Tagan's Child (3 page)

“Can I help
you?” I said with a cheeriness I didn’t feel.

“I’m looking
for Sophie McAllister,” he replied in an accent I struggled to
place. I looked up into his face. He didn’t look like my idea of a
homicidal maniac, in fact far from it. Sandie had been right, he
was spectacularly good-looking. His hair was fair and very short,
he had a well-defined brow and his jawline was angular. All in all,
pretty breath-taking. I found myself staring at him struggling to
assimilate the oxygen I was drawing into my lungs.

“Do you know
where I could find Ms McAllister?” he repeated, interrupting my
appraisal of his not inconsiderable good looks.

“Um yes, I’m
Sophie McAllister,” I replied breathlessly. Get a grip! He might be
a fine example of a man but that didn’t mean he was any less
inclined to do me harm, he could probably throttle me with one
hand. “Can I help you?” I asked again.

He offered his
hand for a handshake and I flinched at the sudden movement.

“My name is
Ahran Elessar.”

His hand was as
warm as mine was cold.

“Are you the
legal guardian of the boy?”

His terminology
struck me as odd and then I realised he was talking about Toby. I
snatched my hand from his. The hairs on the back of my neck stood
up like the hackles on a dog and the unease I felt when I first saw
him returned. I decided to play ignorant. “I’m sorry I’m not sure
what you mean. Who did you say you were again?”

“Ahran
Elessar,” he said, enunciating it as if I was either deaf or
stupid. “I need to talk with you about your nephew as a matter of
urgency. Could we step inside?”

How did he know
anything about Toby? My uneasiness increased. Who was this guy? He
was clearly no salesman and the last thing I had expected was the
topic of conversation to be about my nephew. Apprehension prickled
across my skin.

“Can we go
inside and talk?” he urged more insistently.

I stood on my
doorstep weighing up whether I should let him inside or just tell
him to get lost. He acknowledged my hesitation by taking a step
closer and lowering his voice. He was close enough for me to smell
his citrusy aftershave.

“You and your
nephew are in grave danger, I have been sent to protect you.” His
expression was serious and fear crashed through my body causing my
fingertips to tingle. “I know how this might seem,” he continued,
“but it’s very cold out here. Can we talk about this in the
warm?”

Why were our
lives in grave danger? I stared at him blankly.

Even though I
got the impression he wasn’t overjoyed about being here, there was
something about him that was calm and reassuring.

“Are you the
police?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then how do I
know you don’t mean us any harm?”

“Please believe
me when I say I’m not here to hurt you. If I meant you any harm I
could do it right here, right now.”

He was right,
he could attack me on my doorstep and no one would hear my
screams.

“You and your
nephew are not safe and I am here to protect you,” he said,
repeating his earlier statement. “Can we please go inside and I
will explain?”

His sincerity
seemed genuine but it was the thought of Toby coming to any harm
that finally forced my decision.

“Okay. Although
my boyfriend will be home any minute.” This of course, wasn’t
true.

My hand was
shaking when I put the key in the lock. I opened the door and Mungo
rushed out of the kitchen and charged up to my unexpected visitor
wagging his tail and whimpering like an idiot. Great! Some guard
dog you are!

Ahran had to
duck as he walked through the doorway and my hallway suddenly felt
small.

“Can I take
your coat?”

He hesitated as
if my offer had caught him off guard. “Er, yes, thank you.” He
shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to me.

I hung it up
and got a waft of his aftershave again mixed with the kind of smell
you get when your skin has been exposed to hot sun. I wondered how
he could possibly smell of the sun when it had been freezing cold
all day.

Mungo was going
over the top with his canine welcome and I grabbed his collar. He
could be so irritating. “Mungo, that’s enough!” Dogs were supposed
to protect their owners, weren’t they? “Sorry,” I apologised and
led him into the kitchen. Fortunately, I had lit the Aga yesterday
and the kitchen felt warm and inviting.

