Spies

Chapter 14

We had started our investigations as soon as we clocked into work and did our usual work routine - a briefing, a quick chat with colleagues and taking coffee to go.

Then, we set to work. So it went for the rest of the week and the a couple work days afterwards. The middle of the next week was where we were stuck.

The protection detail case from the previous week was still high on our list of importance. Alex and I routinely served as bodyguards, each with different roles. Alex worked closely with the Government Senator while I worked with what was left of the family.

Murder affects families drastically, and with this high powered one, there was no difference. Silence and remorse filled the home for the first few days after the incident, but with an important job as Senator and the press' determination to create a good story, there was almost no time for the grief.

Johnathan St. Michael seemed to be a composed, professional man, years of the political profession obviously having its effects. His wife, Lady Diana St. Michael along with their other children, Gabriel, Estelle and Johnathan II, all mourned Stephany's tragic death in their own ways, imploring that the killers be found. While the Senator was at work with Alex and his personal protection team, I was at the home with the grieving family.

Stephany was killed while partying with some friends, at least that was what the parents and friends of the victim all hint at. There were witnesses too, but none were able to have a fixed description of what transpired that night. One minute she was at the club having fun with friends, and the next her body was in a dark alley, covered in debris, her blood and various marks. The club did not have any cameras, proving that if this was indeed pre-meditated, the suspects knew what they were doing. Taking out a high security official, or those particularly who have close relations with them, is very hard to pull off due to the what has been put in place to ensure their safety.

So far, Alex and I came to the same conclusion. With the information we gained on the life of Stephany and the details of her death, things were not adding up. At the moment, we were trying to solve the case and not let any details get to the press.

To her family, she was the perfect daughter, and future politician like her father. Exceptional grades at the local university, regular at charity events, and always willing to help. To her friends however, she was the ultimate party girl, an unknown alter-ego to what her family thought of her. Drinking, promiscuity, doing drugs, she did it all. Toxicology confirmed it.

It was the middle of the day, around eleven. The younger kids, Gabriel who was ten and Estelle who was fourteen, were both at their tutoring sessions in different parts of the house. Johnathan II, Stephany's twenty-one year old twin brother, was in his room while I was in the kitchen with Lady Diana. Each person had one or two bodyguards with them at all times.

"What shall we bake today," Diana asked me. It was like this since I was placed on her protective detail - she baked and cooked everyday, seemingly to avoid focusing on what had happened. From different types of biscuits to tarts, we had done them all earlier in the week, all eaten by everyone in the house before they could go bad.

"I know a good peach cobbler recipe," I responded. A great recipe it was indeed, my grandmother had taught me when I was younger.

"That's great, dear," she responded with a tight smile. "Let's try it." Since I met her, she was always polite, trying to be cheery despite the situation.

We worked for about a half an hour before Alex called me.

"Hey, what's going on over there," I asked him.

"Nothing much. You?" he replied, sounding as if he was moving to go somewhere.

"Just doing some baking with the Lady," I said, dusting my hands to go into the hallway. I switched with one of the guards that were outside the door and left.

"Liquet?"

"Klar," I respond.

Earlier in the week, we hand established a code word so that we could announce whether it was okay for us to discuss business, amongst other code words. We agreed on the word 'clear' in the languages we both knew, switching it up ever so often. Today, I responded in German to his Latin version.

"Okay. Things are getting weird," he said.

"Tell me about it," I answer. "What's weird on your end?" I paced the empty hallways, keeping a lookout for signs of anyone while I spoke to him.

"Give me a recap of the case."

"What did we agree on last week, Alex?"

"You are not my secretary blah blah blah," he said, exaggerating a sigh at the end. "Just humour me."

"Fine," I give in. He can be relentless when he wants to. " 21 year old female murdered-"

He cut me off. "Yes. Murdered," he repeated after me. What is he getting at?

"Okay," I stretched, then continued. "She was murdered behind a club in a bad area of town-"

"Right-"

"You really need to stop cutting me off."

"It's for a good reason, babe," he replied. I could sense the smirk. I knew from many futile attempts of trying to get him to stop calling me babe that it was pointless.

"Just tell me what you got."

"Fine. You're no fun," he said, surely pouting. "Answer this, babe. Why would a high powered government official get straight back to business when his daughter was recently murdered?"

"He has to do his job, Alex," I respond.

"Yes he does," he agrees. " But no symptoms of grief or anything? Everyone grieves differently, I get that, but when his father died of natural causes a couple years ago, there were many more signs of grief compared to this."

"How is he there?"

"Smiling, happy. Cheerful even," he replied. "As if his first born was not just murdered a couple of weeks ago."

"Maybe it's a mask for the press."

"If this is a mask, it is the best I have seen. And I have lots of experience with these types of cases and the elite of society."

"The wife seems better this morning also," I said, recalling her smiles. "She was gradually shutting things out this week but today was different."

"Keep an eye on her and I'll watch the big guy," he said. "By the way, what about the kids?"

"Planning too and," I started, thinking back to the children of the home. "They're busy. Sessions, grieving, things like that. Come to think of it, I've barely seen the twin."

"Expected... or so they may want us to think," he said ominously.

"Oh stop it," I said with a slight chuckle.

He laughed a bit too. After it died down, he said, "Best we get back to work."

As I was about to answer him, I felt someone's presence in the hallway. I searched but found no one. Not hearing my reply for a moment, Alex spoke from the phone, "Hörer?", asking if there was anyone listening to our conversation.

"Maybe," I answered in English. "I'll call you later," I said and then hung up.

I was about to walk back to the kitchen when I bumped into someone.

***********************************************

Hey guys,

Before, writing used to come easy for me, but now I barely have time for it. I'll try to update when I can but because of school amongst other pending and more important things, I have very limited time to write.

I will have a schedule for writing soon and everything will be back to normal. But for now, the speed of completed chapters will be affected.

Still keep voting and commenting. It encourages me to write more.

AW76