Tristan Trilogy- Story 3

CHAPTER 25

It was still dark and gray but the rain had let up. When lights began to flicker downstairs, it was cause for celebration. Mason had managed to feed them all after he discovered that the stove was gas and he could light it. He’d served up omelets and other breakfast fare, which was quickly devoured by the small crowd. Leighanne got dish duty.

At 3:00, Max called to tell them that the studio was up and running and told them that they should probably get over there so that this album could be finished before 2001. Proposed release dates had already been pushed back to November and the label was squirming. They were counting on Santa Clause to help them line their pockets this year. Max’s suggestion that they return to work was really more of a demand, especially since two days would be lost because of a short promotional trip to Copenhagen at the end of the week. The group held off for as long as they could, all the while casting frequent glances towards the staircase. No one wanted to call the Captain - especially now. They stalled for almost two hours, until Max called a second time.

“Maybe you’d better go wake him up, Jack...” Brian proposed.

“Wake him up?” AJ snorted. Something tells me he ain’t asleep...”

Leighanne rolled her eyes as Brian reddened. “Damn, AJ! Believe it or not, people do have other things on their minds besides.....that!”

“Besides what?” AJ teased, enjoying Brian’s discomfort. “I didn’t say anything..”

“We all know what you meant, AJ!” Leighanne snapped. “Don’t play dumb!”

“I don’t think he’s playin’...” Brian spat. Leighanne laughed. Amanda got pissed.

Things were threatening to get a little nasty. Mason stood to the side and watched the standoff unfold. He strongly suspected that this was all some sort of subconscious diversionary tactic. If they kept it up, no one would have to call Kevin from his bed. Amanda was soon jumping into the ring. Mason thought about the tag team wrestling match he’d had to endure on the tour bus one time when Carlos had control of the remote.

“What’s so funny, Leighanne?” Amanda shouted. Then she paused and added snidely. “At least he’s just playin’.... Your dumbness is the genuine article...”

Mason winced. Time to get out the Meow Mix...

“Now girls...” Holly smiled sweetly, stepping between the two women. “Let’s be nice..

Mason pursed his lips as he began shaking his head. For some odd reason he thought about the robot in a favorite television show of his childhood…Lost in Space. Danger! Danger!...Go back to a neutral corner, Holly!....Danger!

“Butt out, Holly!” Leighanne sneered.

For once Amanda agreed with her opponent. “Yeah, Holly... leave this to the big girls! You just step back over there and play with your boy-toy for a while...”

Amanda waved Holly away dismissively.

Nick frowned. “Hey...”

Now Holly was pissed. “Well, Amanda, at least my ‘boy-toy’ doesn’t require batteries!”

Ooooooh....

The room grew silent as the two women stared each other down. AJ, Nick and Brian all took an intuitive step backwards and Mason recalled another childhood favorite - Gunfight at the OK Corral.

“Yeah, well...” Amanda taunted, “...Blondie could keep going for a year just on the energy stored in his baby fat bubble butt!”

Ooooooh....

Holly returned the volley. “Well, at least he’s got a butt, Amanda! That’s more than I can say for AJ, alias ‘Flat Ass’ McLean!”

Leighanne was pleased that the heated insults had left her domain and she could enjoy the barbs being tossed between Holly and Amanda. She shouldn’t have gotten quite so comfortable. When she began to laugh at Holly’s remark about AJ, quick- witted Amanda easily brought her back into the verbal catfight. She turned slowly to face the blond and narrowed her eyes.

“Just why are you laughing, Leighanne?” Amanda glared. “AJ might have a small ass which, I might add, is tight and adorable, but at least it's located at the end of a spine, so I wouldn’t laugh too hard if I were you!

“ALRIGHT LADIES! I think that’s enough!”

All nine heads jerked towards the entrance to the living area to find Kevin standing with his arms crossed surveying the group. He was wearing a fierce face but his eyes sparkled a bit. Mr. Hyde seemed to have transformed into Dr. Jekyll once more.

“I think we’d better break this up. I have a feeling my name will be coming up soon on the shit list.....”

“Naw, Kev...” Amanda assured him shaking her head, a little flustered at Kevin's unexpected appearance. “In fact someone was about to come up and get you but..” she frowned at Leighanne and Holly, “...I guess we got - uh...distracted...”

"Why was someone coming to get me?" Kevin asked as he tucked his tee shirt into his jeans. "Has something happened?"

