Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1) Page 7

  “May I finish?” she asked, firmly. Dane plopped back on the chair, remaining seated at the edge, his agitation noticeable.

  “Danke, as I was saying, Aly was very upset. I suspect she’s one that cannot let a mystery go unsolved. She spotted a box of Abare Chocolates and asked where it had come from. Of course we thought she’d arranged to have them sent to me during my earlier hospital stay.”

  “Are you sure she didn’t? That could explain her disappearance.” Dane butted in. He was trying desperately to erase the feeling of panic assailing him at the thought of losing Aly.

  “Nein, Daney,” Oma glared at him, “and I will not be convinced that she would wish me harm! I am worried for her, jungen. Ein bisschen is in trouble – has been for a while, I suspect. Now would be the time to tell me the truth about your relationship with her, Daney. I know who she is.”

  Bruna stepped into the room followed by two gentlemen. Dane stood up, extending his hand to greet them.

  “Lee, Edward, it’s been years. What brings you to Deutschland?” he asked, as they shook hands and slapped each other on the back. Lee Carsten and Ed Bravanger were old friends of his grandparents.

  “Your lovely grandmother, of course,” Ed, the eldest of the two, said as he greeted Oma with a kiss to her hand. Dane turned a quizzical eye to his grandmother.

  “Did you bring it?” she asked Lee, ignoring her grandson’s silent query. Carsten laughed at her impatience as he dug into his briefcase. Pulling a clipping out, he handed it over to her.

  “This is the last public photograph of her,” he explained. “Fani verified identification and is wracked with guilt for not keeping in touch with her. She and the rest of the kids are ready to take the first plane here, as soon as they hear the word.”

  “It’s about time the younger generation of the ABC’s started working together,” Ed Bravanger concurred. “My son is a fine lawyer in his own right,” the elderly attorney bragged. “He will be handling things from the states.”

  “What the hell is going on, Oma?” Dane was at a loss and did not enjoy being kept out of the link.

  “A little respect, son,” Lee gently chastised. After a nod from Oma, he took the clipping from her and handed it to Dane.

  It was a picture of Aly. He looked up and exchanged a questioning glance with each of the room’s occupants, before returning to the article. Dane eased back down onto the chair, in shock. Lexi Alberton? No, they just look similar, right? He looked back up at his grandmother.

  “Pippi?” he said, his voice pleading. Tears sprung to his eyes and he quickly returned them to the clipping. He couldn’t read what it said. Not only was he looking through a layer of tears, but his brain and yes, his emotions, were on overload. Little Pipsqueak had turned into a goddess, but what had made her sell herself to a virtual stranger? And a virgin – oh my God, what have I done? Another thought arose – did she remember him from childhood? Stunned, Dane collapsed into the back of the chair. A glass of amber liquid was pushed into his hand.

  “Drink it up, son; we’ll assume from your reaction that you had no idea of her identity,” Carsten said. Dane drank the liquid in one gulp then held it steady as it was refilled. The rich bourbon worked like a slap on the cheek and as its warmth spread through his body, Dane’s brain settled in to his surroundings. Ed Bravanger took the lead.

  “Because of attorney/client confidentiality I was not at liberty to divulge the truth of Alicia Alberton’s illness,” he shared. “Eleven years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.”

  Oma gasped. “That poor thing, how horrible,” she said. “But why would they keep it a secret from their dearest friends?”

  “It was her wish,” Ed replied, “and Alex and Lexi honored it to the detriment of their own lives. I’m afraid it resulted in them closing themselves off from the rest of the world. Lexi was just a teen, about to go off to college.” He looked at Oma and shook his head. “Marta, I had to watch helplessly at what to me was a form of child abuse. That beautiful little girl…” his voice choked. “Alex just left her to deal with the day to day care of Alicia as he sank himself into his work. One day I had just finished meeting with Alex in his home office and walked out to see Lexi’s mother beating on her. Alex caught me intervening between them and took over, commanding me to leave. I watched as he soothed his wife, completely ignoring his daughter.”

