by Nolan Thomas
Riley slid her feet into her slippers and walked towards the door. Rocky joined her, tail wagging like a windshield wiper on a stormy night. She went downstairs and opened the kitchen door for Rocky to go out and do his business. She waited on the steps for him. Rocky was back in the house in a flash.
Riley gave him fresh water, and filled his bowl with dry dog food. On mornings Riley had cereal, Rocky didn’t get anything extra. But when Riley had eggs, she always fried one for Rocky too. Hungry this morning, Riley grabbed a frying pan. Rocky lay on the floor but kept his head up alertly watching Riley’s every move, checking for any dropped morsels. He continued to wag his tail. After all, it was an egg morning.
Riley heard a noise and looked out the window as Aunt Dixie’s car pulled into the driveway. Surprised to see her this time of day, Riley and Rocky went outside to greet her.
As Aunt Dixie approached, she smiled and waved at the duo.
“Hello, Riley. I was in a rush this morning and forgot some papers I need.”
After a quick hug, Aunt Dixie bent down and gave Riley a kiss on the cheek, then rubbed the top of Rocky’s head.
“Riley, would you be a sweetheart and run to the car for me? There are a few shopping bags in the back seat I’d like you to bring in.”
Riley did an about-face and ran to the car with Rocky at her heels. She recognized some of the store names on the shopping bags from that fancy mall. Riley loved shopping malls. They were great places to go to when the weather got bad. No one knew where she lived; it didn’t cost anything to get in; people hardly noticed her; and she could window-shop to her heart’s content. Riley usually went alone, but sometimes her mother came with her. They looked at all the pretty clothes and dreamed.
Riley missed going to malls. Actually, Aunt Dixie never took her anywhere. Having cable rocked, but Riley missed getting out and about. Aunt Dixie never even took her to the grocery store. She asked once to go along, and Aunt Dixie had simply said, “No.” The way she said it made Riley realize she shouldn’t bring it up again.
Riley grabbed the bags and ran inside. Aunt Dixie stood at the kitchen counter putting papers in her briefcase. Riley deposited the bags on the kitchen table.
Aunt Dixie turned around and smiled.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Take a look at what’s in the bags for you.”
“Really?” Riley grabbed hold of tissue paper on the top of the first bag. From the shopping bag, she extracted the prettiest dress she’d ever seen. She held her breath and lifted the dress up. It had a black bodice with cap sleeves and a black and white printed full skirt
“It’s beautiful!” Riley gasped as she held the dress in front of her, smoothing the full skirt with her hands.
“You seem to have forgotten there are more bags,” Aunt Dixie laughed.
Riley delicately laid the dress over the back of the kitchen chair. She hesitated for a moment before she turned away. It was so pretty. She couldn’t believe it belonged to her. The next bag contained a pair of black patent leather princess-heeled shoes. A tiny bag hid at the bottom of the shopping bag. Riley pulled it out. She recognized the tiny bag’s logo as a jewelry store. She never even dared to window shopped at that store.
“Let me see what you got,” Riley said, handing the bag over to Aunt Dixie. “Are they earrings?”
Aunt Dixie laughed as Riley held the bag out to her. She pushed the bag back towards Riley.
“No, Riley, this bag is for you as well.”
“Really? For me?”
“Really. For you.”
Riley closed her eyes and gingerly reached into the bag, as if there might be a snapping turtle in there.
“Go ahead, Riley,” Aunt Dixie encouraged. “It can’t hurt you.”
Riley pulled out a small black velvet box. She had a hard time opening the box because the spring was so tight, but she managed. A small heart-shaped silver necklace rested on the velvet. A single diamond, placed in the right-hand curve of the silver heart, gleamed. Mesmerized, Riley didn’t touch it. She didn’t even move.
Aunt Dixie reached over and took the box from Riley’s hand. She removed the necklace and draped the chain over her hand so Riley could get a good look at it.
“Look at this, Riley, it’s a locket. Do you know what a locket is?”
