept shaking her head. "I can't think straight. It's too much to deal with." She wiped her face then straightened suddenly. "Have you talked to her? My mom? Anna?"

Both men exchanged looks.

"Now what?"

"We can't find her, Janet," Frank said.

"Or Mary either, for that matter," Craig added.

"Mary? She's missing?" Janet rested her head in her hands and massaged her temples. "Did someone take her and if so why?" she asked and looked up.

"Because she's part of this family too."

Janet was quiet but leveled her gaze on Frank and Craig. "You have to find her."

"We know," Craig said. "Charlie's been working on it. He's tracking down a couple of leads. In the meantime we need to make sure you're ready for this trip."

"Ready. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready but I have agreed to do this so I will prepare the best I can."

"Good. And thanks," he said.

Frank leafed through some papers in a file. "Can we get you something?" he asked and glanced up.

"No. Let's just get back to work," she said.

"Okay. Well, we hope that after presenting our information, and our proof to the French authorities and court, that they will agree with us and declare that you truly are Monique Voclain."

Janet rested her head on the back of the sofa. "You said you have DNA proof. But where did you get my DNA? And you state with conviction that Anna is Tatiana, but based on what? What proof do you have? In fact, can you prove she _isn't_ my mother?"

Frank stared at her but said nothing. Neither did Craig.

She sat up. "In your efforts to prove that I'm Monique, don't you think you should also prove that Anna is Tatiana? Besides that, how were you able to get Julienne's DNA? Did you visit her? Have you told them about me?"

"We requested a DNA sample from her be compared against yours," he said. "And a French lab confirmed it. You're nearly a perfect match."

"And how did you get _my_ DNA?"

"It isn't difficult," Frank said. He reached over and ran a hand through her hair, keeping his fingers close together. He pulled his hand out and held it up. "You see? Loose hair."

"So?"

He examined the few strands then pointed to one. "This one." He held it up. "The follicle is still attached. That's one way to collect DNA. We collected several strands of your hair with intact follicles. Altogether, they were able to put together a good DNA profile and it closely matches that of Julienne. It's no fluke, as you put it, or coincidence."

She frowned. "What did you do? Go through my wastebasket or something?"

Frank looked at Craig.

Janet followed his gaze. "You got the samples of my hair."

Craig nodded. "Last Christmas Eve. I placed them in an envelope which I stashed in a coat pocket. You were busy in the kitchen. I asked to use your bathroom." He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I had to know. We both had to know." He looked at Frank.

Janet was surprised. "Wait. You suspected this even then? But what triggered all of it, to begin with? What made you think I was a Voclain?" She stared at the photograph of Julienne lying on the table. "And where did you get this photograph? Where was it taken?" She picked it up and looked at both men.

"From a trusted source," Frank said.

"Trusted source. Who?"

"We can't tell you that."

Janet's face tightened. "Can't or won't?"

"Right now, it's the same thing," Frank said. "Let's just say we're not at liberty to disclose that information at this time."

Janet watched Frank thoughtfully then leaned forward. "Okay. Let's say this is all true. Let's say I am that long–lost granddaughter. What would I do with that family's fortune and why would I want it in the first place? I have no desire for extreme wealth. A livable income, sure, but the type of wealth you are both talking about? I simply cannot fathom it. I'd probably want to give most of it away."

Frank's patience was all but gone. He rubbed the back of his neck before responding. "You are a part of that family and you have a responsibility for it!"

Janet internally reacted to his outburst but immediately curbed that reaction before commenting. "Responsibility." Her expression was fierce. "So says you, but I still cannot fully accept that I am who you want to believe I am, Frank. It's an overwhelming thought, and completely unexpected _and_ DNA _can_ be tampered with." She stood up. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I'd be an heir to some massive estate, and especially not something like this. It's _too_ much." She began to pace. "I'm not saying it's impossible, but don't you think I might have had some sort of a clue by now? Something that my mother might have said or done that would have helped me to connect those dots to the news stories about the Voclain family?" She stopped pacing and looked at Craig. "And as for my DNA? What would have prompted you to even want to get my DNA tested in the first place? You both seem so intensely determined to prove to me that I am that granddaughter and evidently have gone to great lengths to try to confirm your desires – your wishes."

Craig cleared his throat before responding. "Your employee file photo from Global. You were already gone, at a safe house when I came in to run things in Ray's absence. The minute I saw your photo I thought I was staring at your mother, Julienne. The resemblance was remarkable."

"Wait. You know her? Personally? Is that what this is all about?"

Frank was still frustrated and quickly redirected the conversation. "Janet. Before breakfast, you seemed to be onboard with this. What's changed?"

"Nothing. And everything. One minute I think it's possible and the next I'm chewing myself out for even entertaining the thought. I don't know. I'm having a hard time connecting the dots. I'm _confused_. And now," she gestures toward Craig, "I find out that you know this woman. Personally. How?"

Frank shook his head. "Janet," he began, trying to pull her back around again. "Never mind that. And as for connecting the dots, you were a baby when they smuggled you out of France. You wouldn't have any dots to connect."

Janet bristled. "Smuggled. I don't like that word."

"Okay, then when Tatiana escaped from France with you and her daughter Gretta."

"I don't like that either."

Craig finally intervened. "Okay. Stop. Smuggled or escaped, either way, that's what happened to you to keep you safe and away from your sinister grandfather. He was not a kind man to your grandmother, Lissette, or your mother, Julienne. After all, he tried to have them both killed."

Frank waited for Janet to calm down. "There's more to the story."

Janet let out a sigh and sat down then tightly clasped her hands in her lap and waited for Frank to continue.

He crossed his legs and studied Janet for a long moment before continuing. "We've found some possible evidence that Tatiana fled France by way of Germany. Somewhere along the way, as we've already discussed, she hooked up with Gertrude, or Oliva Pasqual, to be precise. From there we believe they migrated to Canada where she and her daughter, Greta and you, were able to get new identities. Sometime later, all of you traveled to the United States, to Wisconsin to be specific. Your little family settled in a decent sized town where you could all blend in. And it worked. Tatiana's new name was Anna Feldman. Greta became Mary Feldman, and little Monique became Janet Feldman."

Janet frowned. "Wait. Back up," she said. "So _somehow,_ they were able to get new identities _and_ money, right? So they could live. But how? Who would do that for them? How would they know who to talk to or go to for that kind of help?"

Craig took her hand. "With regard to money, perhaps a charitable organization, a county or state agency, who knows, but some type of welfare system, would be one possibility."

"And the new identities?" she asked.

Frank let out a tired laugh. "That doesn't matter. It happened. A lot of people are able to get new identities, with the right connections."

"The right connections," she repeated skeptically.

Frank was still at his limit but doggedly kept his calm. "Just let me continue and maybe some of your questions will be answered." He checked his notes then moved on. "During this time, Anna obviously found work and all of you became one happy family. At the same time, you were, for all intents and purposes, hiding in plain sight."

Janet stared. "And you're sure about all of this."

"About as sure as we can be. Whether or not we are exactly right or not, we don't know. But that doesn't matter. Logic would suggest we're pretty close to the truth." He glanced at Craig, who nodded. "All we're trying to do here, is give you some background. How perfectly accurate it may or may not be, isn't important right now."

Janet shifted. "So, you both were able to put this all together, because of –?"

Frank looked at Craig again.

Craig responded. "Because of that photograph of you in your personnel file at Global. Like I said, I thought I was looking at Julienne," he said. "The resemblance was uncanny." He let out a sigh. "That photograph there on the table is one of mine. I took it."

" _You_ did. So I'm right you do know her or did." Janet stared at the photo again.

"Yes. I met Julienne briefly when I was working in France many years ago. And I have to admit I was attracted to her." He grinned. "I asked if I could take her picture and she agreed."

"Attracted to her?" Janet was immediately interested.

"She was pretty, so yes. But my job pulled me back to London and I never saw her again."

Janet studied Craig; her mind frantically trying to pull some of those elusive dots together, but she said nothing.

Frank pulled another photo of Julienne from his file and laid it next to Craig's. "And I took this one, probably two or three months later."

Janet stared at both photographs. She looked at Frank. "You knew her too?"

"Yes. But not until after Craig left, as it turns out."

Janet frowned. "So you _both_ knew her. And did either or both of you –" she didn't finish her thought.

Craig stood up to stretch his legs. "Janet. We both thought she was very pretty and we both took her picture. Julienne was attracted to American men. She lived a sheltered life and didn't get out much. It just happened that we both ran into her, both took her picture, and kept them as a memento of a pleasant but short time in France."

Janet stared at the photos again. "And it was these two photographs along with my personnel photo that started all of this?"

"Yes," Frank said. "But that alone wasn't enough to determine how you fit into all of it. It wasn't until I began my attempt to successfully infiltrate a subversive organization we were hoping to shut down. It was then that I received another piece of the puzzle."

"Which was?"

"Quite by accident, I discovered Tatiana definitely had help getting out of France. It was at a meeting where a discussion of the Voclain Family came up. The person running the meeting wanted to talk about a plan he was devising to get his hands on the family's assets to beef up his organization's financial holdings. By this time, I had proven my loyalty to him and his tight group of associates. So, he started to share an interesting story about a young heiress and her infant daughter. Then he also spoke of another young woman with a child as well."

Frank glanced at his file then continued. "As I listened, I became intrigued with his story of this other young woman, her young daughter, and the infant child that she had been a nanny to. They'd been secretly helped to leave France. The man didn't go into a lot of the details, but he did suggest that the young mother, would be of great value to them. He also mentioned another woman, an older woman, who had worked for him. Her name was Olivia Pasqual. She had worked for him as an escort to young women _collected_ by their organization, as he put it. Olivia saw to it these young women were delivered to various locations in Europe and western Asia."

He paused a moment to check his notes again. "As I listened, it seemed this plan had a two-fold purpose. First, he needed Olivia's help to set up operations in North America and secondly, he wanted her to remain with the young woman and her two young girls. He had plans for them. All of them."

Janet stopped him. "Wait a minute. Just a moment ago, you both talked about presumptions regarding me and Anna, or Tatiana, and Mary and even Olivia. Now suddenly it's as if all of that was window dressing. Now you're telling me something completely different and without the other guys here to listen. Something that sounds more like you have more proof of all of this, as opposed to just guessing. Plus now you're talking about another person who has a plan of some kind, or multiple plans – like a vested personal interest in Anna and her two young daughters. Correct? So, what kinds of plans?"

Frank cleared his throat and shifted slightly. "You are correct about the story. This is a little different, and we hesitated sharing this with you but decided it would be best to do so. Even within the past few hours, I finally got some information I've been waiting for. Part of it I just shared. And if you will give me a chance, I will continue."

She nodded.

"Okay. The gentleman I was referring to, who was leading this meeting shared that he was working on an idea that would allow him to get his hands on the Voclain fortune."

Janet was focused. "What was his idea?"

"He didn't divulge details, only that he felt confident his plan would work. So, for the past twenty-plus years, he's been patiently waiting to execute the final phase of his plan."

Janet's thoughts collided as bits and pieces, those dots she'd been wrestling with, began to slowly come together. She stared at the photos of Julienne again. "Twenty years," she said softly then looked at Frank. "Who is this man you're talking about? And was he the one who arranged for their new identities? Got them set up in a new community? Essentially, placed them on a shelf until he needed to use them. Who is he?" She watched both men again, but her mind had leaped forward with a theory of her own. She stood up. "If he wanted them in place, so to speak, I would expect he _would_ have made all those arrangements and ahead of time. New identities. A place to live. Money. All of that."

Frank nodded. "Yes. We would agree with that line of thinking."

She studied both men closely. "If I were to venture a guess as to who this man is, would the name Ray Martindale, be a good one?" She nearly spit out his name and narrowed her eyes.

Frank and Craig both reacted in surprise.

Frank hesitated then nodded. "Yes."

Janet leaned back hard and stared. "Ray. Of course. Now it makes sense."

"It does," Craig said. "And you are correct. It was him."

Frank nodded again. "He was the one running the meeting that day. And because of that conversation with his close cronies, that's how we discovered who Anna was, and her daughter Mary, and the baby."

Janet sat down. "You're certain."

"We are."

"Ray." Her eyes narrowed as she breathed in and let it out slow. "That night I returned to work, at his demand, was the night his plan was supposed to come to full fruition, wasn't it? His twenty-year plan." She let out a laugh. "All spoiled because a couple of two-bit con men, wanted more from him." She stood up again and faced one of the walls, staring at a non-descript painting for a moment then turned around.

"He's been behind all of this, hasn't he? Even Cold Creek. The Quail Club." She paused. "My gosh, if Sally and I had never gone to that party in Bel Air, the three of us wouldn't be having this conversation." She looked at them closely. "Would we."

"Possibly not," Frank said. "But we are having this conversation and we've all arrived at a similar conclusion. And now we have a chance to fix some things. Right some wrongs, in a manner of speaking."

Janet let out a disgusted laugh. "Sure. But it won't help Sally. It won't bring Alex back."

"That's true, but it will help fill in some of the blank spots of your past. Help answer some of your nagging questions, and possibly help us stop him. Cold. He's becoming desperate for funding and has his eyes squarely focused on your family's estate."

Janet rubbed her tired eyes and twisted her head back and forth to unkink some knots. "The _Voclain_ Family estate," she corrected him.

Frank and Craig waited.

Frank shifted. "There is more."

"I think I need something to drink." She started to for the kitchenette.

"Let me," Craig said. "I'll get you some tea."

Frank held a file. "I'd like you to take a look at this." He handed it to her. "Then tell us if any of it makes sense, triggers a memory, anything – or ask questions. We're still pulling information together, but we'll do our best to answer your questions."

Janet accepted the file.

Craig returned with a cup of hot tea and set it down on the coffee table. "Take your time, Janet," he said. "Read everything first and try to think about anything that happened while you and Mary were growing up. Anything that might have seemed unusual, strange, or out of place somehow. Any unusual visitors. Anything."

She let out a sigh and opened the file, but her mind still raced with the nearly remarkable fact that there was a very real possibility that Ray Martindale may have been involved in her life since her birth; but only if all of this was true.

Janet turned each page in the file slowly and studied each of the few additional photographs. She paused briefly at each one then finally looked up. "I do remember something," she said. "When I was little, about six, there was a conversation my mom had with my grandmother one evening." She looked at Frank, "You say that woman was not my real grandmother."

A glimmer of a smile crossed his face. "No, she was not," he said.

Janet nodded and returned to the file as she shared the incident. "Okay, they were up late one night talking quietly in the kitchen. Our house was tiny and our bedroom, Mary's and mine, opened to the kitchen. I awoke for some reason and could hear them. I don't know what time it was, just that it was still dark outside, and Mary was sound asleep. I got out of bed and tiptoed to the bedroom door. I opened it very slightly so I could see them and hear a little better. It sounded like they were almost arguing, at least I thought so. They were sitting close together with their backs to our bedroom door. My grandmother was speaking softly but urgently. Maybe that's the best way to describe it. Anyway, I was having a hard time understanding her." Janet looked up. "That's funny. I hadn't really thought about it before, but now I'm sure she was speaking another language. I just don't know which one." She shook her head.

"Anyway, at one point, I heard my mom ask my grandmother, but in English, _do you think he's still here?_ I must have made a noise or something because before answering, my grandmother shushed my mom and I saw her start to get up. I hurried back to bed. Seconds later the door opened and cast some light into the room, so I knew someone was standing there but I pretended to be asleep. Then I heard the soft click of the door being closed tight and I went back to sleep.

"The next morning, though, I remember my mom's face was puffy and her eyes were red. I knew she'd been crying but I didn't dare ask why. She fed us breakfast then Mary and I hurried off to school. But I couldn't stop wondering why she had been crying. I wanted to ask her, but we learned early on not to ask a lot of questions about things." She looked up at Frank then at Craig. "We just didn't."

"Tell us more about your grandmother," Frank said.

"Like what? She lived with us and worked at night so our mom could work at a day job and be home with us at night. I already told you that. On the weekends, we'd help her work in our small yard. She had a garden and we'd pull weeds and water the plants, and pick tomatoes and such." Janet smiled at the memory. "We thought it was fun. And she'd tell us stories."

"What kinds of stories?"

Janet frowned. "Stories of when she was little and growing up."

"Did she mention where did she grew up?" Frank asked.

Janet shrugged. "I don't know. I just always assumed it was in Wisconsin."

"Do you remember any of the stories?"

She nodded. "Yes. One in particular. She said her parents owned a store and lived over it in an apartment. It was a shoe repair shop. Yes. Her dad fixed shoes. Then at some point, he lost the store for some reason and they had to move but that's all I remember. I was still young. I never knew him, my grandfather – or whoever he was. He died before I was born, or so we were told." She looked at both men then continued. "I don't think Mary knew him either because she never talked about him. But that's about all I can remember about my grandmother and what she shared about herself. It wasn't much. And then one day she was gone." Janet paused. "You know, I suppose everything she told us about growing up, or maybe what she shared may have simply been a story to appease us and perhaps wasn't really true."

"Some of it may have been true," Craig said.

Janet nodded.

"You mentioned her mysterious disappearance," Frank said. "What else can you tell us about that?"

"Like I said before, our mother said she died. At home, while we were at school. Mom told us that she'd come home for lunch and found Nona dead in her bed. I think by then I was about eight or nine. That was a sad day for my mom. It was like she'd lost her best friend. After that, mom seemed very lonely. She still worked but never went out with friends or dated anyone, at least not for a long while." Janet wiped away a tear. "Actually, I don't think my mom had any friends. She was always either at work or at home. I also remember both she and my grandmother were good cooks."

Janet kept turning pages. "I don't see anything in here about her. Nona, that is. What was her name again?" She looked at Frank for an explanation.

"Olivia," he replied. "When this report was put together, we didn't have much information about her."

Janet seemed surprised. "That seems odd. You have all this other information but nothing about her."

Frank patiently watched as Janet turn more pages. "What kinds of meals did she prepare?" he asked.

"Meals?" She glanced up. "What, like the meals my mom would fix or Nona's?"

"Either. Both. What did they like to cook?"

Though a little amused by his question, Janet thought for a moment. "Oh, I remember my grandmother would make this wonderful dish in a cast iron pot. She'd mix everything up, pour it into the pot, and bake it in the oven. And it would puff up high over the top of the rim of the pot. She used lots of eggs and told us not to run through the house while it was baking because it might fall, and we'd be disappointed."

"Interesting."

"Is it? Why? Why do you care so much about what we ate?"

"Because it could be a clue," Frank said. "For instance, what you just described sounds a lot like a soufflé. Soufflés are made with eggs and other ingredients. Sometimes it's part of the main meal and other times it's a dessert, like a chocolate soufflé. But it's delicate and vibrations can cause it to fall as it's baking, as your grandmother said."

"Chocolate soufflé," Janet repeated and began to nod. "Yes. Chocolate. Sometimes she'd make it with chocolate. We loved it, but we never called it a soufflé."

Frank grinned. "It's a typical French dish. What did you call it?"

"Dessert. Chocolate Fluffy dessert." She frowned. "French, huh? Okay. But we were always told it was German food. She'd make German Pancakes in a cast iron skillet and bake that in the oven too. She loved to cook with cheese, sausages, beef, and lamb. Her garden was full of all kinds of vegetables and she had a couple of fruit trees, but it was the vegetables that she loved to cook with most. Oh, and the bread. She made the best bread."

"Bread," Frank repeated with interest.

Janet giggled. "Yes. Mary and I would always laugh when she told us what the one type of bread was called and that when she was little, they'd buy the bread at what sounded like 'back-her-eye'."

"Hmm," Frank mumbled. "Probably bäckerei," he said.

"Yes. That's what it sounded like."

"It's German. How about boulangerie? Did she ever use that word?"

"Boo, what?"

"Boo-lawn-jer-ray," he said slowly. "It's French for bakery. I thought you took French classes in school."

"I did, but I don't remember much. In fact, neither my mom nor grandmother encouraged us to learn another language. I just know that I had to take at least one year of a foreign language to graduate from high school and I took French because that's what most of my friends took, and I barely passed. So, no. That doesn't sound familiar."

Frank nodded. "Okay, but she had an accent, right?"

"Nona did, but it sounded German to us. A lot of our friends had grandparents with accents, especially German. And that's what my grandmother's accent sounded like to me. German. Not French. I do know what a French accent sounds like, you know. Like I said, I took a year of French in high school, and our French teacher happened to be French. French Canadian. But my mom didn't have an accent that I could tell, and again neither one of them really encouraged me or Mary to learn the language. It was a popular choice in high school because we lived so close to Canada."

"So, your mom didn't have an accent."

"No. She just sounded American to me." Janet grew quiet as she watched Frank and he watched her. Finally, she said, "So you think my Nona, my grandmother – whether she really was my grandmother, was European – French, or not."

"Either French or German, but yes."

"And, what about my father? Is he also French?"

"We're still putting the pieces together."

"Putting the pieces together. So, you don't know who he is."

Frank sidestepped her question. "Let's just take this one step at a time. Did you read the DNA report?" He pointed at the file.

Janet opened the file again and thumbed through the pages until she found it.

"It's all pretty clear," Frank said. "And if you look at the back of the file, there's a copy of a letter to you from your French Grandmother, Madame Lissette Voclain."

Janet looked surprised. "She wrote me a letter. How does she know about me?" She pulled out the document then frowned. "It's in French. I can't read it."

"There should be a second page. The English translation. She wrote the letter in hopes it would somehow get into the hands of her long–lost granddaughter."

Janet found it then read in silence, wiping a tear now and again. She finally looked at both men. "They regretted everything that happened. She is so remorseful." Janet closed the file again but placed the letter on top and set both on the coffee table. "She regretted everything about my mother and me, but she doesn't say anything about my father. I don't understand. Wouldn't she know about him?" She stared at the letter again. "I just want to give her a big hug and reassure her that everything will be okay."

A bigger smile crossed Frank's face this time and he cocked his head slightly to one side. "Did you hear what you just said?"

"Yes. That she regretted everything and –"

"No, I mean when you said, 'my mother,' and 'me'."

Janet blinked back tears and looked away. "Don't confuse me."

"I'm not trying to confuse you, just giving you some background information."

Janet pushed away the file. "Right. Ray told you this fantastic story and convinced you I was the missing granddaughter. And you believed him."

"Not exactly."

Janet eyed Frank suspiciously.

He attempted to explain. "We had a couple of other men infiltrate his organization, in addition to me. It was in the course of our combined investigation, including our men developing a close working relationship with Ray, that the truth was discovered. He did have a plan and as you suspected, one he'd been working on for years, just waiting for the right opportunity to put things into motion. He kept tabs on Tatiana, or Anna as you knew her. She didn't know it, but he always knew where she was and what she was doing." Frank paused. "It was your imposter grandmother that kept him informed. Even in the United States, she was still working for him and Anna never knew it. Anna thought she'd successfully escaped your grandfather and his evil designs, along with her daughter and you."

"Wait." Janet stopped him. "You just said you didn't know anything about her."

Frank glanced at Craig who was also curious.

"Okay," Frank said. "We did discuss her a little, earlier today."

Janet interrupted him. "Yes, but it was all speculative. A lot of what ifs. Now it sounds more like you already knew about her and her affiliation with Ray."

"Yes and no. I needed confirmation. Part of what I was doing this morning, while you and Craig waited here, was chasing down some leads with a couple of people I've been working with in France. They've been in the process of getting definitive proof; substantiation regarding our speculations. And they did. They will provide us with documentation when we get to France."

Craig was quiet but watched Frank with some reservation.

Frank noticed. "Sorry, but I didn't have time to talk to you before now. Otherwise, I would have let you know more fully what I would be doing this morning."

Craig nodded but remained quiet.

"Okay," Janet said. "So Ray had Olivia travel with Tatiana, little Greta and Monique to Canada. She was to help him start up his business or something like that in exchange for new identities, money, and a place to live."

"Yes."

Craig frowned. "Sounds like you've been keeping secrets too, Frank. Why didn't you at least share your thoughts about this with me before now?"

"I wanted details. Confirmation. For us to succeed with our claim on Janet's behalf we couldn't afford loopholes or missing information. You said you needed my expertise, my legal background, to help make this all stick. To make that happen, we needed evidence. Irrefutable evidence. Now we do. Along with the DNA, we also have documentation. We have a solid case."

Craig nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. We're all getting so caught up in this that our nerves are on edge."

Frank smiled. "Yes. And I probably should have shared some of this with you ahead of time, even without the acquisition of documentation. I apologize."

Janet suddenly let out a small gasp.

"What is it?" Frank asked.

"When Ray first saw me; when I had my interview with him, for that job in San Francisco, he had a funny expression on his face. It was an odd look, but I didn't really give it much thought at the time; I was too excited about the job. But now I wonder if he thought he was looking at Julienne as well and if he was silently rejoicing over the fact that I was sitting right there. Oh, wow. No wonder I got that job."

Frank shifted in his chair. "You're right. He already knew who you were. He knew you were Monique. Like I said, the woman posing as your grandmother, Olivia, kept him informed of your whereabouts. Janet, he arranged for you to come to that interview. He already knew he was going to hire you. It was to keep you close by until he could carry out the last part of his plan. Listen. At some point, you need to really think about this; all of it. And you need to think back to everything that's been going on since San Francisco. Actually, since the Quail Club."

Janet frowned. "That's one part that confuses me. Why grab Sally?"

"It was a mistake. For some reason they thought she was you because you were the original target. That invitation was sent to you, not her."

"Yes. It was. But that night she was the one who showed it to that guy at the door when we arrived. I remember he addressed her at Janet." She grew quiet in retrospect of that night.

"It was a stroke of luck, from Ray's perspective, that you went to so much trouble to find Sally. He intended to keep and make use of her, but when you showed up, he was exultant and determine to grab you as well. And that sheriff? What was his name? Wilcox? He worked for Ray. He was paid handsomely to keep the Quail Club running. It was part of Ray's network her in the United States."

Janet's eyes were wide. She started to shake her head and her breathing became labored.

Craig put an arm around her. "Janet. You need to breathe slowly. You need to get a grip. That's all in the past. It's over. This is where we are right now. Right here." He held her. "If you can muster up the courage to move ahead with our plan, Frank's, mine, and now yours, we can take care of Ray. We will have the leverage to destroy his organization."

She looked up at Craig. "I-I still don't see how that's possible."

"It's all about the money, Janet. The Voclain assets," he said. "We already explained that Ray has his fingers in several of the charitable organizations who would benefit from the generosity of Madam Voclain." He paused. "Unless you come forward and claim what is rightfully yours, which is the entire estate, he will still get his hands on a portion of it. But he wants it all and without that funding, he's going to be hurting. Big time. He's already overstretched his finances. Frank can confirm that. Plus Ray has a few other unsavory individuals and organizations on his heels and breathing down his neck. People he owes. He needs that money – desperately, and he needs it now. He has his sights on those resources. Your inheritance. And by you claiming your right to that inheritance you can help destroy him."

Frank agreed. "Janet, what I've shared with you, what we've shared with you, is the absolute truth. You are Monique. We have certified DNA evidence and testimony from several other people. Plus, I've dug up other incriminating documents all pointing to your grandfather as a ruthless man who would stop at nothing to prevent you or your mother from inheriting that estate. He intended to give a portion of it to his mistress and the children he had with her while the rest was to go to the Organization Ray leads."

Janet looked at both men curiously. "Yes. His other family. But won't those other children still be entitled to a portion of it at least? I mean, he was their father and what about any other grandchildren?"

"We have evidence and sworn testimonies from several individuals exposing your grandfather for premeditated murder. He hired people to stage the automobile accident. However, those same individuals warned your grandmother of his evil plan. So, she devised a plan of her own, or so we've been told. But we've already covered that. And as we already discussed, the police helped because they deeply disliked your grandfather, and so did most of the villagers. A very deep and personal dislike of him, hatred, even, so they were more than happy to help, and your grandmother was more than happy to pay."

Janet stood up. "Yes. Okay, but what about other grandchildren? Anyone? And what about Anna? I need to talk to her. I need to ask her questions about all of this."

"So do we," Craig said. "But we've already told you she's disappeared and so has your sister, or rather your cousin, Greta."

Janet's face expressed deep concern. "If you can come up with all of this, why can't you find her and Mary?"