  The room became quiet, each occupant visualizing the situation. Bravanger continued. “I spoke to Lexi several times during that period; she was helping her father as his assistant. She told me she was completing her college education through the internet, working on a business degree. The plan had always been to have Lexi take over Al-Tech when her parents retired. It sounded like she was gearing up to do a terrific job of it too. The company was bequeathed to her in their will. Alex’s brother showed up at his funeral, all comfort and compassion toward Lexi, and insinuated himself into the business.” The attorney paused to look deliberately at his audience. “She disappeared two weeks after her father’s death, supposedly to travel the world.”

  “When was that?” Dane asked.

  “Somewhere around a month ago,” Ed answered.

  “About the time she showed up here,” Oma said. Turning to her grandson, she asked, “Are you ready to tell me how she ended up here as your soon-to-be betrothed?”

  “She answered an advertisement Keith put out for a pretend fiancée.” Dane had the grace to look ashamed.

  “Keith!” Oma grimaced. Dane knew her disapproval of his friend just took another surge, but her focus was on Aly. “Perhaps she was reaching out for a family, but why would she use a factitious name?”

  “I don’t know; Aly could be short for Alexiah, maybe she just wanted a new start. She signed a contract,” Dane said, “I’ll have the office fax a copy over to me.”

  Bruna apologetically interrupted, with a frightened looking Frieda behind her.

  “I’m sorry, Frau Brighton, but there is something Frieda must confess to you. It is extremely important or we would not have interrupted.” The frollein burst into tears.

  “Please, I don’t want to go to jail,” she cried.

  Chapter Eight

  Dane sat seething, as the young housemaid spoke. She told of having an affair with Keith Ingram. Well, yes he did mention warming the bed of a local girl, and she was pretty, more Keith’s type than his. She continued to say that he began asking questions about Aly and Oma, and she told him about Oma’s favorite chocolates.

  When Aly confessed that she hadn’t sent the chocolates Frieda realized that Keith must have. At first she was proud of him for such a thoughtful gesture, but Keith demanded that she not tell anyone. He had frightened her with his change in demeanor, texting her almost hourly, demanding updates. She relayed to him that Aly was suspicious of the chocolates and was taking them in to be tested for cyanide. It was he who told her to drive Aly to the hospital, and he who told her to drive away without taking her home. Frieda witnessed the men shoving Aly into the car and panicked – she liked Aly. After she drove home, she received threats from Keith the entire night. He told her that she better keep her mouth shut or would be arrested as an accessory.

  Dane listened in disbelief. Keith was his friend, had been for over a decade. Why would he poison Oma and kidnap Aly… or rather, Lexi? No – he’ll stick with Aly. He still couldn’t wrap his head around his goddess being the little fire-tempered, red-head of his youth. Anyway, Keith wouldn’t do all of those awful things she was accusing him of.

  “Let me see your phone,” he commanded.

  “Dane, you’re hardly impartial,” Lee said, as he intercepted the phone exchange.

  “These are serious accusations, young lady,” Bravanger warned. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to enact revenge, perhaps he doesn’t care for you the same way you do for him?”

  “I swear I’m telling you the truth!” Frieda turned tear filled eyes to Oma, begging for her intervention.

  “W
hy would the frollein risk her own likelihood of prison, just to get back at a man who jilted her?” Oma asked.

  “I agree,” Lee Carsten said. “Is this your friend’s number?” he asked Dane, stretching the phone closer for him to see.

  “Yes, but I still don’t understand why Keith would want to harm Oma,” he disputed. “And, why would he have Aly kidnapped? It was his idea to hire her to play the part of my fiancée.”

  “Of course it was,” Oma grumbled. Dane turned on her.

  “And, of course you would believe the housemaid’s tales; you’ve never approved of my friendship with Keith from day one!”

  “Because I could envision what he was capable of, from day one. That boy has no conscience,” she calmly replied. Her words stopped Dane in his tracks. His mind raced to find examples to use against her allegations.

