Flame & Fortune (Angels of Sojourn) Read online

  Second, whoever stole the money had it somewhere. Like Lena said, they probably spent some of it. Kieran thought to his boss Fred. He had a new car and was always out on the golf course or at some benefit with his wife. He lived an extravagant life, but not unexpected for a CEO.

  Kieran stared at a crack in the ceiling as scenarios played in his head. He went through the documents he had found. If it wasn’t Fred, perhaps it was Olivia or Samantha? But whoever had posed as Kieran had been a male…

  If it wasn’t Fred, perhaps Olivia or Samantha had a partner?

  He sat up, on the verge of a connection when he heard keys jingle. “Mr. Plugh. The judge wants to hear your statement. If you could come along with us.”

  Kieran nodded. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough, anxious to investigate Olivia and Samantha.

  Chapter 13

  LENA

  Once Lena composed herself, she showered, threw on a clean pair of Emily’s clothes from her donation pile, and figured out how to call a taxi on Kieran’s phone. She stepped onto Kieran’s front porch to wait for the cab and glimpsed a slender figure walking towards her on the sidewalk.

  Not now.

  Anytime but now.

  The Unfortunate had come to give her that task he had promised. The item that would potentially allow her to stay on Earth.

  “Oh, my dear Lena. You let Kieran leave your sight again.” The Unfortunate leaned against Kieran’s front porch railing.

  Lena’s chest constricted. “I didn’t think that mattered anymore, and besides, I didn’t have a choice.”

  “There’s always a choice.”

  “And I always make the wrong one, but I keep making them.” She didn’t have time for the Unfortunate’s games.

  The Unfortunate shook his head. “Life is filled with choices. Sometimes, neither option is the right one or the wrong one. They just branch off and offer you more choices. Like now.”

  Lena wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. “Will it allow me to stay on Earth?” The Unfortunate hadn’t promised that but had given her hope for it.

  He shook his head. “You should know, nothing is forever, but it will allow you to stay longer.”

  Lena squinted at the bright, yellow sun. Yes, a little longer with Kieran in this warm, human world. It’d give her time to explore companionship again…to stop pushing away those feelings she has for Kieran once this whole disaster was over. “Okay. Tell me, please.”

  “Right now, I need you to watch a woman in Sydney. Determine her day-to-day pattern for a week.”

  “A week?”

  “It’s a small price to pay for your freedom.”

  Freedom. The word sounded fantastic. “In Sydney? Like Australia?”

  “It doesn’t matter where. I can take you there in a blink of an eye.”

  “Now?” The hopes and dreams of her freedom slipped away. She couldn’t leave.

  “Yes. Time is of the essence. Besides, your work here is done. Kieran is in jail, Grief Relief is shutting down, and whoever was responsible for this is getting away. You’re at a dead end.”

  A yellow cab pulled up in front of Kieran’s home. “No. This isn’t a dead end. There are so many loose ends yet to explore.”

  “Let Kieran solve his own issues. You did as I asked and now, I’m asking something else. You promised.”

  “No.” Lena stepped back. “I can’t leave right now. I can help you as I promised, but not now.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” The Unfortunate pushed off the railing and stood tall.

  “Didn’t you just say there is always a choice?” Lena stepped back, but she was tight against Kieran’s entry door.

  “Not when the Underworld owns you.”

  “Then I’ll pay for my freedom.” Her heart hammered in her chest. “I can’t leave. I have unfinished business.”

  “Like when you were human? Didn’t you have all sorts of unfinished buisness you left behind?”

  Names and faces of children raced through her mind, but Lena pushed them away. “Maybe, but I won’t make those mistakes again.” This time, she wasn’t done on Earth. Everything was falling apart, and Lena needed to fix it.

  The Unfortunate smiled slyly. “So, you want to stay. Then make a deal.”

  A deal? “What do I have?” A warm glow radiated from her chest. She lifted her hand, causing a small flame to dance upon her fingers. “The Eternal Flame. You can have it back.”

  The Unfortunate shook his head. “That is not enough for your freedom.”

