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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The Characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots and The Center are all property
of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used without permission. No profit has been made...you know the drill.
Of Envy and Darkness
03/08/04
Part9 – By Phenyx
-
Miss Parker moved briskly down the corridor, forcing a rather harried looking young man to jog in order to keep up with her. Ronnie, her administrative assistant, was nearly frantic as he stared at her in stunned disbelief.
“But Miss Parker,” he cried. “Your flight leaves in two hours. There’s no time to get those pages printed in color.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded as she fluttered a thick pamphlet at him. “This new data is too influential to leave out of the presentation.”
“But,” Ronnie began.
“No ‘buts’,” Parker stopped. Shoving the book at him, Parker slapped its clear plastic cover against Ronnie’s chest. “I only need twenty copies. Take the data down to Mr. Broots and have him print it on that fancy laser printer of his. Then grab whatever bodies you can find to disassemble these booklets and re-collate them. Get Mr. Lyle to help out.”
Pausing for a moment, Parker frowned at the look of panic on the young man’s face. “Get it done Ronnie. Don’t let me down,” she urged.
The man’s blue eyes widened with awe then, slowly, began to crinkle at the edges as he broke into a huge grin. “You can count on me Miss Parker,” he vowed.
“I know I can,” Parker said confidently. “Now get moving.”
Ronnie sprinted down the corridor, disappearing around the corner before Parker’s words had left the air.
Without giving the minor crisis another thought, Miss Parker continued on her way to the chairman’s office. Sam followed silently at her heels. As she passed Elaine’s desk just outside Jarod’s office, Parker asked almost offhandedly, “Is he in?”
“Not yet,” the silver-haired secretary replied, looking up from her computer keyboard. “He called to say that he has been delayed in a meeting. He should be joining you a few minutes.”
Nodding perfunctorily, Parker opened the office door and stepped inside.
Mercedes was already waiting. She sat in the chair facing Jarod’s desk, as though she was preparing to be interviewed. Ishmael stood quietly against the wall, doing what sweepers do best, blending into the surroundings with menacing efficiency.
Parker nodded in greeting. Crossing the room, she perched on the windowsill and gazed thoughtfully at the bright blue sky. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened. Parker’s inner sense buzzed in her mind like the hiss of a florescent light bulb. The hum was constantly there, white noise skittering along the edges of her conscious mind. But most of the time the murmurs faded into the background, barely noticeable and easily ignored. It was only when Parker focused on the sound was she able to actually discern voices.
Of course, Parker’s inner sense would never become as powerful as her brother’s. Even her mother’s abilities, though meager compared to Ethan’s, seemed to have been far superior to what Parker could manage. Random words, plucked from nothing, were the most Parker could hope to understand when she made the attempt. It was like driving around a large crowd of people. No conversation heard clearly, snippets and pieces of words flitting through the air.
Yet, during the last three weeks, Parker had listened to her inner sense often. She found the whispering voices to be soothing. They no longer brought menacing messages of doom, only the soft sense of reassurance. The fact that the voices blocked Mercedes from her mind was simply an added bonus.
It wasn’t that Parker wanted to keep anything from the other woman. But since the night of the storm, there had been more than one occasion when Parker had felt the strange tingling sensation that preceded Mercedes’ gift. Parker had no desire to share her thoughts with the other woman, nor did she wish to have even the slightest glimpse in return.
The relationship between Mercedes and Jarod continued. Though they made no secret of the fact that they were sharing a bedroom, their conduct beyond the confines of that room was strictly platonic. In public, Jarod treated Mercedes just as he had since the day he met her. There were no displays of affection between them.
That was fine with Miss Parker. If the two of them were to start holding hands and ogling each other, Parker would be forced to either shoot them or barf on them. Frankly, she’d had enough of that when Brigitte had married her father.
Parker just wasn’t quite ready to deal with her feelings in regards to the pretender and his new flame. There were other aspects of her life she needed to get in order first. On the night of the storm, Parker had decided to move forward with her life. Easier said than done. During that first couple of days, the seemingly insurmountable task had been frighteningly overwhelming.