  “I think we should hold off accusing him of anything until we find proof,” Bravanger suggested. “You say Lexi signed a contract; have you seen it?” He knew from experience that clients usually trusted their attorney’s word on such things. His hunch turned out to be correct, when Dane shook his head. “Well then, why don’t we focus on this Aly’s disappearance? Surely Ingram would expect you to investigate; see what he has to say about it.” He turned to Frieda. “Keep answering his calls. Don’t reveal that you’ve confessed to anyone. You should be safe as long as he thinks his threats are working.”

  Dane paced the room, his mind searching for answers. A thorough exploration of Aly’s suite garnered no clues to her disappearance. He thought he might at least find a copy of her contract, but came up empty handed. The lack of anything personal, aside from clothing, set off alarms in his head. Who or what was she hiding from? Had she left her home on her own accord? He couldn’t just sit around waiting for his grandmother’s friends to chart out a plan. They had adjourned to their rooms for the evening, intending to continue plotting legalities in the morning. To hell with that! Grabbing his keys, Dane headed out the door.

  Once he hit the autobahn it was smooth sailing. At two a.m. the only traffic to worry about was freight trucks, and his Mercedes-Benz SLK smoothly sped passed them.

  Although he made record time getting to Frankfurt, cutting the hour and a half drive by almost fifty percent, Dane still had plenty of time for contemplation. He remembered the young Lexi. She had been spunky and smart. How could he not have realized that Aly was that same girl, the red hair and petite stature – that temper and those eyes? Dane laughed out loud. He hadn’t thought about those summers with her and the Bobbsey Twins in years. The fun they’d had, and the terror they’d given the neighbors! The six of them had been closer than family, they were like comrades in an exclusive club. Lee mentioned rallying them together again and Dane grew excited by the prospect. Under different circumstances he would have interrogated Carsten for information on what the twins have been up to. He’d missed them painfully, his first year at Oxford, but dove into his studies determined to make Opa proud. Keith Ingram was his roommate that year, and it was just through natural progression that they had become friends.

  Looking back on those days, Dane now realized that Keith had always taken the shortest route to accomplish his goals. He’d been impatient, skipping steps and putting his own twist on regulations. Dane called him on it numerous times, causing him to cease before he was caught and thrown out of school – saved his ass a few times, too. As the years progressed, Keith realized the value of rules and developed an interest in law. Dane was never more proud of his friend then on the day he’d passed his bar exams. Keith Ingram had come a long way from the sly secretive teen that he’d been the first year of college – or had he? Dane slammed his palm against the steering wheel, not liking the doubt now planted in his head. No, Keith always had his back, and he would never set out to harm Oma!

  Dane drove directly to the office with the intention of tearing the place apart, if need be, in order to prove his friend’s innocence. First things first, though, he needed to get his hands on Aly’s contract. There were just too many unanswered questions: why would Lexi Alberton say she was on a world tour and then join an escort service, and why would an escort service hire a virgin? Keith said he would be discreet, promised that he wouldn’t mention Dane’s name; had she found out that it was him, somehow? Dane shook his head, that’s just crazy, why would she do that when she could pick up a phone and call him? He smiled again at the thought of her. Pipsqueak; it seemed right, somehow. He’d always felt a connection with her, wanted to protect her, even when they were kids. His eyebrows creased into a frown, why didn’t she tell him who she was? What the hell? He was angry now.

  The contract was easy enough to find. It had been carefully filed away under Dane’s personal records. A simple pre-nuptial agreement – that was it. There had to be more. Dane sat down to read it through. The more he read, the more he bristled. The way it was written made him into some kind of a tyrant! Only a fool would sign such a document. He flipped to the end to check the signature: Alveus Proditio – Hollow Betrayal! Son of a bitch! He scanned through the document again. His name is never mentioned. There was an additional document secured to the last page. That was the contract he had signed, stating an agreed sum of money to be given for services. There was a post-it note stuck to it with some kind of a code written on it: CLD – FrankG/DW-15740-W. Dane stared at it a moment, then pulled miscellaneous files from the drawer. Yep, several of them had a similar code – all starting with CLD. Cloud! It’s an internet storage file!

