Tangled Web
By Sarah & Lanie
Chapter 10
Carlino's
Amanda stopped next to Josie and Gary's table. "Gary, Josie, what a nice surprise! I wasn't expecting to see the two of you here. How are things?" Amanda suddenly noticed Gary's tense posture and Josie's anxious fidgeting. Her brow furrowed with concern. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked. You two look upset. Can I help? Is there something you want to talk about?"
Gary looked like he was about to speak when Josie quickly put her hand over his and gave him a cautionary look. Gary sighed and plastered a smile on his face. "It's nothing, Amanda. Just work stress. Josie has been giving me pointers on how to handle things and … I'm doing my best to take her advice."
Amanda smiled knowingly. "Ah, I have a little experience trying to give advice to a Sinclair. I know they're not always as receptive as you'd like them to be, right Josie?"
Josie nodded and chuckled. "You got it. Are you meeting Cameron here for dinner?"
"No, I just stopped by to pick up some of Paulina's cannolis for dessert. I'll leave you two to your dinner. See you later."
"Bye, Amanda." Josie replied with false cheer. Josie and Gary subtly watched as Amanda chatted with Paulina for a few minutes, then grabbed her takeout bag and headed for the door with a quick wave goodbye in their direction. Once she was gone, Josie looked back at Gary. "You were going to tell her, weren't you?" When Gary didn't reply, Josie knew she was right. She sighed and said, "Gary, you can't tell Amanda that Cameron is having an affair based on a hunch and one comment you overheard. You could destroy their marriage over something you're not even sure is true. Is that what you want?"
Gary closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Of course not J, but I don't know what to do. I can feel that Cameron is hiding something from us, and I'm sure now more than ever that it has something to do with Tess Richardson. But you're right, I can't say anything to Amanda until I'm sure."
Josie could see the light of determination in her husband's eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find out what my brother is hiding, whether he likes it or not."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
August 9, 1999
Pendleton Correctional Facility, Indiana
David walked into the warden’s office and held out his hand. "Hello, Mr. Simms. I’m David Halliday.
The warden shook David’s hand and replied, "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Halliday. Please, have a seat." Once David sat down the warden continued, "What can I do for you?"
"I’d like to speak privately with one of your inmates. I was hoping you’d be willing to arrange that for me."
The warden studied David closely before replying. "You do realize that this is a high security facility, don’t you? We generally don’t allow private meetings."
David nodded. "I realize the request is unusual, but what I need to discuss with this man is a highly sensitive matter. I’m willing to fulfill whatever requirements you deem necessary to make this meeting happen." David raised a brow and gave the man a look that clearly expressed his meaning.
Simms smiled knowingly and said, "I’m sure we can reach an arrangement that is… amenable to both of us. Which of the prisoners did you want to meet?"
David opened the file folder on his lap and replied, "Duane Johnson. How soon can you arrange the meeting?"
"I’ll set it up as soon as we sort out the… details." The warden lay his arms across the desk and leaned forward. "What do you need to discuss with him, if I may ask?"
David smiled and replied, "As I said, it’s a personal matter. Let’s just say that Mr. Johnson and I share a mutual acquaintance."
30 minutes later…
David tapped his fingers impatiently on the top of the wooden table and glanced absently around the room. Other than the table and the pair of chairs that sat on either side of it, the room was barren. The small windows contained block glass that allowed little natural light to enter. The majority of the light in the room was provided by a bank of fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling, one of which had a short. David glared up at the flickering fixture in annoyance.
David’s eyes snapped to the door at the sound of it opening. A guard led in a man wearing a denim jumpsuit. David studied the man as the guard removed his handcuffs. Duane Johnson was a thin man with receding blond hair and a mustache. When the guard left the room, Johnson turned the chair across from David around and straddled it with his arms resting across the back. "You wanted to see me about somethin’?"
David opened his briefcase and took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He placed them on the table and pushed them within the man’s reach. Johnson smiled and nodded in appreciation. As the man removed the cellophane wrapper and opened the pack, David said, "I wanted to talk to you about a former cellmate of yours."
Johnson took a deep pull on the cigarette and replied, "Which one?"
"Cameron Sinclair. I understand that you were his cellmate for the last five years he was here."
"Sinclair and I were bunkmates. What about it?"
David looked at Johnson, measuring his reaction to Cameron’s name. "Were you friends?"
"We got on ok. Why are you askin’ about Sinclair?"
David leaned back in the chair and replied. "It’s part of a background check I’m running. Mr. Sinclair has applied for a job with my company. I need to know if anything happened while he was here that I should be concerned about."
