Minerva's Ghost (13 page)

“Let’s go,” Amanda said. “Michael will need help.”

“How do you know he isn’t involved?” Gabe asked as they ran to Minnie’s Cadillac.

“Minnie told me.” Amanda said.

“Of course she did.” Gabe said. “I wonder why she didn’t tell me.”

“I think she’s kind of busy,” Amanda said.

“You realize we’re talking about a ghost, don’t you?” Gabe said as Amanda cranked the car and tore out of the parking lot.

“I told you I had heard her voice.” Amanda said. “And I know she’s a ghost, but I still hear her and she makes as much sense as she ever did.”

Allison was dealing with the fear of being in the hands of the enemy. It was her greatest fear. She steadied herself with the sure knowledge that Michael would be lost without her.

Rory had already hit her in the chin. She had lost consciousness briefly, but was now playing possum. She’s read once that people attacked by a bear should play dead. Rory held her limp body against him and pinched her breast hard. It hurt badly but she hid her pain and stayed limp.

Pete asked Rory, “Is she awake yet?”

“No,” Rory replied. “We aren’t going to have any fun for awhile.”

“We can still torture Michael some,” Pete suggested as he barreled down the farm road.

At the farm, Michael heard Minnie, too. She said, “Help Allison. Rory and Pete have her.”

He didn’t question what he heard. He knew his mother would try to bend him to her will. What he didn’t know was how she found out what Allison meant to him, but it didn’t matter. He just reached into his office and got the 22 rifle they occasionally used on snakes and sat down to wait.

His brothers drove up and dragged Allison out of their car. She was limp and they dropped her. He squeezed off a shot before they realized he was armed. Pete fell to the ground grasping his knee and howling in pain. Rory dropped to the ground too, and pulled Allison’s body toward him for cover. Pete pulled out a revolver and returned fire. Michael ended up pinned down and helpless. Just as he gathered himself to make what would effectively be a suicide run to help Allison, Minnie materialized in front of him.

She was a shimmering gold entity, but dressed like always. She was just bigger than he remembered.

Pete screamed hysterically, “You’re dead! I know you were. Rory hit you in the head hard enough to kill anyone.”

Minnie seemed to grow more and advance on the boys. Even Rory could see her now. He let go of Allison. He grabbed Pete, tossed him in the car and got behind the wheel. He tore up the road away from the greenhouse and almost collided head on with another car. The other driver swerved in time to avoid them and did a racing turn to follow.

Michael didn’t care. He ran to Allison. The new employee, Sue… something, ran to them, too. They carefully turned Allison over and looked to see what was wrong. She had a big bruise on her delicate chin. “I think they just knocked her out.” Sue said.

Allison opened her eyes. “I’m not knocked out. I just wasn’t helping them. I knew it would be hard for them to carry me. My head hurts, though.”

Michael reached for her, but Sue stopped him. “Easy Michael, Don’t grab her yet.” Michael sat on his heels and shook. Sue bent and put her ear to Allison’s chest. “Her neck looks OK and her heartbeat is strong. There’s no blood. I think you can hold her safely.” Michael gently and carefully pulled her to him and just held her. Allison moved enough to snuggle in and said “Michael,” softly, but they both heard her and exchanged a smile.

“Who are you really?” he asked Sue. Allison turned and looked, too.

“I work for Gabe’s security firm,” Sue told him. “The other car following those two was driven by another of our people. I need to go see if I can help him out. Take her to ER and have her checked out, OK?”

“Did you see Minnie?” Michael asked Allison as he came to his feet and lifted her in his arms.

“No, I didn’t, but your brothers did. I was conscious, but I didn’t want to cooperate with them. “ Allison told him.

“Good thinking,” Michael complimented her. “Those two enjoy hurting women. If you had been screaming and crying, they would have enjoyed it more and probably hurt you more.” He loaded her in his truck and started for town.

“Martha’s probably the embezzler,” Allison told him. “Amanda and Gabe already had their suspicions. That’s why they sent us that data.”

“So they never thought we did it?” Michael asked.

“Apparently not,” Allison confirmed.

“All the stuff Martha said to scare us was untrue,” Michael said.

“I think Amanda trusts us both. Neat, huh.”

“Yeah,” Michael said. “We have people we can turn to for help…finally. You know what I want to know? Why did Minnie hire Martha?”

“Good question,” Allison said. “I bet we’re about to find out.”

Sue and Scooby caught up with Rory and Pete when Rory ran off the road and wrecked the car he shouldn’t have been driving. Gabe and Amanda arrived only moments later. Sue came to meet them as they got out of Minnie’s Cadillac. ‘This is a mess,’ Amanda thought.

“Pete said Rory killed Minnie with a blow to the head, “ Sue told them. “It would not have been obvious with her injuries from the wreck. I bet they ran her off the road, too.”

Scooby was wrestling the two men from the burning car and Gabe went to help him.

“Are they alive?” Amanda shouted.

“They’ll live, sadly enough. I can’t let them burn, as much as they deserve it. They’ve been taking orders from their mother and Martha. According to Reese, Martha is Tom’s legitimate daughter. His wife left him before she gave birth to Martha. He isn’t widowed. He’s divorced. He says Tom’s in it up to his neck.”

