My Forever Hero Page 5

  “Hey.” Tyler’s head popped out of his unit as Marlee returned from a late-morning jog. “Isn’t it a bit too hot for a run today?”

  “I want to be hot stuff so have to keep my body in shape.” Marlee unlocked her door and pushed it open. She reached inside for the hand towel she’d left on a hook.

  “Did you see the news this morning?” Tyler stepped outside and edged up to Marlee.

  Marlee froze. “No, not yet. Why, what’s going on?”

  “Your ‘friend’ has been brought in by the police for more questioning.” Tyler used his fingers to put imaginary quotations around the word friend.

  “Oh no, I didn’t see it.” Marlee put the towel on her face and held it over her eyes, soaking up sweat and hiding her emotions. She had to let on Abigail was in her past, a brief acquaintance.

  “You okay?” Tyler tugged on the towel.

  “Sorry, I just had to catch my breath.” Marlee draped the towel around her neck, anxious to get back inside and look at the news.

  “I’m heading down to the beach again this afternoon. Want to come?” Tyler’s messy hair and wrinkled T-shirt made it obvious he’d just gotten up.

  “I think I’ll give it a pass today,” Marlee said. “I have a few things I want to do around here.”

  “Like what? Surely you’re not talking about housework or anything like that on a fabulous day like today?”

  “The days are always gorgeous around here. I have to go now. Nature calls.”

  “Sorry, don’t let me hold you up.” Tyler went to his door. “Will I see you later?”

  “Enjoy your day at the beach.” Marlee wouldn’t commit to anything now that Abigail needed her.

  Once inside, she rushed to her computer and brought up some news sites. It didn’t take long to see pictures of Abigail, head down and being ushered into the police station as though a criminal. Marlee wanted to reach into the screen and hug her broken hero, but instead hit her fist against the table in frustration.

  She quickly showered and then started going through what they had reviewed the night before. One senior staff member, Hannah Williams, had done her master’s and PhD under Abigail’s supervision and quickly risen up the ranks to become the Vice President of Genomic Sequencing. The thirty-five-year-old whiz was single and didn’t have any children. She had been born and raised in Melbourne then moved to Sydney to attend university and made the city her home ever since. The two had worked closely on a number of research projects over the past ten years and jointly published many research-related documents. Marlee made a note to find out more about Hannah, especially since Abigail scoffed at the idea of her being involved with any type of conspiracy. She spent the rest of the day trolling the Internet for information on bioweapons.

  By suppertime, images of Abigail leaving the police station were splashing across news sites. Head held high and softer lines around her mouth, she rushed to a waiting car. Marlee caught a glimpse of a woman at the wheel, and based on the photo in the file, it was most likely Hannah. Her hair was blond too and kept in a ponytail like Abigail’s. The two women could have been sisters they looked so much alike.

  After a dinner of garden salad and chicken, Marlee began developing an action plan for her investigative approach. At this point, Abigail was the only person she could question to try to uncover any motives, methods, or identities of potential suspects. It would be a challenge because while she had access to Abigail’s internal files and the Internet, it wasn’t the same as being able to scout out an informant or rely on any kind of electronic surveillance. Her biggest problem, however, was that uncovering corporate wrongdoings was out of her league and she didn’t really know what to do other than scope out a framework for next steps.

  Abigail sent a text indicating she’d be dropping by around midnight. Marlee’s stomach churned in excited anticipation of seeing Abigail, especially after what must have been a nightmarish day of police interrogation. She tried to get some sleep before Abigail’s arrival so she’d have the energy to work all night, if necessary. She got out of bed just before midnight and was startled to find Abigail seated on her couch, computer open and beautiful blue eyes scanning the screen.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Abigail’s face glowed in the light of her laptop. “I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”

  “Of course not.” Marlee was rather pleased Abigail felt comfortable enough to use the key, but slightly unnerved she hadn’t heard her come in. “How long have you been here?”

  “Not long. I figured you were sleeping and didn’t want to disturb you. At least for a few more minutes.” Abigail sipped a coffee and motioned to another on the table. “I got us each an espresso.”

