Tic Tac Toe (A Suspense Novel)

by Kel E. Mitchell

  Sarah Jane walked back into the family room to call the police when she got the distinct feeling that she wasn’t alone. She stiffened when she heard breathing in the room that was not her own, and she could feel herself begin to panic. She slowly turned her head and glanced over her shoulder just as she saw a man lunge at her from where he’d been hiding behind the curtains. He threw himself down on top of her and knocked her completely off her feet. She tried furiously to fight off her attacker. She tried to tear at his face but to no avail because of the black ski mask her assailant wore. She kicked, screamed, and clawed, and finally managed to get him off her long enough for her to get up off the floor.

  She knew that she had to get out of there or she would be dead for sure. She started to rush to the door but let out a cry of pain as her attacker grabbed her from behind and hurled her over the desk. He then picked her up and threw her against a picture on the wall – glass shattered around her. She put her hands over her head in an attempt to protect herself from the flying glass. At that instant, she felt an agonizing pain and watched as the man withdrew a long, sharp object from her side. She realized she had been stabbed with her steel, letter opener which just a moment before had been on her desk. Her attacker held the letter opener threateningly in his black, gloved hand. The force of the attack made her stagger backward. She felt light-headed and nauseous as she looked down and saw her cream sweater soaked in blood. The man watched her agony with satisfaction – he was toying with her now.

  Suddenly, her survival instinct set in, and she decided that if he was going to kill her, then it was going to be the hardest struggle he’d ever had. She held her stomach with one hand and looked at him – her eyes burning with resolve. This time when he started toward her – still holding the bloodied weapon – she moved rapidly and grabbed a lamp from one of the end tables and smashed it into his head. Her attacker fell abruptly to the floor.

  Sarah Jane didn’t know whether he was conscious or not, but she knew that she couldn’t stick around to find out. She knew if she didn’t get out now, she’d be leaving the apartment in a body bag. With each step she took, her pain escalated, and each movement became more and more difficult. She was bleeding heavily and losing consciousness. She staggered to the door – struggling several times to remain on her feet. Finally, she threw the door open and stumbled into the vacant hall. She was certain that after her attacker recovered, he would simply drag her body back into her apartment and finish the job if she didn’t have some witnesses. She knew that she needed an audience and that she needed one now.

  With that reasoning, she stumbled down the hall to where the fire alarm was located – pulled it – and collapsed to the floor. The apartment building was filled with the deafening sound of the alarm. Moments later, tenants began to flood the hall and stairwells, and the entire building soon was in an uproar. It was then that several tenants noticed Sarah Jane on the floor holding her side – her blood everywhere. A few tenants rushed to her aid, and it was then that she slipped into unconsciousness.

  ***

  Luke had just stepped out of the shower after returning home from the gym when his telephone rang. He debated whether or not he should answer it. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to a solicitor – or even worse – to Tweed. He decided he might as well get the inevitable over with and picked up the phone. Nothing could have prepared him for what he heard next.

  Chapter 54

  “Irene,” Max shouted in a panicked voice as he let himself into her home. Irene!”

  He looked around swiftly in the entryway but found nothing out of the ordinary. When he had received the call from Luke about what had happened to Sarah Jane, he’d rushed over to Irene’s. He hadn’t been able to get Irene on the phone, and he was frantic that something may have happened to her. Just then, he saw her racing down the stairs toward him.

  “Max, what is it?” Irene sensed the urgency in his voice and knew that something was desperately wrong. “What’s happened?”

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her unharmed and rushed to her side. “Why didn’t you answer your phone? I tried calling and calling.”

  “I haven’t had my phone with me. I was at the store, and I forgot it.” She examined his face and could see that he was distraught. “Max, tell me what’s going on.”

  He cleared his throat and tried to think of the best way to break the terrible news to her. He finally decided that there was no good way. He took a deep breath to help brace himself for what he was about to say. “Irene . . . Sarah Jane was attacked at her apartment tonight.”

  “What?” Irene responded, her voice faint from her disbelief. “What happened? Is she okay?”

  “We don’t know for sure yet. She was stabbed in the stomach and had lost a lot of blood by the time the ambulance arrived. Her entire apartment had been torn apart.”

  Irene put her hand over her mouth as she tried to absorb what Max had just told her. “This can’t be happening – not Sarah Jane.”

  “Luke’s already at the hospital and wants us to come as soon as we can.”

  She nodded. “I’m ready to go.”

  “You probably want to grab a coat – it’s raining.”

  “This works,” she responded as she grabbed her father’s overcoat hanging on the coat rack in the entryway. Irene hurriedly drew the coat over her head, and she and Max dashed out into the stormy night.

  Chapter 55

  When Max and Irene arrived at Sarah Jane’s hospital room, they found Luke seated next to the bed. He was holding one of Sarah Jane’s hands in his own. She looked battered. Her face had cuts on it, and her lips were bruised and swollen, as was much of her body. She hadn’t regained consciousness yet, and the room was deathly quiet. The only sounds in the room were those coming from the equipment that monitored her condition.

