Price of a Bounty (Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!) (14 page)

I
was a Raider with the Resistance, and the Beckett estate had been
chosen as our next financial endeavor. The previous nanny had
approached a member of the Resistance for help. She needed a place
to stay and would need neonatal health care and money to support the
baby that Lance Beckett refused to admit was his. She’d been called
a whore and worse before she was turned out. It was fitting that
Lance Beckett would indeed be paying for the care of his youngest
child.

I
felt sick to my stomach. It was the maid I’d met a few days ago.
She’d been friendly but had shut down immediately when I’d
inquired about her boss. Apparently, she was Lance Beckett’s next
victim.

I
decided to use this opportunity to my advantage. With Beckett’s
attention elsewhere, I could remove some more items from the estate.
I pushed the mower toward the garage, but then turned and left it
next to the porch by the back door. No one was around. The chef had
gone to the farmer’s market, the new nanny had left with Mrs. Beckett
and the girls about an hour ago, and except for the butler who was
likely taking a break, everyone else was accounted for.

I
worked in the dining room today. First I took an antique bust from a
marble pedestal in a cluttered corner. Then I removed a small
Vermeer painting – from the way the lighting was depicted I had
a good feeling that it was authentic. Last, I removed a wooden case
from the buffet table. Inside was the family’s best silverware. It
was all I could carry.

I
exited out the back door and used my hip to push the mower toward the
garage. It was time to leave. I’d return tomorrow to fix the mower,
finish the backyard and continue my operations on the estate. I’d
need to finish within the next day or so. Other priorities now
required my attention.

***

The
next day I began in the garage. I’d brought some of my own tools.
First, I removed the blades from the mower. Then I cleaned and
sharpened them, one at a time. I’d just replaced the last one when
the maid found me.

“Hello,”
she said with a shy smile.

I
stood. “Good morning, April.” I couldn’t believe the
outfit she was required to wear. It was degrading.

“What
are you doing?”

“Sharpening
the blades. They weren’t working properly yesterday.”

“Oh,
is that why you didn’t finish the back lawn?” she asked.

“Yes.”
I hesitated and wondered how to bring up such a difficult subject.
“I noticed you.”

“You
did?” She looked pleased, not what I had expected.

“Yes.
He shouldn’t be treating you like that.”

“Oh.”
She looked down, and her cheeks flushed. “That’s what you
noticed.”

I
gently touched her chin and brought her gaze up so it was level with
mine. “Don’t be ashamed,” I said. “Be angry.
Take control of your life. Fight back. Leave, if that’s what it
takes. Then fight back.”

She
shook her head and looked down again. “If I fight, I’ll lose,
and there’s nowhere better for me to go. Unless…” She
looked at me.

“Yes,
I can help you.” I nodded. “I know of a job prospect, a
few actually. One is really good. It would require some training
and time on your part, but it would be well worth it. It would get
you out of here and in control of your own life.”

“Training?
What kind of a job?”

Just
then the butler walked through the door. I turned to look while
April instinctively took a step back and looked down. The butler
looked from me to her.

“April!
You were sent out here to deliver a message. Did you?”

She
shook her head and stared at her shoes.

“Mr.
Beckett does not like to be kept waiting. Get back to the house now
and return to your duties.”

April
turned and ran back to the house.

The
butler turned his attention to me. “Mr. Beckett would like to
have a word with you in his study. I advise you to keep your hands
off of his property.”

Property?
Had he realized that certain items had gone missing? No, I
realized. The sick feeling had returned – he meant April.

I
knocked on the heavy wooden door to the study. “Enter,”
rumbled Mr. Beckett’s deep voice. I stepped into the room, and Mr.
Beckett motioned to an empty chair. I sat. “I’m not
accustomed to waiting for servants,” he began.

“I
apologize. I was in the middle of a project.”

“What
project?”

“The
mower wasn’t working properly. It needed to be cleaned and the
blades sharpened.”

