Identity Crisis: The Van Helsen Series, #8

Identity Crisis

The Van Helsen Series, Volume 8

L Tait

Published by L Tait, 2015.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

IDENTITY CRISIS

First edition. November 15, 2015.

Copyright © 2015 L Tait.

ISBN: 978-1519970343

Written by L Tait.

Also by L Tait

The Van Helsen Series

Frenemies

Home Truths

The Reunion

Loose Cannon

Satan's Game

Artistic Differences

Keeping Secrets

Identity Crisis

Undecided...

Standalone

If Only!

School Daze!

Random Quest

I'm Not As Green As I'm Cabbage Looking!

The Work Experience

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By L Tait

Identity Crisis (The Van Helsen Series, #8)

It is sometimes quoted, that 'truth is stranger than fiction.'

As a seventeen year old, who'd read more than my fair share of books I was much more inclined to believe that the opposite of this quote was true.  Roald Dahl was one of my favourite writers, and the characters I'd read about, in his books, were incredibly strange, as strange as you could possibly get, but, in spite of their somewhat diverse personalities, it was obvious, from the outset, that they weren't real.

Up until the age of sixteen, I, Hazel Van Helsen, had lived in a world where truth and fiction were very clearly defined.

But then,a year or so ago, in the unlikely setting of Willsden High School, I'd met my husband, Kris Van Helsen, who'd been my English teacher at the time, and, as far as fact and fiction were concerned, I couldn't tell one from the other, and my life was like a waking dream, a collage of reality and fantasy, a wild ride on an unpredictable roller coaster.

Over the past year, I'd fallen deeply in love, married a man almost fourteen years my senior, given birth to our daughter, Jana, and had more adventures than Sherlock Holmes and the Famous Five put together.

However, the most important thing was that Kris and I were looking to the future, confident that we had exorcised the demons of our turbulent past.

After everything that had taken place, life was beginning to revert back to the steady pace I'd remembered, and appreciated, before Kris came into my life, and turned it upside down.

In the weeks that followed, instead of staying in Glasgow, Kris and I had returned to Oslo, with Jana, back to our beautiful home situated opposite Frogner Park.

Holly, my older sister, was very happy with David, a man in the security business, at the top of his profession, who was Marsha's older brother.  Marsha was engaged to Morten Hardanger, who was the lead singer of the country's top rock group, Tre Norske Nordmenn, who were also very popular, not only in their home country of Norway, but also on a global scale.

As a result of doing some detective work for my husband (who had been my fiance at the time), a few months ago, inadvertently, due to too much alcohol, which I'd taken to steady my nerves, I'd slept with Morten.

And lived to regret it.

For a time, relations between Kris and I were strained upon the discovery that I was pregnant again, and that there was a strong possibility that Morten could have been the father of the child I was carrying.

Thankfully, a DNA test conducted a short time after the initial discovery of my pregnancy ruled that out, and my husband was to be the proud father of twins, which brought about a great sense of relief on my part, because, Kris was the only man I'd ever want to father any children I would ever have.

Now...or in the future.

My one concern was that I wasn't absolutely certain of Morten's feelings towards me.

Even though, more often than not, hed openly expressed feelings of affection for me.

But, the revelation that Marsha was pregnant, and Morten was the father, was like a wake up call to him, especially when David broke the news to him, and also when Morten received a serious lecture from his mother about being responsible.

The outcome of this was that he too returned to Oslo, and proposed to Marsha.

I only learned of the proposal through the local media.

The press had a field day, and I allowed myself a moment of contemplation and relief, knowing that, finally, Morten had done something right, for once.

Smiling, I unfolded my copy of the Oslo Oracle, and read the headline on the front page, pausing to take a sip from my mug of green tea.  I'd developed an aversion to tea and coffee not long into my current pregnancy, so, this prompted my unusual choice of beverage.

Snoopy, Kris's dog, lay at my feet, under the kitchen table, contentedly gnawing a bone.

It was a common morning ritual for Kris to leave for work in the city centre of Oslo, at the police headquarters, taking up his duties in his newly appointed role as Commissioner, while I took Jana out in her pram, and walked Snoopy round the park, always stopping to admire the sculptures of Gustav Vigeland that adorned the bridge, and the monolith, not to mention the fountain, and the sculptor's fascination with life and purpose was very much in evidence in each and every one of his creations.

In the interests of personal security, whenever I made these daily excursions round the park, at my husband's insistence, I carried a very high tech satellite navigation system, combined with a personal alarm, which could fit quite discreetly in my pocket.  Kris had a similar piece of equipment, and it was comforting to know that, should I run into any trouble while I was out, Kris would be there, literally at the touch of a button.

Another benefit of going out for a morning walk was the exercise, and being at one with nature.  Besides, the fresh air helped alleviate my morning sickness, which had been nothing short of a nightmare, when I'd been expecting Jana.

After placing my mug on the table, I turned my attention back to the morning paper, and the lead story on the front page.

