The Chauffeur Page 26

  “Because you were singing it. I would do anything you wanted if you would sing to me in bed,” I offer, hoping he’ll take me up on it.

  “Anything?” I grin at his taking of my bait.

  “Anything,” I reply with the sound of promise in my voice.

  “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, April,” he says, pulling me closer to him. “You have something I want.”

  “Mmm, what’s that?” I say, licking the shell of his ear. When I feel his hand roam over my bottom and gently squeeze, I know exactly what it is.

  I hide my face in the curve of his neck while my body betrays me and I imagine him there. Slow and gentle, taking what he wants.

  “Soon,” I repeat. “But now, I want you.”

  In one graceful movement, he rises with me in his arms, carrying me into the house to the hoots and whistles of our friends and family.

  It’s only a matter of minutes before we are in our room and tumbling in the sheets.

  “I love you,” I say as he pulls me closer into his arms. “So much.”

  “I want to close every day with you, April.”

  “And I want to open every day with you in mine,” I reply. Positioning himself above me, he strokes my damp forehead and stares deep into my eyes.

  “Sleep, baby.”

  ~.~

  Following the four happy days Jason and I spend at the cabin, we reluctantly return to the real world. All his time is devoted to testing his first engine, and once it’s deemed a success, the maiden flight of his first plane is scheduled. I’m happy for him because he’s ecstatic that the flight tests were perfect. Once all the requirements and regulations have been met, he’s given the go-ahead by the Federal Aviation Administration to put his Challenger series into production. The Challenger’s first flight will be from Chicago to Seattle, with Grace and Carl making the first trip. I laugh when he tells me they want to be the first to christen the signature MileHigh Club feature that is on each of his planes; the specially designed lavatory.

  “I’m so excited for you, Jason,” I say, wrapping my arms around his waist.

  “Not half as excited as I am. Come on, let’s get my parents to the airport so I can see this thing take off.” Taking my hand, he nearly drags me out of his office and down the hall to Carl’s office. The smile quickly vanishes from his face when he hears his father yell into the phone.

  “What the fuck do you mean they’re here?” He hears us come through the door and motions for us to sit.

  “When did they get here?” He covers the receiver and whispers to us. “Several cartel members are in town.”

  “Okay … all right, I’ll be right there,” he says, slamming the phone down.

  “What’s going on?” Jason asks, sitting up in his chair.

  “It seems Ms. Kathryn has been busy. She has guests, and the CIA has caught wind of it. I’ve been instructed to check it out. I’m sorry, Jason. I won’t be able to make that flight today.” He presses a button on his phone.

  “Roger, come in here, would you?” Just as he releases the button, Roger comes through the door.

  “Yes, sir?” he asks, standing at the ready, his notebook in hand.

  “Roger, I won’t be making the trip to Seattle as planned. I need my car brought around to the front. Would you take care of that for me?”

  “Yes, sir. Right away. But … um … I was wondering,” he says, looking at Jason. “If you aren’t making the trip, I was wondering if I could go in your place? You see, Paul is in Seattle on business for two weeks, and if your flight is going there anyway, I would like to hop a ride and visit him.”

  “It’s all right with me if Carl is okay with it,” Jason says, looking at his father.

  “You better hurry then and get my car so that Jason can take you to the airport,” Carl says, rummaging the papers on his desk. “Wait! Won’t you need clothes?”

  “No!” Roger squeals, his hands flailing at his wrists while he scurries out the door. Approximately twenty minutes later, we’re on our way to the Executive Airport to watch the takeoff. I reach for the bottle of champagne I hid in the car to celebrate while we watch the plane circle the tarmac to board its first passenger.

  “Have fun Roger, and give Paul my best,” I say, hugging him before he boards the jet. I laugh when I hear him scream from inside.

  “EEEK! I have got to get Paul in here!” Jason and I laugh when we hear his high shrills of excitement. Then the stairs are raised, and the vacuum sounds indicating the door is closed and locked.