Michael’s truck passed them without even slowing on the way to ER with Allison. Sue watched and said, “She’s OK. They roughed her up a little, but I really think she’s fine. He, however, needs reassurance. There’s something serious between those two.”

“It’s important to me for her to be OK, too. Without her being willing to expose herself to accusations of theft, we might not know what we know now,” Amanda said.

“I agree,” Gabe said. “We also need to see what Dick’s found at Tom’s office.”

“OK, Amanda agreed.” As devastated as she was by what Sue had told them, she knew she didn’t have the luxury of giving in to her emotions. They were only beginning to find out what happened to Minnie. “I want him to come to my office if possible. I feel more secure there. Tom’s employees are his people. I feel I’ll have more control over whatever is said in my own environment. “

Gabe made the call and they went back to the plant to meet Dick there.

His news shocked them again, and she hung onto Gabe, needing his support.

“Tom has a plan in writing at his office for taking the business public. With he and Gena as your heirs, they would have control and do whatever they wanted if you were out of the picture. I believe murder was the plan. I had to get a search warrant to get into Tom’s files and I bet there’s more at his home,” Dick told them.

“Gabe, do you still want to get married? “ Amanda asked.

“You bet,” Gabe said. “I want you to be sure about how you feel though. I want love and kids and the whole package. Otherwise, no wedding.”

“OK,” Amanda said, “I admit it, I do love you. I want it all, too. And Dick can you make me a will and get it notarized today? I guess I should have done it before because of the business. I think I want to leave voting control to Gabe and Michael. Gabe and I are getting married and I trust them to do what Minnie wants. That will protect the business and the employees. I want the wedding to be as soon as possible. Doris can plan it in the three day waiting period.” Amanda turned and looked at Gabe. “Do you agree? I don’t feel I can wait or dither any longer. Do you still want it?”

He grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her soundly in front of everyone. “You know I want it!” he said. “No babies until the culprits are in jail, though.”

“Well, what do you know,” Dick said. “I’ll write two wills, one for now and one for after the wedding, in that case. It will complicate things hopelessly for the bad guys.”

Gabe said. “But I don’t want either Michael or Allison alone until we have all the answers. I’ll put Sue with them at Michael’s house at night as well as at the farm during the day. Just remember not to give her any real work. Her job is to watch them. He must have been under an incredible amount of pressure.”

“I don’t think he’s worried about pleasing his mother at all now. She’s betrayed him in the most fundamental way imaginable,” Amanda observed.

“You’re right. He’s free of her now. She’s lost him through her own carelessness,” Gabe agreed.

“We were all in more danger because he was so conflicted and secretive,” Amanda pointed out.

“It’s true, of course, but he came through when put to the true test.” Gabe hugged her while he said it. It helped. The violence and greed was unnerving and there was more to come.

“I want to get Doris started on the wedding plans,” Amanda said into his shoulder.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Amanda?” Gabe asked her. “I love you, but I want you to love me, too. I want a woman who loves me,” he continued.

“It’s the ‘Eat cake’ thing,” Amanda said. “I do love you and I don’t think it’s wise to wait in the light of all these risks.”

“Thank you. Minnie,” Gabe said as he hugged Amanda to him. “How do you feel about making love at work?”

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” she said.

He had her on her back on top of her desk in moments. She unzipped his fly and found him hard and ready for her.

She was already wet and desirous of all he could make her feel. He turned her on just because he existed. He fumbled in his pants pocket for a rubber while she pulled his shirt up and his pants and underwear down. He disposed of her underwear and tested her degree of desire with an impudent finger.

“Oh, Amanda, you’re wet for me,” he gasped.

“Oh, yeah, I certainly am,” she replied. “Do you think its adrenalin? I’ve never had a sex drive like I feel with you.”

“I’ve experienced danger before, but I haven’t gone to bed with every available woman. Just you.”

“Well that’s good to know. I’ve never felt this way about anyone and really never expected to. You’re special to me.” She took the rubber from him and rolled it down his erection before demanding, “Fuck me…please!”

He stroked into her hungry passage as she begged him for what they both wanted. He lifted her lower body and smoothed the curves of her hips and butt, adding to both their arousals, his and hers. He fumbled with the buttons of her jacket to reach her breasts. It was a passionate coupling, the rhythm desperate and quick. She felt it coming, her own orgasm. His thumb touched her clit and they came together. Doris would plan the wedding. Dick would take care of the legalities. Their respective employees would do their jobs. They could make love at work if they wanted or not go to work at all.

As Gabe collapsed over her, Amanda said, “I love you and I love that we’re both self employed.”

Gabe laughed. “Me, too,” he growled in her ear. It made her feel aroused again.

“I’m so glad Minnie put in the executive washroom,” Amanda said. “We can clean up before we let anyone in here.”

Gabe followed her with his eyes as she held her skirt out of the way, baring her ass and crotch on the trip to the little room. She still wore stockings and garters and high-heeled shoes. Her crotch was wet and open to his gaze. He got up and followed her with his aroused body. They ended up doing it again with Amanda perched on the edge of the little sink.