“In your bed,”
I commanded before Mungo could even think about resuming his overly
friendly assault on my visitor. He did as he was told but shot me a
look of disappointment at having his enthusiastic greeting curbed,
it wasn’t often we had new people to the house for him to sniff and
lick.

“Come in.” My
mind was reeling. What had we done to anyone that would make them
want to harm us? Toby was just a child and the worst I had ever
done was thirty five in a thirty zone.

“Please take a
seat.” I congratulated myself for my calm manner when I felt
anything but calm.

He pulled out
one of the wooden chairs at the kitchen table and it creaked as he
sat down. Without his jacket he was lean and broad. His skin was
lightly tanned and his eyes were the most mesmerizing shade of
blue, it was difficult not to stare at them. “Can I get you a
drink? Tea…Coffee?”

“Just a glass
of water, please.”

I switched the
kettle on, feeling like I needed the comfort of a mug of tea. I
poured his glass of water and tried to still the tremor in my
hand.

“Thank you,” he
said, taking the glass from me, his hand as steady as a rock. At
least he was polite, which wasn’t a quality I usually associated
with serial killers.

“Where is your
nephew now?” he asked, straight to the point.

I chose to lean
up against the counter rather than take a seat opposite, for some
reason it made me feel like I had more of an advantage. I held my
mug with both hands seeking its reassuring warmth.

“He’s at a
friend’s,” I replied.

I eyed my
unexpected visitor warily. I’d have placed him in his early
thirties. He sat with an easy confidence and wore an expensive
looking black roll neck sweater that clung to what must have been
some seriously toned muscles underneath. He had faint laughter
lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth but apart from that, his
face was flawless. His long legs were muscular and clad in a pair
of designer jeans and he wore a pair of brown leather Chelsea
boots. All in all, expensively turned out and not what you would
expect of a potential bodyguard.

“Okay so can
you please tell me what this is all about?” I insisted.

Ahran leant
forward on the table. “The boy in your care is very…” He paused
searching for the right word “…special.” His expression was
solemn.

I gave a
humourless laugh. “You don’t think I know that? He’s the only
family I have left.”

“I understand
he is important to you after the loss you have suffered but what I
mean is he is special in an...” Once again he searched for the
right words, “... unusual way.”

I felt
confused. How did he know what loss I had suffered? And what did he
mean Toby was special and unusual?

“How do you
know anything about us?” I demanded.

“I know a lot
more about you and the boy than even you know.”

More than even
I knew? He was talking in riddles.

“Do you know
who the boy’s father is?” he continued as if to prove his
point.

“Toby, his name
is Toby,” I said in frustration. I was beginning to feel out of
control.

He ignored me
and raised his eyebrows waiting for my answer.

I sighed. “His
father is called Tagan, but he doesn’t have anything to do with
Toby and never has had,” I said bitterly.

Ahran made no
comment and continued with his game of ‘I Know More Than You’. “His
name was Tagan Halsan and he was my cousin.”

“Well you can
tell Tagan Halsan to go to hell. If he thinks he’s having Toby he
is sorely mistaken.” I put my mug down and stepped away from the
counter. “If this is why you have come then you can get out of my
house.” I could feel hot tears prickling at my eyes. They would
have to take Toby away over my dead body and not without a fight
before that. A sinking feeling dragged at my stomach. I could
almost feel the cracks beginning to fracture my fragile world. I
was a fool this morning to think I could lead a normal and settled
life. Things always turned to shit!

Ahran remained
calm. “I don’t think you heard what I said. Tagan was my cousin. He
died over eight years ago.” He paused and let me digest this
information. “And I have no intention of taking the boy away from
you,” he said, his expression softening just a little.

“Then why have
you come to see us now? As far as Toby,” I said, emphasising his
name again, “is concerned, his father was never interested in him
when he was alive, why should it matter now that he is dead?” I
couldn’t help feeling a small vindictive twinge of satisfaction
knowing that Tagan no longer walked this earth.

“Tagan never
knew he had a son,” Ahran replied in a clipped tone. My
vilification of his cousin was obviously beginning to annoy
him.