After several sleepless nights and a great deal of soul searching, Parker had discovered some of the simple truths in her life. She loved her father. She had hated some of the things he had done, wished that things between them had been different, but she loved him none-the-less. Whether he’d been her biological father or not, really didn’t matter.
Raines was dead and buried. Parker had personally tossed the first handful of soil on his coffin. If there was a just god in the cosmos, William Raines was now frying in Hell and would do so for the rest of eternity.
Yet there was something far more stunning that Parker had learned. Now that the way was clear for her to leave The Centre, she realized that she no longer wanted to go. There was no reason to do so. This revelation in itself was traumatically unexpected.
The Centre was no longer run by power-hungry, unscrupulous men. Those opposing the current chairman were more likely to find themselves tarred and feathered rather than assassinated. The place was sloughing off decades of corruption like a snake peeling its skin.
Parker was a valued member of The Centre’s new regime. Jarod had placed her in a level of authority second only to himself. Rather than just paying lip service to her talents, as her father had done, Jarod casually gave Parker the most import assignments. His unwavering confidence in her abilities was addictively appealing.
In the most basic of terms, Parker was beginning to enjoy her job. It was still stressful and incredibly challenging at times, but the possibility of succeeding with a project now brought excitement, not dismay.
Movement edged across Parker’s peripheral vision, pulling her from her thoughts. Still facing the window, Parker sensed the motion of Mercedes as she rose from her chair. The other woman must have made some kind of dismissive gesture because a moment later, Ishmael and Sam both left the room quietly.
A long silence followed as Mercedes approached and stood at Parker’s side, gazing at the horizon.
“You’re angry with me,” Mercedes stated in a low voice.
Parker shook her head. “Why would I be angry?” she asked casually.
The dark-skinned woman smiled sadly. “Lie to them if you like. Lie even to yourself,” she scolded. “But you can’t hide the truth from me. I know how you feel about him.”
Parker shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
Mercedes smiled again. “You’re a poor liar, Miss Parker,” she said tenderly.
“No. I’m actually quite good at it,” Parker laughed. “There are very few people who can tell when I’m being deceitful. You happen to be one of them,” she added offhandedly.
“Jarod is another,” Mercedes observed.
Parker nodded slowly. “Yes. He is,” she admitted. “At times, he seems to be able to read my mind as well as you do.”
“Yet neither of us is quite sure how you feel about all this,” Mercedes said pointedly.
Parker made no reply.
“He’s worried. He’s concerned that our,” Mercedes paused, looking for the most delicate term. “Actions may be upsetting you in some way.”
Parker turned to her companion, her eyebrows rising with surprise. “He told you that?” she asked.
“No,” Mercedes said quickly.
“You plucked it out of his head,” Parker accused.
Mercedes shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“He wouldn’t want you doing that,” Parker frowned.
“I know,” Mercedes answered. “But sometimes I just need to find out what’s going on in that brilliant mind of his.”
“Good luck.” Parker’s bitter laugh hung in the air. “I doubt even he understands that much.”
“You’re probably right,” Mercedes agreed. Abruptly turning toward the door she cocked her head, listening to some sound only she could hear. “He’s coming,” she said softly.
Jarod strolled through the door a moment later, bringing the sweepers in with him. As he looked from one woman to the other, a concerned frown furrowed his brow. He seemed a little nervous, as if he suspected some sort of plot.
“Don’t look so worried,” Parker snipped. “You act as though we were talking behind your back.”
“Weren’t you?” Jarod asked.
“What do you think?” Parker returned with a playful grin. Jarod knew better than to be taken in by that look. But try as he might, he couldn’t find it in him to get upset with Parker when she smiled that way.
Glancing suspiciously at the ladies, Jarod sighed then seemed to shrug off his consternation. Moving to his desk, Jarod sat and began to quickly scan the stack of phone messages his secretary had left for him. “Are we ready for this meeting with the joint chiefs?” he asked.
“I’m have a few pages of the presentation reprinted,” Parker answered.
“A few pages?” the chairman glanced up with concern.