"John and Hector are working on it. They have been tracking down some leads. We'll have to wait to find out what they produce. For now, though, that's on hold until after we finish our business in Paris."

Janet kept breathing hard. "I'd really like to talk to her first."

"I know, but I don't think that's going to happen," Frank said.

Janet blew out hard. "So now what?" she asked.

"In two days, we leave for Paris. A man by the name of Jeffery Dunkirk will be your escort and once there, we'll have a week before you meet with a legal officer of the French court. As we already explained, this gentleman is referred to as an Avocat. When meeting with the him, he will ask you questions, like in an interview. Just answer truthfully."

"Jeffrey Dunkirk?"

"Yes," Craig grinned. "But I think you'll like him."

"And the French court? They're going to ask me questions about things I know nothing about."

"We realize that," Frank said. "You really won't need to provide them with any specific information, in fact he's probably not going to ask you a lot of questions. The court will be fully aware of the circumstances and take all of that into account."

Janet started to respond when there was a tap on the hallway door. Craig got up to see who it was. He let John and Hector in then secured the door.

"Where's Charlie?" Frank asked.

"He got called on a job," John said. "Hunter Blake again. Some big deal dinner with potential investors for his next film."

Janet stared at them. "Hunter Blake?"

John froze and looked at everyone. "I just made a boo-boo, didn't I?'

Hector laughed. "She was bound to find out sooner or later." He grinned at Janet. "It's his job, little sis, remember? Charlie drives all sorts of people all over the place. Hunter happens to be one of his clients."

She continued to stare.

Hector snapped his fingers in front of her face.

She shoved them away.

Frank intervened. "Let's get back to business, shall we?" He waited for John and Hector to get settled then continued. "Okay. So, we've been prepping Janet. Want to make sure she's ready for this trip."

John grinned at her. "Getting excited?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Excited? Not exactly. Nervous, concerned, and scared is more like it, but first I have a question. Frank says you both are trying my mother, Anna. Do you know where she is?"

"Not exactly," Hector said, "but we did managed to speak to someone at the local newspaper. We told him we were private investigators and were trying to track down a woman and her daughter that we thought had gone missing. We gave him general descriptions of Anna and Mary. He said he would look into it, you know, check police reports and get back to us."

Janet frowned. "Private investigators, huh? Do you think he believed you?"

"I don't know why not. We'll see."

She looked dejected. "I think I'd rather be riding around in Charlie's limo with Hunter Blake right now."

John made a face. "Hunter Blake? Instead of being here with us? That hurts." He laughed at the look on her face. "Can I at least have a hug?"

"Yes," she said and stood up, but stopped suddenly. "Hold on a second. I'll be right back." She hurried into the adjoining room.

Hector glanced at Frank and Craig. "How's it going?"

"Good, I think," Craig said. "Frank's been sharing a lot of information with her. But it's so much for her to absorb right now."

"Well, she's looking good," Hector said. "New clothes?"

Craig smiled. "Yes, a few things."

Janet was back. "Okay. Still, want that hug?"

John was on his feet. "You bet."

"What about me?" Hector said. "Don't I get a hug?"

"Of course. You both are the best," she said then slipped the locket into Hector jacket pocket. "Thank you."

He gave her an extra squeeze. "Anything for our little sis."

# CHAPTER 26

It had been an exhausting few days. Janet was overwhelmed by the crash course of information she'd received from Craig and Frank. She double checked her luggage in anticipation of the flight to Paris, France. Despite the seemingly compelling evidence that she could very well be the granddaughter of Madam Voclain and the daughter of Julienne Voclain, she still felt like she was only posing as their long–lost Monique. Even so, a part of her now needed to know for sure so she was going. She did, however, reserve the right to bail out if she changed her mind. Frank had agreed.

She checked the time. He was late which contributed to an increased level of anxiety, and nerves. Questions continued to nag at her especially if the French court somehow believed her. Would she have to stay in France for a particular amount of time or would she have to permanently move to France to claim a portion of the inheritance? Could she give it away? Could she sell it? Frank did his best to help her understand French law regarding inheritances, but she was still confused.

A quiet knock on the door brought her back and she hurried to answer. Peeking first, she opened the door, relieved to see a grinning Frank.

"Ready?" he asked.

"I guess so." Janet stood awkwardly then stepped back to let Frank in. Another man quickly followed. She was startled but closed the door then turned to face him. He smiled but Janet frowned. "Who are you?"

"Jeff Dunkirk."

"Oh. You're Jeff."

"Yes, but we have met before."

Janet looked at Frank then back at Jeff. "We have? I don't recognize you. When did we meet and where?"

"About three years ago, or so but at the time you knew me as Greg Danes."

Surprised, Janet eyed him for a long moment. "Greg?" she replied then a look of recognition crossed her face. "Greg! Oh, my gosh. It is you but you look so different. What happened to your beard, and scraggly hair?"

He laughed. "That was part of my disguise. You'll just have to get used to my clean-shaven face and neatly trimmed head of hair, I'm afraid."

"And a different name," she said, still staring. "Another alias then, huh?"

"No. Jeff is my real name."

She cocked her head to one side and studied him. "Greg Danes."

"Yes, it's really me." He unbuttoned his overcoat. "Hope you're not too disappointed."

"What? No. Not at all. Just surprised." Her eyes sparkled. "I am happy you're here and that you're going with us to France," she said.

Frank gestured. "Let's all sit down so we can chat for a few minutes."

Janet gave him a disgusted look. "There you go again. You never just chat," she said taking a seat. "I don't even think you understand what a chat is. With you, it's a discussion with all kinds of variables and inferences. It's always more involved than just a simple chat."

Jeff laughed. "She's right."

Frank ignored them both and instead explained that he would not be joining them on their flight to France and that Jeff, alone, would be her traveling companion instead.

Janet grinned at Jeff.

"It's okay," he said. "I know my way around Europe; and Paris in particular."

"You do." Janet eyed him suspiciously.

He nodded and grinned. "What. You don't trust me?"

"Don't get me started. I don't trust anybody anymore. You're not going to abandon me in a cave somewhere, are you?"

"We did not abandon you," he insisted. "We were protecting you."

"I keep hearing that phrase, and people keep insisting that I should trust them." She eyed him more closely. "Why did you have to move me into a different area in the cave? I was terrified when I woke up and couldn't find you or Shadow and I couldn't see a thing. Although, I did find a small flashlight right at the entrance of that small cave room. Which worked well – until I dropped it into some bottomless abyss."

"We thought you'd stay out longer," he said and looked at Frank sheepishly. "Apparently I didn't give you enough sedative to keep you asleep."

"I told you," Frank said.

"Yeah, okay," Jeff said. "And you keep telling me. But it all worked out."

Janet began rubbing her forehead.

Frank reached for her hand. "Janet. What's the matter? It's going to be okay. All the arrangements have been made. The DNA testing came back positive as you already know, so everything is ready. All you need to do is show up, give them this paperwork," he pulled a file from his briefcase, "and the French authorities will take care of the rest."

She let out a heavy sigh.

Jeff leaned forward. "Janet, if you're not comfortable traveling with me, we can find someone else to accompany you."

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. I am happy you will be with me. I'm just not sure if _I'm_ ready for this. To be honest, I'm scared. I'm hiding in this hotel room just in case some bad guys are out there lurking around and waiting to pounce. And, if that's the case I'll be a sitting duck so to speak, once we leave here and I'm scared about that."

"I understand," Jeff said, "but I'm ready to deal with just about anything. Besides, I understand you know how to sing." He grinned.

Janet shot Frank an accusing look.

"Don't worry," Jeff said. "I'd say we've got our bases covered. We're ready."

"You had to tell him, didn't you?" she said to Frank.

He grinned. "I'd question Hector and John about that if I were you." He closed his briefcase. "You're going to be fine."

"Okay," she said, "but the other thing that bothers me is that we are Americans invading their world and it's going to appear as if we are attempting to take off with a great deal of French money and assets!"

Frank let out a sigh. "I assure you everything is going to be fine," he said. "You have to trust me."

"Will you stop saying that! I don't trust anyone or anything anymore, remember? To be honest, if they suspect and can prove somehow that we are being deceptive or anything like that, we could all – or at least I – would probably end up in a French prison! That's not exactly on my bucket list."

She rubbed her forehead again but continued. "You remember what John said. Right? That it's possible to tamper with DNA samples. Well what if that happens? What if our DNA evidence is contaminated or switched, or somehow falsified? It won't prove anything other than we will be accused of doing something illegal. We could get into a lot of trouble."

"That won't happen," Frank said. "It's under lock and key. It's safe."

"Okay, then what if they agree that I am Monique? What am I supposed to do with the estate? I'm not sure I really want it, to be honest. Frank! I don't feel like an heiress. I'm not interested in the money or properties. Not really."

He focused on her for a moment. "Janet. Calm down. Whether you want it or not, we must make sure Ray doesn't get it. We have to move forward." He paused. "Besides, we've gotten word that someone else is claiming to be Monique. If that person is awarded the estate, she _will_ be committing fraud."

"In your opinion! You see! It's not going to be a piece of cake. There's already a complication."

"A small one. We will prove, beyond any doubt, that you are Monique Julienne Voclain because you are! You said yourself just the other night, after reading that letter from your grandmother, that you wanted to give her a hug and let her know everything will be okay. This will be your chance to do just that."

Janet continued to rub her forehead. "I feel like I'm attempting to take something away from the French people that should stay there, not leave with me."

"Nothing is going to leave with you," Frank said. "The estate does belong in France. Even if you intend to continue living in the United States, the estate remains intact and in France. But you will have complete access to all the immovable properties, as well as the funds."

"Immovable property?" Janet was confused. "What does that mean?"

"The physical ground, homes, that sort of thing. It all stays there. It's not going anywhere. The money is invested in quite a few different types of assets, many of which are other properties or businesses. That all stays there. Plus, if you are legally declared to be a Voclain, and it is officially determined you were born in France you will automatically become a French citizen with all the same rights and privileges as any other French citizen."

Janet stared. "Wait. Does that mean I won't be an American anymore?"

"You should still be an American because you are allowed dual citizenship, by both countries." Frank took the file from her and set it aside. "Janet. I've examined all their laws. I've made several inquiries with French authorities and even retained a French attorney to assist us. Your claim is legitimate. All of it."

Janet rested her head in her hands and took in a deep breath then sat up. "Am I legally an American citizen?" she asked. "If –" she looked at both men. "If I'm declared to be Monique, then my American citizenship will be challenged. It _was_ all falsified."

"You let us worry about that," Frank said. "First things first. You go to France. Take care of that business first, then we'll check on your American status. I promise."

She finally nodded and looked up. "Alright." She said. "I guess we'd better get going, then. Just remember I'm doing this because I need to know one way or another and this is the only way, evidently."

It was mid-morning. The ride to the Los Angeles International Airport, in the back of Charlie's limousine, was quiet and somber. Their plane was scheduled to leave just past noon with an estimated arrival time roughly twelve hours later, and through eight different time zones.

She couldn't help but notice the very large and well-lit airport identifier L-A-X at the entrance to the airport property. Janet continued to stare out the window. Everything was a blur as she mulled over the purpose of this trip and the possible consequences – good and bad. Her mind continued to replay a dismal loop of thought. _I'm flying to France to present myself to a French Avocat and try to convince him I'm a long-lost heir to the Voclain Family estate._ It was hard to fathom. She tried to imagine what it was going to be like when they got there. She hoped Jeff could speak French because she certainly couldn't, despite her one year of study in high school.

As if reading her thoughts, he asked, "You speak French?"

Janet blinked and looked at him, startled. "What?"

"Speak French?"

"Uh, no. Not much at all. A few words and phrases, but that's it. I was hoping you do."

He grinned. "Well then we're in luck. I do speak some French. Enough to get by. Besides, it's rather common for the French people to speak English, especially at hotels and banks and other businesses that cater to tourists."

"Tourists. I guess that's what we are."

"Yup. Or at least I am. Once this court stuff is over, you will no longer be regarded as a tourist."

She nodded. "So, Frank's headed for Idaho."

"Yup. To see his wife."

"Is he really married?"

"Yup."

"Do you always say, 'yup'?"

Jeff smiled. "Yup."

She stared out the window at the darkness again. "How long has he been married?"

"Frank? Oh, I don't know. For a while. Years, I guess. Why?"

"Just wondered. He never talks about a wife or family."

"He just has a wife. No kids."

"Doesn't she wonder about him being gone all the time?" She looked at Jeff.

"She's used to it. Came with the territory, so to speak."

Janet nodded then resumed watching out the window as Charlie drove through the maze of access lanes leading to the International terminal. She turned to Jeff again. "So, what have you been up to these past few years?"

"Working. Just like Frank and Drew."

"Drew?"

Jeff cleared his throat. "Uh, just another agent. Sorry."

"No that's okay. I don't know Drew. Is he anything like you?"

"Who?"

"This guy Drew you just mentioned."

He chuckled. "Heck, I don't know. In what way?"

"Charming. Handsome. Secretive."

Jeff had to laugh. "You think I'm charming and handsome?"

She smiled. "Yes. Even more so without that scraggly beard and unkempt hair."

He stared. "Scraggly? Unkempt? I thought I presented myself as a rather ruggedly handsome mountain man."

She giggled. "Nope. Didn't."

"I see. You always say 'nope?"

"Nope. She grinned then said, "I've wondered about something."

"What's that?"

"That cave. How long did you intend to keep me there, if I hadn't escaped with Jake and his friends?"

Jeff thought for a moment. "Not long. We just wanted to keep you out of harm's way until after the raid." He chuckled again. "You know, you are a very resourceful young woman."

"I didn't plan to escape; not at first, but when I woke up and didn't know where I was, I was terrified and thought you intended to leave me there to die. So, I wanted out."

"I was just doing my job," he said. "Protecting you."

"Who told you to protect me? You could have taken me back to town or put me on a bus or just given me some gas money and told me to get lost."

Jeff was speechless for a few minutes. "What? No. Frank said we needed to protect you. We chose the caves. That's where he and I would meet to talk. Sometimes we'd stay there for a couple of nights and compare notes."

"Notes."

"Yes. We were investigating the Quail Club. Frank managed to get a membership there, so to speak. That way he could visit the place without suspicion. He hooked up with an older woman at the Club and we found out later that she was Seth's mother."

Janet nodded. "I remember hearing about that."

"Yes, well, Frank would request her, but all they did was talk and make plans on how to get her and the other women out of that place. You and your young friends escalated that for us by sneaking onto the property."

"I didn't sneak onto the property. The sheriff took me there, remember? I became his prisoner. The guys plotted their own rescue." She smiled at the memory. "It was quite ingenious, actually. They used a refrigerated delivery truck to sneak onto the Quail Club property. Did you know that? I think Jake's Uncle Pete helped."

Jeff laughed. "Yes. I remember. Good people." He looked out the window as they pulled up and stopped. "You ever go back to Cold Creek?"

"No. Why would I? It would just dredge up painful memories."

He faced her. "Have I dredged up painful memories by coming back into your life?"

She looked at him, thoughtfully, but didn't respond as Charlie opened the back door. Jeff stepped out and helped Janet while Charlie collected their luggage and signaled for a skycap to assist then turned to Janet.

"You look beautiful and you will do just fine," he said. "This is one time you really do need to trust everyone on the team, and that includes Frank." His gaze was penetrating. No smile. No wink. He was completely and unquestionably serious.

She nodded. "I will. I wish you were going to be there. I trust you more than anyone." She blinked back tears.

"Miss Janet, you are very special to me. I would not let this guy take you anywhere if I didn't trust him." He laughed. "Jeff, here, is one of our top team members. You _can_ trust him. He's the same great guy he was a few years ago. In fact, he asked for this assignment."

She was surprised. "He did?"

"Yes. So, we decided he would escort you to Paris, instead of Frank."

"Instead of Frank."

"Yes. Besides, we need Frank focused on his responsibilities as one of your attorneys. Jeff, here, is the best man to be at your side while in France."

"What about John and Hector?"

"We've got them on another assignment right now. But it's all good. Everything is in play. It'll all be over soon." He finally smiled and gave her a hug. "Now get moving. You have a flight to catch. I'll see you when you get back."

After going through all the security checks and scans, they were finally able to head for their gate and wait to board the plane. Once the boarding began, they were among the first to find their seats. Janet was surprised they were in first class, but Jeff told her Craig wanted her to have the best of everything on this trip, considering the circumstances of it.

"I'd like you to sit next to the window so I can sit on the aisle, if you don't mind."

He sent a text message to someone then turned off his cell phone and put it into an inside pocket of his jacket. He then fastened his seat belt and rested his head against the back of the seat. He turned slightly to look at Janet who was gazing out the window. He reached for her hand. She flinched slightly and looked at him.

"Once we get to Paris, you will stay at my side. Get used to me holding your hand when we are out in public," he said quietly.

"O-Okay."

"Craig wants you to have the opportunity to see some of Paris before meeting with the Avocat. I agreed but I'm setting a few ground rules, which includes holding hands when we're out of our hotel suite."

"We're sharing a suite?"

"We are. But I will sleep on the couch." He grinned.

She nodded then resumed staring out the window. Jeff leaned back and closed his eyes just as the whine of the engines began to peak. Flight attendants walked the aisles checking overhead bins, locking them down. Soon the plane began to move backward and away from the gate.

"Why do they call it L-A-X?" she asked still looking out the window.

"Hmm?"

"The airport. L-A-X."

"It's the airport identifier," he said.

"But what does the X stand for?"

"Does it matter?"

"I just wondered."

The monitor mounted on the back of the seat in front of her, lit up. A video on safety procedures began. Actors demonstrated how to fasten seat belts and use oxygen masks should there be a need. It was the same type of information she'd seen a few times before when flying. She glanced at Jeff who appeared to be asleep, but she knew he wasn't. If there was anything she'd learned over the past couple of years, these guys somehow managed to remain alert to anything, even if it didn't look like it.

Janet focused on the activity outside and at some of the other large aircraft parked at different gates. An arriving plane slowly made its way to a gate at a different terminal across from theirs. She could also see a large airliner racing down the runway on takeoff and moments later another one touched down. It was a busy place.

Jeff reached for her hand again.

"It's a placeholder," he said.

"What is?" she asked.

"The 'X.' It's a placeholder.

"Placeholder."

"Yes. All United States airports need a three or four-letter identifier. Railway stations use them too. It doesn't mean anything other than giving airports a specific identification, like a name."

"Oh."

The plane now began moving forward and the flight attendants found their seats. Janet took in several deep breaths.

"You okay?" Jeff asked.

"I guess."

"You'll be fine," he said as the plane taxied to take its position in line with a parade of other aircraft waiting to take off. "Try to rest. Once we're in the air, you can adjust your seat to lie down, if you want." He pointed to the controls and then to a recessed area in front of them where she could place her feet with the seat reclined. "Sleep, if you can. It's going to be a very long flight.

Frank stood at a window in the terminal and watched Jeff and Janet's plane proceed to the taxi lane then patiently waited until it took off. He checked his watch, walked to a different boarding gate, and sat down. He picked up a discarded newspaper in a nearby seat and scanned it for something interesting to read then checked his watch again.

Twenty minutes later a man sat down next to him. "What's the latest news?" the man asked with a slight French accent.

"Nothing much," Frank said but didn't look at the man.

"Everything ready?" the man asked.

"I think so. Nice disguise, by the way."

The man grinned. "The beard? Not too much I hope," he said stroking it."

"No. Looks good."

"Janet and Jeff get off okay?"

"Yes. About twenty minutes ago." Frank checked his watch again. "She's really nervous."

"I can imagine. Jeff's okay traveling with her?"

"Yes. They'll be fine together." Frank folded the newspaper and put it on the empty seat next to him. "How about you? Ready for this?"

"Have to be."

"Good, but there is that one last bit of information we need to confirm. That won't happen until we're all in Paris though."

"I understand," the man said.

"So, who are you this time?" Frank asked.

The man pulled his passport from an inner jacket pocket and handed it to Frank.

He chuckled. "A Frenchman." He handed it back. "That explains the accent, although you need to work on it."

The man returned the passport to his pocket then let out a heavy sigh. "You ever think about retiring?"

Frank nodded. "More and more."

"Me too," the man said. "I happened to be in a small community not too long ago. Mountains. Colorado. I liked it. I could settle there. It's quiet. Easy paced. Real homey."

"Homey. That sounds good." Frank chuckled softly. "You want a neighbor you can trust?"

"Sure. Know of someone I _can_ trust?" He let out an equally quiet laugh. "What we need is a small community of our own, for the entire team."

Frank gave him a sideways glance. "You really want to spend the rest of your life with all of us hanging around?" he asked.

The man looked at him then shook his head. "Actually, no."

A counter attendant announced that boarding would proceed shortly and for passengers to gather all their personal items.

"You have any carry-ons?" the man asked.

"Just my briefcase," Frank replied. "You?"

"Same."

"Then I guess we might as well get in line."

They both stood up, briefcases in hand, and wandered to the end of the already forming line of passengers.

"How does our timing look?" the man asked.

"Jeff and Janet have a stopover in New York before heading for Orly International. Ours is direct into Charles De Gaulle so we should arrive about two hours or so before they do."

"Good. That should give us enough time to take care of any other last-minute business."

Jeff and Janet settled into their seats as their plane took to the air and began its climb. Thoroughly exhausted, she managed to doze off soon after takeoff. So while the general population below moved through their day similar to most any other day, at this same moment in time, this very large aircraft continued its climb to dizzying heights carrying a trouble and worried young woman halfway around the world to either meet her destiny or face her fate.

About an hour later, she woke from a nap and shifted in her seat a little to release and relax tightened muscles and stimulate some circulation. She looked at Jeff. He was awake and using a laptop.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Okay. Guess I fell asleep."

"Nothing wrong with that," he said. "I would encourage you to take more naps during the flight. Helps pass the time and will ensure you're rested when we get to our destination."

She nodded then looked out the window. "Where are we?"

He stopped what he was doing and activated her monitor then selected the inflight screen. There you go. You can watch the progress of our flight."

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Yes, and you can watch a movie if you like. Did you think to bring any earpieces or headphones?" He glanced at her. "You know, so you can hook them into that jack to listen." He pointed.

She shook her head. "No."

He looked for an available flight attendant and gave a slight wave.

She approached. "Can I help you?"

"She needs some headphones to listen to a movie."

"I'll be right back," she said and soon returned with a plastic bag.

"Thank you," Janet said.

Jeff helped her get them on. "There you go." He smiled then returned his attention to his laptop.

Janet began looking for something to watch. She finally settled on a comedy but even that could not alleviate her anxiety. Her mind was a flurry of thoughts and concerns. She let the movie run but propped her head against the cabin wall and stared out at the sky through her tiny window trying to think of pleasant things as a distraction.

Every so often Jeff glanced at her and at one point realized she had fallen asleep again. He asked an attendant for a small pillow and a blanket. He slowly reclined her seat, then gently removed her headset. When the attendant returned, he placed the pillow between her head and the cabin wall, then draped the blanket across her shoulders and lap. She made a soft sound in response to the added comfort and quietly nestled into her seat.

Jeff watched her for a moment longer before getting back to work. An hour later, he put his things away. He checked the time then reclined his seat slightly and closed his eyes. He also wanted to get some rest before they arrived at Kennedy International. Even though they would remain on board during the stopover, he needed to be fresh and alert to any additional passengers boarding there.

Then once they arrived at the Paris Orly International Airport, he hoped they could get to their hotel without any incident. They would need to rest from their extended travel and begin to adjust to a different time zone. He was also anxious to have her safely sequestered in their suite. Others on the team would already be in place to surveil their surroundings and check their suite for any unwanted audio or video devices.

Janet's concerns about being followed or discovered were very real, but he didn't want her to dwell on any of that. She needed to be rested and ready before meeting with the French authorities the following week. The last thing she needed was more drama and it was his job to make sure all went well.

# CHAPTER 27

The stopover at Kennedy International appeared to be uneventful. About an hour before they landed at Orly, Jeff gently woke Janet. The day was bright and beautiful. She stretched and attempted to work out some kinks then raised the window shade, blinking in the bright sunlight. She squinted until her eyes adjusted to the sunlight then watched with great interest. The view outside was spectacular. Toward the north she noticed a land mass in the distance. Jeff explained it was the southern coast of Great Britain. Soon after, they could feel the plane begin its gradual descent and the sound of the engines changing as well. He stood to unkink his back and glanced around at other passengers nearby before sitting down again. All seemed well enough.

Announcements came across the intercom system instructing passengers to replace tray tables, stow loose objects, bring seats into the upright position, and make sure seatbelts were snug as they were minutes away from landing. Jeff hoped the decision to fly into this older and smaller airport was the best choice. He reached for Janet's hand. "Ready for this?"

Janet shrugged. "At this point, do I have a choice?"

He looked at her tenderly. "Of course, you do. You can still opt to change your mind."

"Then what would have been the point of coming. I'm committed. I'll be ready."

"Good. I think I'd like us to sit for a while, once we've landed, and let most of the other passengers leave first." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And remember, we hold hands once we exit the jetway into the waiting area beyond the gate. Agreed?"

"Yes. I'll do exactly as you say."

"Good." He grinned and released her hand.

Janet resumed watching out her window while he sat quietly for a moment then sent a quick text. He waited for a response then put his phone away. It was show time and he needed to remain alert.

The engine whine changed pitch and the clunking sound of the landing gear locking into place meant they were minutes away from touch down.

Janet reached for his hand this time.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Just anxious. I little nervous."

"I understand. I'll do everything I can to help ensure you enjoy your first trip to Europe."

She grinned and snickered.

"What."

"Well, if all of you are correct in your assessment of my parentage and nationality, I think we could call this my _return_ trip to Europe."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Now you're talking."

They continued to hold hands while Janet watched out the window and at the ground as it came up quickly. Soon the tires squealed as they touched down and the plane rumbled and bumped along. The pilot activated the reverse thruster shields and the plane immediately responded to the additional braking system.

Although Jeff still wanted to wait for most of the passengers to exit the aircraft, before they did, he quickly stood up the moment they were cleared to do so and stretched long enough to watch the crowd in the near vicinity of their seats. So far, so good. He eased down into his seat again.

"You're worried, aren't you?' Janet said. "You seem nervous." Her face showed concern.

"Not so much nervous as the need to be alert. But you let me worry about all of that. We'll still follow our protocol. Stay as relaxed as possible once we get off this plane but be ready to do whatever I ask you to do without question."

"Okay."

"I'll get our carry-on bags then you'll stay in front of me as we exit." He got up and pulled their bags from the overhead bin then helped her out into the aisle. Soon they were headed up the jetway to the waiting area. There were a lot people ahead of them but still many more behind as they made their way along. Jeff casually watched in front then glanced behind when he paused to adjust the shoulder strap of his bag. Janet waited and watched as well then took his outstretched hand as they walked out beyond the seating area and into the spacious and bustling corridor.

Not surprisingly, the terminal was busy with arriving and departing passengers. It was nearly nine-thirty in the morning, Paris time, and obviously Jeff knew his way around as he led her along. They made their way to the baggage area, gathered their remaining luggage from the carousel, then headed to customs and joined another line of tired passengers.

By the time they finally emerged from the terminal Janet was growing anxious as they watched the bustling procession of cabs. A limousine pulled up and flashed its headlights. Jeff pulled Janet to it and helped her climb in. "Wait here," he said and closed the door.

Janet could hear him talking to someone as he loaded their bags into the trunk. He finally joined her, and the limousine pulled into traffic. Although riding in the limousine was nice, she was surprised and said so.

"More convenient," Jeff said then watched out the window.

Janet sat back and did the same but now her thoughts were on the coming week and eventually the court date with the Avocat.

The ride from the Airport to their hotel was an adventure in and of itself. Although her mind was filled with many questions and uncertainties, and despite feeling tired, a sense of excitement began to grow as well.

Watching the sights from her window she was struck with the notion that if she didn't know better, it was like they were driving through any American countryside with wide open spaces. The giveaway were the billboards and highway signs predominantly in French. She smiled at the thought of expecting everything to be so different, but it wasn't, at least not yet.

It was a sunny day with a few clouds drifting overhead to greet their arrival. About thirty minutes later they reached the outskirts of Paris. Now things began to take on a different look; more like pictures she'd seen in magazines and on travel agency destination posters.

