Trey

“Shit, it’s your dad,” I tell Mandy after looking down at my phone. After the ride we just took, I was hoping that a decorated Navy Seal was calling. “I think I’ll let you answer it.” My hand is still shaking as I hand her the phone.

“He called you, not me,” she replies, pushing the phone back toward me.

We are both so rattled by what just happened that neither of us wants to have our ass chewed right now. I glare at her while answering the call. “Hi Ray, I’ll bet you are calling about the article.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. What the hell were you thinking?” he snaps, getting right down to business.

“It wasn’t my idea,” I reply, not able to form a better thought at the moment. “Before we get into it, just let me tell you that we were just intentionally rear-ended by a black sedan and had to jump the curb to get away from them. I’m expecting a call from a security expert any minute, so I don’t have time to talk.”

“Jesus! What’s going on?” His tone instantly changes. “Is Mandy okay?” he asks with fatherly concern suddenly overriding his anger.

“Yes, she’s fine,” I assure him, holding the phone up for her to say hello.

“Hi Daddy,” she says with a slight quiver in her voice. “I’ll give you a call as soon as we are upstairs.”

I put the phone back up to my ear. “We just followed an ambulance into the underground parking garage and our driver is currently trying to explain the situation. We’ll call you back in a bit.”

“Okay, please call as soon as you can,” he replies, now sounding just as nervous as either of us.

After hanging up I grab Mandy’s hand, leading her out of the car and into the brightly lit underground ambulance garage. “I’m sorry about this guys,” I say immediately while walking up to Tony and two EMT’s. “Some guys in a black sedan were following us and when we slowed to take the corner they rammed into us. We basically panicked and I told Tony to follow the ambulance down the ramp to safety. I’ll pay for the door if it’s damaged.”

“I’m not worried about the door,” one of the EMT’s replies. “But you guys could have killed someone.”

“I know. Like I said, someone was chasing us and we panicked.” I look at him and shrug my shoulders. “My brother is in the ICU upstairs, so I would like to go up and see him. Is there somewhere Tony can park this thing until we’re sure it’s safe for us to leave.”

“I suppose you can pull up over there,” the EMT tells Tony, pointing to a service bay that is sitting empty at the moment. “You definitely have to get out the driveway. It’s only a matter of minutes before the next ambulance comes through that door.”

“Right away,” Tony replies, jumping back into the limo and maneuvering it out of the way.

“Is there a service elevator or something we can use to avoid stopping in the lobby?” I ask the other EMT after Tony leaves to park the car. “I don’t want to take any chances,” I tell him, still concerned about who has been tailing us.

“Are you guys in some kind of trouble?” he asks with look of concern.

“My brother was poisoned while under the care of Dr. Potaturri and now the doctor has been killed,” I explain. “So, yes, we are obviously in some sort danger.”

“Come with me,” he replies, heading toward the employee elevator. “I’ll take you up. What floor is he on?”

“He’s still in ICU,” I respond, reaching over to take Mandy’s hand as we follow him into the elevator. “It’s been quite a day.” We stand in silence as the elevator slowly groans to life and begins a slow trek up to Tyler’s floor. I close my eyes for a couple seconds in hopes of clearing my head just a bit. Another day of escalating chaos has left me exhausted. Between all the stress and the general lack of sleep, I’m not sure how much more I can take.

Mandy

Judging by Trey’s silence, I’m assuming that he has a million thoughts running through his mind, just like me. It seems obvious that Tommy is the one orchestrating everything, so now it’s just a matter of proving it.

“It’s only four thirty on the west coast, so I’m going to give Harris a quick call,” I tell Trey as we exit the elevator. “I’ll come to Tyler’s room as soon as I’m finished.”

“It’s good to see you taking your aggression out on someone else,” he says with a subdued smirk and tired eyes. “Tommy better watch his back.”

“Everybody makes mistakes,” I reply, still irritated by his arrogance. I make my way down the hall to the family room and am relieved to find it empty for the moment. I click Harris’ number and for once I actually hope he picks up.

“Well, if it isn’t my rogue agent,” he answers informally, something highly unusual for him. “Are you coming in soon or do I need to send someone out to retrieve you?”

“Good evening, Sir,” I reply, letting him know that it’s a professional call. “I’m actually calling in regards to Tommy Fowler. He recently sold his company Firefly Media and we have reason to believe that the books were cooked,” I tell him, sharing my suspicions.

“Was it a publicly traded company?” he asks, which I was anticipating.

“Yes, it was publicly traded,” I reply, hoping to peak his interest. “More importantly, he was recently hired as the new CEO at Addison Media based on his successful track record. He had a big argument with the Chairman of the board yesterday and later in the day he was found dead.”

“Bill Gleason is dead too? This whole thing is starting to sound like something out of a novel,” he replies with his usual disdain. “Do you suppose I should reverse course and start protecting the Addison Empire?” he asks in a snarky tone.