"Job, huh? Well, Sinclair pretty much kept to himself while he was here. Didn’t get in more trouble than anyone else inside." Johnson took another drag off the cigarette and said, "So where did Sinclair end up anyhow? I wondered what happened to him after he left here."
"He’s currently living in a small town in Illinois. Done quite well for himself, you’ll be happy to hear." David realized his dislike of Cameron was seeping into his tone. Johnson narrowed his eyes with slight puzzlement.
David cleared his throat and started rifling through his briefcase. "He’s recently married the editor of a magazine. I think somewhere in here…ah, there it is." David pulled the latest issue of Brava out and flipped a few pages. He found what he was looking for and showed Johnson the page. "There’s a picture of him and his new bride."
Johnson took the magazine and studied the picture accompanying the small wedding announcement. He scoffed and tossed the magazine down on the table in front of David. "You’ve got your Sinclairs mixed up. If that’s the guy who’s lookin’ to work for you, you’ll have to find info on him somewhere else."
David’s brows shot up in surprise. "I don’t understand. I thought you shared a cell with Cameron Sinclair for five years."
"I did. But that ain’t the Cameron Sinclair I bunked with. I’ve never seen that guy before in my life."
The puzzled frown creasing David’s forehead slowly dissolved away. As a light of comprehension entered his eyes, a satisfied smile spread across his lips. He picked up the magazine and tossed it back into his briefcase. He stood up and spoke, grin still firmly in place. "I’m sorry to have bothered you. Have a nice day." I know I will, David mused.
David knocked on the door to alert the guard that he was coming out. As the guard entered the room to retrieve his prisoner, David strode back down the hall. He knocked on the door to the warden's office and was bid to enter. As he walked in, Mr. Simms asked, "So, did you get everything you needed from Johnson?"
One side of David’s lips quirked upward. "It went better than I could have possibly hoped. But I do need one more thing from you before I go…"
An hour and a half later, David was walking across the parking lot at the prison toward his rental car. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Yes, this is David Halliday. I have a reservation for your evening flight to Bay City but I was hoping to leave earlier. Do you have any seats available on the next flight?… Two hours? Great, I’ll be there. Thank you."
David put the phone back in his jacket pocket and climbed into his car. As he sped down the highway toward the airport, he smiled in anticipation. Things were definitely looking up…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
David’s Townhouse
David opened the door and dropped his briefcase on the side table. He opened the case and removed a file folder from it. As he walked through the foyer, he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. A moment later, Cindy strolled out with a scotch glass in her hand. David smiled admiringly at her outfit, a deep plum Mandarin style dress. "So how was your trip?" she asked with a grin. As she handed him the glass, she continued, "Did you find what you were looking for?"
David smiled slyly and replied, "In spades" before taking a sip of the drink.
"Good. So are you going to tell me what the big mystery is or am I going to be left out in the cold?"
David chucked her under the chin and said, "I’m afraid you’ll have to be chilly a little while longer. I’m still deciding the best way to use the information I have. Until then, I’m going to keep it to myself."
Cindy pouted for a moment, then shrugged. "Ok, you’re the boss." Cindy looked at her watch and then back up at David. "I wasn’t expecting you back for a few hours yet. Were you that impatient to get back to Bay City?"
David’s eyes twinkled with merriment and mischief. "Oh Cindy, you have no idea how eager I was to get back here. I would have been back even sooner but I had to make a stop on the way here."
"Really?" Cindy queried with a raised brow. "What errand did you need to run?"
"I just had to make a few… copies…" David’s voice trailed off as he finally took a good look around the living room. Cindy's manicure kit sat open on the couch. Her crimson silk robe was tossed across one of the chairs. Several fashion magazines were spread open on the coffee table next to a half-empty glass of ice tea. The glass sat directly on the surface of the polished oak table and a water ring was forming at its base. David turned his gaze back to Cindy's and raised a brow. "I see you've been keeping the home fires burning while I was away."
Cindy shot him a nervous grin and walked past him to pick up the mess. As she gathered her things and wiped the water ring off the table, Cindy said, "Well I figured since you were away I could house-sit for you. I didn't think you'd mind…"
David’s lack of response increased Cindy’s anxiety. She chuckled nervously and continued in a quick outburst, "I should have asked you first. I can see this was a bad idea. I’ll just make myself scarce."
Cindy walked quickly toward the door. David stopped her when her hand was on the knob. He grasped her elbow and turned her to face him. "You can’t leave yet. There’s something you need to do first."