The architecture, for one thing, was different from the wrought iron railings on narrow upstairs balconies, to window flowerboxes, to shuttered dormer windows. Wider avenues crisscrossed the great city carrying volumes of traffic connected by narrow streets, some akin to alleys. Plazas with fountains, city parks, magnificent buildings – many of them churches or government buildings, were all woven together in a tapestry of both modern and centuries-old history.

Janet was enthralled and watched as her excitement grew just knowing she was in Europe and in one of the most recognizable cities on the continent, or even in the world for that matter. It reminded her of tourists she would see while she was living and working in San Francisco, also excited just knowing they were in the City by the Bay. She grinned. Now she was the tourist drinking in the sights, sounds, and aromas of Paris, halfway around the world from her hometown in California.

The limousine finally pulled up to a stately looking structure on a broad avenue. They had arrived. A doorman assisted as they climbed out of the car and helped Jeff retrieve their luggage. Janet stared up at the impressive and stately multi-story edifice, truly in awe at its architectural design. Jeff took her hand and escorted her inside. They went directly up a lavish set of stairs to the next floor.

"Don't we have to check in first?" Janet asked.

"Nope. Everything has already been arranged."

At the next floor, he led her to a room a few doors down the corridor. Once inside he locked the door then opened a closet. He withdrew two sets of clothing and brought them to the large bed.

"This is for you," he said. "You can change in the bathroom. I'll change out here. Don't dilly-dally.

"What's going on?"

"Just change please. Remember. No questions."

Although confused, Janet did as she was instructed and stepped into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Jeff tapped and called to her. "Ready?"

The door opened and Janet stepped out in her new attire. "I don't understand. Why did I have to change into these clothes?" She walked to a mirror and gazed at her reflection. "These clothes are very ordinary-looking; not that I mind but compared to the three bags of new clothes Craig gave me, they are definitely – different."

"We have to go."

"Go? Where?"

"Just come with me and don't ask any more questions right now." He studied her. "We had an agreement."

She nodded but sighed an "Okay."

"We need to appear as though we intend to spend some time in town," he said. "Sight-seeing and dressed similar to everyone else so we blend in." He looked at her hair.

She noticed. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, but can you put your hair up differently?"

She looked around. "Well, I'd need an elastic band or some clips to do that."

"Check the bathroom."

She returned a few minutes later with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. "I found some ribbons tied around a few amenities."

"Good. It's perfect." He pulled a baseball cap out of his back pocket and put it on. "What do you think?"

She giggled. "The Royal Heights City Little League?"

"Yeah. My grandparents used to live in Royal Heights. It's a neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri." He took her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

"And we still need to hold hands?"

"Absolutely. We want any casual observer to think you and I are a couple."

Janet recoiled and pulled her hand away. "A couple?"

He cocked his head. "Well, yes. I thought you understood that's what I meant by holding hands."

"I figured you meant it as a form of protection."

"It is, but to anyone else out here, they'll think we're a couple." He took her hand again. "Nothing's changed. And besides, what do you care what anyone thinks? No one knows who we are."

Janet was visibly worried. "Except anyone who may be following us."

"Look. It's part of our plan while we're here. I understand why you feel the way you do about trust, but you've gotta compromise a little. Please? I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to put you in a cave." He grinned. "But we do need to hurry."

"Hurry. I thought we were out here wandering around to enjoy ourselves."

"There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now we need to keep moving. Please. Let's just go. I'll explain more in a little while." He held out his hand again.

"Okay," she said, taking his hand.

Jeff led her into the hallway and out of the building. After a short walk, they entered a small pub, _The Lucky Shamrock_.

Janet expressed surprise. "Are we getting something to eat here?"

He just grinned.

"Seems a bit Irish to me and not so French."

"It is Irish," he said as they stepped inside. It was dimly lit with Irish background music adding to the ambiance. But instead of finding a place to sit, he led her to the back and down a dimly lit hallway.

At this point, Janet stopped and pulled back. "I thought you said no caves."

"We're not staying. Come on."

"But –"

"No talking."

Another door led outside to a narrow lane. A car sat waiting. Jeff nudged her to climb in, but Janet was very uncomfortable with their situation.

He whispered in her ear. "It's okay. You'll see." He kissed her cheek then waited for her to get seated. He slid in next to her then removed the hat and settled back. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze then let go. "It all good."

Janet watched out her window then glanced at the driver through the rearview mirror and did a double take.

The driver was watching her and chuckled. "Nice to see you arrived in one piece."

"Charlie?"

A few minutes later, Charlie pulled into a maze of narrow streets, turning here and there, finally entering a very narrow lane. He stopped in front of a quaint but unassuming building rising about four stories up above the lane. She noticed a sign on a wall next to a set of wrought iron gates. It read Hôtel Relais Christine. On either side of the wide opening was a carriage light.

She frowned. "Another hotel?"

"Yes," Jeff said. "This is where we're staying. Hang on for a minute while I help Charlie with our luggage." Moments later, he opened her door and helped her out.

"But we unloaded our things at the other hotel," she said.

"A decoy set. This place is more discreet. But I think you're going to like it."

"Okay, but we left our other clothing at the other place."

"It's been collected. All is well."

Absently, she reached for his hand and followed as he and Charlie brought their luggage through the gates to an open but modest and inviting courtyard. The entire structure seemed to beckon with a warmth and charm she'd expected all along. Janet gazed up at room windows facing the courtyard. She counted four levels. Indeed, it was a quiet and unique gem tucked away from the rest of the world. She felt a great sense of relief and began to relax, realizing this had been an elaborate ruse to help keep her safe just like Jeff said. A concierge met them at the top of a set of steps to assist with their bags. He spoke to Jeff in French to which Jeff responded in kind. About the only thing she understood was _bonjour,_ _oui_ and _merci beaucoup._

Inside, Janet gazed admiringly at the decor including the vaulted ceilings and wood paneling with detailed trimming. Everything had a sense of nostalgic elegance, but without being overly pretentious. Even the paintings and portraits added to the charm of a building that hinted of a unique history.

Jeff led her upstairs to the top floor and down a hallway a short distance then stopped at a room. Once inside, she again stared at the stately elegance and was surprised to see stairs leading to another level.

"It's two stories?"

"That's a loft and where you will sleep. I will be down here." He grinned. "Go take a look."

Janet was nearly giddy as she mounted the stairs and soon disappeared.

"Wow," she said.

Jeff was pleased at her reaction. "Not such a bad cave this time, is it?" he called up to her.

She leaned over a railing. "It's wonderful and there's a window that will allow me to look at the stars at night," she said then paused. "I'm sorry I was so skeptical."

"It's okay," he said. "I probably should have told you what we were doing to start with, but –"

"You don't need to apologize," she said. "Little by little I'm getting a little more comfortable with all the secretive stuff. That doesn't mean I like it, but I'm beginning to understand why it's important."

"I'm glad to hear that. We do have your best interests at heart, and especially because you never know who's watching or listening."

# CHAPTER 28

It had been two days since they arrived in Paris. And although jet lag wasn't much of an issue for Janet, Jeff seemed to be adjusting to their circumstances much better than she was.

"You'll get into sync in another day or two," he said as she kept yawning and rubbing her eyes. Their accommodations seemed to be working out just fine, except that Jeff snored at night. When she mentioned it as an attempt to tease him, he said she snored too. That led to a mildly contested dispute between them until they both ended up laughing.

On the third night, however, that all changed. She awoke feeling hungry. She could hear him snoring below but decided to tiptoe downstairs and raid the small refrigerator in their kitchenette, anyway, hoping not to wake him. She moved quietly past the sofa where he slept, which was tucked in under the upper half of the stairway leading to the loft. She found something to eat and opted to take it upstairs. As she quietly made her way to the stairs, she suddenly stopped.

The snoring seemed to be coming from a small table next to the sofa. Upon closer examination, she discovered a small recording device. Not only that, Jeff was not on the sofa. She looked around then checked the bathroom. It was empty. She immediately hurried to the room door. Although locked, the secondary safety latch was not secured.

Janet was both angry and concerned. "This may not be a dark and damp cave, but you've abandoned me again!" she said to herself and plopped down on the edge of the disheveled sofa to pick at her plate of cheese and crackers. "Sure! Ask me to trust you then take off in the middle of the night leaving me here alone. Well, I don't trust you! I don't." She'd barely uttered her rant when she heard someone at the door and quickly looked around. There was no place to hide, so she sat rigid and anxious as the door slowly opened.

Jeff peeked first then hurried inside and switched on a small lamp. He took her hand and apologized. "I'm sorry and I know you're mad. I understand. But let me explain."

She stopped him. "Wait! How did you know I was mad?" Before he could answer she jumped up. "A listening device! Not only did you record yourself snoring to trick me, but you've bugged this place!"

"Look, I can explain."

"I'll just bet you can! So get started! And as for the rest of you listening, I expect each of you to get over here immediately. I am so done with all your trickery and deception! You want me to inherit a billion bucks? Then the lies stop now, or I will walk! I will deny everything. I will spoil your little attempt at getting your hands on that poor woman's estate! And I mean it!"

Jeff was speechless then hurried to open the door at the sound of a quiet tap. In walked Charlie, Hector, and John. No one spoke but each of them kept their eyes on Janet who was standing with her arms folded and still wearing her nightgown.

John couldn't help but let a smile cross his face.

She frowned, looked down at her attire, then immediately ran for the stairs.

"You look just fine," he called after her.

Halfway up, she turned to look at them. She was crying. "Stop making fun of me! Just stop." She headed on up.

They could hear muffled crying. Jeff look helplessly at his companions. Then there was another soft tap on the door. This time John opened it.

Upstairs, Janet was aware of another voice in the room below. She raised up from her bed and crept to the railing. Suddenly a flashback to that horrific night at the beach house near Monterey filled her thoughts. She'd been asleep upstairs that night when she awoke to voices downstairs.

She hurriedly dressed just as someone started to come up to the loft. A moment later she faced Craig. Tears came again.

He walked to her and held her. "It's okay," he said. "We were planning our strategy, that's all and didn't want to wake you. We just didn't expect you to wake up anyway. You need to rest before we meet with the Avocat." He pulled back and gently wiped tears from her face.

"I thought you were on another assignment," she said.

"I was. Right here in Paris. I intended to be here for the hearing but had to follow up on a couple of leads first."

"You grew a beard," she said and stroked it. "And what kinds of leads?"

He shook his head. "Nothing you need to worry about. That's my job. Your job is to stay calm and review all of the information we've already given you so you're ready for next week."

She breathed out heavily. "I'm nervous and I'm scared."

"I understand."

"So, is someone still trying to grab me? Or hurt me?"

Craig was thoughtful. "We cannot afford to let our guard down. We are operating on the assumption that anything can happen. It's how we do things. My Uncle Joe used to say to prepare for the worst but hope for the best. So we do. It's what keeps us safe and what will keep you safe. You are Monique Julienne Voclain. You stand to inherit a great deal of wealth. If we pretended that nothing bad could happen, you most certainly would be in great danger. Ray is behind most of what has been happening to you. You know that and he is a ruthless man."

"And you really expect him to try something?"

Craig let out a tired sigh. "I expect that he will be here if he isn't already. He has a perceived stake in what transpires in a few days. So, yes. I do but I doubt any of us will actually see him."

"You're sure?"

He nodded. "Pretty sure."

"Okay. But I'll keep my eyes open as well."

"Good. Now, come on downstairs. You can join in our conversation. We'll fill you in with as much as we can. But understand, there may still be bits and pieces we cannot share and for reasons we cannot divulge right now. I know you're having a hard time trusting us, but you need to find something about us you can trust. If you don't –"

She nodded and stopped him. "I get it. Okay."

He pulled her close. "I do not want anything more to happen to you. I'd never forgive myself. I never would. I'm still having a hard time with that stunt of throwing you off Ray's yacht."

Janet hugged him tightly. "You had to. I know that. And I want to trust you and the others – about all of this. But I'm still scared and very nervous about everything."

"I know you are. At the same time, I also know you have a strong spirit and you are a fighter. He grinned. "And I'm not talking about singing."

She made a face.

"Although, if you have a chance to practice that technique on your former boss, be my guest, just be sure one or more of us are around as your backup, and to film it." He grinned.

Janet let out a laugh and pushed him away. "You're teasing."

"Not really. You do have spunk and I like that. Now come on. Let's go sit with the others."

Janet followed him to the lower level and got settled into a chair. She looked around then asked, "Where's Frank? I thought he was supposed to be here."

Craig nodded. "He's in town. Getting ready for next week."

"Are all of you staying here too? At this hotel?"

Charlie, Hector, and John are in the room next door. Frank and I are staying at a different location as a precaution."

Janet looked surprised.

Craig grinned. "It's kinda like that saying about not keeping all your eggs in one basket."

"Oh, okay. I guess."

"John and Hector arrived last week," Craig went on to explain. "They made all of the lodging arrangements, rented the limousine, and two other vehicles for our use. They've also surveilled this hotel, and the first one you were at – which is where Frank and I are staying. They have also checked nearby restaurants, and other businesses, as well as the legal offices where we will be conducting the meeting with the Avocat. Charlie joined them earlier today, ahead of your arrival, so he would be here in time to be your personal driver."

Janet smiled and gazed at the three men. "Thank you. All of you."

They all grinned at her.

"We also decided it would be best if you and Jeff posed as a couple."

She frowned. "Are we supposed to be married or something? Because I'm a lot younger than he is."

"Watch it there, kiddo. Jeff grinned.

"You know what I mean," Janet said.

"Not necessarily married," Craig said. "You just need to appear to be a happy couple enjoying a vacation in Paris. Frank is still interviewing some people of interest to confirm other information and statements we've gathered. And as I said, Hector and John have been here long enough to take care of the needs I just mentioned – all in advance of your arrival."

Janet attempted to suppress a smile. "Have you guys had much time to talk about sports?"

"Sports?" Craig looked at the others for an explanation.

Hector shook his head. "Ignore her," he said, but grinned.

"I don't understand," Craig said.

"I'll explain later," Hector said.

Charlie laughed. "Let's just say that since a lot of our activity was in support of yours and Frank's plan, we'd say we were talking about sports. She wasn't too keen on that." He gave Craig a look then smiled at Janet. "The thing is, young lady, that you seem to have a knack of worming stuff out of us."

"I don't think so," she said. "I still feel like I've been blindfolded and left to feel my way around most of the time."

Craig chuckled. "Okay. Let's get back on topic." He looked at Janet. "Here's what we know. But Janet, you absolutely cannot discuss this with anyone. You absolutely cannot tip anyone's hand with even the tiniest shred of information we're sharing with you. When you and Jeff are out and about, no discussion about any of this. Understood?"

Janet showed a look of concern.

"You okay?"

"Yes and no. I don't know. It's just – well, maybe I don't want to know anything else right now. Actually, I'm not all that interested in sports."

That drew soft laughter.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't want to accidently let something slip. Not if it would put any of you in danger or mess up all these plans you've been working on." She looked at her companions. "I'm sorry I've been so difficult. I really am but I think I should just go back to bed. I'm really sorry."

She headed for the stairs but stopped; tears streaming again. "I don't know why I have to cry so much. I don't understand. And now I'm more worried than ever that I'm going to ruin everything."

Craig went to her.

The others were again intrigued by his particularly tender attention toward her.

"You're going to do fine. You're not going to ruin anything. You can't ruin anything, because we have enough evidence – enough proof – that you are Monique. All you need to do is just be there. Let us worry about everything else."

He noticed the chain around her neck. "Still wearing it?"

She followed his gaze then nodded. "All the time. Even at night." She looked at John and Hector. "Did you find something unusual about this when I gave it to you?"

They looked at Craig. He nodded.

"Just that it had a second tracking chip in it," Hector said.

Janet stiffened.

"We don't know who put it there, but we disabled it."

Craig turned Janet's face toward him. "You don't need to worry about it. It's been dealt with."

"But who –"

"I have a theory, but I'm not comfortable sharing it right now. Once I've confirmed my suspicion, I'll let you know – or not. It will all depend on whether or not it becomes an issue."

"Should I stop wearing it?"

"Absolutely not."

"But –"

"No. We still have _our_ tracking chip in it. It's vitally critical that you wear that all the time. Everywhere you go. It's how they you in that warehouse before it exploded. You keep it on."

"Right," she said. "I remember." She looked at Hector and John again and smiled then felt for it beneath her T-shirt.

"Okay," Craig said. "Go back to bed. We should too. We have a couple more days to prep before next week's appointment. We all need to rest so we're on top of our game." He grinned. "No sports pun intended." He kissed Janet's forehead. "Sleep well. Jeff will stay here. No more meetings tonight."

He headed for the door followed by John, Hector, and Charlie. Once out in the hall Craig stopped long enough to caution his men. "Something's brewing. Stay on your toes. I'll text Greg and let him know as well, but we're not out of the woods yet."

"How so?" John asked.

"There is another serious contender claiming to be the granddaughter."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Craig said. "Janet's sister, Mary."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "Mary. But she's the daughter of Anna. How can anyone prove she's an heir to the Voclain estate?"

"She is part of the blood line. Frank and I don't know who's behind her claim but intend to find out as much as we can," Craig said. "In the meantime, keep a close watch on things around here and on Janet."

"Copy that," Charlie said.

# CHAPTER 29

The next few days went by far too quickly. Janet enjoyed having had time to explore some interesting areas of Paris with Jeff, and playing the part of a tourist and sightseeing, but now she sat in a room in a government building, waiting. The tension was so intense it felt thick and heavy. She could barely breathe and despite all the assurances that they had all the proof they needed, she was certain that when the time came for the French authorities to render their decision, she would be headed for prison. Her hands were clammy and trembling; she felt faint.

"I need some water," she whispered to Jeff. He produced a bottle and handed it to her. She uncapped it and took a swig then closed her eyes attempting to calm her nerves.

Jeff put his arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay."

Her eyes closed. "I don't know how you can be so calm and so sure of yourself."

"How many times do we have to tell you to trust us?" he said.

"I don't know. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like that word?" She opened her eyes. "I'm certain we're all going to prison, or at least I am, for suspected impersonation."

He continued to hold her and pressed his head against hers. "I thought you agreed that everything we've gathered together; all the information; all the proof was conclusive, or nearly so. Don't worry. You'll be fine. I promise."

The minutes ticked by excruciatingly slow. In addition to Janet and Jeff, the only other people in the room were four other officers of the court, she guessed, all looking very official and with relatively sterns looks on their faces. A tear traced its way down her cheek. She absently wiped it away just as a door suddenly opened from the hallway. The few assembled individuals looked with obvious interest since the hearing was closed to any outsiders.

Janet immediately stiffened then stood and stared in surprise as her older sister stepped into the room. She seemed nervous and hesitant and was followed by another man Janet did not recognize. He was of medium height, dressed in a stylish grey tweed suit, had neatly trimmed hair, although with a small bald spot on top, and a graying but tightly cropped beard. He carried an attaché and directed Mary to some chairs across from them but at a respectable distance.

Janet remained on her feet. She and Mary exchanged looks, but the man immediately said something to Mary. She looked away and sat down. Janet could tell she was very uncomfortable and focused on the floor as if to say it wasn't her idea she was there. The man said something to her again and she straightened up but looked like she wanted to run out of the room.

Jeff pulled Janet back to her seat. "Sit down and focus on why you are here," he said.

"But why is Mary here?"

"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "Right now, you need to remain calm and wait."

Reluctantly, Janet leaned back but stole one more glance at Mary who was still staring at the floor. Her folded hands rested in her lap, but she was rubbing her knuckles with her thumbs; a familiar habit Mary had when she was nervous or upset. Janet desperately wanted to go to her and give her a hug.

Another door opened. This time the Avocat and two more individuals entered the room. Janet stiffened, her body trembling. She fixed her gaze on the Avocat.

"I can't breathe," she uttered quietly.

"I'm right here with you," Jeff said.

"Why isn't Frank here? He said he'd be here."

"He will be. He had to check on something."

"But –"

"He will be here. Don't worry." Jeff kept his arm around her shoulders.

"I wish the rest of the guys were here," she said and watched as the French Avocat, Monsieur L'écuyer, sat down at a long table. He removed some files from his briefcase but said nothing and appeared to be unconcerned about the pending fate of Janet's life.

"He's taunting me," she whispered. "He's going to enjoy putting me away for the rest of my life. Enjoy sticking it to an American for trying to bilk the French people out of an immense inheritance."

"Shhh."

Janet rested her head on Jeff's shoulder. "I'm glad I got to see you one last time," she whispered. "I've wondered about you and how you've been. And I've wondered about Shadow and the guys and how they're all doing; you know, Jake, Seth, and Tommy."

Jeff remained quiet, his eyes on the Avocat.

She tilted her face up. "How is Shadow?"

Jeff drew in a deep breath. A pained looked crossed his face. "Had to put him down," he whispered. "He was shot in the line of duty. They couldn't save him."

Janet blinked, trying to fight back tears that began to well up. She kept her head on his shoulder. "I loved him. I felt safe with him. He was a good dog."

"Yes, he was," Jeff said. He continued to hold her. "It broke my heart to lose him and as for the others, I think Jake and Tommy still live at Cold Creek, but it's my understanding that Seth and his mom moved away. I'm sure they're all doing fine."

"But are they safe? Still alive? Ray didn't have them killed or anything?"

"I haven't heard anything like that, so I'm sure they're okay."

She raised up and looked him in the eyes. "But how can you know for sure?" she asked.

He hesitated before finally responding. "WITSEC."

"What's that?"

"The Witness Security Program. Seth and his mom have gone into witness protection."

"But what about Jake and Tommy?"

"They're fine. It was Seth that was more involved because of the threats from the sheriff and the things he was forced to do. Seth knew some of what the Sheriff was up to, but I don't think he ever met or knew anything about Martindale. The mere fact that he and his mother were very aware of the activity going on at the Quail Club was sufficient to put them into the protection program."

She put her head back on his shoulder. "Okay," she said, "As long and he and his mom are safe." She audibly sighed as she watched the few people in the room and anxiously wondered what the outcome of their proceeding would ultimately come to. "And you say Jake is still in Cold Creek."

"Yes."

"I really liked Jake," Janet said softly. "I hope he's found someone nice to settle down with."

Jeff squeezed her shoulder. "You know he liked you, right?"

"You think?"

"I know he did. You couldn't tell?" Jeff chuckled.

"Maybe I did." She was quiet then added, "Perhaps if I'd stayed in Cold Creek, I wouldn't be facing a prison term. Maybe –"

"You're not going to prison, Janet."

Another door from the hallway suddenly opened. Everyone looked again, including the Avocat. Janet sat up and watched as Frank entered the room, grateful to see another familiar face. He glanced at the gentleman sitting with Mary, then headed for a chair next to her and Jeff. Almost immediately the door opened again. Janet was happily surprised to see Craig enter the room as well but concerned at the same time. "What's Craig doing here?" she asked. "I thought he was staying low so no one could find him."

Jeff started to respond when Monsieur L'écuyer suddenly stood up, and as if on cue so did everyone else. Jeff helped Janet to her feet.

"We will convene this hearing," the Avocat said in excellent English with a cultured French accent. "Please be seated." He, though, remained standing and waited a moment before continuing. "I must first thank each of you for your patience. Decisions in situations such as these must be done with the utmost care and diligence," he said. "Typically, a DNA test should only take a few days; two or three in most cases. For this particular proceeding, and because we have two mademoiselles claiming to be descendants of the Voclain Family, we requested new DNA samples of both to test, along with the test results offered by both of their legal counsel. Not only that, we chose to test both samples of our collected DNA twice and in two different labs to ensure the accuracy. This particular case is a highly sensitive one and required our best and most thorough attention since the results are intended to establish a direct bloodline and Voclain lineage."

He cleared his throat and looked at Mary and the man seated with her. "We now have the official documentation regarding all of the testing and are nearly prepared to proceed."

"Monsieur Claude Signoret," the Avocat said, then waved him to the table. The man complied and produced a thin file. The Avocat nodded slightly and accepted the file. He said something quietly in French to the man then waved him back to his seat and sat down at the table along with two of his assistants. The other two men in their company sat behind them. Janet stole another glance at Mary who was watching her and made the gesture for I love you with one hand then quickly placed both hands in her lap again as her attorney rejoined her. He gave her a stern look but said nothing.

Jeff noticed the man glance at Frank, then brush his pant leg, as if removing something. Frank ran a hand over his head then folded his arms and crossed his legs. Jeff made eye contact with Craig who barely gave a nod. Jeff then scratched behind his ear and returned his gaze to the Avocat who remained seated but let out a quiet grunt before speaking again.

"Since we now have two potential claimants to the Voclain Estate," Monsieur L'écuyer said. "Two granddaughters, there were some, shall we say, discrepancies which I have had to take into consideration. So, with multiple sets of DNA examined, and as I have already said, we now have the results here, along with all the signed paperwork." He tapped his thick file. "Let us proceed."

He looked at both young women and smiled. "It is our hope that you both have had an opportunity to enjoy your extended stay in Paris to allow us time to complete our own DNA testing."

Without waiting for a response from Janet or Mary, he thumbed through some papers until he found what he was looking for. "I have examined all of the evidence already presented, in addition to the DNA results," he said, "and I must say, I am very surprised at some of the conclusions we have discovered. Very surprised."

"I'm in trouble," Janet whispered.

The room grew even more quiet if that were possible. He continued. "It is interesting how something so microscopic, such as DNA, can now play such an important role in determining bloodlines in situations like this," he said and gazed at the paper.

"Very well, with the final report from the laboratory now in our possession, we shall proceed and share our decisions regarding both Mademoiselles' claims as blood relatives to the Voclain Family. The decisions today will help facilitate the handling of the Voclain assets, whether movable property or immovable property, at some future date."

He cleared his throat then took a sip of water before continuing. "As I mentioned, we have two beautiful young women both claiming to be part of the bloodline of the Voclain family. We have had skilled experts in highly sophisticated laboratories examine the DNA and other evidence submitted to support each of their claims. We have had compelling testimony offered on behalf of both women."

Janet stole another glance at Mary who had returned her gaze to the floor. Janet looked at Jeff. "Mary also offered testimony?"

"Apparently," he said, seemingly surprised as well.

The Avocat continued. "All of it has played an important part in our findings and conclusions; our decisions. The results, as I have mentioned, were not only conclusive but also surprising, even to me, and I have handled a great many inheritance cases over the years.

"What is especially interesting is not only have we been able to determine the validity of the claims, but we have also been able to resolve a very mysterious disappearance case that happened many years ago – a case that had never been solved, until now." He motioned to an aide who walked to one of the doors to the room and opened it.

A very old woman, nicely dressed but seated in a wheelchair, was carefully pushed into the room by another woman, also mature but much younger than the first. Janet let out a slight gasp at the sight of the second woman then clutched her chest, fingering the locket that hung concealed beneath her blouse.

The second woman looked directly at Janet and smiled. The aide took the wheelchair and carefully placed it next to a chair where the younger woman sat down. She reached for and gently stroked the older woman's hand. They exchanged tender and loving looks then the younger woman returned her gaze to Janet. The room was quiet once again, so quiet, in fact, that you could have heard that proverbial pin drop. Janet, likewise, could not take her eyes off both women.

Jeff leaned in close. "Are you okay?"

Janet barely nodded, her gaze still fixed on the two women. The younger of the two then looked at Craig and Frank as she smiled and wiped a stray tear.

Janet was curious and noticed both men also kept their eyes on the two women.

Janet's thoughts raced. She was disturbed by what she was thinking, but before she could take those thoughts very far, the Avocat began to speak again.

He looked at both Janet and Mary. "Mademoiselles, s'il vous plaît." He motioned for them to step to the table.

Janet looked at Jeff fearfully. "I'm scared."

"You'll be fine." He helped her to her feet. "Go on."

Janet reluctantly stepped up to Mary's side and together they approached the table standing side-by-side, grasping each other's hands.

Mary, now in tears, whispered to Janet, "This was not my idea, but no matter what happens, I will always love you as my sister."

Janet nodded and gave Mary's hand a gentle squeeze. "I feel the same."

They faced Monsieur L'écuyer, tears streaming.

He, though, was smiling.

Janet didn't know what to make of that.

