by J. Lea
“Hey, what are you doing?” he exclaims and reaches for his phone.
“Who are you texting?”
“No one.”
“I don’t believe you.” He manages to pull the phone out of my grasp, but not before I see Jude’s last message.
“What is it that you can’t tell me?” I raise my eyebrows accusingly at him, waiting for an explanation.
“They’ll be here in a minute and Jude’s gonna update you on everything.”
“I want to know now, dammit! Why don’t you tell me?” I stomp my foot on the ground. “Jessie, what are you hiding from me?”
My inquisition is interrupted by the sound of the front door unlocking. Jessie and I turn around seeing Cole and Jude accompanied by the two policemen I remember seeing beside the burned car. They’re all dusting off snow and I hear Jessie sigh with relief.
“What’s going on? Someone better tell me, fast.” My eyes travel from one man to another, impatient.
“Miss Brookes,” one of the policemen smiles awkwardly. He’s tall and sturdy, with wide shoulders and kind eyes, and he tells me his name is Officer Guzman.
“I think it’s best if you sat down.” Jude grabs my elbow and points his head at the couch. I don’t hesitate. I plop down on it, Jude joining me, and he puts a hand on my knee, compassionately. I look into his eyes to see if they will tell me anything but his whole face is an impassive mask.
“We found Leo,” he says quietly, gently squeezing my knee. I let out a sigh of relief.
“Really? Was he just waiting for you there?” That’s a surprise. “What did he have to say for himself?” I raise my gaze to the policemen, their hands stuffed in the pockets of their pants and their expressions grim.
“Miss Brookes, we found Mister Devlin in a ditch by the back exit of Antonio’s,” the other officer says.
“Was he drunk again?” I shake my head in disappointment. I don’t know why I still expect better from him.
Jude shifts so he kneels in front of me, taking my hands into his. He looks me in the eyes and quietly tells me, “April, Leo is dead.”
“What?” I flinch, trying to get up, trying to back away from Jude, but the couch stops me. “How? We spoke just a few hours ago,” I’m starting to get dizzy and my knees are shaking. Strong arms catch me in an embrace before I can collapse to the floor.
“Sit down,” Jude says softly.
My feelings are so messed up I don’t know whether to feel relieved or to crawl in my bed and cry. “Are you sure it was him?”
“The ID in his wallet helped identify him,” the cop with the friendly eyes tells me.
“Are you okay?” Jude asks, brushing a strand of hair off my face, but I don’t answer.
“We’ll know more about what happened after the autopsy,” the other policeman says.
“Ho-how did he die?” I stutter. I’m not too sure if I want to know.
“April, this can wait. You look pale; you’d better lie down for a minute,” Jude speaks, his voice quiet, loving, gentle and compassionate.
“No!” I hiss. “I want to know what happened to him!”
Jude shares a look with the others but doesn’t speak.
“Jessie, Cole?” I plead.
Cole takes a deep breath and, looking down at the floor, he says, “His hand was completely butchered, from his wrist all the way up to the elbow.”
What little color I still had on my face disappears completely. “But… But how? When did that happen? Before you arrived, or was it when you were already there?” I’m completely shaken. “Did he commit suicide?”
“Jude, we’re leaving. See you later at the station?” The cops turn to leave. “We have to finish the report.”
“Yes, I’ll stop by. Tell Captain Reeves to wait for me.” While Jessie and Cole see the policemen out, I’m waiting for Jude’s explanation.
“Jude, please, don’t keep things from me. I need to know what happened. Am I safe now? Does that mean I don’t need you anymore?”
Jude stands up, turning so his back is to me, sighing, shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “No, I’m not going anywhere.”
“But he’s dead. He can’t hurt me anymore, right?”
“April, Leo wasn’t the one who’s been harassing you.” I watch him in astonishment, opening my mouth and then closing it, lost for words. “Did you hear me?” He walks to me, capturing my face in his palms. “It wasn’t him,” he whispers.
I nod, looking up at his eyes. “You’re sure? Then why did he keep calling me? And all those e-mails he sent me…”
“Leo was dead before we got there and his body is showing signs of decay.”
“What does that mean?”
“Means he’d been dead for a few days. He couldn’t have been the one calling you. And he didn’t commit suicide; he was murdered. There was no blood at the crime scene and there should’ve been a lot.”
“How is this possible?”
“Antonio’s was just a dropping site. We’ll have more information after the autopsy. We retrieved his cell phone. The phone call log for the last month shows your number wasn’t on there.”
“But… How?” I frown. I’m not stupid. I know what I saw. “The calls were from his number. So who was the man in a hood I saw yesterday? Who was the one following us in the car and who burned up your car?”
“We don’t know yet, April. I think someone used Leo’s health state and his trust. That’s the most logical explanation. Besides, any smart phone has access to an app which helps you change your voice, hide your number and the location you’re calling from. This isn’t the first case where someone’s done this.”
“But how were you able to track Leo’s cell phone today and not before?”
“Because he let us. He wanted us to find his body. Hell, he even told you where to look.”
