Page 32 of The Facilitator, Part 2

“Are you surprised it’s Daniel and not her father?” I asked, sipping on the hot coffee.

“No, I guess I’m not. I thought it was her father initially, but then I know he doesn’t have the type of money needed to have bought what they have so far. Jerry just got on board; so that means Addison and Daniel have obtained what cash they needed somewhere else. That worries me.”

“Could Daniel have gotten it from his mum? He must have access to money to be able to live.”

“He has a trust that pays him monthly, as does Gabriella. It isn’t enough to do what he has, though. Unless…”

He flipped open the laptop lid and started to type.

“Unless what?” I asked.

“Unless he’s managed to steal from the Collingsworth family trust. I invest some of their funds for them, he would get statements, so he knows his family’s worth, but he doesn’t have access to his full share until Vivienne dies.”

“Who are you emailing?”

“The trust’s lawyer. I won’t get a reply until tomorrow…” He looked at his watch. “Until later, but I want it to be the first thing he sees.”

He scrubbed his hands over his face, and I heard the scratch as his palms ran over his stubble. “There’s nothing more I can do tonight,” he said, as he sighed.

“Will you tell Gabriella?”

“I’ll have to. I think we might need to delay our trip to Boston. I need to get to the bottom of this.”

“I’m not unhappy about that. I can’t imagine swapping this for Boston, although I hear it’s beautiful,” I said.

He stood and smiled at me. He raised his arms over his head to stretch out his back, the muscles rippled on his naked torso. “You go on up, I’ll be along shortly,” he said.

I left him stretching and headed back to bed. My body was all over the place with the change in time, and it was starting to wear me down a little. I climbed under the sheet and didn’t remember anything else.

As the previous day, it was late morning before Mackenzie woke me.

“You need to wake me up when you get up,” I said.

“I didn’t go back to bed.” He ran his hand through his tousled hair and I noticed the circles starting to form around his eyes.

“Why? Mackenzie, the time difference affects you as well, you’ve been in the UK too long. You’ll be of no use to anyone if you’re exhausted.”

He climbed on the bed beside me. “I know. I guess long gone are the days I could pull an all-nighter and then get straight back in the office the following morning.”

“What’s next?” I asked.

“I’m meeting with the family lawyer and with Gabriella and Alex, to let them know what I’ve discovered, then we have their party this evening. Maybe you want to chill out here? You’re more than welcome to come with me, of course.”

“I think a chill out on the beach would be just fine. I can catch up on more sleep,” I said.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him, but it was his business, and I wasn’t sure if they all got business brutal , I’d feel comfortable.

I knew they’d pull up the drawbridge and if it came to it, Jerry would be left outside.

More so if it was discovered Daniel had stolen from the family.

Mackenzie gave a brief kiss to my lips before he left.

I took a shower and then headed down. My stomach grumbled, but I was still jangling from the coffee I’d drunk in the early hours.

I found the tea in the cupboard and the smell of staleness scuppered the idea someone had searched in preparation for my visit.

I suspected it had sat in the cupboard for ages.

I laughed, still deciding to use the teabag, of course.

I opened the fridge and found some fruit already cut up in a bowl.

I grabbed a yogurt and took the fruit, and my tea when brewed, out to the veranda.

I could hear the tinkle of laughter and far away voices float up from the beach.

Although the part in front of the house was private, there were no fences to stop people wandering past. I sat with my feet propped up on the opposite chair and raised my face to the sun.

The smell and sounds of the ocean, of the heat from the land, and the wood of the house creaking as it expanded and contracted lulled me into a doze.

It was the slam of the front door that jolted me upright.

“Mackenzie, Lauren?” I heard. The throaty crackle that came after could only have come from Mack.

“I’m out here,” I called out, swinging my legs off the chair. Just as I stood, he walked out.

“There you are,” he said, with a smile.

“Can I get you a drink, a coffee maybe?” I asked.

“I think there is a cold juice in the fridge, I’d prefer that. Coffee’s not so good for my heart nowadays,” he replied. I caught the wince as he lowered himself into one of the wooden chairs.

“Be back in a minute,” I said.

I grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge door, filled a glass with ice, and took that back out to the veranda.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, as I sat. “I saw you wince a little there.”

“Old age, and the big C. I’m sure Mackenzie has been told,” he said.

