THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 20

Henry was fast. He brought news for me on a Thursday morning, four days after the incident at St. Clare's. He had brought it to my desk without announcing it. He stood back while I read it.

According to the file, it was a grey rented car from an agency from Meridian Rentals in the south district, a small independent operation on a commercial strip between a dry cleaner and a hardware store.

We were trying to find out who drove the car that was packed in front of the school.

The name on the rental agreement was Paul Garett but after Henry's team had run it through databases. There was no match, his identity was not verified.

His ID was fabricated.His name was made and fake. Whoever planned this was just too smart..

The car went through the north district twice.” Henry said pointing at the map Henry had opened in front of me. “Once through the city center and moved four times,these streets.”

I studied the maps, it looked like a quiet residential neighbourhood.

“What area is that?”

“Mostly nothing important,” Henry said. “But there's an accounting firm right there on the street called Meridian Close.”

“Go on. It's not a coincidence.”

“No, it can't be a coincidence.” Henry agreed. “But we need to treat it as a clue other than a proven fact, else we won't get the chance to do more work.”

I nodded. Henry was right. I've come to understand that listening to Henry in situations like this was my best decision.

He was extra careful so when he said that something wasn't a proven fact, then it isn't. Every single time I wanted to make decisions based on anger, he'd remind me that anger makes mistakes

"What is our clue then?" I asked.

“Whiever it was that was driving that car was somehow connected to Marcus Pierce's money.” Henry took a deep breathe. “This isn't random we are sure of that bit what we do not know is if he gave out the order or not.”

He paused, then continued.

“We do not know if Marcus knows this person personally or not. We can't say yet.”

I thought about Marcus. The father I was supposed to have and adore. For years since I lived in that house, I knew that he wasn't a strong man, he was weak and always found easy ways instead of facing difficulties head on.

He had kept quiet while Victoria hurt my mother. He looked away while Victoria destroyed my mother's life.

But with all these, I still didn't know if I had ordered someone to grab Lily or not and I didn't want to make moves without being aware of who was in the.wrong.

Or was it Victoria?

"Watch the office," I said. "Quietly. I want to know every person who walks into that office."

“That is already being done. Reports will be given daily and one more thing.” Henry turned to the final page of the folder. “The car's route after the kidnapping attempt failed."

I looked at him.

“After the woman who tried to grab Lily ran, the car drove back to a rental store but it passed a neighbourhood called Ashford.”

I knew that name.

Ashford.

An expensive old money neighbourhood on the west side of Crestwood. There were so many large expensive houses at that side. It was the kind of place where people who belonged in the society lived.

That was also where the Pierce family lived.

I stared at the dot on the map for a long time. It only meant that the car had driven past Pierce house after failing to take Lily.

They passed the estate, to where they rented the area, then they disappeared.

Was he reporting back to the person who sent them? Or were they checking in with whoever had sent it out in the first place.

Still, all hands pointed to Victoria but I didn't have any document with her name, nor did I have any evidence I could give to the Police.

The rented car under a fake name, contacting Curtis through companies, trying to grab Lily, everything pointed at her coupled with the fact that she wasn't willing to help Dophia get out of her trouble as well.

What kind of mother was she?

She was careful, always careful for twenty years.

But something they didn't think through was the car going to Ashford.

Her cup was getting filled over and over again and it was finally time for it to overflow.

For that week, I stayed away from the campus because I waited to make sure that Lily was okay. For the better part of the week, after that day, Lily was totally taken aback. She glared at the wall all day and refused to eat.

Henry suggested that I change my routine after the incident and for once I didn't argue. I worked in the mansion, Lily sitting just where I could see her playing with her rabbit.

On the second day after the incident, she was already speaking and talking normally. That was how strong Lily was.

I let Henry handle everything that required my presence and as always he did a good job.

When I went back on Monday, Brandon was waiting for me as usual. He handed me coffee and followed me in. I didn't want to ask but I noticed that his posture was different today.

When we crossed the entrance and down the corridor, he waited until everywhere was clear.

“There's someone you need to know about.” He said, looking around.

I wondered if this was another Curtis bit he shook his head.

“This time around, he's a man in his mid thirties. He had shown up at the university gates twice in the past week asking questions about you.”

“And how do you know about this?” I asked him.

“One of the women that works at the east gate knows I spend time with you so she came to me telling me about the man. She said the man told her that he was from a private security company. He asked so many questions about you.”

“But is that true? It doesn't seem like there's any security review happening.”