Читать книгу The Hidden Heir - Debra Webb - Страница 8

Victoria Colby-Camp sat in the coffee shop on the first floor of the building she called her second home. The place where the Colby Agency had been born, where it thrived more than twenty years later.

Located mere blocks off Chicago’s glorious Magnificent Mile, coming to work every day was a treat for the senses. She loved the excitement of the city. Her city. The sounds and smells; the good and the bad that went along with living in an ever-expanding metropolis.

She should be getting back to the office. Lucas—she smiled—would be wondering where she’d gotten to. Every woman who had loved and lost, whatever the circumstances, should have a second chance at the kind of love she had found with Lucas Camp.

Victoria thanked God every day for him, as well as for the health and well-being of her family.

She sipped her Earl Grey and studied the patrons swarming in and out of the small coffee shop. There were only six tables, each with two delicately formed wrought iron chairs. The seats weren’t cushioned, most likely to prevent anyone from growing too comfortable. The owner needn’t have worried; most who entered the shop were in a hurry. They were either in a rush to get to work or simply needed to get away from the office for a few moments. Smoking was no longer permitted in the building, so those who partook were forced to go outside to do so.

Of course, there was coffee and tea of all sorts in the lounge on the fourth floor just down the hall from Victoria’s office. Or Mildred, her secretary, would have been happy to see after her refreshment needs. Each morning when Victoria came to work, she found coffee, her favorite blend, waiting for her in an elegant carafe. Mildred had a kind of sixth sense when it came to anticipating the needs of most everyone at the agency. This one had been no different.

But, like those with cigarettes and lighters in hand, this morning Victoria had come down to the lobby for a different reason. Escape, for only a minute or two. She couldn’t say precisely why she had felt the need. All was well at home and in the office. She simply needed a few moments, not necessarily alone but to herself.

She watched the men and women rush through the main entrance and across the expanse of polished marble floor only to have to wait in line while security scrutinized their possessions as well as their persons. To move beyond that checkpoint, one had to have proper identification and be thoroughly screened for anything that might be used as a weapon.

It was a nuisance, but unfortunately a necessary one in today’s climate of unrest.

Victoria settled her attention back on the swiftly cooling tea. Maybe the reason for her desire to have a moment alone was more apparent than she realized. For the first time in almost two decades, everything in her life was exactly as it should be. Her son Jim and his wife Tasha, were at long last happy, and the first Colby grandchild was on the way. The horrors that had haunted Jim since his return home were now finally under control.

A smile toyed with the corners of Victoria’s mouth. And her other baby, her agency, was better than ever. She’d hired more new recruits, bringing the total to five. The energy from those young men and women had provided just the transfusion of excitement the agency had needed recently.

Unstoppable.

That was the one word that truly defined her agency as it moved toward its third decade of operation.

She felt completely satisfied for the first time in far too long a time. Satisfied and extremely lucky.

That smile that had tickled her lips now spread across her face as she caught sight of her husband in the lobby. Confidence radiating from him, Lucas strode straight into the coffee shop. He didn’t glance her way, but she knew he was aware of her presence. When his turn in line came, he placed his order—coffee, the strongest Colombian blend, no doubt. Cup in hand, he bypassed the side counter holding various sweeteners and creamers and headed directly for her table. That determined gaze settled on hers and that special connection that bound them so inextricably hummed at its full intensity.

“Is this seat taken?”

She looked up at the man she loved more than life itself and let her smile speak for her. Her husband’s own lips quirked as he lowered himself into the seat. The tailored pin-striped suit he wore was her favorite. The blue shirt and deeper navy tie turned his silvery eyes to a warmer hue of passionate gray, making her feel warm and safe inside.

Lucas surveyed the dwindling comings and goings, then rested his full attention on her. “It’s kind of early for a break, isn’t it?”

That much was true. It wasn’t even nine yet. This man had spent the past twenty plus years worrying about her. Even now, when life was as good as it gets, he didn’t relent.

“It’s been a long time, Lucas, since I’ve sat and watched life happen around me. I’ve been so busy trying to keep my world from shattering at every turn that I couldn’t risk taking note of anything else.” It felt good to be able to step back and just enjoy life as it happened.