“Is
that why the lawn wasn’t finished yesterday?”

“Yes,
sir.”

“Why
didn’t you clean and sharpen the blades yesterday? You didn’t have
permission to leave early.”

“I
needed certain tools to complete the job. I didn’t have them with me
yesterday.”

He
nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll be docking your pay for the
hours you missed. In future, be sure to check in with me prior to
leaving early. Is that understood?”

“Of
course, sir. I apologize for the oversight on my part.”

He
nodded and waved his hand. “You’re dismissed.”

On
my way back to the garage, I took the opportunity to scope out more
of the house. I was studying a painting in the hall when I sensed
someone. I turned my head. April watched from a nearby doorway.
She moved forward and stood beside me. We both turned our attention
to the painting.

“What
do you see?” I asked.

“Colors,
lines, lighting…”

I
smiled. She would be a good candidate for the job I had in mind, if
only she’d accept. I reached down and laced my fingers through hers.

-Keira-

April,
Be Careful

The
day before we were to leave on holiday, I arranged to meet April for
lunch at a classy restaurant near the Beckett estate. I wanted to
let her know where I would be and how she could reach me. I also
wanted to talk about the men in our lives.

“This
is a nice place,” April said. “Did you pull another
job?”

I
shook my head. “No, the money was a gift, and here’s a gift
for you.” I pushed over an envelope with some money I’d set
aside for her.

“Wow!
Is this from Rick? Or do you call him Richard?”

“Rick.”
I didn’t plan to tell her about the Resistance, not when her life
was going so well.

“This
is a lot of money. And he’s giving it to me? Why?”

“Well,
I’m giving it to you. It’s what’s left over after my purchases for
our holiday. He said I should keep it.”

“You’re
going on holiday? Where?”

“To
a cabin by the lake. We’ll be there for five days. You’ll be able
to reach me at this number.” I handed her one of Richard
Burke’s business cards.

“Burke
Investments? I knew it!” She grinned. “I knew he was
rich, and he is into you, isn’t he?”

“Yes,
I think so.”

“You
think so? He must be! He’s giving you presents and taking you on
holiday, and he already knows what you do for a living, so it’s not
like he doesn’t know what he’s getting with you. You’re so lucky to
have found someone, someone perfect.”

“Well,
what about you? Tell me about the new groundskeeper.”

“His
name is Ashton.” She had a dreamy look in her eyes. “He’s
handsome and a hard worker and…I think he cares about me.”

“Well
who wouldn’t?” I smiled. “How long have you two been
together?”

“Oh,
we’re just starting to know each other. What are you going to
order?”

“What?
Chicken, I think.” I studied her a moment, then asked, “Why
are you trying to change the subject? What’s up?”

“Well,
Ashton mentioned a new job prospect. For me,” she said.

“Really?
I thought you liked working for the Becketts.”

“Well,
I shouldn’t let that prevent me from looking for something better,
should I?”

“No,
of course not! What is this other job? Would you be working with
Ashton? I don’t think gardeners get paid much more than you do, and
it’s seasonal work.”

“No,
not gardening. Ashton said it would require training. He said I’d
have to be trained first, and then I would be able to support
myself.”

“That’s
all you know?”

She
nodded.

“It
doesn’t sound like he’s telling you much. April, be careful. This
could be some kind of scam. Tell you what, I’ll check into his
background when I get back, okay? Don’t make any decisions until
then. If Ashton tries to hurry you into making a decision…well,
that’s a bad sign. Back out if he tries to pressure you.”

“No,
you’ve got it all wrong. Ashton’s not pressuring me. That’s not
like him.”

“April,
you haven’t known him long enough to know for sure.” She
avoided my gaze. It was time to back off. “I’m just trying to
look out for you, okay?” I took her hand in mine. “You’re
my sister, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Now, what
are you planning to order? Choose whatever you’d like. It’s
my treat.”

