Sins of the Father (16 page)

He took it with a smile,
experiencing a brief stab of guilt that he’d been taking advantage
of Tim’s good nature. The kid was a good source of information so
he had encouraged their little side discussions. He’d tried to
convince himself his interest in Alicia’s life was purely
professional, but knowing it was a lie made it harder to
swallow.

“
You’ve got
to admire her strength,” Tim was saying.

Brad nodded in
encouragement – an indication that he was listening.

“
The press
give her such a hard time. They don’t see the good she does - how
much she gives.”

“
I imagine
they’re looking for the catch.”

Tim grinned. “She does
seem a little too good to be true, doesn’t she? I think most
reporters, those who get the chance, see what we see when they’re
granted an interview.”

Brad knew from experience
the full strength of her magnetism. It was clear that most people
wanted to be around her; their reward was the sheer energy she gave
off. It was hard for him to gain immunity from that.

“
It has to be
someone she’s never met.” Tim had a worry frown, which appeared
when he spoke of something uncomfortable. “I can’t understand why
someone would want to hurt her. The people I know are loyal to the
bone.”

It made him think of
Sarah, but it felt wrong to pry where she was concerned, especially
as she was standing only a few yards away. “She has a good group of
friends - people watching out for her. It makes my job a little
easier.”

“
Speaking of
jobs… I think they’re about ready for you,” Sarah said to
Tim.

She’s
quick too
. Either that or she
had a listening device he didn’t know about.

“
Bring it on.
I’m up for smacking Carl around a little. Come and watch. You might
learn something.”

Brad grinned at Tim’s
enthusiasm. He wasn’t the only one. He could see Carl running
through his moves before the scene; adding his own brand of energy.
Alicia was bending over a monitor, deep in conversation with
Stuart. It had become a familiar sight.

“
So,” Sarah
said, as Tim wandered over to the action. “Have you told her about
Helen yet?”

He whipped around in
surprise. He wasn’t often caught off guard, but she had a habit of
it. “Not yet.”

Sarah raised a perfectly
arched brow.

“
Is there a
reason you didn’t?” he asked, despite already knowing the
answer.

“
I’m sure
you’ve already worked that out. But in truth I don’t know what Al’s
reaction would’ve been had I mentioned it. She had enough to deal
with at the time and I didn’t want to add more tension.”

“
So you
thought you’d leave that to me.”

Sarah’s smile was sly. “I
knew it would be harder for her to back out if you were already
here.”

“
That’s not
very reassuring.”

“
No. I don’t
suppose it will be easy to break the news now.”

Brad looked down at her.
“It must be hard to live with all the secrecy.” He laughed when the
eyebrow shot up again. “I’m talking about the personal skeletons.
It’s not like her job is a matter of national security. What does
it matter where she came from?”

She didn’t say anything
for a moment; clearly thinking about her loyalties. “When Alicia
first attracted attention, the fact that she didn’t have a past
only fuelled their interest more. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to dig
into her background but plenty tried.”

“
She changed
her name.”

“
Yes, more
than once. It’s inevitable that people started to come out of the
woodwork, and eventually one clever reporter found out about Helen
Fairfax. The information would have damaged her in a number of
ways… had it got out.”

The implication impressed
him, but then she was a very resourceful woman. “You killed the
story.”

“
Right again.
I’m fortunate to know a few people in the industry who owe me a
favour or two. So I put out a few fires now and then. Alicia values
her privacy. She also carries a great deal of anger towards her
mother.”

“
Not
unusual,” he said, picking up her warning.

“
No, it’s
not. She trusts you, Brad, but that could change if you don’t find
a way to tell her soon.” When he didn’t respond Sarah touched his
arm briefly. “There’s a lot she doesn’t know about her mother. I,
on the other hand, know all about Helen’s life.”

He felt an old anger
bubble to the surface and fought it back down. “I get the feeling
you want Alicia to show more of an interest.”

Something passed across
Sarah’s face and it looked suspiciously like panic. It was clear
there was something she wasn’t telling him; he just wasn’t sure who
she was protecting or why.

“
Why the
serious faces?” Alicia called to them from the refreshment table.
They had slowed their pace even further, but now Sarah returned to
her usual ten-speed.

“
I’m just
impressing him with my skills as the ‘go to’ girl. One day, when I
grow up, he’s going to offer me a job.”

“
I knew there
was a reason you picked him, aside from his movie star good
looks.”

“
Oh no...”
Brad held up his hands. “You’re not dragging me into your little
games. I’m going to be stood right over there.”

He walked away before
they could jibe him further. Neither one of them noticed the smile
on his face – he’d managed to keep it in check until he had his
back turned.

Sarah may have been
joking about her future employment prospects but it wasn’t a bad
idea. He didn’t often meet someone who would fit so well into their
unit, but something told him she’d be perfect.

As he kept one eye on the
partners in crime, he took a moment to check his messages. An
additional team briefing was scheduled for 20:00 and he had a
number of things to bring to the table. First, he had to get
through a scene involving a water stage and part of the lake that
backed onto the studio. They were controlled risks, but the public
would be that much closer – he had to factor in the additional
security.

Chapter
12

Alicia sank into her
favourite chair, closing her mind to the sights and sounds around
her. She usually spent her breaks with the production team but the
urge to be alone was too strong – she didn’t often get a chance.
The stress headache had been building all day – lack of sleep
didn’t help. It was starting to feel like it would never end. But
she couldn’t falter now. Too many people were relying on
her.