“Yeah right,
more convenient to play ignorant at least there is less chance of
having to pay maintenance,” I continued, I couldn’t help
myself.

He drew in a
deep breath before continuing. “We had no idea Tagan had a son at
first and it took me a while to find you both. If Tagan had known
he had sired a son, believe me he would have come looking for him
himself.”

I snorted.
Sired a son. Hello? We are in the 21st century! And where was that
accent from?

Before I had a
chance to ask him, Ahran continued.

“The picture
you paint of my cousin is not an accurate one. Tagan would have
been very proud if he had known he had a son even if he is...”
Ahran stopped himself. “He just would have been very proud and I’m
sure he would have wanted to get to know him.”

“What were you
going to say? Even if he is what?”

“It doesn’t
matter.” Judging by the expression that flickered across his face,
it was something he found disagreeable. “What does matter is that
my family has enemies and we have reason to believe that they may
come after Toby.”

Suddenly I felt
nauseous. “What kind of enemies? Are you in the Mafia or something?
Its drugs isn’t it?” I said, throwing my hands in the air and
shaking my head, not giving him the chance to answer any of my
questions. “I knew it!” I thought about Toby’s good for nothing
father it wouldn’t have surprised me to find out that he was some
addict who had got into debt to some badass drug dealer. Whatever
illegal pies Tagan and his family had their fingers in, Toby and I
wanted no part of it.

Ahran laughed.
I couldn’t help noticing how the humour softened his face. Jesus!
He was very good looking. “No, we are not the Mafia and drugs are
not important where I come from. I’m afraid the people who might
come after Toby are far more dangerous than the kind of people you
might have seen in a gangster movie.”

This was not
what I wanted to hear. I’d seen the ‘Godfather’ I couldn’t conceive
of anyone more dangerous than a Mafia gangster. I started to feel
the room spin and my knees began to buckle at the thought of Toby
being hurt. I clutched the edge of the counter behind me.

“Are you
okay?”

I glared at his
outstretched hand as if it was a poisonous snake. “No, I’m not
okay,” I spat. “You turn up out of the blue and tell me that the
most important person in my life is in danger, an innocent boy who
has never caused anyone any harm, his only crime that he is the son
of some…” I searched for the right word, Ooh, I could come up with
some choice ones! “Criminal!” I seethed and glared at him. His
expression grew darker.

“You have the
wrong impression of my cousin.”

“Oh have I?
Well, your cousin,” I said with exaggerated emphasis, “Got my
sister pregnant and walked away never to be seen again. Katie never
received any support. Toby has had to grow up not knowing who his
father was and now, because of him, his life is in danger. I’m
sorry if I seem a little bitter.” I didn’t sound in the least bit
apologetic.

I took a deep
breath and closed my eyes which caused tears to spill down my
cheeks as it all began to sink in. Suddenly, I felt as if all my
fight had just up sticks and left. I sobbed into my hands.

I felt Ahran’s
warm hand on my arm. I wasn’t prepared for his sympathy. I pulled
away. I didn’t want to know who Toby’s father was and what trouble
he and his family were in. I just wanted Ahran to go away, rewind
back to this morning and for Toby and I to carry on with our lives
blissfully unaware of everything he had just told me.

I rubbed my
eyes.

“Can I get you
a tissue?” He offered awkwardly. My tears were obviously making him
uncomfortable.

I wiped my eyes
with the back of my hand and sat down at the kitchen table. “Could
you just get me a glass of water please?” I muttered. For some
reason I was finding it difficult to think straight when he was
stood so close. I felt upset and confused.

“Yes of
course.” He looked relieved he had something to do. I got the
impression he wasn’t used to emotional women, although I’m not sure
why, there had to be a long line of broken hearted females trailing
not too far behind him.

I took a sip
from the glass he handed me.

“I know it’s a
lot to take in, but I cannot emphasise enough that your lives are
in danger. No matter what you think of my cousin you need to
seriously consider my family’s offer of protection.”

I eyed him
suspiciously. “What have your family done exactly that has made
this enemy so angry that they would want to come after an innocent
child?”