The Legacy: A Kimberly & Sykes Mystery Novel (3 page)

Settled in the back seat, Lauren gazed at the opulence that surrounded her. She breathed in the smell of leather and ran her hands over the polished wood surfaces. The luxurious leather seats, plush carpeting, TV, and beautifully polished woodwork were lavish. Lauren had never been in a limousine and hadn’t given any thought to their opulence. As much as she loved her yellow Mazda Miata, this made a nice change. 

“I thought these things had a privacy screen,” she shouted to Sykes as he smoothly accelerated into the evening traffic.

“No need to shout Ms. Kimberly,” he said smiling. “The acoustics are great in these new limos.”

“That’s not what you see on the TV. So… wouldn’t that be even greater need to have a security screen?”

Sykes leaned forward and touched the dashboard. A second later, an opaque divider quietly rose from the back of the front seats. It stopped after a few inches and just as quietly descended back into its hidden home. Lauren was still smiling when she caught Sykes’ amused face watching her through the rear view mirror.

“Nicely done,” she remarked.

“Please sit back and put your seat belt on Ms. Kimberly. If you wish to watch the TV, or have a beverage, you will find the remote in your left seat pocket and drinks are in the cabinet in front of you.”

“I’m surprised Mr. Smith is letting me ride in such luxury. He sounded quite – should I say – ‘imposing,’ on the phone last night.”

“Oh, he’s all right. Don’t let that put you off. He’s a very reasonable man.”

Just mentioning Smith’s name caused Lauren’s anxiety to come jolting back. “I’m a bit nervous actually. He seems to think I can help him find some equipment my father had in his possession before he died but, to be honest, I wasn’t close to my father and don’t have a clue where these items might be.”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll all get sorted out when you talk to Mr. Smith.” Sykes paused before adding, “He was an interesting guy your dad.”

“You knew him!”

“Of course. I met your dad many times over the last year or so. He talked highly of you.”

Lauren fell back into her seat, all the breath taken out of her. Her eyes moved swiftly around the interior of the limousine without seeing anything. That her father talked about her just seemed contrary to Lauren’s understanding of him. Mike Kimberly never took the time to call her, yet, he talked about her to other people? For Lauren, there was a disconnect here that she couldn’t reconcile.

Sykes had no idea how shocking this news was to her and Lauren felt exposed as he looked at her through the rear view mirror. Lauren wanted to say something to mask her sudden silence but when she looked up to catch his eyes, he was looking at her quizzically. The words on her tongue failed to materialize. Averting her gaze, she looked out into the darkness. It was a few minutes before she felt able to talk.

“I’m sorry. That’s surprising to hear. My father wasn’t one to hand out compliments, and he never had too much to say to me. It’s weird to hear he talked to other people about me, especially in glowing terms.”

“He talked about you much more than often and was very proud of you.”

Lauren’s mind flashed on her father; driven, intelligent, intense, and all the time working on some wild and crazy idea. Mike Kimberly had so many inventions that were ‘going to make them rich’ that he never seemed to notice she was around. How could he possibly talk about her in glowing terms when he barely knew she existed?

“My father was more interested in designing the world’s best mousetrap than he was in paying any attention to me or my mum. Lauren looked up and saw Sykes’ head gently nodding. She wasn’t one to talk to strangers about personal matters and was surprised that she had said so much. Especially under these bizarre circumstances. Lauren gently scolded herself.

“I don’t even know where you are taking me,” she said to change the subject.

“I’m taking you to the corporate offices. They are on the top floor of the New Focus building downtown. We’ll be there in about ten minutes Ms. Kimberly. Mr. Smith is expecting you at 6:45pm,” he said looking at his watch, “and we will be there right on time.”

Still feeling discombobulated, Lauren settled back, folded her arms on her lap, and tried not to think about her father. She wanted nothing more than to tell Smith face-to-face that she had no idea where his missing items were. Then she would turn around and go home. The sooner she could do that, the sooner she could revert to her normal life and push all thoughts of her father out of her mind.