"What you are about to learn will probably shock you both. But be assured, we have verified all of it. He picked up the sheet of paper and studied it for a moment before continuing. "Mademoiselle Mary Feldman," he began. "We will begin with you. Based on the results of your DNA test, we have confirmed that your blood lineage is a match to that of Monsieur Ferdinand Gaston Voclain III, your grandfather, and as such, you are a rightful heir as his granddaughter. We have also discovered that your true and correct name is Greta Dubois, daughter of Tatiana Dubois, daughter of Monsieur Voclain III and Eva Dubois, his mistress." He looked at Mary, without any discernable expression.

Mary let out a small gasp, and in shock turned to Janet who gave her hand another gentle squeeze. "That's wonderful news, Mary," Janet whispered.

"Mademoiselle Janet Feldman," he said.

Janet caught her breath and looked at him, fearful of what he was about to say to her. She gripped Mary's hand tightly. He looked at her intently and her stomach knotted. Her breathing became shallow and she felt a wave of nausea overcome her. Her hands were trembling as Monsieur L'écuyer looked at the sheet of paper while Mary continued to hold on to her sister as he continued.

"Mademoiselle, we have conclusively determined that you," he paused to make direct eye contact with her, "that you are also a direct blood descendant of Ferdinand Gaston Voclain III, your grandfather, and the legal and biological daughter of Julienne Lissette Voclain, daughter of Ferdinand Voclain III and Lissette Rousseau Voclain, husband and wife."

Janet gasped and nearly collapsed to the floor. The handful of others in the room were on their feet instantly, as Mary struggled to help keep Janet on her feet. Tears streamed down both their faces as they stared at the Avocat in complete disbelief.

"Are you – are you certain?" Janet struggled to ask.

"We are. But – that is not all. We also now know your true name is Monique Julienne Voclain." He smiled at Janet who was now completely consumed by an array of emotions.

She gripped the locket beneath her blouse and turned to look at the other two women. In that instant, she realized the younger of the two, was her mother and the older woman was her grandmother, just as Craig and Frank had insisted.

"I can't believe this," she said. "I – I," Her whole body shook but Mary held her tightly, but she was also struggling with her own emotions.

"That is not all," the Avocat said, his voice conveying some measure of consideration. "Additionally, Mademoiselle –" He paused to make eye contact again with Janet. "We have also been able to conclusively determine the identity, of your biological father." Again, he stopped. It was as if he enjoyed the dramatic tension, while it was completely decimating to Janet emotionally.

The room became completely still. Janet let go of Mary's hand but stood trembling. She looked across the short distance of the room at the two women. Both were in tears and holding each other. She could see they were quietly conversing with each other. Janet looked back at Monsieur L'écuyer.

"But first, Mademoiselles, I would like to introduce you to your grandmother, your _grand-mere_ , Madam Lissette Rousseau Voclain." He gestured toward the older woman completely overcome with emotion, her arms outstretched to both Janet and Mary. "And, Mademoiselle Monique, I would like to introduce you to your mother, Mademoiselle Julienne Lissette Voclain."

"My –" Janet was completely overcome with myriad emotions. "My mother," she barely whispered as tears cascaded down her face. "My mother," she repeated then felt faint. She grabbed for Mary who again struggled to keep Janet from collapsing. Jeff rushed to assist.

Monsieur L'écuyer was also on his feet. He waited until Janet looked up at him again. "We can wait if you like," he said. "I know this is much to take in at one time as I am somewhat familiar with your situation."

Janet took in a deep breath and straightened up. She nodded. "I'm okay." Jeff remained at her side. He waited until she took a step toward the two women. Julienne was already on her feet with her arms outstretched to Janet who could barely walk. Jeff led her to Julienne and released her into her mother's waiting arms.

"Ma fille chérie," Julienne said softly through her tears. "Ma fille."

Janet was completely consumed with emotion. Tears flooded uncontrollably.

A hushed murmur continued to fill the room as everyone waited, realizing there was more to come.

Janet and her mother eventually pulled away from each other and gazed into each other's eyes. Julienne stroked Janet's face wet with tears. She gently pulled away loose hair. "Ma Monique."

"It's you," Janet said. "The picture in my locket. It's you. She pulled up the locket from beneath her blouse and looked at her mother. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"It is," Julienne said with a beautiful smile. "You must show it to the Avocat. S'il Vous pliât."

Janet walked back to the table and handed the locket to the Avocat to examine. He nodded and summoned one of the gentleman seated behind him. He had a small black case with him and carefully laid it on the table. Opening the lid, he withdrew white cotton gloves and put them on. He then pulled out a black velvet cloth and spread it on the table. He accepted the locket from the Avocat and carefully placed it on the cloth. Using a jeweler's eyepiece, he examined the delicate filigree from several angles then gently picked it up and examined it even more closely in the same way. Janet remembered the jeweler she had visited near Joe's gym that one day did the same thing. The gentleman then looked at a photo of the same locket before he set it down and placed the eyepiece back in the case. He looked at the Avocat and gave a single nod.

Monsieur L'écuyer smiled and looked at Janet. "It is genuine. It belonged to your grand-mere. He nodded toward the older woman in the wheelchair. Her face expressed a deep yearning and her hands were clasped together at her chest. Janet walked to her and knelt. "Grandmother."

Julienne was at her side. "Grand-mere," she said in French. "Ceci est Monique. Votre petite-fille."

Janet looked for Mary and saw her still standing alone. "And Mary," Janet said to her mother. "She is also her granddaughter. Please? We grew up together – as sisters."

Julienne explained it to her mother in French, who then leaned to one side a little and gestured for Mary to come.

Mary quietly approached and joined them, kneeling at her feet next to Janet.

"Mes bébés," she said with tenderness. "Vous deux. Mon cœur est plein. Il est heureux."

Both looked to Julienne for the translation. "She is happy to see her babies. She says her heart is full. Her heart is happy."

Madam Voclain held out both hands. They were wrinkled and her skin paper thin, but Janet and Mary each took a hand and gently kissed it."

"Je peux mourir en paix."

Julienne gave her mother a stern look. "Mère! Ne dis pas ça."

"What did she say?" Janet asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about, mon amour."

Janet looked for Jeff. He was standing close by and she motioned to him. He approached.

"Did you understand what our grandmother said?"

He nodded.

"What? What did she say?"

"That she can now die in peace."

"Die? We don't want her to die." Janet looked at her grandmother tenderly and shook her head. "No. We just met her."

"Janet," he said, "she is very old and frail. Her health has not been good for many years. She has waited such a long time to meet you, to meet you both, and for you to be reunited with your mother, her daughter. A daughter she thought was dead for many years as well."

"How old is she? My grandmother?" Janet looked at the older woman and back at Jeff.

"She is ninety-three," he said, "and as I said, in poor health."

Janet returned her gaze to her grandmother and smiled. An aide brought chairs for her and Mary so they could sit close to their grandmother and Julienne. It was a tender moment. A poignant reunion. Three generations finally reunited after two and a half decades. The few individuals who remained, watched in silence. Craig and Frank were sitting together, but neither spoke as they too were not only watching with great interest but also waiting for the last piece of the puzzle to be revealed.

That moment came as the Avocat interrupted the reunion by quietly tapping on the table. Everyone looked. Monsieur L'écuyer was smiling but motioned for everyone to be seated. Everyone did except for Janet. "We have one last item of business," he said.

"Mademoiselle Monique or Janet if you prefer. I have something more to share with you if you will please." He motioned for her to approach the table once again.

She did so, with some trepidation and faced the Avocat.

"As I said earlier it is the matter of your father. Your biological father."

Janet looked over her shoulder at Craig and Frank sitting side by side. They each smiled at her, but Craig's eyes momentarily diverted to Julienne. Janet immediately realized that Craig and her mother not only knew each other years ago, but it had been more than a casual meeting as he seemed to suggest not long ago. They had been in love.

Janet's heart began to pound. Her breathing became rapid as the Avocat cleared his throat. Her gaze was now fixed on him. The joy she'd been experiencing at the discovery of her mother and grandmother was quickly replaced with a knotted stomach once again. She deeply wanted to know who her father was but at the same time, she now dreaded to know. All her life she imagined who he might be; what he might look like and sound like. Now that moment of truth was here. She wondered but did not dare attempt a guess. No matter what, she was going to get the answer to a question that had haunted her for years. Emotionally, she braced herself the best she could but glanced back at Craig and Frank again still seated side by side and both focused on the Avocat.

Jeff was on his feet, anxious to be at Janet's side. He signaled his desire and waited for the Avocat to acknowledge him.

A nod and slight gesture provided him permission to join Janet. She clutched him for physical and emotional support. Monsieur L'écuyer picked up one more sheet of paper.

"Before I reveal the identity of your biological father, I wanted to tell you something more about your mother. I have interviewed her. You must understand that the circumstances of the separation from your mother are complicated and she will explain much of it to you herself, but she never intended to abandon you and has been searching for you for many years." He looked at the two women. "You and your mother have much to discuss. Take your time. Both of you. Take your time to become reacquainted." He paused and drew in a long breath, letting it out slowly.

"Now, the matter of the identity of your father required DNA as well, of course. It was brought to our attention that there were two possibilities."

Janet nodded but replied, "Two."

"Oui. Two men who loved your mother, Mademoiselle. Two men who were intimate with your mother. Two men, either of which could have been your father."

Breathing heavily Janet looked back at Craig and Frank once more. In that moment she knew. She knew it had to be one of them. Her mind raced and she closed her eyes trying to stop cascading thoughts. She opened her eyes and faced the Avocat, squaring her shoulders, standing up straighter. "I am ready, Monsieur. You may proceed," she said and exhaled heavily.

He nodded. His face expressed a much deeper kindness for the first time in the past hour. "As I explained, we collected samples of DNA from two men, either of which we were told could be your father." He stopped to adjust his glasses and looked at Julienne. She nodded.

He then looked past Janet toward Craig and Frank. Janet did not turn around this time. She watched the Avocat gesture for them to stand and then noticed out of the corner of her eye that her mother was also standing, her hands clutched to her chest, her gaze intently focused on Craig and Frank. All was quiet as they anxiously waited for this last detail. "The name of your father is –" He paused. "Monsieur, Frank Bradley."

The collective gasp was immediate. Janet still could not look at Craig and Frank but instead looked at her mother, who was in tears, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes on Craig."

Janet's breathing became choppy. Her head began to hurt, and she started to slump. Jeff steadied her. She slowly turned to look at both men. Craig was watching Julienne. His eyes immediately told a story of pained love, but Frank was watching her, his declared daughter. Based on the look on his face, she couldn't decide if he was happy or not, and she didn't know how to react. Her emotions were in complete chaos. Frank. Her father. It was a completely unexpected pronouncement and one that would be tough to come to grips with.

Julienne stood frozen; her gaze still fixed on Craig. He remained where he was without taking his eyes off her. Frank moved away a few feet then chose another chair and sat down, resting his arms on his thighs, his hands clasped, as he stared at the floor. It seemed to Janet that he was in a state of disbelief just as she was.

She clung to Jeff since neither Craig nor Frank were looking at her. She felt suddenly alone again. After all these years, desperately wanting to know the truth, now she did, all based on conclusive proof. DNA. Frank was her father, but he appeared to be disappointed or maybe unhappy with the results. Craig, on the other hand, looked heartbroken as he continued to gaze at Julienne.

She turned to Jeff. "I need to sit down, please." He led her to a nearby chair. Mary remained with their grandmother, still holding her hand but watched everything intently. It was in that moment that Janet realized that her mother and Craig must have been deeply in love. But for some reason, a reason she had yet to discover, they were separated. And somehow Frank had entered the picture. Both had loved her or at least had shared intimate moments with her.

Janet looked at Mary. She, too, seemed lost and bewildered. Their eyes met and both realized they were not only linked by blood but also illegitimate offspring, another common bond they would always share. But now Janet was curious about Mary's father. She noticed Frank still sitting alone, arms resting on his thighs, his head still down. She excused herself from Jeff and went to him.

He raised up and managed to smile. "As much as I've grown to care about you," he said, "at this moment I wish it had been Craig. I know he was deeply in love with your mother. This must be a very painful and unexpected moment for him."

He looked at Craig but kept talking to her. "At least now you know the truth regarding your birth, and you have been reunited with your mother. And you also know who your father is, for what it's worth." He sounded apologetic.

Janet's heart melted but she had to ask, "Are you disappointed?"

"To discover I'm your father? I'm not sure disappointed would be an apt description. Surprised might be a better response."

"I see." She stole another glance at Craig and her mother both standing apart but still intensely focused on each other. Returning her attention to Frank, she had to ask, "And what is your real name?"

He grinned. "Franklin Russell Bradley. And that's the truth."

"Okay, Franklin Russell Bradley. Does this mean I have to change my name to Janet Bradley? or Monique, or whatever?"

He let out a quiet laugh. "No. You will always be Janet Feldman to me."

"That's good because I don't feel like a Monique. But now I wonder about all of this; the name and the inheritance stuff. Will they make me legally change my name?" She looked at the table where Monsieur L'écuyer was collecting his things and preparing to leave.

"No," Frank said. "Can you imagine all the questions that would raise? Everyone you know suddenly being told they have to call you Monique."

Janet smiled and nodded. "Yes, I suppose it would raise a lot of questions and ones I don't want to deal with."

She looked at Mary. "I wonder, though, who Mary's father is."

"I'll get started working on that. I'll do my best to find out. I've got some excellent contacts in Paris."

"That's good because I'm sure she would like to know, just as I did about my own father." Janet anxiously looked around and frowned. "Where did he go?"

Frank followed her gaze. "Who?"

"Craig. I don't see him. Did he leave?"

Frank stood. "Wait here. I'll be back."

He headed for one of the doors and exited the room. Out in the hallway, he looked around then found the nearest exit. Rushing outside, he caught sight of Craig and hurried to catch up. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Craig stopped and turned around. "Anywhere. Nowhere."

"I didn't expect that decision," Frank said. "I am sorry. I know how much you love Julienne."

"Yes," he said, "but DNA doesn't lie, does it. I do still love her, and I love Janet. I always will."

"Drew," Frank began.

"Drew?" Craig forced a smile. "Is it okay for me to be Drew again?"

"Why not? Why else do you need to maintain this cover?"

"I don't know," Craig said. "There are still questions that need answers. If not Craig, then I'll be someone else. But still out there, Frank. Still looking for answers."

Frank had no reply.

Craig gazed around at the bustling street. People going in both directions, the typical Parisian vehicular traffic, the sights, sounds, and smells. "I really love this city," he said. "I have to admit I wish the outcome could have been different. I would love nothing better than to pick up with Julienne where we left off so many years ago and add to that, Janet. To be a family. I have loved Janet as a daughter these past months. The minute I saw her picture in that personnel file, I just knew she had to be Julienne's daughter, and possibly mine. That's why I talked to you about it. I knew you came into Julienne's life all those years ago as well, even if briefly. I knew there was a possibility that you may have enjoyed the company of her as I had." He stopped and gazed about again.

"Ray is still out there – somewhere. And until we finally deal with him, I must ask you to do everything in your power to continue to protect Janet and Julienne. Ray has a personal agenda and a personal hatred of me for a few other reasons. He won't rest until he has destroyed me, and he would have destroyed Janet in the process just to hurt me. I couldn't let that happen." He looked at Frank. "All I ask is that you love Janet. Care for her and Julienne."

"And what about you?" Frank asked. "Will you stay in their lives?"

"That would be a little complicated, don't you think?"

Frank looked away.

Craig held out his hand. "Take care."

Somewhat surprised at the gesture, Frank responded in kind and they shook hands.

Craig pulled up the collar of his coat against the chill of a drizzle starting to settle in on the city. "I'm going to catch a flight back to the States tonight," he said. "I need to take some time to refocus."

"What about your team?"

"They can manage quite well without me. I may even go look up my brother and give him a bad time. You know he's convinced I'm a freeloader. He'll probably figure I want money or something."

Frank thrust his hands in his pants pockets. "I wish the two of you would work out your issues and make up."

"Maybe someday. But for now, it helps me maintain my cover. Besides, the less he knows about what I do, the better. You know as well as I do that keeping our relationship secret means he stays safe. It's all good for now."

Frank nodded. "Janet's probably going to want to spend time with her mother and grandmother."

"I would hope so. In fact, perhaps she should stay here. Permanently." Craig took a step then looked at Frank. "What about you? Going to stick around?"

"Maybe for a few more days, but I need to get back to Idaho. I have some client appointments coming up and I should check in with Karen. Besides, Janet should be relatively safe now and I agree with you; she needs to be here to get to know her mother and grandmother."

Craig nodded. "Well, I'll see you around – or maybe not."

Frank watched until Craig disappeared into the bustle of people. He then headed back inside the building and found Janet and Mary happily visiting with Julienne and their grandmother. The Avocat had left, along with his aides. Jeff was also gone. It was just the five of them remaining.

Julienne looked up and smiled at Frank, holding out a hand. He accepted and joined them. Julienne continued to translate for her mother as the girls chatted happily.

Janet looked at Frank. "So, what happens now?"

"Nothing much. For as long as your grandmother and mother remain alive the Voclain Family estate remains with them. Your grandfather's wishes may have been otherwise, but I'll see to it that your grandmother is taken care of. I was surprised at first that he did not do the same for his mistress, Eva Dubois, until I found out that the son, he thought was his, was the offspring of another man. Apparently, though, he was father to the twin daughters, Tatiana and Natasha. In his anger over the deception of his mistress, your grandfather excluded her from any portion of the estate. And it appears it's going to stick regarding her and her son, Gaston. We still have not been able to locate one of her twin daughters, Natasha, but we'll keep looking."

Janet nodded. "And what about Anna?"

"Tatiana, you mean."

Janet nodded. "Right. Tatiana."

"Mary's real mother. She was not able to be here today. It would likely have been too emotional for her as well."

Janet looked at him is surprise. "You found her?" she asked. "Anna? I thought she had disappeared. Is she okay?"

"She had disappeared, but I found her just a few days ago. Unfortunately, she is very ill and hospitalized back in the States."

"And? Will she recover? And when she does, will we be able to see her? Mary and me? And where will she and Mary live?"

"I'm afraid that Anna is not expected to recover. She has a terminal illness. That's all I know."

Janet watched Mary enjoying her time with their grandmother. "What's going to happen to Mary?"

"I'm going to talk to your mother, Julienne, and suggest that Mary live with both of you."

Janet teared up. "Does Mary know about her mother's illness?"

"Not yet."

"I see. Well I'm glad she will be with us. I'm sure my mother will approve." She looked at her father. "And you promise you will try to find out about her father, right?"

"Yes. I will do my best."

Janet nodded. "So, Julienne – my mother – still has a claim to the family fortune, correct?"

"Yes, because she is part of the bloodline just as you and Mary are."

Mary heard her name and joined Janet and Frank.

He continued. "Surprisingly, there were few other eligible heirs to claim a portion of the estate. Most of them would have been cousins, but many of them have also died and it turns out that none of their children seemed all that interested in the estate for some reason, although there is speculation."

"Speculation?" Mary asked.

Frank grinned. He offered his hand and drew her close. "Yes. Apparently, there were rumors and perhaps at some point, we might be able to confirm them, but the talk was that both the Voclain and Rousseau families supported and help fund the Germans during World War II. It's my guess that the stigma surrounding their support of Hitler and the Third Reich was something the other heirs did not wish to inherit.

"Other than that, inheritance laws in France specifically follow bloodlines by default, to ensure French assets stay in France unless a will is also in place to distribute any assets that are not immovable."

"Immovable," Janet said. "You mentioned that before and so did Monsieur L'écuyer earlier today."

"Yes. Land, homes, business properties for the most part," Frank said. "Anything that you cannot actually physically pack up and take with you, is considered immovable."

"That's right. I remember now." She smiled. "That's good because as lovely as France is, well Paris anyway, since that's pretty much all I've seen the past week, even so, I'm anxious to get back home." She furrowed her brow. "I mean California." She looked at her mother. "But I do want to spend more time with my mother and grand-mere." Janet smiled at her grandmother, who was grinning as well.

Frank reached for Janet. "Craig and I were just discussing what you might want to do."

"Craig. You caught up to him? Where is he?"

"We spoke outside. He's headed back to the States. Said he has some other work to do."

"What exactly did you both discuss about me?"

"He feels you should move here permanently. That might not be a bad idea, you know. Start new. With your mother and grandmother. You and Mary both." He smiled at Mary. "Your Aunt Julienne will more than likely invite you to live with her, your grandmother, and Janet. As one family."

Mary grinned and grabbed Janet. They hugged tightly. "I would love that. How about you, Janet?"

"Yes, of course. You'll always be my sister, Mary. No court decision will ever change that."

Frank gently took Janet's hand. "And what about us? Me? You've had misgivings about me. Some rather pointed ones, as a matter of fact. What about now?"

Their eyes locked.

Janet slowly nodded. "You're right. I have. But now that we know the truth, I can work on that if you can."

He chuckled. "You remember the other night asking me if I had kids?"

"Yes."

"And I said no."

"Actually, what you said was, 'not that I'm aware of'."

"That's right and you said that was disgusting. Are you disgusted now?"

She looked at her mother then back at him. "If I'd known then what I know right now," her eyes began to pool, "I probably would have hugged you right then and there." She fought back tears.

Frank pulled her close. They hugged tightly until Janet finally stepped back.

"There are so many more questions I have now," she said.

"I know, and I'll do my best to answer them. And any answers I don't have, I'll do what I can to get them; if possible." He glanced across the room. "Will you excuse me for a moment?"

He wandered over to Julienne and held out his hand. She accepted it and smiled.

"I know you still love him," he said. "He feels the same. I have no expectations of you, Julienne. Yes, we share a daughter. A beautiful daughter, but you don't owe me anything. And Craig and I both feel strongly that Janet should remain here with you."

She smiled at her daughter and nodded. "My mother and I would love to have her, and Mary live with us. Besides, I am also still trying to recoup lost time with my own mother. Remember that until my father died, not that many years ago, we were also estranged for too long and now she is in poor health. I don't expect she will last much longer, although perhaps she will now that we've all been reunited. Now she has more to live for." She watched her mother still basking in the knowledge that she has two lovely granddaughters.

Julienne looked into Frank's eyes then she led him a short distance away to chat privately.

"I would like to have dinner with you very soon," Julienne said. "I will tell you more about my life and how all of this came to be. I want you to know because I don't want you to worry about me. But there are some things you should know."

Frank held her. "We can do that," he said quietly, "and if there is anything, I can do for you or for your mother, to make your lives more comfortable please let me know. I will give you my contact information. You can call me anytime."

"You are married, no?"

"I am."

"Happily?"

He merely smiled.

"I hope you are happy, Frank" she said. "I do not wish to be a problem for you and your wife, but I thank you for helping to find my daughter and bringing us together. This was a bittersweet day for all of us I think."

"Yes. It has been, but you need to know that it was Craig, or whatever name you knew him by, who did most of the investigative groundwork. It was a photograph he saw of Janet that triggered all of this. He told me it was like looking at you. He's right. I saw the photograph. Janet looks just as you did all those years ago when I first met you." He smiled at her. "There are things I need to share with you as well."

Julienne rested her head on his chest. "She is beautiful."

"Just like her mother," he said, still holding her. "Just like her beautiful mother."

Julienne pulled back. "I want you to know that I loved you too. I would never have submitted to you if I had not loved you."

He brushed some hair away from her face. "You were very young and naïve, and I was a placeholder for him. I realize that now. But I'm okay with that. He's a good man. He works hard and takes so many risks with his work, too many sometimes, but always for good reasons."

"Please watch out for him?"

"I will do my best, but Craig is his own man and will do whatever he feels he must in the course of his work." Frank gazed into her eyes. He took in a deep breath and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"How much longer will you stay in Paris?" she asked.

"As long as you like."

"Thank you." Julienne gazed at her mother, daughter, and niece then released Frank and went to sit with them. The happy chatter continued with Julienne translating once again.

Frank watched. He was uneasy about the decision. Something wasn't right. He checked his watch then stepped over to Julienne. "I need to make a phone call. I'm going to step outside."

She nodded. "We will wait here."

Frank walked out into the drizzle. His thoughts ran as he made his way up the sidewalk then cut across the street to a small cafe with covered outdoor seating. He found a table and sat down watching the traffic and pedestrians and checked his watch again. Monsieur Claude Signoret, Mary's attorney, approached and sat down.

"Unexpected outcome," Claude said. "What happened?"

"Yes, it was unexpected and I'm not sure what happened. I thought we had everything in play. Everything as it should have been."

"Now what will you do?"

A waiter approached and both men ordered coffee.

"I'm not sure," Frank said once the waiter left.

"And what about your wife?" Claude asked. "What will you tell her?"

"Nothing. I have no intention of telling her. Besides, if Janet remains in France, that should not be a problem."

"Oui," Claude said, "but only if she stays in France. And now you know for certain that Mademoiselle Voclain is alive and well and living with her mother at the estate."

Claude finished his coffee and stood up. "I think I will move on and leave you to your thoughts.

Frank stopped him. "Who hired you to challenge Janet's claim?"

Claude shrugged. "All I know is I received a letter with a very nice retainer to do so. They pay. I do my job and go home. Like our arrangement which guaranteed your former lover would reveal herself. And she did."

"But when did you and Mary meet?"

"Just today. Two hours before the proceedings." He grinned, downed the last sip of his coffee and walked away.

"A letter," Frank repeated to himself. "But who sent it?" He lingered a while longer. There was much on his mind. He knew Craig's men were getting ready to leave town and return to California, or other parts unknown. What they would be doing now was anyone's guess. And given the strained relationship he had with some of them he hoped Janet would remain in France and out of the way. In the meantime, his immersion into the Organization had been orchestrated for a specific purpose. Now he needed to work on that. _I don't have time to be a father,_ he thought.

The waiter returned to freshen his coffee. He took a sip and sat back, deep in thought as he considered his options. He checked the time and summoned the waiter to settle his bill. Time to go back.

Frank made his way across the street, dodging a couple of cars. Inside the court building, he found the women still engaged in happy conversation.

Janet looked up and smiled. "Here you are. We were beginning to worry."

"I needed to make a phone call and afterward decided to give you ladies some time alone. I've been across the street relaxing and having a cup of coffee."

"Well, we've decided to go out to dinner this evening and celebrate. All of us. Even grand-mere. Janet smiled at her grandmother who smiled back.

"Sounds good," he said, "and I'll pick up the tab. Just pick the place."

"Thanks," Janet said.

Frank watched them. _I'll find a way to turn this around and make it work_ , he thought quietly. _I have to._

# CHAPTER 30

The late evening air was relatively pleasant for this time of year in Paris. An earlier rain shower freshened the air and dampened the streets and sidewalks sufficiently to reflect lights from lampposts, autos, and businesses. Traffic was no less busy than usual as Parisians were accustomed to such intermittent rain showers.

Ray Martindale stood alone just inside a narrow cobbled and damp impasse, or alley. He took a long drag on his cigarette, held his breath then exhaled slowly. Wisps of smoke wafted around his head briefly then dissipated; however, the pungent aroma of the imported tobacco lingered.

Although the rain had let up, it was still overcast adding to a darkening gloom. He checked his watch then moved farther into the short narrow space to wait. As it was late, the few doors to upper level apartments lining the narrow egress were locked for the night, along with barred and shuttered windows here and there to discourage intruders. He glanced up at windows on the several stories above; some lit, most were dark. He watched the entrance to the alley once again before turning away to take another slow, but long drag on his cigarette.

Momentarily a figure appeared on the main sidewalk at the entrance to the impasse but hesitated. A man. He was tall and well-built, dressed in dark trousers and shoes. A long black overcoat concealed his other clothing. His hands were in his coat pockets and he watched Ray, for a moment, slowly pacing and smoking then glanced up and down the street before entering the alley. The wet pavement gave off a soft but distinctive sound with each step as he approached.

Ray turned and grinned. "It's about time," he said. "I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up." He laughed. "And no one is the wiser, eh? About you, I mean."

The man said nothing until he was but about two feet from Ray. He spoke in a whisper. "Why should anyone know? Besides, I've been waiting a long time for this moment."

Ray laughed and dropped his nearly finished cigarette to the damp pavement grinding it to shreds with the heel of his shoe. He looked up. "Ah, yes, I must say it was a genius plan. I don't know how you pulled it off, but this may work out better, the more I think about it." He let out a nearly sinister laugh. "Oh, yes! It's perfect and will be so much easier. Not exactly how I planned things but the results are the same and that's all that matters. Now with that fortune nearly at our disposal, we'll be able to significantly expand our operation here in Europe and elsewhere."