  Like a proud father, Jason watches as his sleek, sexy plane taxis down the runway and lifts its nose into the air. Being the supportive girlfriend and fangirl, I snap a dozen pictures with my cell phone then hold out the bottle of Moet Chandon. Once I pour us each a flute of bubbly, we clink our glasses amid the applause from the crew that built the plane.

  When the aircraft circles, it dips its wing, signaling a wave. I become emotional as Jason lifts his hand to wave in acknowledgment. I nearly weep at how proud I am of his accomplishment.

  Our faces are raised to the sky, and our glasses drop to the ground, shattering over the tarmac. The air rushes from my lungs, and Jason drops to his knees as we watch the plane explode into a fireball before our very eyes.

  Chapter 20

  ~Jason~

  In a complete daze, I continue to look out at the column of black smoke that was once a plane, uncertain if this is a dream.

  “Oh, my god!” April screams. I remain frozen in place. The sirens blast in my ears as the emergency vehicles rush past us.

  “Roger!” April continues to scream violently.

  For what seems to be an eternity, my attention is transfixed on the flames and the remains of the Challenger. Oblivious to the chaos around me. My heart shatters into a million pieces at the loss of life, and my mind seeks the answer to two questions: how and why?

  My focus is interrupted when several cars screech to a halt behind us. The Airport Authority approaches, and April begs them to get me off my knees and into the car. I resist at first, but after I’m seated next to April, she gets on the phone to my father.

  Seeing my plane ‘wave’ at us one minute and then the next—the sight will live with me forever.

  Covering my eyes, I pray the vision will go away, but it doesn’t. Even the tears that fall don’t wash it away.

  “Ca-Carl, the-the plane. It exploded midair and …,” April says, trying the best she can to finish telling him what we witnessed. That’s when I drape my arm over her shoulder and pull her to my chest. I need to feel her next to me, but when her body begins to shake, I take the phone from her.

  “She killed them, dad. She killed Roger.” My voice breaks while my body feels the strong need to kill Kate.

  “Roger? He’s gone?” my dad asks, his voice cracking.

  “She blew the fucking plane up and killed everyone aboard,” I shout. “Y-you and Mom—”

  “You can’t be certain of what happened, son. Where are you?”

  “I know it was her,” I hiss through clenched teeth. “That engine tested perfectly. There were zero flaws. It was her, and you can’t tell me otherwise. Get Farmer and meet us at the office of the Airport Authority. This is going to be a shit storm.”

  “We’ll be there. Hang tight, son. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  ~.~

  After a very emotional week of Memorial services for Mark Barnett, the pilot; Sarah Smith, the co-pilot; and Deborah Miller, the flight attendant, it was time for Roger’s service.

  Knowing that Roger’s family isn’t in attendance turns my stomach, but he has many, many friends here today. He was loved, that’s for sure.

  After several of his friends stand to say their words, Paul approaches the podium. I can tell right away that he isn’t going to make it. After watching his lips quiver, trying to keep his emotions in check, he can’t do it. He says eight simple words.

  “I love him, and he didn’t know it,” he
says through his tears, quietly leaving the stage to walk down the long aisle of the church.

  My father quickly steps up to the podium and looks out, scanning the faces of Roger’s friends.

  “You can tell a man is loved by the legacy of friends he leaves behind, and from the gathering here, Roger was a man who was loved. Paul, he knew you loved him, son.”

  Just before he reaches for the door, Paul stops at my father’s words and turns to listen.

  “Roger was not only my assistant, but he was also my friend. He was my right hand. He may have lived a short life, but he lived an amazing one. He made his choices, enduring ridicule from friends and family, but he lived his life,” my father says, pausing to gather himself.

  “Roger was the kind of friend that stood by you and supported you when you needed it. I don’t even think that my family knows that he once saved my life. I was in town, walking across a busy street. He was walking behind me and saw a speeding car heading straight for me. He risked his life for mine. If it weren't for him, I would have died right there. That was six years ago. When I asked him what I could do to repay him, he told me he needed a job. You see, his family had just abandoned him for being the way he was. He was alone for the first time in his very young life. My wife, Grace, and I adopted him into our heart and our lives, and he became my personal assistant. We’ve been family ever since.

