Hidden Motive - A Hamilton Kane Mystery

Chapter 19

A soft tapping noise arouse me from sleep. I woke up to find myself in my childhood bedroom in my father's manor.

I haven't slept in this bed in ages. Still the comfiest bed ever.

As I was stretching and wiping the sleep from my eyes, I heard the soft tapping again and realized that someone was knocking at my door.

An intruder won't go knocking doors. Must be someone from the staff.

"Come in," I answered.

Eliza's pleasant smile greeted me as she brought in a tray of what looked like breakfast.

"Thank you, Eliza. What time is it? I'm all over the place today," I asked as I looked through the bedside table, searching for my watch and mobile phone.

"It's 6am, Ms Kane. I'm sorry for waking you. There is a Captain Mayers awaiting to see you downstairs. He's been adamant that he sees you immediately. I thought you'd like to have something to eat before you begin your day," replied Eliza apologetically as she set the tray across my lap.

The smell of waffles, scrambled eggs and sausages triggered a growl from my stomach loud enough to make Eliza smile knowingly at me. "I shall inform the captain that you'll be down once you are done with breakfast," she said as she moved to the door.

"Uhm...Not it is alright, Eliza. Just tell him to come up and bring another tray in for him as well," I called out to her. Eliza nodded and turned to close the door when I recalled to ask her. "How is Mother? Is she alright?"

Eliza's smile dimmed as she shook her head and replied, "The Mistress is still very fragile. Doctor Lyle has ordered that she not be stressed unnecessarily. I have given her the medication he prescribed just before I brought your breakfast up."

"Thank you, Eliza. Please send Captain Mayers up," I said as I suddenly didn't feel very hungry any more.

A few minutes later, Eliza ushered the captain into my room and left us after giving him a disapproving look when he declined to have breakfast and opted for strong coffee instead.

"You're going to get gastric if you don't eat regularly, Captain," I commented as he plumped himself down to a chair nearby.

"Oh yeah? I think my blood pressure will get to me way before that does," he answered as he rubbed his face with his hands as if it could scrub the exhaustion from his eyes.

"You look like hell, Captain. Are you ok?" I asked sensing he was skirting around the purpose of his visit.

"Aside from worrying about you and this secret life of yours, it's all peachy. Now, are you ok or do you need me to bust you out of here with guns blazing?" he whispered the last part and looked around the room suspiciously.

Hearing his words, I choked on the waffle I had been chewing and started coughing.

"Whoa! Whoa there, Hamilton. Eat slowly. Can't have you die choking on food. What a disgraceful way for a cop to go!" he scolded me as he gave me a good smack on my back and handed me my glass of orange juice to wash it all down.

As soon as I could breathe normally, I burst out laughing as he looked at me incredulously. "What the hell has gotten into you, Hamilton. I've rarely seen you laugh and it's giving me the creeps so stop that!"

I took in a few deep breaths of air and settled down before wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I just missed our chats. Simpler times," I replied as I stared at my food and let my own words sink in.

Those were simpler times. Now I don't know what is what and how to do anything with what I've gotten myself into.

"You alright there, Hamilton? You're spacing out on me for a bit there," the captain leaned into my line of sight, his tired face all serious and worried.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. A lot has happened and I'm just overwhelmed. I don't know what I should do," I answered, unsure if I should discuss my recent 'family' dilemma with a law enforcement officer.

"I don't know much of all this secret stuff if that is what's bothering you but I do know that Reggie's case is still open and the precinct is shorthanded. Maybe work can help you get your head out of the doom and gloom," he said as he handed me a thick folder.

"Wait. You came over...To ask me to work from home?!" I stared up at him as I felt the weight of the folder.

"That's right. Because I ain't signing off for you to take any unpaid leave. Now chin up and get back to work. Once you are feeling better come back in and do the actual legwork, you hear?" he looked down on me like he was scolding me but the glint in his eyes told me otherwise.

I smiled up at him and was surprised that the thought of work actually lifted the weight that I felt. "Aye aye, Captain."

"Carry on then, Hamilton," he nodded and stood to leave when Eliza came in with a to-go mug and shoved it into his hand.

"Drink up, Captain Mayers. It won't do the Sulisberg Police Precinct any good if their detective AND captain report sick," commented Eliza, glaring as he left the room with a muffled 'Yes, Ma'am.'

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Eliza. I feel like I'm being reprimanded as well from your tone," I grinned sheepishly at her as I continued to eat my breakfast.

"You will be, Ms Kane, unless you finish that entire tray before you get to looking through whatever work the captain has brought over for you to do," she replied tartly as she took the thick folder and placed it on the writing desk by the window and opened the curtains to let the sun in.

I know I always said I hated staying over at my father's manor. But maybe age is catching up to me and I just like having people take care of me. God, Hamilton. You're getting soft. Time to get back on track and toughen up already.

I finished the last of the breakfast and Eliza left with the tray. Feeling a bit better, I stood up to get to the ensuite bathroom when I felt my heart beat thundering in my chest painfully. My knees trembled and I felt my body suddenly weighting like a ton of bricks. Managing to catching myself before my face came into contact with the hardwood floor, I clutch my chest as I tried to crawl to the door. The struggle to breathe started to make sight fill with stars.

The door flew open and I suddenly felt weightless as someone lifted me up and placed me gently back into my bed. I felt a familiar tasting liquid touch my lips and gulp it down as the person lifted my chin up so I could drink in more.

Just when I thought I'd been saved, my body started to shake uncontrollably, drenched in my own sweat I could feel my clothes cling to every inch of me. Then an intense pain shot through my brain like a million razor-sharp needles stabbing it from every possible angle. I heard myself scream until my throat was hoarse and dry. The pain intensified that every cell in my brain felt like it was on fire. Just as sudden as it begun, the pain ceased leaving me to feel as if I was falling down a tunnel before everything went black and silent.