"You underestimate me," the man said. "I had nothing to do with the outcome of the hearing."

"Oh, come now. Surely you had some part in it."

The man was silent.

Ray sniffed and coughed then cleared his throat. "I think I'm catching something with all this damned rainy weather. He lit up another cigarette and took a long drag. "I'm going to set up a meeting very soon to begin work on some new plans. I will need you to continue as a liason, of sorts, just as you have been."

The man looked over his shoulder then back at Ray and stepped closer. "Actually, Ray, I didn't come here to discuss your plans. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder. Tired of you manipulating my life and my family."

"Manipulating, eh?" Ray chuckled. "Well, of course, your family, and I suppose my use of them might be construed as manipulation, but what of it? As long as you do what you're told, they live."

"I don't believe you. I think they're already dead and that's why I agreed to come here tonight. I came to tell you that there will be some changes, just not exactly as you envison."

"What kind of changes?" Ray stared and scowled. "You are in no position to change anything. You are merely a puppet to me. You do as I tell you and that's all."

"Actually, I am in a position to make at least one change. Either you give me my family back or I will end your life tonight; right here; right now."

"You incredibly stupid man. Do you really think I would have come here alone? There is nothing you can do to me. If anything, tonight could very well be your last night on this pitiful planet. Ray laughed. "Incredibly stupid man."

"And what makes you think I came alone?"

Ray looked toward the entrance to the dead end alley. "You're bluffing."

The man shook his head.

Ray let out another laugh. "You can't hurt me! You won't hurt me. Not if you want to see your family again."

"I have no family. They're all dead. You've already killed them."

Ray let out a boisterous laugh. "You think you're so smart. So what, if you kill me. Do you really think that's going to shut down my operation? My organization? You're not serious! I built it from the ground up. And if anything did happen to me, I already have someone else primed and ready to take over if that happens. Someone I can trust to continue running the Organization as I want it to be run."

"Is that so?" the man said. "Then maybe it is time for that to happen. You are in over your head. You owe too many people a great deal of money. You're running scared. Desperate. You need to give it up– or disappear.

"I have no intention of running away from all of this. Your information is false. I'm not in financial trouble. It's all a lie. An out-and-out lie! I have no idea who you have been talking to but it would take an act of God to replace me." Ray flashed a satisfied grin. "And as for our young heiress, she's mine now. And that precious fortune she has access to is mine as well."

"With Frank as her father? You really think he would let you endanger her life just for her money?"

"Frank! He's another fool, just like you. Besides, she's was to be declared my daughter! I'm supposed to be her father! That's the way it was supposed to turn out. We had everything in place to make it so. You forget that I know people, especially here in France."

"Then, what happened? It didn't turn out that way. Your people didn't come through for you. And maybe that's because they want you out. You are running your business into the ground and they aren't happy about that. And as for God, I'd like to preform a small act on his behalf." He stepped closer.

Ray let the cigarette droop from his lips. He stared at the man. "Get back. Stay away from me. My men are watching they will stop you before you get a chance to do anything to me. Beside, people live all along here in these apartments." He glanced at the buildings on either side of the narrow alley. "Someone has probably already called the police."

"No one's going to help you. No one wants to get involved." The man chuckled. "Sure, someone may call the police, eventually, but by the time anyone gets here, it will be too late. And as for your men, my partners have already dealt with them. You're here all alone now."

"You can't hurt me!" Ray stood his ground. "I know too many people. You kill me and they will come after you!"

"I doubt that. How will anyone know who to come after? No, Ray. You've become a liability. You take too many risks, you and your tight little group of comrades. You've compromised your operation. Messed with too many innocent lives. And as for your business, you've gotten in the way. So, any last words? Any overdue confessions old man?" The man's whispered words penetrated Ray's consciousness. He stepped back. "You're crazy."

The man took another step toward him.

Ray stepped back farther but bumped into a trash barrel. A cat squalled in surprise and ran from behind it, out to the street.

"Stay back," Ray demanded, keeping his eyes on the man. "Stay back or I will shout for help." He instantly realized his warning was in vain because his men should have shown up already.

The man took another step closer and pulled his right hand from a pocket. Ray dared to glance down then quickly looked up – astonished. His eyes bulged in surprise. He coughed and reached for his assailant to steady himself but to no avail. The cigarette dropped from his lips to the damp cobbles of the alley. He coughed again then tried to speak but only managed a gurgling sound as blood began to ooze from his mouth. He attempted to grab for something to stop his fall, then slumped to the ground.

The man stepped back; the blade of his knife stained with Ray's blood. He reached for a corner of Ray's shirt and wiped off the blade then carefully closed it.

"The only way we can accomplish what we've set out to do is to stop you completely." He watched Ray's heaped body, twitching slightly. "I'm not the only one who wanted to kill you. We drew straws and I was the lucky one." He repocketed his knife.

Ray lay still. The man waited for the last signs of life and watched as the damp pavement collected blood oozing from Ray's gaping wound. Gratified his mission was successful, he quietly and calmly walked out of the alley and disappeared into the damp night.

It was nearly midnight. Frank stood in front of a large hotel's main entrance. The rain-washed air smelled and felt good. He watched traffic move in both directions as the glow of headlights and taillights reflected off every wet surface. It was almost surreal.

The doorman approached. "Avez-vous besoin d'un taxi monsieur?

Frank shook his head, "Non, merci."

The doorman returned to his station but watched the American who seemed to have no place to go other than to stand around and watch the traffic. A car eventually pulled up and stopped.

The doorman watched with casual interest as the American got in and the car pulled away. His curiosity satisfied, he diverted his attention to other passersby and hotel patrons.

Frank rode quietly staring through the front windshield. Neither he nor the driver spoke at first. The Eiffel Tower loomed ahead, aglow with its exterior lights well-defined against the cloudy and damp night sky. It stood as a beacon to the world stoically guarding the city and its diverse culture; a structure as iconic to Parisians as the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Franciscans or the Statue of Liberty is to New Yorkers.

The driver eventually pulled into a parking lot at the farthest end of the Champs de Mars and shut off the engine. The Tower loomed ahead. He finally spoke in English but with a cultured French accent. "And?"

"Done. He's dead."

"Excellent. No problems?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"And the young lady?"

"Leave her to me."

The driver let out a sigh. "I must say I was quite surprised at the decision. Not what we were expecting."

Frank looked at the driver in the darkness of the vehicle. "No. Not the expected outcome, I can assure you. This, it seems, has changed things, wouldn't you agree?"

"Not entirely. You still have an assignment to carry out. Do not let this minor deviation distract you from your orders."

"Minor deviation," Frank repeated. "Well I've encouraged her to stay in France. I'll do my best to see to it she does. But even if she doesn't, don't worry. I can handle her and manage my part of the plan."

"Very well, but if we see that you are not complying with the new direction, we wish to take the operation, you may succumb to the same fate as Monsieur Martindale. And perhaps your daughter as well. You do understand, don't you?"

"There is no need to eliminate her," Frank said. "She knows nothing."

"We shall see."

# CHAPTER 31

It was just over a week since the hearing and decision. Charlie sat with John and Hector in their hotel room. They had decided to hang around for a little while before returning to the States. Today, their conversation centered around Janet and the fact that Frank was her father.

"How's she handling it?" John asked. "Do we know?"

"Apparently she's fine," Charlie said. "Spending time with her mother, grandmother, and Mary has helped and been good for all of them. Very good." He smiled. "She is planning to return to the States for a short visit in about a month to take care of a few things. She also expressed a desire to spend some time at the beach with us; kinda like a farewell party before she comes back to France."

"Is this a permanent move?" Hector asked.

"It sounds like it."

John nodded. "I miss her already."

Hector grinned at his partner. "You're such a sap."

"What are you talking about? Sure, I care about her but so do you! We all do! She's part of our family too." John tossed Hector a grin. "You're gonna miss her pushing all your buttons." He laughed then ducked when Hector launched a sofa pillow at him.

Charlie intervened. "Alright you two. Calm down. We're all going to miss her, and she feels the same about us. But she also must adjust to the realization that she isn't who she thought she was. That's going to be challenge in and of itself."

"In a bad way?" Hector asked.

"Not necessarily, but she and I talked and we both agreed she needs to take her time adjusting to all of it. I think she needs to come back for a short visit with us, though, to help her find some type of closure with us, but she'll miss her mother and her grandmother, who by the way, seems to have gained more strength and is doing a little better."

"And you know this how?" John asked.

"Who do you think?"

"Where is he? And who is he now since Craig Stevens is supposed to be dead."

"I have no idea what name he plans to use now," Charlie said.

Hector headed for the kitchenette to find something to snack on. "He's still Drew to me," he said. "And speaking of names, what do we call Janet?" he asked. "Monique?"

"We'll keep calling her Janet," Charlie said. "She needs to maintain that identity for now, especially while she's back in California, that and to avoid a lot of unnecessary questions. Changing her name, whether to Monique Voclain, or just changing her last name to Bradley, would create too many issues and questions."

"Bradley," John said. "Not sure I like the sound of that. Besides, does Frank's wife know about all of this and Janet?"

"I don't think so," Charlie replied. "I'm not even sure he plans to tell her. If Janet decides to move to France for good, he can probably keep a lid on it."

"And what about the publicity regarding the Voclain estate?" Hector asked.

"Another good question," Charlie said. "So, since Mary is not going back to the United States, she will be Janet's stand in, so to speak. They do resemble each other somewhat, so as far as anyone else knows, Mary will appear to be that granddaughter for now. The story will eventually fade away and things should get back to normal for the Voclain's in a few months. Plus, until we can find Mary's mother Tatiana, it just seems best for her to stay with Julienne who is happy to accept the role of being Mary's aunt and take care of her for now."

"Find her," Hector said. "Is anyone trying to do that?"

"Frank said he would. Don't know if he found out anything yet or not," Charlie said. "At least he hasn't said anything to me about that."

"How old is Mary?" John asked

"Two years older than Janet," Charlie said, "but just as confused. The difference is Janet has us. Mary doesn't have much of a support system other than Julienne and Janet." He shifted and moaned then found a pillow to shove behind his back. "I hate getting old. Anyway here we are.

"So, where's Drew?" Hector asked, changing the subject.

"In the wind right now," Charlie said. "And I'm worried about him. I think that paternal decision was a crushing blow to him."

"You think he went to his cabin?" John asked.

"Possibly, but I don't want to go chasing him down right now. He needs time to adjust too."

Hector took a bite of a sandwich he made earlier. "I can't get over that Frank is Janet's father. She's nothing like him."

"I get where you're coming from," Charlie said, "but we can't worry about any of that. It's over and done with. Besides, we've got other work to do, but I will say this, no matter what happens moving forward, we need to stay tight. The three of us. Things are happening and we need to be sharp."

"I agree," Hector said, "but I'm still worried about Janet and especially if she stays here in France. I mean, is she out of danger now?"

Charlie's face showed concern. "That's a good question and I have no idea. So, I'd like to propose a plan of our own. Just us three which is to continue to watch out for her because as far as I'm concerned nothing's changed."

"And Ray's death?" John asked. "You really think that's going to have any far-reaching effect on the Organization and its activities?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad he's dead. That's all I can say. He's was a wicked man."

"Did it ever make the papers?" Hector asked. "His murder?"

"Yeah, once the police got a tip from some good soul who found his body. I finally saw it in the papers this morning. No big write up. Just one of those 'oh-by-the-way' kind of notices. They found him in that alley the morning after the court decision. Still lying in a pool of his own blood. But they only just yesterday identified him. Raymond Phillip Martindale"

"Really," Hector said. "Raymond Phillip? I never knew he had a middle name. Did you John?"

"No. I never saw anything about him that listed Phillip as his middle name. In fact, I've not seen any additional names – just Ray Martindale."

"So how did the police find out about a middle name?"

"Good questions," Charlie said, "and I'm not sure. Maybe fingerprints. Maybe his identity was pulled from Interpol's organized crime records."

"Yeah," Hector said, "or maybe from another unexpected tip from some _good-hearted_ citizen." His sarcasm was evident.

Charlie nodded. "You never know."

"How are they handling the murder investigation?" John asked.

"The report didn't say. We'll have to keep tabs on that but in answer to John's question, about who's running the show now with Ray dead, I have no idea. However _rumor_ has it that he was grooming someone else to take over in the event of his untimely demise."

"Which means," Hector said, "our job isn't over yet."

"No, it isn't," Charlie said. "No, it isn't"

# CHAPTER 32

Janet paced in Charlie's hotel room. She had returned to Paris, anxious to talk to him before he, John, and Hector returned to the United States. "No! You cannot push me off the team. I want to stay in! One hundred percent in!" She was adamant.

Charlie watched her anxiously move from one side of the sitting room to the other. "But you said you were going to live in France permanently," he said.

"I know, and that's my plan, _eventually_ , but that doesn't mean I can't still be part of the team. You, John, Hector – even Craig live and work all over the place and are still on the team, so why not me? Besides, after everything I've been through, there are still things that don't add up; things we still don't have answers to, at least from my perspective and not getting answers will haunt me the rest of my life. Like, where is Anna! The woman I loved and believed was my mother. Therefore, I am most definitely in! Especially now."

She stopped pacing long enough to catch her breath and faced Charlie. "I told my mother, Julienne, I needed to talk to all of you before you head back to the States, which is why I'm here in Paris. I _have_ to remain on the team, and I will do whatever you ask. I will train. I will prove my worth to you because I know I can help – from this side of the ocean, don't you think? Charlie, please, I need this. I need to work with you. I've got too much vested in this now. So please let me.

"Janet," he said, with tenderness. "I understand what you're saying. I really do. I know the feeling of needing to tie up loose ends but I'm worried that your motives are based more on wanting revenge than getting justice, to start with."

"Revenge or justice, either way, just think of all the things that have happened, not only to me but to my mother and grandmother? All the people who've messed with our lives, including Mary's. Where is her mother!" She took a moment. "It all seems to have started with my grandfather and his wicked ways!"

"A man who is dead, need I remind you." Charlie said.

"Okay. Yes, he's dead, but his wickedness persists, even if as lingering collateral damage. And just because he's dead doesn't mean there still can't be others out there trying to carry on his nasty deeds. People who are still anxious and willing to precipitate more of his deceit – his–his treachery, his – _duplicity!_ Bad dudes who will stop at nothing to continue to do bad things to me and my family just to get their hands on our wealth.

"Precipitate, huh?"

"You know what I mean. Hurry things up. Keep it moving."

Charlie studied her. Silently, he was pleased at her request but still apprehensive. "Like I said, I do understand but I must be honest and let you know that we still worry about you and your safety, for all those reasons you just pointed out and more. And we'd especially worry with you being here and trying to run down leads, or whatever, and we're all back in the States. If you stay at the estate, that's one thing. You have security staff to help keep all of you safe. But if you start going out to dig up clues, information, anything like that, you're on your own. We won't be close by to rush in and help if you get into a bind somehow. Who would be your backup in case of a problem? Just like you pointed out, there could very easily be some of those bad dudes lurking around out there who may try to do something stupid. I am glad you want to continue to work with us, but first you'll need to curb some of that anger and your emotions and think about this a little more. I mean –"

She stopped him and nodded vigorously. "Yes. I know and you are right. I know I'm a little steamed up right now, but I can't help it! Up until I found out who I really am, I've been tormented by questions and secrets about my past and now I am obsessed with wanting to get even more answers. When we were growing up, every time Mary and I tried to ask questions we were scolded – mostly by our grandmother, or rather the woman posing as our grandmother. I realize now that she had a hold on Anna, my Aunt Tatiana. So while we regarded Nona as the matriarch – kind of the head of our family, she was in fact, exercising control over everything and all of us. To us, it was a normal part of our life. But now I know different."

He nodded.

"Charlie. Something deep inside me ached to know more about our family and now I realize what it was. Deep down inside we needed to know the truth! Mary and me. And now we do, at least most of it. We know who we are! And we know we're cousins, and in a weird way, we both feel relieved to know that much of the truth, but we both know there's more to all of this."

She stopped long enough to draw in a deep breath and let it out to calm down a little. "I loved the woman I called mom most of my life. She protected us all those years. Protected us from being found by my own grandfather, at least that's what she believed. _He's_ the one who ordered a fatal car accident. _He_ was the one that ordered a hit on both me and my mother! I mean it is unbelievable he'd want to do that! He wanted to eliminate us because he had a second family he loved more. A mistress and three other children that they had together, or so he thought anyway. He loved his illegitimate family more than our family. _He didn't even love his own wife and daughter, let alone me, the granddaughter!"_

She stopped, struggling to control her emotions and finally sat down on the sofa. "Yes, I am angry, and you are absolutely right about one thing."

"What's that?" Charlie asked.

"Revenge. I do want revenge."

He sat next to her. "I understand. I do. And in a lot of ways so do we, but in my years of experience, seeking revenge ultimately only makes things worse. It drives you to do things you never thought you'd do. Bad things. Things you cannot reverse. What all of us need to do is approach this from a different perspective. Not so much about getting revenge as getting justice – if that's even possible. But we need to have clear minds and a clear idea of how to go about that."

Janet looked at him, studying his eyes and face and finally acknowledged what he said with a nod. In that instant she realized he was speaking from personal experience and wondered what he possibly could have done to anyone that would produce the deep sense of regret she could see in his face.

She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I do need to rethink my motives and I will."

He pressed his cheek against the top of her head. "Maybe we should talk about something else."

"I suppose," she said. "Well, while I've been staying with my mother and grandmother, they've both shared more about their past and the Voclain Family in particular." She straightened up. "Some of it we already knew but now I have a few more details. If nothing else, it corroborates what Craig and Frank shared with us."

"Such as?' Charlie asked.

"Well, my grandmother shared her version of her arranged marriage. It's close to what we thought we already knew. She and my grandfather both resented the fact that they were forced into a marriage neither one of them wanted. But they both knew why it was forced on them – to keep all that wealth within their respective families."

Charlie nodded.

"I finally asked some questions about her family – the Rousseau's – and I found out that her father was shot and killed about two years after her marriage to my grandfather."

"Murdered?" Charlie expression showed an interest.

"I'm not sure about that, but it didn't happen in France. He was on a hunting trip in Austria with my grandfather, his good buddy."

"Hunting trip. What were they hunting?"

"Chamois, according to my grandmother, for the hides because they are so smooth and soft. In fact, she showed me and Mary a piece of chamois and she said some people also like to put a small tuft of the animal's fur on hats as a decoration. She described the animal as being something like a goat. Small but agile; they like rocky terrain."

"Interesting," Charlie said. "And no one knows for sure if it was an accidental shooting or not?"

Janet shook her head. "No, but if you're thinking what I'm thinking, perhaps they had an argument while they were on that trip or maybe my nasty old grandfather just flat out wanted possession of the entire joint family wealth all to himself. After all, my grandmother was the only heir to the Rousseau fortune. No one else. So, I suppose my dear old granddad might have thought, why not? I'm sure he figured he'd get it all eventually. I have no proof, but based on everything else we've learned about him, I wouldn't put it past him. It would be quite a coup if you ask me; getting his hands on both family fortunes so soon."

Charlie nodded. "I will say that did just cross my mind but given how specific the Avocat was regarding your rights to the Voclain estate, I'd think your grandfather would have had a pretty hard time getting his hands on your grandmother's family fortune that easily." He stared off at nothing for a moment. "Unless they each had a clause in their wills that addressed something like that."

"Yes," Janet said. "And according to some of the information Frank shared with me prior to the hearing, in France, someone can specify other details in a will; much like they can in the United States. It just has to be spelled out and with justification."

"Hmm," he said then smiled. "Well, not much use in use trying to figure that one out without more information but it is curious that the man died not long after the marriage of their two kids."

"True, but as I've thought about that and since my grandfather is dead, any and all of his assets would still go to my grandmother, right?"

Charlie brightened. "You'd think so. I sure hope so. Not that it makes much difference to her now, but maybe it would have been some measure of compensation in exchange for all she had to endure.

"Yes, but she still ended up with her family's estate because she outlived him."

Charlie stood and stretched. "I need a snack. You?"

"Sure."

"Any other interesting tidbits you'd like to share?" he asked as he headed to the kitchenette.

"Perhaps."

Charlie returned with French bread and cheese. He had a small glass of wine with his and offered Janet her preferred apple juice.

"Okay," he said. "What else?"

"Well Mary told us that she was forced to be a part of that hearing and was told that if she didn't cooperate, she'd never see her mother again."

"What?" Charlie's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Yeah. That's what she said. So, we've been wondering now where her mother is because Mary did what they demanded, she showed up, and played her part but she hasn't seen or heard from her mother yet. Do you or the others have any idea where she might be? Because Frank said he found out where she was and that she is very ill and might not survive.

"Frank said that. And did he also say where she is?"

Janet nodded. "Only that she was in the United States someplace. He just didn't tell me where, exactly, but I figured he already mentioned to all of you."

"He didn't say anything to me, and to be honest, I doubt he mentioned it to the rest of the team either." His face showed concern. "This isn't good, and as much as I hate to do it, I think I should try to get a hold of Craig and tell him what's going on. He may know something, and if so, I'll get back to you."

"Thank you," Janet said.

"So Mary was forced to be at that hearing, huh?" he asked.

"Yes. A couple of men came to their home in Wisconsin, forced them into a van and drove away. They ended up someplace out in the middle of nowhere – way out of town – and were separated. Mary was told to do exactly as they said if she wanted to see her mom again. She was terrified."

"I can imagine," Charlie said, with obvious concerned. "I'll definitely have to talk to the guys about this, and maybe Frank too. See what he decides to tell me."

"I also asked him to help find her father."

"You did? When?"

"Right after the court hearing. He said he'd make it a priority."

"You believe him?"

"I want to but what can I say? He may be my father, so I'd like to think I could believe him, on the other hand, if he weren't my father, I wouldn't hesitate to say no, I don't believe him."

He nodded and grinned knowing exactly what she meant.

Janet sobered. "If you do talk to Craig, please let him know I miss him."

"I will definitely do that. Anything else you can think of?" he asked.

"Not right now, other than until my grandfather finally died, my mother had to remain in Nice, France with her mother's friends. And during all those years they were separated neither one had any idea where I was."

Charlie frowned. "Why didn't she go to Canada too?"

"She wasn't strong enough to travel. I guess giving birth to me, and at home, had been rough and she'd gotten very weak. Right before the fake car crash, and as part of her own plan, my grandmother secretly sent her to live with some close friends in the country near Nice – at least until she could regain her strength. She also considered sending me with her."

"Really! Why didn't she?"

"Because she and my mother, both worried about my safety. So my grandmother made all the arrangements for Tatiana, Mary, and me to go on ahead to Canada and get settled. Once my mother was well enough to travel, she was to leave Nice on a passenger ship to Canada and join the rest of us. But because my grandmother never heard from Tatiana again, she told my mother to remain in Nice.

"My mother said she cried herself to sleep every night wondering what happened to me, but she never gave up hope that someday we'd be reunited." Janet let out a heavy sigh. "It's so sad that it had to take this long, and to think I came very close to refusing to take part in all of this." She looked at Charlie. "Can you imagine that? I would have missed out on my one and only opportunity to be reunited with my real mother and grandmother and they would have never seen me again."

Charlie put his arm around her. "But you did come. And I have to say, this whole thing has been quite a tale," he said. "Fraught with intrigue and a little mystery."

"I know, right?" She sighed heavily. "It's all so, well, so very unreal to me. Like a made-up story for television or a movie, you know?"

"Yeah," he agreed and nodded. "Anything else?"

"Mmm, well yes, my grandmother and mother managed to stay in touch with each other rather secretively. A couple of my grandmother's staff would take turns traveling to Nice. It was all on the pretense of it being a small vacation of sorts. They would visit my mother, bring small gifts and letters, and take letters from her back to my grandmother. But as I said, once my grandfather finally died, my grandmother sent for her, so she hurried back home." Janet laughed. "Apparently some of the staff wanted to speed up my grandfather's demise a little but my grandmother forbade them. She didn't want anyone else to suffer any undue consequences due to my grandfather's wickedness, even though he had been insufferable to all of them.

"Anyway, once he was dead, my mother was able to return home to the estate. But she arrived late one night with the help of the friends she'd been living with and some staff. She's been at the estate with my grandmother ever since, hiding out for the most part, and leading a very quiet life – that is until this court hearing. But prior to that, it was mutually agreed that no one should know my mother was still alive. They feared cronies of my grandfather would still attempt to do something unpleasant. Grandmother didn't feel she could trust anyone other than her loyal staff and those close friends from Nice."

Janet closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't know. It's all too fantastic to take in at once. My thoughts are still swimming in circles."

Charlie hugged her again. "You've been through a lot, young lady. More than anyone your age should have to deal with in my opinion."

"Thank you, Charlie, but you and I both know there are many, many other women my age, even younger or older than I am, who have been through so much more than me. Just look at the news these days and think about the Organization and what it does to young women, and who knows what else."

"You're right. I know, but right now you are our concern and as you say, there are still unanswered questions we need to dig into."

"Yes," Janet agreed. "Which is why I want to stay involved. And no matter what my father said he would do, we need to do whatever we can to try to locate Mary's mother, my aunt, Tatiana. And I want more answers about Olivia Pasqual. Like, what happened to her and is she still alive or is she also dead now? I mean, would Ray have considered a loose end, for instance. He loves to tie up loose ends. I remember Edna who worked at Global. Ray managed to manipulate her into helping him and she ended up dead."

Charlie nodded. "Well, we don't know for sure, and I don't think any of us have been asked to look into that right now, but maybe we should, especially if she is still alive. All I know is I've not been asked to do that, but I'll check with Hector and John. See if they know anything. What we do believe is that her role was to keep you in plain sight. Ray, as we now know, had been a very patient man. To wait all these years to attempt to take hold of you was evidence of that. We suspect since Olivia was one of his people, that she kept him well informed of everything you did. All the things you enjoyed. Everything about you."

Janet frowned. "Then if she is still alive, why did my mom, or rather Aunt Tatiana, say she died?" Janet made a face. "Well, shoot, she could have told us anything, and we would have believed her. Nona didn't die! She just up and left which would explain why there was no funeral and nothing more was said about her. Absolutely nothing." Janet stared up at the ceiling and tried to work some kinks out of her neck. "So she was working for Ray which means he always knew where we were."

"Yes," he said. "Craig feels strongly that Ray wanted to get as much information about you from her as possible to build a full profile on you. One he could use to manipulate you."

"Manipulate me?" Janet pondered on that. "I don't think he ever said or did anything to me while I worked for him, that could be construed as manipulation."

"You sure?" Charlie asked. "Nothing at all? No restrictions, demands, unrealistic expectations?" Charlie waited.

"Well, sure, he did do that kind of stuff, but it was his whole persona. He treated everyone that way."

Charlie nodded thoughtfully.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Come on. What are you thinking? That he used whatever information she shared with him to somehow make me do things?" Janet frowned as if she realized she'd answered her own question. "But how would knowing all that about me, like what I did while I was growing up, give him any type of advantage?"

Charlie gave that some thought. "Well, for instance, if Olivia let him know that maybe you were timid, insecure, or tended to yield to her or your mother easily, that would have been something he might have used to manipulate you."

"Okay," Janet said and nodded. "But maybe he just had a knack for sizing someone up. I mean, I don't think I'm exactly a closed book. I kinda speak my mind when I want to."

"Even to him?"

Janet thought for a moment. "Actually, yes. I'd resist some of his abrupt and disrespectful approaches to me. I did snap back at him a few times. He'd threaten me but I stood my ground."

"Ahh."

"What!"

"Then maybe he was testing you."

"But why? Testing me for what purpose?"

Charlie grimaced and shook his head. "Oh, I don't know. I was just trying to fit some more pieces together. Besides, what we think might have been his motives may be more speculation on our part, more than anything else." He offered a grin. "And like I said, as far as I know, no one is looking for her."

"Unless she really is dead," Janet said. "Maybe she died from old age."

He nodded. "Yes, and if she is, there'd be no reason to look for her."

Charlie stared past Janet, obviously thinking about something. "And I presume you've tried to contact Tatiana."

