Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I don’t know what to say to you, Keegan. I said you were a liability, and look where we are. I have to protect the business. The best thing you can do is put as much distance between yourself and the company. It has got to look like one rogue incident, one bad apple, and the only way we can protect Clover House is to look like we have rooted you out…”
“I’m not talking about the fucking business!” I burst out angrily. “I’m talking about my life. My actual fucking life, Sean!”
“I know,” he said. I almost wondered if I could hear him smiling. “I get that, but I don’t know what I can do, except keep things running as smoothly as possible here. My advice to you, is to get out of town. I can manage here.”
“I’m just so confused…” I said, trying to be calm.
“I know,” he said soothingly. “If there was anything I could do, I would.”
“I have to go,” I said, hanging up.
I got a taxi home and walked around the condo, talking aloud to myself. Repeating what the police had said, what the lawyer had said, what Sean had said, what I had said. Reviewing it all over and over in my mind, anything to avoid thinking about Effie, or rather, Freya. But it was impossible. Her big mystery, the weird way she seemed to be so many people rolled into one, had been solved. She wasn’t who she said she was. It was all a front, a scam, like Sean said. And I had fallen for it. I had promoted her to my assistant – she must have thought it was her lucky day. And then I had given her access to everything. I smacked myself on the head thinking about that. All of my files, all the financial shit, she would have had access to everything. Including my heart.
After we had parted at the airport, I realized in the car that I missed her, her scent and her taste. My day seemed pointless without her. I was already looking forward to seeing her again, until everything fell apart at the office.
Who had I fallen for?
I picked up my phone and called Mick. He had spoken to my father and knew a little of what had happened, but I needed his help now more than ever before. While we spoke, I sent Chris a hurried email and cursed the fact that he was off network and couldn’t be reached by phone.
Chris,
Change of plans – I’m going to be free sooner than I thought. Shifting money across as we speak and coming down ASAP. Will explain when I arrive, let me know all is okay at your end.
Keegan
When I had finished talking to Mick, reassured that he was the one person who believed in me, I sat on my bed and tipped everything out of the suitcase I had taken to Ireland. I knew that if I didn’t empty my case that it would still be unpacked a week from now. I was going to need a very different wardrobe for where I was going, and began to fill my biggest saddle bag with the basics: jeans, T-shirts, boots. Whatever I could fit in. No shirts, no ties, no suits. I hesitated on whether to even take my laptop, then slipped it into my backpack and hauled everything out to the garage where I loaded up. In different circumstances, I’d have loved this. But all I could think about was getting as far away as possible from Boston, and as far away from Freya, and Sean, and Clover House, as I possibly could. On second thought, I went back up to the condo and quickly scribbled a note for Beverly for when she came on Friday.
Beverly,
Well, you always said I’d come to no good! I’m going to be away for a while. Please look after the place for me until you hear from me. I’ll pay you the usual.
Keegan
P.S. Don’t worry, I’m okay, and everything will be grand.
Chapter 36
FREYA
I HAD DONE WHAT Beatrix asked, taken the files to her place, eaten dinner and said all the right things. She spoke about Drew, and she had probed a little into why he had suddenly turned silent and been taking days off – not that there was a lot of work for him to do right now – but it wasn’t like him. I told her I didn’t know, but that he wasn’t happy with me being at Clover House and we had argued. It was the truth, after all. But after dinner, when Stan had gone out to take the dogs for a walk and we were sitting together in her cozy living room with her emergency box of chocolates, she leveled with me.
“I know there is more to all of this than you are saying.”