Crushed (21 page)

"Basically, you want Cleo to think I'm involved, without me helping at all."

"There you go again, using that clever little mind to surprise me." He smiled, but in the fake way she'd gotten used to.

"Not going to happen." Sophie pursed her lips stubbornly.

"I promised that I wouldn't let Cleo hurt you. That promise is going to be very hard to keep if you're being difficult."

"I was there." Sophie reminded him. "Cleo wants me to be more than just a puppet. She expects me to do something..."

"She expects that you already know something." He corrected.

"Like what?" Sophie felt like she was finally getting somewhere.

However, she was interrupted by the sound of her phone beginning to ring. It cut through the tension that had been building up, ruining the moment.

"Hello?" She answered rudely, already annoyed at the caller.

"Hey." A deep voice answered. "It's Luke."

Her body stiffened instantly. She was keenly aware of Robert watching her like a hawk.

"I thought I made it clear we shouldn't talk anymore."

"I know, I..." His voice trailed off. He waited a few seconds before continuing. "I was just worried."

"About what?" She whispered. Her eyes were still locked with Robert. She didn't like that he was eavesdropping, though she had no way to escape.

"About you." Luke's voice sounded trouble. "I've heard rumors. Cleo's been making some comments..."

"Concerning my parent's disappearance?" She guessed.

Luke paused on the other end of the line. "You know?"

"Not everything. I've been eavesdropping myself." Sophie noticed the flicker of interest in Robert's expression.

He was anxious...anxious that Luke would tell her something.

"Luke..." Sophie felt her heart begin to race. "Luke, what did my parents steal? What did they take that made them run for seven years? What does Cleo want me to get back?"

The puzzle pieces were falling into place just as Robert had feared they would. It was all so painfully obvious.

Sophie's parents had stolen something extremely valuable from Cleo and Max. It was something worth so much that Max felt angry enough to murder them after seven years of hiding. It was also something that must still be missing. Max must've assumed he'd killed off his last chance at finding the stolen items, but Cleo knew better. She'd thought she'd found the missing link, which turned out to be Sophie.

Max couldn't know who she was because Cleo didn't want him to try to use her the way she was going to use Sophie. Cleo thought Sophie knew where her parent's had hidden the items...which is why Cleo had been so interested in finding her in the first place. She must've been disappointed when Sophie showed none of the skills of a trained thief. However, Sophie had changed that disappointment when Cleo found out about Luke.

If Max was supposedly interested in scouting her, that meant Sophie was more than she seemed.

It meant Sophie was the perfect tool for finding what had been stolen years before, by her own parents. Robert wasn't allowed to take on this mission because Cleo thought Sophie was the one with all the hidden answers.

"Paintings." Luke answered, not sounding surprised by her question. Sophie wasn't shocked that he knew the truth either. It seemed like he'd been hinting at it for a while now, though he must've just put together why Cleo had hired her. "Paintings more valuable than either of us can imagine."

"Valuable enough to kill for?"

"Valuable enough that their owners have harbored a deep grudge since they were stolen." Luke's voice was grave. "Cleo spoke to Max about searching for them again."

"She told him?" Sophie's eyes widened in fear.

"It was more like she was taunting him. He wasn't listening, and she knew it." He paused, his breathing growing heavy. "Sophie, she must think you know something. That's the only way everything makes sense."

"I don't know anything." She whispered into the phone. She felt like she was talking to both Robert and Luke. "How am I supposed to find these paintings when I don't know anything? Cleo won't believe me."

"You have to find something." Luke sounded like he was begging. "A clue, or some hint. They must've left you something?"

"Luke, I was ten when they died. What could they possibly have to leave a ten year old? I didn't know anything about anything. If they'd given me a clue, I couldn't possibly understand it."

"Then we'll have to start from nothing. Search everywhere we can."

Robert grabbed the phone out her hand just as she was about to reply.

"Luke." Robert spoke smoothly, with a threatening edge. "Sophie appreciates all of your concern, but this is where it ends."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"This isn't your fight." He continued.

Luke was saying something, but Sophie couldn't make out what it was.

"I know." Robert's eyes never left her face. "I realize that." More silence followed. "I'm going to fight this battle with her."