  “Shit, shit, shit!”

  Dane had been trying to get into Keith’s coded computer files, to no avail. He’d never had such poor luck when they were in college. His friend’s passwords were so easy to guess – immature delusions of his masculinity, like seXmagnetic96. He typed in Ironman: incorrect password.

  “Damn it to hell!” He slammed his hands on the keyboard. It was after four o’clock in the morning and he’s mind was turning to fuzz. A break would do him good.

  After making a pot of coffee in the lounge, Dane drank half of his mug before deciding to search Keith’s office for clues. As he passed the reception desk, a new thought occurred. Sandy was in charge of sending out flowers and candy, maybe she ordered the chocolates for Oma. He searched through her small file of receipts and finally hit pay dirt, a printed copy from an internet order. Dane noted that the chocolates were sent to the office instead of Oma’s Oberstein address. Thank you for efficient workers! There was even a notation stating that the order had been made per the instruction of Keith Ingram. She’s getting a raise!

  After making a copy, he placed the original back in the file and pocketed the duplicate. Just because his friend ordered Oma’s favorite chocolates for her does not mean he poisoned them. Hell, that little housemaid could have easily done it herself. Let’s see what else we can find. Carrying his topped off coffee mug, he returned to his corporate attorney’s office. Standing in the doorway, he let out a sigh. Where to start… Dane tried to channel his friend’s thoughts. He had already searched through the desk, the next hurtle would be the built-in shelving unit that took up an entire wall.

  Exhausted and not just a little frustrated, Dane threw himself onto the leather couch. What am I doing? He had checked through four lateral file cabinets, six shelves of law volumes – shuffling the pages hoping a scrap of paper with a password would fall out, and a liquor inventory that almost had him jealous. Nothing! Well, he did find some files that he intended on questioning the counselor on, but nothing leading him to Aly. He could barely think straight. If he could just lay back and close his eyes for a few minutes…

  Just as he was about to give in to the temptation, he noticed a wooden vertical file camouflaged in the corner behind a large chair. Probably just some old files. Even so, Dane could not let it go uninspected. He grudgingly got up and pulled the chair out of the way. It moved surprisingly easy for such a large piece of furniture. Turning it to face the cabinet, he sat down and began flipping through the files wit
h a skill earned through practice. Although, quickly perusing the documents, Dane easily found even more discrepancies. His eyebrows held a permanent crease as the questionable pile grew. Still, there were no clues to Aly’s whereabouts.

  The sun was filtering in the windows as Dane began to close the last drawer. He noticed a space behind the files where a barrier kept them held tightly to the front. Reaching behind, he felt a cloth bundle and pulled it out. What he found brought a smile to his face. It was a purple drawstring Crown Royal bag. Must be Keith’s emergency stash, he laughed. As he started to place it back in its hiding place, Dane realized that it didn’t feel like a whisky bottle.

  If Keith was surprised to find Dane sleeping on his couch, he didn’t reveal it. He was confidently sitting behind his desk with his feet up, when he woke him with a question.

  “Looking for something in particular, or have you taken it upon yourself to reorganize my filing system?”

  “Aly’s gone,” Dane stated. Keith stared him in the eyes and shrugged.

  “I’d say good riddance,” he quipped. “Having a doll like that living in your house and not being allowed to play with it is just inhumane.”

  “Where did she come from, Keith?” Dane stood up. “Where’s the contract? All I could find was a travesty of a pre-nup agreement.”

  “I told you she came from a reputable escort service.” Ingram held his hands out, palms up. “Is it my fault she reneged? Are you sure she isn’t running from the law?” Keith’s insinuation was clear; he was accusing her of poisoning Oma. Dane ground his teeth together in fury.

  “Open this file for me,” he commanded in a murderous voice. He handed the post-it note to Keith.