Cindy looked up at David, unable to read his expression. He looked extremely calm but Cindy could sense something beneath his unflappable exterior and assumed it was anger. Cindy sighed heavily. She should have known she'd find a way to screw this up sooner rather than later. "You’re right. I suppose the 'proper' thing to do is to quit so you don't have to fire me. I deserve to be bawled out for invading your privacy, so go ahead."
David said nothing for a minute. Then he smiled slightly and said, "I was anticipating a 'welcome home' greeting and you're trying to leave me high and dry in the middle of a business deal? That's not very considerate of you, Cindy."
Cindy gazed up at him in surprised wonder. "So… you’re not… mad?"
Although he wasn't about to admit it to her, David had liked how it felt when he'd come home to find Cindy waiting for him. It had been a long time since he'd lived anything other than a solitary life. In a strange way, he even liked the fact that she'd made a mess. It was comforting… normal… to have her in his house. He could use some normalcy after what he'd been through the past few months.
David smiled at her softly and replied, "Mad? No, I’m not angry with you. Why would I be?"
Cindy shrugged slightly. "I guess it’s a reflex. People generally get mad at me all the time. Why would you be any different?"
"Well, maybe it’s just a matter of perspective. You don’t inspire anger in me, Cindy. In fact, I have just the opposite reaction. So, what can I do to thank you for taking care of things while I was away? There must be something I have that you want."
David had made the comment jokingly as a reference to Cindy’s passion for his money. But the type of craving that he saw in her eyes when he asked the question had nothing to do with his bank account. Telling himself that he was playing with fire didn’t help. David reached his hand out and gently stroked Cindy’s cheek. She closed her eyes briefly and leaned her head into the subtle caress. When her eyes met David’s again, he leaned in toward her.
Suddenly, a loud knocking echoed through the townhouse. David’s eyes snapped to the door with annoyance. When he looked back at Cindy, he said, "I don’t suppose that if we ignore it, it will go away?"
Before Cindy could reply, the insistent rapping came again, this time followed by an infuriated yell. "Halliday! Open the damn door! I know you’re in there!"
Cindy rolled her eyes, "Him again."
"Sinclair was here before?"
"Yeah, I didn’t get a chance to tell you about it. He was worked into a real lather over something."
David directed a threatening glare at the door. "Yes. I’m sure ‘the wife’ has him whipped into a frenzy about big bad David stomping all over her delicate feelings. Well, Mr. Sinclair is about to find out just how much he’s underestimated me." David’s expression softened as he looked back at Cindy. "I don’t think he’s planning on going anywhere until he has his say. I’m afraid we’ll need to pick this up later, Cindy. How about dinner tonight?"
"I’d love to. But are you sure you want to be alone with him? He sounds like he’s got a major bee in his bonnet."
"I’m sure. Sinclair and I have a few things to straighten out, just between the two of us. After tonight, I don’t think I’ll need to worry about him again."
Cindy started as Cameron pounded on the door again. The thick wood panel shook within its frame. "Ok, but if I don’t hear from you in an hour I’m calling the cops. The guy has a prison record, remember?"
David thoughtfully tapped his fingers against the file folder in his hand. "Oh yes, I’m well aware of Mr. Sinclair’s ‘record’. I’ll call you about dinner."
David reached over and opened the door. Cameron stood there fuming as Cindy walked over to stand directly in front of him. "Ya know what Cam? Not only are you a royal pain, but your timing is lousy."
Cameron smiled coldly. "Good to see you too, Cindy. Why don't you run along now? I have a few things to discuss with your walking meal ticket."
Cindy glared at him and walked away. As she headed for her car, she smiled to herself. From what David had said about not having to worry about Cameron again, she figured that he'd come up with something big.
Once Cindy was gone, Cameron turned his infuriated gaze back on David. "Well David, looks like you need a reminder about certain things. And I have no problem giving it to you."
David leaned insolently against the doorframe. "And maybe I should remind you of a few legal statues. Harassment and disturbing the peace spring to mind. That’s not exactly the best behavior for someone in your situation. What would your parole officer say?" The last comment was made with a raised brow and hooded irony.
Cameron studied David for a brief moment, not sure what to make of his attitude. Then he said, "Unless you want to add assault to the list you’d better stay away from Amanda and anything to do with her, especially the business."
"How did I know that your wife inspired this little tantrum? What happened? Did she break a fingernail? Did the servant put too much cream in her coffee this morning? Oh forget it, let's get this over with." David turned his back and strode into the townhouse, leaving Cameron to follow him. Cameron entered the townhouse and shut the door forcefully behind him.
When David turned to face him, Cameron immediately went on the offensive. "I think you’ve forgotten certain promises I made about what I’d do if you didn’t stay away from Amanda."
