In the quiet of his office, Neil sank heavily into his desk chair, his brain whirling from everything that had happened. He was amazed at how quickly circumstances could change. Working with Valerie Landgraab was going to be his saving grace. Their situation was dangerously precarious and could end badly in a heartbeat. Even so, there was no other option. What was happening was evil, and Neil couldn’t simply stand by and watch it happen. There was no other alternative but to take the offensive and try to the best of his ability to gain the upper hand.

Glancing at his wristwatch, Neil decided it was time to go home. There was nothing more he could do here for the rest of the day, and his mother needed him. She’d been very worried about him since this whole thing arose, and no amount of reassurance placated her. Neil hated it when she worried, but she always just told him it came with the territory of being a mother.

Grabbing his keys, he silently made his way to his car. Normally, he had a jaunty step and whistled as he walked, but Neil didn’t know if he’d ever feel like whistling again. As the engine rolled to life, he wondered if anything would ever be the same again and if he would even be alive when all was said and dome.

Neil tried to put his dark thoughts aside as he drove home. He didn’t want to worry his mother any more than she already was, so he arranged his expression into a tired smile. Once he arrived home, Greta Hughes was’t fooled one bit.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Greta wrapped her son in a strong, maternal embrace. “Oh, Neil! Thank goodness you’re home. I was staring to get worried.”

Neil pulled back slightly to kiss his mother’s cheek. “I’m okay, Mom. I had a case that ran overtime.” This wasn’t a lie, but he could see that Greta knew there was more to it than that. His mother was a very perceptive woman.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Greta didn’t press about details, as she understood about doctor/patient confidentiality. “You look dead on your feet.”

Neil shrugged and narrowed his eyes at his mother, scrutinizing her closely. “You’ve been crying. What’s the matter, Mom?” Her red nose and puffy eyes gave it away in an instant.

Greta sighed and shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Oh, Neil, I’m just so heartsick. I went shopping earlier today, and there was a huge display of Lenora Landgraab’s books. I guess they wanted to honor her in this way. She was my favorite author in all the world. You know that. She was also a truly beautiful person. I met her a couple times, and she was the sweetest little thing. With her death being so sudden and mysterious, it’s been all over the news.”

Neil nodded.

“I got to thinking about her husband and children…and I just lost it. It just makes me so sick at heart,” Greta said, choking on a sob. “And you…you’ve looked so haunted ever since she…her death. I know you can’t talk about it, but I can see how much it’s affected you.”

More than you know, Mom, Neil thought to himself. “Some cases just affect you more than others,” Neil said, shrugging.

“I know you, Neil, and there’s more to it than that. I know you’re not supposed to discuss details due to privacy, but I wish you could. It’s not healthy to carry around such a heavy burden,” Greta replied.

More than anything, Neil wanted to open up to his mother but was torn in more ways than one. Yes, confidentiality was the forefront of his hesitation, but Greta’s safety also shared this priority spot. He sighed wearily and led his mother to the sofa. “Sit down, Mom. There’s something I do need to talk to you about, and I need you to hear me out.”

“Okay.” Greta let herself be led and sat down to wait for her son to begin.

“You need a vacation.”

Greta offered him a weak smile. “That would be nice, dear, but we can’t go anywhere until you’re able to get some time off.”

“I don’t mean us, I mean you.”

Greta raised an eyebrow. “Me? Alone…without you?”

Neil nodded.

“Now, Neil, what kind of vacation could I have if I can’t share it with my favorite son?”

“I’m your only son, Mom,” Neil snorted.

“That’s beside the point. Neil, darling, I don’t want to take a solo vacation.”

Neil heaved a sigh knowing this would be her answer. “Mom, it’s not a request. It’s a…” He shrugged, unable to find the right word. “It’s…complicated. For your own good, you need to get out of town for a while.”

Greta’s lips thinned in a grim line. “Neil Hughes, you need to tell me what is going on. I’m not going anywhere until I know what you’re trying to hide from me.”

“Mom…please.”

