The Mind Man

Chapter eighteen

A small welcoming party stood just inside the access doors to the helipad and watched a small black speck in the distance grow larger from out of an azure sky. The helicopter was to return Sally to the airport but first it was delivering a businessman to the Benjamin. Sally was a little surprised by the visitor. No one could tell her why he was coming to the yacht, but what she found most puzzling was that she had learnt about the guest from the head steward and not Adam. Maybe because it was business related he thought it was of no concern to her. The helicopter arrived at the boat with a flurry of wind and noise. Once it had settled on the deck and the rotors became idle, a smartly dressed young girl with a pony tail approached the craft and helped a large framed man overly dressed in a pin-striped suit and tie onto the deck. He appeared anxious. Trickles of sweat ran down his plump face and thick neck into his buttoned shirt. He stooped, needlessly, as he was ushered away from the helicopter. 

As soon as he was safely inside the doors Adam moved forward to greet him with an outstretched hand. 

"You know I hate flying Adam." The man looked flustered and agitated as he shook Adam's hand, his English accent unmistakable. 

"I will arrange a drink for you immediately," Adam tried to calm his guest. "Come this way." 

"I've already had plenty to drink. I had to, before getting on this blessed thing and it did me no good," he complained. 

"I appreciate you coming onboard Richard. I'm sure when you refresh yourself you will enjoy the hospitality." 

"I'm not going back on that thing am I?" 

"Benjamin will take us back to Acapulco this afternoon." 

"Benjamin! Who's Benjamin?" 

"You're standing on her." 

"Strange name; for a boat that is." 

Adam and his panting guest moved towards a stairway. Adam turned to Sally. "I'll take Richard to his cabin and I'll be right back. Then we can go." 

It was then that Sally noticed a girl with a camera. As Adam and his guest approached the top of the stairs Sally heard her say, "welcome aboard Mr. Dimbleby." When he turned to face her she most unobtrusively took his photo.

Even with the headphones the noise inside the helicopter was at such a level that conversation was reduced to just a few shouted exchanges of words. Sally tried to question Adam about the man she had just seen. 

"Who was that?" she shouted. 

"What?" 

"Who was that man back there?" 

"You mean Richard? Oh he's just a businessman I know." 

"Why has he come out to Benjamin?" 

"We have a meeting," was all he offered to her. 

"Oh." She acknowledged her understanding. She paused before asking her next question." 

"Where in England does he come from?" 

"Where...what?" 

"Where in England does Richard live?" 

"Birmingham I think, why?" 

"Oh nothing - just curious." 

Sally gave up on the questions and turned her attention to the thrill of their mode of transportation and she delighted in watching the coastline skim by just below them. 

In all too short a time the beachside hotels of Acapulco appeared beneath them and the aircraft rose higher and veered towards the airport. 

The jet was waiting for them, and the moment arrived, at the bottom of the steps, when they knew they had to separate. They stood facing each other in an awkward manner, not knowing what to say. 

To break the deadlock Sally offered to change back into her own clothes and return the outfit which she was wearing. 

"No, it's yours." 

"I had a great time, Adam, thanks. It was out of this world - totally amazing actually." 

"Pleasure was all mine...I'm glad you decided to come. It was very special sharing the weekend with you. I'll always remember it and think back on it with fond memories." 

"Thanks Adam, it was so good." 

"I'm sorry I can't accompany you on your return flight but the meeting with Richard was prearranged. Amanda will take care of you though. Anything you need just ask her." 

"That's okay. By the way, why did Richard come all this way to see you?" Sally tried again. 

"Oh, I'm thinking of financing an expansion of his operations. We need to discuss it. But enough of Richard, let's talk about us. I have to be in Paris in three weeks' time for business...would you like to join me?" 

"Oh Adam, it's all too much. I'll need time to think. Anyway let's not spoil it by making plans now for the future; the future will unfold the way it is intended. Let's just leave with all the lovely memories of the weekend." 

"Okay, but when you decide let me know. I promise I will keep business to a minimum so that we can have time to enjoy Paris together." 

"I must go." She turned and climbed the steps disappearing into the aircraft; the door of the Gulfstream lifting and closing behind her.

***

"Please Ted, don't do this to me. I know you're angry and hurt but hear me out." As soon as Sally was inside the terminal building back in Sacramento she had called her husband. Predictably, he was furious and she tried hard to console him over the phone. "Listen to me Ted, please. I may have discovered some things over the weekend that you'll be interested in...no, I didn't find out what he's doing, but I need you to come and pick me up and bring a photo of that man who was killed on the Interstate. I'll explain everything when you get here."

Ted arrived and picked Sally up outside the terminal. The atmosphere inside the car was tense as they maneuvered away from the terminal buildings and made for home. 

"So did you have a good time?" Ted queried frostily. 

"Leave it Ted. We can discuss this at home, but in the meantime just listen to me. I don't know what he is up to..." 

"Wasted trip then, eh?" 

"I said don't go there...now, he has a small room on his yacht which he says he uses for meditation but he always keeps the door closed and sometimes locked. I managed to have a look inside and he has photos of men, mainly businessmen, in folders in a cabinet in the room. I saw one of them. Did you bring a photo?" 

"Yes...of Warren. It's in here." He handed her an envelope which he pulled from beside his seat. 

Sally pulled the photo out and gasped. 

"What?" 

"That's him. That's the man I saw in his room. And I saw another photo of a pilot." 

"A pilot...what pilot?" 

"I don't know...someone dressed like an airline pilot." 

Ted looked over onto the back seat of the car. "There, grab that newspaper. It's a local Pittsburgh paper. I got it to get more information about the crash. I think it has a photo of the pilot. He was from Pittsburgh. A local man I think, although I'm not sure - I wasn't interested in the pilots." 

Sally reached over and picked up the paper and rifled through it. Ted kept glancing across at her as best as the traffic flow would allow. He noticed when she reached a page devoted to news about the crash and he could make out the picture of the pilot. At the next red light he glanced across at her. She was holding her hand up to cover her quivering lips. Her eyes were glassy and tears were streaking down her cheeks, and then she dropped her head in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.