"I have. In fact, I tried to call her the other evening after the hearing, as soon as I got back to the estate, but a message said that the number I called was no longer in service. That bothers me a lot."

"Okay," he said. "Let's go back a few steps. Mary shows up for that hearing. Someone had to bring her here."

"Right! Right, she did explain that a few days after she and her mother were separated, those same two men took her to some old motel where they told her exactly what she was supposed to do. They gave her a suitcase with some clothes in it and a couple of other personal items, but no phone. She spent the night in that room, with the two men who took turns keeping an eye on her."

Charlie quickly put up his hand to stop her. "They didn't molest her, did they?"

"I asked her the same thing. She said they didn't, but they both spoke in French most of the time."

"French. So they were likely from France."

"Either that or from Canada."

He nodded. "Yes. I forgot about the French Canadians. Okay, go on."

"Well Mary had a better grasp of the French language than I did. She actually studied the language, even though Nona and Tatiana didn't want us to learn it.," She laughed. "I guess that's gonna change now. Anyway, the next morning they all got on a plane for France."

"Wait a minute," Charlie said. "Did she understand what those two men were talking about?"

"Yes. Mostly they talked about futbol, getting drunk, and skanky women."

"Okay," Charlie said. "I was hoping they might have let something of interest slip. So, go ahead. Keep talking."

"Okay, well they handed her a passport to use for the trip and accompanied her. Then once they got here, she was taken to a house somewhere outside of town and kept there for a little over a week, she thinks. She lost track of time, to be honest. And then they brought her to the hearing, and you know the rest."

"So that's how she got to France."

"Yes, and the man who acted as her attorney, well she only met him a couple of hours before the hearing. He simply told her that she, Mary, was an heir to the Voclain inheritance and there was going to be a court proceeding to prove it. He shared a little about the situation with her and gave her some background information on the family, although very little, but that was about it."

"Did she know you were going to be there?"

"No. She was just as surprised to see me as I was to see her. She also had to provide a sample of her DNA soon after she arrived here. And as for her mother, Tatiana, she has no idea what happened to her. It's a blessing that my mother has taken her into our home. She told Mary she can stay as long as she likes – forever, if she wants too." Janet smiled. "I'm very glad Mary is staying there, and I hope she continues to do so."

"But like you said, she was threatened that she'd never see her own mother again if she didn't participate in the hearing," Charlie said.

"Yes."

"That's interesting," he said and sighed. "Well it's pretty obvious they were holding Tatiana hostage to force Mary to help them attempt to get their hands on the Voclain inheritance."

Janet let out a tired sigh. "Yes, I guess so, but Mary will have little access to the family's assets, so she won't be much of a help to the Organization when it comes to funding. Even so, we're both worried about the fact that now with the hearing over and everything pretty much said and done, that she hasn't seen or heard from her mother. She's scared and wonders if her mother is dead, despite the rather favorable decision that she is part heir to the estate." Janet's face showed concern. "Her attorney, Monsieur Signoret didn't seem to do much for her. He didn't even present a challenge to the decision or anything. So why not?"

Charlie looked at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps he already suspected the outcome of the hearing or he was simply following someone else's instructions – or demands. And if that were the case –" His voice trailed off and he reached for his phone. "Hold on. I need to make a couple of phone calls.

Charlie talked to Hector and John and shared his concerns based on the conversation he'd been having with Janet. They both agreed to step up their efforts to find Tatiana but needed to figure out where to start looking. If in fact she was still in the United States, like Frank told Janet, they'd need to get back to start looking. If, though, Tatiana ended back here in France, then they'd need to stay here. So, without that information, finding her will essentially be a hopeless endeavor.

"So what do we do?" Janet asked after Charlie hung up and shared his conversation with her. "Because now I'm more than a little worried about how all of this seems to be playing out. If you think Mr. Signoret, or whatever his name is, was creating a smoke screen or bluff, why would he? What would be the advantage or the gain?"

Charlie thought about that for a moment. "You said your mother has been living at the estate ever since her father died, but secretly."

"Yes."

"And you also said she kinda snuck back in the middle of the night so no one would know she was there and alive."

"Yes," Janet replied then frowned. "Except now a few people do know."

"Yes, including Monsieur Signoret who may or may not be a bona fide attorney."

Janet caught her breath. "Right, and now he knows my mother is alive and well!"

Charlie nodded. "Well, here we go again, it seems, although we don't know for sure, but given everything else that's been going on this may have been a ruse to discover your mother's whereabouts and state of well-being, as well as that of your grandmother."

"Okay. Now I'm not just a little worried, now I am _very_ worried. I mean, what would stop anyone from sneaking onto the estate? It's huge and though it is walled and fenced, and they do have a security detail around the clock, and dogs that roam around, especially at night, I don't think they have enough staff to keep track of every square inch of the place. At least, not that I could tell."

Charlie nodded. "I really do think I should contact Frank. See what he can find out about the security there and anything else he may have discovered in the meantime."

"Or add that to your list of things to talk to Craig about," Janet said. "But whoever you talk to, I want all of you to make sure my mother, grandmother, and Mary are kept safe!"

"We can request the local police to help with that as well, but I'm back and forth about contacting Craig right now. He was pretty broken up about the decision." Charlie eyed Janet tenderly. "He really loves you; you know. I feel fairly confident he was hoping to be declared your father."

Janet looked away, blinking back tears.

Charlie noticed but let it go and continued. "As for protection for your family, like I said, we can arrange for that," he said, "and then we'll see what we can do to figure out where Tatiana might be. At the same time, I'm also curious about her twin sister, Natasha, and where she is as well."

Janet nodded. "Right!" she said then got one of those looks on her face.

Charlie noticed. "Okay. Now what are you thinking?" he asked.

"Natasha. I want to know the meaning of her name and what an English equivalent might be." Janet looked for and retrieved her phone then returned to her seat. She connected to the internet and did a quick search. In moments, her eyes lit up.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"It means, born at Christmas. It's Russian or Greek, depending on the website but I remembered something about the man and woman who abducted me from my hotel room in Los Angeles, right? And took me to that creepy warehouse or whatever it was."

He nodded.

"But I never saw the woman. I only heard her talk to the man briefly when they came in. He distracted me long enough for her to tape my mouth shut from behind and pull a black bag over my head. Somehow, they got me out of the hotel and shoved me into the back seat of a car and made sure I stayed down.

It wasn't until we got to that cold and smelly building and when they locked me in that room that I heard him say her name."

"Okay."

The point is, he said, Christina."

"Okay, Christina, but I don't understand."

"Christina is a variant of the Latin form of the name meaning 'a Christian.'

He looked at her, still confused.

"Charlie! Christina can also mean a follower of Christ. Don't you see? Christ. Christmas. _Born at Christmas!"_

Charlie's eyes lit up. "Hold on!" he said. "Let me call the guys." In moments he had Hector and John on the line. "I want you to hear what Janet has to say." He put his phone on speaker.

Janet quickly repeated what she had just told Charlie.

"Okay," John said, regarding the woman's name. But it's a stretch, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Janet said, "But it could be a thread of a clue we can use. Right? I mean, what if she was Natasha! What if she is using an English variation of her name?"

Hector jumped into the conversation. "But you said you didn't get a look at her."

"No. I didn't. But still."

"What about her voice? Did she say anything and if so, did you recognize it, or did she have an accent?"

"Well, let me think. Okay, so when he mentioned her name, she whispered to him. I think she was scolding him for saying her name, but her voice was quiet. Honestly, I couldn't detect any accent because they were nearly whispering. And then they locked the door and left me there. I never hear them again. Just Ray."

"Okay, Janet," Charlie said. "This just might be a good clue. Is there anything else you can think of?"

Janet slowly shook her head while trying to think. "No. I don't think so."

"Okay. Well Hector and John can use this to start with and see what they can do with it. But if you do think of anything else, please let us know right away."

Charlie picked up his phone. "Okay, fellas, we'll be in touch. He started to hang up.

"Wait." Janet suddenly said. " _Wait!_ "

He stopped suddenly. "Guys. You still there?"

"Yes," Hector said. "What is it?"

Janet grabbed the phone. "I do remember. I do remember one other thing. When they took me out of the hotel, the man said something to her, I guess. But it was in French. He spoke in French! I just don't know what he said because I don't understand much French. Why didn't I remember this sooner? Geez! I should have paid closer attention in my high school French class!

"Janet, you were traumatized – again," Charlie said. "It's no surprise that you can't remember everything but you're starting to. It's all good."

"You're sure it was French," Hector said.

"Oh, yeah," Janet replied. "That woman! I think she is _Natasha!_ "

"Okay," Hector said. "Calm down. It's a possibility and we'll see what we can find out, but this isn't conclusive enough to prove that and it's still not much of a clue to follow. But we'll do our best."

"It had to be her," Janet insisted. "Who else could it have been?"

"Considering this all has to do with your French family, it could have been anyone connected with it," Hector said. "And just because the man spoke French, and obviously she must have understood him, since France is the focal point of all of this, it could have been anyone. It doesn't prove she was Tatiana's twin. Besides all that took place in Los Angeles."

Janet made a face. "In case you all didn't know this, I happen to know that planes fly from France to L.A. just as easily as the other way around. What's to say she hasn't been in the States for quite a while. I still think it could have been her."

"Yeah, okay. I'll give you that. It could have been, but if she had been, you'd have seen someone that looked like her twin sister, don't you think? At some point." Charlie took back his phone. "What do you think, guys?"

"I think it's too bad Janet didn't get a look at her. If she had, we might have known sooner whether she and Tatiana look alike, or not" Hector said.

"Yeah," John said. "And it's crossed my mind that we've all been working under the assumption that Tatiana and Natasha were identical twins," he said. "But what if they're not? That would put a whole new spin on things."

Charlie looked at Janet. "Would your mother or grandmother know?"

"I have no idea but given the fact that my grandfather led a double life, I doubt it."

"Anyone else?"

Janet thought a moment. "If their births had been registered, would that distinction be made on their birth certificates? Do they put that kind of information on birth certificates?"

"I honestly don't know," Charlie said.

Hector spoke up. "How about you look both into that while we do some checking as well. We can call you back in an hour or so."

"Sounds good," Charlie said and hung up.

"Okay," Charlie said. "Let's see what you and I can find out about birth certificates while I make a phone call." He dialed a number and stepped away.

Janet, in the meantime, used her phone to do a web search.

Eventually Charlie hung up and Janet gave up. Neither were able to find anything indicating that multiple births or the types of multiple births were recorded on most birth certificates. A birth certificate is singular and intended for the one child only. However, they did wonder about other official documents and if multiple births were documented in another way.

Charlie mused. "If only we could find someone who knew that family – Mr. Voclain's other family, that is, and well enough to confirm or deny if the sisters were identical or not." He fussed about then stopped and gazed at Janet.

"You have an idea?" she asked.

"Not necessarily other than Craig was able to find some townsfolk who knew a bit about his mistress and her kids. Although, he speaks the language and I don't."

"Me either, but we need to know. Jeff said that a lot of people in France speak English, so let's take a chance. Let's take a trip there and talk to people anyway." Janet was on her feet. "Because if they were _not_ identical, it's altogether possible that the woman helping Ray could possibly be Natasha!"

"I don't know," Charlie said. "Someone who speaks French is gonna have a much better chance at getting someone to open up."

Janet nodded then brightened up. "Jeff!" she blurted out. "Jeff speaks French! Really well!"

"Jeff," Charlie repeated. "Gee, I don't know. I thought he left the country already. Had a new assignment which means he's not necessarily at our beck and call anymore."

"So, call him anyway. You never know."

He nodded, although reluctantly. "Okay. I'll call him but don't be too disappointed if he can't help this time."

Two days later, Jeff showed up at the hotel. He bunked with Charlie then the three of them huddled together over breakfast the next morning for an intense briefing session together. After explaining in more detail what they hoped to accomplish Jeff was happy to help.

"I'll do what I can," he said. "So where do we start?"

"The village," Janet said. "Near the estate. I'm pretty sure that's where Eva Dubois lived with her three children."

"Yes," Charlie said, "and I think that's where Craig was able to find some folks to chat with and get a little more information about her family and the Voclain's."

Jeff sat quietly, looking thoughtful. "You think they'll talk to us?"

"I hope so," Janet said. "And I think you are just the guy to help make that happen." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, well don't think batting your beautiful brown eyes at me will get you anywhere, former girlfriend or not," he said then laughed. "Okay. We'll do this but I only have four days then I have to get back."

"Four days," Janet repeated. "Okay. I think we can make it happen, don't you Charlie?"

"Well, since we don't seem to have any other options at the moment, we'll _have_ to make it happen."

Later that morning, they checked out of the hotel and headed northeast of Paris into the countryside toward the small village situated near the Voclain estate. Janet was behind the wheel this time and maintained a steady speed as they left the bustling traffic of the city. It was decided that she would Drop Charlie and Jeff off in the village and then continue to the estate to stay with her mother. Before leaving the hotel, Jeff called ahead to a cozy establishment he'd stayed in before and reserved a room for himself and Charlie. It was near the center of town and within walking distance of just about everything.

Part of their conversation en route continued to circle around speculation about Ray's organization now that he was dead. Janet questioned whether the organization would fall apart without his leadership, or not.

"I doubt it will break up completely, Jeff said, "but I fully expect there will be a power struggle of some kind."

"I agree," Charlie said. "It all depends, though. Until the murder is solved, we won't know how that is going to shake out. Frank is on it, though. He's managed to maintain his position with the Organization. We'll have to wait to see what he's able to find out for us."

"Well that's just great," Janet said with a note of sarcasm. "Now I get to worry about him too if he's going back into that snake pit."

"He's good at his job," Charlie said. "He'll be fine. Besides, we need him there."

"Just how big is this organization, do you think?" Jeff asked. "I've not been keeping up with all of this due to my other assignments, other than being Janet's escort for the court hearing."

"It's huge," Charlie said. "They've got different sized cells of people all over the globe tied into it, with a few other independent groups affiliated with them as well. Like you pointed out, I halfway expect to hear some rumblings about a hostile takeover, to be honest. How that may or may not happen will depend on whether or not Ray had any type of a contingency plan in place just in case he did die."

Janet nodded. "You mean like a living will or advance directive."

"Yeah, something like that, but from a crime-centered organizational perspective. Although I expect he would have tapped someone close to him in the organization to step in and take over. Get something in writing that could pass for legal, so to speak, but not handled quite the same way legitimate organizations are." Charlie grew quiet. "No. Any kind of a takeover, especially a hostile one, could stir up a whole lot of other trouble, both inside their organization and outside. Not to mention continue to keep us on our toes and busy."

"What are you thinking?" Janet asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just a bunch of crazy thoughts all bouncing around. I'll have to sort them out before I say anything." He smiled. "You have anything else you want to add?"

"Not really, other than just like you, I'm more and more curious about that twin sister. Jeff, I sure hope you will be able to get some answers for us."

"Yeah, me too. But all I can promise is that I'll do my best."

I know, but I'll bet you'll get something out of this excursion we can use," she said. "I keep thinking about all of this and I sure hope Tatiana wasn't a part of any of it, you know? "Janet said. "But I've learned not to overlook possibilities. At the same time, what would be her motive?"

"Well, let's think about it," Charlie said. "If she and Natasha were equally unhappy with their situation, both would have been perfect targets for Ray and his organization. Let's assume Olivia did recruit them both. I mean, we're pretty sure her job for Ray was to be on the lookout for unsuspecting young women. Vulnerable women she could draw into their unsavory world – either to exploit them or enlist them to help in other ways; who knows. That was Oliva's job and maybe she did that with one or both of those girls." He checked his watch. "How much farther?"

"Another fifteen minutes or so," Janet said. "Not long. She glanced in the rearview mirror at him. "You worried?"

"Always," he said but grinned. "And I was expecting a call from John or Hector."

"About?"

"Whatever they've been able to find out about Olivia Pasqual, for one thing. They got to thinking that she may have been a working woman. You know, a lady of the night, to drum up cash."

Janet made eye contact with him in the mirror again. "You mean a prostitute?"

"That's exactly what I mean and if so, there may be someone who remembers her for that as well, but in Wisconsin. We'll just have to wait and see."

Janet kept her eyes on the road. "Wisconsin," she repeated as they passed a road marker. "We're almost there," she said. "So, do I just drop you guys off somewhere in town?"

"Yup," Jeff said, "at the Hotel du Marquis. We have a reservation. Then you go straight home. No detours. No side trips. Understood?"

"Yes, dear," she said and smiled. "Straight home."

"Okay. Oh, and call us when you get there. Just so we know you made it home safely."

"I will do that. I promise." She slowed down as they pulled into the village then drove a short distance and stopped in front of the inn. She glanced around as Jeff and Charlie climbed out then smiled as they closed the door. "Best of luck to you both."

Two days later, Janet returned to the village and met up with Charlie and Jeff at a quaint restaurant with outdoor seating. They were already there waiting and greeted her warmly.

"So? Anything?" she asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Jeff said.

"And?"

"Well we had some challenges at first. No one seemed interested in talking to us. As a result, our first day and a half was fruitless. But this morning, we were out here having breakfast and this older guy sits down at a table nearby. I could see him out of the corner of my eye and realized he was very interested in us and what we were talking about."

"Yeah," Charlie said, "so we dropped a few names, including your grandmother's and not too long after that, he approached us. Said he heard there were a couple of out-of-towners asking some questions around town." Charlie chuckled. "Of course, I didn't know what he was saying because he only spoke in French, but Jeff managed to keep up a pretty good conversation with him."

"I did," Jeff said, "but I think he speaks and understands English pretty well, considering how interested he was in what we were talking about, in English, before he came over."

"Okay, so what did he have to say?"

"He remembers Eva Dubois. Said she lived in town and got around. She had the three kids but wasn't married but they all knew she was sleeping with Ferdinand."

"And what about the twins?"

"Your suspicions were right. Not identical twins. In fact, they were very different looking, according to him. So much so that some folks speculated the girls had different fathers."

Janet straightened and frowned. "What do you mean, two different fathers? How can that be?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Charlie said.

Jeff nodded. "Turns out it is possible. Rare, but possible. I did a little research right after we talked to him and found some articles about a few documented cases where that did happen – one pregnancy, two fetuses, two different fathers. So, there you go. That could explain different looking twin sisters."

"Wow. Okay. What do you think, Charlie? It would support my suspicions about that woman Christina who tied and gagged me, wouldn't it?"

He nodded. "Sorta, except you never got a look at her. But it certainly does add some weight to our theory, about them not looking alike, I will agree."

"Wow," Janet repeated. "Different fathers."

"We're just speculating, Janet," Jeff said. "We don't have any proof of that, but I don't think we need proof. All we wanted to know is whether they were identical twins or not. Right? And now we know. They were not."

"Yes. Now we know," Janet said quietly, but her mind was racing.

Charlie watched her with interest. "She's got that look in her eye," he said.

"Look?" Jeff asked.

"Yes. See?" He pointed. "She got something rolling around in that pretty little head of hers. And I suspect in a moment or two she's gonna tell us what it is."

Janet made a face at him. "Stop it. I'm just thinking, that's all."

"I know but now you need to share what you're thinking, because I'll bet it's a doozy."

She tossed him another look.

"Oh, come on," he said. "I just know you, that's all. You've got that active imagination working overtime and in a lot of cases it's spot on, so spill it. What's on your mind?"

Jeff grinned. "You sure you wanna know?"

Charlie let out a laugh. "I'll let you know as soon as she tells us."

Janet sat back and folder her arms.

"Come on. Tells us what you're thinking," Charlie said. "You know you want to. Just get it off your chest."

She eyed them both and leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Okay. Two daughters; different fathers. We already know that Tatiana belongs to my grandfather, because of the DNA results, but we don't know who Natasha's father is, do we?"

"No. We don't," Charlie said. "But I'll bet you have a theory, right?" He grinned and winked at Jeff.

Janet leveled her gaze on him. "Well, okay, and you've probably already come to the same conclusion, but what if her father is –"

"Yes?"

"What if Natasha's father is Ray." She watched for their reaction.

Charlie's grin left as his mouth dropped open and Jeff just stared in amazement.

"Are you serious?' Jeff asked.

"Why not? It could be possible. He's in the thick of everything else. Why not mess around with Eva?"

Both men looked at each other and back at Janet.

"Him and Eva?" Jeff asked.

"It makes perfect sense. What if she worked for him too? He wanted to get his hands on the Voclain fortune, right? That's been part of his long-range plan. He would have loved to have had an inside track, so to speak, and what better way than to cozy up to Ferdinand's lover? Especially if he, Ray, paid her for the information and got his jollies on the side as part of the deal." She leaned back with a satisfied grin.

"You really do have an active imagination," Jeff said, "but –" He looked at Charlie. "It sorta does make sense."

Both men stared at each other.

Charlie finally gave a nod and turned to Janet. "You amaze me sometimes. Although I'm not completely sold on the idea just yet, it is intriguing." He settled back in his chair. "You mind if I share that with the guys?"

"Not at all."

# CHAPTER 33

Janet returned to the estate and Charlie and Jeff headed back to Paris. Hector and John had already cancelled their plans to head back to the States and agreed to joined Charlie later at his hotel. Jeff, in the meantime, had already left for the airport to head back to his ongoing assignment leaving Charlie to mull things over before Hector and John showed up.

Charlie greeted them warmly, a couple of hours later, then got down to business. "Frank called a little while ago. He should be showing up any time too," he said. "But before he gets here, but I want to talk with both of you first."

"Was your time in that village well-spent?" Hector asked, as he and John got comfortable on the sofa.

"It was. We found out that Tatiana and Natasha are _not_ identical twins, as we all expected they probably were."

"Okay," Hector said. "And why didn't we even consider that as a possibility much sooner?"

"I don't know," Charlie said, "but we didn't. I think when we heard they were twins we jumped to the wrong conclusion."

John was troubled. "Why _didn't_ we consider that?"

Hector shrugged. "Why would we? Everyone kept talking about twins – girls. It was a natural assumption, just like Charlie said, but quite possibly a potentially a dangerous one." He looked at Charlie. "So what else do you need to talk to us about?"

"Janet. She has another theory I'd like to share with you, but you'd better fasten your seatbelts."

"Okay," John said. "What is It?" he asked with increasing interest.

Charlie took in a deep breath. "Let me back up a bit. After we spoke to an old-timer in the village, he confirmed the girls were not identical. Not only that, they must have looked very different because there was speculation in the village that the girls had different fathers." He waited a moment to let that idea settle in.

Hector frowned. "Two fathers? One pregnancy?"

"Yes, and before you begin to question if that's even possible, Jeff did a quick internet search and found documented evidence that it is. It's rare, but possible."

"And that's Janet's theory?"

"Only part of it. But armed with that information, it gets better. She suggested that perhaps Natasha is actually –" he paused. "Ray's daughter."

" _What!"_ Both men exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, but listen to her reasoning, she –" he was interrupted by a knock on the door. "I'll bet that's Frank. Hold on."

Charlie opened the door and let Frank in.

"How is everyone today?" Frank asked as he sat down in a side chair.

"Not bad. Yourself?" Hector asked without feeling.

Frank merely smiled.

"Any more news about Ray's death?" John asked.

"Not much," Frank said. "Although they did rule it as a homicide. There was no mistaking a gash in his side made by a well-placed blade. They think it was a professional hit."

"Professional," Hector said. "Any idea what type of blade? Anything we can use to help with the identity of the assassin?"

"Not that I'm aware of. As for helping, I think they'd prefer to handle the investigation themselves, without any outside interference."

Hector's expression was stony. "Fine. We have plenty else to do."

"That much is true," Charlie said. "So, are we about ready to wrap things up here and head for home?"

"I'd say so," Frank said. "Since the local authorities don't need or want our assistance with anything, they said we can leave the country. In other words, none of us are suspects." He grinned. "For once, right?"

They all nodded.

Frank stood up. "I'm already packed. I have a flight booked to Seattle that leaves in about three hours, then a short hop to Spokane. I plan to spend some time at home with Karen and catch up on some of my other legal work. I have a couple of pending cases that appear to be coming to a resolution. At least I hope so." He headed for the door. "It was good working with all of you. Maybe we can do something together again in the not too distant future." He stepped out into the hall and closed the door.

They waited quietly for a moment then Hector pulled out a scanner and checked the chair Frank sat in. Moments later he pocketed his device. "Well, that was short and sweet," he said.

Charlie nodded. "It was, wasn't it?" He eyed the door for a moment.

Hector opened the door a crack then wider and examined the hall. He stepped back inside and shook his head then locked it and sat down.

John shifted to get comfortable then looked at Charlie. "So back to what you were talking about before he showed up."

Charlie finished sharing Janet's theory with them then waited for their reaction.

"I hate to admit it," John began, "but her idea makes sense. I mean, think about it. Eva was in the perfect position to feed Ray with information about the Voclain family. Old Ferdy probably gushed all kinds of stuff to her while they spent intimate time together. What a sap."

"Yeah," Hector said. "It does seem to fit in somehow." He thought for a moment. "You think Ray may have suspected something like that? Had some DNA tests run on one or both of the twins to find out for sure?"

"Maybe so," Charlie said, "but when? Recently? Years ago?"

"Depends on when DNA testing started to take off," John said. "Right?" He pulled his phone from a pocket. "Let's find out." He quickly found a website outlining the history of DNA discovery. "Well, okay, this piece starts out with Darwin, but he didn't have any knowledge of DNA as we know it today. So, moving forward," he said, as he kept scrolling through the article, "okay, here we go. It wasn't until the early 2000's that significant DNA testing and results started showing up." He put his phone away. "So, Ray might have been able to get some kind of results from someone back then and certainly since then."

"Yeah," Hector said. "And if he had already hooked up with Natasha by then, it would be easy to get a sample of her DNA. And as for Tatiana, or Anna, all he'd have to do was tell Olivia to get a sample and she'd do it and there you go."

Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "Well now, armed with that information, Janet may actually be on to something."

"Yup," Hector said. "And if Ray noticed a difference in the appearance of the two girls, it might have triggered a decision to have the testing done to know for sure, but long before now. Years ago. Before this hearing."

Charlie shifted in his chair. "If we work on this idea as a possible fact, then a whole new train of thought comes to mind along with it." He was thoughtful for a moment. "I wish we could reach out to Craig. Get his thoughts."

"We can," Hector said. "He doesn't have to respond, but at least he'll be aware of what we've been thinking about and discussing."

"Yeah," John said. "If he finds out after-the-fact, he might not be too happy about that. Besides, it's not like he said to stop staying in touch. It was our idea to give him some space."

Charlie nodded with a little more enthusiasm. "You're right. It was. And like you said, if we don't tell him but should have –" His voice trailed off as he paused. "Okay. I'll give it a shot. See what happens."

"Good," John said. "Now what about Janet?"

"You mean, helping us? Ah, no. Not yet, other than what she's already been able to do to help. That girl needs some space. I mean, that whole piece about the woman named Christina was way outta left field. And she thought she'd already told us about all of that." He let out a sigh. "Although she's adamant about staying on the team, and we may be able to put her to work later on, right now she needs to concentrate on her new family and enjoy some peace and quiet."

Hector stretched where he sat but wanted to circle back to the twin theory. "I think we need to do a little more digging into Tatiana's and Natasha's lives," he said. "We pretty much know where Tatiana was, up until recently, other than she's still missing. But we don't know much of anything about Natasha."

Charlie agreed. "Yes, like for instance, has she stayed in Europe all this time or not? Canada maybe? U.S? Someplace else?" He looked at his companions. "Anyone interested in hanging out in this neck of the woods with me a while longer?"

Hector and John both grinned.

"We thought you'd never ask," John said.

"Okay, then do we want to stay here at the hotel or relocate?"

"Why don't we start poking around closer to the village?" Hector said.

"We can do that," Charlie said, "but we don't communicate with Janet. At least not yet."

"Agreed," Hector said, and John nodded.

Charlie grinned. "I'm kinda excited about this. Up until now it felt like we'd come to the end of the line with our clues and investigation. But now – now we have something new to chew on. I like it." He took in a deep breath. "Yes, indeed, I like it. Okay. Let's get some rest. Tomorrow is a brand-new day and hopefully we can figure out more of what's been going on. By the way, either of you two speak French?"