Riley shook her head, indicating that she didn’t.
“It’s a necklace that holds a special treasure inside.” She pulled the silver heart apart and handed the opened locket to Riley.
Riley leaned forward to examine the contents of the locket. She recognized the tiny picture of her mother. Tears filled her eyes as Aunt Dixie lifted the locket over Riley’s head, and clasped the chain behind her neck. Riley rubbed the heart between her thumb and forefinger. Tears escaped and ran down her cheeks.
“How?” Riley’s nearly inaudible voice croaked.
“Don’t worry about the how,” Aunt Dixie said. She pulled Riley close and wrapped her arms around her in a comforting hug. “Just enjoy. It’s my way of letting you know it’s okay to miss your mother. With this locket you can always keep her close to your heart.”
Dixon had accessed Jessica Sinclair’s driver’s license in the DMV database, and used her photo for the locket. The mission required Dixon to build Riley’s trust. The locket merely served that purpose.
Riley let herself sink into Aunt Dixie’s arms, sobbing. She missed her mother horribly, but Aunt Dixie understood.
“Th-thank you, Aunt Dixie. Thank you so much. I-I love it,” she managed to say between sobs and gasps for air. “I’m never, ever going to take it off. It’s the only picture I have of my mom.”
“Here sweetheart,” Aunt Dixie said, handing Riley some Kleenex she pulled from her pocket.
After Riley wiped away all the tears and blew her nose, Aunt Dixie said, “I have good news for you. I’m taking you to a party tomorrow night.”
“A party? Holy cow, a real party? What kind of party?” Riley barely contained her surprise and excitement.
“It’s a special party full of wonderful surprises just for children who live in foster homes. It’s like a birthday party to start your new life, presents and all. A generous man, once a foster child himself, throws the parties. He loves children.”
“Surprises? Gifts? Is that why you bought me the new dress?”
“Yes, Riley. It’s important for you to look very special for Mr. Smith.”
20
THE JUDGE PULLED HIS MERCEDES into the garage of a Tudor house in an exclusive area of suburban Washington. Although owned by the General, its ownership could never be tracked to him. The house served many purposes, from clandestine operations to gratifying the needs of the powerful—a safe house of sorts. The tree-filled lot afforded a great deal of privacy.
The neighbors believed various Washington elites rented the house as the need arose, so no red flags popped up when different people came and went at any time of the day or night, or when the house sat empty for periods of time. Everyone knew short-term leases in this neighborhood were extremely lucrative.
The Judge entered the living room. General Parker and that Dixon woman waited for him. Although dusk, no lights were on in the house.
“What the hell is she doing here?” demanded the Judge.
“Is that any way to talk to Aunt Dixie?”
“Take it easy Judge,” snapped the General.
“Take it easy?” the Judge retorted. He loosened his tie, which suddenly felt tight around his fleshy neck. He unfastened the top button of his shirt and stretched his neck a little. “Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
The General leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. A lit cigarette dangled from the fingers of his right hand. The afternoon continued its journey towards darkness, turning everyone into shadowy figures. The Judge didn’t see the General’s expression until he brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled, creating an eerie orange-red glow.
“You have a job to do, and you can’
t seem to get it done,” the General said, allowing the smoke to escape as he spoke. “You’re supposed to get Senator Sam Hennessey’s legislation stopped. Empirion Oil Corporation is a top client of yours. The CEO is not happy.”
The General took another drag on the cigarette and continued, “I even arranged for that boy Nathan to be brought here so you could satisfy your sick little secret. Extra incentive to make sure things went our way. Do you have any idea what it takes to get a victim that won’t be missed?”
The Judge couldn’t remember when his relationship with the General had changed. They had done business together for several years before the progression started. The General began giving him certain magazines. It relieved the Judge to know he wasn’t alone—someone else understood his need, even if society didn’t. After a while, videos. Then the General indicated it might be possible to procure someone.
