"Holy shit!" Rob blinked. "This can't be."
Right before Rob's eyes was a reflection of Michael Downey's PC, and on the screen were four young women exposing their bodies. Why didn't I look for this earlier?
Then he remembered the mirror that was hanged on the wall of Michael Downey's living room. "Oh my God." He zoomed it, and his jaw dropped. Stacy Kestav.
***
Weeks had passed and Stacy and Marcy had bonded while they were in captive.
"How long do you think they'll keep us here?" Stacy asked that morning.
Marcy squeezed her hand. "Do you believe in hope?"
"I'd like to."
"Every day, I tell myself that I'm closer to seeing my daughter again. I will never stop thinking of her beautiful smile. I know we will be together again."
Tears spilled down Stacy's cheeks. "I miss my sister and my mom." Her face grew grim. "But I will never forgive my father for what he did. I will see that he rots in jail."
Marcy embraced her. "Hang onto your hope. You have a whole life ahead of you."
***
Rob leaned against Stanley's desk while his lawyer browsed the photos in his camera. "That's Stacy Kestav."
Stanley pursed his lips. "The picture is not that clear. How can you tell it's her?"
Rob zoomed the next photo, which showed a sunflower tattoo on the lady's belly button. "I remember her tattoo."
Swinging his chair, Stanley rose from his seat and opened the refrigerator in the corner. He grabbed two cans of Coke and tossed one to Rob. "Did you call the FBI agents already?"
"Not yet. I wanted to check with you first. This sure is Goddamn proof that he has something to do with Stacy Kestav's case."
"You're putting yourself at risk."
I didn't come here for your approval." Rob circled around the desk and plopped himself on the chair. "I came here to tell you that I will need your help."
Stanley raised his eyebrows. "I have to admit that you're just like your father. You don't take no for an answer."
Rob folded his arms.
"You know very well that if there's a case, we can't present this as evidence since you were inside private property."
"I didn't break in his house. I was invited in."
Stanly exhaled an exasperated breath. "And you were using an alias."
"Who gives a fuck. The evidence is there. Stacy could still be alive."
"You don't even know if that's an old photo."
"You're not making this any easier for me." Disgusted, Rob headed and took one last look at Stanley. "If you don't want to help me, then I might as well do this on my own. I don't wait for things to happen, I make things happen."
Chapter 22
On the phone, Vladimir waited for his order outside the restaurant.
"Did you check your computer today?" Constantine asked.
"I'm not home. What's up?"
"What's the matter with you? You're losing your guard and not covering your tracks."
"What do you mean?" Vladimir looked behind to see if anybody was following him. No one was there.
"I hacked into Rob Hanson's computer. You'd be interested to know that your pretend Seattle realtor happens to be the same photographer and agent that signed up Courtney for her modeling career. But after downloading her photos, he happened to notice the pictures he took at your house."
"He took photos of my house?"
"Yeah, and thanks to your feng shui guru who told you to hang a mirror on the wall—"
"Wait, wait. What do you mean?" He kicked a stone on the sidewalk.
"It caught the reflection of your laptop where you had naked photos of Stacy Kestav."
"Holy sh—" He covered his mouth, eyeing the patrons who entered the restaurant.
"I'm texting you the photo now."
Vladimir checked the picture. His heart sank like a deflated balloon.
"I'm taking care of it."
Vladimir didn't say a word.
"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you, Vladimir. You're weak, and your emotions are clouding your vision."
"Look, I'm this close to getting her to open up to me."
"And what are you going to do after that?"
"Slow down, boy. The best way to treat your enemies is to make them your friend. Once you have their trust, you use your power against their vulnerability."
"I admire your patience," Constantine said. "While you're doing your rendezvous, you need to know that the gang and I have been doing all your work."
"And you know how much I appreciate you for that."
"You need to get your ass back here soon. No more careless mistakes."
"I will." He watched the stream of people coming down from the train.
The waiter walked out of the restaurant and interrupted his conversation. "Here's your order."
"Look, I gotta go. Talk soon." Fuck! How could I be so careless?
***
After sharpening her chopsticks, Dana plunged the avocado roll inside her mouth. She wiped her lips with a napkin and moaned. "This is so delicious."
