My phone buzzed in my pocket as I waited. I glanced at the screen—it was Tori.
She wrote, “It's important that we talk. I’ll come to you if you need me to.”
No way. I was done being bait for the twisted elite. I deleted the message and put the phone back into my pocket.
I ate a bowl of cereal while I fumed over Tori’s message. It should be obvious to her that I wanted her to leave me alone. Why wouldn’t she let me move on?
The phone buzzed on the counter in front of me. “Tori, give it up,” I grumbled to myself. I flipped the phone over, and it buzzed in my hand. Jesse was calling. I smiled despite myself. “Hello?” I answered.
“Good morning.” Jesse sounded abnormally chipper.
“Good morning to you!” I tried to sound as awake as he was. “What are you up to so bright and early?”
“I’m headed into work in a few minutes,” he said.
I felt the thrill fade. Obviously, he wasn’t calling to stop by. “Working on New Year’s Eve? That sounds like no fun.”
“Ah, but you missed it. I’m working the day shift on New Years’ Eve which means I'm off tonight.”
“Nice. You can spend time with Amelia.”
“Oh, I will, but the thing is, her bedtime is eight o’clock, and the New Year starts at midnight.”
I laughed. “I see your concern.”
“What I’m trying to say is that my mom volunteered to babysit, so I was wondering if we could make plans.”
“I think that would be nice. Dad left me a note. He wants me to go to some event at the golf club.”
“Oh, well, if you already have plans, I understand.” His voice sounded flat.
“No, I mean he wants me to invite you. I was going to call, but you beat me to it.”
“That’s awesome. What time should I be there?”
“I’ll check with Dad and find out.”
“Perfect,” Jesse said.
And somehow it felt that way.
***
Jesse and I climbed out of his truck at the Rolling Hills Golf Club. Dad had driven separately so he could play a few hands of spades with some of his friends. He had claimed he might leave early since midnight was too late for him.
The cool night air stung my exposed ankles. My purple cocktail dress swished quietly as I walked down the sidewalk on Jesse’s arm. The snap of a stick in the bushes caught my attention. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone watching us in the dark, heavily landscaped area around the clubhouse.
If Jesse noticed, he didn’t show it. “You look beautiful.” He squeezed my hand lightly.
“Thank you. You clean up nice yourself.” I looked up at Jesse and tried to smile, but the sense of something watching us was unnerving.
“Are you all right?” Jesse asked.
“Sure. It’s just chilly out here.”
Jesse nodded. “Well, then, let’s get you inside where you can thaw out.”
We hurried inside. The club was full of older couples dressed in formal wear. I looked around at the white Christmas light-spangled decor. The long banquet table that ran the length of one side of the room was set with exaggeratedly formal place settings.
“I guess this is the place.” I scanned the room for my dad. Before I could find him, I was spotted by a couple. The man stood taller than Jesse, and his dark, oily hair had obviously been combed over. The woman's crinoline swished under her starched, royal blue skirt. Her once black hair was streaked with white.
“Hello. You must be Avery.” The woman gestured grandly. “I know all about your career. Of course, I only hear good things.”
All about my career? I kept a tight grip on my handbag with my gun inside. What did she mean?
The gentleman held out his hand. “Charles Grant. Your father is very proud of you. We heard all about how you made detective.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” I managed to say. “This is Jesse Moreno.”
Jesse shook Charles’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Do you know my dad from the club?” I asked the attractive, older couple. I shouldn’t be investigating my dad’s friends, but they clearly had me at a disadvantage.
“Oh, no. We go way back. I knew your mother. It’s such a shame about the accident. I’m Maria.” The woman reached out and hugged me which was strange with a person I'd just met.
“You knew my mother?” I asked.
“She was an extraordinary woman,” Maria said. “We are all in her debt.”
Charles gave her a strange look as though he wanted her to stop the conversation.
“What do you mean?” I asked
“It was fantastic to meet you,” Maria said. “I’m afraid I need to check on the caterer and make sure he's managed to get the order straight.” She rushed off without answering, Charles on her arm.
“I guess it’s a small world,” Jesse said.
“She never did answer me.”
Jesse shrugged. “Maybe she'll catch up to you tonight. Do you want to find your dad?”
“Sure.” We made our way through the crowded venue, looking for my dad. Men in suits and ladies in cocktail dresses filled the space. Finally, I noticed a crowd surrounding something going on in the corner. Just as we made our way to them, they let out a cheer. I squeezed between people until I'd reached the group's inner circle.
“There’s my girl,” my dad said. He stood up from the table where he'd accumulated a large pile of poker chips.
“Hi, Dad.” I gave him a hug.
“Jesse, glad you could make it. How about a hand of cards?”
Jesse looked at Dad’s pile of winnings. “No, sir, Mr. Rich. That looks too high-stakes for me.”
“Fair enough. You show my Avery a good time.”
Clearly, Dad was having a great time. This wasn't the protective father I knew and loved. “Have fun, Dad,” I said.
“Would you like to dance?” Jesse asked.
