The rest of us laughed. Miles and I petted her a few more times, then she went back to lie down in front of the fire, and we returned to the subject that prompted Trixie to get involved in our conversation.
“It’s a good thing there’s a sign to alert you to danger,” said Annie. “That way you won’t unknowingly encounter it.”
“It’s as much to protect you, as it is to alert you of who to investigate,” agreed Pastor Gary.
“You were sort of right, Miles,” I said. “Two weeks ago when we first came across this, you said you wished that the darkness was to show me who to stay away from.”
“I was sort of right, wasn’t I,” Miles smiled, teasing me, and I laughed.
We visited with Pastor Gary and Annie until almost ten o’ clock. It was good to have their perspective to take into account. It’s not that they had any experience with the things that we were encountering, but they still had good insight to offer and it was encouraging to know that they supported the way we were navigating all of this.
We walked with them to the door, and said goodnight.
The moon and stars were completely obscured by dark clouds, and a cold wind was beginning to blow. It brought the scent of rain with it. I shivered at the abrupt drop in temperature, as Miles closed the door behind our guests.
“I would have suggested a short walk in the garden,” said Miles. “Not in this weather, though.”
“The air is so cold and damp,” I said, as we walked hand in hand to the elevator. “I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t start to rain soon.”
By the time the elevator reached the fourth floor and we reached our room, flashes of lightning illuminated the clouds at frequent intervals on the other side of the window panes, and thunder rumbled faintly. Before I was finished removing my necklace and earrings, the patter of rain joined the thunder, both growing louder by the second.
“I hope it doesn’t storm so much that Cecilia isn’t able to come,” I said, as I unpinned and brushed my hair.
“I do too. I don’t know what she can tell us, but I’d like to find out,” said Miles, as he stood at one of the windows looking out at the storm. “Chances are, we’ll wake up to sunshine tomorrow. The storm isn’t likely to last, they seldom do.”
The lights flickered, and I hurried to change and get ready for bed, before they had a chance to go out completely. Miles lit a fire in the fireplace, to take the chill from the rapidly cooling air.
No sooner was the fire lit, than the lights went out.
“This storm is reminding me of the one that drove me into the estate the day I first came here,” I said, as I moved over my sleeping cat, so that I could get under the covers and into bed. The thunder didn’t seem to be disturbing Night any.
“It’s very unusual to have a storm like that. It’s the reason I looked out the window, and then saw you when you started to fall,” said Miles.
“I wonder if the storm was intentional, since Trixie says we were supposed to meet.”
“If she was here, she’d probably say yes,” said Miles, as he moved Night again, so that he could join me. “She and Chip are kind of partial to the fireplace in Mission Control.”
I laughed as Miles put his arms around me, thinking that what Trixie liked about it, was that she could lie there all night without being disturbed. She was glad we loved each other, but she did not want to see us kissing, which was just fine! Without fail, as soon as we did, she’d drag her tired self off of the floor and leave, taking everyone else with her.
“What’s funny?” asked Miles.
“Nothing, just your dog,” I said. “You know if I were here all alone, I think I’d be scared right now with the electricity off, and the storm raging outside.”
“Really? Says the girl who chased shadow figures last year all by herself, and wouldn’t bother to let her fiancé know so that he could come along and protect her?” Miles teased.
“I’m completely reformed, and more than happy to let my superhero husband protect me, instead of the other way around,” I said, loving how safe I felt with his arms around me. After three months of sleeping like this, I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep any other way.
“I never get tired of hearing that,” said Miles, as his phone buzzed on the nightstand. I was surprised we could hear it over the sound of the thunder and pounding rain.
“That’s got to be our PI,” said Miles, using his ability to bring the phone to his hand. “Yeah, it is. Hey Jackson, what do you have?”
Miles turned up the volume on the phone so I could hear too. Either that, or he turned it up so that he could hear over the storm!
“Hello Mr. Bannerman. One of my sources is working to get a copy of the Meads’ will. The address of the property should be listed there as an asset. I expect to have that information for you sometime on Monday, if everything goes as planned.”
“That’s great, Jackson. Be thinking of how to present this information to the authorities once we’re sure we’ve got the right place. I’m anxious to have this guy locked up, and that won’t happen until they realize there’s been a murder and he isn’t who he says he is.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Bannerman. I will do that. Rest assured that your names won’t come into it in any way.”
“Thanks, Jackson. You’re gifted in what you do, and a good man, too. I’m glad to have you on our team.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bannerman. I’m glad to be here. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an update.”
“Thanks Jackson, talk to you then.”
Miles pressed the end button, and put his phone back on the nightstand.
“That’s encouraging,” Miles said. “Wouldn’t it be great to wrap this up soon. Of course we should expect it to take at least a little time for the authorities to accept whatever Jackson tells them, and to look into it. But it’s going to happen. This guy will be held accountable here on earth for what he’s done.”
“It can’t happen any too soon for me,” I said. “I’m so glad it will, though. I’ll feel a lot better when this is over, and then I hope we can have a break for a while.”