“He has. I think he would have loved to hear that from you, though,” I said, gently.

“I would have preferred that as well. Damn Sandra, always trying to meddle in my affairs.”

“She’s lovely, perfect for keeping you in check, I imagine.”

As much as he didn’t want to, he smiled at my words.

“Where is he?”

“Gone to meet with Gabriella and Alex, work related,” I said. I wasn’t sure what Mackenzie would want anyone to know, and it sure wasn’t coming from me.

“Shame, I thought we could catch up for an hour or so.”

“I know he wants to meet with you before we leave, and we’re not heading over to Boston now.”

“I’ll see him at the party this evening, I guess.”

“Mack, will you tell me about the big C?”

“You know, I was sick for a while and I think I always knew. But I watched my beautiful wife wilt away—shrivel to nothing—and in so much pain. I guess I refused to acknowledge it. Now, it’s too late. Got it in the balls, Lauren,” he said.

I wasn’t sure whether to cry or laugh.

“Fancy that, huh? I’m sure you didn’t want to know all that, but, hey, it is what it is,” he added. “I want to spend some time with my son before I can’t.”

“You need to tell him that,” I said.

“He’s still angry with me. I get it; I lost it when his mom died.

I couldn’t be on my own and he resented that.

I didn’t grieve; neither did I give him the chance to.

I shut it all away, emptied the house of her the day after we buried her, and I regret all that.

I didn’t even bury her where she wanted, which was right here.

Because I was a coward, and I just couldn’t live knowing she was under my feet, and I couldn’t be with her. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Perfect sense, and if you give him the chance to hear that, it will make sense to Mackenzie as well. Please, for his sake, make time to tell him how you feel.”

Mack nodded. He tried to rise from the low chair but struggled. I stood and held out my arm. At first he waved me off, muttering expletives under his breath.

“You can tell me to fuck off all you want. Now take my hand and stop being a dick,” I said.

His eyes widened, his mouth opened, and he laughed so loud and for so long I thought I’d finished him off. He wheezed and held his chest; I grabbed his glass and raised it to his lips.

“Oh, Lauren, that was just perfect. You are going to make the most amazing daughter-in-law. I just hope I’m around to see that.”

I wanted to cry for the old man. I wanted to be his daughter-in-law, but I doubted that would ever happen, let alone in his lifetime.

“Well, you might have to hang on for that to happen, now take my hand.”

I pulled him from the seat, which, bearing in mind he was twice my size, was no mean feat.

I walked him to the front of the house and into an open-topped car.

It wasn’t my place to ask whether he should be driving or not, but by the way he narrowly missed every plant and post on his way to the gate, someone ought to.

He reminded me of the guy in Road House , a movie I’d watched once. That guy, like Mack, drove a soft-top and weaved along the road as if he owned it. Although I doubt Mack drove that badly because he owned the drive, which I suspected he still did, more so because I wondered if his sight was poor.

I grabbed the blanket, my book, and I wandered down to the beach. Despite hearing voices earlier, there wasn’t a soul to be seen. Not even if I squinted enough to see up the tourist end of the beach. I guessed the earlier voices to be owned by locals walking their dogs, maybe.

I settled down to read, hooking my sundress up to my thighs before deciding to go all out and remove it. I wore matching underwear and hoped, should anyone see me, they would assume it was a bikini. I hadn’t thought to pack one. I laid my book down, closed my eyes, and let my skin soak up the sun.

“Very nice,” I heard, some time later. I opened my eyes, shielding them with my hand.

Daniel stood to the side of me, holding my dress in his hands. The way his eyes travelled over my body made me cringe inside. I reached out to grab the dress but he pulled it away. I stood and glared at him.

“Give me back my dress, Daniel,” I said.

“I’m flattered you remember my name,” he said. There was a slur to his voice and I wondered if he was drunk or maybe on drugs.

“If I hadn’t, I would have punched you square in the face, so stay flattered. Now, give me my fucking dress.” I wasn’t going to back down, despite him licking his lips.

“I wanted to see my old friend, Mackenzie. Shame he left you here on your own,” he said.

“I’ll let him know you visited. I’m sure he’ll be super pleased to hear that.”

I leaned down to collect my book and blanket. “Keep the dress, Daniel. I’m sure it will suit you.” I walked back to the house.