FanStory.com - Veil of Secrets - Chap 9by Begin Again

"Antonio saw her." Eleanor exclaimed.

Garth frowned, his posture straightening. "Antonio? I'm the new kid on the block, so catch me up, Eleanor. Is this Antonio, someone I should know?" He glanced in Matthew's direction. "You know this guy?"

Donatelli shrugged. "That name's a new one to me."

A knock on the door caught everyone's attention. It opened, and Danni entered, all smiles with Tango at her side.

Donatelli chuckled. "Since when do you knock?"

"Since I have an FBI agent with me. He might be able to knock down walls, but as far as I know, he hasn't accomplished the ability to pass through them."

Tango laughed. "Nope, she's got one up on me there."

Danni giggled. "Man, I'm so far up the ladder on my capabilities over you that you might as well stop counting." She turned to Eleanor. "You've got a serious look. Something going on that I haven't heard about?"

"Yes, and I was about to fill the boys in, so it's good that you and Tango are here. They've got a lot of catching up to do — like learning about some people involved in Miriam's disappearance."

"Who are we talking about?" Danni's attention shifted into detective mode. "Anyone new besides that woman we saw outside Henderson's office?"

"Yes, and no — for the guy's benefit — when Rebecca and Jenna left Phil Henderson's office, his next client went in and left before we even reached the restaurant next door. She was in such a hurry, she almost knocked us off our feet.

"She sure did. Eleanor and I got a strange vibe from her."

"You bumped into someone new in town and instantly categorized her as trouble? That's called profiling, and it's wrong." Donatelli lifted an eyebrow toward his partner. "It's frowned upon in this department."

"I wasn't profiling her. I just got a sense that she was in trouble. You can even ask Jenna. She said the woman acted nervous while waiting to see Mr. Henderson."

"Okay, so what does this nervous woman have to do with Miriam and our possible missing boy?"

"Antonio —" Eleanor started again.

Donatelli jumped in again. "Now, who's Antonio? How many new people are in this sleepy town?"

Danni laughed. "The town's not sleepy, Matthew. It's just you — always a day behind."

Eleanor tapped her fingers against the window. "Can I get your attention long enough to explain?"

The room fell silent, and they all stared in her direction. "Great! Now, as I was saying, Antonio is or was Miriam's first love before she was forced to come to America to marry Trevor. They had a child together — a daughter named Angela."

Danni gasped. "I remember! He's Rebecca's grandfather, right?" Her head snapped toward Garth. "Why didn't you tell us he was here?"

"Maybe because it's the first I'm hearing about it." Garth inhaled sharply and expelled the air — long and slow. "I'm assuming he's dead. Any other dead people walking around Bayside?"

"Now that you asked, there is, and he's a bad one — Cornelius Webb."

"Hold on — that name sounds familiar." Donatelli tapped his pencil against the desk. "Webb — the estate property that runs beside the Vineyard, right? And the guy talking to Rebecca when I stopped the other day — wasn't his name Webb?"

"Yes, it was. He's Grayson Webb, the grandnephew of Cornelius Webb, and another person you should keep your eyes on," Eleanor said. "But first, I need to explain a few things that you might have difficulty swallowing, but trust me, it's happening."

"Can you give us the condensed version first?"

"Sure can! On Christmas Eve, Miriam tried to warn us that trouble was coming, but none of us took it too seriously until she disappeared. I used all my powers to connect to her, but all I got was faint voices calling me. But Antonio, who was blissfully living in the hereafter, did feel Miriam calling for help and forced himself to step back into this earthly world. Everything is strange, and he's experiencing new things — things even a spirit has difficulty understanding. Anyhow, he made a connection between the missing boy and Miriam."

"How? We have nothing to go on other than a shoe — not even a name."

"Now, here's the part you're just going to have to trust me with. Antonio discovered Miriam trapped in a mirror."

Donatelli choked on his coffee and spewed it across his desk. "Trapped? In a mirror? This is a joke, right?"

