Page 32 of Tell Me the Truth

Almost two and a half weeks after the fire, Ellis informs me that Tracey called him and asked him to visit her at the place where she is being detained. He apologizes that he didn’t tell me right when she called and that he went to visit her. But as it turns out, she wanted to bribe him with information in exchange for helping her to get out of prison. He says he didn’t think she had anything worth hearing. So, he left her there.

In the weeks since the fire, I have been able to start my research back up at a second lab location. We temporarily moved my staff to a different building while construction is underway to rehabilitate the original offices.

A new building, housing a bigger, better lab, is under construction in the lot next door. Everything at Seth BioTech is still progressing according to schedule, and the fire has proven to be just a minor bump in the road.

Ellis and I sort of did things backwards. We started off with this intense attraction and a whirlwind of sex, lust, and desire. Now, we’re dating and getting to know one another.

Don’t get me wrong. We’ve enjoyed a lot of sex these past couple of weeks, and I admit to myself that I’m falling for the Ellis I’ve come to know. The Ellis that I’m going to enjoy continuing to get to know.

I’ve been waiting on my front porch for just a fewminutes when Ellis arrives in his car to pick me up fora date. He stops his car next to the curb in front of my house and hops out.

Flashing his perfect smile and blinding me with his emerald eyes, he walks around his car and waits for me by the passenger door. I walk into his arms that he’s stretched out for me, to enter his inner circle of sandalwood.And is that rosemary?He kisses me in greeting, and my legs might give out on me.

“So, what do you have in store for our date today?” I ask, picking a piece of lint off his chin and leaving a kiss in its place.

He pulls out a familiar book and says, “I thought we’d have a picnic and read this literary classic to one another.”

“Ahh, yes.Billion Dollar Baby Daddy: An Enemies to Lovers, Secret Baby, Off-Limits Romance.” I exclaim, reading the title of the familiar book. “A must-read for any bibliophile. About the grumpy billionaire who falls for the brilliant scientist.”

Ellis hugs me in his arms again and kisses me in a way that communicates gratitude for our date, excitement for our connection, and the passion that I know we share. When we pull away from this long and tender kiss, he whispers to me. “And he has fallen hard.”

Epilogue

Tuesday

About Two Months Later

Iknow that by initiating this meeting with Tracey Devina that I’m taking a dangerous chance of making a mess of things, even worse than they already are.

The hair on my arms raise at attention and an uncomfortable chill snakes up my back when I step foot into the cold and unwelcoming confines of the women’s detention center near Gillis, CA. I take a deep breath before I walk in. I have never been inside a prison before, and the sight of barbed wire fences looming over 20 feet above, barred walls and doors, and multiple manned checkpoints makes me feel uneasy.

But I must speak with Ms. Devina. She is the only person who knows everyone involved with the Brent-Sigma/Seth BioTech deal and the attempt to sabotage Seth BioTech’s laboratory.

My heart is pounding with anticipation and nervous energy as I enter the visiting area. A young woman with blonde hair and cold, but pretty eyes, is brought in at the same time. We sit on opposite sides of a reinforced glass partition.

When our eyes meet, I can see the weariness etched on her face. A palpable tension fills the air in the small, colorless room.

My voice trembles as I introduce myself, but I try to insert any strength I have to not give her a negative first impression. I don’t want to sound too desperate and possibly spook her. It’s important that she stays and talks with me so that I can understand the motives behind her crime.

“Excuse me, are you Tracey?” I ask, realizing right away that I’ve asked an apparent fact. The guardswouldn’t have placed her in front of me if she was someone else.

I shake off my mistake and tell her my name, then continue, “I was hoping to talk to you about your case.”

Tracey looks up at me, her eyes cautious. “How do you know Ellis Brent? And how are you connected to all of this? Are you a lawyer? Wait, are you getting me out of here?” She is asking me a string of questions, and I wonder if she doesn’t get many visitors. She is chatty, off the bat, with someone she doesn’t know.I wonder if I’m the first person to visit her. Has she just been dropped off in jail and forgotten about?

“I’m not a lawyer.” Tracey’s eyes drop and she slouches in her chair when she hears this statement. “But if you can answer some questions for me and tell me your side of the story, then maybe we can help each other,” I tell her, leaning forward in the metal chair. “I know the side of the story that I’ve heard in the News. I also know that you’re not giving up the name of whoever paid you to commit your crimes.”

Tracey hesitates for a moment, gauging whether I’m someone she should be talking to. “Why should I trust you?” she asks, her voice flat. “I did what I had to do to help my mother get out from under her mountain of debt, and to get her into the Seth BioTech immunotherapy trials. She’s alive and healthy today. For me, that’s all that matters. Since I’m already convicted and serving my time, I can say all that.”

I nod, knowing that there is more to the story. Obviously, she loves her mother and it’s my guess that at her core, Tracey Devina is not a bad person.She did really bad things for a good reason. But, instead of whoever paid her to do these bad things, she’s the only one paying for it with her freedom.

“I understand that it can be hard to talk about, and I also get why you should be afraid.” I am trying to speak with her in a gentle, caring voice so that I don’t scare her, but also so she might feel comfortable with me. “The people on the other side of the money are rich and powerful.”

Tracey studies my expression and takes her time to assess the man sitting before her. “Let’s cut to the chase,”she says, then hesitantly adds, “I am getting that you understand the deal I made. But what’s in it for you?”

Sitting across from Tracey, I can sense the weight of her despair. She looks fragile, her eyes are fighting back tears. I also sense Hope. The hope that someone might be able to help her. That someone mightwantto help her.

“Before I answer that for you. Tell me your thoughts about Alexandra Seth.” I am still trying to sound steady and kind so that she might come to trust me. However, she still doesn’t know whose side I’m on. So, I also need to seem unbiased until I can figure out where her loyalties lie.

---