-Ashton-

Taking
Time Off

The
next morning, most of the family and staff were absent again. I was
surprised at how easy it had been to gain access to the house over
the past few weeks. People were often gone or were exactly where I
expected them to be, so I could easily avoid them. I had taken quite
a lot. My work here was almost done. I’d even thought of an excuse
for leaving, so that Mr. Beckett would have little reason to suspect
me, even after I’d gone. If I could convince April to leave too, I
could count this job as a complete success. I went to Beckett’s
study and knocked twice.

“Enter!”

“Hello,
sir. There’s an urgent matter I need to discuss with you.” He
nodded to an empty chair, and I sat. “My father has become
ill. I just received word last night. He doesn’t live in Tkaron, so
I’ll need to take a few days off to assess his situation.”

“How
many days?”

“Four
days, give or take. I’ll work late tonight and finish what I can so
that the yard will be presentable until my return. If I discover
that I’ll need more time, I’m prepared to call you with my
resignation.”

Mr.
Beckett pondered this for a few minutes. He rubbed his chin while he
thought, then said, “I’ll post the position tomorrow, and begin
interviews in four days if I don’t hear from you. I can’t hold your
position longer than that, especially at this time of year.”

“I
understand, sir. Thank you.”

I
was on my way outside when I ran into April. I’d been hoping I would
see her before I had to leave. I gently took her arm and guided her
into the kitchen. No one else was present. We sat at a small oak
table and spoke quietly.

“Have
you thought about my offer?”

“Can
you tell me a little more about it?”

I
had to be careful. I couldn’t afford to blow my cover, but I wanted
to help her very much. “Only if you accept the position. I
urge you to take this opportunity.”

She
was quiet, and then said, “I’ll need some time to think about
it. Would that be all right?”

“Opportunities
like this don’t last. Can you let me know by the end of today?”

“No,
I’m afraid that’s not enough time.”

I
stood, reached into my pocket and withdrew one of my anonymous
business cards. All it listed was a contact number. I picked up a
pen from the counter, wrote my name above the number and handed her
the card. “If you change your mind, call this number.”

She
nodded.

I
walked out the back door and headed around the manor toward the front
garden. As I turned the corner, I saw a familiar figure at the main
entrance. I pulled back just in time.
What is she doing here?

-April-

Taking
the Blame

That
morning, I saw Ashton again. Funny, I thought I’d have to go out of
my way to find him. Maybe he’d been looking for me? He pulled me
into the kitchen. The chef was at the butcher’s, so we were
alone. We sat at a small table by the back window. Sunlight
splashed across the table and onto the floor, making patterns. I
traced some of the lines with my index finger.

“Have
you thought about my offer?” he asked.

“Can
you tell me a little more about it?”

“Only
if you accept the position. I urge you to take this opportunity.”

I
had thought about Keira’s advice, and Ashton wasn’t telling me much.
Since I really didn’t know him, it would be a good idea for her to
check into his background first.

“I’ll
need some time to think about it. Would that be all right?”

“Opportunities
like this don’t last. Can you let me know by the end of today?”

That
certainly was high pressure. I was right to wait.

Ashton
stood and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a business card,
wrote something on it and handed it to me. Then he was gone.

There
was a contact number with a very light imprint in the background, a
snake striking at a coin. I didn’t recognize the logo. What did it
mean? And who carried around business cards with no name or title on
them? If Ashton knew about a legit job, he should have been able to
tell me at least some of the details. I looked at the contact number
again. It seemed familiar somehow.

***

The
next day, Ashton didn’t return to work, or the day after that. I
asked around to see if anyone knew what had happened to him.

“Mr.
Beckett placed an ad for a new groundskeeper and plans to begin
interviews in two days if he doesn’t return,” the butler
informed me.

“Was
Ashton fired?”

“No,
his father is sick. Why are you so interested?”

“No
reason.”