  “Thank you.” Marlee was flattered that Abigail thought to bring one for her. “I’m so sorry you had another terrible day. How did it go with the police?”

  “They don’t believe me.” Abigail bounced one leg up and down. “Why should they? It’s my company and somebody under my watch is a traitor. I should know who it is and who they’re working with.”

  “Why did they bring you in for questioning today?” Marlee resisted the urge to put her hand on Abigail’s leg.

  “They said it was to go over things again.” Abigail leaned back into the couch. “I spent the afternoon in a small room with a police interrogator. The interview started with him implying that I was guilty. He wanted me to admit spearheading experiments in genetic manipulation for the purposes of engineering bioweapons. They think I’m in it for the money because the potential for financial gain is endless with all of the terrorist activity across the globe. Every time I tried to deny it, he’d cut me off. It was as though I couldn’t speak unless I was going to admit guilt.”

  Marlee recognized the technique. Although she hadn’t worked in interrogation, she’d heard all about the work of her colleagues and the procedures they used to elicit a confession. “Would you like me to see if I can get a police contact here and pay a visit to the station to try and find out about the inside word on you?”

  “No, please don’t.” Abigail shook her head. “I won’t risk having them know about you because I don’t trust anyone.”

  “You think the police could somehow be involved?” Marlee’s computer began to chime and she realized Kerry was trying to connect with her. “It’s my friend in Ottawa. I’ll call her back later.”

  Abigail continued with the conversation as though the call hadn’t happened. “I don’t know what to think anymore, but I do know that I don’t trust anyone. It’s a wonder I’m even here.”

  “Please don’t say that.” Marlee made eye contact and leaned forward. “You have to believe me if we’re going to solve this. I don’t know what else I can say or do to prove to you that I won’t betray your trust.”

  “I’m sorry.” Abigail touched Marlee’s arm then closed her eyes. “I’m tired and shouldn’t have said that. I think I need a nap. Why don’t you call your friend back while I lay down for a bit?”

  “Take my bed. I changed the sheets this afternoon so it’s nice and fresh for a little nap.”

  “Thank you.” Abigail smiled as she raised her heavy lids.

  “Are you okay?” Marlee spoke in a low voice, keeping their eyes locked.

  “Yes.” Abigail released her gaze and got up. “I’m overtired, I think. I’ll see you in a bit.” She went into the bedroom and closed the door.

  Marlee was overdue to speak with Kerry, her best friend in Ottawa, so launched a video call on her laptop.

  “G’day mate.” Kerry flashed a smile with her attempt at an Australian accent.

  “Hey there, it’s good to see you and hear your voice.” Marlee felt a twinge of homesickness as she returned Kerry’s smile and fought the urge to tell her about Abigail.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you. I forget what time it is in the land down under.”

  “It’s late, but no worries. I couldn’t sleep and was listening to music with my headphones. I just noticed
you called.”

  “I hope you’re behaving and enjoying the weather south of the equator because we’re freezing our butts off up here.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Marlee winked. “What’s new in Ottawa?”

  “I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear we have tons of snow. Let me show you.” Kerry brought her computer up to her kitchen window to give Marlee a view of her white backyard.

  “I’d show you our nice lawn and summer weather here,” Marlee said, “but it’s dark out right now so you wouldn’t see much.”

  “How’s the surfing coming along?” Kerry sat back down at her dining room table and grabbed a mug of tea.

  “I’ve decided it’s not for me and got rid of my board.” Marlee wanted to tell Kerry about her near-death encounter with the shark and meeting Abigail, but couldn’t bring herself to talk about any of it just yet.

  “That’s too bad,” Kerry said. “What are you going to do with the rest of your time there?”

  “Lots of things. I finally met one of my neighbours and we hung out at Manly Beach yesterday.”

  “Nice. Is she hot?” Kerry bit into a cookie.

  “I wish. Tyler’s a gay flight attendant. He dragged me to the beach so he could watch the male species.”