“Sure. Let’s find the dance floor.” We managed to work our way back out through the crowd and toward the sound of music. We found a group of couples already dancing. The song was fast, but I didn’t mind. I hadn’t had the chance to dance in a very long time. My feet moved as if of their own volition. As we danced, it was just Jesse and me; the others faded into the background and nothing else mattered. The song changed, and Jesse held me to him as we danced. The words didn’t matter and the song didn’t matter, just the warmth that was between us.
When we could not keep moving, we wandered off the dance floor, breathless and hand in hand. “Let’s get something to drink.” I had to speak up to be heard over the music.
Jesse nodded. We headed for the bar. Jesse got a Coke, and I ordered a glass of white wine. We managed to find a table at the far end of the room, away from the blaring speakers. “That was fun!”
“Yeah. We should do that more often.” I laughed.
“What time is it now?” Jesse asked.
I took my phone out of my clutch. Several new message notifications were listed on the screen. I opened the first one.
Tori had written: “This is important, Avery. Call me.”
Her second message was: “If you hear from Ryan, you need to call me.”
The third message was: “Please call me as soon as you can.”
I wasn't calling Tori. I wanted that world behind me. Why couldn’t she just accept that?
“Is everything okay?” Jesse asked.
“Oh, yeah. It’s fine. It’s after ten o’clock now.”
“This year’s almost over. Do you have any resolutions?” Jesse spoke loudly though he was only a foot or so away from me.
“Yes…to leave the past behind and to close this case!” I shouted back. “What about you?”
“To finally take a vacation.” Jesse grinned mischievously, revealing his dimples. “How are you going to close the case?”
I leaned in and spoke into Jesse’s ear, “I’m going to Canada.”
I don’t know if it was the wine or something else, but for some reason, I whispered, "Yes," in his ear.
Chapter 20
The plane touched down on Canadian soil and I could almost feel the weight of American law melting away.
"Here we are." Jesse grinned. I wondered how he could be so unaffected by the trip.
"Yep. Now, if we can just get through customs and convince the bank that oens the ATM where the money was withdrawn to show us the footage…"
"That’s our official mission, but are you sure you don't want to do touristy stuff while we're here?" Jesse stood up and wrestled his carry-on out of the overhead bin, before pulling mine down and plopping it in his seat for me to take when I was ready.
I scooted over to the aisle and grabbed the bag. "Thanks." I stood up, almost straight—there were a few advantages to being vertically challenged. "I want to get this case behind me. Plus, I feel a little bad for leaving Milly behind. I mean, she depends on me."
Jesse's expression went dim. "I know what you mean."
"I'm sorry, it’s not like that. Your relationship with Amelia is absolutely a priority, and I'm sure you take it seriously. Leaving for a short time doesn't make you a bad parent—or a bad doggy parent, in my case."
"No, but I see what you mean. Let's get the case out of the way, but if there’s any time left in the trip, I’d like to take in a few sites. It's not every day I take a vacation."
I laughed. "Sure. A vacation—we’ll stay with that description." I felt a little embarrassed comparing my year off to Jesse using up what few vacation days he had.
We rushed to get cleared with customs and find our bags. The airport system was a world unto itself, and it wasn't one either of us enjoyed. When we wheeled our bags toward the parking lot, the cold wind took our breath away, and suddenly the airport didn't seem as bad.
"I've realized that visiting Canada in the winter isn't exactly a tropical vacation." Jesse zipped up his coat and pulled on a stocking cap he'd stored in his pocket.
I shivered despite the layers of clothing under my coat. "Let's head to the hotel to see if we can figure out how this town is laid out."
An older man dragged his luggage as he walked by. He staggered a bit and careened into me. "Excusez-moi s'il vous plaît."
I paused to watch the strange man load his solitary bag into a taxi, my shoulder aching where he'd bumped me. He seemed much less unsteady than he had even a moment before. Something about the man looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
"You didn't think about the cold, but I forgot I might have to use my high school French."
Jesse shrugged. "I took Spanish."
"I thought French was only spoken in Quebec. Let's hope we aren’t in trouble with basic communication." My chest felt tight. The world around me seemed distorted, and I realized something was wrong.
"Breath, Avery. This is an airport. The people here can be from anywhere."
"Yeah.” I panted. “I guess you're right." I put my hands on my knees, forcing the oxygen to return to my brain.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look a little green. Let's head to the rental car, and we can find you something to eat."
I nodded. Jesse grabbed our bags and we headed to pick the car up. I wondered how he was managing the bags, but I couldn't focus on anything more than putting one foot in front of the other or I'd risk losing all control.
"I'm sure you need a bite to eat and maybe some caffeine." Jesse loaded the car as I slumped into the passenger's seat.
I told myself to get it together.
The world outside the car looked blurry.
Nothing happened.
I struggled to breathe in a steady breath.
Everything was fine. I’d watch the surveillance tapes, find out who was spending the money, and get back on the plane.
My throat felt tight.
Then I'd go home. Nothing said I had to tie myself up with this.
"All right, we’re on our way. Do you have the address for the hotel? I'll program it into my phone."
"I rummaged in my purse to find the address.