'Pop Star Pops The Question' was the headline, and beneath it wasa photograph of Morten and Marsha walking hand in hand along the concourse at the local airport.

I read a bit more of the story, my grin widening, feeling genuinely happy for the two of them.  The article claimed that they were heading off to a secret location, and that Morten had cancelled his engagements for the next week.

Upon closer examination of the photograph, aside from noting that Morten was his usual handsome self, I could just make out Max, his bodyguard, keeping a respectable distance behind the seemingly ecstatic couple.

Unfortunately, for me, I was unaware that my husband had entered the room, and, unbeknownst to myself, I still had a rather silly smile on my face.

'Morna, Haze,' he said, dropping a kiss lightly on my forehead, before heading towards the coffee maker to prepare his customary morning fix of caffeine.

'I must say,' he continued, turning to face me, 'You have a most unusual look on your face. Normally, you're so grouchy first thing in the morning that I'd sooner exchange pleasantries with a half starved alligator! What's put you in such a good mood, Haze?' Kris asked, bending down to scratch Snoopys ears as he spoke.

Before I could answer, he spotted the newspaper on the kitchen table and immediately drew his own conclusions.

However, they were the wrong conclusions.

And, briefly burying my head in my hands, I waited for the barrage of erroneous assumptions and inaccurate guesses I was sure would follow.

To be honest, I was feeling so rough, that, the last thing I needed was for Kris to go into Perry Mason mode, and start cross examining me like a witness on the stand.

At length, I slowly raised my head, hoping that this would put an end to all of his suspicious thoughts concerning Morten and I.

As my husband read the newspaper, an unreadable look flashed across his face.

I always hated that look.

It told me that he was probably thinking negative thoughts about his greatest possible adversary.

But, on reflection, Kris had every reason to look sceptical as he read, no, studied the newspaper article, because, if I had known exactly what it was that had aroused his interest, the events that were to follow wouldnt have shocked me as much as they did.

'Ah, so, I take it youve been drooling over this photograph of Mr Wonderful, Haze.' he observed, casting a speculative glance in my direction.

'No, Kris, I haven't!' I denied vehemently.  'I was just happy that Morten has finally managed, at long last, to make his relationship with Marsha work.' I explained, before groaning softly as an unwelcome wave of nausea hit me.

Upon hearing this, Kris was by my side in a flash.

'Haze...are you feeling all right?' he asked worriedly, placing his hand across my forehead.  'You're running a bit of a temperature.  Are you sure it's not Mr Wonderful that hasn't been getting you all hot and bothered?'

'Oh, for heavens sake Kris!' I snapped, 'Can't you just give it a rest? Look, Morten has proposed to Marsha, she's accepted, and they're going away somewhere to plan their future together.  Morten is no longer a threat to you, and, to be honest, Kris, he never was.'

Kris stared back at me for a moment, as if he were taking in everything I was telling him.

'I'm sorry, Haze,' he sighed, running a hand haphazardly through his thick blond hair, 'I know I should let it go, but...I don't trust him.  He's definitely up to something.'

'What? Kris, you've said, in the past, that he was an airhead, so, I don't think any of the current criminal masterminds you have to pit your wits against on a daily basis have anything to worry about.'

'It's not that that bothers me, Haze...' Kris started, uncertainly.

'Then...what is it, Dearest?' I responded.

'It's just his reputation when it comes to women that I can't seem to figure out.'

'Who knows? Maybe he's turned over a new leaf.  Whatever the case may be, I'm happy for them.' I stated sincerely.

Kris exhaled deeply and rolled his eyes heavenwards, before consulting his watch, frowning slightly as he acknowledged the time.

'Well, Haze,' he started, after a lengthy pause, 'much as I find this discussion both interesting and scintillating, I think I'm better off devoting my precious time to the people who need me most.'

'And they are?' I asked, sending my husband a covert look.

'Isn't it obvious, Haze? The people of Norway, my fellow Norwegians, who deserve a police force which is dedicated to...Ow!' Kris yelped, as I elbowed him in the ribs.

Hard.

Then, he smiled, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

'Of course, I meant to say my adoring wife, my wonderful daughter, and my two new additions.' my husband amended, stroking my stomach gently.

I returned his smile, knowing that he was being sincere.

His previous comments about public safety were also sincere, but, we would always come first, despite the fact that Kris had recently been appointed Commissioner of police for the entire country.

'You know, Haze,' he went on, as his gentle hands continued to caress my stomach, 'I am so pleased that I'm the father of the twins youre carrying, because, if they'd been Mr Wonderful's, they'd be good looking, I can't argue with that, but, they'd be lucky if they had a brain cell between them.'

I sent him my best 'oh please!' look.

'A-hem! I think you seem to be forgetting, Dearest, that I'm as much a part of the genetic equation as he would have been, theoretically speaking.' I retorted vehemently.

Kris had the good grace to redden slightly at my outburst, and smiled sheepishly.

'Sorry, Haze,' he apologised, kissing my forehead softly, and reluctantly disengaging himself from me.