  “That sounds like fun.” Kerry snickered. “What about the women? I can’t imagine you watched the guys too.”

  “I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone because I don’t want to break any hearts when I leave.”

  “I didn’t ask you about getting involved with anyone.” Kerry’s tongue snapped against the roof of her mouth. “I thought you wanted to ‘pick up as many women as possible while down under the sheets,’ to quote you. How’s that going?”

  “As a matter of fact,” Marlee lowered her voice, “there’s a hot babe in my bed right now.”

  “And you’re sitting there talking with me?” Kerry smirked. “You’re full of shit.”

  “It’s true. It’s not the first time she’s been in my bed either.”

  “I thought you were listening to music when I called. What’s that all about?” Kerry persisted.

  “I couldn’t sleep. What time is it in Ottawa?”

  “It’s just after one in the afternoon,” Kerry said. “So what’s her name?”

  “She’s Australian. How’s Diane?”

  “Diane’s fine.” Kerry leaned into her screen. “So she’s going to be known as the woman from Australia? That’s all you’re going to tell me? How long have we been friends?”

  “Okay, her name is Abby and she’s great in the sack. There, are you satisfied?” Marlee looked up to see Abigail by the door, her mouth open and eyes wide, ready to bolt.

  Chapter Seven

  Marlee slammed her laptop shut and rushed to prevent Abigail from leaving. “Please, just let me explain.”

  “So I’m great in bed, eh?” Abigail dropped her head against the unopened door. “Fuck.”

  “It’s not what you think.” Marlee’s cheeks throbbed to the tune of her pounding heart. “I was speaking to my best friend, Kerry. I don’t know what came over me. I can be such a jerk.”

  “How can this be happening? What’s wrong with you?” Abigail’s words were harsh.

  “I’m sorry. Please. I want to help you.” Marlee was losing it, the terror at sea catching up to her. “I haven’t been able to think about that day and how close I came to dying.” She gripped Abigail’s arms and began to sob. “It was a miracle when you came. Please don’t leave.”

  “I’ll stay for now,” Abigail’s voice softened. She put her arms around Marlee. “Let’s talk and try to figure this out.”

  “Thank you.” Marlee clung to Abigail as if the core of their beings were melding. It was an intimacy she’d never experienced with another woman. Abigail’s soft skin, the aroma of her coconut shampoo, and her heated embrace made Marlee long to crawl deep inside this cocoon and never leave.

  The blare of Marlee’s computer alerting of a connection attempt tore them apart and back to reality.

  “I have to answer,” Marlee said as she grabbed some tissues. “It’s Kerry and she’ll worry if I don’t.” She lowered the light and wiped her tears before accepting the call.

  “Hey, sorry about that.” Marlee sniffled. “We’re having some technical difficulties.”

  “Have you been crying?” Kerry squinted.

  “Of course not.” Marlee strengthened her voice.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Is everything okay?” Kerry’s head tilted, her eyes widening.

  Marlee didn’t know what to say, whether to tell the truth or to keep making things up. She looked at Abigail for guidance.

  “You can blame me,” Abigail said. “I walked in on your conversation about my behavior in bed and she slammed her laptop closed. I think your friend was embarrassed.”

  “Abby? I can’t see you.” Kerry’s nose almost touched the screen.

  “And you won’t because I’m naked.”

  Marlee grinned, pleasantly surprised by Abigail’s ease at playing her lover, and carried it further. “The Australian scenery is amazing right now and things are starting to heat up down under, if you catch my drift.”

  “Too much information.” Kerry pulled back, squishing her face. “I’ll leave you two alone now. Just don’t let things heat up so much that you get burnt.”

  “Say hi to Diane for me.” Marlee waved, exited the program, then approached Abigail and took her hands. “Thanks. Kerry knows me and I didn’t want her to worry. Your response was perfect because it made me look like the stud I was claiming to be.”

  Abigail pulled her hands away. “I saw the way you looked at me. I can play along with being your lesbian lover if that’s what you’re telling your friends in Canada, but don’t get your hopes up. It’s not me and it’ll never happen.”