Sophie could't have predicted how much his last comment would affect her. She unknowingly stopped breathing.

"If you want to help, do us a favor and keep Max out of our business." He hung up without letting Luke continue. He stared at Sophie for a long minute. "Don't." He warned.

"Don't what?" She asked innocently.

"Don't give me that look like you've got it all figured out. You cannot use Luke to dig up everything I'm not going to tell you."

"There's more?" Sophie felt a wave of disappointment. She thought she'd had a good grasp on all the mysteries now.

He gave her a long, serious look. "You now know enough about our mission to be scared. Are you satisfied?"

Now that she had time to think about it, she realized she'd worsened her fears. This morning she didn't have any idea how impossible her task would be. It hadn't even crossed her mind that Robert was holding back this information to protect her.

"No." She whispered. "How are we going to do it? How can we find what my parent's took with them when they died?"

"Isn't not going to be impossible." Robert finally glanced away from her. "It's just going to be a pain in the ass."

"Cleo would've had people searching in the past. If they couldn't find it, there's no way in hell we can."

"Don't count us out yet. We have something they didn't have before."

"You had better not say I'm our secret weapon." She hissed.

"You're less of a weapon, and more like bait." He commented, his smirk returning. "Your parents weren't alone in this business. They had acquaintances who wouldn't have given them up to Max and Cleo."

"You think they'll tell me the truth?"

"It won't hurt to check." He paused, considering what he would say next. "If it helps, I think I have one of the those clues Luke wanted you to search for."

"What? How?" Sophie leaned forward, grabbing his arm.

"You're not the only one who has a surprise or two up their sleeve."

When her phone began to ring Sophie instantly groaned in frustration. She'd been so close this time to discovering one of Robert's many secrets.

"Sophie?" A voice asked before she had time to say hello. "Sophie where are you?"

Gwyn sounded so desperate Sophie didn't think about lying. "In the treehouse in the backyard. I'm with Robert."

"We need your help." Sophie could tell the girl was choking back tears.

Sophie was lunging for the rope ladder before Robert could stop her. "Put Rylan on the phone."

Gwyn obeyed without hesitation.

"Sophie?" Rylan asked. Sophie's heart dropped when she picked up on the desperation in his voice as well. Something had to be seriously wrong if he couldn't maintain his cool.

"What happened?" Sophie threw down the rope ladder. Robert understood from her tone that something was seriously wrong. Even before she had a chance to climb down, he was on the ground, rushing towards the house.

"Teddy's gone."

Sophie felt her body grow cold.

CHAPTER TEN

The burden was more than just secrets...it was a responsibility heavier than anything I'd ever known.

The situation was much more simple than Sophie had thought.

Teddy had run away after overhearing Rylan and Gwyn discussing his mother's disappearance. They hadn't said much, but Teddy had been clever enough to put everything together.

They'd tried to calm him down, but he'd rushed out of the house without turning back. Had it not been pitch black outside, Rylan would've found him by now.

It wasn't an ideal situation, but Sophie knew it could've been worse. When Gwyn had called, a number of different scenarios had occurred to her. Out of the ones she'd imagined, the present problem was nothing. Even Robert calmed down when the two kids explained what had happened. He'd been just as concerned as her, if not more.

Gwyn was the one truly affected by Teddy's disappearance. Sophie and Robert knew they would find him, but Gwyn couldn't be reassured that he was okay. She thought that Teddy would never forgive her for lying.

The usually helpful Rylan couldn't be reasoned with either. Sophie guessed he was upset about not being able to fix things. In the past, she suspected he'd always been able to get through to Gwyn. However, today was different. Today she'd done something irreversible.

"We'll find him. You guys stay here." Robert gave Rylan a long stare. The boy, who'd seemed defeated only a moment before, straightened under his gaze.

"Okay." Rylan placed a hand on Gwyn's shoulders, leading her to the kitchen.

"Do you have any idea of where he'd go?" Sophie asked, watching Robert's face carefully. By his calm expression she assumed he did.

"I have a few guesses." He headed towards the front door. He opened it quickly, before shutting it closed again. He motioned with his finger for Sophie to be silent as he walked back towards the staircase.

Sophie waited until they were safely on the third floor of the house before she questioned him.

