My Forever Hero Read online

  “I hardly remember the boat,” Marlee said. “It was scary in the water and I’m sure I would’ve drowned if it wasn’t for her. Now it looks like she’s drowning in all of this controversy.”

  “I’m sure it was no big deal to give you a lift back into shore,” Tyler said. “It doesn’t sound like she wants anything from you so I’d just move on. Did you at least get a selfie with her?”

  “No.” Marlee would keep the memory to herself.

  They lounged on the beach for the afternoon, Tyler reading his book and Marlee thinking about Abigail. It had been like a dream, being pulled from the water and then finding out who her rescuer was. It wasn’t a dream, however, when Marlee realized how aroused she was just thinking about Abigail’s aura of elegance. Tyler was right and moving on was for the best. The last thing Marlee needed was to fall for this straight woman so far from her world.

  Marlee and Tyler settled on sharing leftover pizza and beer for dinner back at their building. It had been a good day, and Marlee was glad they’d met. At least she’d have someone to hang out with for the rest of her stay. She had enjoyed his company; it was like they had known each other forever. That’s exactly what she needed—a good friend with no strings attached.

  Marlee had just settled down on her couch when she heard a light tapping on her door. She rushed to the door and flung it open.

  “What do you want?” Marlee expected Tyler and cringed when Abigail recoiled. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Abigail. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again and was expecting it to be someone else.”

  “Don’t apologize.” Abigail turned to leave. “I thought you were all alone and didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

  Marlee grasped her arm. “Please come in. I’m by myself and you’re not interrupting.”

  Abigail stopped, her body tense, and pulled her arm away. “You told me you didn’t know anyone here, that you were all alone. That doesn’t seem to be the case.”

  Marlee’s face reddened and she began to babble like an excited teenager. “I realized how pathetic it was so after you left I made a point of getting to know my neighbour, Tyler. He’s a flight attendant and had been away, but just came back last night. It turns out we really hit it off and spent the day together at Manly Beach. Please come in.”

  Abigail hesitated. “It’s probably best if I leave.”

  Marlee rushed out and around Abigail. “Please don’t go. I want to help you. I saw you on the news.”

  Abigail stopped and stared into Marlee’s eyes. “You can’t help me. I thought just maybe you could, but now I don’t think so. I can’t trust anyone.”

  “You can trust me.” Marlee peered back. The warmth of Abigail’s eyes was mesmerizing. “I owe you my life and want to somehow repay you. I’d die before betraying your trust.”

  “You’re a police officer,” Abigail said. “How do you know you can trust me?”

  “I can see it in your eyes.” Marlee grabbed onto Abigail’s hands. “I know you’re a good person.”

  “You don’t know anything about me. What kind of police officer are you?”

  “An experienced one,” Marlee said. “I base a lot of my decisions on instinct. I’ve had to over the years.”

  “Where was your instinct the other day?”

  “I don’t know, but it came back to me when I stared that shark in the eyes. I knew it was going to kill me. You risked your life to save mine. I don’t need any more proof than that. I want to help.”

  “It feels like no one can help.”

  “I can if you let me.” Marlee squeezed Abigail’s hands. “When you were on the news this afternoon, I wanted to jump into the TV and rescue you. Sharks of a different kind were ganging up, wanting a piece of you, and I felt powerless. Please let me help.”

  Abigail eased away. “I need to think. Can we go inside before someone sees me?”

  Chapter Five

  Abigail accepted a cup of chamomile tea and wrapped her hands around the hot mug as though she was frozen. “Since I imagine you’ve heard all kinds of things about me, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

  Marlee sipped her tea. “There isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised in Canada and have been a police officer for fifteen years.”

  “Why are you in Australia?”

  “I’ve always wanted to visit the land down under. I needed a break from things and managed to get a three-month leave from my job. It just seemed like the right time to come to Australia.”

  “How much longer are you here?”

  “Another five weeks.” Marlee wondered why all the questions.

  “Have you ever been married?” Abigail wouldn’t let up.

  “No. I’ve never been all that good at picking the right relationships.”

  “What about Tyler?” Abigail put her tea down and crossed her arms. “How would you define your relationship with him?”

  “I needed a friend and he was there.” Anyone else and Marlee would have stopped the interrogation, but she was willing to put up with the questioning to keep Abigail around. She was curious about where this was leading. “I like him and we have fun together.”

  “As in a casual fling?” Abigail’s lips were puckered.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but no.” Marlee was annoyed by the insinuation. “We’re both gay.”

  Abigail leaned back into the couch, face softening and hands resting on her lap. “My apologies for all the questions, but I want to be sure.”

  “About what?” Marlee leaned forward with interest.

  Abigail straightened up again. “I’m not a lesbian, in case that’s what you’re wondering.”

  Marlee felt like she’d been slapped. “That’s not what I was thinking. Please don’t make any assumptions about me.”

  “No, I guess I shouldn’t. I don’t want to assume I can trust you either.”

  Marlee stared into Abigail’s tired blue eyes. “I will not betray your trust.”