Parker nodded. “I’m adding the new fiscal data for the Minos project. I thought the budget overruns could help our case.”
Smirking wryly Jarod nodded. “Convince them that biological weapons development is just too expensive, eh?”
Parker shrugged innocently. “In order to create those types of weapons systems, we have to create the preventative solutions first, for safety reasons. Going through with the second phase and developing the weapon is just an inefficient use of resources.”
Jarod smiled. “Is that the angle you want to take on this?” he asked.
“If you approve,” Parker replied.
“I do,” Jarod agreed. “This is your deal, Parker. I’m only going along for the P.R.”
“I know,” she explained. “But I didn’t want to seem pretentious. After all, you are the boss.”
As they talked, Ishmael began to fidget. Sam put one hand to his ear, pressing the earpiece of his radio more securely in place. It quickly became apparent that there was something bothering the sweeper team.
Jarod frowned when he noticed the odd behavior. “What is it, Sam?” he asked.
“There seems to be a disturbance in the lobby, sir,” the stocky man replied. “Someone is attempting to get by security without authorization.”
This news caused concern for all present. The Centre was a much safer place than it had been in the past. But they all knew how tenacious this newly found influence could be.
Jarod stood and quickly opened a wooden cabinet, revealing an array of monitors. Using a remote control, he turned on one of the screens and flicked through a number of channels until he located the transmission from the lobby’s security camera. The black and white image showed half a dozen security guards courteously but firmly preventing the approach of a tall middle-aged man with salt and pepper colored hair.
Parker gazed at the monitor over Jarod’s shoulder. The remote clattered to the floor a heartbeat later as the pretender bolted across the room. As he ran from his office, Jarod yanked the door open with such force that it crashed against the wall with a loud bang.
Immediately recognizing their intruder, Parker giggled like a schoolgirl and dashed after Jarod. “Come on!” she yelled at her companions.
The door leading to the stairwell was clicking closed just as the two ladies reached the corridor. A moment later, the elevator pinged open and Parker hurried everyone on board.
“What’s going on?” Mercedes asked as they began their descent.
“You’ll see,” Parker grinned. She winked at a broadly smiling Sam as she gestured to Ishmael to put away the weapon he had drawn.
Luckily, the lift didn’t stop at any intermediate floor so as the doors slid open at the ground level they were just in time to see Jarod darting around the corner. The pretender skidded to a stop so abruptly that his shoes slipped on the linoleum. He was forced to pinwheel his arms comically in order to keep from falling.
For a split second, there was complete silence as everyone gaped at the chairman standing at the lobby’s edge.
“Let him go!” Jarod yelled at the guards.
The older man jerked away from the security officers and sighed with relief. “I didn’t believe it was true,” he said in a wavering voice.
Jarod nodded tearfully. “Afraid so,” he whispered.
Major Charles threw his arms around his son and began to laugh merrily. “It’s good to see you, Jarod.” Stepping back, the major carefully examined the younger man before him. “Are you alright? “he asked, casting a meaningful glance at Miss Parker.
Jarod laughed. “I’m fine, Dad. Really.”
The two men tearfully embraced each other again, Jarod burying his face in his father’s shoulder.
“Jarod,” Parker called, softly brushing her fingertips across his back. “Perhaps you’d like to talk with the Major in private.”
With a sniff, Jarod nodded. Straightening, he smiled at his father. As they began to head toward the elevators, an authorization badge seemed to magically appear on the Major’s lapel. Though the older man glanced at the sweepers nervously, he followed Jarod’s lead and did his best to ignore their presence.
“How did you find me?” Jarod asked as he pressed the button for the desired floor.
Grinning broadly the major answered, “Ethan found the obituary in the New York Times.”
Jarod frowned. “What obituary?”
“Raines,” was the reply. “There was a quarter page column published on the day of his funeral. It claimed that William Raines was survived by two children and that his corporate duties were already being fulfilled by an old family friend by the name of Jarod.”
Jarod glanced at Miss Parker in shock. Shrugging casually she said, “So I stretched the truth a little bit.”