He nodded knowingly. “You’re afraid it won’t last.”

Victoria frowned, performing a quick inventory of her feelings. “To some degree, I suppose that’s a fair assessment.” She picked up her tea, held it with both hands and relished its warmth. However strong she might be, no one was exempt from worry now and again. “Who doesn’t worry?”

“You could always retire,” he suggested with a mischievous twinkle in those sexy eyes. “We could spend our mornings watching the world go by and our evenings admiring the sunset from anywhere in the world that pleases you.”

She couldn’t say his offer wasn’t tempting, but Victoria understood that she would never be happy doing only that. Retirement was not for her. “I can’t say that I haven’t considered just that,” she admitted. Especially since Lucas had stepped down from his high-powered position in D.C., choosing to serve as a consultant when needed and usually via a telephone conference. Once in a while, he still had to fly to the District to take care of highly classified business personally. Then there was the pending arrival of their first grandchild.

In spite of all those seemingly logical reasons to choose retirement, she knew herself too well. “But you know that would never be enough.”

“I would be shocked if you had proposed otherwise.” Lucas leaned forward and gave a covert look around to ensure no one was within hearing distance. “Speaking of work, Mildred wanted me to give you a message.”

Victoria lifted an eyebrow skeptically. “Did Mildred send you to bring me back?” She hadn’t intended to stay this long; time had gotten away from her. It amused her immensely that Lucas didn’t mind playing messenger. Just another indication of how very much he loved her.

“You had a call from a client she felt you wouldn’t want to miss. The appointment is scheduled for half an hour from now.”

Her calendar was clear this morning. An unexpected appointment wouldn’t be a problem. “Who’s the client?” Someone in a hurry, obviously. Someone who wanted to see her personally rather than one of the two men who served as her seconds-in-command.

“Desmond Van Valkenberg.”

Surprised, she tried to remember the last time she’d had Mr. Van Valkenberg or his representative in her office. Three years? Four? A corporate profile request, if her memory served her correctly. She didn’t know Desmond that well, but she had known his father quite well. Hershel Van Valkenberg had been a giant in finance, a man of his word until the day he passed away twelve years ago. He preferred doing business the old-fashioned way, himself and in person. His son had proved to be a vastly different businessman, with numerous representatives to see after his interests while he remained reclusive and as far from the limelight as possible.

“He’s sending his representative, a Mr. Lance Brody, to see you.”

Mr. Brody was his personal attorney, not one of the corporate team he usually sent. Victoria had met the gentleman once at a reception she had attended and where Van Valkenberg had made one of his rare appearances. Brody was a very formal man. He gave new meaning to the term stuffed shirt, but had quite the stellar reputation as an attorney.

In any event, she should prepare for his arrival. She stood. “Under the circumstances I suppose we should get back.”

Lucas pushed to his feet with effort. Some days, the fact that he wore a prosthetic for a right leg was more pronounced than others. Her heart squeezed at the memory of how he’d gained that at times unwieldy appliance. His sacrifice as a prisoner of war had saved her first husband’s life long, long ago. Lucas was not only a wonderful husband, he was also a man of unparalleled courage. He’d proven to be her savior more than once.

He offered his arm. “Shall we?”

Victoria looped her arm in his and thanked God again for this wondrous man. To have known and loved two great men in her lifetime was truly a blessing few had the good fortune of claiming. “Absolutely.”

A few minutes later, Victoria sat in her office reviewing the Van Valkenberg file Mildred had already pulled for her convenience. The work the Colby Agency had done for this client, and for his father before him, generally involved background searches on potential employees and profiles of companies targeted for potential mergers. She had every reason to anticipate that the coming meeting would be more of the same. But she was puzzled that he had chosen to send his personal attorney.

A light rap on the door alerted her to Brody’s arrival. Mildred opened the door and announced him. Victoria, though strangely preoccupied with her own thoughts this Monday morning, couldn’t help noticing her longtime secretary’s glow. Another weekend with her beau, she supposed. Victoria felt certain those two would be setting a wedding date soon. And why not? Life was too precious to waste.

Victoria rose from her chair. “Thank you, Mildred.” She shifted her full attention to her visitor. “Mr. Brody, come in, please.”