  Abigail scoffed. “I wish I could see trustworthiness in you like you say you can see it in me.”

  Marlee put her hand over her heart. “You have my word.”

  “I really want to believe you, Marlee. There’s no one else I can trust right now except for Josh and I want him kept out of this. What type of work have you done as a police officer?”

  “Everything from issuing traffic tickets to uncovering drug grow-ops.” Marlee sensed she was being interviewed for a job and straightened her shoulders. “I also spent a few years working in our forensics unit.”

  Abigail leaned forward. “That’s good to know. What type of work did you do?”

  “I’ve been involved with a number of crime scene investigations that included liaising with colleagues from forensics for the collection and management of DNA samples. I’ve also had some experience with our fraud unit, especially for credit and debit card scams.”

  “Have you ever been investigated for anything?”

  “Like what? Do you mean something criminal?”

  “Yes, but really anything inappropriate.” Abigail leaned back.

  Marlee looked Abigail in the eye. “I do my job by the book and have a clean record, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “What about being accused of wrongdoing?” Abigail’s gaze flitted away. “Something you didn’t do, but were blamed for?”

  “Sure, lots of times when I was a kid.” Marlee tried to lighten the mood. “My brother was a little rascal and always trying to get me into trouble with our parents.”

  “Are your parents still alive?”

  “Yes, but they divorced years ago and we’re not close.”

  “How many siblings do you have?”

  “Just one brother. Gabriel. He’s two years older.” Marlee’s eyes lit up. “He’s happily married and I have two beautiful nieces.”

  “Are you close to them?”

  “Yes. And what about you? Other than Josh, who is your family?”

  “It’s just the
two of us,” Abigail said. “Except for Josh, my work is my life and I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

  “What’s going on? How can I help?” Marlee wanted to reach out and offer a comforting touch, but kept her hands to herself.

  Abigail’s eyes were red and moist, but there were no tears. “I can’t trust anyone right now. Someone in my company is betraying all of us by tampering with our research and trying to engineer bioweapons.”

  “Have you gone to the police?”

  “They’ve come to me,” Abigail said. “Many times. They’ve been anonymously tipped that my company is engineering bioweapons and think I’m involved. But I’m not. The informant must be someone who works with me, but I can’t be sure.”

  “What makes you say that?” Marlee’s jaw clenched at the thought of someone betraying Abigail.

  “Somebody hacked my email account to make it look like I’m involved in this despicable activity.” Abigail sat forward, hands gripping her knees.

  “Can I see the emails?”

  “There was only one and it had me approving proposed research into genomic alteration for the development of personalized bioweapons.”

  “So you’re being framed.” Marlee focused on practical investigative techniques. “Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary, even the smallest things, from any of your staff? Maybe someone near your office when they shouldn’t be, or offering to help with work that’s not really in their domain?”

  “No, nothing. I’m at a loss. All my research, everything I’ve worked on is at risk of becoming a weapon that could have horrifying results.”

  “In what ways?” Marlee was starting to feel nervous, especially since she didn’t know much about Abigail’s work.

  “Cancer growing at exponential rates, genetic manipulations that cause birth defects, new diseases with no cures—the horrors could be endless.” Abigail’s shoulders were hunched and her voice started to shake. “Editing genes to encourage widespread growth of diseases and disorders instead of eliminating them. All my work…” She buried her face in her hands and started to sob.

  Marlee moved to Abigail’s side, wanting to offer some consolation. “I may not be an expert in genetics and all that science stuff, but I do have experience in uncovering crime.” She put a hand on Abigail’s shoulder. “I know exactly what to do.”

  “You do?” Abigail flung her head up, eyes wide as she looked at Marlee.

  “Yes.” The only thing Marlee knew for sure was that she needed to sound in control, like she had a plan. She’d used that strategy many times on the job. “I’m going to help you catch the scum responsible for this.”

  “Do you think you can?” Abigail asked.

  “Yes.” Marlee knew she could help. Whether or not they would catch the culprit was a little less certain, especially working in another police jurisdiction and on her own.

  “I sure hope so.” Abigail sighed.

  “That’s why you came back, isn’t it? Because I have experience tracking down criminals?”

  “That’s part of it,” Abigail said. “You did say you owed me your life. You’re my last chance for trusting somebody in this. Please don’t let me down.”

  “That will never happen.” Marlee locked eyes with Abigail. “I’d die before betraying you.”

  “I don’t expect you to do anything like that, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Abigail’s eyes moved away from Marlee’s. “I want to pay you for your time.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Marlee didn’t want to be Abigail’s employee. She needed to be her associate and in a position to call the shots.

  “Money’s not a problem,” Abigail said.

  “I’m not in this for any money and my role has to be much bigger than hired help if this is to work.”

  “And what do you expect your role to be?”

  “To do whatever it takes to catch whoever is responsible and clear your name.”

  “I won’t have you taking on my battle and implicating yourself in a scheme that could ruin your career.” Abigail shook her head as though it was out of the question.

  “We need to work together and our partnership must be based on trust.” Marlee wanted to be taken seriously.