“Well, not exactly. I just thought you could use your connections to see if there were any suspicious stock transactions leading up to the sale of the company,” I clarify, hoping for some quick dirt on Tommy.

“Umm, I’m sorry Amanda but I’m gonna have to pass,” he groans. “You know we’re understaffed and I have three stacks on my desk that you should be helping me with.” He pauses, letting those last seven guilt-ridden words soak in.

“I understand,” I mutter, disappointed by the lack of cooperation from him. “I’ll have to go another route.”

“Make sure you come see me by the end of the week,” he adds, apparently sensing the end of our call. “Maybe we can scan the database once you’re here.”

“Okay, I plan on getting there soon,” I reply with waning enthusiasm. “I’ll text you.”

I simply stare at my phone for a few seconds after hanging up. Trey is right. I need to tell him I’m finished, but I want to wait until after I’ve gathered everything I can in regards to Tommy. I’m not going away empty handed.

Trey

Tyler’s room is actually crowded as I step inside the door. Dr. Novacek, an FBI agent, Detective Kelly, Vanessa and Mom are all standing around his bed interacting with him. The broad smile on his face hints that he is thrilled to be the center of attention. It reminds me of how things were after his knee was shattered. Unfortunately, back then, once he was released from the hospital he sat home and grew increasingly bitter with each passing day. Hopefully he won’t follow the same pattern this time.

“Hey, it’s my twin,” he says cheerfully as I poke my head around Dr. Novacek to greet him.

“Hey Tyler, you’re looking good, man,” I reply, before walking around to an open spot on the other side of the bed. “How’s he doing?” I ask, turning to the doctor.

“As you can see, his short term memory appears to be functioning normally,” he replies looking down at his chart. “Give him time and he should rebuild a functional memory at the very least.”

“Will he start remembering what happened to him?” Detective Kelly interjects with the FBI Agent looking on inquisitively.

“That’s far less certain,” Dr. Novacek replies, shaking his head. “I can’t imagine he will ever remember the night that he had five hundred milliliters of propofol in his system. He may get some sort of faint, partial recall but nothing complete that’s for sure.”

“What the heck happened that night?” I ask, thinking out loud.

“All I remember is waking up here and finding out that I’m engaged and I have a twin brother,” he replies still marveling in the fact that I look exactly like him. “I’m hungry,” he says, completely changing the subject.

“Then you should eat,” Dr. Novacek says, flipping his chart closed and giving him a pat on the leg. “This is your first day back on solid food, so just take it slow,” he adds, looking over the top of his glasses. He then cracks a smile before turning toward the door.

“We should step outside for a minute too,” Detective Kelly says, before looking back at the FBI Agent. “This is Agent Mitchell.”

“I’m Trey,” I reply, holding out my hand to shake his. I’m not sure exactly what to say when meeting an FBI Agent. Pleasure to meet you? Not really. “There is a family room down the hall where we can have a little more privacy,” I tell them before leading them down the corridor.

“This is better than the hallway, I guess,” Detective Kelly says while hitting up the coffee machine and glancing over at Mandy who is still on the phone.

“She’s actually talking to her boss at the SEC to see if he can shed any light on this case,” I state as Agent Mitchell and I grab a seat at a small white table in the corner. “She’s an attorney,” I relay to the agent.

“So, what’s going on?” Detective Kelly asks upon joining us. “You said you have details that can shed light on this case.” He takes a slurp of his coffee and stares at me intently. All he needs is a doughnut to complete his stereotypical guise.

“I hardly know where to begin,” I say, running my hands through my hair and letting out a sigh. “It’s all been so crazy. But Mandy and I believe that somehow Tommy Fowler, who is the new CEO of Addison Media is at the heart of all of this.”

“Tommy Fowler, from the TV show?” Agent Mitchell asks furrowing his brow.

“Yes. When Tyler called me on the night he was poisoned, he said that Tommy was a fraud. He also mentioned that he had told Dad, which leads me to believe that’s why they were the first two victims. Even though Tyler lived, he can’t remember anything because Dr. Potaturri fed him a pile of drugs that basically wiped out his memory. And now the doctor is dead as well!” As the words pour from my mouth, I find it hard to believe how much has happened in such a brief amount of time.

“Yes, we were briefed on Dr. Potaturri. Is there a connection between him and Tommy?” Agent Mitchell asks with a glimmer in his eyes.

“There is. Tommy is the one who told Vanessa that he would be able to help Tyler,” I relay as Mandy hangs up the phone and walks toward us. “This is my girlfriend, Mandy,” I tell the two men who are now both completely distracted.

“Hi,” Mandy says, pulling another chair over to the table. “Harris isn’t going to do a thing for us. The SEC doesn’t have any spare resources to devote to it and he doesn’t feel he owes me any favors.” She adds with a snicker.

“What are you looking for?” Detective Kelly asks her directly.

