Chapter 14
Ivan got Jamie to work without any incident, but as he sat watching Jamie walk into the library, he could feel someone watching him. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone. He decided to get out of the car and have a proper look.
He walked down the road, looking in the shop windows and using the glass reflection to look around. He still couldn’t see anyone, but he could still feel it, like a stare burning into his back.
He wondered if it was someone from the illegal organisation. He thought it must be, who else would want to follow him?
He carried on strolling and looking in different windows when his eyes caught someone across the road, smirking at him. Ivan gave a start and quickly spun around just as a bus passed, blocking his view for a moment. When the bus passed, the man had vanished.
Ivan’s eyes searched up and down the road, but he didn’t see him.
He shook his head. There was no way he saw Derrick; he would be dead by now.
If not, he would be hundreds of years old, and for a mortal, that was impossible.
So why was his imagination conjuring Derrick up?
Could it be tied into finding his Jamie?
Not having an answer, Ivan strolled back to his car.
He needed to get home, get back to work, and blank Derrick from his mind.
Seth and Olly were walking down the hallway when Ivan got home. AJ was painting the newly fixed wall.
Seth turned and smiled at Ivan, then frowned. “What’s wrong? Were you followed again?”
“No, I felt someone watching us when I dropped Jamie off, so I got out to have a look.”
“Whatever you saw, it couldn’t have been good,” AJ says, putting his paintbrush down and looking at Ivan.
“I saw a mirage, that’s all,” Ivan replied. It had to be, Ivan kept telling himself.
“What or who did you see?” Seth asked, looking concerned.
Ivan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I thought I saw Derrick.”
“But that’s impossible, Derrick would have died hundreds of years ago,” Seth commented.
Ivan nodded. “Yeah, he was human, so should have done.”
“Was Derrick an old ex of yours?” AJ enquired.
“Yeah,” Ivan confirmed. “Very old, and it was a bad break-up. Like very bad.”
“Maybe you should research him and see if he actually died. In your world, anything can happen. Maybe he found a spell to make him live forever,” AJ suggested.
“Goddess, I hope not,” Ivan said.
“Have a search and see what you can find out about him. Hack into the traffic cameras and see if they picked anything up,” Seth ordered. “If he is still alive and dangerous, we have your back; you’ll not face him alone.”
“Thanks. I need to make sure Jamie, Karl and Kitty are safe.”
“The children will be safe here. Jamie might need protecting, but have a search first and see what, if anything, you can find,” Seth said.
“I will do, and pray to everyone I can think of that Derrick is truly dead.”
For some reason, Jamie was rushed off his feet. He was just taking payment from one of his regular customers when his eyes caught the man behind them. He internally rolled his eyes.
“Thanks, Jamie,” the customer said. “Are you sure I can't get your number for my grandson?”
Jamie laughed. “I’m sure, Mrs Stacey, but thank you.”
Mrs Stacey laughed and picked up her drink, walking off to an empty table.
The man stepped forward, and Jamie noticed how handsome he looked, with his classical features and perfect hair, but it was his eyes that scared Jamie; they looked almost dead, the scar at the side of his eye only added to the sense of danger, as well as his dark clothes.
“So your name is Jamie,” the man stated.
“So I’ve heard. What can I get you?”
“A large black coffee and your phone number,” the man says smoothly, a contrast from his demands of yesterday.
Jamie rang his drink up, and as the man paid, Jamie made his drink. When it was ready, he turned back and handed it to the man.
“You forgot your phone number,” the man pointed out.
“No, I didn’t. Enjoy your drink,” Jamie replied, turning his back on the customer. He cleaned his machine and wiped down the side until he felt the man walk away. Jamie realised he hadn’t gone far when he could feel his eyes staring into his back.
He turned round and walked around the counter, cloth in hand and started to collect the rubbish and wipe down the empty tables.
Jamie saw Max standing off to one side, looking worried and walked over to him.
“You okay?” Max asked in concern. “Weirdo man’s back.”
“Yeah. He asked for my number, and I ignored him. But have you looked at him? His eyes look dead.”