“’Stretched’ is an understatement,” Jarod bit wryly. “Twisted like a pretzel is more accurate. Why did you feel the need to have an obituary published for Raines, of all people?”
“I figured there might be one or two people out there who would find the news interesting,” Parker stated as she calmly inspected her fingernails.
A huge grin spread across Jarod’s face. “You were hoping my parents would see it,” he purred affectionately. “You were counting on it.”
“It worked,” Parker replied. The look on Jarod’s face warmed Parker’s soul. His dark eyes beamed with unabashed adoration. It was glaringly apparent that the pretender absolutely worshiped her. In that moment, Parker realized that the feeling was a completely mutual one.
As the elevator doors opened, Jarod turned to his father and threw one arm over the major’s shoulders. He began to chatter excitedly as they headed down the corridor. Parker, stunned momentarily by her epiphany, stared after them.
Sam eased by her but Parker stopped him with a gentle touch. “Give them some privacy,” she ordered. “Stand your post outside the door.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied automatically.
“Mercedes,” Parker called. “Our plane leaves in thirty minutes. The Major can’t go to D.C. dressed in jeans and a flight jacket.”
“Hmm,” the dark-skinned woman agreed. “It’s a shame we don’t have any dress blues for him.”
Parker shook her head. “A retired major won’t impress anyone at the Pentagon. Let’s just get him a good suit. He looks like a 38 long, don’t you think?”
“I’ll find a tailor. We can make alterations while in flight if necessary,” Mercedes said thoughtfully. The African woman stepped back onto the elevator with Ishmael and disappeared behind the sliding metal doors.
Parker gazed at the closed doors for a long moment, wondering what her next step should be. Parker knew she could take Jarod from Mercedes whenever she liked. But the idea of struggling over the pretender like children fighting over a favored toy just didn’t seem to sit well with her. Besides, she liked Mercedes and did not want to bring the still grieving widow any more pain.
With a sigh, Parker motioned to Omar who stood nearby. Punching the call button, she waited for the elevator to return. There was too much to be done for her to waste time fretting over this problem. For now, she would need to put these thoughts aside.
of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used without permission. No profit has been made...you know the drill.
Of Envy and Darkness
03/08/04
Part9 – By Phenyx
-
Miss Parker moved briskly down the corridor, forcing a rather harried looking young man to jog in order to keep up with her. Ronnie, her administrative assistant, was nearly frantic as he stared at her in stunned disbelief.
“But Miss Parker,” he cried. “Your flight leaves in two hours. There’s no time to get those pages printed in color.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded as she fluttered a thick pamphlet at him. “This new data is too influential to leave out of the presentation.”
“But,” Ronnie began.
“No ‘buts’,” Parker stopped. Shoving the book at him, Parker slapped its clear plastic cover against Ronnie’s chest. “I only need twenty copies. Take the data down to Mr. Broots and have him print it on that fancy laser printer of his. Then grab whatever bodies you can find to disassemble these booklets and re-collate them. Get Mr. Lyle to help out.”
Pausing for a moment, Parker frowned at the look of panic on the young man’s face. “Get it done Ronnie. Don’t let me down,” she urged.
The man’s blue eyes widened with awe then, slowly, began to crinkle at the edges as he broke into a huge grin. “You can count on me Miss Parker,” he vowed.
“I know I can,” Parker said confidently. “Now get moving.”
Ronnie sprinted down the corridor, disappearing around the corner before Parker’s words had left the air.
Without giving the minor crisis another thought, Miss Parker continued on her way to the chairman’s office. Sam followed silently at her heels. As she passed Elaine’s desk just outside Jarod’s office, Parker asked almost offhandedly, “Is he in?”
“Not yet,” the silver-haired secretary replied, looking up from her computer keyboard. “He called to say that he has been delayed in a meeting. He should be joining you a few minutes.”
Nodding perfunctorily, Parker opened the office door and stepped inside.
Mercedes was already waiting. She sat in the chair facing Jarod’s desk, as though she was preparing to be interviewed. Ishmael stood quietly against the wall, doing what sweepers do best, blending into the surroundings with menacing efficiency.