  “What I will always remember about Roger is his keen sense of humor. He could make others laugh so hard that they’d end up crying.

  “Then, again, maybe it was the fashion choices he made. There were days he looked like Sherwin-Williams threw up on him.” My father pauses when the congregation laughs because they knew what he was talking about. “But his humor and his fashion sense were his trademarks, and that is what I will miss most about him. He could make me laugh even when I was unusually irritable. He only wanted to make people happy.

  “I will forever remember this day. The day we bury a friend. I will forever be grateful that Roger was there at the right place and at the right time to save my life. I will forever be grateful for spending six years of my life with a man like him. All the memories I have of him will be cherished and remembered. Roger will forever live in our hearts.

  “Paul, you were everything to him. I remember the day he met you. Not because he told me about you, but because he changed that day. His heart bloomed, and I knew then that he’d found the one. He found you.”

  I heard a deep, resounding sob come from the back of the room.

  After my father steps down from the podium, I check on April, and she’s sobbing into her tissue.

  Once the service is over, my mother asks if anyone is hungry. None of us are feeling sociable, so we all go our separate ways. April and I get takeout, go home, and after a quiet dinner, we climb into bed and just hold each other through the night. It breaks my heart to hear her sniffle through the night.

  The following morning, we head over to the house to join my family for breakfast. As soon as we walk through the door, Rita greets us with a cup of hot coffee. Just what I needed.

  “Good morning, Rita.” I take the cup from her, kissing her cheek.

  “Good morning, Jason. Your mother and father wanted me to tell you that they’ve had an important matter come up and will be out of town for a few days,” she says. “Your brother, Ms. Emily, your sister, and Mr. Adam are in the dining room for breakfast. Join them. I’ve made your favorites.”

  I guide April to the dining room and pull her seat out for her. “Good morning, everyone,” I say, pushing her chair in for her.

  “Good morning, Jase. How are you?” Nicole asks. It’s clear she’s worried about me.

  “We’re better today,” I say, bending down to kiss April’s cheek. “I’ll fix you something, baby,” I say to her, squeezing her shoulder. She looks up at me with a wan smile.

  “Today the FAA expects the results of the black box. I hope it tells us what happened,” I volunteer, handing April her favorite of fruit and Greek yogurt drizzled with honey. I return to the buffet and load my plate with sausage and pancakes.

  “That’s good,” Kyle interjects. “That didn’t take long, did it?”

  I wink at him, and he grins because we both know Sector got involved and moved the investigation along.

  “So, Mom and Dad are out of town until next week. Have you taken care of everything that they’ve given you to do? Kyle?” I ask, taking a bite of my pancakes and taking the lead role while my father is away. It’s the way it always is.

  “Yes, all finished. I emailed the spreadsheet to Dad yesterday. What about you Nicole?” Kyle asks, and we all look over at her. I can’t help but notice the questioning looks on Adam and Emily’s faces.

  “I hit a road block on the name search Dad wants for that property, but I have some ideas that I want to run past him. I’ll get with him when they return. What about you, April?” We all look at her, waiting for her answer.

  “Well, the grant Grace is applying for is one of the less complex I’ve come across. I was able to gather necessary details from a few applications that she’s submitted in the past, so that helped. There are only a few more questions I have and, Jason, with your permission, I’d like to call the accounting department and ask for some information. They may require your approval before they turn it over to me. Would it be all right if I have them call you?”

  “I’ll tell them to give you anything you want,” I say, taking her hand in mine, checking for her bracelet pleased to find it in place.

  “Emily, have you screened the resumes for a PA for my father?” Kyle asks.

