The Left-Handed Truth Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Yes, my love. I’m here

“I appreciate that. Thanks again.”

“It’s the least we can do for Ms. Carlisle. Someone will call you when you can see her.”

I nodded as Agent Kosloski opened the door and led me out.

“Feel better?” he smiled.

“Oh yeah. Way better. I was born an optimist, but when I saw that building last night I was sick to my stomach. It was all I could do to make it through to this morning. You saved me from going crazy, Agent. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d have lost her. I don’t know what I’d have told her son or her parents.”

“I’m thinking you might want to call them and let them know she’s okay. Assuming, of course, that they should be worried,” he grinned.

“Yeah. I promised I would. They don’t know where I am, but they know Nicole was in danger when I left. I’ll call them right away.”

“Good idea. I’ll probably see you this afternoon when your lady can see you.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “See you then,” I said and took out my cell phone.

The agent drove me back to my car as I called Mary and Angus and let them know Nicole was going to be all right and we’d be home in a couple of days. I could hear Mary weeping before she handed the phone to Angus and he wasn’t too steady himself, but very grateful that she was safe and would be home soon.

I signed off as we arrived at my rental and I shook Agent Kosloski’s hand in thanks once more. I seemed to be saying “thank you” a lot that morning and I meant it every time. I was enormously thankful that Nicole was going to be okay and we would be home soon.

I found I was hungry despite the big breakfast and went back to the Swordfish for lunch. A hearty bowl of New England clam chowder, some fresh baked bread, and a fiddlehead and asparagus salad was just the thing for a cold late-fall day on the coast of Massachusetts. The seas were gray and forbidding that afternoon, and I saw a few fishing boats working their way south in what looked to be heavy seas. It was no life for a landlubber like me. I didn’t envy them at all.

I hung around my motel room, waiting for a call from one of the agents that would tell me I could visit Nicole and it finally came just before four that afternoon. I was in my car and over to the compound in a flash, announcing myself to the gate guard and being courteously shown where to park and where to enter the makeshift hospital.

“Follow me, Mr. Travers,” a young, smartly-dressed man said as he walked through a doorway and down a long hall.

He stopped at a closed door and knocked three times before opening it and standing aside so I could enter. I saw Nicole immediately, lying on a simple metal bed with and sheet and blanket over her. Her eyes were closed and she looked pale. I couldn’t see any sign of injury, but then I could only see her face and hands.

“She’s sleeping, but you can wake her,” the young fellow said quietly before closing the door behind him and leaving us alone.

There was a chair near the side of her bed and I moved it silently closer and sat, looking at my beautiful woman. I took her hand gently and held it. At first she didn’t stir, but then I saw her eyelids flutter slightly and then open. She turned toward me and I saw them open wide in surprise.

“Will! Oh, Will, you’re here,” she said, tears forming immediately.

“Yes, my love. I’m here. I’ve come to take you home when you’re ready.”

“How did you find me?”

“I had a nice long talk with Agent Caldwell and with Agent Kosloski’s help, they let me in to see you.”

“Oh, Will. It was horrible. I didn’t know what was happening. All I remember is the blast knocking me back against the wall, and a little bit when a fireman found me under the rubble. He rescued me and they brought me here. I’m going to be okay, Will. I really am. I’m just bruised and I have a few little cuts, but I’m going to be fine very soon.”

“Yes, I know. Agent Caldwell told me we might be able to go home in a day or two.”

“Oh, good. Did they catch the guys who did this?”

“Sort of. Apparently they were all killed in the explosion. They didn’t know what they were doing, I guess.”

“There were four people involved in the money laundering,” she said.

“Well, then, I guess they are all gone. They were the only deaths in the explosion.”

“Serves them right,” she said. “Caldwell said they were planning all kinds of horrible things all over the country. I hope this stops them.”

“I hope so too, honey. So tell me, how are you feeling?”

“Sore. I feel sore all over. They say it was the effect from the blast that slammed me against the wall. My head hit a window and it blew out, but it kept me from getting a concussion, or worse.”

“I guess we can call it lucky, but I’m having a hard time with that.”

“Oh, Will, just stay with me for a while, please. It’s so good to have you here. I know I’m going to be okay now.”

“Yeah. I’ll stay as long as they let me,” I promised.

Agent Kosloski took Nicole’s bags out of the SUV while Nicole, Agent Caldwell and I walked to the waiting jet.

We stopped short of the stairway and shook hands once more.

“You’ve been a real soldier, Ms. Carlisle. I’m going to make sure my boss writes your boss to thank him for the loan of you and to tell him just how much you were responsible for helping us figure out what was going on. I know thanks aren’t enough, but you have mine and the agency’s for your fine work.”

“Thank you both. It was a pleasure working with you. But if you ever feel you need me again, please ask for Will’s permission first. He’s my new boss,” she smiled, tightening her grip on my arm.

“Agreed,” Caldwell said with an equal smile.

The bags had been stowed and Nicole and I walked up the steps into the cabin on the chartered jet. Once inside I could see it was fitted out in executive fashion, with only nine seats. There were no other people on the plane besides us, the pilot and co-pilot. I heard the whine of the motor that raised the integrated step-door closed and sealed.

“Afternoon, folks. This is Captain Durant. We’ve got a short hop to Saginaw this afternoon. No headwinds and good weather. We should be back on the ground at three-ten this afternoon, with a flying time of one hour and forty-four minutes. Once we reach our cruising altitude, I’ll switch off the seatbelt light and you can help yourself to coffee or any of the snacks you find at the rear of the cabin. The washroom is opposite the galley on the right. So fasten your seatbelts, close up the tables if they’re out, and we’ll be on our way.”

This has to be the way to travel, I thought. No fuss, no muss, comfortable seats and a flying time that was at least forty-five minutes quicker than commercial out of Boston. All the seats were luxurious leather singles with build-in trays in the fuselage. I reached across the aisle for Nicole’s hand and she smiled and gave it to me.

“This is going to spoil me,” she said as we began our take-off on the runway.

I had to admit, this made commercial travel look like horse-and-buggy. When we reached 34,000 feet, the plane leveled off and I was amazed how quiet the whole take-off, ascent, and cruise was. The bulkhead said we were flying on a Gulfstream G200 and I tucked that away in my memory to let Jimmy know.

Nicole was still stiff and sore from her episode three days earlier and was happy to stay seated in the lush leather chair she had chosen. I got curious and wandered about the cabin, helping myself to a soft drink while Nicole declined. I was anticipating our arrival back at the Carlisle’s. There was still the logistics of retrieving my car from Detroit Municipal, but otherwise, I was happy to be heading home.

When we landed it seemed like such a short trip and I wondered momentarily if they’d made a stop somewhere else. A quick look out the window told me it was indeed Saginaw and we are almost home. I helped Nicole get up and had her follow me down the steep stairway to the ground. I felt her hand on my shoulder, but she didn’t stumble.

“Ms. Carlisle, Mr. Travers, I’ll take your luggage and drive you wherever you need to go,” the big man said with a smile.

He was another of the dark-suited men I had come to recognize and, of course, he drove a black SUV.

“My car is at the Detroit airport parking lot, so if you drop us off at Ms. Carlisle’s home, we’ll be fine from there.”

“Yes, sir. Happy to do that. I’ll be going to Detroit tomorrow, sir. I’d be happy to drop you off at the airport on my way.”