David unbuttoned his jacket and planted his hands on his hips. "And I think you need a new dictionary. ‘Promises’ are not what you made. Threats and extortion are more accurate terms."
Cameron folded his arms over his chest. "Call it what you want. I told you what would happen if you didn’t keep your nose out of Amanda’s business. I’m just here to find out how soon you can pack your bags and get out of town."
David gave him a look of mock confusion. "But I’m not leaving town. Why should I? I’ve just gotten settled in here."
Cameron took a menacing step closer to David. "I don’t care if you’ve moved into this place lock, stock, and barrel. You’re going to get out of Bay City or I’m going to ruin you with your investors. I won’t have you upsetting Amanda any more, and since you can’t play nice, you’re going to take your ball and go home."
David glared back at Cameron. "What you don’t seem to be getting through your thick skull is that I consider this to be home, at least for the time being. So take your bluster and your empty threats and get out!"
Cameron sneered slightly at David’s bravado. "Since you claim not to remember much of the first part of this year, let me clear something up for you. I don’t make empty threats. I mean every word I say. If you don’t leave town now, I’ll tell your buddies back in Omaha all about you’re little out of body experience. You won’t have enough credibility to trade baseball cards let alone blue chip stocks."
David leaned his hip against the sofa and folded his arms across his chest. "And what exactly do you think will happen to your wife’s magazine if I pull my money out of it? Because that’s exactly what I’d do if I was planning to leave town. As I told her before, my money goes where I go."
"I suppose you’ll just have to make an exception in this case."
David’s glare slowly faded to a smirk. He was done playing games with Sinclair. If Cameron wanted a fight, David was prepared to play just as dirty. "Indiana really is lovely this time of year, don’t you think?"
Cameron’s brow furrowed at the abrupt change in topic. He could tell by the look on David’s face that he thought he had an ace up his sleeve. Bringing up Indiana was a clear reference to Cameron’s prison time. He couldn’t guess what David was after so he decided to play along. "What the hell are you on about, Halliday?"
"The view from Pendleton isn’t the greatest, but I’m sure that there are other places where you could see some extraordinary sights." David smiled and gave Cameron a direct, knowing look. "But then again, you wouldn’t have any idea what the view from Pendleton is like, would you? I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it."
Cameron felt a chill rush through him. How the hell did Halliday find out? What exactly does he know? Cameron forced himself to calm down and think. Don’t give away anything. Play dumb until he comes clean. "What kind of game are you playing, Halliday? You know that I served most of my time at Pendleton."
"I know that someone answering to the name ‘Cameron Sinclair’ spent a little less than ten years in that facility. I also know that that man wasn’t you. After I got back from the board meeting, I took a little trip out to Pendleton. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the man I know as Cameron Sinclair never set foot in that facility. A man with a different face, and fingerprints for that matter, served a sentence meant for you. Which begs the question, what were you doing those ten years you were supposedly in prison? And how on earth did you get out?"
Cameron was certain that the FBI had covered his tracks at Pendleton. Whatever Halliday thought he knew there was no way he had any solid proof. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about, as usual."
David's eyes widened and he smiled smugly. "Oh, but I do know what I'm talking about, and we both know it. I spoke to several people there who knew 'Cameron Sinclair' and not one of them recognized your photograph. I have signed affidavits to that fact."
Cameron shrugged. "If you throw enough money at people, they'll sign anything. Those statements aren't worth the paper they're written on."
David smiled with grudging admiration and nodded. "I see. Whoever had the pull to get you out in the first place can probably force the people I spoke with to lie for you. Fair enough. They obviously went to a great deal of trouble to convince the world that you were in prison all those years. They even managed to substitute your information into the computer files."
David pulled a sheet out of the folder he held. Dropping the folder on the couch behind him, David continued, "Computers are amazing, don't you think? They consolidate piles of information into one convenient location. There's no longer a need to keep around file cabinets full of old paperwork."
Cameron tensed at that statement. He was starting to see where David was going with this conversation. David looked up from the page he'd been studying. "Did you realize that when your replacement arrived at Pendleton, the Indiana State Correctional Services didn't have a computer system yet? They did everything with paper forms: discipline reports, parole applications, … admittance forms. Scads of paper documents just taking up space. Of course, they eventually moved their record keeping to a computer system. After that, there was really no need to keep all that paper around." David turned the document around to face Cameron and spoke with malicious irony. "But you know government bureaucracies; they never throw anything away."