  “Yes, but I want to keep you away from being associated with me. I didn’t save your life to screw it up.”

  “My life’s already screwed up,” Marlee said. “I need a drink. Can I get you a glass of red wine?”

  “Yes, thank you, that would be nice.” Abigail followed Marlee to the kitchen. “What I really mean is for you to work with me, but secretly because no one in my company knows about you right now and that could be helpful.”

  “I suppose.” Marlee poured the wine, starting to relax. “I’m nobody here until I open my mouth and people hear my accent. Then I become the tourist.”

  “At least you can go wherever you want and when people find out you’re a tourist, I don’t imagine they start to follow and take pictures.” Abigail smiled and nodded thanks as she accepted her wine.

  “Cheers.” Marlee tapped their glasses together.

  Abigail sipped as she returned to the couch. “I can’t go anywhere without being hounded and harassed. Even coming here I had to make sure I wasn’t being followed by a reporter.”

  Marlee joined Abigail on the sofa, determined to somehow help this woman. “We’ll figure this out together.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  They drank their wine in silence, Marlee deep in thought about what to do next. As Abigail emptied her glass, Marlee began to ask questions.

  “Do you have any suspicions who could be doing this?”

  “No, none.” Abigail shook her head. “Everyone seems so passionate about their work and the thought of having their research hijacked for unscrupulous means sends tremors through the ranks.”

  “How well do you know your employees?”

  “Some of them I know very well, but I’m ashamed to say I don’t even know the names of others I see often. There’s too many. At last count, we had over twenty-five hundred.”

  “Are they all located in the head office in Sydney?”

  “Everyone with access to our most important research,” Abigail said. “We do have a satellite location in Canberra for proximity to federal government offices. Staff in Canberra lack security clearance to access our protected database of research in genome editing.”

  “Do you know everyone who has access to that database?” Marlee wondered how much control she had over her employees.

  “Yes. At least, I thought I did because I cannot believe that any one of us who has access would be so deplorable.” Abigail stifled a yawn.

  “Can I get you a coffee or another tea?” Marlee didn’t offer more alcohol because Abigail would be driving.

  “How about another glass of wine?” Abigail stretched her shoulders.

  “I could do that, but then I couldn’t let you drive home.” Marlee headed to the kitchen. “You’d have to either take a taxi or spend the night.”

  “I can’t take a taxi. The driver would recognize me.”

  Marlee got the bottle of wine. “Then you’ll have to spend the night here.”

  “I don’t think so.” Abigail leaned forward, as if to stand.

  “Why not?” Marlee filled Abigail’s glass. “This can be a test to see how much you trust me.”

  Abigail’s eyebrows furrowed. “How so?”

  Marlee had gotten ahead of herself, drowning in relief and adrenaline as she thought of helping Abigail, and felt her cheeks reddening. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so cocky. I think you’re very attractive and I have a bit of a reputation. You’ll be safe. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “And I’m to believe this, as you’re trying to get me drunk?”

  “Of course.” Marlee smirked as she handed over the full glass.

  “Cheers.” Abigail raised her glass, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted. “What have I got to lose?”

  Marlee a
nd Abigail spent the next two hours discussing strategies for an internal investigation into five high-ranking AbTay Biosystems staff, each of who had their own close cadre of workers. They reviewed some files of detailed information on key staff members, including performance appraisals, employment history, and personal bios. Executive employees at AbTay Biosystems were all impeccable with nothing out of the ordinary, except being extremely talented and brilliant people.

  Between finishing their wine and then drinking lots of coffee, both had managed to remain clearheaded and focused on the task at hand. They decided Marlee’s involvement would be kept quiet, a secret weapon against the mole. Nobody in the company knew she existed and her apartment would be Abigail’s hiding place from the world. Their contact would be by cryptic messages through their phones and in the darkness of night, which meant Abigail had to be gone before daybreak.

  “You need to get a few hours of sleep before you go,” Marlee said. “Why don’t you head into bed while I tidy up and get the coffee ready so you can have another cup when you leave.”

  “I’ll never be able to sleep now.” Abigail set her empty mug in the sink. “I’ll get some rest at my place after I’ve showered and unwound a bit.”

  “I guess I had more wine than you,” Marlee said. Abigail had taken small sips of her second glass of wine then poured most of it down the sink when the coffee was ready. “You should be okay to drive if you want to head out now.”

  “Thank you so much for your help.” Abigail smiled.

  “We’ll do this together. I know we can. I want you to have a key to my place so you can come in whenever.”

  “Are you sure?” Abigail accepted the key and held it in the palm of her hand. “I wouldn’t want to walk in and interrupt something personal.”

  Marlee smiled. “If I thought you’d be interrupting anything, I wouldn’t give you a key. Besides, the only personal thing going on in my apartment these days is when I’m in the bathroom, and I always close the door.”

  Abigail laughed, folded her fingers over the key, and left. Marlee went to bed, the sweet sound of Abigail’s laughter playing in her ears as she fell asleep.

  Chapter Six