“This is it,” Sykes said as he turned into an underground car park. “You’re here Ms. Kimberly.”

Sykes drove into a car elevator and pressed buttons on the dashboard. Within a couple of seconds, the elevator moved swiftly upwards. Lauren had never been in a car elevator before and peered out of the window only to see her reflection bounced back in the dim light.

The elevator came to a stop with a soft bump and the doors opened slowly. A large sign displayed they were on the sixty-fifth floor. Sykes pulled out smoothly, drove a short distance, and parked next to a row of vehicles. Stepping out of the limousine before Sykes could open the door, Lauren admired the cars that were lined up neatly: a dark Blue Audi TT, silver Jaguar XF, Black BMW M6, white Land Rover SUV, two cars she had never seen before and didn’t know their make, and, a bright red Chevy Corvette Stingray. Her eyes looked back at the BMW and instinctively, she knew this belonged to Smith. Sykes nodded in the affirmative when she asked him to confirm her assumption. He also filled her in on the other two vehicles; one a Lamborghini and the other a Bentley. Without asking why she was interested, Sykes held out his hand to direct her forward.

Lauren looked down at her clothes and felt foolish. How on earth could she think that her best work clothes would prepare her for a meeting with a man who had more money that she could even imagine? Lauren straightened her jacket and brushed imaginary lint off the shoulders and sleeves. She gave the front and back of her dress pants a light brush with her hands but only succeeded in reminding herself that she was out of her depth.

Lauren’s forehead creased with a frown. “Who else is here? I thought I was just meeting Mr. Smith?”

“Ms. Kimberly; if you could please follow me. Mr. Smith is awaiting your arrival.”

“Well, he can darn well wait a few minutes more!” Lauren blurted. The friendly repartee she had enjoyed with Sykes quickly evaporated. She had felt safe in the comfort of the limousine but now she was feeling vulnerable. Glancing back at the opulent vehicle she wanted to jump right back in and go home. Sykes seemed to read her mind. Taking two steps towards her he placed his fingertips on her elbow.

“This way Lauren,” he said softly.

Lauren clutched her handbag close to her body, took a deep breath, and walked with him. Feeling like little Red Riding Hood entering a lair of wolves, she walked into the building.

Lauren’s feet sank into thick carpet. Sykes’ hold on her arm was light as he steered her forward through the office. Strategically placed lighting cast a warm glow around the expansive room. Sniffing the air Lauren recognized the subtle aromas of cedar and pine. Furniture polish? The heavily polished dark furniture was no doubt the source.

Glancing around, Lauren was surprised by the wealth and tried to imagine her father sitting at one of the majestic desks. It was certainly a few steps above the government office building she worked in, the carpet kinder underfoot than the grey linoleum she was used to walking on at work.

Lauren stepped toward the windows to take in the breathtaking view of the city but she felt Sykes fingertips pressed press into her elbow and he guided her forward.

“They don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Leading her to a low leather sofa Sykes left to announce her arrival. He knocked twice on a large ornately carved wooden door and walked in, seemingly unannounced. Lauren clasped her hands and rubbed her palms together. Moving from foot to foot she looked at the sofa but didn’t sit down. She walked to the large window and looked out over the city. It was a view she had never seen before. ‘I can see to the ends of the earth,’ she thought. As she looked for landmarks, she saw the reflection of Sykes in the window and turned around.

“They will be ready for you in a few minutes. Would you like some coffee? Water?”

“No thanks, I just want to get this over with. I assume you are going to be giving me a ride back home?”

“I’m not sure.” Lauren raised her eyebrows in alarm.

“If not me, then someone else. Don’t worry; you will get a ride back, even if it’s a cab.”

Lauren gave him a steely glare. The city was deserted in the evenings and buses were few and far between. She hadn’t envisioned having to make her own way home and the thought of it didn’t sit well. ‘Too late to back out now.’ she told herself.