Max shook his head. “I’ve tried not to look at him. Why don’t you phone Ivan and ask him to come early?”
Jamie shook his head. “No. It’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with weirdos. Plus, Gavin and Hunter have just walked in.”
Max turned and watched the two men walk over to them, smiling.
“Hey, Jamie, Max,” Hunter greeted.
“Hi,” they both said at the same time.
“Can I get you guys a drink?” Jamie asked
Gavin frowned and signed.
“Sorry, Gavin, I didn’t get that,” Jamie said.
“Gavin asked what was wrong,” Max translated for him.
“Just a weirdo who does nothing but creep me out and stare at me. He’s the guy dressed all in black, sat at the back table.”
They all turned to look at him. The man smirked, drank his coffee, got up and strode off, passing them. “See you tomorrow, Jamie.”
“Not chuffing likely,” Jamie muttered. “I have the day off tomorrow.”
Gavin signed.
“We will,” Hunter said before looking at Jamie. “We’ll stay here until Ivan turns up, so yes to the drinks, please.”
Ivan searched and found Jamie’s bank account and hacked into it.
He was surprised to see Jamie only had a few pounds in it.
He looked through the account and was shocked at how Jamie survived on so little money.
Making a note of Jamie’s banking information, Ivan logged out and opened his banking app.
He set up a monthly direct debit for Jamie and dumped a chunk of money in there.
He’d wait for the right time to tell his human mate, as he was sure Jamie would object, but tough.
He looked online to find out Karl and Kitty’s details.
Once he had them, he then opened two bank accounts, one for Karl and the other for Kitty.
Again, he put money into their accounts and set up a monthly direct debit for them.
Their accounts came with children’s credit cards, so he ordered them as well.
Now Ivan was researching everything he could about Derrick.
He started with the mental institution he was sent to for life.
The institute closed in the early 1900s, so there were no records online.
Next, he searched for his date of death, but again found nothing.
He jumped onto genealogy websites and searched their records.
He found everything he needed, except a date of death.
“There’s no date of death,” Ivan told Olly.
Olly spun round, looking at him. “That could be for any reason. It doesn’t mean he’s still alive.”
“I know,” Ivan said.
“I hacked the traffic cams from earlier. I found the man you saw. Come see.”
Ivan rolled his chair over and looked at the screen. “Yeah, that’s him. Can you zoom in?”
Olly hit some buttons and enhanced the picture. It was a side view.
“It can’t be,” Ivan whispered.
Just then, Ivan’s phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw a message from Gavin.
At the library. A weird man has been creeping Jamie out. I’ve said we’ll stay here until you come to pick him up.
Ivan read the message to Olly before shooting back, Thanks, Gav. Will be there soon.
Olly started typing, and soon the inside of the library showed on his screen. “I’ve hacked the library. Let me rewind the video.”
They watched as everything rewound.
“Stop,” Ivan said.
Olly hit a button, and the screen froze, with a full face.
Ivan swore. “How can Derrick still be alive? That’s not possible.”
“Could it be a male descendant of his?”
Ivan shook his head. “No, look,” he points to the screen.
“There’s a scar, just by the side of his eye.
Derrick had one in exactly the same place.
He got it one evening when he was trying to learn to fly.
He jumped off a ladder and hit his head; the scar is a result of that accident.
The chances of his descendants having the same one are astronomical.
I need to figure out what to do about him. ”
“Go and see Jamie, and I’ll see what else I can find out about him.”
“What do I tell Jamie, though?”
“The truth,” Kitty said from the doorway.
Ivan and Olly looked at her.
“Sorry, I did knock,” she said. “If someone from your past is out there causing trouble, you need to tell Jay the truth.”
Ivan nodded. “I do, I just don’t know how to tell him or how he’ll react.”
Kitty walked to his side and leant against him. “He might have questions, but he won’t leave you. Neither will me or Karl.”
Ivan kissed the side of her head. “Thanks, princess.”
“Can I come with you to pick up Jay?”
“Sure. Olly can come as well.”
“I can. I have my program running to find everything we can about him.”
“Let’s go then. I’ll message Seth and say we’ll be back soon.”