Nick flopped down on the sofa and began digging for his sneakers. He only found one. "No, not really. The electricity's back on and Max wants us to come back to work, that's all. He called about two hours ago but nobody would dare get 'ya!" Nick laughed, still foraging for the other shoe. "You know, with Tris showing up and all we all figured you'd be better off cummin' than hummin'…."

Mason groaned and Holly gasped. Nick froze and then swallowed, unable to believe that he'd just uttered those words out loud. He was afraid to look up. He began to stammer and found that his mouth had plenty of room for both of his big feet.

"I…I mean, you know, Kev… With all that shit about your brother and everything…"

Nick closed his eyes. He'd done it again. Fuck… The room suddenly felt chilly. He doubted it was due to the air conditioning. When Nick raised his head, he expected to be burned by Kevin's piercing glower. It was worse than that. Kevin's stare contained traces of pain rather than anger. He wasn't going to respond. To make matters worse, Tristan had also left the bedroom and was standing on the lower steps when Nick made his remark. When Kevin saw the eyes of the group begin to focus behind him, he turned to find Tristan gazing at the floor, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. He knew that she had heard Nick's words.

"Come here, baby…"

Kevin held out his hand and Tristan descended the remaining steps and walked towards Kevin, raising her hand to his as she approached him. He entwined his fingers into hers and pulled her close, still not commenting on Nick's lack of grace and tact.

"We have to go to the studio for a little while. If you're up to it, maybe Leighanne could take you into the city and you could pick up a few things that you need…"

Leighanne nodded vigorously. Shopping was definitely one of her strong points.

"All I need is my purse!" She announced with pronounced enthusiasm. Then she hesitated and waved her open palm under Brian's nose. "Give me your card, Brian…."

Brian sighed, pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed it over, watching as Leigh slid out his American Express card. Then she opened up the bill compartment and pulled out two fifty-dollar bills.

"Might need some cash…." she explained before handing the wallet back to her benefactor.

"I can't go like this…" Tristan looked down at herself. She was right. A terry robe would never do on the streets of Stockholm.

"I've got some sweats upstairs…" Amanda offered.

The women seemed to have forgotten their differences and began babbling as they lead Tristan back up the stairs to change. The men seemed downright relieved, except for Nick, who now avoided Kevin's eyes. Soon the group was ready to go. Jack decided to go to the studio but Mason opted for the shopping expedition.

"I need some cologne.." Mason declared, directing his excuse towards Kevin.

Kevin knew that the real reason Mason wanted to go with the women was so he could 'dress' Tristan. Some part of Mason felt like he was the only one who had that ability or that right, although he had admitted that Kevin did an adequate job in that area.

"Well, try the men's department this time…" Kevin said sarcastically.

Mason made a show of having his feathers ruffled by Kevin's remark but in fact, he had deliberately baited Kevin. Mason didn't need cologne. He wanted to see if Kevin would give him a hard time. To Mason, this was a sign of some normalcy returning to the group dynamic, where everyone had their individual roles to play. He was a little concerned about Kevin's lack of response to Nick's statements but hoped that Kevin was just being noble about Nick's blunder.

"I need to talk to you later…" Mason whispered to Kevin as the group began to disburse. "It's a private matter…"

*****

When the door finally closed and everyone had left, Martina stepped out from the butler's pantry off the kitchen. She had heard everything. Her earlier attempts to listen in at Kevin's bedroom door had failed. No intelligible sound had exited the room - just a few whispering groans that she assumed were sexually related. The walls were too thick in this old villa.

Charlie had already gone out again to get his film developed so he could send the photos to Raymond Whay. He had told Martina about seeing Tristan and Jerald together at the house and the symphony and had relayed the snippets of their conversation that he had managed to overhear. It appeared that whatever attraction existed between these two couples was one sided. That might make for interesting copy but it wasn't nearly as exciting as a mutual temptation would be. That, however, could be handled. The reader could be led down any path the magazine chose. The news of Tristan's pregnancy had surprised them both. That discovery may have some value, as well - but it would have to be dealt with very quickly, before it was obvious. They had plenty to use. Photographs showing a diamond on Holly's left hand, reports of Leighanne spending Brian's money, Holly's comment to Amanda about battery operated toys and Nick's comment to Kevin about his brother were a treasure trove of smut. Some of the items would have to be blind and worded carefully. Martina didn't want her cover blown. Charlie would be okay. His pictures hadn't been taken in Sweden. The group wouldn't make the connection between the photographer and Martina's 'brother'.