“Anything unusual.” She shrugs. “I’m thinking the best way to get to the truth is by uncovering the money trail. There has to be one somewhere,” she reasons while both men nod their heads in full agreement.

“Well, here is your man,” Detective Kelly says, slapping Agent Mitchell on the shoulder. “If anything over ten grand has moved between two bank accounts, he can track it down.” He grins and motions for him to take over.

“I’m intrigued by what you are telling me,” Agent Mitchell tells us. “But since there is no concrete evidence, I’m hoping there is a clear money trail somewhere.”

“With all that is going on, believe me, there has to be one,” I tell him with the utmost conviction. “That reminds me, there was a shady looking guy talking to Dr. Potaturri the first time we met him.”

“Can you give me a description?” Agent Mitchell asks, ready to jot it down.

“He was about five foot ten, I would guess one hundred and eighty pounds,” I tell him, thinking back to search for more details.

“He had spiky blond hair and crystal blue eyes,” Mandy adds.

“Oh, and a switchblade tattoo on the back of his neck.” I vividly remember.

“Is this him?” Detective Kelly asks, holding up his iPad.

“That’s him!” we both exclaim simultaneously.

“It’s the ghost,” Detective Kelly says to Agent Mitchell. “He occasionally shows up in a random surveillance video or a potential witness sees him, but we have never been able to track him down.”

“Potential witness?” Mandy asks seeking clarification.

“Yeah, they always end up dead,” he replies flatly.

“That’s the kind of guy Tommy would hire to do the heavy lifting,” I add, trying to make sure the investigation stays focused on him. “He’s too smart to take any chances getting caught.”

“You already have him tried and convicted, don’t you?” Detective Kelly smirks at me, shaking his head from side to side.

“If you get a chance to talk to him, you’ll see why,” Mandy adds. “He’s very arrogant about everything. Show him the text message,” she says, nudging me.

I pull out my phone and click to my messages. “He claims he never makes mistakes,” I say, showing both of them the exchange between Tommy and I. The eyes of both men grow dark as they read his reply.

“If he’s behind this, we’ll find a mistake,” Detective Kelly says, shaking his head and staring at Tommy’s words. “Thanks for showing us that.”

“Oh shit, I forgot to call Dad back,” Mandy says with a shudder as her phone begins to buzz. She gets up and scoots across the room before answering. She stands silently, staring at the floor and appears to be listening to whatever Ray has on his mind. She might be there for a while…

“One more thing,” I add as both men rise from their chairs and gather up their things. “Someone in a black sedan was following us earlier and actually rammed our bumper as we turned the corner in front of the hospital.”

“You’re sure it was intentional?” the agent asks with a steely look in his eyes.

“It was definitely intentional. Our limo driver went around the block before stopping and they followed us all the way around. He was making the same corner for the second time when they came up and hit us.” I cross my arms, still feeling uncomfortable with everything.

“It was probably a warning,” Detective Kelly speculates. “Where are you staying tonight?” He asks, with growing concern in his eyes.

“I’m not sure yet. I’m expecting a call from a security guy and I thought we would figure it out after talking to them,” I explain, beginning to wonder why he hasn’t called me yet. “He’s part of the Alpha 9, maybe you’ve heard of them.”

They both laugh and nod their heads. “Yeah, we’ve definitely heard of them,” Agent Mitchell replies. “They are the best money can buy.”

“Trey has a habit of that,” Detective Kelly says with a smirk. “He put Perry Walters on retainer just in case we pursued a case against him.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we have another angle to pursue then.” Agent Mitchell laughs and pulls a business card out of his jacket pocket. “I think we have everything we need for now. You give me a call right away if you don’t hear from your Alpha 9 contact. You and anyone else who is intimately involved could definitely use some protection.” He stares at me intently while Detective Kelly nods his head in full agreement.

“Hey, I totally agree,” I tell him throwing up my hands and reaching over to take the card from him. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. If I don’t hear from him within the hour, I’ll give you a call.”

The two men turn and head back into the hospital corridor, so I go over to Mandy who is still on the phone with her dad. She has taken a seat in the corner on the couch and seems to be much more at ease. I bend down to give her a kiss on the forehead. “Tell him everything is under control and I’m sorry about the front page story,” I whisper. “I need to go make a list of people who need protection.”

Just as I turn toward the door, Mom enters the room. “She’s talking to Ray,” I tell her, thinking that she would probably want to know.

“I need to talk to him too,” she replies. “He’s called me a couple of times, but I wanted to wait until we could have a little privacy,” she adds with a sigh.

“I’m sorry again for the newspaper article,” I tell her, shaking my head and throwing an arm around her.

“You know, at this point I don’t really care,” she says with watery eyes. “I just want everyone to be okay. I want our lives to get back to normal.” She lowers her head and leans into my shoulder.

“You and me both,” I reply, giving her a kiss on the top of the head.