Post by StoryGirl83 on Nov 9, 2011 14:41:42 GMT -5
Chapter Ten – Phone Calls
“I win!” Peter exclaimed to the amusement of his brother and their host. He shot his arm up and standing, did a little victor dance.
Seth laughed. “Congratulation, little brother.”
Nick opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as his phone rang. He stood and walked over to the wall phone. He grabbed it up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Nick,” Reggie said from the other side of the phone.
“Reggie, hi,” Nick replied a frown in his voice. “You sound different.”
“Well, I feel wonderful,” Reggie informed him. “I haven’t felt this good in years.”
Nick looked across the room at the two brothers.
“Someone I knew found a cure, Nick.”
Nick grinned at that. “So it worked.”
“You knew?”
Nick’s grin grew. “Actually they came to me for advice. I wasn’t able to give them a whole lot, but I think I helped some.”
“I should think so,” Reggie laughed, “with all the data you’ve collected over the years. I think he’s going over to see Ev, but all he did before he left was ask for my help in convincing one of my friends if they needed it. I figure if he knows that much he has to be heading for Ev or Jarod and we both know getting in to see Jarod isn’t easy.”
Nick chuckled, drawing the attention of the two brothers across the room. “You’ve got that right.”
“Well, I only called to tell you that I was cured,” Reggie admitted. “I know, despite how often we’ve all told you not to, you’ve felt guilty for not getting cursed and I wanted you to know the end was nearing, but I guess you already knew that.”
Nick smiled. “I knew what they were planning, yes, but until you called I didn’t know it was working.”
“Well, I’ll talk to you later,” his friend informed him. “I have to get back to work. One of my employees just entered the room and I need to see what she wants.”
Nick chuckled as he hung up the phone.
Peter looked at his brother. “He sounds nicer,” he whispered for only his brother’s ears.
“Sounds like he got good news,” Seth whispered back.
“You’re friend’s been busy,” Nick informed them.
Seth started to say something and then changed his mind as the relevance of that statement took full hold. “I’ve got to call Wyatt.”
“Huh?” Peter looked at him confused. “How’d you come to that conclusion?”
“If his friends are calling him,” Seth informed his little brother as he pulled out his cell, “then that means Chris has finished with Wyatt’s work. I’ve got to see if he’s all right.” Remembering that Wyatt hadn’t been using his phone, he searched through his phone directory for another number.
Chris answered the phone quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t call. I’ve been kind of busy.”
“No problem as long as everyone is all right,” Seth informed him, despite that it did bother him.
“Yeah, they’re fine,” Chris assured him. “Wyatt’s still at work. He had to stay there to avoid suspicion.”
“Suspicion?” Seth frowned at the word.
“The police got called,” Chris admitted. “That kind of thing tends to happen when a major museum is closed without warning and without letting most of the employees know.”
Seth sighed. “I guess.” He glanced down at brother and then across the room at Nick. “Look, when you talked to Wyatt earlier it wasn’t on his phone, was it?”
“Right,” Chris agreed. “The phone belongs to an accountant who was in the building today. He’s also Emily’s older brother. . . You remember her, right?”
“Sure, the little blonde girl that was giving you the hives a few weeks ago.”
Chris scowled as he looked at the building in front of him. “She was not giving me the hives. I was just worried about her potentially exposing magic.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m pretty sure that’s not an issue, but I’m worried she might get too involved in all this and get herself hurt or worse.”
Seth bit back a chuckle. “Well, I’ll let you deal with that. I just wanted the number so I can call Wy.”
“Can do,” Chris agreed. “You’ll listen to me, eventually.”
Seth brushed him off. “The number?”
Chris chuckled as he looked through his phone for the number. “Ready?”
Seth grabbed a scrap of paper off a nearby table. There was also a pencil, so he grabbed that. “Ready when you are.”
Wyatt was in the hall headed toward Lauren’s office with the borrowed cell phone, when that phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. No name was listed, but he recognized the number. “Hi, Seth. How’s Peter?”
“Having fun playing board games with a new friend,” Seth informed him before adding wryly, “He seems to enjoy learning about magic more than he does spending time with me.”
“Not true!” Wyatt heard Peter’s voice call out in the background.
He chuckled. “Sounds like your brother disagrees.”
Seth grinned. “He’s probably just humoring me, but I love him for it.”
“So why’d you call?”
“I wanted to see for myself that you were all right,” Seth admitted. “This has been a day I’d rather not repeat . . . at least the parts about worrying about you.” He grinned over at his brother. “I imagine I’ll have to make it up to Peter that we didn’t stay home today.”
“I’m good,” Wyatt heard Peter’s voice announce.
Wyatt grinned, but chose not to comment this time. “Well, I’m feeling very good. I’m not really sure how I’m going to handle Nathan knowing about magic, or how it will change things, and I’m even less sure what to think of the fact that Andrew already knows about magic . . .”
