Flame & Fortune (Angels of Sojourn) Page 5

  Fred, Rod, and Melinda shared glances and nods, then Melinda spoke. “Yes. We’ll be in touch. I’ll escort you out of the building. Do you need to stop by your office for anything?”

  “No. Just get me to my car.” Kieran forced his scowl off his face as he followed Melinda to the elevator and down to the parking garage.

  He was in a fog when he started his SUV. This was surreal. Both the police and Gen Power Systems were accusing Kieran based on the name connected to the PO Box YABF Industries was using. Was it easy to get a PO Box? Lena had said you needed a photo ID.

  It was well after nine in the morning, and the post office would be open. He shut his SUV’s engine off and pulled out his phone. The police said the PO Box was registered in Old Franklin, and he found the appropriate phone number and dialed.

  “Hi, this is Gina,” came a sweet woman’s voice.

  “Hi Gina. This is Kieran Plough. I understand that I have a post office box at your facility.”

  “Let me check.” The sound of computer keys clicking filled the silence, then Gina spoke again. “Yes. You have box 10056.”

  Kieran rubbed his temple, focusing all his attention at the lady on the phone. “See, I don’t remember opening that box.”

  “You don’t?” Keys clicked again. “I pulled up your paperwork, Mr. Plugh. You opened it about a year ago—last May. You paid with cash for the entire year.”

  “I don’t know how that’s possible. I didn’t open that box.”

  “It appears you did. Our policy is to check two forms of ID. We noted on your form that we validated your identity by checking your work ID and your apartment lease.”

  How could they have an apartment lease? He’d owned his own home for years. Also, how could they have checked his work ID? Surely they’d notice that whoever opened the PO Box didn’t look like him…unless, the ID was fake. “Do you have copies of those documents?”

  “We don’t keep copies. We just note that we validated them.”

  Kieran’s stomach rolled as a valid lead slipped away. “Can I get a copy of that paperwork?”

  “Yes, of course. You’ll just need to stop down here and pick up a copy. We need to see a photo ID first.”

  Old Franklin was a few cities and a few hours’ drive away. “Can you send it to me?”

  “No, I’m sorry. Our policy is in-person pick up only.”

  “Okay. I’ll be down there today.”

  When Kieran ended the call, his knee bounced as he thought about how quickly he could get his hands on that paperwork, but knew Lena was waiting for him at home with the thumb drive.

  Someone was setting him up, and his answers were out there. He just needed to know where to look.

  Chapter 8

  LENA

  The hair rose on Lena’s arms when she unlocked Kieran’s front door. She barely knew the man, yet he trusted her with the key to his home and the thumb drive of sensitive information. If he only knew her true intentions hadn’t been what she portrayed.

  Opening the door, Woofgang bounded down the stairs and greeted her with a wagging tail. Lena squatted, enjoying the dog’s warmth and the excitement in his eyes.

  Once the dog had his fill of her and retreated to his bed, Lena crossed the living room to a computer station against a far wall. She set the thumb drive on the desk and clicked the power button.

  She had thought computers hadn’t changed since 1996, but the software was quite different. She sat in Kieran’s chair and fiddled with the mouse until the desktop opened. Hovering over each icon, she read their description until she found an unfamiliar one labeled, internet.

  Of the three children’s names haunting her, one replayed over and over in her mind because she didn’t know the outcome. Stephen Colton was a young boy her charity had worked with. A young boy who picked up the family phone and reported abuse himself. This was rare. Usually it was a parent or acquaintance who alerted Lena’s charity. Stephen was also the first client Lena had turned down because of the lack of funding. She felt so guilty that she tried to help him on her own until she left abruptly.

  Lena’s eyes teared as she typed his name into the search browser. Google—what an odd name. Whatever happened to AOL or Yahoo?

  Pages of information came up on people named Stephen Colton. Scrolling down the list, Lena clicked page after page. The internet had expanded since she last used it. How did anyone find what they wanted amongst so much information?

