Chapter Seventeen – Cath

Cath didn’t sleep well at all. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, until finally giving in and rising before dawn to make coffee and toast. Liam joined her a little after sunrise. Dark shadows under his eyes told Cath her son hadn’t slept much either.

“Coffee?” Cath wasn't sure why she asked, out of habit, she guessed. Liam always started the day with two cups of good coffee.

“Yeah.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Please.”

“I’m going to hit the shower and then go for a walk. I need to clear my head.” She passed Liam his coffee and headed for the bathroom. A hot shower usually washed away the remnants of sleep, but not this morning. She could stand under the jets all morning and still feel groggy. And today was not a day for grogginess; she was about to face her ex-husband, and try to figure out what he wanted.

She groaned and leaned against the cool tiles. What if they’d jumped to conclusions, and Hector really was here to start a relationship with his son? She frowned. Hector had never mentioned Mike. Never asked how he was or where he was.

Cath got out of the shower and dried herself off, piling her hair up on her head and wrapping it in a towel. Dressed in a robe, she went to find Liam. He wasn't in the kitchen, or the living room.

“Liam?” Cath knocked on his bedroom door, but there was no answer.

He must have gone downstairs to start work. Probably to get his mind off his father. Going back to her bedroom, Catherine dressed, and blow-dried her hair, before slipping on a pair of comfortable sneakers and grabbing her phone and a small wallet. She pulled on a warm jacket with deep pockets. Heading for the stairs, she shoved her phone and wallet into the pockets and zipped them up.

Halfway down the stairs, she heard Liam talking to someone. Her heart skipped: was Hector here already?

Moving quietly, she followed the voices. But before she could sneak up on Liam and eavesdrop, Julius appeared from the small kitchen, followed by Liam. “That shifter sense of yours is so annoying,” Cath told him sharply.

“Morning.” Julius greeted her with a kiss.

“You look a lot happier this morning.” Cath looked from Julius to Liam. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

The two men exchanged glances. “Julius believes the man who came here yesterday might not be my dad.”

“An imposter?” Cath asked in confusion. “Why?” Her fingers went to her lips. There had been nothing familiar about the kiss. But it had all happened so fast, and it had been so long since she’d seen Hector. And the glasses, and the beard all helped hide his features.

Liam walked across to the counter and pulled out his business laptop. “Let’s see what we can find out.”

“But why would someone want to pretend to be Hector?” Cath asked, still confused.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Liam typed in his password and hit enter.

“You look terrible.” Julius leaned over and said quietly, as Liam typed on the keyboard.

She smiled at him, drinking in his face with his crinkly laughter lines and amber flecks in his eyes. “So do you.”

He chuckled. “I couldn’t sleep. Not with your supposed ex-husband under the same roof.”

“That’s where he’s staying? At your hotel?”

Julius nodded. “Yes. Frank Millar, is staying there with his wife. Adam managed to find out that they’re here on business.” Julius shrugged. “That’s all we know so far.”

It couldn’t be Hector. Hector and business didn’t mix, he was more into conservation and volunteering for good causes. “What kind of business?”

“Import and export,” Julius added, leaving Cath with a sense of unease.

“Julius, what does he want with Liam?” she asked quietly.

Julius cupped her face in his hands. “I don’t know. But we’ll find out.”

“Frank Millar.” Liam tapped on the keyboard again. “None of them look familiar.”

“Adam said in the photographs that Frank Millar was cleanly shaven.”

“So, he was in disguise.” Cath nodded, then put her hand to her lips, appalled at her sudden thought. “He kissed me!”

“Don’t remind me!” Julius bristled with anger. “But it got me thinking. What if he knows Hector left you? Perhaps he thought you would be pleased to see him. And expect a kiss.”

Bile rose in her throat. “That’s sick.”

“It sure would explain why he didn’t hang around when I told him I worked undercover as a cop.” Liam frowned and shook his head. “I can’t find an Frank Millar who fits the description.”