"I told you you needed to eat."
Scribbling on her pad, Dana wrote: Reminder: Dana needs to eat.
He grinned, and moved the soy sauce closer to her. "I wasn't sure if you were allergic to anything or a vegetarian so I got a mixture of everything."
She aimed for the cha-ya roll, she said, "This is a feast. Thank you."
"So…" He sipped his sake. "I don't think I asked you, but how long have you managed the shop?"
"Just recently." She chewed hoping he wouldn't ask where she grew up but he did.
"Are you a Texas native?"
She took a deep breath, but kept her gaze glued on her meal. "Nope. Originally from Georgia and moved here five years ago."
"Hmm." he pressed his lips together. "You don't seem to have a Southern accent."
"You think so," she practiced her drawl wondering why U.S. Marshall Collins had thought of Georgia.
"Now that's better. What did you do before managing this shop?"
"Well…" She paused, realizing that inventing stories was all she did for the past months. "Waitressing, selling cars, you name it."
"Really? And what made you choose this job?"
He seemed to be asking too many questions. She cleaned up the last sushi on her plate. "It's not rocket science." Dana giggled. "It's fun. I don't know if I'll be here for a long time, but I think it would probably be nice to own my own shop someday."
"Interesting." He nodded.
After a moment, Dana realized that was what she wanted. Managing this shop allowed her to use her fashion sense to arrange the store the way she wanted it to be. She kept the show window fresh and hip every week. Sales had doubled since she started, and she liked that she had the freedom to choose what to buy from vendors. For the first time in months, she learned something about herself, and whether she was Dana Simmons, Lucy Mitchell, or Abigail Madison, this was something she wanted.
"You're very good at what you do," he added.
"Oh, thank you." She felt herself blush. "But enough of about me. Tell me about yourself. What exactly do you import?"
"Anything and everything."
"Quite vague, huh?" Why is he so mysterious?
He leaned forward to reach for the salmon sashimi.
Dana and Gio spent the rest of the evening enjoying the meal and chatting.
After Dana locked the shop from outside, Gio took her hand. "Let me take you home."
"No need." She gently pulled away. "I live close by."
"I don't bite," he joked. "A lady like you shouldn't be walking alone late at night."
"It's all right." She waved away his concern. "I'll be fine."
"Okay, if you insist."
"See you tomorrow."
He reached out to kiss her on the cheek, but as she moved her head, the kiss landed on her lips.
She pulled away, heart beating fast and never expecting a kiss so abrupt.
>
"Be safe," he said.
***
Dana nuzzled against the pillow, feeling the softness of the satin sheets. Gio's kiss caught her off guard and gave her butterflies in her stomach. She had thought about Jake, but Gio seemed more exciting, spontaneous but she wondered if he still liked Courtney. When was the last time someone ever kissed her on the lips? Not that she could get too close.
Turning on her lamp, Dana opened her night table drawer and plucked out her calendar. There was one goal she needed to fulfill before she could open her own shop and fall in love. Summer was blazing hot and in full swing. She flipped the pages to August and scribbled: The month I kill Vladimir.
Chapter 23
A cold gust of wind brushed upon Rob's back as he typed on his laptop. Rising from his seat, he approached the front door and noticed it was ajar. Checking inside, he marched back to his desk. Did someone break in? I know I locked the door.
Peering to the window, nobody seemed to be in sight. He circled back to his desk.
Strong hands covered his face. Gasping for air, Rob tried to scream. He elbowed the person and tried to reach for something to pull but everything went blank.
***
Leaning on his pillow, Vladimir watched the scene as Constantine and four members of the mob invaded Rob's house, stealing his laptop and camera. Moments after, they dumped the brutally stabbed body of Stacy Kestav's body on the couch beside Rob who remained unconscious.
He covered his face as his throat constricted. There was no way he could continue this life. How could he have lived this life−his father's life? He needed an escape plan.
***
"I swear to God I had nothing to do with this," Rob cried as a policeman handcuffed him.
"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, a right to an attorney. If you don't have one, the court can appoint one for—"
"They set me up. I had been working on my laptop. Somebody came from behind and covered my mouth, the next thing I know, I woke up with Stacy's dead body beside me."