For ten minutes she
cleared her mind of everything; Brad on the other side of her
trailer door, Sarah who was watching her like a hawk, the looks of
speculation, and the expectations. For now she was in her own
place, the one she used during meditation to refocus
herself.

In her mind, she opened
her eyes and welcomed the sight of the cool stream she often
envisaged. She could hear the gentle lap of water, feel the breeze
on her face, and she was calm. Her eyes focused on the willow tree;
its branches hung so low they were, in places, catching on the
ground. Sometimes she sat under the tree and used it as a blanket
to shut out the rest of existence. Today she merely reached out a
hand and willed herself to feel the texture in her palm.

A sound began to hum
around her like an annoying insect. It was her mobile phone, but
Alicia was in a place where realities were easier to ignore.
Instead of a telephone, the sound was the humming of a persistent
bee. Indulging herself, she sat by the stream and dangled her toes
in the water. Her eyes fluttered shut as an intense feeling of
peace settled. This time when she opened them, she was back in her
trailer and ready to face the next gruelling task.

But not
before coffee
. She rose
slowly, lethargic now, and walked into her kitchenette. She
remembered then that she was out of coffee. It didn’t irk her as
much as it had earlier; she opted for finding a substitute in her
recently stocked fridge.

Her eyes honed in on the
foreign object immediately. She stared open-mouthed at the milk
carton and the neatly printed note pinned to the front. She knew it
was from him before the words even registered. He was playing with
her. The blanket of calm from a moment ago slid to the ground, and
the note was in her hand before she realised she’d reached for it.
In a rush of anger, she screwed it into a tight ball. It didn’t
really matter - the message was already burnt into her
mind.

THEY CAN’T PROTECT YOU,
ALICIA. NO ONE CAN.

THIS TIME I WON’T BE
INTERRUPTED. I’M GOING TO

ENJOY WATCHING YOU
SUFFER.

“
What the
hell do you want?” She said to no one but herself. She was tired of
his games.

Despite the anger
bubbling away on the surface, her heart gave a frightening lurch
when the phone rang. He’d found the new number. She had no doubt of
that. It was why she was circling the phone as if it was a
poisonous snake, instead of an inanimate object.

When the ringing stopped,
her relief was instant. It was also short-lived. In under a minute
it started again. It tormented her; made her want to pick it up and
hurl it against the wall. The image was enough to snap her out of
the daze.

Get a
hold of yourself
. On a deep
breath, she picked it up and spoke defiantly into the receiver.
“Hello?”

“
Did you have
fun today?” When she didn’t answer he laughed mechanically. “It’s a
shame the cameras weren’t rolling.”

The sound of his voice
sent a wave of disgust through her. “Why are you doing
this?”

“
Come now,
Alicia. You know I can’t give away the final act.”

She felt a swell of anger
so strong that she responded to it without thinking. Her phone flew
across the room and hit the wall with surprising force. It
shattered on impact. If she hadn’t been so angry she would have
felt remorse, but however she felt there was nothing she could do
to take it back.

There was barely time to
react before the door burst open, and Brad filled the doorway.
“What happened?”

She laughed
self-consciously and looked towards the debris at his feet. “I had
a little accident with the phone.”

He followed her gaze, his
eyes clouding with anger when they met hers again. “He called you.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact.

Alicia bent forward to
retrieve the crumpled piece of paper she hadn’t realised she’d
dropped. “He left this too. It was attached to a carton of milk in
the fridge.”

A muscle worked in his
jaw as he processed the information. “So he’s either a member of
the production team or he has someone on the inside.” When she
raised an eyebrow, he gestured distractedly to the set behind him.
“There’s no way he’s good enough to get past Abe’s guys, and since
everyone was evacuated it’s likely he took an opportunity to slip
in during the disruption.”

He stepped over the phone
debris and closed the door behind him. His own phone was already in
his hand. “There’s been another breach...a note...yeah. Can you
gather the troops?” He grinned when Alicia’s eyebrows shot up at
the expression. Susannah’s responding comment had him swallowing a
laugh. “Mansfield’s office in ten. Morgan out.” He was still
smiling as he snapped the phone shut.

Alicia figured it was an
inside joke and didn’t ask. She liked this side to him – when he
was relaxed and at ease.

He stepped aside when the
door opened again and Sarah stood with a frustrated expression
behind him.

That
was quick
. “I take it you’re
one of the troops?” Alicia said with a smile.

Sarah blinked, but she
didn’t move further in. “I have no idea what that means but I just
got a call from Susannah. I was on my way to find you. What
happened?”

Brad passed the note
across, amused at the shock on her face when she saw the broken
phone pieces scattered at her feet.

Alicia shrugged. “I lost
my temper. He phoned just as I...”

“
You mean
he’s watching?” Sarah looked at Brad, her voice raising an
octave.

“
I think it’s
more likely he got lucky. The note was pinned to a carton of milk
and it’s not hard to find out about Alicia’s penchant for
coffee.”

Alicia walked to the slim
cupboard to the right of the door and pulled out a dustpan and
brush. If they were going to pretend like she wasn’t in the room
she may as well get to work. In a few brisk sweeps of the brush,
what was left of her phone was in the pan.

She caught Brad eyeing
her with surprise. “If you make a quip about having someone to do
that for me I swear to-”

“
Easy, tiger,
I’m not the enemy here.” Brad stepped to the side as though he
expected her to throw it at him.

The fact that Sarah was
pressing her lips together to rein in her amusement tipped her over
the edge. She laughed until tears came into her eyes and Brad
stepped forward again with her humour reflected in his.