Crushed (46 page)

"What did you tell me about Diana Apell?" Cleo's voice was sharp. "Didn't you say she was on a business trip?"

"Yeah, that's what she told me and Rob." Sophie's mind was slowly refocusing on her mission. "Diana said she'd be back in two weeks." Sophie hadn't thought about it for a long time, but now that she considered the facts, Diana was due back any-day now.

"You're sure that's what she said?"

"Positive. I still have the voicemail on my phone where she told me about the letter."

"Well, it looks like we were all fooled." Cleo's words sent chills down Sophie's arms.

"What do you mean?" She was almost too hesitant to ask.

"Diana Apell did not leave for a business trip two weeks ago. She made preparations to leave the country. She's moved her headquarters to Switzerland, and is planning to stay there indefinitely."

"What?" Sophie's voice rose. "She can't have done that to get away from us?"

"She certainly didn't hesitate to lie to you." Cleo's voice lowered momentarily. "There's also more. With this new information, I can only assume that there is a connection with her and the people who shot at you."

"That's a bold assumption."

"Not if you consider the facts. Diana has no intention of returning to help, and if she lied expecting Max to kill you, she could've used those gunshots as a threat to back off."

"Switzerland." Sophie paused, taking in this new information. Maybe it was because she'd come to expect as much, but the surprise didn't cause her resolution to flinch whatsoever. "Well, we'll just have to pay her a visit."

"What good could that possibly do? I don't have the resources to keep you alive in Switzerland. Especially if she's already established her own base there."

"I'll have to risk it." Instead of anxiety, Sophie felt confident in her decision. "If she's coming up with this many lies, that can only mean one thing..."

"What is that?"

"We're getting close." Sophie whispered, smiling slyly. "Close to solving my parent's mystery."

*  *  *

By the time Robert had returned home, Sophie had torn apart their file on Diana Apell.

Anything and everything that could give them more insight into the woman's life was laid out for inspection.

Rob, having no idea what she was up to, stared at the mess with only a raised eyebrow.

"Interesting day?" He asked, leaning against the frame of her door.

She glanced up at him, half annoyed that he'd broken her train of thought. She'd been so focused all day it was painful to pull herself out of her work-mode.

"You would choose the perfect time to visit the zoo." Sophie meant her comment as a joke, but it came out harsher than she'd intended. "I could've used your help."

Robert smiled and walked towards her pile of papers. He bent down, picking up one and analyzing it for a long moment.

"Well, I'm here now. How can this white knight be of service to you?"

"Have you talked to Cleo?" Sophie felt like he was miles behind her at this point.

"No, I haven't, but feel free to clue me in on the emergency. Rylan said he hasn't seen you all day."

Sophie glanced out of her window and noticed it had already grown dark outside.

"Woah." She whispered, leaning back from her mess. "I must've put in a straight seven hours of work."

"I thought so. Which is why I told Gwyn to make you something for dinner." He began organizing the papers absentmindedly.

"Wait!" She snatched the papers out of his hand, her eyes narrowing. "I had a whole system worked out!"

"What exactly are you looking for, darling?"

"It's Diana!" Sophie said, as if that were enough to explain everything.

"I figured as much." He motioned to the name on the file laying next to her.

"No, I mean it's her! She's the missing link to the puzzle." Sophie felt elated by her realization. "She was playing us from the very beginning!"

"Calm down." Robert reached out to pat her head. "Tell me in words I can understand."

"The letter never existed. She wanted to send me to Max so that he would kill me! She was responsible for the people who shot at us too! It was her warning to back off. She wasn't even planning on returning...she lied to me!"

"Seven hours and that's all you came up with?" He asked skeptically.

"No, I've been making a plan." She grinned. "It's my first, but I've got it all thought out. If we go to Switzerland we can corner her so she'll have to answer our questions. It's a bit complicated, but..."

"Sophie." Robert interrupted, silencing her. "There's not going to be a plan."

"What do you mean?" She reached beside of her to the notepad she'd been jotting down her ideas on. "I've listed some things you may have missed while going over the file, and I think..."

"I didn't miss anything going over the file." Robert smiled as he took the pad away from her. "Everything you've gone over today I've already memorized. I know Diana's life like the back of my hand, so there's no need to explain it to me."

"Don't be so arrogant!" She replied, reaching for him to give it back.

"Did Cleo plant those ideas in your head? Those are some pretty big leaps."

"It makes sense!"

"There are many theories that make sense, but you can't let them all get to you like this." He motioned to the pile of papers. "Nothing in here is going to tell you anything we didn't already know before."

"At least listen to my idea!" Sophie didn't want to let him ruin her efforts. She'd been convinced that her plan for finding Diana was as close to foolproof as they could get.

"Even if everything you said is correct, we're not going to run headfirst into her lair."

