The Puzzle (29 page)

I laughed at the irony. “I hear you loud and clear. So close and yet so far.”

Chapter 58

Pressure Points

I swear, if I had to walk through those doors one more time, I’d have to pick up some food, just to prove I knew what they sold there. I knew it was probably already too late to save my reputation. And Ben was the absolute last person I would be inclined to see again, plain and simple, but I was anxious to hear if he would contradict what Mike had said.

Ben beat me to the punch, abruptly grabbing me from behind and quickly ushering me off to the side. “Sam, I have to talk to you privately,” he whispered, clearly upset.

“Okay.” I let him lead me toward his office. “What’s the problem?”

This edginess was totally out of character for Ben.

“Have you any idea what’s going on?” he asked. “I’m under a lot of pressure here. This is getting out of hand. And I’m tired of being threatened and coerced.”

I sat down even though he didn’t ask me to. “What do you mean, threatened?”.

He looked around, shut his office door, and then sat down as well, clearly on edge. “I received an anonymous note, ordering me to back off. I mean, what the hell was that all about?”

“Back off from what?”

“From talking to you, that’s what! Now,
who
do you think would try and warn me off like that? That’s what I want to know!”

“Why do you think someone doesn’t want you talking to me?”

“Maybe, they think I know more than I’ve told you about Stephen.”

“Well, do you?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Ben replied, noncommittally.

“What about Mike? Do you think he might do something behind your back?”

“No. And don’t expect a shocked look from me at the suggestion. Mike called right after you left him, warning me ahead of time you were probably headed this way.”

“Are you positive it wasn’t him?”

Maybe, they were playing off each other. Anything was possible at this point.

“Yeah, I’m sure. If Mike had an issue with someone, he’d deal with it directly and wouldn’t bother with that type of approach. Trust me. He’d be right in your face.”

“I have to agree with you. That sounds more like him.”

“Do you have any idea who it might be?” he asked, anxiously. “Or why?”

“Not off hand. I’ve spoken to several people regarding Stephen. It could be any one of them. But what’s the purpose of this one note? I just don’t get it, Ben.”

“…Well this isn’t the first note I’ve received,” he admitted tentatively, eyeing my reaction.

“There were more?”

“Yes.”

“How many did you get?”

Was Ben another recipient from the same person responsible for my notes?

“In the last few weeks, I’ve gotten two others.”

Three notes: the same as me. Symbolic? I wasn’t sure, but it sure seemed odd.

“What did the second note say?”

“Pretty much the same as the other. This last one, though, finally got to me.”

“What was so different about the last one?”

Ben just stood there, rooted in place. “It said,
‘Remember Stephen? Back off. I can’t guarantee your safety.’
Well? What do you think?”

“I agree. You’re right, Ben. You’re under a lot of pressure.”

A point well noted by the both of us.

Chapter 59

Notes Of Reflection

I parked myself in front of my laptop to go over the three typed notes delivered to me in the mail. After presenting Ben with a compelling plea and using some friendly persuasion, I had finally convinced him to give me the typed ones he received. As I sat there, carefully setting the notes side by side, comparing his three notes to mine, I was heartened by our
newly-acquired
element of trust we had established. Would it last? I knew he’d want them back, so I got busy comparing.

They all appeared to be printed on similar types of paper. Also, there seemed to be a slight mark in the same exact spot on each, but I couldn’t determine exactly what it might be to identify it. With my luck, it was nothing more than simple grease stains. I noticed the quality of the paper was costly though. The one who sent these notes had expensive taste: a red herring?

Whoever sent these maybe wanted me to come to that same precise conclusion to throw me off track. That theory made me realize that it could have been anyone who sent them, regardless of their income or lifestyle. So that issue quickly became a moot point and probably was another dead end. So I let it go. I sat there, thinking it through.

Why would someone go to all this trouble? Why target me, and then Ben? Was it because I was digging too deep and getting closer to the truth because of Ben’s help? Why bother sending us these notes at all? Was it nothing more than a scare tactic and a distraction to confuse me as to who and what they were really after? What appeared to be my main priorities at the moment was to pay attention, continue my interviews, and be more guarded and focused.

And of course, watch my back.

Chapter 60

When I Have A Flat, I Use My Jack

I was actually looking forward to this meeting. Since I had last spoken to him, I was highly interested in his opinion on these latest developments. I was at a dead end and flat out of alternatives and figured why not? What did I have to lose? Would he shut me out, lie, or let me know what he was really thinking?

As I was in the habit of doing lately, I opted for the diner. Why would I change my strategy now? It was becoming my command center of operations. True to his nature, he arrived right on time. “Hi Jack.” Two steaming mugs sat before me. “I’ve already ordered coffee for us.”

He grabbed cream for his coffee. “Great! How is everything going? Life treating you okay?”

“Yes and no,” I said, as I reached for some sugar.

He quickly looked up at me. “What do you mean? Nothing serious, I hope.”

“I’m confused and concerned over those three notes Ben received.”

He didn’t even bat an eyelash, as he looked down and stirred his coffee. It was obvious he already knew about them. I guess deep down I was hoping he hadn’t.