Cameron snatched the paper from David and studied it. It was a form that confirmed Cameron Sinclair's transfer from the Indiana State Prison to the Pendleton Correctional Facility. It contained all of Cameron's information: his social security number, his birth date, the terms and length of his prison sentence. However, it also came with a photograph and a set of fingerprints. The man in the photo bore a slight resemblance to Cameron but it was clearly someone else.
Cameron's infuriated gaze rose to meet David's self-satisfied one. "How did you get your hands on this? Who did you pay off?"
David laughed and snidely replied, "What are you going to do, wag your finger at me and scold me for not playing fair? I'm sorry but that's a bit of a stretch coming from you. Since, unlike you, I'm not on intimate terms with anyone in local law enforcement I had to do what was necessary to get my hands on that information. Don't expect me to apologize for fighting fire with fire. You started this and I'm ending it, plain and simple."
Cameron tore the page in four pieces, then crumpled it up into a ball and tossed it to David. David held up the wadded document and replied, "I'm sure you realize this isn't the only copy. I hope that little temper tantrum made you feel better because that's all it accomplished."
Cameron pointed a finger at David and spoke in a low, menacing tone. "Whatever you have in mind for that, you better forget it. This is a one-time warning: You don't know what you're dealing with, so stay out of it."
David casually tossed the paper ball on top of the coffee table. "Well at least you've given up the tiresome denials. Now we can lay all our cards on the table. You're right about one thing. I'm not exactly sure what I'm dealing with here, but I do have a pretty good guess. Want to hear my theory?"
Cameron said nothing, hoping his lack of comment would shut David up. Instead, it just egged him on. "I think that part of the story you're spreading around town is true. The FBI released you from prison so they could put you to work on a case. The difference is, they released you a lot earlier than last year. They had this guy impersonate you in prison as a cover. Am I close?"
Cameron knew that he had to reply carefully. He didn't want to give the truth away, but Cameron knew Halliday well enough to realize that he'd take silence as confirmation. "You have a really active fantasy life, Halliday. I don't care how many documents you show around. No one will believe you."
"Well, maybe not at first. But then again, you haven't exactly been a paragon of virtue and honesty since you arrived in Bay City. From what I understand, there are some major trust problems between you and your wife. How long do you think it would take for her to start asking questions you don't want to answer? As they say, once an investigative reporter, always an investigative reporter."
Cameron clenched his hands into fists at David's taunting reminder. "And what about your brother?" David continued with feigned speculation. "I understand that you've recently reconciled with him. But what do you think he'd do if I arranged for him to see a copy of this information? He seems to be the tenacious type. I'm sure it wouldn't take him long at all to follow up on this and dig up more than you want him to know. Somehow, I don't think whoever is pulling your strings would be too happy to have your brother sniffing around your past."
Cameron struggled against the urge to strangle David with his bare hands. Of all the people to figure this out… "What if I call your bluff and go to your investors with those pictures? You'd be so busy trying to keep your own life together that you wouldn't have time to destroy mine!"
David scoffed, not taking the threat at all seriously. "Go ahead, if you don't mind ruining your marriage and being slapped with a defamation of character lawsuit. As for my investors, I'll tell them I was kidnapped and drugged, that I was the victim of some psychotic stalker. I have a lie detector test to back up the fact that I don't remember what happened. Some of them may jump ship, but I think I'll fare a lot better than you will if your wife finds out that you've been lying to her since you met. And I seriously doubt that your brother will forgive you again for all the lies you've told him since you came back into his life. If you force my hand, only one of us will remain standing, and trust me, it won't be you."
"Enough!" Cameron shouted with frustrated rage. "Quit playing games and just tell me what the hell you want!"
David stepped closer to Cameron, his own anger bubbling just below the surface. "I want you to do what you keep harping on me to do. I want you to back off! I'm sick and tired of having you in my face every time your wife throws a hissy fit! I want you to stay out of my business, and that includes whatever dealings I have with Brava. A couple of weeks back, you came to me with 'fair warning' about the information you had and what you would do with it if I didn't toe the line. Well, turn about is fair play. This is your first and only warning. Push me again, and you'll find out just how serious I am."
Cameron glared at David with hatred glittering in his eyes. "This isn't over Halliday. Trust me on that." Cameron turned and stalked out of the town house, slamming the door behind him so hard that the vibrations shook the floor under David's feet. David smiled to himself and picked up the phone. When his call clicked through, David said, "Cindy! Glad I caught you. Get yourself all dolled up for dinner tonight." David shot a satisfied glance at the closed door. "I'm in the mood to celebrate."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cory Mansion
Cameron walked into the house and carefully placed his keys on the entry table. He had a tenuous hold on his temper and knew that he needed to maintain it. He was going to have to explain to Amanda why Halliday wasn't going to back off. If he let the anger take over, Cameron knew that he might say something he shouldn't. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times, attempting to gain tighter control over his fury.