The lure proved to be too strong. The Judge risked everything. But the General took an even bigger risk. He thought that risk would keep the General in check. Yes, he had a secret, but so did the General.
The General slid back on the sofa and reached over to turn on the lamp next to him. It filled the room with a soft glow. He put out the cigarette.
“Do you think it was an accident that I let you see that magazine in my brief case?”
“I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“I’m getting at the fact that you seem to have a hard time remembering who you’re dealing with. I’m getting at the fact there are no accidents. I’m getting at that expunged juvie record for attempted child molestation when you were a teenager.”
“How could you possibly --”
“How could I possibly have known? You can’t really be that naïve. I started out my career in military intelligence. Information doesn’t exist that I can’t uncover.”
The General reached into his shirt pocket and tapped out another cigarette. In an instant Dixon flicked her lighter and held it in front of the General. The Judge flinched. She had been so quiet he’d forgotten she was there.
“Unnerving, isn’t she?” The flame from the lighter lit up the General’s smile. He softly guided her hand as she lit the cigarette.
The Judge realized it had all been a trap. The intricacy of the plan and the number of years it took to execute was nothing less than stunning. Seamless.
Coldness gripped him as his chest pounded. His throat dried. Sweat formed around his hairline. The Judge’s mind raced as Dixon stared at him, her lips curved in a knowing smile.
What have I gotten myself into?
The General said, “If you can’t get that legislation blocked, I’ll have Empirion move on to your competitor.”
“You can’t do that!” the Judge insisted, shooting out of his seat. “We have a business deal.”
“I can do whatever I need to do in order to ensure the success of my mission. That bill cannot become law.”
“Listen. I’ve spent twenty years building my company into a Washington powerhouse, and I’m not going to let you destroy that with your CIA bullshit mentality.”
The General laughed. “I do give you credit for balls. You assault and murder children, and you think I’m responsible for putting your almighty empire in jeopardy.”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” the Judge shot back.
The General stood to look Judge Maxwell in the eyes. “You’re the reason the witnesses had to die, and you know it.” The General leaned into the Judge’s body space, poking his forefinger into the Judge’s chest. “Sit the hell down. Get it in your head. You’re mine. That powerhouse company of yours is mine, and anything else I want of yours is mine.”
Stunned, the Judge sat down. He looked at the end of the couch. Empty. He hadn’t seen or heard Dixon leave.
“Rule number one,” the General said. “When you’re in the room with an assassin, never take your eyes off her.”
Dixon chuckled. “That’s good advice.”
The Judge jolted, turning his head towards Dixon’s voice. Before he could say anything he heard a click and held his breath. Rather than a gunshot, the TV came on. A beautiful sandy-haired girl played with a small dog. It jumped around on a white canopy bed as the girl’s giggles filled the room. She gathered the dog up in her arms and walked towards the camera asking Aunt Dixie to get a close-up of Rocky.
The Judge’s breathing labored.
Dixon turned the set off. “She’s almost ready for you.”
His voice hoarse, the Judge said, “I’ll give you whatever you want.”
21
USUALLY CONTENT TO WATCH HER favorite TV programs, today a restless Riley decided Rocky needed a bath. She wanted him to look and smell his best for the party that night. She couldn’t wait to meet Mr. Smith and see what surprises he had in store for her.
“Here we go, Rocky,” Riley said as she placed him in the sink. “You’re going to get all clean and spiffed up for the party.”
Rocky stayed put, but Riley noticed his eyes were open wide and he ever so slightly trembled.
“Don’t worry, little buddy. I’ll be quick.”
Riley merrily scrubbed and rinsed and dried her friend. She got soaked when Rocky did one of those doggy wet-shakes before she could get the towel over him. When she placed him back on the floor, Rocky grabbed the edge of the absorbent cloth, and playfully growled and tugged at the towel. Riley tugged back and the two of them played while Rocky air-dried.
After a leisurely lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, one of Rocky’s favorites, it was time for Riley to take her shower. She went up to her room to prepare for her big party.