Parker nodded in greeting. Crossing the room, she perched on the windowsill and gazed thoughtfully at the bright blue sky. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened. Parker’s inner sense buzzed in her mind like the hiss of a florescent light bulb. The hum was constantly there, white noise skittering along the edges of her conscious mind. But most of the time the murmurs faded into the background, barely noticeable and easily ignored. It was only when Parker focused on the sound was she able to actually discern voices.
Of course, Parker’s inner sense would never become as powerful as her brother’s. Even her mother’s abilities, though meager compared to Ethan’s, seemed to have been far superior to what Parker could manage. Random words, plucked from nothing, were the most Parker could hope to understand when she made the attempt. It was like driving around a large crowd of people. No conversation heard clearly, snippets and pieces of words flitting through the air.
Yet, during the last three weeks, Parker had listened to her inner sense often. She found the whispering voices to be soothing. They no longer brought menacing messages of doom, only the soft sense of reassurance. The fact that the voices blocked Mercedes from her mind was simply an added bonus.
It wasn’t that Parker wanted to keep anything from the other woman. But since the night of the storm, there had been more than one occasion when Parker had felt the strange tingling sensation that preceded Mercedes’ gift. Parker had no desire to share her thoughts with the other woman, nor did she wish to have even the slightest glimpse in return.
The relationship between Mercedes and Jarod continued. Though they made no secret of the fact that they were sharing a bedroom, their conduct beyond the confines of that room was strictly platonic. In public, Jarod treated Mercedes just as he had since the day he met her. There were no displays of affection between them.
That was fine with Miss Parker. If the two of them were to start holding hands and ogling each other, Parker would be forced to either shoot them or barf on them. Frankly, she’d had enough of that when Brigitte had married her father.
Parker just wasn’t quite ready to deal with her feelings in regards to the pretender and his new flame. There were other aspects of her life she needed to get in order first. On the night of the storm, Parker had decided to move forward with her life. Easier said than done. During that first couple of days, the seemingly insurmountable task had been frighteningly overwhelming.
After several sleepless nights and a great deal of soul searching, Parker had discovered some of the simple truths in her life. She loved her father. She had hated some of the things he had done, wished that things between them had been different, but she loved him none-the-less. Whether he’d been her biological father or not, really didn’t matter.
Raines was dead and buried. Parker had personally tossed the first handful of soil on his coffin. If there was a just god in the cosmos, William Raines was now frying in Hell and would do so for the rest of eternity.
Yet there was something far more stunning that Parker had learned. Now that the way was clear for her to leave The Centre, she realized that she no longer wanted to go. There was no reason to do so. This revelation in itself was traumatically unexpected.
The Centre was no longer run by power-hungry, unscrupulous men. Those opposing the current chairman were more likely to find themselves tarred and feathered rather than assassinated. The place was sloughing off decades of corruption like a snake peeling its skin.
Parker was a valued member of The Centre’s new regime. Jarod had placed her in a level of authority second only to himself. Rather than just paying lip service to her talents, as her father had done, Jarod casually gave Parker the most import assignments. His unwavering confidence in her abilities was addictively appealing.
In the most basic of terms, Parker was beginning to enjoy her job. It was still stressful and incredibly challenging at times, but the possibility of succeeding with a project now brought excitement, not dismay.
Movement edged across Parker’s peripheral vision, pulling her from her thoughts. Still facing the window, Parker sensed the motion of Mercedes as she rose from her chair. The other woman must have made some kind of dismissive gesture because a moment later, Ishmael and Sam both left the room quietly.
A long silence followed as Mercedes approached and stood at Parker’s side, gazing at the horizon.
“You’re angry with me,” Mercedes stated in a low voice.
Parker shook her head. “Why would I be angry?” she asked casually.
The dark-skinned woman smiled sadly. “Lie to them if you like. Lie even to yourself,” she scolded. “But you can’t hide the truth from me. I know how you feel about him.”
Parker shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
Mercedes smiled again. “You’re a poor liar, Miss Parker,” she said tenderly.
