pulled him through the window, sending him tumbling to the floor.
Marshall hit the cement floor palms first, sending a shock of pain through his hands, wrists, and arms. He was able to do a kind of half roll that helped pad the rest of his body from the fall. Before could regain his balance, someone was on top of him, pinning him to the harsh cement floor and holding his arms tight behind his back.
“It was only a matter of time before you found out,” Diane said as she walked toward Marshall. “There is no need for this. Marshall, will you give me your word that you won’t try and run? That you will at the very least give me a chance to explain?”
“Yes,” Marshall grunted.
“Please,” Diana said to whoever was on top of him. “Let him up.”
The hold on his arms and weight on his back was immediately removed. Marshall turned, massaging his arm and shoulder to see who had thrown him from the window and pinned him to the ground. He expected to see a large man, someone who could pass for ex-military or maybe even a bodybuilder. When Marshall saw who it was, his mouth dropped open and all words escaped him.
Chapter 15
It was Ann Hansen. But not the Ann Hansen Marshall had grown accustomed to seeing at work. Her horn-rimmed glasses were gone, the sweater vests, long skirts, and cardigans she usually sported where also gone, and in their place was a female he didn’t recognize.
Ann wore high leather boots with tight fitting jeans and a brown leather jacket. She sported a silly grin. “Sorry, Marshall. If I had known it was you, I would have been gentler.” She grimaced as she pointed to a spot near his hairline. “Looks like you took it on the head. I’ll get you a towel or something for that.” She turned and disappeared amongst the aisles in the warehouse.
Marshall’s mind was running in so many different directions he didn’t even know where to start. He raised a shaky hand to his right temple and felt the sticky blood come off on his hand.
“Well, I’m going to take your silence for complete and utter surprise,” Diane said.
Marshall managed to nod.
“My goodness, we have a lot to talk about. Will you follow me so we can sit? I promise you will have your answers.”
“Okay.”
Diane turned and walked down the aisle, her high-heeled gray shoes clicking against the floor. The two walked down a long aisle, made a turn, and walked down another. Marshall’s head began to throb as he tried to piece together what had happened.
Diane led him into a corner of the warehouse with a large table on an even larger rug. There were a few chairs around another table that was filled with stacks of books.
“Please sit. Ann should be along soon with something for your head.”
Marshall had gathered himself enough now to begin piecing together what was happening. “Ann works for you outside of the Hermes . She works for your family.”
“That’s right.”
“What is this place?”
“This is a warehouse I own that holds every piece of evidence or mention of the history of this land. Dating back as far as the founding of the county and even farther than that.”
Ann appeared with a damp cloth in one hand and a water bottle and container of Advil in the other. “Here, take these.”
Marshall accepted the Advil and water from her gratefully as his head began to throb.
“I’m so sorry, Marshall.” Ann walked over and knelt by Marshall’s chair, gently stopping the bleeding with the warm, damp towel.
“I’m so confused right now,” Marshall said, looking at Ann. “You’re obviously not just the mousy, borderline annoying tech girl at our office.”
Ann flinched at the words Marshall had used to describe her but then smiled. “Well, I guess my disguise has been working. Even with my annoyingly cheerful act, you’re still the only one that’s nice enough to put up with me.”
“So that’s not who you really are. You’re some kind of
Marshall hit the cement floor palms first, sending a shock of pain through his hands, wrists, and arms. He was able to do a kind of half roll that helped pad the rest of his body from the fall. Before could regain his balance, someone was on top of him, pinning him to the harsh cement floor and holding his arms tight behind his back.
“It was only a matter of time before you found out,” Diane said as she walked toward Marshall. “There is no need for this. Marshall, will you give me your word that you won’t try and run? That you will at the very least give me a chance to explain?”
“Yes,” Marshall grunted.
“Please,” Diana said to whoever was on top of him. “Let him up.”
The hold on his arms and weight on his back was immediately removed. Marshall turned, massaging his arm and shoulder to see who had thrown him from the window and pinned him to the ground. He expected to see a large man, someone who could pass for ex-military or maybe even a bodybuilder. When Marshall saw who it was, his mouth dropped open and all words escaped him.
Chapter 15
It was Ann Hansen. But not the Ann Hansen Marshall had grown accustomed to seeing at work. Her horn-rimmed glasses were gone, the sweater vests, long skirts, and cardigans she usually sported where also gone, and in their place was a female he didn’t recognize.
Ann wore high leather boots with tight fitting jeans and a brown leather jacket. She sported a silly grin. “Sorry, Marshall. If I had known it was you, I would have been gentler.” She grimaced as she pointed to a spot near his hairline. “Looks like you took it on the head. I’ll get you a towel or something for that.” She turned and disappeared amongst the aisles in the warehouse.
Marshall’s mind was running in so many different directions he didn’t even know where to start. He raised a shaky hand to his right temple and felt the sticky blood come off on his hand.
“Well, I’m going to take your silence for complete and utter surprise,” Diane said.
Marshall managed to nod.
“My goodness, we have a lot to talk about. Will you follow me so we can sit? I promise you will have your answers.”
“Okay.”
Diane turned and walked down the aisle, her high-heeled gray shoes clicking against the floor. The two walked down a long aisle, made a turn, and walked down another. Marshall’s head began to throb as he tried to piece together what had happened.
Diane led him into a corner of the warehouse with a large table on an even larger rug. There were a few chairs around another table that was filled with stacks of books.
“Please sit. Ann should be along soon with something for your head.”
Marshall had gathered himself enough now to begin piecing together what was happening. “Ann works for you outside of the Hermes . She works for your family.”
“That’s right.”
“What is this place?”
“This is a warehouse I own that holds every piece of evidence or mention of the history of this land. Dating back as far as the founding of the county and even farther than that.”
Ann appeared with a damp cloth in one hand and a water bottle and container of Advil in the other. “Here, take these.”
Marshall accepted the Advil and water from her gratefully as his head began to throb.
“I’m so sorry, Marshall.” Ann walked over and knelt by Marshall’s chair, gently stopping the bleeding with the warm, damp towel.
“I’m so confused right now,” Marshall said, looking at Ann. “You’re obviously not just the mousy, borderline annoying tech girl at our office.”
Ann flinched at the words Marshall had used to describe her but then smiled. “Well, I guess my disguise has been working. Even with my annoyingly cheerful act, you’re still the only one that’s nice enough to put up with me.”
“So that’s not who you really are. You’re some kind of
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