Indiscreet while Undercover

I recalled how Brandy's ... Julia's eyes lit up when I mentioned that I liked the area about Asheville. That is only a couple of hours drive from Charlotte. I then experienced a Eureka moment! Julia wasn't considering relaxing with marijuana. Hickory is only an hour's drive from Charlotte. Now all I had to do was find Aunt Mary in Hickory. My search through open sources produced no Mary Halifax in Hickory.

Aunt Mary had a lavender hedge next to a beekeeper named Tom. It didn't take me long to find phone numbers for the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. They had 4,000 members statewide. How many Toms would keep bees near Hickory? Suddenly it seemed possible to track down Julia.

My first effort ringing the membership secretary failed. The lady gave me a bureaucratic response that members' details could not be released. I didn't think it was appropriate to say that I was with the FBI, so I decided on a different approach.

Listed well down in the numerous administrative posts was a historian. I gave him a call and said I was writing an article about the invention of a new bottom board that had a significant impact on the varroa destructor mite that was killing bee colonies. I explained that the editor of the American Bee Journal wanted me to interview the inventor who lives near Hickory, but all I have is the name Tom. Suddenly I was given the name of Tom Strickland and an address on Hopkins Road, Granite Falls. When I checked the map, this was right on the boundary of Hickory.

I was determined to follow this lead. In any case, if it didn't work out, I would still be close to my parents' home in South Carolina. I soon had a ticket on the next flight and a car booked for collection in Charlotte. Then I took a cab to the airport.

It was dark when the flight landed in Charlotte. I collected the rental car and quickly found accommodation for the night.

Early Tuesday morning, I was back on the road driving to Hickory. I took US 321 straight through the town and soon found the turnoff to Hopkins Road.

I must have been too excited as I drove the length of the road and barely noticed any house numbers nor any beehives. As there was no other traffic, I turned around and retraced my route slowly. I noticed the white boxes almost 200 yards off the road first and then the row of lavender became obvious. I parked the car and headed for the front door of a modest well-kept brick ranch style home.

My sweaty palms made me conscious of my nervousness. In spite of this I boldly knocked on the door three times. After a wait, a lady in her sixties opened the door and scrutinized me thoroughly. I hadn't really considered how I should make an appropriate enquiry, so I blurted out: "Would you be Aunt Mary?"

"I doubt that I am your Aunt Mary. Who's asking?"

"I am Mark Brady. I was hoping to speak to Julia Halifax."

After looking me up and down again, the lady said: "I don't think now is a good time. Maybe you could come back in a couple of days."

My sense of triumph must have been obvious, as she then asked: "Are you alright?"

"Could I ask you to at least let her know that Wyatt Spence is here. If she doesn't wish to see me, I will then immediately leave." I had thought this might persuade her, but she was now quite confused.

Fortunately, at that moment, a voice from inside called out: "Who is it?"

"There is a young man here calling himself first Mark, and now Wyatt ..." I ignored the rest of Aunt Mary's statement as I concentrated on the pounding of feet headed towards us. Then Julia stood before me. With bewilderment on her face, tousled hair and clad in a baggy cotton tracksuit, she was still stunning.

Her shock and unsettled manner resulted in her stammering out: "What are you doing here? ... are you on the run? ... how did you find me?"

I am afraid I just grinned and slowly replied: "My name is Mark Brady. I am from the FBI. How do you do Julia Halifax?"

Gradually I could see my words register as she relaxed and then smiled. "Well before you storm inside this house may I see some ID?" I handed over my agent's badge inside a billfold with my identification card. Aunt Mary had obviously seen enough as she departed.

Julia took some time to read all the detail before cheekily commenting: "I understand that people in your line of business know how to obtain fake police badges."

"Well perhaps you should contact your Special Agent in Charge Wozniak for a description of Mark Brady." I knew that Julia had been joking, but now she leapt at me and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms about her reluctant to let go, but eventually we loosened enough to kiss.

"I am so sorry, she cried.

"What for?"

"I felt like a Judas, but once the tracker was hidden in the money bag, there was nothing I could do to remove it."

Reassuringly, I said: "You did nothing wrong. Besides, you shouldn't be concerned about criminals."

"You could have been hurt."

"Everything seems to have worked out for the best, provided you still feel the same about me."

"Of course! You had better come inside, Mark Brady."

Julia led me into their living room. We sat closely together on the sofa holding hands as I brought her up to date with what happened at the Recycle Center and then my detention. She was quite surprised with how I tracked her down. We bounced questions back and forth for about half an hour before Julia said: "I am sorry. You must have been travelling. Would you like some coffee?"

"That would be appreciated, thank you."

Julia was up and disappeared down the corridor. After a couple of minutes, I decided I didn't want to be treated formally as a guest, so I stood up and started sauntering down the corridor until I could hear the banging of cupboard doors in the kitchen.

I stopped as I heard Julia ask her aunt: "Do we still have some of that carrot cake?"

"It is in the tin on top of the fridge dear." After a pause Aunt Mary commented: "You seem to be much happier now. Am I right?"

"Much happier!"

Then her aunt asked: "Who is the young gentleman, dear?"

"Oh, that is just the man I am going to marry."

I could not have felt more overjoyed on hearing those words. Suddenly life could not be better.