Amanda stood on the stairs unobserved, silently watching her husband. She could see the barely contained rage in the tense stance he held. It was obvious that Cameron's meeting with David had not gone they way they'd hoped it would, but Amanda sensed that more was going on. She knew Cameron mistrusted David and hated the idea of her being anywhere near the man, but his anger seemed out of proportion. Amanda gave her head a slight shake and silently corrected herself. She was all too aware of Cameron's temper: David must have simply pushed the right buttons.
Amanda cleared her throat to get Cameron's attention. When he turned to look at her, she continued down the steps. With an ironic smile, she said, "If you were a cartoon character, I think you'd have smoke billowing out of your ears right now. I'm guessing things didn't go well with David."
Amanda came to stand in front on Cameron. He blew a heavy breath through his mouth and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. "He called my bluff. He's not going to back off from Brava."
She'd known it was coming, but Amanda still felt frustration and disappointment flood through her at Cameron's confirmation. "What did he say?"
More than I can tell you, Cameron mused to himself. "Basically he told me to go ahead and show them the pictures but that he'd claim he was drugged. He also said if I tried it he'd slap us with a lawsuit for slander."
Amanda's eyes glittered with outrage. "Him? Sue us? Of all the nerve…"
"I hate to admit it, but he'd probably win. Even though we know what the truth is, we have no proof. And frankly, at face value David's story makes more sense than the truth does."
Amanda started pacing back and forth trying to work out her pent up frustration. She suddenly stopped in place and said, "I think I'll go have a little talk with David. It's about time he and I had a few things out ourselves."
Cameron's eyes widened slightly. There was no way he could let Amanda be alone with David. If she pushed him too hard, David might spill everything just out of spite. As his wife strode toward the door, Cameron reached out and snagged her elbow to stop her. "Don't do that, Amanda."
Amanda's expression was a combination of surprise and confusion. "Why not?"
The thought of telling Amanda yet another lie made Cameron feel sick, but he forced the cover story out of his throat. "David said that if any of us push him about his position with the business again, he would file an injunction preventing use of his funds for Brava based on breech of contract. He also said he'd sell his Cory shares to whoever wanted them."
Amanda ran a hand through her hair in a gesture of defeat. "You know what? I'm starting to think that I'd rather deal with anyone but David. How much worse could a different investor be?"
Cameron's thoughts drifted to Emmanuel Logan. Amanda, you have no idea. Dealing with Halliday is a picnic compared to what some others might do. Cameron ran his hands down Amanda's arms and then gathered her into a snug embrace. He rested his chin lightly atop her head. "Don't worry, Amanda. We'll figure out how to get rid of Halliday eventually. In the mean time, we'll deal with him together. I'll never let him hurt you again. Never."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
9:30 PM
First Street Warehouse
Cameron strode into the meeting room and quickly took a seat. Hawk, Scout, and Devlin exchanged glances with each other at his extremely stormy demeanor. Cameron noticed their inquisitive looks and bluntly said, "Sorry I'm late."
Devlin arched a brow and said, "What happened to you, Mav? You look like you want to kill someone."
Killing is too good for Halliday Cameron fumed silently. "It's nothing. Let's just get this over with."
Tess looked at him for another moment before deciding to let it go. He'd talk about it when he was ready. "Ok, let's have a run down of where everyone stands. Scout, how is the surveillance going?"
Ryan couldn't help thinking of seeing Vicky in the park the previous day. She'd been glowing with happiness and life. Talking to the boys, seeing Carl, those few moments would remain in his memory forever. "No suspicious activity so far. We're keeping a 24-hour watch on Vicky and Kirkland. If Grant or anyone else makes a move on them, we'll be there."
Tess nodded and turned her eyes to Cameron. "Anything new on the stiff?"
Cameron shook his head. "I haven't been able to dig up anything more on a direct connection between Augustus Redding and Grant."
Hawk spoke up. "I have something on the plastic surgery side. We checked out all the doctors on the list and we think we've figured out who did the work on Redding." Hawk handed each of them a bio sheet. "The man's name is Maxwell Torrington. The guy is a real piece of work. He's credited with transforming the faces of several Nazi war criminals and syndicate figures."
Tess examined the sheet. "It says here that Torrington operates out of Mazatlan. Has anyone paid him a visit yet?"