Cath reached out for Julius’s hand. “I can’t believe it. What… Who does he think he is? Coming here and raking the past up. What reason would anyone have?” Julius wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her sit down.

“It’s OK. We’ll get through this and nail him, for whatever he’s up to.” Julius looked up at Liam apologetically. “I’m sorry, Liam, that it’s not your father.”

“Don’t be, Julius. I’ve lived without my dad this long. But I’m sure going to make this guy pay, once we know what he’s up to.”

“Bastard,” Cath whispered hoarsely. “Coming here now, and upsetting everything, right before your wedding.”

“Don’t worry about me and Beverly, Mom. Our wedding will be perfect, or Beverly will rip someone’s head off.” He hunkered down next to Cath.

“She’ll have to get in line,” Cath said with an angry sob.

“Mom, I’m so sorry.” Liam hugged her close.

Cath shook her head. “I was finally getting over it, and now it’s all been dragged back up. I’m so angry.” If she were a bear, she’d be roaring her head off in anger and frustration.

“We need to figure out how we deal with the situation,” Julius prompted gently.

Liam looked at his watch. “We have a couple of hours until he arrives. I told him to come by at ten thirty. If he shows up.” Liam got up and paced the floor. “I want to know what he wants. And why me being a cop spooked him.”

“If you being a cop spooked him, but he still shows, whatever he’s doing here must be important.” Julius rubbed his unshaven chin thoughtfully. “Did he ask about your brother?”

“Mike?” Liam responded. “No.”

“I wondered about that too,” Cath added. She closed her eyes, not wanting to face her suspicions. “Do you think Mike has anything to do with this?”

Liam shook his head. “Mike might have made some bad choices, but he wouldn’t hurt you like this, Mom. Mike always told me how much he loves you. He wouldn’t.” But was Liam being his usual optimistic self, and overlooking his brother’s failings?

“We could just call Sheriff Brad,” Julius suggested.

Liam rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head as if trying to wake himself up. “I want to know why he’s doing this.” He looked pointedly at Cath. “Mom, you don’t have to be there. He only wanted to see me. You can stay with Julius.”

“I can do this,” Cath replied firmly. “This isn’t right, and you aren’t going to face him alone.”

“Are you sure? Both of you.” Julius aimed his question at Liam. “Professional life is a lot easier to handle than personal life. I know from experience.”

“I’m OK,” Liam replied and then turned to Cath. “And we need to be sure. Just because he’s staying at the hotel under a different name, doesn’t mean he’s not Hector Jackson.”

Cath stood up. “Perhaps, and he has some reason for the alias.” She took hold of each of their hands. Part of her wished it really was Hector, just so that Liam could find some closure. “Although I’m certain he’s not. I just wish I’d handled it better yesterday instead of running out on you. We could have avoided all this trouble.”

“Do you want me to stay?” Julius asked.

Cath shook her head. “Liam and I need to do this together. I’m not sure you have complete control over that bear of yours.”

Julius smiled ruefully. “Not where you and your happiness are concerned.” He kissed her cheek. “But I won’t be far away.”

“Thank you.” Cath walked him to the back door of the store. Before he left, Julius kissed her, his lips fierce, his hands possessive.

“You’re right, I don’t have full control,” Julius ground out.

“I wouldn’t have you any other way.” She watched him walk toward the street, and then closed the door and returned to Liam.

“I need more coffee.” Liam gave her a weak smile.

“I don’t think there’s enough coffee in the world to prepare me for this.” Cath hugged her son. “Come on. Some breakfast will help.”

They went upstairs and ate a quick breakfast of cereal and toast, before Liam went down to open the store. Hector was due at around ten thirty; by then Leona would arrive and handle the running of the store while they talked.

Cath busied herself cleaning Liam’s small apartment. It didn’t need cleaning, but she needed something to occupy herself, and didn’t want to leave in case Hector arrived early. At ten o’clock Leona arrived and the sound of Liam greeting his assistant drifted upstairs. Liam would explain everything to Leona, whom he trusted completely. Just after Leona arrived, Beverly’s voice filled the store below as she called to Liam. Hushed whispers followed and then the store door opened and closed.