“Amen to that,” agreed Miles.
Chapter 17
The rays of the sun fought to overcome the layer upon layer of clouds that filled most of the sky. Several succeeded, lighting a path to the earth below, and making the raindrops which hung from every leaf and branch glitter like diamonds.
I wrapped my sweater more tightly around me as Miles and I walked in the garden after breakfast, the mixed scent of rain and roses filling the air around us.
“Are you cold?” asked Miles, his arm already around me.
“Not enough to go in or get a heavier jacket,” I said.
I’d be perfectly fine, if the sweater would keep out the cool breeze, but it wasn’t knit for that purpose.
“What time is it now?” I asked.
“About sixty seconds more than it was the last time you asked,” said Miles, as he looked at his watch. “That would make it eight fifty-eight.”
“You are so tolerant,” I said apologetically. “I’m driving myself crazy, I can only imagine how you feel.”
“I may remind you to put on your watch the next time we’re going to wait for someone,” Miles said, teasing me. “But I’d rather have you driving me crazy wondering what time it is, than not have you at all.”
“Is that why you’re never impatient or annoyed with me?” I asked. “That’s not how other couples are, I’ve noticed.”
“Maybe so. Being alone for so long caused me to appreciate you in a way I might not have, otherwise. What about you? I haven’t seen you impatient or annoyed with me either, or do you just hide it really well?”
I laughed.
“No, I think that believing I’d never see you again gave me a stronger appreciation for you, too. But really, who could possibly find you annoying? Even if I was, all I’d have to do is look at you, and I’d forget all about it.”
Miles laughed, and I smiled up at hi
m. The sound of a vehicle spraying water as it ran across puddles on the driveway, brought our thoughts back to the present.
“That’s got to be her,” I said softly, as she parked next to the walk that led to the front steps.
“She matches the photo in the article Jackson sent,” Miles said.
Cecilia waited to get out of her car until we had almost reached it ourselves. She looked really nervous, and I felt bad for her. I hoped we could put her at ease.
She opened her door and slowly emerged.
“Hi, Cecilia,” I said, smiling. “I’m Anika, and this is my husband, Miles.”
“Hi,” she said back, still very much ill at ease.
“Hi Cecilia, it’s nice to meet you,” said Miles. “Shall we go in? It’s much warmer inside, than it is out.”
“Sure,” she said, looking up and down and from side to side, in order to take in the entire estate. The sheer magnitude of the place loosened her tongue a little. “I can’t believe this. You live here?”
“Sometimes,” I said. “We live in an apartment when college is in session. It’s much smaller.”
She laughed a little at that, still looking around in awe as we walked up the steps to the front door. Miles held it open for me and Cecilia, then followed us inside.
“Man, this place… I’m not sure I’m really awake.”
I laughed, and linked arms with her to get her moving in the direction of the parlor. She was awestruck, and didn’t even seem aware. When we entered the parlor, she snapped out of it.
“Oh, you have a cat!” she said, her eyes lighting at the sight of Night, who was on his way to investigate our guest and possibly greet her. I hoped he wouldn’t pull his one-woman-cat act, and snub her.
“His name’s Night Furry,” I said, as he sniffed of her hand and then allowed her to pet him, then rubbed against her ankles. “Over there on the back of the couch is his sister Pandora, and lying in front of the fireplace are Chip and Trixie.”
The kids had a very positive effect on Cecilia. All traces of being uncomfortable were now gone, as she went from one to another and smiled and laughed, depending on how they responded.
Trixie looked at Miles and he considered whatever she was saying, as Cecilia pet Chip. Then Miles looked at me.
“How about something to snack on?” he asked. “Maybe hot tea, or cocoa? I know Chef has a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls.”
“That sounds great!” I said.
Food always helped to put people at ease, and keep them there.
“I’ll be back soon,” said Miles. He quickly kissed the side of my face, and headed to the kitchen.
I was surprised he went himself, he could have had it brought to us. He’d be gone for several minutes, since he’d have to wait for Chef to put our after-breakfast-snack together.
I puzzled over that briefly, then turned back to Cecilia. She was still petting Chip, and Night was making sure she didn’t forget him, either. She looked like a completely different girl now, happy and filled with joy even. It was easy to see how much she loved cats and dogs.
“Do you have any pets, Cecilia?” I asked, sitting near the fireplace on our favorite loveseat.
“I have a cat, Lucille,” she said. “I’ve always loved animals, they’re so honest and loyal.”
“They are,” I agreed. “A lot more so than some people.”
“That’s the truth,” she said. “So what’s going on with the professor? What is it you think I can tell you?”
“I’m not sure. The more we know, the more capable we are of dealing with this guy though, so thank you for being willing to meet with me. Here’s what’s happened since we spoke on the phone. The three times the professor approached me before classes started Monday, I made it very clear I wanted nothing to do with him. The third time, I texted my husband, and he came. You’d think after what we both said, he’d get the point, but he didn’t.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” said Cecilia, her laugh mirthless. “Telling this guy he can’t have something, is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He becomes obsessed.”