'Now,' my husband continued, checking his watch again, 'I hate to leave you, Haze, but, as always, duty calls.'

'If you hate leaving me so much, why don't you work from home then, Dearest?' I reasoned logically.

'Well, I would, but, if you'd agree to having our humble abode completely overrun with Federal Agents and police officers, then, I could live with that.' Kris returned, sending me a conspiratorial wink, knowing that I'd never agree to such an arrangement.

Never in a million years, or a month of Sundays.

And, I knew that he'd be opposed to it too.

'Yeah, right, Kris! I'm sure the neighbours would love that! We might as well go all out and get a horse and carriage, you could get yourself a deerstalker, team up with Sebastian, and pass yourselves off as the modern day versions of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson!' I theorised, laughing, but, stopping suddenly, as, judging by his facial expression, my husband seemed to be seriously considering this rather odd ( and completely ridiculous!) idea.

'You know what, Haze? We probably could be the modern versions of Holmes and Watson! I'd be Holmes, naturally, because I'm the detective, and Sebastian could be Watson, because he's a doctor!' Kris realised, snapping his fingers.

I let out a very deep sigh.

'If Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were alive today, I think he'd have something to say about that, Dearest.' I observed, wryly.

'What, Haze? That we'd be better?' Kris replied.

'Well...bearing in mind that they're fictional characters, he'd think you were taking the mickey.' I replied, smiling at my husband, who had a pensive look on his beautiful face.

'Haven't you heard the expression about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Haze?' he inquired, knowing that he'd now won this seemingly inane argument.

I opened my mouth, ready with a sharp, and clever response, but I was sidetracked by the ringing of the doorbell.

'Don't move, Haze, I'll go.' Kris said, lightly kissing my cheek, while I sent a mutinous look in his direction.

Laughing, my husband strode out of the kitchen and into the hall, to see who was calling on us at this very early hour.

'Sometimes, I wonder how I put up with him, Snoop.' I sighed, reaching down and stroking Snoopys ears, while he laid his head on his two front paws, as if he were pining away for his master, even though his master was only a few feet away, literally, in the next room.

Moments later, I could hear the front door opening, and instantly recognised the voice that greeted Kris, which belonged to Anoushka, my husband's younger sister, and, my sister-in-law.

I was only aware of her presence, however, when she appeared in the kitchen, with her older brother in tow.

'Morna, Hazelnut! Hvordan har du det?' Anoushka asked, laughing, as Snoopy leapt up on his hind legs, almost knocking her over, and licking her face.

For the next few minutes, Anoushka and Snoopy greeted each other, before Snoopy decided to return to his previous activity of gnawing his bone, which was currently located underneath the kitchen table.

'So, Hazelnut,' Anoushka began, sitting down beside me at the kitchen table, 'how's my favourite niece?'

'Out for the count, Noush.' I replied,' A bit like myself.' I added, as an afterthought, cursing under my breath as the dreaded morning sickness made its unwelcome presence known.

'Haze, are you okay?' Kris asked, kneeling down beside me and running a hand over my brow, with an anxious expression on his face.

'Come to think of it, Hazelnut, you look quite pale.' Anoushka contributed, nodding in agreement.

'I'll be fine, guys.  I think I need some fresh air.  I'll take Snoopy out for a walk.  Noush, would you be an angel and look after Jana until I get back? And, Kris,' I said, pausing to check my watch, 'If you don't get yourself to the front door, med en gang, you're going to be late.'

Kris gave me a condescending look, while Anoushka unsuccessfully smothered a giggle.

'Have you forgotten, Haze, that because I'm the boss I don't have to...'

Instantly, my husband was prevented from sharing his predictable thoughts on time management, as a shrill beeping sound could be heard, indicating that his mobile had gone off.

'All right, Haze.' he conceded. ' I get your point.  Duty calls.'

'Or, in this case, beeps, Dearest!' I remarked, smiling slightly. ' I'll see you to the door.  Come on, Snoop! Time for your walk!' I called, getting out of my seat and motioning to Snoopy by waving his leash in front of him, causing him to bark excitedly, and run ahead of Kris and I into the spacious hall.

I was almost at the kitchen door, hand in hand with Kris, when I realised that I'd forgotten to collect my set of house keys, which were on the worktop, next to the kitchen sink.

Reluctantly letting go of my husband's hand, I made my way over to the sink to get them.

Kris regarded me with a puzzled look on his face, as he knelt down to stroke Snoopy's head.

'Haze...why are you taking your keys? Noush will let you in when you get back.' he pointed out, nodding in Anoushkas' direction.

Anoushka, meanwhile, was preoccupied with reading the newspaper that I'd discarded earlier.

'I don't know. I suppose it's force of habit, Dearest.' I mused. 'When I take Jana and Snoopy out every morning, I usually take my keys with me.' I explained, putting my keys into the pocket of my jeans as I spoke.

Then I walked over to the doorway, where Kris was waiting for me, Snoopy sitting beside him, wagging his tail enthusiastically in anticipation of his morning walk in the park.

'Ready to go, Kris?' I