  “I don’t need my freedom. I just need a few days.”

  “Twelve hours. I’ll give you twelve-hours for the Eternal Flame.”

  “I can’t—”

  The Unfortunate held up his hand. “Twelve hours, and I’m being generous. Remember, your choices brought you to the Underworld.”

  Lena didn’t say anything, only tightened her grip on the manila folder in her left hand. She had a lot to straighten out in only a few hours. She reached out her free hand, letting the fire in her palm jump back to the Unfortunate. Then she sprang down the steps, pushing past the Unfortunate and into the taxi. Instead of leaving the world like last time, she’d fight this battle to the end.

  “Gen Power Systems, please,” she said to the driver.

  Lena placed her head against the glass with an unsettling feeling in her chest. What did she just do? Had she sacrificed everything to fix the problem she started? If only she would have done that when she was human, a few children’s lives would have been better and she wouldn’t have carried this guilt for so many years.

  KIERAN

  After Kieran presented his story and evidence to the judge, his bail was set at twenty-five thousand dollars.

  As Officer Kenward walked Kieran back to the jail, he asked, “Did you want to use your phone call to coordinate bail?”

  “Yes.” More than anything he wanted to get out of here. There was so much he needed to do to clear his name, and he hoped Lena didn’t take off on him. What would he do if he never saw her again?

  He followed the officer into the main police station office and sat in front of an overcrowded desk cluttered with half-filled coffee mugs, pens, and files of papers. Officer Kenward went over the terms of bail. Once Kieran voiced his understanding, he was handed a phone.

  He called Emily, but it went to voicemail. She was probably at school. Kieran left a detailed message. “Ems, it’s me. I’m fine, but I need you to listen carefully and take notes. They set my bail, and I can go home until the trial, but I need quite a bit of money. I need you to follow instructions. I need twenty-five thousand dollars, but I don’t have that much in my checking.” Kieran went on to tell Emily where to find his stashes of money hidden around his home and in his vehicle. When he hung up, he turned to the officer. “Okay. Hopefully, she gets that message soon.”

  He returned to his cell. In the hours he’d been there, ways of proving his innocence ran through his head until he was exhausted. Now, all he could think about was beautiful Lena. He wished they met under different circumstances. She was so fragile and full of grief, but had a strength inside that could pull through anything.

  He needed her strength and support. Kieran had always kept it together, with the weight of raising his sister on his shoulders, but now, he felt like he was the child and Ems was the adult. He was paralyzed, leaning on others for help like after his Dad died. Kieran had promised himself he wouldn’t relive that grief again.

  Chapter 14

  LENA

  The cab dropped Lena off at the front entrance of Gen Power Systems. She stood straight and brushed the wrinkles out of her green blouse. She marched up to the reception desk just beyond the company’s front entrance. An older woman with tight, grey curly hair pulled down her multi-colored reading glasses to greet her.

  “Hi. My name’s Lena Romano, and I’m a freelance reporter. I had met with Fred Shotz a few days ago and would like to speak with him again about a story.”

  The woma
n nodded, put her glasses back upon her nose, and picked up the phone. “Fred, this is Julia down at reception. I have a reporter named Lena Romano here to see you.”

  A moment or two later, the woman smiled. “He’ll be right down.”

  Lena tightened her grip on the manila folder. What if Fred was behind this whole thing? Was she meeting with the wrong guy?

  She didn’t have much choice. She didn’t have an in at the company besides Fred.

  When the elevator opened, Fred looked exhausted, but his words were friendly. “Ms. Romano, it’s nice to see you again. Did you hear about Kieran?” His face turned dead serious as pain flashed across his expression. If Lena had doubted Fred’s innocence, the concern radiating from him made her disbelief dissolve. Fred escorted Lena onto the elevator and the doors closed, leaving them alone together.

  “I heard Kieran was arrested,” Lena said. “Do you think he did it?”

  “I can’t see why he would have, but the evidence points his way. I want to help him, but I don’t know what to do.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Lena leaned against the back of the elevator. “Kieran and I’ve been collecting evidence to prove his innocence. I’d like to speak to Olivia Nelson and Samantha Engren. Can you set that up for me?”