  Her heart stopped when she found an obituary from 1998. She read as she wiped tears away. The obituary was for a different Stephen Colton.

  When Lena heard the muffled sound of gears grinding from an opening garage door, she clicked out of the internet. The kitchen door squeaked open, and Lena sprung to her feet, wiping the last of her tears while she twisted toward the noise.

  Kieran trudged into the kitchen with worry lines prominent on his face. He tossed his keys on the kitchen counter, then entered the living room.

  Lena forgot her struggles only a moment ago. “What happened?”

  Kieran plopped onto the sofa in the living room. “They suspended me. It seems like they think I took the money.”

  Lena left the glowing computer and sat on a chair across from him. “I’m sorry.”

  Kieran’s shoulders sagged. “Do you feel like a drive? I need to go to Old Franklin and pick up some paperwork on the PO Box under my name. I don’t understand how that PO box is connected to me.”

  Lena halted, remembering herself saying similar words of denial when her embezzlement from her charity got discovered. She had been in denial and had been unwilling to admit out loud what she had done. What did she know about Kieran?

  The Unfortunate wanted her to distract him, but she was doing the opposite—focusing him on his situation. Unless she was supposed to distract him from something else? If she was going against the Unfortunate’s wishes, she needed to ensure she chose the right path. She couldn’t live with herself if Kieran went to prison because she got in the way of him figuring out who was framing him. She had enough guilt to last a lifetime. “I’m always up for a drive. Do you have any idea who’d do this to you?”

  “No idea, but I’m hoping to get some suspects from that thumb drive and get to the post office.” Kieran nodded at the computer. “Did you look at the files?”

  “No. I was looking at something else. Passing time.”

  Kieran pushed himself off the sofa and plugged the thumb drive into the computer. He brought up the spreadsheet, then pages and pages of what looked like legal documents.

  “I’m sorry, Lena, but maybe it’s best if I do this alone. I want to impress you and show you a great time, but…I’m sure everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours has only decreased my chances of you being interested in me the way I’m interested in you. Right now, I can’t focus on anything except clearing my name.”

  That had to be what the Unfortunate wanted Lena to distract him from. Was the master plan to ensure Kieran went to jail? Lena’s stomach turned. She couldn’t do that, but could she leave? Even if she didn’t have much to offer Kieran, any help she gave would be better than none. She had regretted not helping those children so many years ago…

  Kieran arched an eyebrow as if waiting for Lena to agree, but she remembered how she fell asleep in Kieran’s car and nearly inhaled the appetizers in front of him yesterday instead. “I hate to tell you this, but you’re wrong about my interest in you. I’ve been through a lot as well and sincerely want to help you. I’ve been in similar shoes, and I wouldn’t forgive myself if I left now. My heart goes out to you in your situation…and only makes me want to learn more about you. To spend more time with you.”

  Lena moved to the computer behind Kieran and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him an encouraging squeeze.

  Kieran leaned back. “Why does it feel like I’ve known you for so long, even though we just met?”

  Lena kept silent. Desperation did odd things to people.

  Kiera
n clasped her hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to comb through this one more time as quick as possible, then we need to go to the post office. Maybe another set of eyes will help.”

  Lena was already comfortable—too comfortable—but she pulled up a chair and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Kieran. She looked at his spreadsheets and documents and listened to his logic, but in the pauses, her thoughts drifted to that child, Stephen Colton. How would she figure out what happened to him before she returned to the Underworld? She may not get another chance.

  KIERAN

  After an hour of number crunching beside Lena and leaving a message at his law office for advice, Kieran’s eyes ached and tension racked his shoulders when he and Lena settled into his car. Over an hour and a half into their drive to Old Franklin, the ride fell silent. Lena looked out the window, and Kieran glanced at her to make sure she was okay. Was she having second thoughts?

  She turned toward him, her face stern. “Who authorized YABF as a payee?”

