Page 7 of Beneath Deception
~Five~
The warehouse that was the home of Evans’ textile business was a little more than what I expected. By the looks of the building, he was doing very well for himself. I never knew that weaving a couple of threads together would be such a booming business. Parking my car in the “Customers Only” parking area, which was located a short distance from the entrance, I began heading towards the glass double doors that were surrounded by even more glass to make an impressive entry into the building. What was even more impressive was the reception area that greeted me once I opened the door.
Approaching the young girl that was seated behind a tall counter, I rested my hands against the marble surface and waited until she was finished with her call. While I waited for her to finish, I studied the rest of the space. The waiting area was nicely put together with large leather chairs that rested on an expensive-looking rug exhibiting a contemporary look. Magazines were neatly stacked on accent tables that were tastefully placed in between some of the leather chairs. On a high glass table, a large glass water dispenser was filled with sliced oranges, which sat next to a fancy silver coffee carafe accompanied by white porcelain cups. If that wasn’t over the top, there was an assortment of pastries for customers to help themselves to.
Turning back to face the young girl behind the counter, I was given a welcoming smile. “Welcome to Criss Cross Industries, how can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Jonathan Evans,” I responded candidly.
“Can I tell him who is here to see him?” she asked sweetly.
“Xavier London.”
“Please make yourself comfortable, Mr. London, while I let him know you are here.”
Heading to the inviting waiting area, I took a seat. Picking up a new issue ofSports Illustrated,I began skimming through the pages while I waited to see him. After getting through the first few pages, the young receptionist came over. “Mr. London, Mr. Evans will see you now. Please follow me.”
As I began following her, I took in more of my surroundings. After ascending a flight of stairs, I was led down a short hallway until the young girl stopped and knocked lightly on a closed door. When a strong voice sounded on the other side, giving us permission to enter, she opened the door and allowed me to step past her. Just like the waiting area, Jonathan’s office was over the top. The walls were covered in abstract art created with fabrics of different textures. Joining them were gorgeous models wearing what appeared to be designer clothes. My guess would be that Criss Cross provided the material to create them.
Moving closer to where Jonathan sat, it was even more evident that he was related to Tessa as he suggested that I take a seat by holding out his hand. My hunch was confirmed when I spotted a picture on the corner of his desk of a little girl with the same hair color as Tessa and the same beautiful eyes.
Holding out my hand, I introduced myself, “Mr. Evans, my name is Xavier London and we really need to talk.” His eyes met mine with a confused look as I continued. “Do you know a man named Colin Gates?”
The confused look turned to rage at the mention of his name. He immediately stood from his seat and circled his desk. “Mr. London, I’m not sure what your game is, but this conversation is over.”
“Just hear me out,” I replied, feeling inferior to him while sitting.
When I stood up so that I was at the same level, he offered, “You have five minutes.”
“I’m going to go with my gut feeling that you are an honest man. So, my question to you is, do you know what the reason would be that Colin Gates would want to see you dead?” I asked bluntly.
“Colin Gates is a ruthless man. He took everything from me. Do you know how long it has taken me to build a reputable company after he destroyed it?” Jonathan began. “He was my partner until I found out that he was using the business as a front to export his drugs. When I threatened to turn him in, he took everything I had, even my only child. Tusya was my world.”
“Is that why you changed your name?”
“I had no choice. It was the only way I could start over.”
“So, you have no idea where your daughter is?”
“I know exactly where my daughter is. She is buried somewhere beneath the Pacific Ocean.”
With what Jonathan just disclosed to me, I decided to hold on to what I knew about his daughter a little longer. The last thing that I needed was for him to get himself killed in the process of finding her. My only concern now was to make sure he was safe until I could bring them together. “You aren’t safe, Jonathan. Somehow we need to get you out of LA and somewhere secure.”
“I can’t just leave my business. I have orders to meet.”
“I suggest you find someone that you can trust to run your business while you’re gone. You have three days.”
~*~*~*~
When I left Criss Cross Industries, I knew that I had my work cut out for me. If I was right about the kind of man Jonathan Evans was, he wouldn’t hesitate to find a way to go after Colin even after everything Colin did to him. More importantly, if he knew that his daughter was still alive and with Colin, it would be the tipping point to act on it. This alone was reason enough to find a place to keep him safe until I could figure out how to get Tessa away from Colin. It was going to take some doing on my part.
Taking a chance, I decided to head to Colin’s home in Woodland Hills and make up some excuse to see him so that I could get a better idea of his security. Since it was early enough in the day, I was confident that he would still be around. Heading out on Hwy 101, it was going to be at least a forty-five minute drive with the traffic I was sure to encounter before I got there. I could have taken an alternative route, but it would only delay my arrival.
My timing couldn’t have been better. Just as I pulled up to the gate, one of Colin’s drivers was heading out. Stopping long enough to watch him pass, I glanced over to see that the back window was moving downward. There was no mistake who was occupying the back seat. Sitting in all his arrogant glory was Colin dressed in a designer suit.
Trying to compose my anger, I lowered my window and said, “We need to talk.”
When I heard him command, “Paul, turn the car around,” I drove through the open gate and headed down the short driveway, making sure that Colin was close behind.