# CHAPTER 34

It had been three weeks and just after midnight when Charlie, Hector, and John met up with Craig at the Compton airport in southern Los Angeles County.

"Good to see you again, my friend," Charlie said as they shook hands. "So, are we going somewhere," he asked, "or just gonna hang out here and talk?"

"Let's go for a ride," Craig said with a big grin. "We'll take the chopper. I flew it in earlier today just for this purpose."

"Where to?" John asked.

"Where do you think? Our favorite haunt – Catalina. Shouldn't be too crowded this time of night so we should have adequate privacy." Craig continued to grin as his companions climbed onboard. "It has been a while and I'm intrigued to find out more about this new twist in the case regarding Ray. A daughter you think?"

"Janet came up with that idea," Charlie said as Craig initiated the startup sequence. "I'll be honest, at first I thought it was a stretch but the more we discussed it, and after Jeff checked the web for information about twins with different fathers, it seemed to be a plausible explanation regarding how different the two women apparently look. Although were pretty shocked to find out it could actually happen."

"Yeah," Hector said, "but speaking of Janet, I'm not all that comfortable leaving her alone at the hotel," he said. "She just got back to the States."

"I know," Craig said, but she should be asleep by now, plus Jeff is back. He flew in a couple of hours ago. I picked him up and dropped him off at the hotel. He's going to keep an eye on her for us while we regroup. An hour or so should be enough time don't you think?" He grinned. "But it all depends on whether or not you like my new game plan."

"I thought Frank was back from Idaho and bunking with you," Charlie said. "Won't he be a little suspicious if you're not there?"

"No," Craig said, "he and I have already talked about what I'm going to propose."

"So, Jeff's back," Hector said. "His idea?"

"Partly, yes," Craig said. "After he and I talked on the phone a couple of nights ago, he wanted to come back and help us out. Hope that's okay with all of you."

"I'm fine with it," Hector said. "I just thought he was on another assignment back east or something."

Craig tried to hide a somber look.

John noticed. "What."

He hesitated before replying. "Well ever since the court decision, Jeff and I have been working on some theories of our own about a few loose ends. Natasha has been one person of interest with us as well, especially after what he was able to find out when the two of you visited the village."

"How so?" Charlie asked.

"Well, she seemed to drop off the radar a number of years ago."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah. We did discovered that while we were hanging out in that little village near the estate."

"Yes," Craig said. "So, while Tatiana had her hands full raising two girls, Natasha was out there somewhere but keeping busy doing something on her own." He checked his instruments as the aircraft rotors reach maximum RPMs then lifted off and took a heading towards the Pacific coast and Catalina Island beyond.

"As I was saying," Craig continued, "he and I both wondered about her and where she was. And considering how the older brother was unhappy about not getting anything from the estate or from someone he thought was his grandfather, we also wondered how Natasha was taking the news. None of Eva's children were supposed to get anything from the estate."

"But Mary is," John said. "At least that's been our impression since Julienne has taken her into her home and fully expects her to stay there."

"True, but that's Mary, not her mother Tatiana or her aunt Natasha," Craig said. "It's a personal decision both Julienne and her mother have made on Mary's behalf. But as for Natasha, where has she been all this time while Tatiana was living with Olivia and busy raising the girls?"

"Maybe she's dead," Charlie said. "Maybe the woman Janet heard was a different French woman."

"That is a possibility, but I don't think so." Craig adjusted their course slightly as they swung out over the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean. "If your theory about her and Ray is correct, it's altogether possible he's been keeping her busy learning the ropes of his business. And along with that, I have another theory." Craig left that remark dangling as they approached the island and its small airport perched high in the hills.

As he predicted, the airstrip was quiet and unoccupied as they set down toward the western end of the runway near the café at the small Airport in the Sky. The night sky was clear for now, but a fog bank lingered off the coast, accentuated by the light of a nearly full moon. Everyone huddled in the passenger cabin while a chilly ocean breeze gently buffeted the aircraft.

"So, what's this theory of yours?" Charlie asked.

Craig stared at the floor for a moment, pulling his thoughts together. "While I was filling in for Ray at GHD Global, I was able to collect DNA samples of just about everyone on the staff. This was soon after we began the investigation of the shooting in Global's office suite as well as Ray's mysterious disappearance.

"Now then, with this new idea about Natasha and if she could be Ray's daughter, it made me think of another young woman who worked at Global. Her name was Hazel and her abrupt arrival at the company apparently came as a surprise to the entire staff. She was hired to be the receptionist. Unfortunately, the former receptionist had not been informed of his sudden termination. According to several staff members I spoke with, Brent was an asset to the company; well organized, efficient, personable, and did an excellent job in every other respect of the position.

"He had no idea he would be terminated until he arrived one morning to see an attractive blonde sitting at his desk. She let him know that his services were no longer required and shoved a box toward him containing a few of his personal items. When he protested, she called Ray who barreled out of his office shouting at Brent to leave and told him he was fired."

"Okay," Hector said, "but what does this have to do with our hunt for Natasha?"

"I wondered about Hazel while I worked there. Alex shared some insights about her with me. She seemed to have Ray wrapped around her little finger quite nicely. He also observed her leave the office building one day while he and a coworker, Tony Cho, were out Christmas shopping. Alex notice Hazel had also left the office, so he watched as she entered an access door on Market Street to some upstairs offices over a street-side business. She was in there for about twenty minutes. He also mentioned that she carried herself differently on that occasion – that she wasn't as –" he paused trying to come up with the right word.

"She wasn't as what?" John asked.

"Well, in the office she had a perky wiggle to her walk, and an almost too friendly smile. Alex and Tony, shared with me how she liked to flirt with some of the other men in the office, especially the older ones. One of them, as it turned out was Marcus Cummings. And Marcus was one of the men who raided the bluff house the night Janet and Alex disappeared."

Charlie finally spoke up. "Okay, but what does this have to do with that little gal flirting with him?"

"I plan to have her DNA tested along with Ray's. If my suspicion is correct, I think she may possibly be Ray's granddaughter and Natasha's daughter."

The others looked at each other in surprise then back at Craig.

Hector began to laugh.

"What," Craig said.

"You and Janet. Don't get me wrong. Any possible lead is good, but how the two of you, independently of each other, come up with similar and way–out–there ideas is beyond me. I mean with very little but a crazy notion to go on, here we are contemplating more of the complexity this case seems to have. However, with that said, and knowing you as we do, I think you may have something there."

They could see a grin spread across Craig's face, despite the pale light of the moon. "It is a longshot, I will admit, but suddenly things are starting to come together. Some of the pieces of this puzzle we're struggling to put together feel like they are beginning to fall into place."

He shifted slightly to straighten a leg in their cramped quarters and continued. "Now with Janet's insistence that she be allowed to remain on the team, and given her very insightful theory regarding Natasha, I want to discuss an idea that I think she should be able to handle for us."

"Okay," John said, with some reservation. "Let's hear it."

The men quietly listened to Craig's plan for the next thirty minutes. Outside the ocean breeze shifted and began to pick up, moving up and over the hills then dipping into the canyons of the island before bursting up and over the dry grassy ridges toward the small airport.

The helicopter responded from the stronger buffetings, but the men were unconcerned as they continued to listen. Nearby, a night creature ambled along the edge of the airstrip grazing on whatever it could find, while out in the channel separating the island from the mainland, the water danced in the stiff breeze kicking up whitecaps that glistened in the moonlight.

As for the fog, it slowly and quietly skulked its way inbound to the western coastline of the island. Curling around both ends of it and easing its way up the barren canyons and over equally barren hillsides, unobstructed in its quest to overshadow and obscure the island from sight. Ordinarily it would have already enshrouded the island by now, but an offshore breeze had kept it at bay for several hours longer than usual. Now, though, with the wind shift it began its silent assault.

A particularly strong gust finally got their attention. Craig looked out a side window with some concern and glanced at his wristwatch. "We won't be able to stay much longer," he said. "Fog's coming in and I'm not too keen about flying through the stuff."

"Copy that," Hector said, but added, "You really think she can handle this assignment? I mean after everything she's had to go through dealing with Ray in San Francisco? This sounds just a little too much like that to me, and I'm not sure how she's going to feel about it."

Craig started to say something when another strong gust jolted the aircraft. "Time to go. We can talk more on our way back.

"I'll ride up front with you," Hector said.

Both men hopped out and hurried to climb into the cockpit. Wisps of fog had already reached the island coastline. Long threads of the moist air were licking their way up the hillsides toward the airport. Craig started the engine, impatiently waiting an agonizing three minutes or so for the chopper to reach maximum RPMs. Aggressive fingers of fog were suddenly upon them and danced about the aircraft as he lifted off and made a beeline to the mainland taking advantage of a tailwind in the process.

Janet was up early the next morning. She took a long hot shower before dressing and calling her father.

"Order anything you like but I won't be able to join you, I'm afraid" Frank said. "One of my Idaho clients called late last night requesting a conference call this morning. I'm going to be tied up for the next couple of hours."

Disappointed, Janet did as he suggested and called in an order. She had just hung up when someone tapped at her door. Checking first, she flung the door open to Craig, Charlie, Hector, and John. She was especially happy to see Craig and gave him a tight hug. He responded in kind.

"How's our sweet girl this morning?" Charlie asked as he waited for his hug.

"Good. I slept well, I think, and I just ordered breakfast. Are any of you hungry? Want me to order something for you?"

"No thanks," Craig said. "We've eaten. Took advantage of the buffet downstairs."

"Right," she said and let out a sigh. "I wish I could go down to the buffet instead of staying cooped up in this room."

He smiled. "I know. And I'm sorry. Where's your father, by the way?"

"He said he would be on a conference call for a couple of hours with a client in Idaho."

"That's fine," Craig said. "Once you've eaten, we thought it might be nice to get you out of here for a while. How's that sound?"

"Awesome! In fact I'll cancel my breakfast." She hurried to the phone.

"No," Charlie said. "You need to eat. Get back here." He gestured. "We can wait."

"But it takes forever for room service to arrive. Is there anything left to eat downstairs?"

John headed for the door. "I'll go find out. Be back soon."

Janet was nearly giddy. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Charlie said.

She eyed him suspiciously. "You're not going to take me someplace and lock me up, are you?"

"Will you get over that? We're not going to lock you up. Why would we do that?"

"Because I feel like I'm being held prisoner again!"

Charlie gave her a stern look. "We just want to get you out of here for a while and take you someplace really nice where we can enjoy the day and visit."

"It all sounds good except for that visiting part. I know you guys," she said. "That means it's all about business and I probably won't like what you have to say."

"You don't know that," Hector said. "Just wait."

Fifteen minutes later John was back with a tray of various items from the buffet. "Eat up," he said. "And I cancelled your room service order for you."

Janet was pleased and excited but anxious at the same time. "Okay, thanks. I'll hurry."

"There's no rush," Craig said.

Even so, Janet was eager to get out of her hotel room.

Craig and the others waited out in the hallway for Janet to finish getting ready.

"What's Jeff doing today?" John asked.

"A little surveillance." Craig lowered his voice. "I asked him to tail Frank."

Eyebrows shot up again, including Charlie's.

"Just routine."

"Right," Hector said. "Nothing we do is routine and especially when it comes to Frank. We totally get it that you don't trust him, but he'll spot Jeff in the first quarter mile."

"Not necessarily," Craig said. "Jeff's been working on a device that will allow him to paint a moving target with a laser, which uploads all kinds of data on the vehicle, then he can track it from as far away as a half mile. He's been testing it and wanted to trail someone, so I told him to try it on Frank. We all know how skilled Frank is when it comes to being followed. So if Jeff can successfully trail Frank, then we've got another tool in our arsenal."

"Paint the target, huh?" Hector said. "Kinda like the military do when they fire off missiles miles high in the sky at a target somewhere on the ground?" Hector asked.

"That's the idea."

"Okay, but you're talking about a moving target," John said.

Craig smiled. "All the better if it actually works. He says he can use global positioning. We'll see what kind of results he gets with it."

Janet's door opened and she stepped out. "I'm ready. So where are we going?"

An hour later they were in the air and headed west. She knew immediately they were going to Catalina Island. Hector set the helicopter down on a grassy knoll at the north end of the island near the same lodge she'd stayed at before. Craig had already arranged for them to hang out for a few hours so they could spend time talking without interference from anything or anyone.

From a secluded open patio, they were able to enjoy a beautiful morning with clear skies and a spectacular view of Cat harbor and the Pacific Ocean.

Janet breathed in deeply and for the first time in weeks she felt free and joyful. But almost immediately she was reminded they were there to discuss something that involved her. The joy left and she turned to face them.

A small table, with five chairs, was center stage. John pointed to an empty chair between him and Hector. She nodded and accepted the offer.

"Doing okay?" Hector asked.

"For the moment, yes," she replied warily. "But we'll see once you all start to tell me about this great new plan you've cooked up. That's what it is, right? Some new plan?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Just as I thought." She said and glanced at him suspiciously.

John leaned back but took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's all good. But the choice will be yours alone. No pressure from us."

"Right," she said apprehensively. "So, all of you already know about this plan."

"We do," he said, "because Craig didn't want to pitch to you unless we were onboard. So in just a little while you'll know all about it too. That is, if he ever gets off the phone."

As if on cue, Craig stepped outside and pocketed his phone. "Okay. I think we're all set. That was Frank. We were able to talk for a few minutes before he had to get back to his client." He took a seat across the table from Janet and smiled. "You look wonderful this morning."

"You already told me that, so don't even try to butter me up." She made a face at him. "Just tell me what this is all about so we can get it over with."

Craig laughed. "It's not all that bad. In fact, I think you might like our proposal. It would be a new adventure; get you back out there." He made a wide gesture. "And you'll have the opportunity to meet some very interesting people along the way."

"Uh-huh. Interesting people," she repeated. "What kind of interesting people?"

"Well, that's part of what we're going to talk about. But first I need to ask you what your plans are."

"My plans?" she asked. "Am I even allowed to have plans?"

"Of course, you are. For instance, as much as we love having you back with us, how soon do you plan to return to France? You do intend to go back, right? Home?"

Janet did not respond immediately. She eyed each one of them then leaned back and focused on Craig. "Home," she said. "I'm still working on that. I love it there and of course I love being with my mother, but I don't know. I've spent most of my life living in the United States. As an American citizen. But now – I really haven't thought much about going back yet because it felt like I was away on a vacation and I just got back here which was my home until recently. Except I don't have a job, not that I need one anymore, and I'm not sure where I'm going to live since my old apartment was compromised." She looked at everyone. "Oh, and speaking of citizenship, what about my American citizenship? Is it legitimate or not?"

Craig smiled. "First I have to ask how important it is to be a U.S citizen."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It depends on where you decide to live; here or France," he said.

"Well, can I live in both places? Part of the time here and the rest of the time in France? I want to spend a lot more time with my mother and grandmother, and Mary, but I also want to keep working with all of you. But now it's beginning to feel like you're all anxious for me to leave."

"We're not," John said.

"No, we're not, but we just wondered," Craig replied, "because that may have some bearing on the outcome of your American citizenship."

Janet was confused. "I don't understand. I thought that since Frank is my father, and since he's an American, that would automatically make me an American too."

Craig reached for her hand. "I know. You would think so, but that's not necessarily the way it works. Frank checked into it and according to your birthdate and the rules that were in effect at that time, you're not a U.S. Citizen. There are a couple of reasons why. First, your birth was illegitimate. Second, although your father is a U.S. citizen, the regulation states that he would have had to acknowledge responsibility for you prior to your twenty-first birthday. That didn't happen because he only recently found out about you, and that he's your father."

"Oh."

"If your intention is to permanently reside in France, the issue of dual citizenship isn't relevant. You absolutely are a French citizen, no doubt about that. As for the U.S. citizenship, you'd have to apply for that but at the time of naturalization, you'd have to denounce your French citizenship. That might have some bearing on your rights regarding your claim on the Voclain family's estate." He paused. "But, instead of dealing with all of that, you could apply for a green card instead."

"Green card."

"Yes, which allows you permanent residence in the United States, using your family relationship to Frank and you use the first preference category as his unmarried daughter over the age of twenty-one. You just wouldn't be a citizen."

Janet frowned.

"Just think about it. A green card might be useful if you end up spending a lot of time in this part of the world." Craig grinned. "We'll discuss it more after we talk to you about our plan and whether or not you want to accept the assignment."

"Okay, but I'm not in any trouble with the government, am I? I mean, I've been living with falsified documents all these years."

"In one sense, I suppose you could say you're in trouble, but –" He grinned and smiled. "But I've already met with some officials and explained the circumstances. You will not be charged as a criminal since you did not initiate any of that with foreknowledge."

"Foreknowledge."

"With the deliberate intention to falsify your identity. You had no idea about your actual identity until recently. I presented them with copies of all the court records to prove you were not complicit, but you will need to surrender your Social Security Card. As for your driver's license, you can use your French license for now. You did get a French driver's license, didn't you?"

"Well, not yet. I've been using my California Driver's License. I won't be able to pass the French driving test yet because I don't know the language!" She stopped herself and sighed heavily. "There's just too much to think about," she said. "It's overwhelming."

"Completely understandable," Craig replied. "I'd be more worried about you if you weren't feeling overwhelmed. Not to make light of everything, but you essentially went from rags to riches in a heartbeat that day in court."

She nodded but remained quiet.

"So, as you said, you do not have a job, but as you also pointed out, you don't need one – financially speaking. However, you've expressed a desire to be a more integral part of the team. You still feel that way?"

She nodded again.

Craig looked at her thoughtfully. "You don't _have_ to keep working with us, Janet, not unless that's what you really want to do. It's your plan now, remember? You choose what you want, so take some time to think things through; carefully think things through. You can stay here and help or go back to France. Live the rest of your life there. Meet a wonderful Frenchman. Get married. Have a family – all in France, or anyplace you choose. You don't have to return to the United States ever again if you don't want to."

Janet looked past Craig and out at Cat Harbor and the expanse of the Pacific Ocean beyond. She breathed in deeply, taking in the sights and smells of the island and ocean. A soft sigh mingled with a warm, gentle ocean breeze wafting over them. A few seagulls glided overhead, and the leaves of nearby shrubs and trees rustled gently.

She focused on Craig again. "I do plan to return to France but not right away. I feel like there's unfinished business here. I don't know what that might be, but somehow, I know it still involves me. So, I want to stay and help. In whatever way I can."

Craig smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, because we can use you and your talents to help us clean up some of this unfinished business, as you put it."

"My talents? What talents? All I seem to be able to do is get into trouble. In fact, I think I've become rather good at it."

They all chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked, a little annoyed at their response.

"Nothing," John said. "Not really. It's just that we've watched you develop over the past year and a half or so. You are a fighter. You don't like to give up. You're feisty and resist the efforts of others who try to intimidate you. You are clever and inquisitive. You have no problem asking questions and demanding answers. And you have an ability to see alternative possibilities to certain situations, and in some cases before we do."

She held up her hand to stop him. "Wait. All those things you just mention are the ways I've managed to annoy all of you at one time or another. I don't exactly consider them to be talents. And as for alternative possibilities? Like what? All I do is ask too many questions."

They couldn't help but laugh again.

"True," Craig said, "but the most recent suggestion you made seems to have some serious bearing on this whole case."

"Which is?"

"Your suggestion that Natasha might be Ray's daughter."

"Oh, that. I got to thinking about it a little more and decided it was too far-fetched."

"You shouldn't be so quick to second-guess yourself, but we don't think so. The more we thought about it, the more we think you hit on something significant. Ray wasn't one to not have a contingency plan in place, in the event something might happen to him. Our dilemma was trying to figure out who it would be. Even Frank can't think of anyone in the Organization that Ray would have trusted well enough to hand things over to."

"Really."

"Yes, but –" Craig paused and pulled a piece of paper from the few he had lying on the table. "Frank did mention he was aware of a woman that would occasionally show up at some of the Organization's meetings, although he never saw her. He'd just hear about her. But based on a few comments he overheard from time to time, he figures she would be about the same age as Tatiana and Natasha. He was also under the impression that she was a courier for Ray. So, she'd come and go on occasion. And no one ever noticed any signs of a father and daughter relationship or any other signs of affection of any kind. It was always strictly business."

Craig put the sheet of paper down. "Since he never saw her, he never got a photo of her, but a villager found a photo in some local historical book. It was when she was a teenager." He pushed a photo into the center of the table. "All we have to go on at the moment is this." He pointed at a young woman and especially her right ear then handed John a magnifying glass. "What do you see?"

John looked first. "It looks like a small mole or birthmark," he said. "Just behind the lobe of the woman's right ear at the hairline." He looked at Craig. "Is that what you wanted us to see?"

"Yes," Craig said. "Is there anything distinguishable about it?"

John looked again. "I don't know. It's a pretty small mole."

Janet took a turn. "It's nearly round except for a little bulge at the base of it."

"Bulge?" John asked and used the magnifier again.

"Yes. See? Right there. Along the edge and it's kind of ragged-looking." She shrugged. "But the only way I could see that tiny detail was using an enlarged photo and a magnifying glass."

He studied it again. "I think you're right," he said and handed the tool to Hector. With a nod Hector handed it back to Craig. "And I agree with her.

"We agree," he said. "Frank and I." He smiled at Janet. "You see? You do have talents. A keen eye for detail for one thing."

She nodded but eyed him. "Okay, maybe so when looking at a photograph, but not so much when out driving or walking around."

"You see more than you think you do," he said. "You need to be more positive about your skills."

"We agree," Hector said. "In fact, you've demonstrated that already. For instance, that guy standing in the alley out behind Joe's gym."

She nodded but they could tell she was thinking about something.

"What is it?" Craig asked.

"Hmm?" she replied and looked up.

"What are you thinking about?

"Oh, I don't know. Well, yes, I do. I just wondered if you ever figured out who that was. That man."

They all shook their heads.

"I see," she said and involuntarily shuddered. "That's still creeps me out when I think about it."

Craig nodded. "Yes. I wouldn't doubt it but at this point we can't even come up with a viable guess, as to who it was. We may never find out but getting back to you – what we're trying to say here is you have very good skills, young lady," Craig said, "and they can be developed and enhanced with the right training. Plus, you have the gift of manipulation – especially with Hector." He could not stifle a grin.

"Hey," Hector said.

Janet giggled.

"It's all those buttons she likes to push," John said calmly then quickly leaned away as Hector tried to grab him by reaching behind Janet's back.

She reacted. "Cut it out! Both of you!"

Charlie laughed aloud. "You see? That's what we're talking about!"

"This is not a talent. It isn't even a skill," Janet protested. "John needs to stop teasing Hector and Hector needs to let it all roll off his back." She gestured with one hand.

Hector leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

"What did he just say?" John asked.

"Nothing," Janet said. "Just sit still and leave each other alone. Please." Janet gave them both a stern look. "I thought you were really tight. Like brothers."

"We are brothers," John said, "and we enjoy a little sibling rivalry from time to time."

She reacted; startled. "You are?"

"Are what?" John asked.

"Brothers."

He glanced at Hector.

"We're all brothers," Hector said and gestured around the table. "All of us. And we're your brothers, remember little sis?"

"Yeah, okay," she said but still eyed them curiously. "Just stop it with the sibling rivalry stuff." She looked at Craig. "Have they always been this way or is it just since I've been around?"

"A little of both," he said. "Okay. Let's get back to our conversation."

"But wait. Before we do," she said. "Are you suggesting that the only way we'll be able to identify Natasha is by way of that tiny mole?"

He sobered. "Maybe so. We'll see." He gazed at her intently for a long moment before broaching the topic most on his mind. "Janet. We have the need to enlist someone to work in a soft undercover position, if you will."

"Soft undercover?"

"Yes. We need someone on the inside of a business who can report back to us about the comings and goings of certain people. Someone who would be able to see and hear things and possibly gather information. That sort of thing. We say soft because this person wouldn't be expected to go out of their way to get involved in espionage directly or to set up wire taps and bug offices or anything like that."

"Oh. So is this what you want to talk to about? Me being in this soft position." Janet frowned harder.

He cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee. "Basically, we'd like you to be a fly-on-the-wall for us. Just that. Nothing more. Nothing that should get you into any trouble with anyone." He paused and studied her initial reaction then continued. "You have the gift of gab. You can draw people in. We feel you are very capable of encouraging others to talk about things in a casual way, and in a way that disarms them enough to draw you into their confidence. And once that is accomplished then hopefully some of these people might talk about things they otherwise would not have. Does that make sense?"

She nodded but continued to frown, waiting for Craig to drop that proverbial shoe.

"It's entirely up to you, though. I don't want to say too much more until we know whether or not you want to be that person for us."

"So, it's a job," Janet said.

"Yes."

"I'd get paid?"

"Yes."

"Where is the job?"

Craig leaned back and deferred to Charlie.

Charlie took in a deep breath. "Well, you know what my other job is, right?"

"You drive a limousine."

"Right. Which provides me the opportunity to drive some notable people around. I hear things, but because I'm just a chauffeur, they tend to keep their conversations superficial. We realized some time ago that we needed someone closer to some of these people and in a position that might allow us to get wind of other types of information."

Janet frowned again. "So, when you say notable, who exactly are we talking about?"

It grew very quiet as all four men mulled over the best response to her question. They all looked at Charlie again.

He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Okay. Fine. We're talking about people in the business."

"The business."

"Yes. Show business."

Janet's mouth dropped open. "Whoa, seriously? You want me to work in show business? I'm no actor!"

"Not as an actress, per se," Craig said quickly. "Just part of a company. A production company. Allensby Productions."

Janet glanced from Craig to Charlie then quickly back at Craig. "Wait. Allensby Productions? You mean – that producer guy? What's his name?"

"Gerald Allensby," Charlie said with a soft chuckle. "He owns it and is the CEO."

"Right. A movie producer." She looked at Craig again. "What could I possibly do for a movie producer?"

Craig grinned. "To begin with, you would start working in the mail room."

"The mail room," she replied. "Tampering with other peoples' mail is a Federal crime."

He laughed. "You just need to get your foot in the door, and the mail room is a great place to start. You'll get to know the company a little better, the lay of the land, if you will. At the same time, we already have someone else on the inside who will help facilitate your promotion."

"My promotion? To what? Custodian?" Her sarcasm slowly rose to the surface, but she hastily added, "Not that being a custodian is bad thing." She grew pensive for a moment. "Daisy was a custodian, but –"

Craig stopped to think. "Daisy?"

"Yes. At Global but it was her cover job. She was FBI."

"Yes. Right," Craig replied. "Well, no, you won't be a custodian, but before I continue, are you interested? If not, I need to stop talking."

Janet looked at her companions. "All of you already know what he's proposing."

Heads nodded.

"And you're all okay with it."

They nodded again.

She drew in a breath, closed her eyes and let it out slow. She kept her eyes closed for a couple of heartbeats then looked at Craig. "I'm interested."

"Okay. Like I said you will start in the mailroom and promote to that of an administrative assistant working with Mr. Allensby's personal secretary."

She stiffened. "Hold on! Wait a second! What?"

Craig wasn't smiling. "Janet! You're either in or not. I need to know before I say another word." He waited.

She sobered. "Okay. Okay. I'm in and I will listen."

He continued to explain more details of her job and what the expectations would be. Fifteen minutes later, he sat back and looked at her. "I want you to think about it for a while before you make a final decision. Just know that we must hold you to an unwavering commitment of secrecy. Confidentiality; whether you decide to accept the assignment or not. Do you understand? Because we cannot afford for any of this conversation to leave here."

She nodded then raised her hand.

He chuckled. "Yes?"

"How soon do you need my decision?"

"Well, sooner is always better but a couple of days or so would be nice."

She nodded. "So, you're talking about Hollywood, right?" She looked at Charlie. "Just like you."

"Yes," Charlie replied. "We are aware that Ray's organization has infiltrated Hollywood and we wanted to get a toehold somewhere. We do have someone on the inside who will be responsible for getting you hired immediately," he said. "I will be around, a lot, since I drive Mr. Allensby all over the place. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean Mr. Allensby is involved in anything illegal, but he knows a lot of people in the movie industry. That's why what you'd be doing is considered more of a soft intelligence gathering kind of job. It'll give you the opportunity to get a finger on the pulse of the business from the inside, and at the same time you may directly, and indirectly, overhear or see something that might be of value to us. That's all."

"How dangerous is this going to be?"

