Not Playing by the rules

Chapter 13

Liberty was flabbergasted at the request that Leon put in front of her. It was not a request though. It was a deal and she had stepped into the bargain without even knowing what she was going in for.

“Leon do you think really it is necessary to go for something of this length in order to just satisfy your doubts?” asked Liberty who obviously did not know the background of her brother.

Leon was careful not to divulge any more of the details as well so that not to shock her sister of his abuse.

“You do not understand Liberty, if what I am thinking is true then we might very well have a murder on our hands and no one might have known it for than ten years. The person who I doubt is the murderer has been living the life of a free person, a coveted socialite wife which is probably not hers to enjoy in the first place. If this comes to the fore-front then you can’t even imagine Liberty, what it is going to be like,” said Leon, his eyes burning with such intensity that Liberty almost cowered back.

“Whoa…!!! Okay, little brother…a deal’s a deal and a Casterfall never goes back on her words. I shall do it as soon as possible. But you have given me your word that you will take me out of the predicament that I am in at the moment,” said Liberty, her eyes hopeful.

“Like you said Sis. A Casterfall never goes back on his words. I shall make sure that those men do not bother you or Jake again,” said Leon…Then he scratched his head and said,” But tell me something, how he got involved with the Russian Mafia?”

“It is a pretty long story and a complicated one too. I shall give you the abridged version of it when I am back with the information you have asked me to collect,” said Liberty with a smile as she opened the door of the cabin and left the office. Leon sighed to himself.

Liberty exited the building as soon as possible and hailed cab. She gave the name of the hotel she was staying in and flicked open her phone and started going through the tabloids which featured the Tharper family. She started from the beginning of the rise of the fame of the Tharper industries and she saw multiple pictures of the man with her father himself. This meant that he must have been have won a number of suits filed against him which were won by her father.

She was so engrossed in reading through the articles and the tabloid excerpts along with the few interviews that she did not even pay heed when the cabbie said that they were at her hotel. Finally the concierge of the hotel opened the door for her and called her out she looked up at them in daze.

“Oh dear!! I am so frightfully sorry for this…I was so engrossed,” said Liberty smiling apologetically and paid the cabbie his fare and left him a ten-dollar bill as tip. The man smiled at her and she went up to her room.

Once she had read past all the rubbish and the nonsense and was able to find out the ones that focused on his family Liberty took out her diary and started scribbling the dates of the articles and the places. After the afternoon was over and the lights of her room were one Liberty could start seeing a pattern in the facts that she had collected. She desperately needed a board where she could put all the clippings up and then mark them together with the thread so that she could easily understand and mark or point out the differences.

Finally frustrated that she could no more work on this digital media she called up the reception and asked if the management could spare her a board, few markers and a printer for the night and the next day. Thee receptionist was surprised at the request and handed over the call to her manager.

“Yes Mrs. Kane…how can we help you?”

“Really? Again? I just now said to your receptionist that I would require a board and a few markers and a printer for the night and tomorrow morning. I hope to finish my stuff by then,” said Liberty, biting her nails.

“And exactly for what reason do you require these materials Mrs. Kane?” asked the manager.

“I have to make a presentation to a client tomorrow who is in the town for business. This meeting was supposed to happen next week. I desperately need to work with papers you know? I am one of those people who despite of having laptops and note-pads work better in the traditional mode,” answered Liberty, hoping that her lie was plausible enough.

“I absolutely understand Mrs. Kane. I am sure I can arrange something of the sort. Will it fine if I send it within the next hour?” asked the manager who was now smiling at the situation this woman was in.

“Oh thank heavens!!! Of course it is…. It is more than alright…And you can add the rental charges to my bill,” said Liberty as she hung up.

She looked back at the face of the woman staring at her from the screen of her laptop and said to her,” You are not who you say to be….if you are not her, then who are you?”

“So you were telling me that why are you so hell-bent upon bringing your boss and that girl from IT together?” prompted Ellis once more when Fred had come back from Leon’s cabin.

“Why would you not leave me alone Ellis?” asked Fred, giving her a stink-eye.

“Hey…I was not the one who started it. You did, and you very well know the rules Fred. Once you start giving out information you have to finish dishing it off. This is juicy stuff after all and you know better than anyone Fred that I am the one who has to be the one to keep all the secrets in this office,” said Ellis as she buzzed a group of people in.

