Chris sat on the edge of the hospital bed waiting, dressed in the clothes his parents had brought from home. The Doctor had been in that morning with his discharge papers. It was 8 days after the car wreck. There had been little more news. Apparently, from what his attorney learned from the contact in Mexico, the Mexican legal system wasn't any more efficient than the US. The consulate contacts had visited with all the Americans in custody. Chris learned Fiona was holding up, but there were concerns about her mental state. The consulate people had made their concerns known to the Mexican officials, but nothing had changed.
An orderly wheeled into the room with a wheelchair. Behind him, the nurse stood smiling.
"Chris. We hate to see you go, but you can't stay here. Go home. Don't overdo. Try not to worry too much. Stress can slow down the healing process.
Chris stood and sat down in the wheelchair. He knew his dad was downstairs with the Range Rover waiting. He looked at the nurse with a twinkle.
"Thank you and everyone on the floor staff. As bad as this was, you and your colleagues made it bearable. If you ever want to take a ride in an airplane, call me. I can arrange it."
The nurse smiled and nodded. He looked back at the blue-eyed blond as the orderly pushed him toward the elevators.
Downstairs, Chris saw his dad parked near the discharge door, waiting. Sliding into the passenger seat, Chris took a deep breath. It was good to be out of that hospital environment. He looked at his dad with a smile.
"Can we make a stop at Wendy's and get a chocolate malt?"
"Hell yes! And it's good to see you smile. I haven't seen that since we got here."
Chris said nothing but looked out the window of the Range Rover. It was a cloudless and still day, sunny, and perfect for flying. He discovered he wasn't nearly as keen on aviation as he had been a couple of weeks ago. Once they had their malts, the two headed back to the house. Chris was eager to get there and see if there was any more news. He didn't think there would be any, but he hoped.
Fiona's parents were still at the house. He had seen them regularly in the hospital. When they arrived, everyone was waiting. Lunch was ready, and they sat on the patio next to the pool and ate. It was a little tense and uncomfortable until Chris spoke to the pair.
"Albert. I want you to know that I appreciate you and Angela being here. I wish there was more I could do about this situation. You know I love Fiona, and you are welcome to stay as long as you like. This is your home too."
That broke the tension, and the conversation turned to Chris's wreck. Everyone was eager to know what he had been doing on that highway, going that fast, under those circumstances. It took Chris a minute to find the words to respond.
"I was trying to run away from the pain. I wanted to escape the hurt and the overpowering grief that I was feeling. The more I tried, the worse things got. I made a stupid mistake that nearly cost me my life. Laying in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. I realized I couldn't escape what was happening, I could only meet it head on. There are some things I have to deal with directly. Some others I have to put away, set them on the back burner and let them simmer. My immediate focus has to be on this situation in Mexico and how to get Fiona back home. I can deal with everything else after that."
That immediately led into a discussion about what was happening in Mexico and what they could do. There were no clear-cut decisions made, and Chris finally called a halt, seeing that rehashing the same limited knowledge and compounding it with their lack of knowledge and information was only going to drag on.
"We don't need to continue with this. I have the best people I can find on the job. If I find better people, I will put them to work. Currently, the ball is in the Mexican authorities court, and until we hear from them, we really can't do anything."
That quieted the discussion. Chris decided he needed to visit the airport and check on Hastings FBO. Until probate happened on Bill's will, things were in a sort of holding pattern. Chris did not know what might happen after that. A visit to his own workplace was also in order. Since Chris reported directly to the COO, he needed to check in, bring his boss up to speed on the situation. Chris's assistant could manage the day-t o-day operations well enough. Chris would remain available by phone if anything unusual came up.
Weeks passed. Very little information was coming out of Mexico. Chris learned of Fiona and the other's transfer to a Mexican federal jail pending their court appearances. The embassy contact was straightforward with Chris. The facility was not a pleasant place. There was a way for Chris to provide some money for Fiona to purchase things from a sort of commissary. Chris made the arrangements to transfer funds to an account for Fiona regularly.