Jack shook his head. “I understand he’s pretty upset.”

“How did you know? Who told you?”

“Who else? Ben, of course! He came running over the minute you left, complaining someone was after him. Thank goodness he’s no relation of mine.”

I choked back a laugh. “Are you absolutely sure about that? I wouldn’t speak too quickly. You never know.”

He shuddered. “Samantha, that’s not even remotely funny. Don’t even go there. I’m sick at the mere suggestion of it.”

“You have to admit, that might just be a possibility.”

“Absolutely not! No way! I’d kill him first before word even got out.”

“You wouldn’t have to. One look at your face would send him running for the hills.”

“I sure hope so.”

“Seriously, though, Jack, getting back to those notes. What did you think about the warning to Ben? Deliberately mentioning Stephen’s accident was enough to send anyone over the edge, don’t you think?”

“I have to admit, it would unnerve me,” he said. “My biggest fear is that they even brought that scenario up. If their purpose was to intimidate, they pretty much achieved it.”

“Do you think it suggests Stephen’s crash was no accident at all?”

“I’m not so sure. Could be. Let’s hope that is not the case. The whole thing is certainly unsettling, if you ask me.”

I shifted uncomfortably. “There’s something more I should to tell you,” I said, wondering what kind of reaction he’d respond with.

He looked at me intently. “What’s that?”

“I’ve received three notes myself.”

As I expected, he became upset. “That’s not exactly what I needed to hear right now.”

“They came over a three week period, just a few months ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to me, to anyone? Why did you keep it such a secret?”

“In this town, it’s hard to know who is smooth-talking who. Anyone could have sent it.”

“That’s true. We do have our little conspiracies, don’t we?”

“I’m beginning to agree with that theory. Every time I think I’m making headway, someone comes along and changes my direction and I’m off and running again. I’m on overload and don’t seem to be getting anywhere.”

Jack then turned serious. “Have you been writing all this down, to keep track of all the facts you found out and any connections you might have made in the process?”

I paused, not sure how to answer that question. I hedged my bets. “Just some scattered notes here and there, nothing specifically written or typed.” I tapped my head. “It’s all in there.”

He laughed once more. “Good! I wouldn’t want someone coming along and stealing
your
laptop. I’m anxious enough about your safety. Please don’t add more to my list of worries.”

“You don’t have to be concerned so much about me. I’m just nosing around for more information on Stephen’s background,” I said, then casually sipped more coffee.

He looked at me, smirking. “Samantha, you are not fooling anyone with that ruse. The grapevine in this gossip ridden town is alive and well, operating twenty-four seven, I might add.”

“Not convincing enough, huh?” I asked, as I set my mug down in front of me.

“No, not at all.”

So maybe my laptop was safe from prying eyes, but Stephen’s laptop was still out there.

Who had it?

“Jack, did you know Stephen’s laptop was missing?”

He eyed me squarely. “To be honest? Yes. Apparently, we’re all searching for that pot of gold. I understand no one has latched their hands on to it long enough to operate it.”

You know, at this point, I wasn’t one bit surprised by his answer.

I smiled. “No, I agree. Unfortunately, they haven’t.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I am surprised the trail on this thing has reached a dead-end. Could it possibly be that our infamous grapevine just flat lined on that one?”

“Not likely, but let me ask one more question before you leave.”

“Sure. What do you want to know?”

“If no one knows where that laptop is, where do I go from here? I need your help, Jack. You must have some idea who I should speak to.”

I could see Jack was visibly torn on how to respond. His loyalties, I was positive, resided in one camp:
his
. I was an entirely different matter and something else for him to think about, no blood relation and no big commitment. I was of speculative interest to him in attaining his own goal: to find his son’s identity. Other than that, I was merely a secondary consideration.

It was a shame. He would have made a great father. He had all the correct instincts and a fierce protective manner toward those close to him. Too bad Stephen never realized what he had right in front of him. He was so obsessed with the true identity of his father he didn’t realize he had a stand-in right smack in front of him, willing and able.

I guess sometimes, when you are too close to something, you don’t see its true worth. Here Stephen was so desperate for a father who loved him and Jack was searching for a son to love. Never once did it dawn on them to speak to each other about their feelings on the subject.

How can people be so limited in their own vision of what a real family ought to be like? What a pointless waste of energy. Both of them had exhausted so much time and money in their own single-minded pursuits. They only had to look in their own backyard to find what they were really looking for: someone who needed and loved them.

Jack smiled. “Why don’t you see whose been walking a fine line with their computer hacking skills? Personally speaking? I doubt Stephen acted alone. Why don’t you ask his partner-in-crime?”

Chapter 61

Hacking Away At The Truth

Writing works of fiction can be challenging enough, but this odd epic was proving to be the best mental exercise I’d had in ages. This odyssey had evolved into an odd marathon of complex and shifting viewpoints. It hadn’t allowed me time to consider my former mental lapses, blues, grief or any past regrets. Truth be told, I didn’t miss any of them. They had become these dead weights I had hauled around long enough.