Lance Brody crossed the room in three long strides and, shifting his briefcase to his left hand, extended his right across her desk. “Mrs. Colby-Camp, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Victoria shook his hand, acknowledging his greeting with a nod. “Why don’t we sit and you can tell me what it is that Mr. Van Valkenberg requires of my agency. We’re anxious to be of service.”

Brody sat, his shoulders as stiff as the freshly starched gray suit he wore. “Our needs are quite different this time I’m afraid. This time is…personal.”

A new kind of tension rippled through Victoria. Personal. Desmond Van Valkenberg was not the kind of man who often allowed anyone outside his most intimate circle close enough to know his most personal business.

“I see. Why don’t you start at the beginning and give me the details.” Victoria settled into her chair and waited for the representative of her client to proceed as he saw fit.

Brody crossed his long legs and appeared to settle in. “Some ten years ago, a female companion of Mr. Van Valkenberg’s, a Miss Ashley Orrick, gave birth to a son while living here in Chicago with him. The two had been involved for just over one year.”

Victoria was surprised to hear this. She wasn’t aware that Desmond had any children. “Was proof of paternity obtained?”

The lawyer nodded. “Certainly, but the trouble ultimately proved unnecessary. There were a few minor complications at birth and the child’s blood type confirmed the truth of his parentage. Mr. Van Valkenberg has a very rare blood type. The child has the same.”

“Has there been contact with the child or the mother recently?”

“Not since the child was about three months old. The woman, Miss Orrick, left abruptly and took the child with her.”

The idea that Van Valkenberg would simply permit her to leave with his son in tow surprised Victoria. “Did Mr. Van Valkenberg attempt to stop her or to exercise his rights as the father at that time or since?”

“No,” Brody explained carefully. “There were problems with the woman. She threatened to blackmail him, using the child as leverage. At one point, she went so far as to contact one of his rivals in an attempt to undermine an ongoing business deal.” Brody shrugged. “Frankly, I’m convinced she was unbalanced. Her irrational behavior only worsened as time went by.”

“And yet,” Victoria interrupted, “you allowed her to leave with the child.”

“Actually,” he said pointedly, clearly somewhat offended by her suggestion, “she took the child and disappeared. After stealing a considerable sum of money from Mr. Van Valkenberg, I might add. This woman was a gold digger from the outset, I’m afraid.”

“Mr. Van Valkenberg wishes to find the child now,” Victoria guessed.

“Yes.” Brody opened his briefcase and took out a file. He leaned forward and offered it to Victoria. “You’ll find all the information we have on Miss Orrick in this file, including numerous photos, but, unfortunately, the photos are ten years old.”

Victoria accepted the file, considered the contents a moment before asking, “Why now? After all these years?” She needed to know the rest of the story. The Colby Agency prided itself on discretion, both in the cases they accepted and in the way they conducted their investigations. However long Van Valkenberg had been a client, she needed clarification on exactly what he wanted and, equally important, why.

Mr. Brody leveled a solemn gaze at her. “As you’re well aware, Mr. Van Valkenberg has always been a man dedicated to his work and inordinately reserved in his social agenda. He hasn’t taken the time to develop or nurture any sort of real personal life. However, he recently learned news that has forced him to rethink his past decisions.”

Victoria braced herself for what came next. Judging by the man’s expression as well as his somber tone, the news was not good.

“Mr. Van Valkenberg has given permission for me to share this information with you, but, as you will see, the public cannot know, for obvious reasons. He’s dying. According to the team of specialists working on his case, he has five or six months at best. He feels he has accomplished all that he’d set out to in the business world for a man barely forty. However, he knows that not acquainting himself with his only child would be a disgrace on a personal level. This is his greatest wish. We must locate the boy before it’s too late.”

Victoria understood how Mr. Van Valkenberg must feel. The thought of never seeing her son again had been almost too much to bear. She’d been down that path. No parent should ever have to feel that kind of pain and desolation.

Victoria made a decision then and there to do all she could to ensure that Desmond’s son was found. “Mr. Brody, I would like you to convey to Mr. Van Valkenberg my personal feelings of regret for this untimely tragedy. Assure him that we at the Colby Agency will do all within our power to find his son and, as always, with the utmost discretion.”