*****

The shopping trip went fairly well. Tristan purchased casual dresses and shoes, toiletries and undergarments, all under Mason's direction. She felt a little ill at ease. The trip to Sweden had been unplanned and she knew that her friends had a thousand questions about her unexpected arrival. Admittedly, she also had some curiosity about what had happened in her absence, especially after the remarks Nick had made earlier. The thirst for knowledge peaked when they sat down in a local restaurant for a bite of dinner. Leighanne broke the ice.

"Well, Tris…I still can't get over you being here! The doctor said you could travel, huh?"

Tristan shook out her napkin. It was natural that they would be interested in an explanation. Leighanne was being subtle but Tristan knew where this conversation would eventually lead.

"I didn't ask him, Leigh. I just came. There was a flight after the performance and I decided to take it. I took a cab straight from the theater."

Amanda chewed thoughtfully on her straw. They all knew by now that Jerald had been staying at the house. She considered Holly's earlier thoughts about Jerald and his intentions but refrained from making any comment - yet. Tristan's reference to her performance opened another avenue of conversation - one that Mason thought Tristan might be more comfortable with.

"So, Precious, how did the benefit go? You haven't played in a long time. Everything okay?"

Tristan was about to answer when Amanda decided that she had a question or two that took precedence over Mason's. The brunette missed her calling. She should have been a detective.

"You shouldn't have left your car in downtown Orlando, Tris. It might be vandalized…"

"What?"

"You said you took a cab to the airport from the theater. Where's your car? Didn't you drive to the theater?"

"Oh…"

Tristan began to feel that she was being put under a microscope. She felt defensive and she didn't know why. They had all seen the magazine. They all knew by now that Kevin had been beyond upset. They were questioning her abrupt arrival. Did they have doubts? There was no reason to be ashamed of the fact that Jerald had escorted her to the performance and drove the Suburban back home. She would tell them what they wanted to know.

"Jerald drove the car back to the house…" she explained simply.

"Jerald?" Leighanne's eyes had narrowed a bit.

"Yes…" Tristan squirmed in her seat. "He came down for a visit a little earlier than expected."

"Why?" Amanda asked pointedly, noting Tristan's body language. "Kevin wasn't home… He must enjoy your company."

Tristan had had enough of the veiled insinuations and became angry. She pulled the napkin from her lap and threw it on the table, locking eyes with Amanda in the process.

"What is it you want to know, Amanda?" she spit. "Do you want to know if Jerald and I had some sort of romantic rendezvous? Are you asking me if I've been screwing Kevin's brother? Was the trip to Mexico a convenient way for us to be together? Jesus! I can't believe you all!" Tristan hissed looking around the table.

Holly, Leighanne and Mason looked shamefaced, but Amanda refused to be intimidated by Tristan's outburst.

"Don't get your damn panties in a knot, Tristan!" she said evenly. "No one here thinks that Jerald has been fucking you. We just think he'd like to, that's all. More importantly, Kevin thinks he'd like to. We've been watching him and let's just say that he hasn't been functioning extremely well. His moods have been swinging from here to China and back. AJ says he's not putting his best into this album. He's been lonely and that loneliness has been eating him up. Nick and Holly had to peel him off the patio the other day! He'd passed out with a damn shot glass in his hand…"

"I wanted to be here, Amanda!" Tristan protested. Her eyes were beginning to fill but Amanda seemed unaffected.

"Listen to me, Tristan… and Holly - you listen too…" Amanda glanced across the table. "You know by now that what affects one of us affects us all. That's the way it is. That's the way it will always be. If Backstreet becomes history tomorrow, it will still be that way. You and Kevin have been supportive of us and helped us through many relationship tremors in the last year and a half. We've supported you, too. We still do. We know that Kevin keeps things bottled up and I'm using that term literally as well as figuratively. In order for us to help each other we need to know what's going on. It's not just idle curiosity although I'm not going to sit here and say no one's curious. We're curious because we care, that's all. You need to understand that.

"I do." Tristan whispered.

"Good." Amanda took a breath and spoke more gently. "Tris, we know that you love Kevin and we don't doubt your fidelity or anything. We know that Kevin is extremely jealous and possessive and that you've probably taken more than your share of shit from him but we also know that he loves you to death. He loves his family, too."

"Why are you saying all of this, Amanda? What are you getting at? What do you want me to say?"

"It wouldn't take a whole hell of a lot to push him over the edge right now…."