Danni grabbed a roll of paper towels and wiped up the coffee, muttering, "You humans — can't even swallow coffee without making a mess."

The detective glared at her and smirked. "Excuse me, but warn me next time when you want me to swallow some garbage about someone being trapped in a mirror."

"It's not garbage, Matthew. Antonio saw her, and she told him the boy was in danger. Cornelius Webb grabbed her before she could get any further, and the mirror went dark."

"So you want us to believe that there were two spirits inside the mirror, and they were talking to another spirit on the outside? What did you put in that coffee, Eleanor?"

Garth folded his arms, his tone cautious. "So, let me get this straight. Antonio has never come back before. Not once. But now he's here because Miriam is trapped and reaching out to him?"

"Yes," Eleanor said. "And because of Travis. Antonio felt his presence first, and Miriam confirmed it."

The room fell silent as Donatelli and Garth processed this revelation. Finally, Donatelli spoke, his tone skeptical but curious. "You're telling us that not only is Miriam trapped in a mirror, but Antonio — a ghost who's stayed out of the earthly realm until now — is suddenly a key player in all of this?"

"Yes," Eleanor said, her voice steady. "Antonio saw Miriam in the mirror. She told him about Travis and begged him to save him."

Garth leaned forward, his brows furrowing. "This mirror thing — ghosts trapping other ghosts —it's a lot to take in. We've accepted a lot about you, Danni, and Miriam. But this —"

"I know it's hard to believe," Eleanor said, her tone softening. "But it's the truth. Cornelius is holding Miriam in the mirror at her cottage. He's using her to find Travis."

Donatelli rubbed his temples, exhaling slowly. "And this boy, Travis. You're saying he's Angela's grandson?

"Yes," Eleanor said. "And his connection to the Vineyard makes him a target for Cornelius. Miriam hid him to protect him, but Cornelius is trying to use her to find him."

Donatelli sat up straighter, his gaze sharpening. "Wait a second — the shoe you found. You're saying that was Travis's? And that Miriam hid him?"

"Yes," Eleanor said. "She risked everything to keep him safe. But Cornelius is closing in."

Garth sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So we've got a vengeful ghost trapping other ghosts, a missing kid with ties to the Vineyard, and a possible mob connection that won't stop looking for him. Great. Just another day in Bayside."

Eleanor's form flickered as she spoke. "This is bigger than you realize. If Cornelius finds Travis, he'll use him to gain control of the vineyard and everything it represents."

A lightbulb suddenly turned on in Garth's brain. "This boy —Travis — you're saying he's connected to the vineyard. How?"

Eleanor glanced at Danni, who she knew had already processed that answer, and then back to Garth. "Haven't you been listening? His grandmother is Angela Cascio."

Garth felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on him. "Angela Cascio? Rebecca and Allie's mother?"

Before anyone could answer, he answered his own question. "That means his mother is Rebecca's sister. Does she know any of this?"

"She doesn't know. And actually, they're half-sisters because her father —" Eleanor paused, and Danni gasped.

"Blow my freakin' mind — her father is a Webb." Danni yanked on Tango's arm, shouting, "That woman is related to both families. But wait a minute, if she's Travis's mother, why hasn't she been in here screaming about her missing boy?"

Tango glanced at his boss. "I've got that one. Someone is stopping her."

"But there's no one who would stop me if my son was missing."

"Think about it, Danni. We've got some heavy action in play at the moment. Some powerful people organized Doyle's escape without leaving a clue, people, spirits or not, are disappearing, and a boy — a key player with both families — is missing. I don't know how much she knows, but I'd bet she's mighty terrified for her son's life." Tango shrugged. "At least, I know I'd be. If it's the mob and they don't know Travis is missing yet, they will soon and then all hell's going to break loose."

Donatelli leaned forward, tapping his pen against his notebook. "And you're saying Antonio is out there trying to help?"

"Yes," Eleanor said, her voice firm. "Antonio feels the weight of his past. He couldn't protect Miriam then, but he's determined to protect her now and Travis."