“No. I’m actually quite good at it,” Parker laughed. “There are very few people who can tell when I’m being deceitful. You happen to be one of them,” she added offhandedly.
“Jarod is another,” Mercedes observed.
Parker nodded slowly. “Yes. He is,” she admitted. “At times, he seems to be able to read my mind as well as you do.”
“Yet neither of us is quite sure how you feel about all this,” Mercedes said pointedly.
Parker made no reply.
“He’s worried. He’s concerned that our,” Mercedes paused, looking for the most delicate term. “Actions may be upsetting you in some way.”
Parker turned to her companion, her eyebrows rising with surprise. “He told you that?” she asked.
“No,” Mercedes said quickly.
“You plucked it out of his head,” Parker accused.
Mercedes shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“He wouldn’t want you doing that,” Parker frowned.
“I know,” Mercedes answered. “But sometimes I just need to find out what’s going on in that brilliant mind of his.”
“Good luck.” Parker’s bitter laugh hung in the air. “I doubt even he understands that much.”
“You’re probably right,” Mercedes agreed. Abruptly turning toward the door she cocked her head, listening to some sound only she could hear. “He’s coming,” she said softly.
Jarod strolled through the door a moment later, bringing the sweepers in with him. As he looked from one woman to the other, a concerned frown furrowed his brow. He seemed a little nervous, as if he suspected some sort of plot.
“Don’t look so worried,” Parker snipped. “You act as though we were talking behind your back.”
“Weren’t you?” Jarod asked.
“What do you think?” Parker returned with a playful grin. Jarod knew better than to be taken in by that look. But try as he might, he couldn’t find it in him to get upset with Parker when she smiled that way.
Glancing suspiciously at the ladies, Jarod sighed then seemed to shrug off his consternation. Moving to his desk, Jarod sat and began to quickly scan the stack of phone messages his secretary had left for him. “Are we ready for this meeting with the joint chiefs?” he asked.
“I’m have a few pages of the presentation reprinted,” Parker answered.
“A few pages?” the chairman glanced up with concern.
Parker nodded. “I’m adding the new fiscal data for the Minos project. I thought the budget overruns could help our case.”
Smirking wryly Jarod nodded. “Convince them that biological weapons development is just too expensive, eh?”
Parker shrugged innocently. “In order to create those types of weapons systems, we have to create the preventative solutions first, for safety reasons. Going through with the second phase and developing the weapon is just an inefficient use of resources.”
Jarod smiled. “Is that the angle you want to take on this?” he asked.
“If you approve,” Parker replied.
“I do,” Jarod agreed. “This is your deal, Parker. I’m only going along for the P.R.”
“I know,” she explained. “But I didn’t want to seem pretentious. After all, you are the boss.”
As they talked, Ishmael began to fidget. Sam put one hand to his ear, pressing the earpiece of his radio more securely in place. It quickly became apparent that there was something bothering the sweeper team.
Jarod frowned when he noticed the odd behavior. “What is it, Sam?” he asked.
“There seems to be a disturbance in the lobby, sir,” the stocky man replied. “Someone is attempting to get by security without authorization.”
This news caused concern for all present. The Centre was a much safer place than it had been in the past. But they all knew how tenacious this newly found influence could be.
Jarod stood and quickly opened a wooden cabinet, revealing an array of monitors. Using a remote control, he turned on one of the screens and flicked through a number of channels until he located the transmission from the lobby’s security camera. The black and white image showed half a dozen security guards courteously but firmly preventing the approach of a tall middle-aged man with salt and pepper colored hair.
Parker gazed at the monitor over Jarod’s shoulder. The remote clattered to the floor a heartbeat later as the pretender bolted across the room. As he ran from his office, Jarod yanked the door open with such force that it crashed against the wall with a loud bang.
Immediately recognizing their intruder, Parker giggled like a schoolgirl and dashed after Jarod. “Come on!” she yelled at her companions.
The door leading to the stairwell was clicking closed just as the two ladies reached the corridor. A moment later, the elevator pinged open and Parker hurried everyone on board.
“What’s going on?” Mercedes asked as they began their descent.