Greta’s tone softened. “Look son, if you’re in some kind of trouble, I’ll help to the best of my ability. Your wanting me to go away alone means you’re hiding something major. Now, out with it. Does this have something to do with Lenora Landgraab’s death? You’ve been acting strangely since it happened.”

Neil ran a hand over his tired, bloodshot eyes and groaned. He should’ve realized his mother just wouldn’t go passively gallivanting off without some sort of explanation. Abruptly, he got to his feet  and started to wave his hands, blue and white light igniting from his fingertips.

“Magic? Neil, what is this?”

Moments later, he returned to his seat next to Greta and took her hand. “I was looking to see if there were magical bugs installed in the house.”

Greta’s brow furrowed. “Bugs? As in listening devices or spells?” She didn’t possess magical abilities, but having a son who did made her accustomed to seeing spellwork.

“Yes,” Neil confirmed.

Greta’s eyes widened. “Were there any? Neil, who’d want to listen in on our conversations? What the hell is going on?”

Neil shook his head in answer to his mother’s question. “I didn’t want to take any chances. Listen, Mom, I’ll tell you what you need to know, but I can’t give you any specific details. You’re going to have to trust me that I know what I’m doing.” At least I hope I know what I’m doing or we’re all as good as dead, he thought to himself.

When Greta nodded slowly, he continued. “All I can tell you is that there’s something very strange about Lenora Landgraab’s case. It simply isn’t a case of some mysterious illness. She made some enemies, and now these enemies are exacting revenge.”

Greta gasped and covered her mouth. “Blackmailed? Oh my God! How much…how much money did you have to send them and what do they have on you?”

“They didn’t want money. They wanted…something else. I can’t tell you what it is, Mom, so don’t ask. The bottom line is, I’m involved now. They said if I didn’t cooperate, they’d kill you.” Neil squeezed her hand tightly.

“And that’s why you want me out of town, to keep me from being found.”

Neil nodded and bit his lower lip. “I have a friend who has a house that has protection and concealment wards on it. If we can get you there without you being seen leaving, you can stay there till all this is over, and there would be no way they can find you. You’ll be safe, and I won’t have to worry about you turning up dead.”

Greta pursed her lips in disapproval. “And while I’m hiding out and being safe, you’ll be asking how high when they say jump and doing God knows what. I don’t think so!”

“Not exactly,” Neil sighed. “My friend and I are going to work together to stop this. They’ll think I’m cooperating but all the time, I’ll be a double agent.”

“Oh, Neil!” Greta began to cry in earnest. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“I can’t tell you right now. I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t like keeping secrets from you, but I have to this time.” Neil hugged her tight and rubbed her back. “Please try not to worry. It’s going to be okay. Do you understand why you have to go now?”

Greta wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingertips. “I don’t like it, Neil. I don’t like cowering while my son is in danger. I want to help you get out of this.”

“You can help best by staying at Valerie’s property and keeping safe. I’ll keep in touch as often as I can. Please trust me, Mom. It’s the only way.”

“When do I go?” Greta asked in a resigned tone.

“Tomorrow night if Valerie can arrange it.” He hugged his mother tightly and whispered near her ear. “I love you, Mom, more than anything, and I’ll miss you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I’m supposed to be saying that to you,” Greta sighed.

The next evening when Neil returned home from work, he found Greta napping on the sofa. Having received a phone call from Valerie earlier in the day, Neil knew that tonight was the night to smuggle his mother to Sunlit Tides. He wanted to let her sleep as long as she could since she’d been so tired and worried for him, but now that the move was a go, they needed to move quickly.

“Mom, wake up,” Neil said, gently shaking her.

Greta’s eyes popped open immediately, and she sat up with a start. “Oh, Neil! What time is it? I must’ve dozed off.”

“You deserved a nap, but we gotta book it. We’ve got about half an hour before Valerie gets here. Mom, where are your bags?”

“In the hall closet. I stashed them in there till the last minute,” Greta said. She stood up and straightened imaginary wrinkles from her shirt. “At least let me fix you something to eat. You must be famished.”

Always the nurturing mom, Neil thought. “I’ll make some sandwiches. You just grab any last minute things you want, okay?”