The remark made Tristan angry. "Don't you think I know my husband, Amanda? Jesus! Why do you think I'm here? I heard him on the phone! I saw the pictures in that magazine! Don't you think I know what it would do him if he thought his brother had made a pass at me?"

"Did he?" Amanda asked, staring into Tristan's face.

Tristan rose slowly from her seat and picked up her packages. Part of her wanted to scream 'Yes!! He held me and felt me up and pulled me against his groin! Help me! Tell me what to do!'. Instead she said nothing. This was a private matter and she wouldn't risk Kevin ever finding out. It had been a mistake - a gross error in judgement on Jerald's part. She could only hope that Jerald was truly sorry.

"I'm going to take a walk and get some fresh air. I'll see you all back at the villa…"

With that, Tristan slowly walked away and out of the restaurant. The table was silent as they all gazed at the door closing behind her. Amanda sat back in her seat and took a long drag from her newly lit cigarette.

"Christ.." she murmured. "He did…"

CHAPTER 26

It was after midnight when the group left the studio. Max would have had them stay longer but he didn’t want to jinx their good luck. More progress had been made in those few hours than in the previous four days. Kevin seemed more like his old self although Max still sensed a slight undercurrent within the group. Kevin’s change in attitude was easily explained by the arrival of Tristan. Max could see that she hadn’t lost her calming influence over him. His anger was gone but there remained some residue of edginess. Max had seen the magazine, too, but he didn’t mention it. After several hours, Kevin had begun looking at his watch and tapping his foot impatiently. Then during a break, Brian had called him aside and they had disappeared for a brief time. This had happened several times during their recording sessions and Max noticed that when they returned, Kevin was invariably more focused and ready to work. Max could see that the cousins had gotten a lot closer in the past year and was glad that their relationship had strengthened. He was a little surprised at Brian’s influence over Kevin but they were family and Max knew that they loved each other. These ‘heart to heart’ talks that Max assumed they were having seemed to help them both clear the cobwebs and baggage out of their minds. He was, however, a little curious about AJ’s reaction to these occasional ‘disappearing acts’. He seemed a little disturbed by them.

When Jack and the group arrived back at the villa, the atmosphere seemed a little subdued although Amanda, Holly, Leighanne and Mason were trying hard to act upbeat and animated. Kevin noticed right away that Tristan was absent from the gathering.

"Look!" Holly grinned. "We've been cooking! Everyone made his or her 'specialty'! We figured you guys would be hungry."

She pointed to the dining room table which was laden with a variety of interesting, but not necessarily compatible, dishes. Leighanne had made a tuna casserole - with the help of boxed macaroni and cheese. Amanda had prepared a platter full of nachos and Holly had contributed a stir-fry. Mason had tried to fill out the impromptu menu with a Caesar salad, braised asparagus and honeyed carrots. Nothing on the table was familiar to Kevin. Tristan hadn't participated in the bake-off. He stood back for a moment while everyone filled their plates.

"Where's Tristan?" he asked simply.

He became a little wary when he saw Mason and the girls exchange uneasy glances.

"Oh.. uh, she's upstairs…" Holly answered, looking at Amanda.

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Leighanne nodded. "Everything's fine…"

Kevin looked at her skeptically. "Did she eat any supper?" he asked, remembering her mention of having only a snack on the plane.

"Uh… we went to a restaurant.." Holly's response was unmistakably cryptic.

"But did she eat?" Kevin repeated.

He was met with four blank stares.

"Well, she's got to eat…"

Kevin turned and headed for the stairs feeling a little like one of the panelists on 'I've Got a Secret'. He stopped to look at the group again before he started up the steps. The guys and Jack were chatting and filling their plates. The girls and Mason seemed a little somber - especially Amanda. She seemed to have difficulty meeting Kevin’s eyes.

He was surprised to find Tristan sitting up on the bed watching Swedish television. The sound was off and images of speed skaters filled the screen. Tristan was gazing at the picture but it was clear that she didn't really see it.

"You all right, babe?" Kevin asked. He got into the bed with her pushed his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of honeysuckle. A large part of him still couldn't believe that she was here. "I thought you might be asleep after your busy day…"

"No, I'm okay…"

Kevin sat up and leaned over her face. She seemed a little distant and preoccupied. "You sure?" Kevin's palm went to her forehead. "You don't feel warm…" he muttered.

"How did it go at the studio?" Tristan asked, changing the subject.