Mr. Brody acknowledged her words with a nod. “I will relay your assurances, but Mr. Van Valkenberg has no doubt where your agency is concerned. I would, however, like to give him some sense of the time frame you feel you require to accomplish your work, since time is clearly of the essence.”

Victoria thought about her answer for a moment. She didn’t want to sound overly optimistic since the woman and child had been missing for ten years, but, at the same time, she didn’t want to worry her client needlessly.

“One week minimum,” she allowed. “I wouldn’t expect, barring any unforeseen circumstances, more than two. It’s much more difficult for a woman to hide with a child in tow.”

“Excellent.” Mr. Brody stood and extended his hand. “We will look forward to hearing from you, Mrs. Colby-Camp.”

Victoria rose as well, shook his hand once more and gave final assurances that Mr. Van Valkenberg needn’t worry. The Colby agency was on the case.

When Brody had left, Victoria again considered the file he’d provided. Ashley Orrick, according to the documents in the file, had been twenty-one at the time she’d given birth. Very young. Strawberry blond hair, pale skin with a scattering of delicate freckles, and green eyes, all of which she could have easily changed with hair color, contacts and sufficient makeup.

Miss Orrick had grown up in a small farming community in Indiana. Her father had passed away when she was eighteen but her mother still lived on the small family farm.

The fact that she had a surviving family member would most likely make the job of finding her somewhat less difficult. Victoria turned over the picture of the missing woman’s mother to find a note scribbled on the back: Uncooperative. Combative.

A good deal of background information had been gathered by Brody himself, it appeared. Ashley had attended the local high school and gone on to attend a nearby university. After graduating from college, she’d come to Chicago and met Desmond at a job fair in one of his uncommon public appearances.

She hadn’t gotten a job, but she had moved in with him within two months. One year later, she disappeared after a Mommy and Baby Yoga class.

The child, in his three-month-old photo and in the physical description listed in Brody’s report, appeared to have his father’s coloring, dark hair and olive skin. Too early to tell about the eyes—dark, perhaps brown if the color remained the same.

Victoria summoned Mildred on the intercom. “Would you have Ben and Keith come to my office please.”

Ben Haygood was the agency’s top systems man. He could do just about anything with a computer. His resourcefulness with gadgets was unparalleled.

Keith Devers had worked for the agency for several years in the research department. Only recently had he agreed to Victoria’s prodding and moved into investigations. He was more than qualified for the position of investigator but he’d hesitated for some time, preferring to delve into research from his desk rather than to move into the field.

Victoria found Keith’s shyness quite refreshing. She recognized that he would blossom into a terrific investigator once he got his feet wet. All he needed was a little prompting and the right case. He’d shadowed a couple of other cases already. This one would serve quite well for putting him out there for his first solo. A simple missing person case with no real theatrics attached. With one or two cases this un-complicated under his belt, he’d be ready for something with a little more drama.

Keith arrived just then. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, come in, Keith.”

Ben poked his head through the door next, his glasses as well as his tie askew as usual. “Did you call for me, Victoria?”

“I did. Please join us, Ben.”

Ben half stumbled through the open door as if her answer had startled him, then took a moment to right his eyewear and straighten his tie. Victoria kept her amusement tucked out of sight, though it wasn’t easy. Ben’s clothes were a bit rumpled, and he wore his typical, perpetually distracted expression. The quintessential computer geek. Extremely intelligent with absolutely no fashion sense or social grace.

Keith, however, was the other end of the spectrum. Elegantly dressed, meticulous manners. The man was a study in social etiquette. And equally intelligent.

“Crashing the system was a necessary risk,” Ben said the moment he stopped in front of her desk. His posture resembled that of a soldier’s while standing at attention before a superior officer. “It was inevitable in order to accomplish the download.”

Uncertain she wanted to know what his announcement meant, she ventured, “A systems crash?”

He held up both hands as if to stop any further conclusions on her part. “Nothing to worry about, Victoria. Things were back up and running by 2 a.m. Not a problem. I knew what I was doing.”

