Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 34

"Naples 2"

I watched as she disappeared, her dressing gown moving in her wake to offer a glimpse of a thigh and a reminder of the very first day we had met when she had placed her legs on the dashboard of my car.

While I waited I couldn't help but wonder again whether this was to be my fate? Were we really meant to have found each other for no other reason than to head off on a wild goose chase to find her brother? Was it that simple?

I studied the rest of the pictures around the room trying to imagine myself in the same family portrait standing next to my new found friend in my brand new Jacket and trousers, my life changing forever and I was about to question whether that was a bad thing or not when the door reopened.

Max was glowing. She walked straight up to me and stopped.

'Ok so I've told Pat, he either takes your friend or waits another week until you're available again so he said you need to get your friend to liaise with his secretary and he is going to tell Richard to meet him at the airport.'

'How did he sound?' I was still a little apprehensive at what all this meant.

She lifted her shoulders.  'As he always does. Anyway. Taking the Jupiter across now is a menial task and they can get on with it. You and I,' she laughed, 'have more important things to do.'

'So you have made up your mind then?' I asked determined to make sure we were making the right choice.

Max forced a sigh.

'What else can we do. We can't act as though nothing has happened because it has. Going back to the Jupiter isn't going to solve the mystery over the photos nor is going back to Hockenhiem ever going to find my brother.'

'So what's next?' I asked rising to the challenge.

Max looked at a clock on her father's desk. 'Well. It's nearly two O'clock. We could be at the airport by four and in Naples by seven. That still gives us enough time to find this place and then I suppose we should then take it one step at a time.'

'What about your dad?'

She shook her head.

'No. We can't even go near him. He wouldn't believe me anyway and if he found out about the Jupiter he would explode. I've told Pat to give us until Tuesday to come up with anything concrete and if we haven't then he can do what he likes. All I want to do is find Adam. No one else seems to care and so far, everyone has failed to even get a sighting.'

'And you think we can.' I asked, aware that we were about to raise the stakes.

Max turned away. 'Have you ever lost anyone?'

I hadn't.  Not anyone close. I said no.

'Well until you have,' said Max turning back round, 'then you have no idea how that feels ......' She then paused, her face looking at me in earnest. 'Do you believe in fate?'

I stood open mouthed. It was the last thing I had expected her to say and the timing sent a slow undulating tingle across the lower part of my back like a small wave breaking out onto the shore to spread across the sand. I listened as she started to talk of how things were meant to be. That it was 'Karma' and ...  

'Think about it. If Cheryl hadn't received those photos then you wouldn't have been mad and you wouldn't have thrown the picture of my brother against the wall and we wouldn't be thinking of going to Naples.' 

She was talking enthusiastically now; her hair swaying with each turn of her face and another notch in my heart was ever lost to her.

'Adam went missing long before you came onto the scene but the fact that you came into my life when you did, was for a reason and I believe with all my heart that it was to find my brother.'