Ancient Inheritance. Rita Vetere
he said.
Joe opened the bag and gave a low whistle. He then looked up at Alan, his eyes filled with worry.
Alan wanted to reassure him, but the awful certainty he was never going to see his old friend again crept into his heart.
He went upstairs where he knew he was going to face even more questions he couldn’t answer.
Kate sat on the edge of the bed crying.
“It’s time, Kate.” Alan sat down next to her on the bed.
She raised a tear-stained face to him. “Alan, please tell me what you’re running away from. Whatever it is, we can fix it together. Don’t do this.” Her voice broke.
“Look at me, Kate.” It was breaking his heart to see her like this. “Do you love me?”
“You know I do, but this is madness.”
“I need you to trust me. I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear to you. I’m not involved in anything illegal. It’s nothing like that. But,” he paused. “I received a threat that you, Erin, and the baby are in danger.”
“You received a threat? In the middle of the night?” Kate looked at him, her eyes narrowed.
“I know how this sounds, but I’m not crazy. All I can tell you is it has to do with something that happened a long time ago. I can’t take any chances with your safety. Do you believe me?”
She searched his face, and to Alan’s relief, she seemed to find the reassurance she needed. After giving him a kiss with trembling lips, she stood up and began to pack a suitcase. Her hand hovered over an antique perfume bottle given to her by her mother. “Are we ever coming back?” she suddenly asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, she wrapped it in tissue and tucked it in her bag.
In less than an hour, they were ready to go.
“Take our car, Joe.” Alan handed him the keys to the Mercedes, a gift he’d surprised Kate with just last month. “Look after my girls. They’re everything to me.”
“You know I will,” Joe said evenly, “and you know where to reach me.”
“As soon as I’m able to,” Alan replied. If I’m able to.
As they grabbed the suitcases, Joe murmured to Alan, “If you change your mind and need help with whatever it is, call me. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
Alan didn’t acknowledge it, but he shared Joe’s sentiment. “Thanks.” He didn’t know what else to say.
Joe put the luggage in the car as Alan said a tearful goodbye to Kate, Erin, and Catherine.
Kate looked him in the eye. “You come back to us, Alan. Do whatever it is you think you have to, but promise me you’ll come back to us safe.”
“As soon as I can, Mermaid, I promise,” he told her, using the pet name he’d given her when they were young. He kissed her, hoping this wasn’t the last kiss they would ever share, and stroked her soft hair.
He turned to Erin and hugged her tight. “Everything’s going to be all right. I know you’ll take care of your mom and the baby until I can get back.”
She didn’t cry but only gave him a look to let him know she would do whatever was needed. “Be careful, Dad.”
Little Catherine clutched her teddy bear and smiled up at him. “Trip, Grandy.”
“You’re going to have a wonderful time.” He bent down to kiss her warm, round cheek.
“Coming too, Grandy?” she asked.
“I’ll come as soon as I can, sweetheart. You take care of Mommy and Nanna for me until I get there, all right?”
From the living room window, Alan watched the car carry its precious cargo down the foggy, leaf-strewn street and into the gloomy fall day. Tears blurred his vision as the truth sank in. He might never see them again. Please Joe, take care of them if I don’t make it back.
Alan knew he should move quickly, but he was consumed with worry about his family. At least they were with Joe, who would protect them with his life. And they would have a decent place to live, the loft in Soho he had purchased five years ago from Joe. It was no surprise his street-smart friend had done well for himself as a real estate agent in New York. But even then, Alan had been careful. The title to the apartment was in the name of a holding company that could not be traced back to Alan. He had lied to Joe, telling him it was an investment, when in reality it had all been part of the preparations he’d been making for years and hoping he’d never have to use. Now he was thankful it was available when he needed it.
Alan had only given Joe half the cash he had secreted away. If invested properly, his family would be able to manage quite well. He’d tucked the other half of the cash into an overnight bag now sitting on the back seat of the Volvo in the garage. He’d packed two large suitcases as well. Looking around, he was again assaulted by the thought that he could never come back here. All the money in the bank accounts, his assets, his business, and this house were a loss. But it was imperative for him to disappear without a trace. He double-checked his new identification, which he’d also procured in anticipation of this day. His last name was Merrick now.
Finally, he entered the tiny room behind his study. The object was still encased in the heavy silk cloth he’d wrapped around it at Nuremberg. He tucked it in the inside pocket of his jacket.
He had no destination in mind. He’d just start driving and hope he’d know where he was going when he got there. With a heavy heart, he got behind the wheel of the Volvo, backed it out of the garage and drove into the overcast day.
* * * *
Kate stared out the passenger window into the grey afternoon, seeing nothing, trying to hold back the tears that kept threatening to erupt. Turning in her seat, she noticed Erin appeared equally depressed. Catherine, done in from having been awakened so early and having missed her morning nap, was fast asleep beside her in the back seat. As she turned to face forward again, Kate heard Joe mutter something under his breath. The car swerved suddenly to the right as they sped up onto an off-ramp.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked.
Joe nodded in the direction of the rear-view mirror. “Looks like we’ve got company.”
Kate twisted in her seat to look out the rear window of the car and saw Erin doing the same. A black car screeched onto the ramp after them, cutting off a van that braked just in time to escape a collision.
“Shit,” Joe said.
“They’re following us,” Erin cried. “Mom?”
Kate’s eyes were trained on the car tailing them. It was approaching far too fast, even though they were now travelling at a dangerous rate of speed. In no time the chrome grill of the black car came within feet of their rear bumper.
“Is the car seat secure?” she asked, glancing nervously at Catherine. Her granddaughter continued to sleep soundly as Erin double-checked it.
“Yes.”
She looked at Erin, whose eyes reflected her own worry. Dear God, Alan, what have you gotten us into?
They carried on that way for a while on the two-lane road, with the car behind trying to ram them, and Joe driving faster and faster.
When the car behind finally hit them, they careened off into a ditch. Joe somehow managed to keep the car upright, bringing it to a stop in the field below. The black car skidded to a halt on the shoulder above them.
“Is everyone all right?” Joe asked.
“I think so,” she said, turning to her daughter. “Erin?”
“We’re all right,” she said, trying to sooth Catherine, who had begun to whimper. The poor child must have been exhausted, for Kate saw her eyes close in sleep again a second later.