January 2014

Edinburgh, Scotland

 

“There are four missed calls from Rhys on your mobile. He just left a message on mine to inform me of that fact and to demand that you get back to him as soon as possible,” Gabe announced when Quinn came out of the shower. He was still lounging in bed, seeing as it was too early to call on the Lennoxes and collect Emma for her playdate at the nursery school. Gabe tossed Quinn her mobile and she stared at the call register. All the calls were from the previous evening.

“Oh, no,” Quinn moaned. “I had a meeting scheduled at the BBC last night. I completely forgot, what with everything that happened. Rhys won’t be pleased with me.”

“Better ring him back then and apologize for your unforgivable truancy,” Gabe joked as he folded his arms behind his head. Quinn threw a decorative pillow at his head and dialed Rhys.

“We had a meeting,” Rhys barked as soon as he answered the phone. “I waited for over an hour. And your mobile was off.”

“I’m sorry, Rhys. I should have called, but something urgent has come up. I’m in Edinburgh.”

There was a loaded silence on the other end while Rhys absorbed that bit of information. “You don’t waste any time, do you?” he said, sounding unusually angry.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Robert Chatham. How did you even know he was in Scotland?”

“I didn’t,” Quinn replied. “That isn’t why I’m here.”

“There’s no need to lie to me, Quinn. I won’t try to dissuade you from talking to him; it’s not my place. I just wish you’d honor your commitments before running off to Scotland to pursue your own agenda.”

“I said I was sorry. It won’t happen again,” Quinn replied with genuine contrition. She took her work responsibilities very seriously, and although the meeting wasn’t to discuss anything urgent, but rather more of a progress report, she still should have remembered to reschedule it, or at least give Rhys a heads-up that she wouldn’t be attending. Quinn had a sneaking suspicion that Rhys was a lot more annoyed about her trip to Scotland than her absence last night.

“Why’s Chatham in Edinburgh? And how do you know about it?” Quinn asked.

“He’s at a business conference for the entire weekend. I saw it on his Facebook page. I looked him up, like you asked me to.”

“Where’s the conference being held?” Quinn asked, suddenly unable to breathe.

“As if you don’t know,” Rhys retorted. “It’s at the Radisson Blu Hotel.” Quinn scribbled the name on a notepad by the phone, doing her best to avoid meeting Gabe’s accusing stare.

“Look, Rhys, I’m here on a personal matter that has nothing to do with Robert Chatham. I’ll be back in London in about a week; we can reschedule our meeting then. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go.”

Quinn rang off before Rhys could berate her any further and sank down on the bed, a faraway expression on her face. As a student of history, she didn’t really believe in coincidences, especially not two at the same time. Not only was Robert Chatham in Edinburgh at this very moment, but now she’d been informed of his whereabouts thanks to forgetting about her meeting with Rhys. Fate was handing her a unique opportunity, one she might not get ever again.

“Do I want to know?” Gabe asked, not having heard Rhys’s end of the conversation, but having deduced enough on his own.

“Robert Chatham is here in Edinburgh for a conference.”

Gabe sighed with frustration. “Quinn, I know how much it means to you to find out who your father is, but are you sure you really want to know? Will you be able to establish a relationship with a man who forced himself on your mother? You’ve been punishing Rhys ever since you learned about that night. Instead of finding peace, you’ve found anger and a thirst for vengeance. Would it not be better to just abandon this quest?” Gabe asked gently. “You have a loving father, who raised you and supported you. He’s still there, darling, and he will walk you proudly down the aisle when we get married because he deserves that honor.”

“Gabe, you are right in everything you say, and cold, hard logic is on your side, but this is not a cerebral decision. This is purely emotional. I need to know. I need to put a face to the man who fathered me, and I need to find out if he has psychic ability, as I do. I want to know where this gift comes from.”