  “I can call them and see if they have a few moments once we get to my office.” The elevator opened on the top floor, and Fred stepped off, leading Lena down a hall. She was greeted by a wall of employees’ photos with a big engraved banner on top, Employee of the Year. There were about ten photos and the last three were of Kieran. Warmth grew in Lena’s chest, completely unlike the Eternal Flame. It was sincere—a pride she wanted to share with everyone.

  As she passed each office, she observed that they were modest and business-like until she reached one. Elaborate book shelves lined the walls, along with mahogany office furniture, plush carpet, and a fireplace. “Wow. That’s quite an office.”

  Fred laughed. “That’s our president’s. Rod Wilson. He’s top dog and shows it.”

  Fred opened the door to his humble office. Some simple, gray laminate bookshelves, and a matching office desk. A small round table sat in a corner where motioned for Lena to take a seat.

  Fred picked up the phone on his bare desk. “Let me make some calls.”

  Lena nodded.

  As Fred dialed, Lena’s eyes roamed the room. Fred was a golfer. He had photos of golf courses and himself holding a club. There was one of him and a woman, whom Lena assumed was his wife. Then there was a group photo. Lena recognized Fred and that woman. There were two other people in the picture. An older man, and a younger one…with the same dark hair and blue eyes as the fake ID that Pine Ridge Estates just faxed her.

  Her heart pounded. Maybe Fred wasn’t innocent. With shaky fingers, she opened the manila folder to confirm the ID matched the man.

  She had a match.

  Fred hung up the phone. “Samantha’s not answering. Let’s try Olivia.”

  “Before you do, who is that photo of?” Lena pointed at the group photo. “I can make out you…and is that your wife?”

  Fred walked around the desk and looked at his photos. “This one?” he pointed at the picture. “The one taken at Sussex Country Club?”

  Sussex. Where the checks to YABF were cashed. “Yes.”

  “That’s me and Laverne.” He pointed to the older gentleman. “That’s Rod Wilson, and his son, Phoenix. We’re on a team together, as they love golf and Rod only lives a few blocks from my place.”

  Gen Power Systems’ president’s son was the impersonator?

  Lena managed to squeak out her thanks as Fred returned to the phone. If the president’s son created the factitious company, and was behind the fake payments, did that mean the president knew about it too?

  If the president reviewed the accounting ledgers, it made sense that nobody stopped the weekly payments to YABF Industries.

  As soon as Fred hung up the phone, Lena spoke up. “I have another question. You said you knew Grief Relief was closing for quite some time. Whose idea was it to keep it a secret?”

  Fred tilted his head. “Rod’s. Why?”

  A moment later, a middle-aged woman with dark hair and a black suit knocked on Fred’s open door.

  “Lena, this is Olivia Nelson. She’s the Director of the R and D department.”

  Lena stood up, reaching her hand out in greeting.

  Fred turned to Olivia. “Lena is the reporter writing up the Grief Relief news.”

  Olivia shook Lena’s hand. “Well, sorry to put you through all that, but with the whole investigation, we may not have to shut down Grief Relief. At least, that’s what I’m pushing for. Rod has other agendas, but I’m hoping we can persuade him to change his mind.”

  Again, Rod’s name came up.

  Lena’s heart raced. “I’ve also been working with Kieran to figure out what’s going on. I feel he’s innocent.”

  Olivia cocked her head. “I hope he is. I can’t imagine someone stealing from us. Especially Kieran.”

  “I just have a quick question.” Lena fumbled through her manila folder, pulling out an invoice to YABF Industries that Olivia signed. “You signed off on this payment, and I was wondering why you did so. YABF was a made-up company, and you wouldn’t have known what you were authorizing.”

  Olivia took the piece of paper and turned it in her hands, examining her signature. She set it on the table and pointed at a squiggle after her name. “I put the initials RW after my name. That means I ran it by Rod Wilson, and he told me to authorize it.”

  Lena’s heart pounded. Rod and his son were behind this whole thing. She needed to get her manila folder to the police.