“You’ll see,” Parker grinned. She winked at a broadly smiling Sam as she gestured to Ishmael to put away the weapon he had drawn.
Luckily, the lift didn’t stop at any intermediate floor so as the doors slid open at the ground level they were just in time to see Jarod darting around the corner. The pretender skidded to a stop so abruptly that his shoes slipped on the linoleum. He was forced to pinwheel his arms comically in order to keep from falling.
For a split second, there was complete silence as everyone gaped at the chairman standing at the lobby’s edge.
“Let him go!” Jarod yelled at the guards.
The older man jerked away from the security officers and sighed with relief. “I didn’t believe it was true,” he said in a wavering voice.
Jarod nodded tearfully. “Afraid so,” he whispered.
Major Charles threw his arms around his son and began to laugh merrily. “It’s good to see you, Jarod.” Stepping back, the major carefully examined the younger man before him. “Are you alright? “he asked, casting a meaningful glance at Miss Parker.
Jarod laughed. “I’m fine, Dad. Really.”
The two men tearfully embraced each other again, Jarod burying his face in his father’s shoulder.
“Jarod,” Parker called, softly brushing her fingertips across his back. “Perhaps you’d like to talk with the Major in private.”
With a sniff, Jarod nodded. Straightening, he smiled at his father. As they began to head toward the elevators, an authorization badge seemed to magically appear on the Major’s lapel. Though the older man glanced at the sweepers nervously, he followed Jarod’s lead and did his best to ignore their presence.
“How did you find me?” Jarod asked as he pressed the button for the desired floor.
Grinning broadly the major answered, “Ethan found the obituary in the New York Times.”
Jarod frowned. “What obituary?”
“Raines,” was the reply. “There was a quarter page column published on the day of his funeral. It claimed that William Raines was survived by two children and that his corporate duties were already being fulfilled by an old family friend by the name of Jarod.”
Jarod glanced at Miss Parker in shock. Shrugging casually she said, “So I stretched the truth a little bit.”
“’Stretched’ is an understatement,” Jarod bit wryly. “Twisted like a pretzel is more accurate. Why did you feel the need to have an obituary published for Raines, of all people?”
“I figured there might be one or two people out there who would find the news interesting,” Parker stated as she calmly inspected her fingernails.
A huge grin spread across Jarod’s face. “You were hoping my parents would see it,” he purred affectionately. “You were counting on it.”
“It worked,” Parker replied. The look on Jarod’s face warmed Parker’s soul. His dark eyes beamed with unabashed adoration. It was glaringly apparent that the pretender absolutely worshiped her. In that moment, Parker realized that the feeling was a completely mutual one.
As the elevator doors opened, Jarod turned to his father and threw one arm over the major’s shoulders. He began to chatter excitedly as they headed down the corridor. Parker, stunned momentarily by her epiphany, stared after them.
Sam eased by her but Parker stopped him with a gentle touch. “Give them some privacy,” she ordered. “Stand your post outside the door.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied automatically.
“Mercedes,” Parker called. “Our plane leaves in thirty minutes. The Major can’t go to D.C. dressed in jeans and a flight jacket.”
“Hmm,” the dark-skinned woman agreed. “It’s a shame we don’t have any dress blues for him.”
Parker shook her head. “A retired major won’t impress anyone at the Pentagon. Let’s just get him a good suit. He looks like a 38 long, don’t you think?”
“I’ll find a tailor. We can make alterations while in flight if necessary,” Mercedes said thoughtfully. The African woman stepped back onto the elevator with Ishmael and disappeared behind the sliding metal doors.
Parker gazed at the closed doors for a long moment, wondering what her next step should be. Parker knew she could take Jarod from Mercedes whenever she liked. But the idea of struggling over the pretender like children fighting over a favored toy just didn’t seem to sit well with her. Besides, she liked Mercedes and did not want to bring the still grieving widow any more pain.
With a sigh, Parker motioned to Omar who stood nearby. Punching the call button, she waited for the elevator to return. There was too much to be done for her to waste time fretting over this problem. For now, she would need to put these thoughts aside.
