The Mansion

Chapter Six

Chapter 6     

              Blake knew that Melissa stayed late but was hoping she had already left. When Blake pulled into the staff parking lot he saw Melissa’s car and cursed. Blake pulled into his parking spot and shut off the truck. Still figuring out what he was going to say as he got out and shut the door. Blake pushed the beeper on his keychain and two fast series of beeps and lights flashed from the truck. Blake took a deep breath and walked to the doors; put his employees badge to the detector and the door buzzed open. Hopping into the elevator Blake still didn’t know what to say. He figured he would just play it by ear when he got up to his office and passed Melissa. Stepping out of the elevators Blake turned left and headed toward his office when Melissa spotted him. “Blake, wait up.” Melissa called out. Blake turned around and instantly went pale. “Are you alright? Do you want to sit down? Can I get you some water? Do you want me to call someone?” Blake looked at her and could actually see family resemblance now. He needed to sit down. “My office, I need to sit” Blake said as he started walking to his office. “What’s the matter sir?” Melissa asked. “When we get to my office” Blake said and then stopped. “What if they have bugged my office?” Blake muttered to himself out loud. “We need to go somewhere, do you want some coffee?” Blake looked at Melissa with some color back in his face. “Sure, I guess.” Melissa responded but thinking Blake was losing it or on some type of drugs. Once they got outside, Blake walked to a pay phone and called Chase

at the hospital. “Hello” Kale said. “Kale is Chase still there?” “Yeah, hang on.” Kale handed the phone to Chase and told him it was Blake. “What’s up?” Chase said. “Hey,

can you tell me if my office is bugged? Oh and my truck?” Blake asked Chase. “Sure, but why?’ “Maybe that’s how they knew about our conversation. I was talking to Melissa in my office. I have her with me right now and we are going for coffee. I called using a pay phone and we walked here. I didn’t want to take any chances of anyone over hearing this conversation I am going to have with her.” Blake explained. “Good thinking, want a job?” Chase laughed. “No!” Blake responded and then hung up the phone and turned back to Melissa. “Want to tell me what this is all about?” Melissa said confused and a little annoyed. “We’re cousins” Blake just blurted out. “I know. I’ve known for seven years.” Melissa said. “Then why haven’t you said anything to me?” “I didn’t know how to say it or how to explain it.” “You just explain” Blake said raising his voice a notch. “Did you talk to anyone about the missing books I talked with you about?” “No. Why?” Melissa said looking confused. “I’ll explain everything over coffee, even though I could really go for a cold beer right now. I’ll have that later.” Blake said pulling Melissa into the coffee shop. They sat down after ordering their coffee and talked about everything. They both filled each other in on missing parts and things were beginning to click for them both. “We have to talk to the others, fill them in on all this.” Blake said to Melissa. “When?” Melissa asked. “What are you doing later tonight?” Blake asked. “Hoping to get a beer myself now.” “Great, come by this address around eight tonight.” Blake took a napkin and wrote down Kale’s address. “We’ll all be there.” Blake said and handed her

the napkin. They walked back to the office and got into their vehicles. Blake headed back to the hospital and Melissa had some errands to run.