Kevin broke into a grin and leaned back on a pile of pillows. "We finally had a breakthrough, I think! We jelled really well today. I think it's gonna be a great album, Tris. I feel real good about it!"

It was so good to see Kevin happy about his work. He did love the music and the group and didn't deserve to have those simple pleasures complicated or destroyed by panicky executives, paranoid lawyers and bloodthirsty reporters. Tristan only half heard what he was saying. His optimism and excitement captivated her and she decided then to make a real effort to help Kevin preserve his enthusiasm, regardless of fan backlash, label pressures or sordid photographs. Tristan was Kevin's sustenance but music was his air. He needed both to survive.

“I’m so glad, sweetheart…” she smiled as she pushed his long hair away from his eyes. “Maybe Sweden is the magic charm.”

Kevin pulled her face down to his and passed his lips over hers several times before kissing them gently.

“Maybe you’re the magic charm, Tris… God, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Kevin told her that her shopping team had prepared supper and it was waiting downstairs. Neither he nor Tristan had expressed any desire to eat and playfully argued with each other, each of them citing reasons why they should go down and join the others.

“I didn’t fix anything…” Tristan said.

“There’s plenty of food down there, Tris.” Kevin parried.

“I’m really not hungry…”

“I’m not hungry, either….”

“You’re never hungry anymore, Kevin!” she admonished. “You’re losing weight!

“So?”

“So…you’re getting too thin! The… ‘healthier’…. I get, the thinner you get! You need to eat!”

Tristan’s fingers reached down into the waistband of his jeans and pulled, opening up an inch of space between the denim and Kevin’s abdomen.

“You need to eat, too!” he fussed. “We’re gonna have puny little babies if you don’t! You need the calories and so do they! You’re gonna be all scrawny and weak when the time comes for you to pop them out!”

“Pop them out?” Tristan’s right hand went to her hip. “I’m not a toaster, Kevin! Jesus!”

Kevin couldn’t help but laugh at her indignation. “Oh, I’m sorry, baby…” he grinned, nuzzling her cheek. “I didn’t mean that. You’re much more fun to turn on than a toaster…”

Kevin couldn’t see her smile but he suspected that she wasn’t really angry. She was too comfortable in his embrace.

“Gee, thanks lover-boy. Is that you’re idea of sweet-talk? Maybe you ought to be putting this down on paper, Mister Songwriter! Instead of calling the album 'Black and Blue', you could call it ‘Dark or Light.”

“How about ‘Wheat or White’?” he laughed into her neck. “’Bread or Bagel’?”

“What about the first single?” Tristan giggled. “It needs to follow the theme, you know..”

“I was thinking we could finally release ‘Toast to Our Love…”

They both fell back onto the pillows in fits of silly laughter. They were tired and punchy and after they settled down and caught their breath, Kevin rolled over and kissed her once again as he rubbed her belly. He was rewarded with a strong kick.

“See?” he smiled. “They don’t care about ‘sweet-talk’. They’re hungry!”

Tristan sighed as Kevin got out of the bed and held his hand out to pull her up and off of the mattress.

“Okay, okay…” she mumbled. “I’ll eat if you will.”

“Deal…”

Tristan threw on one of her new dresses as Kevin stepped into the bathroom. He didn’t bother closing the door.

“What did Leighanne fix tonight?” she hollered to Kevin as he stood over the toilet.

“Uh…some kind of fish and noodley thing…” he yelled back.

Tristan rolled her eyes and shook her head. Oh, God….

***

Martina had to do something. Things were a little slow. Next week’s issue of ‘Reputations’ would feature Charlie’s photographs, as usual. Raymond had planned a small spread from the Jive party and was planning to use photos of Jerald and Tristan again - these being the ones that Charlie took at Kevin’s home and the benefit. So far, Martina hadn’t really contributed anything concrete. Sure, she had gathered enough information to tip Charlie off on occasion. She had told him about the catfight earlier and the proposed shopping trip. He had followed the group through the stores of Stockholm and it had been unbearably dull until they stopped in a restaurant. He wasn’t close enough to hear the entire conversation but he did hear Jerald’s name mentioned and got a few photographs of Amanda and Tristan in the throes of an unpleasant conversation. The film canister in his pocket contained shots of Amanda getting angry and of Tristan crying and walking out - alone.

Martina had already written a small blurb about the girlfriends fighting. She had titled the short piece ‘Boyfriends, Batteries and Butts’ but it was fluff and she wanted to contribute something a little deeper than that. As the group was finishing dinner, she decided to do a little housekeeping in the kitchen under the pretext of ‘doing her job’. She was really hoping for a tidbit she could sink her talons into. Her hopes were about to be fulfilled.