  Max and Irene stood in the doorway as they took in the painful scene. When Max spoke, his voice was a whisper, “Luke.”

  At the sound of his voice, Luke turned around and saw Max and Irene standing by the door. He gently laid Sarah Jane’s hand on the bed and walked over to his friends. Max and Luke gave each other a hug, and then Luke embraced Irene tightly. When he let go, Luke said, “Thanks for coming. I didn’t want to have to do this alone.”

  Irene laid her hand reassuringly on Luke’s arm and said, “Sorry it took us a while to get here. We came as fast as we could.”

  Their gaze shifted to Sarah Jane, and Max asked, “How is she?”

  “She’s not awake yet, and with all the blood that she’s lost, she has a tough road ahead.”

  “Do the police know what happened?” Irene questioned.

  “They’re still investigating,” Luke responded. “It could be some time before we know for sure.”

  They nodded, and then Max said, “We’ll wait with you until there’s an update on her condition.”

  Luke went back to his chair and picked up Sarah Jane’s hand as he gazed at her. Max led Irene over to a well-worn couch in one corner of the room, and they both sat down.

  The three of them sat there for hours, just waiting and hoping for any sign of improvement. It was well into the night before Luke’s concern and exhaustion overcame him. He fell asleep – his head on Sarah Jane’s bed – his hand still holding hers. Max looked over at Irene who had her elbows resting on her knees, her head in her hands. He put his hand on the nape of her neck, and she turned her face toward him. She looked beside herself with guilt and worry. Max whispered so that he wouldn’t wake Luke, “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I’m so worried about her. She got hurt because she was helping us – I know it. Whoever killed my father wanted to scare us enough that we’d stop prying, and somehow, he knew that Sarah Jane was involved.” Irene paused for a moment and looked intently at Max as tears started to roll down her cheeks. “I’m scared that she might not make it and . . . I . . . I can’t help but wonder who he’ll com
e after next.”

  Max put his hand on the back of her head and drew her toward him as he said, “I promise that nothing’s going to happen to you. You don’t need to be afraid.”

  “I’m not scared for myself, but if anything happens to you or Luke . . . I don’t know if I’ll recover.”

  Max held her tightly in his arms as he said, “Nothing’s going to happen to any of us. Try not to think about it anymore.”

  “It’s so hard not to.”

  “Just try to rest. I’ll wake you if there’s any change with Sarah Jane.”

  She nodded. He kept his arm around her, and it wasn’t long before he heard her even breathing. He looked down and found her fast asleep. He pulled her father’s coat over her to keep her warm. Max stayed awake for a long time after Irene had fallen asleep. He was terrified when he thought about how he was going to keep her safe. Finally, when exhaustion overcame him, he rested his head on hers, and it wasn’t long before he too fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 56

  When Irene woke up early the next morning, she was slightly disoriented, and it took a few seconds for her to re-acquaint herself with her surroundings. Suddenly, she remembered all that had happened the previous night, and she looked across the room to find Sarah Jane still unconsciousness and Luke still asleep.

  It was at that moment she noticed her hand resting on Max’s chest and felt his arm around her. She tilted her head back and found Max was sound asleep. She studied his face for some time and couldn’t help but reflect on all that they had been through over the years. After a while – instead of feeling calmed by his nearness – she began to feel uneasy. As much as she didn’t want to admit it – especially to herself – she realized that she still had feelings for Max despite all of her efforts to forget him.

  All of a sudden, Irene felt frightened. She was afraid when she recalled how she had loved him once before, and he had rejected her. Terrified that he would somehow be able to read her thoughts, even though he wasn’t awake, she moved quietly away from him. She needed some time alone to think, and she decided to go to the hospital cafeteria to get some breakfast.

  When she returned with breakfast for herself and the others, she found Luke just as he’d been when she left, but Max was now awake. He was standing with his back to the door while he looked out the window. He turned around when he heard her enter the room, and a slow smile spread across his face as he said quietly, “Morning.”

  “Good morning,” she replied shyly, still troubled by the realization she had earlier that morning. When he didn’t respond but just continued to stare at her, she continued uncomfortably, “I got us some breakfast.” She walked across the room, sat down on the couch, and placed the food on a nearby table.

  From behind her, where he still stood, Max said, “Did you sleep at all? I was worried about you.”

  Irene could feel herself begin to flush and was grateful that he couldn’t see her because she was certain that her eyes would have given her thoughts away. She tried to steady her breathing and keep her voice calm. “Yeah, I slept fine. It’s probably the most sleep I’ve had since I’ve been back home. How about you?”

  “Definitely,” Max responded. He walked around the couch until he stood in front of her.

  She looked up at him, her face confused. “Huh?”

  “That’s definitely the most sleep I’ve had since you’ve been back,” he responded with a teasing grin, purposely misunderstanding her question. She blushed again, only this time it didn’t go unnoticed by him.

  Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, they heard Luke stir. He sat up and rubbed his stiff neck with one hand, his other hand still holding Sarah Jane’s. He gazed at her for a few moments and then turned his head to his friends. Irene stood up as she said, “Do you want something to eat?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  Luke joined them, and the three of them ate in relative silence. Once they’d finished Luke said, “As much as I would love for you to stay here with me, you both have important business to attend to.”