"Why not?"

"I don't know if you're familiar with geography, but Switzerland is on another continent. I've stolen from foreign countries many times before, but it has never been easy."

"Rob, come on!" Sophie pleaded. "Since when have you ever not wanted to take a risk?"

"Since I've started thinking more about your safety." He flicked her in the forehead and she winced in pain. "So let's start thinking clearly."

Sophie glanced at the papers surrounding her and scowled. She'd honestly been willing to fly out that very night to Switzerland. She still didn't see how this mission was any different from anything they'd done in the past, but she knew Robert wasn't done lecturing yet.

"I leave you alone for one day, and you're already knee-deep in trouble." He shook his head as he finished collecting the papers of Diana's file. "I know you're eager to jump back into this mess, but you can't let that distract you. Now, tell me the whole story."

Despite having worked the entire day, Sophie had surprisingly little to tell him. When he brushed aside her plan to find Diana, he basically took away half of what she was going to say.

She recounted everything Cleo had told her, and the assumptions she'd made following that.

"Don't you get it? We've got her on the run! She knows something, and that's why she's avoiding us."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Yes, she's lied to us, but let's be honest, who hasn't? This whole business is riddled with liars, and I'm not surprised she left you with nothing. Cleo's theories are too dramatic for me."

Sophie groaned, wondering why now, out of all their missions in the past, Robert chose to be difficult on this one.

"There is no evidence linking Diana to anything. I honestly don't believe she asked you to go to Max so he would kill you, and it could've been anyone that shot at us that night. Her running away is the only fact we have right now."

"Why would she lie about the letter, then?"

"We don't know for sure that she was lying. Assuming she was, I would make the guess that she was testing you. I don't believe Diana thought for a minute you would enter Max's house. I think she wanted you to realize how useless it was to keep searching, and how dangerous this mission is."

"Where is your proof?"

"I don't have any. See how easy it is to make baseless assumptions?" He grinned as he sat down beside of her. It was insulting how calm her was. She wanted him to be as excited as she was to finish the mission.

Everything he said made sense, but she didn't want to accept it. She didn't want to take into account the truth in his words. It was too disappointing after hours spent hoping for a better outcome.

"Anyway," Robert continued, watching her closely. "How did you manage to find this file anyway? It was locked away in my room."

His question snapped her out of her pouting. While she'd screwed up with her overly ambious plan, she had succeeded in something.

"I broke through your lock." Sophie replied confidently.

"Did you now?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly. "I made that lock myself...there's no way you could've done it."

"Have a little faith." Sophie nudged him in the side with her elbow. "The proof is right in front of you."

"Okay, then explain how you did it." His eyes were burning with curiosity. He hid it well, but she could tell he was frustrated that she'd been able to break into his room. Robert had probably never had to worry about someone stealing from him before.

"No, thank you." She winked up at him slyly. "A thief never gives away all her tricks."

As she stared at him she realized that they should be acting awkward towards one another. This was not the kind of scenario she'd pictured this morning, after considering everything he'd told her. She'd thought she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye, but here they were, behaving like nothing was wrong.

From the way Robert's eyes widened, he must've been realizing the same thing. For a long moment, they both stared silently at each other, as if deciding where they would go from here.

Then, their silent stares turned into wide grins.

This was how it was supposed to be. By not bringing up the past again, Sophie had given him her answer. She was okay with who he'd been, and by him not speaking, she knew he didn't regret telling her.

Everything was going to be just fine.

Downstairs the sound of the doorbell ringing caused them both to flinch.

They both froze in place, fearing whatever or whoever was at the door. Sophie had learned long ago that normal visitors never came to this house. Anyone who would come here was somehow connected to Cleo and Max.

The sound of footsteps racing up the staircase caused Sophie to rise to her feet. She had the odd feeling she knew what was coming.

"Sophie." Teddy whispered as he cracked open her door. "Sophie..." His voice was shaking and his eyes were wide.

She didn't need to be told who it was.

For days she'd been expecting him, and she was the only person who could greet him now.

She quickly brushed passed Teddy, heading down the staircase and to the front door. Standing in the doorway was a dark figure with deep, brooding eyes.

"Luke." She whispered as she stepped outside.

*  *  *

Sophie had known this conversation would be difficult. It was this knowledge that had made her dread Luke's return. He represented so many feelings and memories she wanted to forget.

As they sat silently on the front steps of the house, she examined him closely. He looked like he'd been living outside for a month. His clothes were stained and wrinkled, and his face was shadowed by the outline of a beard. It seemed as if he hadn't shaved or bathed in days, quite possibly a week.

The weaker part of Sophie wanted to hate him. She wanted to blame him for shooting Rylan, and wanted to throw things at him and scream until she couldn't scream anymore.