She smiled. “I’m certain of that, Ben.” She looked from him to Keith. “Please have a seat, gentlemen.”

When both men, each as different from the other as a glass of cola and a glass of champagne, had laid claim to wingback chairs facing her desk, Victoria began, “We have a new case that I believe is the one that should launch your investigative career, Keith.”

He tensed visibly. “Great.” But his deep voice failed to relay the word with any enthusiasm. He smoothed a hand down the length of his striped tie. “When do I start?”

“As soon as we have some of the preliminary details out of the way.” She shifted her attention to Ben. “That’s where you come in, Ben. We’ll need a computer age progression on this photo.” She passed the picture of the baby to him. “And one on the mother, as well.”

Ben scratched his head as he studied the ten-year-old photographs. “The female won’t be a problem. But you know the process works a lot better if the kid is at least two years old.” Concern spelled itself out in his expression. “I can’t make any promises about real accuracy with an infant.”

“Do your best.” She hoped that would make him feel more at ease, she should have known better.

He studied the photo again and his right leg started to bounce nervously. “I have a friend in…” He shrugged, looked embarrassed. “Well, it doesn’t matter where he works. He has access to this state-of-the-art process that’s not available to us regular folks. I might be able to get him to do this one as a favor to me.”

There was the Ben Victoria knew and loved. He always found a way to get things done. How had he worked in the bowels of research so long without her notice? The answer was easy; he hadn’t wanted to be noticed. That he had been a few months ago was an accident. He’d discovered a flaw in one of the agency’s computer security processes and had spoken up. It wasn’t until then that anyone had any idea about his genius. And that’s what it was—pure genius.

“That would be wonderful, Ben. We need to find this child. Time is our enemy.”

“Is the child ill?” Keith wanted to know.

“No.” Victoria gave the folder with the rest of its contents to him. “The biological father is terminally ill and he wishes to know his son before he dies. The mother left when the child was only three months old and she hasn’t been heard from since.”

As he reviewed the contents of the folder, Keith asked, “Are we sure she’s still alive?”

Victoria had read the file reports on where Brody had looked for the woman. He hadn’t found anything that indicated she was deceased, but then he wasn’t experienced in the art of finding missing people, either.

“We can’t be sure, but we need to find out as quickly as possible. Our client only has a few short months to live. Since the Van Valkenberg family has been a client of this agency for a number of years, I’m putting my best on the case.”

Keith’s gaze collided with hers. “Victoria, are you sure it’s me you want on this one?”

Again, his uneasiness was evident. “Very sure,” she confirmed.

Ben jumped up. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I’d like to get started on this.”

“Please do. The moment you hear from your friend, you should forward the results to Keith.”

Ben nodded. “Will do.”

He hurried out of the office, the fire obviously burning in his belly to accomplish his mission. Just another thing Victoria appreciated about him. He loved his work and appeared to relish a challenge.

Her attention came back to rest on Keith’s blond head bowed over the file. Such a handsome young man. Blond hair, blue eyes, and well tanned from running five miles every morning beneath the July sun. What was it that made such a good-looking, intelligent young man so unsure of himself? He’d graduated at the top of his university class back in Nebraska. He’d come to Chicago, gone to work for the Tribune in the research department and done well.

His seemingly abrupt decision to move yet again, this time from journalism to private investigations, had seemed odd when she’d first interviewed him more than two years ago. But his résumé had been impeccable and highly attractive to any potential employer. She hadn’t questioned her good fortune too closely. Keith Devers was an asset, the Colby Agency was glad to have him on board.

Perhaps she’d grown cynical in the past few years, always looking for the underlying motivation in all things. She did wonder, however, how such a handsome young man had stayed unattached until the ripe old age of thirty-two.

Maybe he was also shy in his personal life. Certainly there were no known skeletons in his closet. The man had never been in trouble in his life. Not even a parking ticket. And in Chicago, that was saying something.

He looked up then and asked, “So, I’m supposed to find her and the boy and bring them back to Chicago?”

“That would be the optimum scenario,” she allowed, knowing from experience that it would never be that easy.

“What if she doesn’t want to come back?”

The blunt question was nothing she hadn’t expected.

“Then we’ll take our client to her.”