By the time Aunt Dixie got home from work, Riley was dressed, and Rocky sported a yellow bow attached to his collar. Both were ready to go.
“Riley, you look beautiful!” Aunt Dixie hugged Riley, thinking how pleased the Judge would be.
Tears welled in Riley’s eyes as she clung to Aunt Dixie. She missed her mother so much, but Aunt Dixie was wonderful. Riley loved her—almost as much as she loved Rocky—and that was a bunch.
Aunt Dixie said, “Give me a few minutes to change and we’ll be off to the party.” She headed up the stairs.
Riley thought this would be a good time to talk with Rocky. She spoke in her most serious tone. “Tonight’s a very special night for us, Rocky, and it’s very important that we both are on our absolute best behavior. For me that means always saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and not using any swears. For you that means no jumping up on people and no licking your private parts. Aunt Dixie told me there would be treats and presents for everyone.”
Rocky’s ears perked up at the word “treats.”
Aunt Dixie came down the stairs, zipping a large leather bag.
“Are you ready, Riley? We need to get going. We don’t want to be late.”
Riley and Rocky jumped off the sofa.
“We’re ready. I just need to get my coat and Rocky’s leash.”
As Aunt Dixie reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed Rocky’s yellow ribbon.
“No, Riley, Rocky can’t come.”
Riley stopped in her tracks and turned.
“What do you mean he can’t come?”
“Riley, it never occurred to me that you would bring the dog.”
“He’s more than a dog, he’s my friend,” Riley protested.
“Riley, he’s a dog and it would not be appropriate for him to attend the party.”
Riley stood her ground.
“If it’s not appropriate for Rocky to attend the party, then it’s not appropriate for me to attend either. I won’t go anywhere he’s not welcome.”
Using her stern voice, Dixon said, “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a dog. Dogs can’t go to the parties.”
“I understand what you’re saying, Aunt Dixie, and it’s okay if Mr. Smith doesn’t want Rocky. But you and Mr. Smith have to understand that I don’t want to be somewhere if Rocky can’t be with me.”
Riley turned and s
tarted up the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Aunt Dixie asked in disbelief.
“I’m going to my room to change. I’ll take the dress off right away so you can return it to the store. I’m sorry you went to so much trouble. I do appreciate what you tried to do for me. Please understand why I can’t go.”
Dixon briefly considered binding and gagging her, but that would interfere with the Judge’s plans for Riley. It served no useful purpose to antagonize him.
Dixon looked at the dog. She decided Rocky could easily be eliminated in either location. Sighing, she managed to summon up her best Aunt Dixie smile. “Okay, you win. Rocky can go.”
“Really?” Riley spun around and bounded down the stairs. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” She threw herself into Aunt Dixie’s arms.
22
THEY PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY of a secluded home. Riley thought it seemed awfully gloomy for a place that was supposed to be having a party, but then again she didn’t have a lot of experience with rich people’s houses, so maybe it was full of light on the inside.
Even odder yet, Aunt Dixie opened the garage door from her SUV. She pulled the vehicle into the garage and closed the door before they got out of the vehicle. This reminded Riley of some of the scary movies she had seen, but she shook off the feeling.
The three of them walked out the side door of the garage and around to the front of the house. Riley didn’t see any other cars, and still no lights.
“Where are all the cars for the other kids that are coming to the party?”
“Oh Riley, dear, you must have misunderstood about the party. There won’t be other children here tonight. This party is just for you.”
“That doesn’t make much sense. Why would Mr. Smith have a party just for me? I thought parties had lots of people.”
Riley tried to hide her disappointment. She’d never been to a party before, but had seen many on TV. They looked like so much fun with everyone laughing and talking. Sometimes there would even be joke telling and dancing. She hoped there would be dancing. She especially liked hip-hop. She loved the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. She always tried to duplicate the hip-hop moves. She wasn’t too bad at it.