Hawk shook his head. "He's disappeared without a trace. That's what led us to focus on him. I have the team working on tracking him down. Hopefully, once we find Torrington we'll get some answers about who paid to have Redding altered to look like Grant and why."
"Good" Tess replied before turning her eyes back to Cameron. She knew this was a touchy subject but it had to be addressed. "What about the home front, Mav?"
Cameron knew that she was referring to Carl. Cameron shot a quick glance at Ryan and saw that he'd visibly tensed. Cameron answered, "Carl still claims he hasn't regained all of his memories. I'm keeping a close eye on him."
Cameron had seen Ryan's jaw clench when he said that Carl "claimed" not to have his memory back. He and Scout had argued quite a bit about Carl back when Cameron had first taken the hit man case in Bay City. Scout had a hard time believing that his father was capable of the things he'd been accused of. With Cameron in complete agreement with Hawk about Carl, a lot of tension had sprung up within the group. In order to keep the peace and remain a functioning team unit, they had all agreed to disagree on the topic of Carl Hutchins.
To regain the focus of the meeting, Hawk cleared his throat and asked Tess, "Anything on Logan's connection to Grant?"
Tess pulled a newspaper out and handed it to Hawk. "Nothing specific yet. But check out the announcement at the bottom of that page."
Hawk read the short article aloud, "A new nightclub will open its doors on Saturday, August fourteenth. Chi Town, a New York type hot spot, is owned by prominent businessman, Emmanuel Logan. Mr. Logan will be presiding over the grand opening of the club, located in the waterfront district of Bay City." Hawk dropped the paper and looked back up. "Devlin, what does Logan finding a new way to launder his dirty money have to do with this case?"
Tess leaned back in her chair and smiled confidently. "This is the perfect opportunity for me to question Mr. Logan in a 'casual' atmosphere."
Tess was not surprised by the reactions to her suggestion. Cameron shot out of his seat and shouted, "No way!" Scout looked at her like she'd lost her mind and said, "I don't think so, Dev." Hawk closed his eyes and shook his head, as if he were castigating a misbehaved child.
Tess rolled her eyes at what she perceived as their melodramatic reaction. She spoke with calm authority, saying, "Mav, sit down." As Cameron returned to his seat, Tess continued, "If you three will stop acting like mother hens and consider this rationally you'll see that my plan is sound. We're spinning our wheels right now trying to get something on Logan. If I go to that opening and use a little charm on him then maybe I'll get a lead."
Cameron scoffed. "Charm him? I know he's a snake, Dev, but I don't think a flute and a basket will work with this guy."
Tess glared at him. "I'm serious, Mav. This could work. He won't be suspicious of someone approaching him at a social event. At worst, he might think I'm a gold digger. Despite what you think, I can be charming when I want to be."
Hawk leaned forward and said, "None of us doubt your ability to get close to Logan. What we're telling you is that it's too dangerous. Infiltration of Logan's social circle is not something you can approach on a whim. An operation like that would take months of preparation. We need to stick with the plan we have, understand?"
Tess held back a frustrated outburst and nodded. She knew that her plan would work. And once she'd put it into motion, she knew that the team would back her. For now, she'd let them think she was backing off. Her plan was the fastest way for them to finish this case. She needed to get this over with so she could get out of Bay City, and away from all the temptations it offered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
August 10, 1999
Tess's Office
Tess pulled a thick folder out of her desk and started leafing through it. The front cover of the report displayed a logo and the name The Polaris Group in bold print. Tess read the information and shook her head slightly. This wasn't at all what she'd expected to find when Matt first sent her on this little fact finding mission.
Hearing a knock on her office door, Tess returned the folder to her desk drawer and locked it before saying, "Come in."
Matt entered and asked, "Is this a good time? I can come back later if you're busy."
Tess waved him into the room. "Now is fine. What can I do for you?"
Matt walked over and took a seat in front of Tess's desk. "I wanted to find out if you'd come up with anything on The Polaris Group yet."
Tess folded her hands on the desk and replied, "I'm a bit surprised that you want me to keep looking into that. Didn't the representative pledge his support to the family at the meeting?"
"Yes, he did. But after the disaster with Halliday, my mother doesn't want to take any chances. David seemed like the perfect investor too, in the beginning. We're all feeling cautious right now. We'd prefer to know exactly what we're dealing with this time."
Tess nodded. "I understand that. Unfortunately, I don't have anything specific to report about who's behind Polaris. What I can tell you is that everyone I've spoken to has said the group is completely legitimate. I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about."
Matt rubbed a finger across his lips thoughtfully. "That's good, but I still think we should keep digging."
