Heir Trackers

Unexpected Return

Sunlight filtered through Tarryn's Amsterdam hotel blinds. She was already on her second cup of coffee when her phone buzzed. It was Mark. She figured it was another clue about the Van de Meer mystery they'd been chasing. But the news wasn't about their hunt. As she read the message, her face fell.

"Tarryn," it began, "I didn't want to tell you this over a message, but I received a call early this morning. It's Lucy, my fiancée. She's been in an accident back in London. I've already booked the next flight out. I promise I'll return as soon as I can."

Tarryn felt a confusing mixture of worry, disappointment, and guilt. Lucy, the fiancée Mark rarely spoke of, was a shadowy figure in the background of her mind. A reminder that Mark had another life, commitments and relationships that existed before this quest began.

She dialed Mark immediately. After what felt like an eternity, he answered, "Hey."

"Mark, I'm so sorry," Tarryn's voice was filled with genuine concern. "Is Lucy going to be okay?"

There was a long pause. "I don't know yet. But I need to be with her."

"Absolutely, you do," Tarryn assured him, swallowing hard. "Just... take care of what's important. I'll continue to investigate things here."

Mark exhaled deeply. "Thanks, Tarryn. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

With Mark's situation weighing on her mind, Tarryn buried herself in work, revisiting the archives. Hours went by as she worked, assisted by Pieter, to decipher notes and documents found within the Van der Meer family bible, copying relevant documents.

As dusk approached, she left the building. Tarryn was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hardly noticed the man tailing her until he yanked her into an alley. Panic surged as his hand muffled her scream. "Quit digging," he hissed. "Or you won't be around to regret it."

Tarryn struggled, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Adrenaline kicked in and Tarryn elbowed the guy and bolted.  She sprinted back to her hotel, the gravity of her situation finally hitting her. Locking her door, she immediately dialed Mark.

"Mark," she panted, "something's happened."

He could hear the fear in her voice. "Tarryn, what's wrong?"

She told him everything that ahppened, "Someone doesn't want us uncovering the Van der Meer secrets."

After a moment's silence, Mark's voice was determined. "Stay safe, Tarryn. I'll get back there as soon as I can."

The rest of the evening and the next morning was spent mostly in solitude until Tarryn finally  decided to return to the archives. She took an Uber from the hotel this time and was certain to look over her shoulder as she ran into the building.  Pieter seemed to be eagerly awaiting her arrival. "Miss Tarryn, I bring copies. Documents you request," said Pieter, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Laying out the copied materials, Taryn discovered a handwritten letter from Hendrik Van der Meer. It was a love letter to someone named Aletta. Tarryn tried to recall where she had seen the name Aletta before. But she couldn't focus, remembering the events of the previous night. 

Pieter, noting her distress, inquired, "Is something wrong?"

Tarryn relayed the threat of the previous evening to Pieter and watched as his concern deepen. "You must be careful," he cautioned. "Amsterdam has long memory. Many secrets."

Tarryn returned to her hotel that evening and was intercepted by the concierge on the way to her room.

"You are the guest in room 115, correct?" The concierge asked.

"That's right," confirmed Tarryn.

"There is someone waiting to see you. He is sitting at the bar." The concierge pointed to a shadowy figure around the corner. Tarryn hesitated at first, but curiosity got the better of her and she decided to meet the stranger waiting for her.

"I am Wilhelm Van der Meer," he introduced himself when Tarryn walked up to him. "Miss Tarryn," his voice was smooth, yet heavy with a distinct Dutch accent, "I hoped we could discuss matters privately. Your investigation has caught more attention than you realize. There are truths, Miss Tarryn, that have been buried for a reason. Do you believe that dredging them up now will do any good?"

Tarryn stared at him and said nothing at first until she blurted out the thoughts swirling in her mind. "Did you send someone out to threaten me last night?"

"I am not the cause of any threat to you, Miss Tarryn," the man hissed. "But if you are receiving threats, then that is proof that my warnings are accurate. There are others who lay claim to the Van der Meer family fortune and they won't take kindly to someone trying to take what they feel belongs to them."

"I haven't tried to take anything from anyone. Why would someone in the Van der Meer family think that I am trying to lay claim to their inheritance?"

It was obvious to Wilhelm that Tarryn was genuinely bewildered. The Dutchman's fingers caressed the rim of a wine glass. "I am not your enemy but there are many others in my family who will stop at nothing to protect their legacy," he warned.

"All I am trying to do is solve a mystery linked to me great aunt. The inheritance I stand to gain is hers, not the Van der Meer's," she retorted. "And the amount of money is nowhere near as big of a fortune as the Van der Meer's'."

"Well, it's obvious that you haven't dug deep enough in your investigation. I won't do your homework for you, but there's more to this story than you are aware of," Wilhelm replied. "You are not the first September who tried to unearth the story that you are uncovering. Centuries ago, Hendrik Van der Meer made choices that built an empire but also burnt bridges. It's easy to judge from a distance, but the weight of such decisions, the ripples they create... they extend far beyond what you or I can fathom."

She met his gaze evenly. "ripples for whom, exactly?" Tarryn responded.

Wilhelm stood, leaving a few bills on the table. "Consider my words. Think about the larger picture. You're not the first to chase this story, but for your sake, I hope you put this to rest. "

And with that, he departed, leaving Tarryn to ponder the depth of the mystery she'd stumbled upon and the cost of pursuing it.