Chapter 146

Will groaned. The last thing he wanted to do was further immerse himself in the investigation. His whole life seemed to revolve around it. It was like a living, breathing entity taking up entirely too much space in his life.
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Don’t sound so excited about,” Captain Whitlock teased.
“Sorry. I’m just tired of it. I want this to be over.” Will sounded like a weary old man, weathered by the atrocities of life. Like a war-torn soldier, destroyed by battle. He let his head rest on the back of his chair.
“I know, kid,” Captain Whitlock lamented. “I know. Unfortunately, it seems like every time we pull at a thread, more unravels.”
“So, you mean things are only going to get worse from here.”
“It’s possible. We have no way of knowing.”
“This is insane,” Will wanted to scream. “See you later.”
Will rubbed at his face. It was maddening.
At times the rage would build in him so much that he feared he would destroy whatever object was closest to him. He was a ticking time bomb poised to self-destruct at any moment. He pitied the poor soul who would eventually set him off.
When he arrived at the station, he was led to Captain Whitlock’s office. It had been several years since he was a frequent visitor, but nothing had changed.
“This place is exactly the same,” Will commented as he took a seat in the captain’s office.
“If it ain’t broke…” the captain commented, looking over a file when Will entered. “Take a seat. We have somethings to talk about.” His tone was serious. All business.
“What is it?
“We found some things,” the captain grunted as he shifted in his chair to face Will. “…in your uncle’s study. They are proof enough to proof that he masterminded the kidnapping and the construction scam.”
“Yes, I had that info. What else is there?”
“There were a few details we hadn’t released to you yet. Such as the motive for all of this mess.”
“He wanted to take over as CEO,” Will deadpanned. “He wanted to take over the company.”
“Yes, but didn’t you ever wonder why?” Will paused. Until that moment, he’d thought it was simple. Robert wanted the company because he believed he was the rightful heir. That side of the family had always harbored resentment for his grandfather. Especially after Will was named heir to the Stewart throne.
“What other reason is there?” Will was confused but could feel the anger simmering close to the surface.
The captain held up a USB drive between his fingers. “There is a video on here. It shows that Robert Stewart wasn’t the puppet master, but rather was being pulled on strings himself.”
“What do you mean?” Will knew exactly that the captain meant. But he desperately hoped he was wrong. That last thing they needed was another twist, another player, another problem.
“Will… Your uncle had significant gambling debts. Millions and millions of dollars of debt. Something bigger is at play here.”
“Bigger.” Will fought to maintain control. “Not a week ago I thought my uncle was just a douche bag who wanted my company. And in the span of a few days, I found out he’s a murderous drug lord who has caused devastation all over the world, used my ex to plant drugs in my car and frame me, kidnapped the mother of my child her best friend, and now you want to me something bigger is at play?” he exploded. He stood and, in his rage, threw have the things off of the captain’s desk. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! When does this bullshit end?”
Captain Whitlock just watched as Will had his tirade, feeling weary himself. It was easy to understand where Will’s anger came from and couldn’t judge him. If anything, she felt terrible anguish for Will and his friends. Things were only going to get worse.
“I don’t know when it ends, but I’m doing what I can.”
“I know,” Will deflated. “I’m sorry about all this,” he said indicating the mess he’d made.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time someone has thrown things off my desk. I learned to get things that can’t break. But about this video, I need you to watch it. I need to know what you make of it.”
They watched the video, the captain pausing it at different parts to point things out. The mystery man was bone chilling. The way he spoke, the way he moved set Will’s teeth on edge.
“What do you think?” the captain asked.
“This guy… do you know who he is?”
“No. I was hoping you did.”
“No, I don’t know him. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
“He seems to at least know of you.”
“Everyone knows of me,” Will said. “Everyone knows who I am. That doesn’t help. There’s something about him. It makes me feel… watched.”
“Right now, this is the prime suspect in your uncle’s murder. And we have no idea who he is. The only thing we have that can identify him is a part of that tattoo. See it there?” the captain paused the video again and zoomed in on the stranger’s neck.
“It looks like claws… maybe a talon? I can’t tell. It’s different, though. How haven’t you been able to identify him at all?”
“My intelligence says that there have been sightings of him all over the world at different crime scenes. But always just a glimpse. Never his face, or even a full shot of him. All anyone ever sees is that partial tattoo.”
“So, why did he allow himself to be this exposed?”
“It tells me that he’s nearing his endgame, or about to get a prize he’s been seeking.”
“If he’s been spotted so many times, how is it that no one knows who he is?”
“He’s only known as ‘Ghost’. Trying to catch him is like trying to catch smoke. No one alive has ever even seen his face.”
“Alive?” Will repeated, understanding dawned on him.
“They say that anyone who has ever seen his face has… mysteriously disappeared. This guy is dangerous, Will.”
“Someone out there must know him.”
“We’re hoping that’s the case,” the captain stared at him, saying something with his eyes.
“You think I know him,” Will deciphered.
“I’m not sure. But I have a hunch.”
“And what’s that?” Will settled into his chair, his interest piqued.
“Ghost knew that camera was in your uncle’s office. And you saw that reaction. Robert was terrified of him. My hunch is that Ghost has been around for a while. Watching, waiting.”
“Watching me.”
“Possibly. I think you may have something to do with his endgame.”
“Of course,” Will sighed. “And let me guess. Emma and Lizzie are in danger.”
“We don’t know. Ghost hasn’t made any moves since this video. But I want to urge you to be careful. I have a feeling that things are going to get crazy. Just… watch out for yourself.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
Will thought about the video and Ghost on his drive home. There was something that tugged at the edges of his memory. Scattered and broken visions floated through his mind, teasing him with vivid flashes and blurred images played like an old movie, and would flit away right before he could grab them. He just wanted to focus on being a father and building a life with Emma. But it seemed that life had other plans.
Before driving over to Lyncrest to spend the weekend with Emma, he decided it would be best to go home first and decompress. He couldn’t go spend time with Emma in his current state. Getting home, he took off his shirt and laid in his bed. The smooth, satin sheets felt like a cool wave against his overheated skin.
“What the hell is going on?” he whispered to no one. The sooner he figured this out, the sooner he could begin to live his life.