Good Deed Bad Deed, Marcia Morgan [summer beach reads TXT] 📗

a taxi appeared immediately. She got in and gave the driver Ben’s address. The morning commuter traffic had thinned out, and although for her the time seemed to drag, they reached his building in quite good time.

Paris paused before the stairs leading to the entrance and thought about how she had promised both of her children that she would never just drop in unannounced. She wanted to give them the privacy due an adult, her promise based on the incident long ago when Hugh’s mother had walked in on them at an intimate moment being taken on their living room sofa. The woman’s expression had been burned into Paris’ memory. But this was different. It could be a matter of life or death. She punched in the security code that Ben had given her some time back and heard the door click open. While in the elevator she was struck by a shot of adrenaline coursing through her chest. The doors creaked open and she stepped out into the hallway. It had been so long since visiting Ben’s flat that she wasn’t sure if it was located to the right or the left. The first guess was correct and soon she stood in front of his door, hesitating before she knocked.

Ben had been reading yesterday’s newspaper when he heard the knock. A bolt of fear shot through him when he considered that it might be another attempt to abduct him. He got up slowly and placed the paper on the sofa before walking quietly to the door and looking through the peephole. He couldn’t believe it was his mother standing there and opened the door immediately. She ran into his arms and began to sob.

“For God’s sake, Mum, what’s wrong? Is it Dad? Olivia?”

She continued to sob, but she shook her head no. He gently broke away from her embrace and led her to the sofa. Then he closed and locked the door before joining her. Words spilled from her mouth, rambling, with short pauses to regain her composure.

“Okay Mum. Calm down now and tell me what has you so upset,” he said, taking his mother’s hand in his.

She regained her focus and looked squarely at Ben, noticing as he lifted his left arm gently and placed it across his stomach. Then she saw the sling lying on the coffee table. “What’s all this then?” she asked, gesturing toward the table. Without conscious thought Ben reached up to rub his shoulder. It was obvious that Paris was becoming agitated again. She began to shake her head and said, “This is all too much. I want an explanation. Did someone try to hurt you?”

“What would make you ask that? How do you know I didn’t fall … or get into it with some jerk in a pub?” He didn’t want to upset his mother further, so tried to make light of the injury.

Paris would not be placated and informed him that she had good reason to think that someone might have tried to cause him harm. She launched into an account of what had happened in the office, the backlog of work, and about coming across the tape, almost by accident. “I panicked,” she said. “It could have been lying there for over a week. I hadn’t talked to you since before your father and I went away.” She paused to take a breath, then continued, “You could easily have been held captive for almost that long. And I had no idea what it was that I was supposed to do to get you back. I had to rush over here to see if you were all right, that no one had taken you away.”

“The fog is clearing on this thing,” he said. “I know this will upset you, but you have to know. Last night, then again early this afternoon, two men made attempts to kidnap me. I can see now that I was being followed. Who knows for how long.” Paris gasped and covered her face with both hands while Ben continued to explain. “It was a very close call both times, but I had luck on my side with the timing of the attacks. Both times some young men, different men, intervened and drove them off.”

Paris wrapped her arms around herself and leaned back against the cushions. Her voice shook as she asked, “Ben, what are the police doing about this?”

He explained that he had yet to go to Scotland Yard to make a complaint, and that there was more to tell. The rest of the story, including the part Lilith Ward-Thomas had played, served to put even more worry on his mother’s face. “Don’t you see?” he said. “When they mailed the tape they figured that by the time you received it, they’d have me stashed away somewhere. It was probably sent just a few days ago at most, because last night was their first try.”

“I’m so glad your elderly neighbor wasn’t hurt. She was quite spunky to come back with the golf club.” Her worried face took on a tender expression. “Bless her heart. I must meet her, thank her for helping my son.”

“Sure, but not now. Her daughter is with her and she’s very protective. I’ll bet she’s tried to put her to bed—without any luck.” Ben’s tone turned serious. ”We have to figure out what they want from you. They’ll probably try for me again, but we don’t know if they’re aware of Olivia. She could be in danger too. They seem to have done their homework about our family.”

“I tried Olivia, but with no joy. Of course, she rarely answers. I left a message asking if she’d talked to you in the last twenty-four hours.” Paris reached for her purse and checked her phone, hoping for a message from Olivia. “She knows better than to just text me when it comes to family, and there’s no voicemail.” Her brow furrowed and she closed her eyes. Now she was in fear for her daughter