“He already know?” Seth interrupted. “How?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Wyatt admitted, “but I will be getting an answer from him later.” He groaned as he remembered who else was going to be demanding an answer.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just remembered that I’m going to have to figure out a way to explain this all to Olivia,” he muttered. “I don’t have a clue what I am going to tell her.” He stopped in front of Lauren’s office. “I have to return this phone now, so don’t call this number unless you want to talk to a complete stranger.”
Seth chuckled. “The main point was to hear for myself that you were fine, so talk to you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Danielle is still coming over tonight,” he reminded Wyatt, “so yeah, tomorrow.” He paused a moment before commenting, “but call me if you need my help.” He chuckled, “I have a feeling that Peter wouldn’t mind another detour.”
“Will do,” Wyatt agreed. “Bye.”
Once Wyatt had hung up, he knocked on the door. He waited in silence for a response from inside. When there was none, he knocked, again. “Mr. Colson, are you in there?”
Inside the room, Nate Colson looked at the door wearily. He recognized the voice as belonging to his sister’s friend from earlier. He remained silent.
“Nate, would you please let me in,” Wyatt requested as he knocked, again.
Nate took a few steps away from the window and asked, “How’s the girl?”
Girl? Wyatt thought confused. A smile tugged as his lips as he realized, Oh, Olivia. “She’s good, completely cured.”
“Are you sure?” Nate asked cautiously.
“Yeah,” Wyatt was quick to assure him. “We found an antidote.”
“It was some sort of poison,” Nate asked curiously.
“Something like that,” Wyatt agreed, slightly amused. It was as good an explanation as any other. “Can I come in?”
“No,” Nate decided instantly, “you said not to let anyone in.”
“I said not to let anyone other than me in,” Wyatt argued.
“You also said you were infected by this virus,” Nate reminded him.
“I was,” Wyatt agreed. “I’ve taken the antidote, too and I’m fine now.”
“How can I trust that?” Nate wanted to know.
“Earlier you didn’t want to trust me that something was wrong,” he was reminded.
“That was before the crazy girl tried to get in here,” Nate informed him.
“She wasn’t crazy, just,” Wyatt paused, looking for the right word, “delusional.”
“Close enough,” Nate decided.
Wyatt sighed. “I’m just here to return your phone. If you want to lock yourself back in after that, go right ahead.”
“How do I know this isn’t a trick?”
“Because I wouldn’t want anyone to experience what I was earlier,” Wyatt assured him. “If it helps, I promise not to touch you or anything in the room.”
“Maybe,” Nate hedged, clearly thinking about it.
“Your family will want to know you’re all right,” Wyatt reminded him. He could tell Nate was about to give in.
Nate sighed, know Wyatt was right. “Fine. I’ll open the door.” He frowned at the closed door. “You’re sure it’s safe?”
“Yes,” Wyatt announced. He was sure of that. He trusted the potion his mom had made and he had not heard any thoughts other than his own since he’d taken it. And then there was the whole green bubble field. The evidence was massive that the potion had worked exactly as they had hoped.
There was the sound of footsteps as Nate walked toward the door. Instead of just opening it part way, he opened it fully and looked at Wyatt. “You look sane.”
Wyatt blinked. “What exactly does an insane person look like?”
Nate chuckled. “Good point. “You said you were returning my phone?”
Wyatt nodded and held it out. “You’ll find a couple unfamiliar numbers on it. I talked to my mom, my brother, and my best friend.”
“I didn’t expect you to stick to people in my address book,” Nate retorted. “Are the doors opened now?”
“My brother says so,” Wyatt informed him. “I haven’t tried them myself.”
“Then, the woman whose office this is will be in soon?”
“Perhaps. I’m not sure she knows it’s open yet.”
“And the police?”
“You noticed those?”
Nate nodded. “What do they want?”
“Not sure,” Wyatt admitted. “I think maybe they think this was a hostage situation.”
“Was it?”
Wyatt frowned. He sighed as he said, “Not in the normal way. I’m pretty sure whoever did this is long gone.”
“I see.” He held out his hand. “I trust that having my phone was helpful to you in finding this antidote.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Wyatt admitted, “but it did help reassure those who were looking for that antidote.”
“Your mom, brother, and best friend?” Nate asked in response.
“Or someone who was working with them,” Wyatt agreed. “I haven’t actually asked for many details. I was busy keeping those of us here from killing ourselves.”
“Suicide?” Nate asked, concerned. “Did you . . ?”
“No,” Wyatt assured him. “The virus, poison, whatever, does lead ones thoughts in that direction, but I did not attempt that.”
Nate heaved out a sigh. “I see. Well, I’m glad my phone could help.”