A few minutes later, Jesse pulled into a little mom and pop restaurant. "Do you feel like going in?"
"No," I said, wondering if there wasn't something wrong with me; my anxiety had been replaced by a sharp headache and extreme dizziness.
Jesse came back with some coffee and a bag of food. "Thanks." I took a sip of the coffee, but something was wrong. I couldn't hold the cup.
"All right. Now, I know something's wrong. I'm getting you to a hospital." Jesse's words slowed as though he was speaking through a voice synthesizer. Before I could process what he was saying, my world went black.
***
Something was beeping nearby. I tried to understand what I heard. The bright light around me made me clench my eyes tightly closed.
"Avery?" Jesse asked. "Can you hear me?"
I tried to answer him, but something was wrong. I couldn't speak. I opened my eyes and tried to let them adjust to the light. Jesse was sitting next to me, looking down at me. "You gave me a scare. Hold tight—I'll get the nurse."
A few minutes later, a woman appeared, wearing scrubs appeared. She fussed over me, poking and prodding.
What was this—an alien abduction? What happened?
I tried to speak but couldn’t form the words. My throat hurt. I reached up and felt the plastic tubing holding my vocal cords hostage.
"Whoa, now." The nurse grabbed my hand before I could pull the tube. "We can likely get rid of that, but let's have the doctor come in and give us the go ahead first. I'm sure he’ll be glad to see how much you've improved."
I realized what she'd meant. The tubes had been helping me breathe. I nodded my head to show her I understood. The nurse disappeared from the room, hopefully, to call the doctor, and Jesse reappeared at my side. I wondered what he thought of me. The look can't have been very attractive.
"I am so glad you’re awake." Jesse ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it back. "For a little while, I thought we might lose you."
I narrowed my eyes. What was he talking about? I willed Jesse to read my mind to answer my question, but it didn't seem to be working.
"You had an allergic reaction to something. They’re still trying to figure out exactly what it was. I told them that you had a sip of coffee right before you passed out, but you were feeling strange before that."
I nodded. I'd felt fine at the airport. It wasn't until we'd walked out that I felt strange.
The doctor came in a moment later. "Ah, Ms. Rich—I'm glad to see you looking so much better."
I pointed to the ventilation tube. Why did everyone want to be conversational when I couldn't respond?
"Ah, yes. We almost lost your airway. We would've had to trach you if your friend here hadn't reacted and gotten you the help you needed. I think the reaction's under control at this point, and we can take those tubes out.”
I nodded my head again.
"All your levels look normal now. You were very lucky this time, Ms. Rich. Someone with an allergy as severe as yours should carry an EpiPen at all times."
My mind raced. Severe allergy? I was allergic to bees, but I didn't recall any buzzing around when we'd left the airport. I would have noticed that. I was hyper-vigilant about bees. Several years ago, my partner on the Sandusky police force had a phone that buzzed like a bee when it rang, and I nearly had to throw it out of the cruiser's window.
The first time I was stung I was about ten years old. Luckily, my mother saw what had happened, and she and my dad raced me to the emergency room when they realized I was in trouble.
Jesse waited in the room while two nurses wheeled me into a procedure room. It didn't take long to remove the vent, but it wasn’t pleasant. My throat felt raw and damaged where th
e tubes had been. I tried to swallow but grabbed my throat at the unexpected sensation. "Ouch," I whispered.
"Easy, now," the doctor cautioned me. "Your throat was very swollen when we put the tubes in, and it was worse after they were in place. I'm afraid you’re going to be sore for a while."
"What was it?" I whispered.
"That you were allergic to? We're trying to figure out what it was. We sent off some blood tests to figure things out. Do you have any allergies that you know of?"
"Bees." The words seemed to cut through my raw throat.
"Bees. Well, do you remember being stung?"
"No," I whispered.
"Then we have a mystery on our hands. Hopefully, the lab will clear things up and help you avoid any situations like this in the future."
"I nodded."
"We'll keep you for observation for a while, and then you can get back to your vacation. You have a good boyfriend, by the way. He was very concerned. He never left your side."
I tried to smile, but my face felt swollen and stiff. I didn't want someone who'd take care of me, but the idea that Jesse cared enough to stand by me made me feel a little less alone in the universe.
***
Jesse wheeled me to the hospital's front door in a wheelchair. It was humiliating, but it was hospital policy. He opened the door to the rental car and stood at the ready in case I needed help as I maneuvered into the passenger's seat.
"I'm fine, now. Really," I whispered. My throat protested the attempt, but I tried to smile anyway. It wasn't at all how I'd pictured the trip.
"I see that. I know you're tough, Avery, but you’re not invincible. I don't know what triggered that reaction, but I thought you were a goner."
"I'm here," I croaked.
Jesse went around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. "Do you know what you’re allergic to?"
"Bees," I whispered.
"I guess it must be severe. The hospital sent us with an EpiPen, in case you run into whatever set off your reaction again."
I nodded my head.
Jesse was quiet as he drove us to the hotel. We pulled up at the front office and headed in to check-in to our separate rooms.
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