Chris had asked about visitation but was told it wasn't a good idea. The Mexican lawyer working with Chris's attorney was also in contact with the federal authorities in Mexico and had visited the prison to check on Fiona. He advised Chris not to come to Mexico. He suspected that the Mexican authorities wanted to speak to Chris since they now knew that Fiona was married. The attorney believed that the Mexican drug authorities believed Chris was working with the InPreTech group to smuggle drugs for the cartel.
Fiona's parents stayed almost two weeks before heading home. Not long after, Chris's parents headed back to their home as well. Since they had driven Chris's Range Rover home, he flew them back using one of the lease planes in the fleet. It was the first time that Chris had flown since the debacle in Mexico. He was still the competent and professional pilot. After he landed on the return trip, he discovered that he no longer got the same sense of satisfaction and relaxation from flying that he had in the past.
The date of probate for Bill's will was in a few days. Chris still did not know what was going on, but the attorney handling Bill's estate had notified him of the hearing and that he should attend. The day of the hearing, Chris found himself in the county judge's chambers in a small hearing room. To his surprise, he was the only one present when the judge came.
"Have a seat, Mr. Padget. This won't take long. I have been through Mr. Hastings will, which is rather short and to the point. Rather than read the entire document, I prefer to just summarize the findings. I already have the paperwork done. Is this alright with you?"
Chris agreed, and the judge continued, working from notes on a yellow legal pad.
"Bill has left everything to you and your wife, Fiona. Let me run down this list of assets, holdings, and property. There is the home he owned and several vehicles. The business, Hastings Fixed Base Operations and a fleet of aircraft, ground vehicles, and some other items, all bank accounts and investment accounts. The aggregate of the bank accounts and investment instruments comes to about 8 million dollars. Add that the value of the property and the business, and I estimate it is about 22 million dollars total. I have the proper paperwork already for your signatures. Where is your wife, by the way?"
Chris explained the situation with Fiona, and the county judge furrowed his brow a bit.
"That complicated things a bit. I need her signature to complete all of this. Is there anyway you can get an affidavit from her or from someone in authority down there that will give his permission to proceed without her signature?"
"I really don't know. My attorney is working with an Attorney in Mexico. I will see what we can do. In the meantime, how do we proceed, especially with keeping the business operating?"
"The will names you as executor of the estate after the probate, so you can continue to manage the business. Bill had no living relatives or family, so there shouldn't be any disputes about this. I wouldn't make any significant changes such as selling property until we settle the problem of your wife's signatures, but for now, you are in charge."
Chris nodded, thanked the judge and left the courthouse. He stopped outside and found a bench to sit down and call his attorney with the news. Chris's attorney left the call and immediately began calling both the Mexican attorney and the embassy to set things in motion. Chris spent a bit of time sitting on the bench under the shade of the trees, contemplating how his life had suddenly changed again.
Over the next few months, not much changed for Chris. Mostly he worked. The aerospace company for whom he worked was expanding again. His job as Chief Engineering Officer kept him busy. The acquisition of several subsidiary companies now had him traveling more than usual. He often flew himself to his business appointments, but found that being at the controls of the aircraft kept thought of Fiona on his mind, although she was never very far away.
Chris occupied his time away from the aerospace company with details of running the charter and fixed base operation. He quickly learned that Bill had built a small, but efficient, organization. The staff, recognizing that situation, quickly stepped in to keep things operating while Chris learned the ropes. Even with that help, Chris soon convinced himself that he couldn't continue this double role. With several other key members of the operation, they started a search for someone to step in to fill the gap. Chris knew it would not be a quick thing,
&&&&&
Almost a year to the day that Chris found out about the drug bust in Cancun, he got a call from his Attorney.
"Chris. I got news."
"What's up."