Quinn grabbed her mobile, looked up the number for Radisson Blu Hotel, and dialed before she could change her mind. “Yes, hello. I’m with Chatham Electronics. I seem to have misplaced my itinerary for the conference this weekend. Would you be kind enough to email it to me?”

Quinn rattled off her email address and thanked the helpful person on the other end. She checked her email and nodded with grim satisfaction. “There’s a cocktail reception this evening. I hope you can spare me for an hour, Gabe.”

“Quinn, don’t do this,” Gabe pleaded. “Not today of all days.”

“I must.”

“And what exactly are you going to do? Approach this man and yank out a tuft of his hair? It’s not as if you’ll be able to tell if he’s your father just by looking at him.”

“Don’t you worry; I will get a viable DNA sample. How hard can it be?”

“I don’t know. How hard is it to obtain someone’s hair, nail clippings, or a glob of saliva?” Gabe retorted. He meant the remark to be sarcastic, but Quinn could hear the bitterness in his voice. He was upset, mostly because Quinn was doing this at a time when he needed her most, but she wouldn’t be swayed by guilt. An hour was all she was asking for. Surely that wasn’t unreasonable.

“Am I expected to come with you to this event?” Gabe asked. He no longer sounded annoyed, just resigned. Despite his protests, Quinn knew that he understood, and would support her no matter the outcome.

“No, I prefer to go alone, but thank you for asking.”

“Okay, do it your way. I’m going to take a shower. We are picking up Emma in an hour.”

Gabe disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Quinn a few moments of solitude to formulate her plan, but her mind was still on Gabe’s argument. Quinn could understand his point of view. She probably would have told him the same thing had the shoe been on the other foot, but she needed to know. The desire to find out who her parents were had been a driving force since she was eight. She didn’t expect to establish a relationship with the man who raped her mother, nor did she plan to denounce him to the police after all these years. Sylvia had moved on and had no wish to reexamine the past, but Quinn simply wanted to look into the eyes of the man whose blood flowed through her veins. She needed to know that the man wasn’t a monster, and had some redeeming qualities despite doing something despicable thirty years ago. She could have other siblings out there, although she wasn’t at all sure she cared to meet them. She had yet to meet Logan and Jude, a prospect that left her nervous and excited at the same time.

Quinn glanced at her traveling case. She hadn’t brought anything smart enough to wear to a cocktail reception. She’d have to pop out to the shops and pick up a dress and a pair of shoes, but she’d mention that to Gabe later. He was nervous enough about spending time with Emma, and it was time for her to get ready.

Quinn selected a pair of leggings and an oversized Shetland wool sweater, glad she’d brought something really warm. The day was sunny, but the temperature had plummeted during the night, and the wind had picked up, moving silently through the trees outside the window. Quinn ran a brush through her hair and applied a little makeup while Gabe dried his hair and got dressed. There was a tightness around his eyes and mouth that suggested that he was a lot more nervous than he was letting on. Quinn put on an appearance of calm, but she was anxious as well. Without Mrs. Lennox as a buffer, they would be on their own with Emma for the first time, and the prospect was daunting. What did one do with a child to fill the hours? Emma would visit the school for two hours, but then they’d have to entertain her for the rest of the day.

Quinn sighed and did what any modern-day woman would do. She went online and entered the search: “Things to do with children in Edinburgh.” Several results popped up on the screen, listing every possible form of entertainment, including parks, museums, cinemas, and the Edinburgh Zoo. Armed with the information, Quinn felt somewhat less worried.

“Ready?”

Gabe nodded as he reached for his coat. “Yes. I’m sorry, Quinn,” he said, returning to their previous conversation. “I have no right to judge. I’d probably do the same if I were in your situation. Let me know if you need me to do anything. I can be the Clyde to your Bonnie.”

“Thank you, but I’m not planning on shooting the place up. I just want to talk to the man.” Quinn replied. Gabe’s support meant the world to her, and to know that he understood made what she intended to do slightly less shady.