  Kieran returned his focus to the road. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just that when I ran my charity, all invoices had to be signed off by someone, authorizing their payment. Who authorized YABF Industries?”

  “I—I don’t know.” He had been a fool. Any payment over five-thousand dollars needed a signature or documented payment authorization. Lena was brilliant.

  “Seems like another good place to start. If it was all one person, we have our crook.”

  “That seems too easy. I’m embarrassed I hadn’t thought of it.” Kieran slowed the car as they approached Old Franklin.

  “It is too easy. If Gen Power Systems had been looking into YABF Industries before you noticed, I’m sure they looked at that, but it’s worth checking out.”

  Kieran threw her a quick glance. “I can only access those files from work, and I’ve been suspended.”

  A few minutes of silence passed while Kieran crossed town and kicked himself for not downloading that data to the thumb drive when he had the chance. He didn’t need to be in his office, he just needed to be on the network. “I can ask Tom for a favor.”

  “Tom?”

  “The director of Grief Relief. We go way back. See, Grief Relief is a separate entity, but we have the same parent company. We are on the same network.”

  Lena smiled. “We have a solid lead.”

  Kieran pulled into the post office parking lot. “We’ll do that right after we’re done here.”

  After waiting in an endless line of people dropping off packages and picking up postal stamps, it was finally Kieran’s turn. Getting a copy of the PO Box paperwork was easy, but there wasn’t anything on it exciting other than an address where Kieran supposedly lived—an address he had never heard of.

  Once he and Lena settled back into his SUV, Kieran pointed to the top of the paperwork: 3029 Oakridge Drive. Apt 329, New Franklin. “Think it’s a real address?”

  Lena shrugged. “It’s probably the same address on the lease document the post office validated. There’s only one way to find out if it was legit.”

  Kieran pulled out his phone and looked up the address. When the apartment complex’s phone number appeared, he dialed the number.

  “Pine Ridge Estates. This is Jack.” The man’s voice grumbled as if he’d smoked too many cigarettes.

  “Hi Jack.” Kieran’s heart raced again. “I was wondering who’s living in Apartment 329.” Jack went silent, so Kieran continued, “Was it registered under my name? Kieran Plugh?”

  Jack’s harsh voice grew rougher. “You stiffed me for rent. That comes directly out of my paycheck. What kind of man moves out and doesn’t tell anyone?”

  “Hold on, Jack. That wasn’t me. I’m a victim of identity theft.” Kieran looked at his watch. By the time he drove to Grief Relief, they’d be pushing closing. He and Lena had already made the long drive to Old Franklin. They may as well close the loop. “Do you have a copy of the lease for that apartment?” Kieran pulled down the paperwork from the post office, looking at the unfamiliar signature on the bottom of the page. His name was there, but he had never seen that handwriting. “I can show you my ID and you can compare my signature. I’d just like to see what you have and perhaps we can figure out who owes you money.”

  After a silence, Jack’s voice calmed. “I’ll be here until five.”

  “We’ll be right down.” Kieran ended the call. “We have another lead.”

  Lena’s smile relaxed his shoulders. Something about her made him feel like he could do anything.

  Even prove his innocence.

  Chapter 9

  LENA

  Arriving into the parking lot at Pine Ridge Estates, Lena glimpsed a familiar tall, slender, blond form. Her stomach clenched. Had her time with Kieran come to an end? Maybe the Unfortunate discovered her agenda, trying to keep Kieran focused and clear his name.

  Kieran stepped out of the SUV, but when he stepped towards the complex’s entrance, Lena hesitated. She kept glancing at the Unfortunate standing under a large maple between two of the giant apartment buildings.

  “What’s wrong?” Kieran asked.

  Lena shook her head, focusing on Kieran. She was lucky to have this little bit of time with him. If she just disappeared, how long would he look for her? Would that further distract him? “Nothing’s wrong. Go inside and take care of this. I’ll wait outside.”

  Kieran cocked his chin.

