With any hope, this was the last time Isabella would face down her most derided daughter-in-law – and what a sight she would behold.
Chapter 15
Lady Warren
She rendezvoused with her hired team of men and one woman who met her at the private airport in Phuket, Thailand. The men were her guides and bodyguards, and the woman was her local translator who looked like she did some serious working out alongside who, Monica soon came to find out, were her brothers and cousins.
“Mercy’s Grove is well known to us,” she said in the back of the air-conditioned SUV driving them away from the airport. For while much of the environment and the humidity reminded Monica of the Warrens’ haunt on Waikiki Beach, the lack of a notable breeze made her linen dress the last line of defense between her and heat stroke. “My aunt used to work there as a maid for several years. When we received news that a client wanted to hire us to get someone out of there, we jumped at it.”
Monica focused her whole attention on Nina, the local woman with more than a chip on her shoulder. “I take it the owners of Mercy’s Grove aren’t well regarded around here.”
“They’re regarded as known entities to stay the hell away from,” the interpreter immediately responded. She sat between two large men who looked to either side of her as if they canvassed the passing landscape for known entities wanting to kick their ready asses. “My aunt stuck it out as long as she could, but after the tenth assault under her watch and the authorities refusing to do anything… she, as you say, ‘bailed.’”
“Assaults?”
Nina shrugged. Her loose-fitting T-shirt paired with a pair of equally loose pants that looked far more breathable than Monica’s dress. Yet while many may regard the interpreter’s clothing as too casual for this mission, she more than made up for it with her judicious application of makeup and her long, dark hair clasped into a fashionable ponytail. Dark blue nails tipped in white occasionally brushed against her mouth outlined in brown lipstick.
“The Beaumonts don’t have a lot of friends among the locals here,” she explained. “All of their close friends are other expats who buy up land and make their quaint Western-style villas because they think this is an affordable paradise. Well, suppose I make my opinion of that known. When I say ‘assaults,’ I mean people like my aunt getting smacked around for either talking back or embarrassing one of those French people in front of powerful friends. They’ve entertained the gamut from Russian oligarchs to, well… American oligarchs.” Stenciled eyebrows raised up Nina’s forehead as she waited for Monica to say something. When she didn’t, Nina continued, “They’re in the pockets of most of the local and some national authorities. It’s how they get away with acting like assholes to the people they pay less than squat to.”
None of this surprised Monica, who had spent the better part of her life watching the worst of the wealthy completely sell their souls to a type of Satan that couldn’t even be compared tonarcissismor even concepts like racism and class warfare. Many old-money dynasties lived in a completely different world.Their greatest anxiety isn’t losing everything… it’s pissing off the wrong people.The Beaumonts were older than Versailles. Rumors swarmed that they were related to Louise de La Vallière, the famous mistress of King Louis XIV.The Sun King…Surely, the Beaumonts took that to heart.
And like the Sun King, who madly built Versailles to contain the nobles, the Beaumonts had built a château in the south of Thailand to contain their darkest secrets.
The car unexpectedly pulled in front of a nondescript but heavily guarded building in the middle of Phuket. Nina held up a finger to still Monica as many of the male guards filed out. Only then did Nina gesture for her client to follow her.
“Where are we?” Monica was too weary to check her GPS. “This can’t be it.”
“Trust me, Mrs. Warren. You want to come here first before you try anything else. You’ll be thankful you did. Oh, and…” Nina walked on ahead. “Bring your pocketbook.”
Monica didn’t know how she’d explain to her husband why twenty thousand dollars was soon sent to the local government, but if it made the police and local officials ignore the Beaumonts’ upcoming complaints, then so be it.
There was so much protocol to infiltrating a foreign compound where Monica was not wanted – or expected.
She was left alone in the car with a bodyguard while Nina and the others approached the security standing outside the gate. There was no way to know what they were saying – even if Monica spoke Thai, the windows were up to keep her cool with the AC. All Monica could do was take a deep breath and pray to whatever guardian might be watching over her and Abigail.
Nina slid into the car. Before the others could enter, the driver pulled through the unlocking gate.
“We made it?” The car drove so slowly that the rest of the entourage walked behind them.
“I told them that we’re from the American embassy, here to check in with anyone with the last name Warren after a missing person’s report was filed Stateside.”
Monica didn’t like the taste in her mouth. “You lied about us being officials?”
“That’s what that money was about. Nobody who matters will care. Besides, it was the only way they would let us in. Right now, security is radioing the house so they can prepare for a host of Thai officials to check on the child so we can report back that the girl is unharmed. They don’t know who we are.” Nina grinned. “Not yet.”
“Jesus…”
“You want to get your daughter out of here and back home?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then follow my lead, Mrs. Warren.”
The car was led into a parking spot near the front of the large house. “Why are you helping me?” Monica asked. “Besides the fact that I have money.”
Nina watched the men move around the car before deciding to answer. “It’s not a secret that I’m not a big fan ofbillionaires,Mrs. Warren. And like the Beaumonts, your family has quite the amount in their bank account. But I’m the one who decides what jobs we do. And when yours crossed my desk, asking that wehelp you bring your child out of the clutches of theBeaumonts…well, if you two leave peacefully and don’t bother us again, that’s fine with me. I don’t like watching children get hurt.”
There was a slight commotion before they were allowed to get out of the car. Nina did not seem perturbed. “They intend to keep my daughter here until she’s old enough to marry one of the Beaumont boys. She has no idea about this, of course. Nor does she know that she’s never going home until she’s married. She’ll never see me again unless I get our government involved.” Not only did Monica wish to avoid that, but she didn’t have much hope that someone actually cared, no matter how much money she had.They’ll tell me this is a family issue.Never mind that her mother-in-law had literally kidnapped Abigail…