“Why would he want to get rid of Leo if he was such great help, or why didn’t he continue this farce? He was successful, I believed it was Leo.” Can this get any worse?
“I can only assume he was tired of hiding. He wants you to know who he is, that you know he’s not Leo.”
“One thing’s still not clear to me. This app thing… Did he need Leo’s phone to divert the calls to his phone, or how does this work? If I understand correctly, the stalker used his own phone to call me but used Leo’s number? Am I right?”
“Something like this, yes. He needed both phones and both phones had to have the same app installed so he was able to call you under a different name and change his voice.”
“Oh, God. I had no idea something like this was even possible.” I bury my head in my hands.
I remember the restraining order I took out on Leo. My heart was telling me it wasn’t him, but reason prevailed. There was no way I could’ve reacted differently. Jesus, what a mess.
“So, this means it’s not over yet?” Words roll off my tongue with difficulty.
“Not yet, I’m afraid.” Jude’s hand strokes my back. “Leo undoubtedly knew the person who murdered him and is harassing you. Statistically speaking, in the majority of cases, the perpetrator is a family member, a friend or an acquaintance. Do you have any idea who might want to hurt him?”
“I have no clue, Jude. I swear, I haven’t even thought about it. Leo never had many friends. He sure did make enemies when he was drunk off his ass, but never anything so grave that would provoke someone to do something so cruel. When he was sober, he was a very pleasant person to be around.”
“Still, I’m going to need a detailed list of people he associated with.”
“I don’t know everybody’s names, Jude.”
“Write down those you do.”
“Okay,” I say quietly, turning my head to the side, reaching for a piece of paper.
“Listen. I’m going to the police station to wait for the autopsy report. I also need to go through some things with the cops. I’ll make sure I get back as soon as possible.”
“What about me?” I ra
ise my head questioningly. I don’t want to be alone, especially after tonight’s events.
“You’ll be safe with Jessie and Cole.” I turn and there they are; I didn’t even notice they came back into the room.
“Okay, but hurry, please.” I know I’ll be safe with his brothers, but I’m so used to Jude right by my side I don’t want him to leave me.
Sitting on the window seat, I’m staring out the window into the darkness, playing absentmindedly with the bracelet Jude gave me. Winter decided to show its teeth with the heavy snowfall. Dark clouds spread over the night sky. My mood is no different from the weather outside. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Leo’s dead and that he wasn’t responsible for the harassing calls, e-mails and threats I was receiving. He was only guilty of being a drunk who made it easy for someone to manipulate him. I wonder why I wasn’t listening to my sixth sense constantly telling me Leo wasn’t capable of such horrible actions, despite being an alcoholic. I keep thinking if it would have made any difference if I didn’t file a restraining order against him. Would he stay and not disappear off the face of the earth? Did he even run? God knows how long he’s been dead. Did he suffer? I can’t help but to blame myself for his death. Why wasn’t I more persistent in making him go into treatment? Perhaps if I had tried harder, I could’ve convinced him that he needed help. He wouldn’t have been as pliable then. God knows how deep he fell into alcohol after we broke up.
“How are you holding up?” Cole asks as he kneels before me, placing a comforting hand on my knee.
I shrug, grimacing. I don’t feel like talking, so I don’t even look at him.
“You hungry? Jessie went out to grab a couple of pizzas. He’ll be back soon.”
“No, thanks.” I just want everything to be over with.
“You gotta put some food in your belly. You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“I’ll eat later, okay?” I give him a small smile, squeezing his hand that’s still resting on my knee.
The resemblance between the three brothers is uncanny. They all have hazelnut brown hair; Jessie’s is the longest, reaching just past the collar of his shirt curling slightly at the ends, while Cole cuts his hair very close to his skull, and Jude’s falls somewhere in between, long enough so you can grab it in a fist but not long enough to put in a ponytail, like Jessie tends to do. They share the same brilliant green eyes. Jessie and Cole’s are slightly lighter, like the color of a meadow on a sunny summer day, and Jude’s are darker, like woods at sunrise. Jessie and Cole are freshly shaven, as opposed to Jude. I wonder who’s the eldest? I know that Jude’s thirty. If I had to guess, I’d say Cole’s air of maturity makes him the oldest and Jessie’s the youngest. They’re all tall and athletically built; they must work out regularly. Speaking of taking care of one’s body—I don’t recall the last time I went for a jog. At the moment, I don’t even feel like moving, much less running.
We’re interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by a doorbell; it must be Jessie, back with the pizzas.
“Let me in, I need to speak with her,” I hear a voice I recognize immediately.
“Max?” I call out.
“In the living room,” I hear Cole say from the front door.
Max storms in the room, looking worried, and pulls me into a bear hug, his hands coming tightly around my waist, lifting me off the ground.
“Jude called and told me about Leo. Are you okay?” he says when he finally puts me back down.
“As well as I can be. I still can’t believe he’s dead.”
“Do you know anything more about this whole ordeal?”
“No, only that his hand was ripped open, but you probably already know that.” I give Cole a pointed look. He nods and disappears into the kitchen to give us more privacy. “We’re waiting for Jude to call as soon as he knows the results of the autopsy.”