  “Go,” Lena waved towards the entrance. “I’ll be right here when you get back,” she hoped.

  Kieran hesitated, but turned back towards the entrance and disappeared inside the building.

  Lena met the Unfortunate under the shade of the tree.

  He leaned against the trunk, twirling a leaf between his fingers. “You’ve done well, Lena.”

  She’d done well? “At what? I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be distracting him from. You had said it was for his own good, but the longer I’m with him, the more trouble he seems to get in.” Why had the prospect of an eternity of warmth kept her believing the Unfortunate?

  “It makes no difference. You’ve completed your task and earned the Eternal Flame.” A fire shot up in the Unfortunate’s hand, igniting the leaf until it disappeared into a plume of smoke and ash. “Hold out your hand.”

  Lena looked around, ensuring nobody could see the exchange of fire. She reached out her right hand, palm up. The Unfortunate blew the fire from his hand to Lena’s. Warmth tingled throughout her body, settling in her core. The warmth wasn’t comfortable, like when she awoke tucked into Kieran’s side, but it was something else. Artificial, perhaps?

  Nevertheless, it was warm.

  The fire reflected in the Unfortunate’s black eyes and his mouth turned up into a smile. “It’s time to return to the Underworld.”

  Her chest tightened and her body went rigid. “No. I can’t. I have business here. Kieran needs me.”

  “You don’t belong here.”

  “Some potential angels who have been cast down to the Underworld earn a chance to try their lives again. I made mistakes, and if I’m left here longer, maybe I can do something about them?” An image of the blond, curly-haired boy, Stephen Colton flashed through her mind, then the newspaper photograph of another child, Amelia Bey. She wished she didn’t remember.

  “You know, Lena helping Kieran and saving Grief Relief does not make up for your crimes.”

  “I understand. Nothing makes up for my crimes.” What could bring a child back to life? Her spark of hope disappeared.

  Despite the fire going out in both Lena’s and the Unfortunate’s hands, orange flames still reflected in his irises. “Perhaps there is something you could help with. Something that could keep you here a little longer.” He scratched his chin. “Maybe, if you give it your whole heart, I’ll even let you stay on Earth.”

  Lena’s heart rate sped up. “Yes, please let me help.”

  The Unfortunate shook his head. “Let’s just say you owe me a task,
and when the time’s right, I’ll tell you what it is. Right now, you’d better return to that man over there. He’s starting to wonder why you’re talking to me.”

  Kieran stood by his SUV, leaning against the door, watching. When she turned to the Unfortunate, he was already walking away.

  She bought more time, but at what cost? What would the Unfortunate need her to do, and what would happen if the task was so terrible, she refused?

  KIERAN

  “That was useless.” Kieran held open the passenger side door of his SUV, waiting for Lena.

  “Didn’t they help you?”

  “After I gave them my current address and phone number, they showed me the lease and said I owed $1500 for the month’s rent.”

  “But it wasn’t your apartment.”

  “I tried to explain that, but the paperwork had everything of mine, except my signature. There was no forwarding address or contact info. They said now that they knew how to contact me, they’d take me to small claims court.”

  “But you’re innocent?”

  Kieran shut her door and rounded his vehicle, getting behind the steering wheel. Lena’s eyes followed him all the way around, and when he shut his door, he looked at her gray eyes, noticing something different. “Your eyes have a tinge of amber to them. Like fire.”

  “Must be the light.”

  Kieran noticed the shadows on her face from her long eyelashes, and the sweetness she radiated melted his self-pity. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain about my situation. Who were you talking to?”

  Lena shrugged. “Nobody important.”

  “You knew him?”

  “Yeah, I’ve known him for quite some time, but don’t wish to know him anymore.”

  Kieran’s heart twisted. Was he a past boyfriend? Husband? Was she still tied up with him? They stood close and both their body language had said they were friends. His stomach tightened as he recognized a new emotion: jealousy.

  “What are we doing next?” Lena asked.