But this version of my grandmother is one I’m not too familiar with. This version bears a strong resemblance to me, more so than her much older self does. The only noticeable difference in the photo between us is her black hair. It reaches just below her shoulders, the ends curled up. Her long bangs are brushed to the side, and the crown is teased and pulled back. Unlike me, she doesn’t have blue streaks.
“Yes, that’s your grandmother,” Bernard says, noticing where my attention is now.
“The photo was taken in 1960 at the Enchanted Springs Winery in Oakville, California. We went there on our first date together. Wonderful place. They had the best Riesling I’ve ever tasted. It won the gold medal from the Los Angeles County Fair Association, just two days before your grandmother and I were there. And this one…” He points to a photo that is also several decades old. The couple in it is wearing ski suits, boots, and wool hats. Behind them are a ski slope and pine trees. “This was taken in Squaw Valley, the site of the 1960 Olympics. That was months before your grandmother and I met, but I managed to convince her to join me on a ski trip there. She was quite the adventurer. An adventurer and a deep-down romantic. The best combination.”
His eyes glaze over as he reminisces a past long since trodden.
He then shares details about the other photos in his office. Some are places he has traveled with my grandmother. Others are locations he visited with other celebrities from that era.
Jayden and I exchange a glance. Neither of us knows what to make of this. Did Bernard actually fly us down for a particular reason, or is he just an old man with nothing better to do than reminisce about the past with anyone who’ll listen?
Just when I think it’s the latter, Bernard finally gets back on track about why we’re here. “I need your help.”
“What kind of help?”
“I’d rather not say here,” Bernard says. “The walls might have ears.”
I try not to laugh. The old man sounds like he’s been marathon-watching James Bond movies, or at the very least, marathoning the ones when Roger Moore was 007.
Oh, boy.
“Then where do you want to tell us?” I ask.
“How about we go for a ride? There’s a place north of here, near the ocean, where people tend not to go. It’ll be easy for me to spot if someone’s tailing us.”
Jayden frowns. “Is there a reason someone would be following you?”
“That’s what I need you two to figure out. But like I’ve already said, I don’t want to tell you anything else here. As it is, I’m hoping I’ve haven’t given away too much to the wrong person just by meeting you in my office and talking to you on the phone, Isabelle.”
“Okay, we’ll go with you,” I tell him, all the more curious to hear what he has to say.
Jayden’s frown deepens. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Oh, crap. I recognize that look…which is now directed at me.
“Sure.” I turn to Bernard. “Can we have a minute? And then I’ll go with you.”
Jayden makes a noise under his breath, which could be a growl, but he doesn’t say anything beyond that.
“I’ll wait for you in the hallway.” With an easy smile, Bernard nods at Jayden and leaves his office.
No sooner do we hear the glass door click shut, and Jayden’s words come out like Nerf balls from a toy gun. “You’re not going anywhere with him, Isabelle.”
“Give me one reason why not.”
“He wants to take us to a place where there are no witnesses.”
I feel my brows crinkle under the weight of his suspicions. But I can’t blame him for how he feels. His job can have that effect on you. I’ve seen it with the other guys on the team.
“You’ve got your gun on you, right?” Mine is in our room safe after he insisted I leave it there.
He nods.
“Then we don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Maybe you should try worrying more than you do,” he fires back.
I heave a sigh. “Look, I know he hasn’t done anything to earn your trust yet. But I do trust my grandmother. There’s a reason she wants me to help him.”