Tess arched a brow and commented, "Ok, but why go looking for trouble where there isn't any? Isn't there an old proverb about not looking a gift horse in the mouth?"
Matt smiled crookedly at her and replied, "Yes, but there's another saying too: If something seems too good to be true, it usually is."
Tess gave a short laugh and shook her head. "Cynic."
Matt laughed and pointed at her. "You? Calling me a cynic? Here's another adage for you, 'the pot calling the kettle black'."
Tess laughed in response. Matt grinned widely; then his smile softened. "Go out with me."
Tess looked at her watch meaningfully. "Matt, it's only ten o'clock. Don't you think that's a little early for a business lunch?"
Matt leaned forward. "I wasn't asking you out to lunch. I was asking you out on a date."
"A date… you and me? Right!" Tess laughed until she saw that Matt appeared to be completely serious. "You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not making a joke. I'm asking you to go out with me, socially. How about this Saturday night?"
Tess jumped up out of her chair and strode over to the window. She folded her arms across her chest. Her posture held as much tension as her voice when she spoke. "I thought you weren't going to push me on this."
Matt stood and walked over to stand next to her. "No, I said I'd respect your wishes but that I'd still try to change your mind."
Tess gave him a sideways glare and replied, "Well my mind is made up. I won't go on a date with you, not Saturday, not ever. Is that clear enough for you?"
"The words are perfectly clear, but I don't believe them. Why won't you give us a chance, Tess? What could it hurt?"
"'What could it hurt?' I'll tell you what, my reputation, my job, my-"
"How?" Matt interrupted with impatient frustration. "How could having one simple date with me ruin all that? Do you really think people are so closed minded that they'd assume you got your job here because you're seeing me?"
Tess was so overwrought that she completely ignored the point Matt was making. "You can't possibly understand this! You don't know what it's like to have to struggle for every ounce of respect! To have to be twice as smart to be considered half as good! But I've done it and every single sacrifice was worth it. My job is more than what I do - It's who I am! Nothing is more important than that… It can't be."
Matt could see tears pooling in the corners of Tess's eyes. He lightly grasped her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. He left his hands resting on her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. "I can see you believe that, but it's not true, Tess. There's so much more to you than just your job. I've seen it myself. You're better than that. If I can see it, why can't you?" Matt cupped Tess's face in his hands and leaned up to kiss her forehead. Then he kissed each of her cheeks. Tess bit the inside of her lower lip and pleadingly said, "Matt."
Matt just shook his head slightly. Words only seemed to get them into more trouble. He caught her eyes and leaned in to kiss her.
Tess tried to not want Matt's kiss. She didn't want to want him. But it was beyond even her ability to control it. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth under his. Matt's arms closed around her and he deepened the kiss.
Something suddenly broke free inside of Tess. She couldn't hold back anything from Matt, not now. She moved frantically against him and the kiss became wild. Tess didn't know how it had happened but she suddenly found herself pressed against the wall of the office. It seemed like Matt's hands and mouth were everywhere at once. His lower body was pressed tightly against hers. The feeling of his hard strength pressed against her soft curves created a burning ache inside Tess. She gasped for breath as Matt's lips left hers to travel down her neck.
Tess suddenly registered the sound of her cell phone ringing. Matt heard it too and raised his questioning eyes to hers. Tess pushed away the unwelcome feeling of disappointment that arose inside her and said, "I need to get that."
Matt reluctantly released her and watched as she took the call. When she hung up, he took a few steps toward her and said, "So when should I pick you up on Saturday?"
Tess knew she should be angered by Matt's dogged persistence, but she wasn't. She shook her head and smiled, "Don't you ever give up?"
"Not usually. It's in the genes."
Tess forced the smile from her face. "Well, I can be just as stubborn. I can't go out with you, Matt. The reason I said 'no' in the first place is not something I take lightly. And even if that wasn't the case, I couldn't go on a date with you Saturday because I already have plans. I'm sorry, but we can't be anything more than friends."
Matt could see she was serious. But another part of him could sense that Tess was doing what she thought she had to do not what she wanted to do. He decided to stop pushing for the date. "Ok, no date on Saturday. But Tess, if you think we aren't already 'more than friends' you're kidding yourself. When you decide you're ready to face reality, I'll be here."
Matt gave her a long challenging look before striding out of the office. The moment the door shut Tess dropped into her desk chair with a heavy sigh. It had taken every bit of will power she had to not reach for Matt. The intensity behind his gorgeous eyes had made her knees shake. Tess covered her face with her hands a moment then looked upwards. "What am I going to do? I don't know how much more of this I can take…"