  “I know.” Marlee replayed the way Abigail looked at her when pretending to be naked. She didn’t dare hope the attraction was mutual, but still. She’d gotten goose bumps.

  “Can I at least call you Abby?” Marlee’s strategy for getting out of awkward situations was to grin and spit out words in hopes of lightening the mood.

  “Please don’t.” Abigail plopped on the couch and folded her arms. She seemed out of breath. “If you must, I prefer Tay.”

  “Tay.” Marlee smiled. “I like that. Does anyone ever call you Dr. Tay?”

  “No. My childhood friends from school used to call me Tay.”

  “Tay has a nice sound to it and is more personal than Abigail.” Marlee felt her cheeks heating up. “Not that I’m reading anything into it.”

  “Good.” Abigail’s facial expression softened and her eyes risked meeting Marlee’s. “Let’s talk about how you’re doing. You had a very traumatic experience on the water. Have you discussed it with anyone?”

  “No.” Marlee pulled her eyes away. She grabbed a chair and sat facing Abigail, hands on knees and fingers digging into her legs.

  “Why haven’t you told Kerry?” Abigail leaned forward and tapped Marlee’s knee.

  “I don’t know.” Marlee felt the first few teardrops splatter on her legs before the gush began, and all words were lost. She didn’t want to think about how close she’d come to dying, let alone talk about it. It was too soon and she wasn’t ready.

  “I’m sorry.” Marlee shook her head. She wasn’t used to crying like that. It was embarrassing.

  “There’s no need to apologize.” Abigail’s voice was soft. She pulled Marlee up and folded her into another embrace. “We’re here for each other.”

  “I haven’t been here for you.” Marlee’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as she clung to Abigail. “I wanted to hear all about your day and show you the plan I’ve put together. Tonight’s been a disaster.”

  “I don’t agree.” Abigail caressed the back of Marlee’s head. “We’ve made good progress tonight.”

  “Progress?”
Marlee leaned back to look at Abigail. “How do you define that?”

  “I’m ready to trust you now.” Abigail smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I’d say that’s a lot of progress.”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “I believe we can help each other.” Abigail backed away and sat on the sofa.

  “Let me show you my plan.” Marlee got her computer and began to illuminate files.

  Abigail reached over and lowered the screen. “I’m really looking forward to seeing it, but first I want to talk about how we can help you.”

  “I’ll be okay as long as I stay off the water.” She reopened her laptop.

  Abigail stood up and slapped a hand over the computer to close it. “We need to get you back on the water as soon as possible. It’s time to call it a night. We’ll head to the boat first thing tomorrow morning and spend the day on it to go over your plan then.”

  “I don’t know.” Marlee started to quiver. “I think it’ll be better if we stay here.”

  “No, it won’t.” Abigail took the computer from Marlee. “You’re shaking at just the thought of going back out onto the water. Trust me on this, okay? I won’t let you fall overboard or face another shark attack.”

  “Why don’t we sleep on it?” Marlee wasn’t ready to commit.

  “Okay. You take the bed and I’ll sleep here.”

  “No, I’ll sleep on the couch,” Marlee said. “It’s the least I can do after my silly remarks to Kerry.”

  “How can I be sure you’ll stay on the couch?”

  “You won’t trust me on my word, but want me to trust you on your boat?” Marlee raised her eyebrows.

  “Okay, I trust you.” Abigail covered a yawn. “Now let’s get some sleep.”

  Marlee’s favorite volunteer T-shirt was clean so she offered it up. “I thought you might want to put on something more comfortable and wear it to police me.”

  Abigail frowned as she took the shirt. “If you need policing then maybe I should leave.”

  “I’m sorry. It was an attempt at a bad joke. Go change and I’ll set up my bed on the couch.”

  Marlee got herself a pillow and blanket then waited on a chair until Abigail came out of the bathroom. She wore Marlee’s long T-shirt as a nightgown and carried her folded clothes in front of her chest.