“It did,” Wyatt admitted. “Talking to my brother at one point might well have helped keep me sane.” He handed back the phone. “Thanks for its use.”
Nate took his phone and opened it up. “I’m going to call my brother and sister now and hope they didn’t tell my parents anything about this.”
Wyatt chuckled. “I know all about trying to keep parents from worrying. Mine have more reason than most to do so.”
“Oh?” Nate looked at him, concerned.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Wyatt tried to assure him.
Nate shook his head. “It is if it will affect my sister. Will is?”
“I can’t see how it will,” Wyatt informed him, hoping he was right. “She works for my family. And perhaps she is becoming a friend to my brother, but that friendship of itself is not dangerous, I don’t think.”
Nate sighed, relaxing a little. “Thanks. I’d better make those calls before my brother gets it into his mind to call our parents, if he hasn’t already.”
“I’ll leave you to that, then,” Wyatt replied as he headed back into the hall.
Nate watched him leave before he started the call to his brother.
Matt Colson was quick to answer the phone. “Where is my brother?!” he demanded.
Nate grinned. “I take it, you’ve talked to Wyatt.”
Matt sighed. “He claimed you lent him your phone. That didn’t sound like you.”
“Let me guess,” Nate said with a chuckle. “You hung up on him.”
“Good guess,” Matt admitted.
“Not really,” Nate mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Nate was quick to claim.
Matt chose to ignore the lack of answer. “So this Wyatt, is he dangerous for Em?”
“I told you already,” Nate announced impatiently, “he’s not insane. As to dangerous . . . I can’t say, but I think she’s probably safe with him and his brother.”
Matt relaxed. “All right. I’ll leave Em alone then.”
“She’ll appreciate that,” Nate informed his brother with a laugh.
“It’s an older brother’s job,” Matt pronounced.
Nate laughed. “Speaking as her other older brother . . .”
Matt joined him. “Everything okay over there now?”
“Yeah, I’ve still got a little bit of work to finish up here,” Nate informed him, “but I don’t think these are going to be the last accounts I do here.”
Matt snorted. “In other words, someone’s stealing, but it’s not the person you are auditing.”
“You know I can’t answer that.”
“Whatever,” Matt chuckled. “Talk to you later. Dinner tonight?”
“I’ll pass,” Nate said quickly.
“It’ll just be the four of us. I promise.”
Nate sighed. “I have nothing in common with those two any more.”
“Except a lot of good times in school,” Matt retorted. “Come on.”
“Mom wants me over tonight,” Nate informed him. “So it’s not really an option.”
“Which means I’ll be getting a call soon enough,” Matt concluded with a sigh. “I’ll get off and call her myself.”
“Sounds smart.”
“Yeah, until she starts asking questions about my laundry or some subject even less desirable,” Matt retorted.
Nate chuckled. After he said his good-byes to his older brother, he dialed in the number for his sister.
Still sitting on her car outside, Emily pulled out her cell. She didn’t bother checking the ID. “Emily.”
“Hey, little sister,” Nate smiled. “Any idea what Mom’s planning for tonight?”
“Does that mean I can come in?” she asked ignoring his question.
“It’s still employees only,” he informed her with a laugh.
“Pity,” she decided as she plopped off her car. “Meet me in the lobby and I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“Can you get in?”
Emily glanced across the parking lot at the police still directed the crowd away from the building. They appeared to be entering the building, which was progress she supposed, but it didn’t appear they would be letting anyone else in any time soon. She sighed. “Yeah, probably not. I guess I’d better head to work. Mrs. Halliwell told me I could be skip the day because of all this, but it’s still a Friday night, so they’ll probably want me there. Come over to The Manor when you get off work, okay?”
“Aren’t we supposed to eat at the house tonight?”
Emily chuckled. “Na uh. We aren’t. You and Matt are. Have fun with that. I’ll see you later, okay.”
Inside the building, Nate close his phone, a smile on his lips. It had been a strange day, but thankfully the worst of it seemed to be over. He no longer wondered if he would make it through the day and that of itself was a huge improvement.
He walked back over to the desk and went back to comparing the info in her computer to what he’d been given to start with. Admittedly, he’d gone into this with the preconceived notion that she was innocent of whatever was going on. Not too many people handed over their passwords and didn’t show up before he did. By tomorrow he imagined all those passwords would be changed, but this woman clearly didn’t care too much what he saw, which inclined him to trust her. Nothing he had come across had led him to believe otherwise.
He’d be done soon and come Monday he’d be back at it with a different employee’s records. Based on what he’d seen today, he expected that one to go much the same . . . minus terrifying half crazed people trying to get in and kill him. At the same time he looked forward to the challenge of seeing if there was anything in that computer that would tell him more about his sister’s new friends. Wyatt Halliwell had better not be hiding anything, because if he was, Nate intended to find it.