She had insisted on doing the clean up and saying that they all looked tired and needed some rest. They were murmuring their thanks when she saw the gay guy pull Richardson aside. When they stepped out onto the patio, Martina hurried to her bedroom window where she, once again, watched and listened. Thankfully, the window was already opened.

“What’s so important, Mason?” Kevin frowned “Can’t it wait?”

“It’s already waited, Kevin! I have something I want you to see..”

Martina watched as Mason glanced around and back over his shoulder. Obviously this was something he didn’t want the others to see. Then he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Kevin.

“What’s this?” Kevin asked as he held the envelope up to the light. “It looks like a letter to Tris. What are you doing with it?”

“It is a letter to Tris!” Mason huffed impatiently. “She gets fan mail, too, you know! I screen it for her and then give her some letters to answer, if she has time.”

“You screen her mail? Why?” Kevin looked puzzled for a moment and then his bewilderment turned into alarm. “Jesus! She hasn’t been getting threats, has she?”

Mason shook his head restlessly and glanced over his shoulder again. He didn’t want Tristan walking in on this conversation. “No! I just weed out the offensive stuff - you know, the stuff about you.”

“Thank you, Mason…” Kevin sneered.

“Just read the damned letter before Precious comes out here looking for you!” Mason demanded.

“Okay, okay!…”

When Kevin pulled the paper from the envelope, a photograph fell to the ground.

“What’s this?” Kevin bent over to retrieve the picture. “Damn! It looks like a picture of Tris..”

“That’s not Tris.” Mason returned. “That’s a portrait of Rebekah Sebastian - Tristan’s mother…

“What?”

“Just read, Kevin!”

Kevin studied the sheets for several minutes before meeting Mason’s eyes again.

“What the fuck? Who is this guy?” Kevin scowled. “What does he want?”

Mason looked uncomfortable. “Christ, Kevin… I’ve met this guy before. He’s a cellist and we met after a concert in Paris. He knew that I had worked with Tristan and had asked me about her - said he’d love to meet her sometime. He didn’t say anything about Rebekah. He was really nice and seemed genuinely interested. He was a real gentleman. I’ve tried to do a little checking on him and all I hear is praise - professional and personal. He never married. He knew Edward, too, as you can see from the letter.”

“Tristan never speaks of her family!” Kevin hissed. “Her father is an ass and she says she never knew much about her mother…”

“I know that! But this guy does! I think he wants to tell Tristan about her mother. Look at the back of the picture, Kevin!”

Kevin turned the photograph over. Written there, in peacock colored ink, was the feminine handwriting of Tristan’s mother.

‘My Darling Etienne,

When you look at this small photograph, please remember me fondly. I am praying that we will be together soon.
I have contacted an attorney and hope that I will soon have my freedom.
Our time will come. I promise.

All my love,

Rebekah

Kevin turned the picture over in his hand and stared at the beautiful woman with the sad eyes. She couldn’t have been much older than thirty. Tristan didn’t remember what her mother looked like. She’d never had a picture of her. Now he held a significant piece of Tristan’s life in his hands.

“What are you going to do, Kevin?” Mason asked quietly.

Kevin slipped the portrait back into the envelope. “I don’t know yet, but I’d like to meet this guy before I make any decision…. and before we leave Europe.”

Mason became agitated. “But you’re supposed to leave next week! Don’t you think Tristan has a right to see this?”

“Maybe…” Kevin’s eyes hardened. “But I also have a right to protect her from people who may have questionable motives. I want to talk to Mr. Fouchee personally. Then we’ll see what happens. We’re going to Copenhagen in a couple of days. I’ll try to contact him while we’re away. You can stay here and keep an eye on Tris.”

“Of course…. But what are you going to do with the letter?” Mason asked.

“I’ll keep it, for now.”

Kevin thanked Mason for his discretion and turned to go back into the house.

*****

Martina was delighted. This could be very good. She hurried from her room before Kevin could disappear and received another piece of good luck when she saw Kevin slip the letter into the breast pocket of his jacket before going up the stairs. The jacket hung on a hall tree near the door. When she was sure that everyone was asleep, she stole into the foyer and slipped the envelope from Kevin’s jacket. There was a copy machine and scanner in the study.

Charlie wasn’t the only one around here could come up with the goods. Raymond Whay would soon see that for himself.

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