Walking past Sykes she sat on one of the leather club chairs next to the sofa. Sykes took the other leaving the sofa to separate them. Neither spoke. Lauren closed her eyes and settled back, drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair. ‘What the heck am I doing here? I must be mad, I don’t know Adam Smith! Why did I listen to his threats? I should have called the police,’ Lauren thought. She heard Sykes’ chair creaking and held her breath; it was silent. She opened her eyes and saw Sykes with his back to her, a few feet away. He was looking at something in his hand, probably checking his cell phone she surmised. Her head tilted slightly to the side as she looked at him. There was something about him she found attractive and she was puzzled by it. It was not a common sensation anymore. She had sensed a connection to Sykes the minute she laid eyes on him at her apartment.

“What’s taking so long?”

Sykes turned to face her, his cell phone in his hand. “Don’t feel nervous. You will be going in very soon.”

Lauren’s forehead creased in a frown and her lips set in a thin line. Sykes walked back to her, putting his phone in his jacket pocket, and sat on the low sofa.

“Look, Ms. Kimberly, Lauren…you’re meeting with the company executives. You don’t need to feel intimidated. Just tell them what they want to know and you will be home before you know it.”

“But I keep telling you, I don’t know anything for god’s sake! How many times do I have to say this before someone hears me? I can’t tell them what they want to know because I don’t know anything!” Lauren hissed.

“Lauren…your father was working on a top-secret project. Mining is a very complex business, the spoils of which can cause wars, or create peace. In some countries, whole populations are enslaved while the riches they pull out of the earth are never enough to take them out of poverty. Meanwhile, their leaders live in luxury. It can be a wicked business. There’s lots of corruption, and at the same time, there is a lot of multinationals who work hard to keep the industry clean. Your dad invented technology that can save this company millions -  without operating unethically or crossing palms with gold. Then he disappeared with the equipment and other valuables. A few days later, he’s found dead, probably by his own hand, and we don’t know where our missing valuables are. Your dad has made many people very angry. They think you can be of assistance. Tell them anything that will help and you will be on your way.”

“I don’t believe this! My father’s been telling people for years he’s a great inventor. I can’t believe he hoodwinked these guys! You call them company executives! They don’t have a clue what they are doing if they believed my father! Good grief, I don’t believe this shit!”

“Lauren, you better start believing it because this is a very serious situation.”

“Why didn’t they go to the police? They could have had my dad arrested for theft.”

“Initially, we didn’t know the items were missing. Your dad moved into a secure lab of his own choosing shortly before he died. We haven’t found it. Which means we haven’t found our property.”

Lauren was speechless. Her throat was dry and her tongue was scratching the roof of her mouth. She was trying to process what Sykes had said when one of the double doors opened a few feet away.

Lauren grabbed her bag and jumped up. A tall, stocky woman with dark brown hair, dark eyes, and a bad case of adult acne walked out, glanced at her, and then walked off in the other direction.

“This is so rude! I am not going to sit here any longer. If it was so important to see me, they should get their act together and not keep me waiting. This is bullshit.” Turning on her heels, Lauren walked back towards the elevator. Sykes caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

“They are watching you on camera,” he whispered. Lauren looked startled and let go of her arm.

“You need to come back Ms. Kimberly.” 

“So now
you’re
threatening me!”

Sykes shook his head, turned and walked back to the club chair and sat down.

Lauren looked from Sykes to the doors leading out to the parking lot, and back to Sykes again before she slowly walked back to the lounge area and sat upright at the edge of the other club chair, clutching her bag on her lap. Her face was flushed and her left leg bounced silently up and down on the thick carpet. She avoided looking at Sykes, looked around for cameras instead, giving up a few minutes later. They were so small these days that it would be impossible to see them if someone wanted them hidden and these guys clearly wanted them hidden from sight.

Lauren waited. Under the surface, she was very much afraid of what was waiting for her at the other side of the doors.