  “Don’t think about that right now,” Irene responded sympathetically. “It can wait.”

  Luke shook his head. “No, it can’t. We have to make sure what happened to Sarah Jane doesn’t happen again – and in order to ensure that it doesn’t, we have to figure out who killed your father. That animal is still out there – just waiting for the opportunity to strike again. We have to find him before he does.” When they hesitated, Luke continued, “I know it’s what Sarah Jane would want us to do.”

  Max and Irene contemplated his comment for some time. Finally, Max said, “All right. We’ll keep looking.”

  “I’ll do some more research on those cases while I’m waiting here,” Luke replied. “Can you guys get my laptop – it’s at my house – and bring it by when you have a chance?”

  “Sure, no problem,” Max responded.

  “Luke,” Irene said gently, “will you keep us posted on Sarah Jane?”

  He smiled reassuringly at her as he said, “Sure thing, Rene.”

  “And let us know,” she continued, “if there’s anything we can do for you.”

  “I will.” Luke paused for a few moments and then trying to lighten the mood joked, “Now get out of here. I’m sick of you guys.”

  The three friends stood up, grabbed their belongings, and walked into the hallway just outside of Sarah Jane’s hospital room where they said goodbye. Luke watched as Max and Irene made their way down the long hallway. Irene glanced back at Luke and gave him an encouraging wave which he returned. He didn’t want them to see how worried he was about them. He knew that given enough time, they would indeed be able to figure out who was responsible for Duncan’s death and Sarah Jane’s assault, but time was running out. He hoped that they would find out who was behind it before it was too late.

  Chapter 57

  Max held Irene’s elbow as the two of them dashed from the front doors of the hospital to his car. The stormy weather from the night before had not let up, and it was still windy and pouring rain. By the time they reached his car, they were both drenched. Max turned on the heat, and Irene rubbed her arms in an attempt to make herself warmer.

  “It’s so cold!” she exclaimed.

  “And it really doesn’t help that we’re soaking wet,” he responded with a laugh.

  She nodded and drew her father’s coat tighter around herself. “My hands are like ice.” She then continued as much to herself as to Max, “I wonder if my dad kept any gloves in here.”

  Irene started to rummage through the pockets of the coat but stopped when she felt a piece of paper in one of the inside pockets. She removed the paper and found that it was actually a card addressed to her father. She quickly skimmed the short note. “What!” her voice trailed off as the shock set in. In her hands, Irene held a letter to her father written on the personal stationary of none other than Mallory Grant.

  Max could hear the surprise in Irene’s voice and looked over at her. Her face was troubled and her hands were trembling. “Irene, what is it?”

  She was too stunned to speak, and so instead, she handed the letter to him. He took it from her, read it, and then he re-read part of it again aloud. “‘I’ve waited for us to be together for so long, but I can’t take it anymore. I’ve had enough of this relationship limbo. It’s time for us to part ways, which we both know we should have done long before now. I’ve been a fool to think that I could compete with a girl half my age for your affection.”

  Max let out a slow whistle and said, “She doesn’t sound too pleased does she?”

  “Do you realize what this means?”

  Max knew that Irene soon might not have any good feelings about her father because of all the indiscretions they’d uncovered about him during the past several weeks. For a moment, he wished that they’d never gone digging in her father’s affairs. He couldn’t stand to see Irene anymore
disheartened than she already was.

  “I didn’t want to believe it, but . . . it appears that Mallory Grant and my father were involved after all.” She paused, tucked her hair behind her ear, and then continued, “And it sounds like he was plenty involved elsewhere as well. I don’t even know my father anymore, Max. I used to think he was wonderful, but everything I thought he was has turned out to be a lie. He probably never did anything heroic in his whole life unless it was convenient for him.”

  “There’s one thing he did that makes up for all the other areas where he may have failed.”

  Irene looked puzzled. “What’s that?”

  “You – he succeeded with you.”

  Irene smiled at him and said softly, “Thank you, Max.” Her smile grew larger as she continued, “But I’m pretty sure Aunt Phyllis would disagree with you. She would say that she’s the one responsible for my turning out well.” They both laughed for a moment before becoming serious once again. “What do you think about the note, Max?”

  “What I’m more interested in knowing is who the ‘young lady’ is that Ms. Grant was referring to. She’s another person who has slipped under our radar. We need to find out who she is and why she’s tried so hard to keep her relationship with Duncan a secret.”

  Chapter 58

  Max was flooded with work as he sat in his office at The Post when his assistant, Diane, walked through the door in a huff. Diane had been at The Post for as long as he could remember. She’d worked there initially for Blake and then for him after he started running the business. Max thought of Diane as more of a friend than a colleague, and as such, she didn’t mince her words with him or tread lightly. She always said exactly what she was thinking, and it was obvious to him that she definitely had something on her mind. She shook her head, let out a sigh, and rolled her eyes. “You’ve got someone here to see you.”