  “Yes. Since I placed the advertisement on the website, we’ve been inundated with applicants. I’ve selected five qualified candidates who meet Carl’s criteria and have been holding them for you. I’ll put the file on your desk this morning for your review if you would like.”

  April speaks up. “I have something else, Jason.”

  “What is it?”

  “Several weeks ago, you and I were at the plant returning the fuselage, remember?” she asks, turning to look at me. I answer by nodding and wait for her to continue.

  “Well, I recognized a man there who looked strangely familiar, but I can’t recall where I’ve seen him. It’s probably nothing. I could have seen him anywhere. He recognized me too, but what was conspicuous is that the way he looked at me. It was cold. It made me feel uncomfortable.”

  “Why didn’t you bring this to my attention before?”

  “I don’t know. There’s been so much going on, it slipped my mind.”

  “Would you be able to point him out from a photo?” Kyle asks.

  “Yes. Definitely.”

  “We have photos from the security key cards. I’ll let you know when I get them from Scott,” Kyle says, taking notes.

  Looking around the table, I see Adam watching all of us interact. I’m sure he’s wondering what the hell is going on because he shakes his head then continues with his breakfast.

  “What is it, Adam?” I ask.

  “You all work like a well-oiled machine. I’m impressed,” he answers, sitting back.

  “We do, baby,” Nicole pipes in, taking his hand in hers.

  “All right. I’ll step it up a bit,” Kyle beings again. “I think I’ll run a Level B check on all the employees of MileHigh, as well,” he says, filling his mouth with scrambled eggs. I nod in agreement because I think we need to start some reconnaissance of our own.

  ~.~

  The following Wednesday, Neal and I enter the large FAA conference room. The size of the room is intimidating, but the huge conference table is menacing. I look around and don’t recognize anyone.

  “Gentlemen, have a seat, please. I want to get this over with.” After a shuffling of feet and the pulling out of chairs, everyone finds their seat, and the meeting begins.

  “I’m Jim Keefer, FAA District Manager. We’ve concluded the investigation of Flight 736’s wreckage. After careful review of the contents of
the black box, a warning received indicated a fire in the number two engine. We then examined the flight data recorder.”

  This has my heart racing because if there were anything wrong, this will tell me what it was.

  “The explosion was so quick and unexpected, the crew had no idea it was coming, let alone time to prepare for an emergency landing,” he says, turning to me.

  “Mr. Rowe, we’re one hundred percent confident your craft was sabotaged. Once the remains of the engines were retrieved and examined, we discovered the seal to the fuel intake gasket was deliberately cut. This caused a fast leak, and when the fuel became hot, well, you know how it all works.

  I can feel my heart pound, and my brow begins dripping with sweat.

  “Mr. Rowe, do you have any idea who may have tampered with your plane?” he asks, and I feel every eye in the room on me.

  “No. I have no idea.” Farmer shifts in his seat beside me and I give him a look to be silent. “However, I did have a file stolen from my desk at Rowe Industries that contained the schematics of the fuselage. We knew we had an inside issue, so I ordered a redesign of the engine. That’s when we had another suspicious incident occur, which we’re dealing with internally. If you’d like copies of any reports, I’ll be happy to turn those over to you,” I suggest, hoping to pacify the FAA for a few weeks, at least.

  “Yes, please,” Keefer replies. “Once you conclude your internal investigation, I would like to meet with you again to finalize this matter. We will, of course, continue with our own,” he says, shuffling the papers in his file.

  “Of course,” I agree. “Does this conclude the meeting?”

  “Yes, but I want to reiterate, Jason, your aircraft are grounded until further notice. I don’t have any problem with you continuing to produce and test these engines, but don’t fly any planes. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” I answer. Farmer and I get up, shake everyone’s hand and leave the office, not saying anything until we get inside the car.

  “Why didn’t you tell him about Kathryn?” Farmer asks, shocked.

  “Because my father instructed me not to get her arrested and sent somewhere we won’t have access to her. This way, she’ll think she got away with it and that she shut down my production, which will allow us to move in for the kill.”