"Teddy ran outside." She glanced around her. "This is clearly not outside."

"I taught the kid everything he knows." Robert smiled a soft smile. It was so gentle Sophie wondered how someone like him could maintain it. "I promised him once he could use my room as a hiding place. If I guessed right, I don't want to blow his cover by letting everyone know his secret spot." Robert slowly opened the door to his bedroom.

Just like he'd believed, Teddy was lying curled up on his bed.

Sophie was impressed by how well Robert knew Teddy. Even Gwyn, who was with him every waking moment, hadn't been able to find him.

Teddy's eyes widened as he saw them enter. His fear faded when he realized Gwyn wasn't with them. He rushed to brush away his tears, obviously embarrassed.

Robert pretended that he didn't notice anything wrong. "Hey, kid." He crossed the room to plop down beside Teddy. "I need some help." He reached in his pocket and tossed Teddy his cell phone. "I've been working on this level for a while, think you can beat it?"

Teddy glanced at him curiously before opening up whatever game Rob had on his phone. In only a few minutes Teddy was finished, and tossed it back to Robert with a grin. "Liar. That level was nothing."

Robert was leaning against his headboard, his eyes closed. "I guess we have many liars in this house, huh?"

Teddy's face fell into a frown. He'd momentarily forgotten why he'd been so sad. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sophie, not knowing what she should do, took a seat in Robert's computer chair. She was watching them closely, but decided against making any comments. Rob seemed like he was handing the situation his own way.

"You must be pretty mad."

Teddy crossed his arms, looking as though he might start to cry at any moment.

"Gwyn did lie to you. Your mother isn't coming back."

Robert was being honest, but he wasn't speaking cruelly. He was being firm with Teddy, who couldn't be treated like a child with a subject this serious. It was a different route than Gwyn had taken, as she'd treated him like he was still a young boy. Robert understood that Teddy wanted the truth, and was giving it to him as calmly as he could.

"You think Gwyn's a bad person for lying, don't you?"

Teddy hesitated before nodding.

"She was wrong for doing that. She should've told you the truth." Rob paused for a long moment. "Teddy, your mother was a bad person. While what Gwyn did was wrong, what your mother did was worse. The bad person in this situation isn't Gwyn."

"Don't talk about my mom like that." Teddy shoved Robert in the chest. He'd moved so quickly Sophie hadn't seen it coming.

Robert allowed Teddy to take his frustration out on him. "Teddy, you feel hurt don't you?" Teddy paused at his last comment.

"My heart feels heavy." Teddy collapsed against the bed, his lip quivering.

"I think Gwyn has felt that way for a long, long time." Robert ruffled Teddy's hair. "She's been a good big sister, hasn't she? I think she's done her best to keep you safe."

Teddy couldn't argue with that. He sat still, his lip continuing to quiver.

It was a brief moment, but something had broken inside of the boy. Teddy's shock and anger had been wiped away to be replaced by a raw sadness. It wasn't an emotion many children his age had felt. Sophie's heart ached as she watched how crushing his disappointment was.

The moment Robert opened out his arms, Teddy dove into them, his last struggle with composure breaking. The tears which had been falling silently were now echoing with his sobs.

Sophie felt tears come into her own eyes, as she began to see herself reflected in Teddy. The pain of losing someone was universal. Teddy had lost his mother to a reason that was completely different from how Sophie lost her grandparents, but she understood what he was feeling.

Pain for losing someone precious. Pain for not being able to stop it. Pain for not understanding, and pain for feeling like the world was unfair.

She hadn't realized she was moving until she was on the other side of the room. Unconsciously, she'd taken Teddy's small hand in her own as he sobbed into Robert's chest. She squeezed it tightly, hoping the contact would be a promise to him. A promise he would get through this.

Her eyes locked with Robert's. His deep blue eyes were watching her emotionlessly. He seemed like he was trying to look through her, judging her every movement. She stared back confidently, refusing to let him see whatever he was looking for. This moment wasn't about her, it was about Teddy.

Robert seemed to read her thoughts through her expression. His lips curled into a small smile as he ruffled Teddy's hair again. His arms tightened around the young boy, whose sobs were growing quieter.

