Good Deed Bad Deed

as well.
It was time for Ben to tell her about Ana. She had been drawn into the drama unwillingly and also had need of protection. Ben took his mother’s hands in his and fixed his eyes on hers. “There’s someone else in this mess.” He paused to be sure that Paris was focused on what he was saying, then continued, “The pub I was in last night … I was there to meet a journalist, Ana Doherty. She’s a freelancer from America and is supposed to get an interview with me, because of the new book.” His mother nodded in understanding. “She was with me on the street when the first attack happened. She screamed for help while a big tattooed bloke was trying to subdue me. He twisted my arm so hard that he dislocated my shoulder. That’s the reason for the sling. Just then, three footballer-types, a bit in their cups, came up the alley from the pub and jumped on the first guy. Then they grabbed at his partner, who had gotten out of the old sedan to even up the fight. But he was no help… just got himself punched up. The young guys were too much for them and got in some good blows before pinning the big one on the ground.
“The lads made the point that it would take a while for the police to come, and they couldn’t keep them face down on the pavement that long. If I’d known it wasn’t just an isolated mugging, I’d have asked that they sit on the two of them and wait for the police. I had been punched in the face a couple of times, shoved hard against their car, and I could barely move my arm. I couldn’t help them or myself.”
Paris kept a stoic expression, but there were tears streaming down her face as she listened to what Ben had been through. Ben handed her the wet towel used to ice his shoulder and said, “It’s okay, Mum. I’m fine now, thanks to Ana.” When Paris had wiped her tears, he continued, “I think the lads had had enough and wanted to get on to the next pub. So they released the two of them and they made a quick getaway. I had seen the driver when I was in the pub. He had pushed his way in to stand next to me at the bar while I was waiting for the journalist to arrive. It was Ana. Then I saw him again, talking at a table to some man who seemed mad as hell.”
“There are more details, especially about the rest of the night, but they aren’t relevant right now. The point is that I have to do something about Ana. If they think we’re a couple, they could resort to taking her. That would still be a way to apply pressure on you.”
“This is beyond belief, Ben. Things like this don’t happen to run-of-the-mill families like ours.”
“Seems they do. So, we need a plan. Is Dad in the city today?”
“No, he stayed home … something to do with a carpenter coming.”
“Then I think the best thing is for you to get on with your day as you normally would. You’ve been gone for over a week so there must be a lot to catch up on. Maybe you’ll be lucky and come across something that sheds light on the situation.”
Paris became agitated, and worry masked her attractive features as she considered her son’s suggestion. “I agree that the key to this has to involve work, but I’m not comfortable with letting you out of my sight,” she said, adopting a stern maternal expression.
Ben told her that she would be most useful trying to figure out, well in advance of the next contact, what it is they wanted from her. That would require time spent in the office. Ana was his immediate concern, and he explained to Paris that he had to find her quickly. He provided reassurance that he would be aware of his surroundings at all times and take every possible precaution. She reluctantly agreed to do as he asked and got up from the sofa. She put her arms around Ben again and held him as if a fierce wind were about to rip him away.
Then she let him go and walked toward the door. “Please, please, check in with me as much as you can this afternoon, while I’m in the office. I’ll leave my mobile within reach. I won’t accomplish anything unless I have hourly reassurance.”
“Just take the train home on your regular schedule. Bring Dad into the loop and try to keep him from starting calls to all his contacts. It’s not time for that.”
He opened the door and Paris stepped out into the hallway. She turned back and pleaded, “Ben, I really think you should come home right away, not in a couple of days. Keeping an eye on you would be so much easier there, and when you find Ana, ask her to come too. Your father will keep you both safe.”
“That’s not Dad’s job anymore. I feel more like I need to keep the two of you safe. I hate the unpredictability of this whole thing,” Ben said, shaking his head in frustration. He walked Paris to the lift and pressed the call button. The doors opened and he reminded her to call immediately if she found something relevant. Then she was gone, and he hurried back to his flat to plan a way to find Ana. He threw a few things into a valise in preparation for escaping to the country house, figuring that he wouldn’t have to come back to the flat and risk another encounter. His focus had to be on finding Ana and talking her into joining him in the country. The ruse of a shoulder too sore for driving was about to be tested, and he hoped he could pull it off.
Ben remembered that Ana was going to