Share Your Work E-Book

Jeremy McHarry

• Herausgeber: Bentockiz
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

I sat and closed my eyes in a concerted effort to concentrate, finally managing to work out a simply coded message for him. Repeating the message over and over in my head, I dialed his confidential phone number, the one known only to a few. He hated my messages, but I usually enjoyed them. Picturing his irritated face was enough to send me into gales of laughter.

Leseprobe

Title Page

Share Your Work

Turning Point

Jeremy McHarry

Share Your Work / 4th of series: Turning Point / By Jeremy McHarry

Published 2023 by Bentockiz

e-book Imprint: Uniochlors

e-book Registration: Stockholm, Sweden

e-book ISBN: 9789198834208

e-book editing: Athens, Greece

Cover Images created via AI art generators

Table of Contents

Title Page

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Introduction

Through books we come into contact with everything important that has happened in the past, analyzing also current events and putting our thoughts together to predict the future. The book is a window to the world, acquiring valuable knowledge and sparking our vivid imagination. It is a means of entertainment and is generally seen as a best friend, or as a slave that carries together all valuable information for us. The book is a friend who stays together without demands, a friend you call upon at every moment and abandon when you want.

It accompanies us in the hours of boredom and loneliness, while at the same time it entertains us. In general, a book does not ask anything from us, while it waits patiently on a dusty shelf to give us its information, to get us out of dead ends and to travel us to magical worlds.

This may be the travel mission of our books. Abstract narration, weird or unconscious thoughts difficult to be understood, but always genuine and full of life experiences, these are stories of life that can’t be overlooked easily.

Chapter One

“Al,” Drew exclaimed in surprise removing his hand from Felicia’s waist to hug me as I gave him a peck on the cheek. “I didn’t know you were back in the country.”

“Surely you didn’t think I’d miss meeting the woman who finally managed to snag you,” I said with a grin.

“Hi,” I turned to Felicia, holding out my hand, which she reluctantly took.

I could see the jealousy in her eyes, though she tried to hide it, and I was amused even while I felt for her. I could have told her she had no one to fear—anyone with half a brain could tell Drew was extremely possessive about her—but I knew she wouldn’t believe me.

“I’m Al. Drew hasn’t mentioned me, I’m sure, but I was one of the people following your parents all over Europe in a futile attempt to find you.”

“Oh...I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay; I had a paid vacation at Mi...Drew’s expense, and that’s never a bad thing.”

I knew Drew wouldn’t be happy with my near slip, but he would just have to deal; I was a bit preoccupied, although I allowed none of that to show on my smiling face.

“You’re holding up the line, Al.”

I was right...he wasn’t pleased.

“Oops,” I laughed lightly, “I’ll just go say hi to Jake and Allison. Nice meeting you, Felicia, and good luck keeping this lug in line.”

I punched Drew playfully in the stomach.

“Nice meeting you,” she replied in a monotone.

I forced myself to stroll casually towards Jake and Allison while attempting to ignore the man standing beside them without appearing to ignore him...tricky business.

“Al, you look wonderful!” Allison exclaimed, enveloping me in a hug. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I can take care of myself, you know,” I said gently, pulling back.

“I’m a mother...it’s what I do.”

“Hello, Al...it’s been a while.”

“Mark...” I nodded in acknowledgement and before he could say anything else, I turned to Jake and murmured, “We need to talk.”

“I know you and Jake have a lot of catching up to do, Al,” Allison said, “so why don’t the two of you take a walk around the grounds. Jake hates being inside for too long, especially when we’re experiencing such beautiful weather.”

“Actually, I think he would prefer a ten-mile hike in full gear with a monsoon blowing up.”

Jake lips twisted in what could have been a smile—I’d never seen one on him before, so I had no basis for comparison—as he bent down and kissed Allison’s cheek, whispering something inaudible to the rest of us. He then took my arm and impatiently hustled me towards the door...same old Jake.

We’d only taken a few steps outside when I noticed we had a tail.

“You weren’t invited,” I said as I turned to face Mark.

“Less talk if the two of you are chaperoned,” he noted.

“Jake...”

“He’s right, Al...besides which, Mark’s going to do what he wants regardless of what I say.”

I could hear the underlying admiration in Jake’s voice, something I’d never heard before when referring to anyone, and I realized that Mark had done the nearly impossible; he’d managed to win Jake’s respect. That irritated me.

“Nosey busybody...” I muttered.

“Does this have anything to do with the man you were seeing in France?” Mark demanded.

“The man I was seeing...?” I began then choked off in anger. “How do you know about that?”

“Does it?”

Jake remained silent, watching the two of us closely and speculatively, and I knew the wheels were turning. I needed to stop those wheels. He could add two and two better than most, and apparently my attraction to Mark hadn’t diminished during our time apart, which of course made me extremely cross.

“I wasn’t ‘seeing’ anybody; blabbermouth must be contagious and now Mitch or Drew or whatever the hell his name is, has been infected.”

“Tell me what happened,” Jake prompted.

“Mark shouldn’t...” I began desperately.

“I’m not leaving,” Mark said with a shrug. “Get used to it.”

I took a deep, calming breath and then swiftly and succinctly explained the events that lead up to my departure from France giving only the facts...not my impressions.

“All of this secrecy just because a stranger was hitting on you?” Mark scoffed. “Surely you’re used to that by now.”

I didn’t bother to answer him. Leave it to Mark to, once again, turn what should have been a compliment into an insult.

Jake was silent for a moment then said, “You think it’s related.”

I hadn’t mentioned Fairchild—avoided even acknowledging it to myself—but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the man I’d met in France was somehow tied to him.

“You’re the one who convinced me long ago that coincidences usually aren’t.”

“What does that mean, coincidences usually aren’t? Aren’t what?” Mark asked.

“Aren’t coincidences,” I supplied testily.

“Wait a minute...heart attack...British accent...you think this has something to do with Fairchild,” Mark exclaimed.

“Wow, you can connect dots,” I said in feigned astonishment. “I’m impressed.”

“Did you follow procedure when you left France?” Jake asked.

“Yes, remind me to give you my new phone number. Oh, and just so you know, Al Collingsworth is no longer a viable alias.”

“I’ll let Garnet know.”

“Do you have to? He’ll use it as an excuse to draw me back into the agency, Jake, and I just can’t.”

“Look, Al, there’s something you don’t know...” Jake began.

“Don’t tell me...let me guess,” I interrupted. “There’s another assassin; Fairchild wasn’t working alone.”

“You already knew...?”

“No, but I didn’t have much else to do on the long flight home so I did a lot of thinking. It’s the only thing that makes sense, unless the good doctor was simply hitting on me...which I doubt,” I said shooting a glare at Mark before turning back to Jake. “Is Garnet aware...?”

“Yes,” Jake replied.

“Need to know...” I conceded sighing heavily, “and I didn’t.”

“We didn’t have confirmation until shortly before I met Allison and things got complicated after that.”