            Blake walked into Sarah’s room and found them getting her stuff together. “Great, we’re blowing this popsicle stand” Blake said rubbing his hands together and then grabbing some of Sarah’s things and handed them to Kale. “Sarah has to be watched so the mansion is going to have to wait for a few days. I’m not leaving her alone.” Kale said. “I’m fine Kale; if I need anything I can call you.” “Doctor’s orders are for you to be watched and that’s what I’m going to do.” “I wouldn’t argue, when Kale has his mind made up he doesn’t change it, it’s like pulling teeth out of a very pissed off lion’s mouth.” Chase said with a funny look on his face to tease Kale. “Funny dick head” Kale said back to Chase. “It’s the truth.” Blake said. “By the way, Melissa will be over to your house around eight tonight. We’ll explain everything to all of you at once.” Blake said.  And added “I could actually see the family resemblance now when I got to the office. It scared the fuck out of me.” “Didn’t anyone mention that you look like each other before? Natalie asked. “No. Not really. They made a comment one time that she was just as stubborn as me.” “Oh, Great, another bull” Chase said laughing and handed Kale some more of Sarah’s things to be packed. The doctor and a nurse walked into the room. The nurse took the IV out as the doctor talked to Sarah and Kale about the going home instructions. Kale signed the papers and kissed Sarah. “I can take care of my own hospital stuff” Sarah explained to Kale. “I know but now you don’t have too” Kale said and kissed her again. “Now, let’s get you home” as he helped Sarah out of the bed and into the wheelchair that the orderly had brought. As they were all walking down the hall to the elevators Chase looked over at Mel and got a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye. The elevator opened and Chase told them he would be right back to go ahead and he would be down in a minute. They all got into the elevator and the doors closed. Chase walked quietly around the corner and peeked around first, no one was there but the hospital staff. Chase turned the corner walked a little way down the hall and then turned suddenly when he heard a crash and some nurses yelling. Chase saw a man in black but couldn’t see his face. Chase whipped out his badge, showed it to the nurses as he ran after the man. Chase tripped over some of the stuff that was spilled and lost his footing enough to give the guy a good lead but not enough to lose him yet, he thought. How can you lose someone in the stair well? By the time Chase got his footing he was running down the stairs after the guy in black. Chase couldn’t hear him on the stairs and thought he had gone onto the next floor down. Chase looked over the railing to see if he could see the guy. He saw no one. Chase opened the door to the floor beneath and walked casually around that floor. Chase went to the stairs again and went down a few more flights. How could I have lost him? Chase thought to himself. Damn it. He told himself. Going back to the elevators on the floor he was on he made his way to the parking lot. Melanie was waiting for him as the others had already gone to Kale’s house with Sarah. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Melanie asked Chase. “Nothing.” Chase said back a little pissed. “I’ll explain in a minute when I calm down. Where is everyone else?” Chase asked as he looked around. “They took Sarah to Kale’s; Kale said he wasn’t going to stay here forever waiting for you. I told them I would wait and let you know where they went.” “Aren’t you nice?” Chase said still pissed at himself. “What ever the hell you just did, don’t take it out on me Chase.” Melanie snapped back. Chase looked at her and softened a bit, “I’m sorry Mel, I was onto something and I fucked up. I never fuck up.” Chase said to Melanie. “First time for everything and I think you are handling it pretty well.” Melanie said with a grin to Chase. “Get in the car sunshine.” Chase said to Melanie with a grin back. During the drive to Kale’s; Chase kept thinking about Melanie and how easy it was for her to calm him down. No one has ever been able to calm him down like that. What was it about her that he felt from the very beginning? Chase had girlfriends before and never let himself get too attached. Why on earth was he thinking about her? They pulled into Kale’s driveway and Blake was outside on the porch. Melanie got out and asked Blake if everything was ok. Blake responded yes but he needed some air. “After we dissected the house for bugs and didn’t find any, Kale went on Mother Mode so I came out here to get out of the firing line.” Blake said. “That bad huh?” Chase said with a laugh. “Kale’s on a mission to get this bastard and also running to every movement that Sarah makes. Which by the way, she does not like”. Blake said. Melanie raised her eyebrows “Sarah was never one to lie down and let someone pamper her.” “Well Kale’s made it a point to over ride her”. Blake said while putting his hands in his front pockets. “Shall we?” Chase said and pointed to the door. “I think Kale needs his big brother” Blake said patting Chase on his shoulder. They went inside and everything seemed pretty calm until Kale came out of the kitchen. “Turn that stereo down, Sarah needs her rest. I’m taking her up something to eat when I come back down I want that on low.” Everyone just stared at Kale. “Yeah, big brother has to have a talk with someone.” Chase said to Blake and anyone else within ear shot. Everyone could hear Sarah and Kale when Blake turned the stereo down. “I’m not hungry Kale.” “You have to eat something to keep your strength up.” “I’m not weak Kale; I’m just not hungry. I’ll eat when I am.” Sarah yelled back. The rest of them were laughing as Kale came downstairs holding the tray he brought up to Sarah. “She’s so difficult.” Kale said to himself out loud then looked at everyone when they were laughing. “Shut up” Kale said. “She is so stubborn.” “I know; we have been in your position before.” Melanie said. “She really needs to let me take care of her.” Kale explained. “I love her and I am not letting anything happen to her.” “Kale, we need to talk.” Chase said walking Kale to the kitchen. “Listen Kale, if you want me to put security on her I will, but you need to chill.” Chase said. Kale sat down at the small table in the kitchen as he put his hands to his face and started to cry. “I wasn’t there to protect her. She was attacked and I couldn’t protect her. He could have killed her.” Kale said sobbing to Chase. Chase sat on the chair next to Kale. “It’s not your fault Kale. You have to control yourself.” Chase said. “I know. I can’t help it. I should have been there.” Kale said. “It’s not your fault. He didn’t kill her, she’s alive and she’s up stairs in your house; in your bedroom, in your bed.” “Thank God.” Kale said. Kale wiped his eyes and got up to get a beer and offered one to Chase. Chase took a big swallow of his beer and stood up to give Kale a hug. “You know you are my brother even if we aren’t blood. I would never let anything happen to any of you.” Chase said to Kale. “I know, if it gets any more dangerous I would like you to put security on all the girls” Kale said. “You got it” Chase said back as they went back to the living room to be with the others. Kale said he was going to go apologize to Sarah and he would be right back.