"Hey, kid." Robert whispered to Teddy. "We love you."

Sophie felt her throat close at Robert's declaration. It was so out of character for him, but sounded so sincere.

Teddy seemed surprised as well, looking up to stare at him.

"Even if your mom isn't here, we are. You have Gwyn, Rylan, and me." He continued.

"I have Sophie too." Teddy reminded him.

"Sophie too." Robert agreed, glancing up at her briefly.

"Will it get better?" Teddy placed a hand on his chest. "Will I be happy again?"

"Of course." Robert flicked Teddy's nose playfully. "It might not be right now, but it'll get easier day by day. It's a part of growing up."

"I don't want to grow up anymore." Teddy rubbed his wet cheeks.

"Neither do I." Sophie grinned, squeezing his hand again. "Let's stay young forever."

"I second that." Robert smiled, helping Teddy brush away his tears.

Even though Teddy seemed exhausted, he cracked a grin. Surprising both Robert and Sophie, he broke away from them to stand up.

"I have something I need to do." He said, answering their unspoken questions. "Gwyn needs me right now."

Teddy exited Robert's room before either of them could stop him.

"For such a small kid, he's very strong. When I lost my grandparents I cried for days." Sophie watched Robert's door with pained eyes.

"These kids are stronger than we know. They've learned to support each other."

"He's only eight." Sophie whispered. "Having to accept such a horrible reality..."

"Teddy and Gwyn will be okay." Robert was staring at her again. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to support her now.

"Another promise?"

"Maybe." His eyes crinkled in amusement.

Sophie sighed, letting silence fill the room for a few minutes. Her chest felt heavy, like she'd left something unresolved. She knew better than to be concerned. Every time something awful happened in the past, she'd had this feeling. It was a product of the fact that sad things couldn't always be wiped away with words alone. Yes, they'd promised to support Teddy, but that didn't take away his pain. Like Robert had said, it would take time for this wound to heal.

Time not just for Teddy, but for all of them that would be affected by his pain.

"Do you think we need to go downstairs and help?" Sophie felt like Gwyn needed her as well.

"We've done all we can. Rylan will take care of the two of them. I imagine they have a lot they need to talk about."

"I don't feel like I've done anything at all."

"You have." Robert's eyes had grown serious again. "You've given him something the rest of us couldn't."

"What's that?"

"You've given him another person he can trust. It might not seem like a big deal, but for a kid without parents, that's the best gift he could have."

Sophie wondered why Robert was telling her this. He had this unexplainable way of making her feel better, just by his words alone. She knew he was liar, and she knew he was manipulative, but she believed him anyway.

For the moment, though, it seemed like he was being sincere. Maybe it was his promise that she could trust him, or maybe it was her need to trust in someone.

She decided to let her suspicions slide just for tonight.

"You look like you could use something to get your mind off of everything." Robert pushed himself off his bed, and disappeared into his closet. A few moments later he returned with a book. It was aged and smelled like dust, but it succeeded in catching Sophie's interest.

She offered out her hand, and he gave it to her. Sophie ran her hand over the old cover, which had no visible title.

"Take a break from thinking about your parents, Cleo, or being a thief."

"If you act this kind, I'm not going to trust you." Sophie warned.

"If you're that concerned, think of this as study material." Robert shrugged, looking like he didn't care if she read it either way. "I thought you would enjoy it."

"What's it about?" Sophie asked, opening to the first page. By the yellow, worn pages, she knew the book was ancient.

"The best thief in history." Robert replied, smiling mischievously.

"Why am I not surprised?" She couldn't deny her curiosity. She'd always loved reading stories about thieves. "How is a book about stealing going to get my mind off being a thief?"

"If you don't want it, give it back." He held out his hand, but she smacked it away.

"Fine, I'll take it." Sophie flipped through the first couple of pages, her eyes roving over the words.

"Don't ruin it." Robert ordered. "Go to your room and read. I've spent too much time with you today as it is."

Sophie scowled as she got up to leave. He'd helped to momentarily take her mind off of things, but the heaviness in her heart still hadn't faded. She didn't feel like arguing with him, and her scowl fell into a frown.

He noticed her expression and his voice softened. "Don't worry about the kids. Everything will work itself out."