Liam had sent Beverly away. Cath closed her eyes and prayed this was not going to upset Liam’s wedding plans. At ten thirty precisely, the door opened and a muffled male voice informed Cath the man pretending to be her ex-husband had arrived.

Cath sat down heavily on the sofa. Was she ready for whatever was about to unfold?

Yes! When footsteps sounded on the stairs, Cath got up, and pulled herself together. “Hello, Hector.” Cath smiled brightly, as Liam reached the top of the stairs. She watched the man closely, as unease swept over him. Liam hadn’t told him Cath was here.

“Cath.” A false smile spread across his lips, showing his bleached-white teeth. “You look a lot calmer today. When you ran out yesterday, I was concerned.” His voice had a lilt to it that she didn’t remember. More convinced than ever it wasn’t Hector, she looked closer, but with eyes hidden behind dark glasses, and a trimmed mustache and beard, she couldn’t really get a good look at his features. Only his nose, which was flatter than Hector’s. Imposter.

“Your arrival was a surprise,” Cath admitted. “But I’m over it now.”

“Over it? You’re putting a brave face on, I can see.” He kept his distance, not comfortable with her being here.

“Liam and I are curious as to why you are here.” Cath narrowed her eyes, studying the man before her.

“I wanted to spend time with my son.” Hector looked at Liam. “He’s grown tall.”

“He has,” Cath responded. “He reminds me of your brother’s boy.”

Cath caught Liam’s expression as he arched his eyebrow in question. Hector had no brothers, or sisters, at least none that they ever knew.

But fake Hector’s smile broadened as he agreed. “There is a strong resemblance.”

“Mom, maybe we should make coffee?” Liam asked with a frown as he inclined his head toward the kitchen. He’d seen her confusion.

“Yes, where are my manners?” She walked toward the kitchen, grabbing Liam’s hand as she passed. “Do you still take your coffee black with two sugars?”

“Sure,” Hector replied, and sat down on the sofa as they left the room.

“Are you sure it’s not him?” Liam asked in a low voice. “I don’t have enough memories of him to tell if it’s my dad or not.”

“That’s not your father,” Cath hissed, pained that Liam could walk past his own father on the street and not know him. “Your father was four inches shorter, liked cream in his coffee, and never took sugar.” Cath ran her hand through her hair. “It’s not his voice. It’s not him.”

“You’re sure?” Liam asked again, then shook his head. “I can see you are.”

“So, who is Frank Millar and what does he want?” Cath asked, leaning into her son and keeping her voice low, despite wanting to scream. All this stress, all this upset, for a stranger.

Liam moved back toward the door on quiet feet, and looked out into the living room. “He never asked about Mike,” he murmured.

Then he was gone, with Cath dashing out after him, just in time to see Liam football-tackle fake Hector to the ground. “Liam!”

Cath watched the two men as they fought, Liam had the stranger pinned to the floor, but the fight wasn’t over. “Leona, call the police,” Cath yelled down the stairs.

Leona’s face appeared briefly, and then she was gone. Cath’s words seemed to trigger something in the imposter; he kicked out at Liam, hitting him in the solar plexus. Liam gasped, fighting for breath, while the imposter slid down the stairs on his belly to land on the floor in a heap.

Liam ran after him, but as he reached for him, the imposter turned into a small brown bird and flew out of his reach. “Damn it!”

Cath ran downstairs to join Liam. “Let’s corner him.”

“Brad is on his way,” Leona told them, as they split up, looking for the small bird, who seemed to have disappeared.

“Where is he?” Cath asked in frustration.

Liam shook his head. “I’ll let my eagle hunt him down.”

“No,” Cath replied. “Someone might see.”

“Here’s Brad,” Leona said, as the sheriff opened the door and the small bird flew out.