  Kieran’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the screen: Ems.

  “Excuse me. I have to take this.” She turned from the rest of the group. “Hi. It’s Lena.”

  “Lena, it’s Emily. I was hoping you had Kieran’s phone. He called and left a message. They’re letting him go on bail, but I need to run home and collect some money. Are you there? He gave me directions to where everything is. He needs twenty-five thousand dollars.”

  “Twenty-five thousand dollars? He has that laying around at home?” A memory of Lena’s human life surfaced, of how she stashed cash so there were minimal bank records. No. Not Kieran. He was innocent, right? Hadn’t she just proved that? “I’m at Gen Power Systems. Can you pick me up?”

  “I’ll be right there. School’s not far away.”

  Lena spun around. “Sorry, something came up, and I need to run. I appreciate everything, and we’ll be in touch, soon.”

  Lena ignored Fred and Olivia’s puzzled expressions and headed out the door and into the elevator with a hundred butterflies swirling in her stomach.

  Chapter 15

  LENA

  Lena watched Emily fly through her and Kieran’s home, collecting wads of money from different places. As the pile of money grew, she couldn’t stop remembering her own life and how she had hidden her stolen money—a little everywhere so nobody, not even herself, knew how much she had stolen.

  The behavior was odd, and Lena stopped. Perhaps the Unfortunate had had good intentions with Lena coming to Kieran, keeping him distracted so he couldn’t cover his tracks. Maybe Kieran had set Rod Wilson and his son up?

  “Okay. I have it,” Emily said. “Let’s get my brother out.”

  Lena couldn’t take her eyes off the pile of money. What other reasoning would someone have to hide money? Emily threw the money into a plastic bag and slipped it into her backpack. “Okay. I’ll drive.”

  Lena followed her outside and crawled into her tiny, rotted, blue coupe. The engine roared like a muffler was missing as Emily pulled out of their driveway and began the drive to the police station.

  “Did you know he had all that money hidden away?”

  Emily shook her head. “No, but I’m glad he did.”

  “Do you think it’s odd?”

  Emily shrugge
d. Of course, she had no opinion. She was probably only seventeen or eighteen and hadn’t yet experienced the world. Lena needed to talk to Kieran, if she could even believe what he told her.

  Parking in front of the police station, Emily grabbed her backpack and rushed up the steps. Lena walked cautiously behind. She had given up the Eternal Flame and her chance at freedom to stay here and, perhaps, set a guilty man free.

  She didn’t believe it. Kieran had kind eyes…but then, so did she. Looks can be deceiving.

  Not long after arriving at the station, all the paperwork was signed, and Kieran followed them out of the building. He offered Lena the front seat of Emily’s car, but she sank into the back instead, deep in thought. Had she been blinded by Kieran’s interest? So hungry for companionship that she failed to see what was going on around her?

  Kieran told his story of his time at the police station, and Emily was eager with questions. They tried to include Lena, but she answered quickly. What was she going to do?

  As soon as they got home, Lena stopped outside the front door, letting both siblings enter. When Kieran noticed, he turned and offered his hand.

  “Aren’t you coming in?” She saw a sadness in his eyes.

  “I—I think I’m going to go for a little while. I see this is best between family.” She needed time to think. Time to figure things out. Her past haunted her, and she couldn’t escape. She was a terrible person with faulty judgement. She had been certain Kieran was innocent.

  “No.” Kieran’s eyes held a coldness that reminded Lena of the Underworld. “Come in. We need to talk.”

  Lena shook her head as she backed away. Her body tensed. She handed over the manila folder. “A copy of the fake ID is inside the folder. It is Rod Wilson’s son, Phoenix.”

  Kieran cocked his chin as he grasped the folder. “Ems, go inside. I’ll meet you there.” Instead of opening the folder, Kieran set it on his home’s front porch and stepped towards Lena. “Then we’ll talk right here.”

  Lena nodded, preparing to run. Could she outrun him? He was taller, more muscular, and she had done nothing but sit in the Underworld for the last twenty-three years.