“That’s what I came to find. So on Monday, classes started. He was friendly in class at first, overly friendly. I wasn’t friendly at all, and made a point of mentioning my husband and the fact that I’m married. So, suddenly he became condescending. He had it in for me, as one of my friends from class put it.”
“Oh yeah, this is totally familiar,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He did this to me, and I’ve seen him do it to other girls who weren’t interested at first. He lavishes the attention until you’re used to it, then suddenly withdraws it and is cold and condescending, instead. It doesn’t seem like it could get him what he wants, but it does. Suddenly you find yourself wondering why, and trying to gain back that approval, and doing what you have to in order to get it.”
“Yeah, that’s what I gathered,” I said.
“Did it work on you?” she asked, curious, but apprehensively so.
“No,” I said. “He waited for me to respond to some of the things he said, and I wouldn’t. I figured that’s what he wanted. Trying to justify myself to him would be the same as seeking his approval, and that would be a very dangerous place to be. So no.”
“Well… good for you. I wish I’d been smarter.”
I felt bad for her. I probably couldn’t say anything that would make her feel better though, because it wouldn’t change anything. But still…
“My husband and I love one another completely. We would die for each other, and almost have. You read the articles, so you know. Nothing this guy did would ever be capable of coming between us. I also had a lot of friends in that class. He didn’t count on them standing up for me, but they did.”
“Really?” asked Cecilia, surprised. “I wish I’d had that…”
“I do too. But yes, my friends stood up for me. So by the second class, this guy was completely unstable. His usual mode of operandi wasn’t working, and he threw a cup of steaming coffee at me. It was no thanks to him, that it didn’t hit me. My friends went to the Dean, and I’m quite sure that by now he’s been told not to come back to the university, ever again.”
Cecilia’s eyes were bugging out over this news. She processed it, then shook her head as if to clear it.
“Yeesh, that’s horrible. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse… and that you have friends. Don’t let your guard down, though. If you thought he was angry and unstable before, it’s nothing compared to what he is now.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I said.
“This guy is used to getting what he wants. To him, everything’s all a big game, and he’ll do whatever he has to, to win. This isn’t over for him,” she said, her voice rising. “You’ve no idea… he tried to kill me, did you know that? He won’t take no for an answer, because that means he loses, and the game is never over, until he wins.”
“Tell me what happened,” I said. She was telling the truth.
“I think I could’ve just sunk into the woodwork and he never would have thought about me again, but I started dating a guy, and Ryan saw us together. All of a sudden, the guy I hadn’t heard from in a couple of months—not that I wanted to—was calling and wanting to get together. I said no. So he started calling over and over, he sent me flowers, he even made the guy I was dating think that I was seeing Ryan behind his back, and he broke up with me. If I hadn’t been over Ryan before, I would have been after that. So then he cut off contact, which was a relief, rather than the motivator to try and regain his approval that he thought it would be. Then he started calling again. He wanted me to go away with him to this cabin in the mountains he owns. He claimed he wanted to make a commitment, I was different and the only girl in the world that mattered, he’d give up all the rest, but I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“Where is this cabin?” I asked. I hated to butt in, but this was important!
“It’s near here somewhere,” said Cecilia. “I’m not sure where.”
She
gave that some thought and I waited. She wasn’t lying, she really didn’t remember. I hoped she would.
“It was north of the college I went to… an hour and a half north,” said Cecilia.
“You’re right,” I said. “It could be very near here, or Glen Haven, where Miles and I go to college.”
What a surprise, it had made sense to assume the cabin was somewhere near Seattle, but it wasn’t. Unless he had more than one…
“Was this his only cabin?” I asked.
“I don’t know, it belonged to his family. That’s about all I do know about it. I told him off though, in no uncertain terms. That’s when he showed up at my apartment as I was getting home from work. I opened the door, and he came from out of nowhere. If I hadn’t been able to get hold of my pepper spray…” she was pale, remembering.
Trixie got up and sat beside her, resting her chin on Cecilia’s knee. Cecilia pet her, and some of the color began to come back to her cheeks. I waited silently as she pulled herself together and continued.
“He started out by saying again that he wanted to be together, and he knew that’s what I wanted too, and he didn’t know why I was being that way, but that we’d go to his cabin and I’d change my mind. I refused, and he became angry. I fought him and tried to get my phone to call for help, but he grabbed it and threw it against the wall. He grabbed me by the arm and said that he gave me every chance to come back to him… but I wouldn’t, so he had every right to do what he was about to. He was determined to get me to that cabin. If he had, I know I never would have come out of there alive. I could see it in his eyes. My keys were still in the door. As he dragged me out, I grabbed them. There’s a canister of pepper spray on my key ring, and I got him good. I ran and pounded on apartment doors until someone finally called 911. After what he’d done, I thought for sure he’d get what he deserved… instead, I was practically run out of town.”
Cecilia sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead as if it hurt.
“I’m sorry Cecilia… what happened was so wrong. This guy… he isn’t going to get away with anything for much longer. I’m certain of that.”
Darkness Falls Page 29