“Are they absolutely certain Leo wasn’t the one harassing you?”
“Yes.”
“What a jumbled mess.” Max sits on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. He buries both his hands in his hair. “Then there’s still someone out there trying to hurt you?”
I rub his back. “I have three strong men watching over me. I think I’ll be fine.” I paint a small smile on my face to ease the tension. “Besides, the house has turned into a fortress. Nobody gets in; hell, it’s even hard to leave. They installed an alarm system and there are sensors on all the windows.”
“Only the best for my little sister.” Finally, I see a shadow of a smile forming on his lips.
“I’m not little anymore, you know.”
“You’ll always be little to me, you brat.” He gives me a noogie.
“Grumpypants.” I stick my tongue out to him. The tension has eased a little.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” We’re still on the couch, hugging, when I remember Jessie bringing pizzas. “Hey, are you staying? Jessie’s gonna get here any minute now with food.”
“No, I have to go home. I have an important meeting early in the morning. I just needed to see you. Make sure you’re okay. I couldn’t sleep well if I didn’t come over.”
“How’s my sweet Emmy doing?” I miss her so much, my little pumpkin.
“She misses you. She was just asking the other day when she will be able to see her auntie again.”
“Soon, I hope.” I say wistfully. “Is Bella misbehaving?” I hoped I would get my Bella back now that I’m home again, but all three O’Rilley’s prefer there aren’t any distractions, so she’ll have to stay at my brother’s for a while yet.
“Bella who?” Max frowns at me. Aghast, I open my mouth to yell at him when he starts laughing out loud. “You should’ve seen your face,” his laughter resounds around the room. “Your jaw fell on the floor.”
I nudge his ribs, hard. “Asshole.”
Max inhales sharply, bending over, a grin still plastered on his face. “Damn, you hit hard.”
“You deserved it.” I cross my arms over my chest. “So? Bella?”
“Bella’s doing splendidly. Emma is spoiling her rotten and they sleep in the same bed together every night. Happy?”
“Happy. Say hi to your girls for me.” Escorting him to the door, we hug one last time.
“I will. Bye.” Cole joins us and Max gives him a stern look, nodding once, wordlessly instructing him to watch over me or else.
“I’m going to bed,” I tell Jude, who’s reading the copy of Leo’s autopsy report. Cole, Jessie and I played cards in the kitchen. We needed a distraction. When Jude returned, he immediately buried himself in work. Even though I had thousands of questions I didn’t want to disturb him. Besides, he’s still angry with me for calling Rebecca.
“It’s getting late, yes.” He raises his head to look at me. His eyebrows are tightly pinched together as he glances at his wrist watch.
“Today was intense. I’m beat, and the news about Leo completely threw me for a loop.”
“Need company?”
“No, I wouldn’t mind some alone time. Besides, you’re working.”
With his lips pressed together, he nods. “Okay, good night then.”
I give him a gentle smile, turn on my heel and head for the sanctuary of my bedroom, where I collapse into bed and throw covers over my face, the news about Leo’s death still echoing in my head. He was murdered. Murdered! The autopsy revealed a heavy dose of sedatives in his body, but he bled to death – that was the main cause. His death was painful. It makes me sick just thinking about it. Did he really know his killer? Why would anyone even want to murder him? There are so many unanswered questions running through my mind, but one of them stands out—am I next? Or Jude? I try not to think about it. I know I have people around me who’ll do anything to protect me, yet the thought of that scares the shit out of me. What if the stalker indeed hurts someone I care about? I wouldn’t forgive myself if that happened. Never.
I had plenty of time to come up with a list of people Le
o hung out with. It didn’t have many names on it and I don’t think anyone on that list could’ve killed Leo. I gave it to Jude, who passed it on to the police. They’ll start checking the names first thing in the morning. This is no longer a stalking case now—it’s turned into a murder, which is much, much more serious.
Thirteen
Jude
The clock struck midnight a while ago and I’m still staring at the autopsy report. Leo’s been apparently dead for the past week. I don’t know where the killer could’ve hidden him for so long, and the question is, why? What did he benefit from that? Why was Leo’s body filled with sedatives? Did the killer need them to keep him under his control? And why today, of all days, to get rid of him? I also don’t understand the murder weapon—why not just use the knife he used on his arm to kill him? Why cut his artery and just leave him to bleed? Did he want him to suffer? The dumping spot was clean, the killer left no traces—CSI couldn’t find any blood, except Leo’s, of course, nor hair or fiber.
I hear Cole and Jessie in the kitchen. I assume they’ve gotten bored with cards and they’re going to bed as well. I should follow suit if I want to get any sleep, but this case won’t give me peace. A very difficult day is ahead of us. Even though Max hired me to protect April, not to find the stalker, I can’t just sit here doing nothing. I’ll find the motherfucker even though that means putting myself in grave danger. And I’ll start with the names on April’s list. There are only 10 listed, but it’s a start.
“Jessie went to bed?” I ask Cole when he enters the living room. I let them have the guest room and took the couch myself. It’s more convenient for me, as I have a better view over the house from this position.
“Yes. And you should get some sleep, too, bro.”