"It shouldn't be dangerous at all," Craig said. "You get hired. Do your job. Get that promotion. Do your job – and leave the rest to us."

She continued to frown and let out a sigh. "And who's this inside person you referred to?"

"That individual would be your handler."

"Handler! Now it does sound dangerous. I've watched enough television shows and movies to know that a handler is someone's lifeline in dangerous situations!"

"Okay," Craig said letting out a heavy sigh. "How does contact person sound? You'll have someone who will be your contact at the production company. Is that better?"

"It sounds better, but I have a feeling it's the same thing." She looked out at the water again. "Will I get to meet this contact person before I show up for work?"

"You already have."

She quickly looked from man to man sitting at the table.

"It's none of us," Craig said.

"Then who?"

He reached for her hand. "It's your father. Frank."

"My dad?" She pulled her hand away. "I don't understand."

"He's already well established with Gerald Allensby and he will be your contact."

"Already established? But how?"

"He's Gerry's personal attorney, or one of them. And he's already approached him about hiring you."

"Because I'm his daughter."

"No! In fact, you can't tell anyone about your relationship to Frank. Not anyone! No one knows he has a daughter and it will be critical that it stays that way. Do you understand?"

"No. I don't understand. Why can't anyone know?"

"It'll blow _his_ cover."

Hector put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

She didn't push him away but lamented her situation. "All I've ever wanted was a normal life. A mom. A dad. A brother and a sister. Instead, everything I thought was real isn't. The woman I thought was my mother, is my aunt. My sister? A cousin. Now I have a mother, but she lives in France and cannot go out in public on her own for fear that someone will grab her for some tidy ransom. And the father I always wanted, turns out to be Frank – an agent of some kind, or an attorney, I guess, or whatever he really is; and I can't even treat him like a father. I can't even call him dad in public. So, I'm right back where I was. She breathed out heavily and stared out at the water again. "I'm still in danger, aren't I? Nothing's changed."

She kept staring at the water and sighed. "It looks so placid and calm out there; the water, the sunshine, blue skies – everything seems so wonderful, but underneath it all, it isn't. Beneath the surface of the sea brews all kinds of danger." She turned to face them all. "Just like here. All of us. We project one side of who we are or who it is we want others to believe we are, but underneath all of it lurks uncertainty, lies, and secrets. Whether I agree to help you or not, I'll still be living a lie. Who am I really?"

Hector grabbed her and held her tight. "Go home. Go home to your mother and grandmother. Enjoy getting to know them and learning more about who you really are. You owe that to yourself. Don't worry about us and what we're planning. We'll figure something out. We always do." He grinned. "You will always be our little sister, at least to John and me. We care about you. We love you. We love you enough to say fly away home. Live on that big beautiful estate and discover who you really are. Do that first. Just know that if you ever need us or want to see us, we can make that happen."

John reached for her hand. "He's right, Janet. Buttons or not, he's absolutely right."

Hector shot him a warning glance then grinned. He looked at Janet again. "I will miss you pushing my buttons. But like I said before, you're the only one I will allow to do that." He looked at his teammates. "Anyone else and it's game over!"

They all laughed but immediately sobered. Charlie was next to offer his sentiments. "Hector's right. Go home and enjoy some quiet time. Learn to speak French so you can get a driver's license. Find a nice Frenchman and get married. Settle down, have a bunch of kids and live out that normal life you always wanted and deserve."

Craig quietly watched. He was witnessing a change in them. Perhaps good, but perhaps not. At the same time, he knew exactly what she meant and how she felt, and he knew exactly how he felt as well. He stood up but remained where he was. "Perhaps Hector is right," he finally said. "You do need to go home. Your mother will be thrilled and so will your grandmother. They need you. It will be a good opportunity for all three of you to heal from past hurts. We will miss you, that's for certain, but like John said, we'll always be here for you, and for your mother, and your grandmother. Even Mary."

Janet teared up. "I hope you're not all saying this just to get rid of me."

"Seriously?" Charlie said. "Craig just offered you a job, in Hollywood, no less. No one wants to get rid of you, not at all," he said. "We'd love for you to stay here, whether or not you want to take the job. We will miss you if you leave us! Big time! But it really does make more sense for you to go home."

"Give it some thought," Craig said. He checked his watch. "We'd better head back to the mainland."

Everyone went back inside except Janet and Craig. He walked over to her and held her close. He could feel her quietly sobbing. She finally pulled back and wiped her face then gazed across the water again. A warm breeze ruffled her hair. "I know this isn't going to sound right," she said then let out a nervous laugh. "It's just that when we were all together in that French court – at the hearing." She paused and looked into his eyes. "When I saw you and Frank show up together and then when the Avocat said he was going to reveal who my biological father was –" She teared up again and let out a heavy sigh. "I knew it had to be one of you. But when he read Frank's name – I was disappointed." Tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them away and looked up again. "I wanted it to be you." She started to sob. "I wanted it to be you."

He gently pulled her to him and put his arms around her but said nothing.

"I know you won't believe this, especially because of things I've done and said, but I've trusted you ever since I met you," she said between sobs and sniffs. "I haven't always felt that way about Frank. It's as if there's something about him that's very secretive." She sniffed again. "I don't feel that way when I'm around you."

He managed a smile. "I'm sure your relationship with Frank will change once you get to know him better. It took you a little time to get used to me if you recall whether you think you trusted me or not."

"I guess so. But it just seemed different with you. I don't know. Frank and I can't really be together as a father and daughter, that's been made clear enough." She sniffed and wiped at her face. "Pretty much all my life I've wanted a father; a dad, in addition to my mother. Now I have a different mother and a father I cannot openly acknowledge. So nothing's different. I can't even call him dad. That's going to be hard." She sniffed again. "To be honest, it still doesn't feel like I have a dad."

They maintained their embrace for a while longer until Craig gently pulled away. "We need to go." He brushed some hair from her face. "But I'll always be here for you. Always. We did form a connection. It's still there. Just think of me as your favorite uncle."

"Uncle." She sighed and sniffed. "Not quite the same." She attempted to compose herself. "I may not have a normal family, but my extended family keeps growing. John, Hector, and Charlie call me little sis, and now you're my uncle." She wiped a stray tear and attempted a smile. "I'll take it. I'll take whatever I can get. All of it because I love all of you." Tears came again.

"And we love you just as much." He took her hand. "Come on."

# CHAPTER 35

It was early evening two days later, around six o'clock. Janet gazed at each member of her extended family as they all sat in the back of Charlie's limousine parked near LAX. She was headed back to France but with mixed emotions.

She reached for Craig's hand. "Promise me you'll be careful," she said.

He smiled.

"Promise me."

"I can't make that kind of a promise, and you know it," he said. "Taking chances comes with the job and theirs as well." He glanced at his companions.

"We will be as careful as possible," John said. "How's that?"

She made a face. "Which means you'll all be taking chances no matter what I say."

Hector produced a wrapped box and handed it to her. "Maybe this will help. Just a little something to remember me by."

She accepted the box and unwrapped it then peeked inside. One glance and she burst out laughing. "Seriously?" she said and pushed on an object inside. Immediately Hector's recorded voice said, _I don't got no stinkin' buttons._ She shrieked in delight.

"Press it again," he said.

She did. _"Hey, there, little sis!"_

She laughed again. I love it! Thank you." She gave him a hug.

"I had that made especially for you," Hector said. "There are a few other remarks as well. So, if you get lonely, just push that big blue button and I'll be right there with you. And remember, you're the only one who can push my buttons, including that one." He pointed at the box.

"Thank you," she said and gave him another hug. "I really love it." Then she stopped. "Wait. Will they let me take it onboard?"

"Pack it in a bag you're going to check," he said. "It should be okay. Besides, it's all digital, no wires. Just a circuit board and a tiny speaker. It will need a battery change on occasion but that's about it. Just remove the battery before you pack it. Nothing dangerous."

"But someone might think it's remote controlled detonator or something."

"That's why I said to pack it in a bag you're going to check," he repeated. "If they need to examine it, they will."

"Okay. I just don't want them to take it away from me."

Charlie shifted enough to open a compartment. "As long as we're handing out gifts, this is a little something from me."

She accepted his wrapped box. Inside were warm mittens, and a matching scarf and beret. "They're lovely. Thank you."

"It's for those cold winters they have in France," he said and grinned.

"I'm next," John said.

Janet was overcome. "Guys. You didn't have to do this."

"Sure, we did," he said. "Here you go."

She opened a small pocket-sized photo album filled with shots of familiar places and not-so-dangerous activities they'd all been a part of. She frowned. "First of all, where did you get these photos and secondly, why can't I see any of your faces?" She looked up at him.

He displayed a half smile. "We take photos of just about anything and everything as a digital record of our work, so to speak. As for our faces, I'm sorry but we're still secret agent spies, you know."

Janet made a face at him. "Right. Okay. I guess I'll just have to remember your faces." She looked at each of them fondly. "And I guess we'd better get going so I can get checked in." She wiped a tear. "I'm really getting tired of all these tears," she said. "I should be happy, right?"

"Yes. You should," Craig said. "Two more things. First, Jeff is waiting for you inside the terminal. He's in disguise but here's what he looks like." He held up his phone displaying a photo.

Janet laughed at the image. "Good grief. Is he really a Dodgers fan?"

"Actually, he is," Hector replied.

"Okay, but how come I can see his face in that photo? Isn't he also a secret agent spy?" She tried to suppress a smile.

Craig didn't replied but instead pulled a case from his jacket pocket. "How about I give you this," he said.

Inside was a new phone. "But I already have a phone," she said.

"I know, but not like this one. Keep it with you. Don't lose it." He winked. "There is one number already set up for speed dial. Use it if you absolutely need to."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Thank you. I promise to take good care of it."

Charlie climbed out and headed to the front. Janet heard his door close and soon they were on their way again. She watched out the window as they eventually drove past the giant-sized letters that spelled LAX. Her emotions were a mix of joy and sadness as they pulled up to the international terminal, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She needed to go back to France and spend more time with her mother and grandmother. She needed to learn how to become a French woman, speak the language, become familiar with the customs and the people.

Charlie eased up to the boarding area and got out to retrieve Janet's luggage from the trunk. A porter hurried to assist. Everyone else climbed out as well, but Janet was last. She gave all of them one last hug then followed the porter inside.

Charlie waited just long enough for her to enter the building then hurried back to the driver's seat as the men also climbed back into the vehicle. Charlie put the window down between him and the passenger area. "I'm gonna miss that little gal," he said.

"We all are," Hector replied.

Charlie gazed out the windshield. "We need to hustle. We don't have much time." He eased away from the curb and joined a parade of vehicles and busses.

Inside the terminal, Janet walked slowly toward the check-in counter. A man stepped up and joined her. She recognized the disguise and grinned.

"You want a bite of this, sweetheart?" he offered her a half-eaten sandwich.

"I don't think so," she said. "You couldn't get me one of my own?"

Before they reached the counter, she stuffed her gifts inside one large bag then took Jeff's waiting hand as they strolled along. They approached the airline ticket counter to check her luggage. Jeff asked for an escort pass so he could accompany her directly to the gate. "I'm gonna miss my sweet darling wife," he said to the counter attendant. "I want to spend every last moment I can with her." He put his arm around Janet and gave her a squeeze.

"I'm going to miss you too, sweetheart," she said then took his hand again as they left the area and headed to the line to wait for their turn to go through the security check.

"So, I guess we're a couple again," she said.

"Just until you get on that plane."

She nodded. "My mother said their chauffeur, Jacque, will be waiting for me when I arrive at the Charles De Gaulle airport. She said he'll be holding a sign with my name on it." She started to breathe a little harder and her heart began to pound a little harder.

Jeff noticed. "Just relax," he said. "You'll be fine. Think about how much you are going to enjoy spending time with your mother."

"I have been, and I am excited about that, and to be able to spend more time with my grandmother. I'm also happy I'll see my sister again, or rather my cousin." She let out a sigh. "She will always be my sister, as far as I'm concerned, and I've missed not seeing her during all this stuff."

He nodded. "It'll be good that the two of you will be able to be together again. I'm sure she's having a difficult time with all of it as well."

Janet agreed. "I know, but it's really hard saying goodbye to all of you too."

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't think of this as goodbye. We're still going to stay in touch. But I really believe this is something you need to do right now."

She nodded. "Has anyone located Tatiana? Have you talked to Frank? I thought he said he knew where she was and that she wasn't well."

"We have not located her – at least not yet and Frank has not responded to our requests for whatever information he may have." He gently squeezed her hand. "But we are working on a couple of leads. They're slim but we'll keep at it."

"I'm worried about her," Janet said. "About Tatiana. Really worried. I mean, she was my mom for most of my life. I just hope she's okay."

"I understand. We're on it."

They eventually reached her gate and sat down to wait for the boarding call.

"You sure you're not hungry?" Jeff asked.

"I _am_ hungry, I just didn't want your half-eaten sandwich. But it doesn't matter. I think I'm too anxious and keyed up and it might not be a good idea to eat right now."

He took her hand and gently stroked the back of it with his thumb.

She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Jeff casually scanned the boarding area for a few minutes then looked at Janet again, her head still resting on his shoulder. She appeared to be asleep.

Nearly an hour later, the boarding call came, and passengers began to line up. Jeff helped Janet to her feet and gave her a hug then a soft kiss on her lips, whispering, "Just for appearances. Everything is going to be fine," he whispered in her ear then pulled back.

She barely nodded and took in a deep breath then let is out slowly. "It's going to be a very long and lonely flight being by myself this time."

"You'll be okay. You have a window seat in first class. Plus, we paid for the aisle seat, so you won't have anyone sitting next to you."

"Thanks, but are you sure you don't want to join me again?" She managed a smile. "You could, you know, since the seat is paid for and available."

He smiled. "You'll be fine. Besides, I already have another assignment to attend to. He kissed her forehead and her lips again then helped with her carry-on bag. They stepped to the line and waited together until it was her turn.

She turned to him one last time. "Jeff?"

"You'll be fine," he said. "Take a nice long nap and you'll be there in no time."

She nodded but fought back tears as she stepped up to the counter. The attendant scanned her boarding pass and she moved forward catching one last glance at Jeff before entering the jetway.

He gave a wave and blew her a kiss but remained where he was until she was out of sight. He glanced around then made eye contact with someone and gave a nod before quickly leaving the area.

Janet found her seat and settled in. She stowed her carry-on bag then leaned back to gaze out at the planes lined up at adjacent gates. She noticed one backing out in preparation to leave its gate just as the engines of her plane began their customary whine as they fired up. It was in that moment she wished she could either blink her eyes or tap her heels together and be in France in a heartbeat. She felt completely alone, despite being surrounded by a plane full of people, and she was not looking forward to the long flight.

Suddenly a man was standing in the aisle at her row.

She looked up. "Yes?"

"You need to come with me."

"Excuse me?"

"You need to come with me," he repeated.

"Why? Who are you?"

He pulled his jacket aside just enough to reveal a badge attached to his belt. He was an Air Marshall for the airline.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No, ma'am, but you do need to come with me. Now."

Janet retrieved her carry-on bag and eased out into the aisle. She was nervous but didn't want to create any more of a scene since everyone was already staring at her, wondering why she was getting yanked off the plane so suddenly.

She preceded the Air Marshall out of the plane and up the jetway to the outer lobby. A golf cart and driver were waiting. She noticed her other luggage was on the cart.

She and the Air Marshall climbed in behind the driver at which point she had to ask, "Where are we going?"

"To another aircraft. They're waiting for you."

"They? They who?" Now very nervous she looked around for Jeff, desperately hoping he'd see her leaving the area with a strange man.

Her escort didn't respond as the golf cart quickly took off. She gripped an armrest in response to the jolt while the driver honked and shouted for people to clear the way as they hurried to another gate. Once there, the Air Marshall helped her off the cart. She still clutched her carry-on bag and furtively looked around, hoping for an opportunity to run. The driver and Air Marshall retrieved her other luggage and herded her down the empty jetway.

"I-I'm not so sure I want to go anywhere," she said in desperation.

Neither man said a word as they approached the plane. Someone else approached and quickly collected her luggage while the Air Marshall and the driver motioned for her to board the aircraft. Still clinging desperately to her carry-on bag, Janet nervously stepped into the plane then stopped suddenly and stared. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before; luxurious and spacious. There were a few typical airline seats on one side but also an area resembling a living room with sofas and a large screen television across from them, but no other passengers.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Just a precaution," he said, as he stood next to her. "We received some reports that someone may attempt to interfere with your travel plans."

"Interfere?" she asked. "Who told you that? Who are you really? I-I need to get off this plane." She spun around to head to the door then stopped and faced a nicely attired woman with an equally nice smile.

"May I take your bag?" she asked. "I'll stow it for you." She gently pulled it away from Janet who just stood and stared.

"A-Am I still headed for France?" Janet asked the woman and began to follow her farther into the plane.

"Absolutely, but in style and in your own private plane."

"Wait! My private plane?" She continued to gaze around as she kept up with Allison. "Who are you?"

"Alison," she said. "I'll be assisting you during the flight. If you need anything just let me know."

Janet's new phone rang. With tremendous relief she quickly answered. "Craig! I think I'm in trouble."

"Are you settled?"

"No. Well, I don't know. Some guy claiming to be an Air Marshall pulled me off my plane! But now I'm on a different one and I'm scared!"

"It's okay, Janet. Don't be afraid. It's part of our plan and just as I requested. We went to all this trouble to thwart anyone's attempt to get in the way of your trip home. I think we succeeded."

"You mean, this was your idea? You could have told me! Or Jeff could have. I thought someone was abducting me again!"

"I'm sorry, honey. We didn't want to tip our hand." He chuckled. "You should be getting used to this sort of thing by now."

"I'm not so sure about that. S-So someone was going to try to; I mean –"

"We're not sure, but decided to play is safe, just in case."

Janet let out a very heavy sigh. "I just want all of this to be over."

"I know and we're sorry we scared you, but you are safe."

"You're sure."

"Absolutely. You can trust them. Doug and Alison. We've all worked together before. I trust them."

"Doug? Who's Doug?"

"The Air Marshall and Alison who will be your flight attendant. I trust them both."

"Oh." Janet looked at Alison. "Okay, but who's flying this plane?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I want to." She let out a heavy breath. "Okay, yes. I trust you, but –"

"Good," he said. "Now then, there is a bedroom at your disposal in the back with a private bathroom. I suggest you take advantage of that. Besides, it's about time you got accustomed to a new lifestyle."

"New lifestyle. I don't know about that. I kinda liked my old lifestyle - sorta."

"Things have changed, Janet. Now, get seated and belt up so your crew can get things underway. I love you and I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing unfortunate happens to you. That's a promise."

"That's quite a promise," she said, "considering all we've already had to deal with, but thank you."

She hung up and smiled at Doug who was still onboard. "Doug, right? Well, thank you as well, and you too, Alison."

"My pleasure," Doug said. "Craig's a good man. Now I need to get going so this plane can take off. Enjoy your flight." He exited the plane.

Alison escorted Janet to the back of the plane long enough for her to see the bedroom, but glanced over her shoulder briefly while Janet stared, amazed at the sight of the bedroom and amenities.

"Okay. Time to get going, pick any seat you like." She pointed. "And belt up while I secure the compartment door so we can take off."

Janet tore her gaze away from the bedroom and chose a window seat. She secured her seatbelt just as the engines came to life. A short while later, the plane slowly moved away from the gate. Janet gazed out her window and noticed the other plane she'd originally boarded was still at its gate. Her mind started to mull over what had just happened and what Doug and Craig both said. Was someone or several someone's still trying to get at her? Had a suspicious person boarded the other plane? Was she safe on this plane and was this the plan all along? She immediately made up her mind that the moment they were airborne, and it was safe to do so, she would get out of her seat and check every square inch of this plane. The last thing she wanted was to face some unexpected surprises.

Hours later, Janet awoke up from a wonderful sleep in a comfortable bed and feeling much better. She'd just finished washing her face when she heard a tap on her locked bedroom door.

It was Alison. "Are you up?"

"I am," Janet replied.

"I took the liberty of preparing something for you to eat," she said from outside the door.

Janet was surprised, but in a good way. "Okay, thanks."

"My pleasure."

"How much longer before we arrive?" Janet asked through the closed door.

"Another three to four hours. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did."

"It does help pass the time," she said. "Would you like to eat in your room, or out in the main cabin?"

"I'll come out there. I'll hurry and change my clothes."

"No rush. Whenever you're ready."

Janet stared at the door. This was absolutely nothing like she'd ever experienced before.

A few minutes later she joined Alison. A tray with a nice hot breakfast awaited her. Janet sat on the sofa and lifted the warming cover off her plate to see scrambled eggs, toast, and hash browns.

"Wow. This is nice and smells wonderful." She looked up at Alison. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble," she replied. "I know it's early, but I figured you'd be hungry."

"Early?" Janet asked then notice all the window shades were lowered. "How early?"

"About five o'clock in the morning California time but about two in the afternoon in Paris. We should be landing around five their time."

She nodded. "Are you going to join me?"

"I've already eaten. Let me know if you need anything else."

Janet stopped her. "You know, I was told that I need to get used to a new lifestyle."

Alison nodded.

"Okay. Maybe so, but I'm still the same person I was before all of this. So, I would love it if you would join me."

"Well, I –"

"Please. I'm beginning to feel like I have a dreaded disease, like the plague, or something. I would enjoy your company."

Alison nodded again. "Okay. I'll get some hot tea and be right back." She headed for the galley. "Would you like some tea?" she asked.

"Yes, please. Herbal if you have it."

The remaining hours seemed to pass quickly, especially having someone to talk to. Now, though, they were on approach. Belted in at her window seat, she admired the landscape in the softening light of late afternoon. Miles and miles of farmland passed below. And as they continued to descend, she began to see an interesting network of roads winding around property lines, smaller clusters of trees, as well as larger forested areas. Everything looked so green. Much like the last time she flew to Paris for the hearing. This time, however, she was told they were flying into a different and smaller airport just north of Paris, one that accepted arrivals and departures of privately-operated aircraft.

Touchdown was smooth. They taxied to a location on the apron out of the way of other arriving and departing aircraft. The engines powered down and Janet collected her carry-on bag from the bedroom then followed Alison out of the plane. A portable passenger boarding stair unit stood ready. Janet paused at the top to breathe in the cool, fresh air and gaze up at the clear early evening sky. Feeling rejuvenated and with a growing sense of excitement, she descended the stairs just as a limousine pulled up. The driver stepped out, but kept his back to her while he adjusted his jacket and cap. The minute he turned around; Janet squealed with delight. She dropped her bag and rushed to him. "Charlie!" she cried out and flung her arms around his neck. "How did you –?

He flashed a big grin. "First tell me what you thought of your flight? Not bad, eh?"

She punched his arm playfully. "You knew I was coming in this private plane!"

"Yup. That was the plan all along. So how was it?"

"Really nice. I had a bed to sleep in and everything."

"Well, I'm glad the flight went well," he said. "Let me get your things so we can get going. I'm sure your mother is anxious."

She picked up her carry-on and handed it to Charlie then turned around in time to see a pilot emerge from the aircraft. He removed his hat and sunglasses.

Janet stared in disbelief. "Craig? But –" she glanced over her shoulder at Charlie who was watching with delight. She looked back at Craig. "But how? I mean, when –?" She ran straight to his arms and they embraced.

"How are you this evening?" he asked. "Rested? Happy?"

"Yes, but how did you and Charlie –" she stopped as she watched another man descend the stairs. "Wait a minute. Doug? But you got off the plane before it took off."

Craig chuckled. "Actually, he waited until you went to check out your bedroom and ducked into the cockpit with me. Alison kept you distracted for us."

"You mean to tell me that you both were the pilots?"

"Doug was the Captain and I was the First Officer, or co-pilot, if you will."

Her eyes softened. "You really meant it when you said you were going to make sure I was okay."

"Of course, I did." He took her hand. "Now you need to get moving. As soon as you're safely at your mother's home I can begin to relax."

Janet's face showed concern. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure anything is wrong, but we don't want to take any chances."

"You all keep saying that and it's making me nervous."

"Don't worry. Well, of course you're going to worry, but remember we can handle just about anything. I'll be happier, though, when I know you are safe at your mother's home. Your home."

Despite his attempt to reassure her, she still looked around nervously. "I thought Ray was dead."

"He is but someone else has taken over. Same nasty business just under new management."

"Like maybe his daughter Natasha? And now she's after me?" Janet's expression was grim.

"We don't know for sure who is in charge now, but I doubt they're still interested in you. Especially now that all of this is relatively out in the open. They have probably decided to look elsewhere for financial assistance."

"Then why are you so worried about me? Why take all these precautions if I'm no longer of interest to them."

He continued to hold her hand but gave her a gentle squeeze. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just an old worry-wart."

"I hardly think so."

"Well, nonetheless, I don't want you to worry about any of this. You're home. Stay here. Learn French. Be with your mother, grandmother, and Mary. You have a legitimate family now. Make the most of it. Promise me?"

Janet nodded. "Yes. But –" she paused. "If you and the others ever need me for anything, I still want to help. I'm still part of this team whether you like it or not." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him again. "I love you and what I told you before – I meant it then and I still do."

He let out a sigh. "Okay, but Frank was declared to be your father, not me. You need to work on building a relationship with him. It's important that you do that."

"I guess so, and I will do my best, but you will always be my favorite uncle."

He released her and smiled. "One last thing."

"What?"

"Turn around."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"Go on. Turn around."

She did then let out another gasp. Next to Charlie stood Hector, John, and Jeff. " _All_ of you are here?"

"That's right," Craig said. "We all love you, and you are right, you still are part of our team. And we just might need to bring you out of a soft retirement at some point," he said.

Janet waved the others over. One by one, she gave them all hugs and expressed her thanks. "You were all on the plane with me?"

"No, we arrived about an hour ago to pick up the limo and a rental car," Hector replied.

"Okay, everyone," Craig said. "Let's get her out of here." He escorted Janet to her limousine. Charlie was already sitting up front and ready to go.

Craig joined Janet while Jeff headed for the rental car with John and Hector. Doug and Alison re-boarded the larger aircraft.

"Where are they going?" Janet asked watching them board.

"Nowhere, at the moment. They're just getting things ready for our return flight."

"Return flight." Janet's face clouded and evidenced the question in her mind.

"We won't be staying," he said. "Once you're safe at home, the rest of us still have work to do back in the States. We still have leads to follow and people to track down."

Their tiny caravan made its way through the countryside. Janet stared out her window imagining the history these roads had seen over previous decades. Small clusters of homes dotted the area here and there. They finally reached the Voclain Estate and its ornate gates which slowly opened allowing both vehicles to enter. As the limousine pulled up to the main entrance of the house Janet could see her mother and Mary waiting outside; excited.

Janet barely let Charlie stop the car before she was out and ran to her mother and sister, embracing them both at the same time.

Craig and the others stood back and watched. It was a joyous moment and a poignant one at the same time. Craig watched Julienne hoping to catch her eye for just a moment. She turned to look at him and smiled with a small wave then took a step toward him. He responded in kind but indicated she should not come closer. More than anything he would have loved to have held her, but he knew that would not be wise.

Janet turned to face the other men. They also held their hands up indicating she should stay where she was. John and Hector, though, each blew her a kiss.

She started to cry. Her mother hurried to her side and they both watched as the men got back in their vehicles and drove out in a solemn procession.

Janet couldn't control her sobs. "I miss them already," she said in a choppy voice. "I miss them already."

"I know, mon amour," her mother said quietly, also watching with a pained heart. "I feel the same." She smiled at her daughter. "But now we must go in and see your grand-mère. She is excited you have returned to us."

Janet wiped her eyes and smiled, but still watched as the departing vehicles passed through the estate entrance and the large gates slowly closed. "Yes," she replied. "Grand-mere. I am eager to see her as well." She paused and drew in a breath. "And to embrace my new life here with you, her, and Mary." Janet held out her hand to her sister. "We are a real family – at last."

# # #

# THE DUPLICITY SERIES

Book 1 – a Desperate Rescue

Book 2 – a Relentless Pursuit

Book 3 – a Calculated Risk

Book 4 – a Conditional Trust

Book 5 – an Unwitting Alliance

Book 6 – a Cunning Deception

Book 7 – a Justified Betrayal

Book 8 – an Uncertain Future

