*****
Aldrich slowly drove to the back of the Greyson estate, keeping a watchful eye out that none of the employees were wandering the grounds or peeking out windows. No one should be about. When Greyson was absent—or incommunicado as he liked to call it—most of the employees were given an extended holiday. Still, Aldrich believed in caution and so he made his way along the twisting driveway at a leisurely speed more suited to checking the general condition of the estate, which was the story he was using if anyone dared question his presence. The unconscious woman on the floor in the back was covered with a light blanket, so prying eyes would have no clear idea as to what he was transporting.
The far back corner of the expansive grounds contained a seldom used shed that had once housed garden tools. Several years back, Aldrich had suggested a newer building be constructed in a more convenient location. The gardener hadn’t protested abandoning the ramshackle hut in the least. A new home for his gardening tools, re-landscaping being done; the fellow was ecstatic.
No one noticed or seemed to care that the old abandoned shed was repaired rather than being torn down. Doors and windows were reinforced and the walls were strengthened from the inside to form an impenetrable structure. While vines and long grass grew around the building, almost hiding it from sight, the interior was fitted with a small generator and wireless communications, all cleverly concealed by old potting tables, benches, and tool hooks. The rough wooden floor hid a trap door leading to a secondary underground safe room. It even had an escape route that led through the sewers before emerging in a drainage ditch near the edge of the nearby woods. As Aldrich had explained to Greyson, one should always be prepared for the unexpected and a conveniently located hideaway might be useful at some point.
Greyson had liked the idea immensely. In fact, it was this little hideaway that had secured Aldrich’s present spot as one of Greyson’s closest confidants. As far as Aldrich knew, only he and Mr. Greyson knew of the shed’s secret purpose, which was why it was perfect for his present purpose.
Ms. Greene had to be kept somewhere. Aldrich wasn’t stupid enough to take her back to his office or even to his own home. There was too great a chance of someone seeing her, and he wanted no link between the two of them. Snatching the woman had been impulsive on his part, but the presence of her feisty friend had thrown him off. Why hadn’t the woman cowered and cried in the corner? If she hadn’t swung at him when he wasn’t expecting it, he wouldn’t be in this mess.
He’d come to Greene’s apartment with the express purpose of using intimidation to gain access to the Taylor report. When the other woman had attacked him, he’d reacted instinctively, old habits from his youth springing forward. Few knew that Leon Aldrich had grown up on the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks. His average size frame, bland appearance, even the way he conducted himself, led others to believe he was merely an intellectual—no one realized he knew how to handle a street fight. Yes, he’d been tough in his younger years but he was also smart; smart enough to know he’d end up dead if he didn’t get out of the hell-hole he grew up in. So he’d studied, got a scholarship and a degree, then carefully buried that past with a name change and a few forged documents. His present persona was staid, pompous and gave no indication of ever having known what it was like to claw one’s way up out of the gutter. Aldrich liked the image and intended to keep it.
Unfortunately, he now had to do some quick work to ensure no stain of wrongdoing touched him. The frying pan wielding woman wasn’t going to make it—Aldrich knew that much blood wasn’t a good sign—and so he’d been forced to scoop up the Greene woman, rather than brow-beating her where she lay. Leaving the scene of the crime before anyone noticed his presence had taken precedence.
So here he was, thankful Greyson was away and that he had a nice safe place to stow this uncooperative person. He was sure he’d be able to get the report from her and have it ready for Greyson’s return. She didn’t look like the kind to hold out against persuasion for an extended period of time. Once the report was in his hands, well... Ms. Greene would likely be ‘leaving town’ just as the former lawyer had. It was regrettable, but in the grand scheme of things, the woman was expendable.
Parking the car, Aldrich double checked that there was no one about before quickly lifting the unconscious woman from the back seat and carrying her into the shed-turned-safe-room. She murmured as he moved her, lashes fluttering and muscles twitching. Good, she was waking up. He could begin to question her about the report and its contents.