Neil put together a hasty meal of sandwiches and salad and waited for his mother to return. He liked a spy and espionage story as much as the next guy but never dreamed he’d be actually living one out. What happened to the quiet, busy life he’d always loved?

Neil didn’t have much appetite but quickly bolted down the meal. Clear thinking was crucial, and lack of food wouldn’t help matters. As Greta washed the dishes and put them away, Neil’s phone rang.

“Clyde, it’s me.”

“Where are you, Bonnie?” Neil asked in a low voice. Earlier, he’d made sure there were no tracing or bugging devices or spells equipped on his phone.

“About a mile away. I’ll send you a quick text once I arrive. I’ll park as close to your back door as I can and keep my head and taillights off. Get your mother and whatever stuff you have and get in the car as quickly as you can. We need to scoot and go.”

When the text came, Greta and Neil dashed out the door, bags in hand. Neil quickly locked it behind him and opened the back door to a car Neil couldn’t make out any features of in the pitch darkness. After helping his mother inside and sliding the bags in after her, he got in and closed the door as quietly as he could. “Heads down!” came a whispered barking command from the front seat.

Neil didn’t have to be told twice. He recognized Valerie’s voice although it sounded different. From the barking timbre of it, he knew she was in Wolf form. He hunkered down as best he could, Greta doing the same.

//Can you hear me, Bonnie?// Neil’s mental message reached out for Valerie.

//Telepathy! I didn’t know you could do that//

//There’s a lot we’ll be finding out about each other, I’m sure. What’s the plan?//

//I got a small private plane waiting for us at the abandoned airport about twenty miles away. It’s fueled and ready to go, so we can be in the air immediately. There’s a private hangar near the property, and I have another car waiting there. Once there, you’ll ward the car so we stay concealed until we get to the house. Once we get your mother settled, we’ll fly back here and go from there.//

//Okay,// Neil communicated back. //Does Clayton suspect anything?//

//Nope. So far, so good. And so far, he hasn’t tried to drug me again.//

Neil breathed a sigh of relief. The less she was drugged, the better. //How is Lenora?//

//About the same. I’m worried about her…really worried.//

Neil stopped himself from swearing aloud. //You need to convince Clayton to let me examine her.//

//I’m working on that. Allen is worried, too. If I play it just right and the fact that Allen is worried, I’m confident that between the two of us, we can convince Shane to let you come. As bad off as Lenora is, she’s playing her part, too. Once I was able to tell her what we were up to, she’s pretending to be sicker than she really is…but we must get you in there or it won’t be play acting for much longer.//

Neil blew out a long breath as the car trundled along. //Okay. Let’s tackle one thing at a time. Let’s get Mom to safety and worry about the rest after that.//

//Okay,// Valerie agreed.

They drove on in silence, Neil wishing this was all over. If he and his mother got out of this alive and if they could save Lenora, Neil vowed he would do anything and everything he could to atone for his part in this unforgivable mess.

Author’s Note: First off, I totally want to apologize that it took me ages and ages to put up a new chapter or any SimLit. Even under lockdown, we’ve been keeping busy. What’s been occupying much of my time was a huge home improvement project. We finally got my craft room – what I call Sharon’s Sanctuary – done…finally! It spent two years in the Oh-we’ll-get-to-it-eventually stage but came to fruition over the last few weeks. It was a massive project, really, because we had to do it all from scratch. Carpet needed total replacement, walls needed fixing and painting…you get the picture. I’m officially moved in, which I’m absolutely thrilled about.

I vlogged the whole thing and it’s up on my YouTube Channel. They are short videos except for the one where I did an actual tour of the room. What I will do as well as make a series of posts where I’ll link a part for those wanting to watch right from my blog. You’ll see the video and i’ll also add a little text to keep it Sims related. Let me tell you, it’s much easier to build and decorate in the Sims than it is in real life. Whew, what a job!

Anyway, now that my big project is over, I’m planning to have chapters published much, much more often. I hope you enjoy this one. As always, thanks for reading, commenting, liking, subscribing, and lurking. Happy Simming!