Fred looked at her thinking if he could really say that and nodded to himself.

“Oh!! Shod off… Ellis, I have given my word to this girl from IT that I would set her up for a date with Leon just because she set me up with her cousin and we really hit it off. I went on a few dates with Penelope and I think we really might have something here. Now you see she gave me a chance to get the girl. I am honour bound to keep my word..That is how this thing works amongst you folks, is it not?” asked Fred as Ellis looked at him with her eyes wide in shock and her lips parted.

“Say something Ellis…what is it?” asked Fred once again when her expression did not change or falter for the next few seconds.

“You want to say that you have actually gone to a few dates with the same girl who is named Penelope and that you think you have something with this chick and want to do something for her sister for the sake of honour? Who the hell are you and what have you exactly done with Fred? He is a man-w***e, you are not him,” said Ellis sniggering at him.

“This is what you think of me Ellis? I am seriously hurt now,” said Fed, with mock anger on his face.

“Oh come on…you know yourself better than me Fred. When was the last time that you actually did not date a girl just for the sake of getting in her pants? You have this strange policy of Wham-bam-goodbye Ma’am which I don’t understand at all. And now you want me to believe this strange s**t?” asked Ellis as she looked up the schedules that she had made for the meetings for the next day.

“It is alright if you don’t want to believe but I have not even kissed her yet Ellis. And what I am saying is true,” said Fred as he went back to his seat before Leon came out of his cabin and kicked his ass for not doing his work.

Leon had not even reached office the next morning when his mobile rang with its shrill tone. He put it on loudspeaker since he was driving.

“Leon, I think we need to meet,” said Liberty on the other side of the phone.

“Liberty!!! Good morning to you as well and what? So soon? Are you sure?” asked Leon shocked at what she was saying.

“Yeah…I think I am onto something and you need to come and see it for yourself,” replied his sister.

“Alright…you tell me the place. Or do you want to come down to my office?” asked Leon.

“Nope. I think you should come to this hotel I have been staying at and we should meet here. There are a lot of things that I have already crafted here and I am not sure I can replicate it digitally. You need to see this with your own eyes,” said Liberty as she gave him the name of her hotel.

“Fine…I shall be there in fifteen,” said Leon as he hung up the call.

True to his word he reached the hotel in twelve minutes and strode towards the reception. A beautiful girl was standing at the reception.

“Welcome Sir. Do you have a booking?” asked the girl looking at him with hooded eyes trying to disguise the lust that had crept in them.

“No sweetheart. I don’t have a booking. I am not here to stay as you can very well see that I am without any kind of luggage. I am here for a meeting,” said Leon with a flirting smile on his lips.

The girl blushed furiously and said,” May I know whom are you meeting Mr….?

“Casterfall. Leon Casterfall. I am meeting one Mrs. Liberty Kane in her room,” he replied as realization dawned on the girl’s face.

“Of course Sir. Mrs. Kane has already intimated us of your arrival. Please if you follow me I shall show you the way,” said the girl as she came out from behind the desk and Leon followed her towards the elevator while he was plagued with another memory of his humiliation. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the metallic wall and took a deep breath as the doors opened at the sixth floor.

Leon and the girl came at the door which was knocked.

“Come in. It’s open,” came Liberty’s voice from inside.

The girl looked at Leon and smiled and asked,” Is there anything else that I can be of service of Mr. Casterfall?”

“Yes darling…Of course there is,” said Leon as he opened the door and stepped inside. The girl looked at him expectantly.

“I would love to taste your breakfast platter for two as we have our discussion. You can send that after fifteen minutes along with the fresh juice that you have available,” said Leon with a smile.

The girl looked at him as if he was joking, when she realized he was not, she nodded and turned on her heels not looking back for a moment.

Leon closed the door behind him and laughed out loud.

“You know, it is high time for you to find yourself a woman and settle down. This is not your age to be flirting with bar-maids and receptionists half your age. Have a little modicum of decency Leon,’ said Liberty not rising from the bed where she was flopped in a mass of pillows and papers.

“Wow…you look pretty comfy,” remarked her brother looking for a place to take seat.

“I might be comfortable. But you are not going to be once I finish this debriefing. Let me start by saying that you were correct,” said Liberty as Leon’s face broke into a million-dollar smile.