Garth let out a slow breath, his expression grim. "All right, Eleanor. We'll bite. Where do we start?"

"The Vineyard," Eleanor said urgently. "Miriam hid him somewhere she thought was safe, but Cornelius is searching. And the mob or whoever is behind this might be closing in, too. We don't have much time."

Donatelli jotted a note in his book, his skepticism melting into resolve. "Fine. We'll check the mansion and the vineyard. But if Cornelius is as dangerous as you say, you need to be careful, too. I'm not sure how you go to war against a ghost."

*****

After the pow-wow with Garth and Donatelli, Eleanor said her goodbyes, using the door for a change. She knew the spiritual world was difficult to swallow, but she hadn't expected so much resistance from the guys. After all, how many cases had they worked on together, yet they still resisted the possibilities except for accepting their existence?

As Eleanor walked silently along the street, her thoughts drifted to Travis. She knew Miriam would have put him in a safe place, but being so young and finding himself alone must be terrifying.

She turned a corner and was drawn to two people under a flickering streetlamp. The same vibes she'd felt the other day outside Phil Henderson's office swept through her again. It must be Travis's mother.

Eleanor's body faded into the darkness, and she drifted closer, unnoticed. Her gaze narrowed as she recognized Grayson. Althea stood by the streetlight, her posture stiff, while he leaned against the car door, totally at ease.

His confident demeanor and practiced smile made Eleanor's energy pulse with suspicion. She lingered, her ethereal presence allowing her to observe without drawing attention.

"I've done everything they asked," Althea said, her voice shaky but firm. "I've signed the papers, claimed the vineyard. Now I want my son."

Grayson's smile widened slightly, though a flicker of surprise crossed his features. "Your son?" he said smoothly, testing the words. "I wasn't aware there was a child involved."

Althea crossed her arms, her tone growing sharper. "Of course you weren't. They kept him hidden from everyone. Said it was insurance that I'd do what they wanted."

Grayson's eyes glinted with interest, though his expression remained calm. "And where is your son now?"

Althea hesitated, her hands clenching into fists. "He was supposed to be safe where they left him. But now — I can't find him. He's gone."

Eleanor saw the faint tightening of Grayson's jaw, a telltale sign that he was processing this unexpected information. His voice, however, remained smooth and reassuring. "I see. That must be incredibly difficult for you. But perhaps I can find a way to help."

Althea's shoulders sagged slightly, her guarded stance softening as she misread his concern. "I don't know who else to turn to. I thought they would bring him back once I did what they asked, but they're ignoring me now. I just want my son."

Grayson reached out, lightly touching her arm in a gesture of reassurance. "I'll see what I can do. But you have to trust me, Althea. I'll need to know everything if I'm going to help."

Althea hesitated again, torn between caution and desperation. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. I'll tell you everything. Just find my son."

Grayson's smile returned, but Eleanor could see the calculation behind it. As he leaned closer to continue the conversation, Eleanor's form flickered with agitation. His charm was a facade, a mask for his true intentions.

She whispered to herself, her voice barely audible even to her own senses. "Althea, you're trusting the wrong man."

*****

After Althea climbed into her car and drove away, Grayson remained by the streetlamp, his mind working through what he'd just learned. He pulled out his phone, his calm demeanor slipping slightly as he dialed a number.

"It's me," he said when the line connected. "We've got a complication."

Eleanor's spectral presence hovered nearby, her attention fixed on his every word.

"The woman they brought in? Althea? She has a kid —a boy. And apparently, he's missing."

The voice on the other end said something inaudible, and Grayson chuckled softly. "No, they didn't know either. She's starting to panic. This could be a problem for all of us."

His expression darkened, his next words dripping with intent. "If the boy's gone, someone has him. Find out who and quickly. Maybe you can use Doyle as leverage."

Grayson ended the call, slipping his phone into his pocket. He turned and walked away, his polished demeanor once again intact. Eleanor remained in the shadows, her unease growing.