He glanced around frantically. The CSI team surveyed his loft, gathering the bloody knife and taking pictures of the scene.
The cop shook his head. "Try explaining that to the jury."
"There was no sign of a break in," another cop added.
"I am no damn criminal," Rob yelled while they dragged him to the car. "I need to talk to FBI Agent Wayne. Please get him on the phone." If Stacy's dead, what if Dana's next.
***
FBI Agents Wayne and Raymond stood at the back as the crowd gathered for the burial of Stacy Kestav.
"Look at Mr. Kestav." Felicia nudged him. "He doesn't seem to have any emotion while his wife and daughter can't stop crying."
Kerry eyed the father. "I'm sure he's grieving inside."
"I don't know about you, but I don't trust him."
"You think he planted Stacy's body at Rob's house?" Kerry asked.
"Nothing would surprise me anymore," Felicia said.
***
Rob banged his hand on the wall. All he saw were the four corners of his enclosed jail cell with a urinal. “Get me out of here.” The dim lights and stillness scared the wits out of him. Racing thoughts of the last image he saw of Stacy in his studio haunted him. Who would do such a thing?
The lights turned on and the guards dragged him out. "You have a visitor."
They led him to the lounge where the familiar sound of squeaky pair of shoes approached him. Rob fixed his gaze to his lawyer.
“Rob, I'm here."
“Right.” Rob leaned one foot to the wall. "They set me up, Stanley."
"I’m going to get you out of here in no time.”
“Why don’t you get me out now?"
“I can’t. As it is you’re the main suspect. Bail is one million."
"Where is Agent Wayne? Why haven't they called him?” Rob’s heart sank. “I never did this. You need to investigate Stacy’s family again. Something's fishy. You have to show the cops the photos I showed you.”
Stanley folded his arms. "I'm afraid your laptop and camera aren't there."
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Rob shrieked. "They set me up. You know that."
“Trust me, I’m going to dig some dirt.”
“I know, I know, but you know how these cops are. They’ll try to find every motive they can get to pin on me. The press has to be out there sensationalizing the scandal.”
Rob didn’t say a word.
“You stay put here. You gotta trust me on this.”
Rob couldn't believe the series of events. All he ever wanted was to find Dana and now this?
***
After applying cold cream to her face, Dana tied her hair up and removed the cell phone from her emergency backpack U.S. Marshall Collins gave her. Each time U.S. Marshall Collins checked on Dana, he reminded her not to get close to anyone and to alert him for any suspicious activity. Today, she decided to call him.
"Hello, Abigail."
"It's Dana."
"You know that Abigail is—"
"Right, right. Listen, I've just had an epiphany."
"Epiphany?"
"Yeah." She slipped into her pajamas. "I want to open my own shop."
"You already manage one."
"It's not the same. I want my own where I can develop my own line."
"So you want to be an entrepreneur."
Dana frowned. "Am I not allowed to have dreams?"
"We all have dreams, Abigail, but for now, you don't want to attract too much attention."
Sighing, Dana added, "What is the big deal? I'll be doing the exact same thing, except it's mine. I don't even have to say I own the shop."
Silence crossed between them.
"Look, I'm sorry that I even asked." She hung up and paced around the room. Why do I have to listen to the Feds?
The phone rang, but Dana tossed it back in her backpack and left it on her bed.
She changed out of her pajamas, slipped into a faded pair of jeans and a gray tee, and stormed out of her house. After crossing the street, she walked two blocks before reaching Cupcakes Corner, a place where they sold vegan cupcakes. She truly needed a chocolate fix.
After buying cupcakes, she sat in a booth, devouring the icing.
After taking a generous bite, she spotted Gio paying the cashier. "Gio."
He didn't hear her the first time, so she waved to him.
"Hey." He raised his eyebrows as he approached her. "You're craving too, huh?"
"Yeah, come join me."
"Oh." He glanced at his watch. "I was going to eat it a home but…"
"Sorry. You can go." She gestured her hands in the air.
"I can watch the game later." He took a seat beside her.
"Thanks, Gio. You're a great friend."
They ate their cupcakes in silence.
"Why so blue?" He stroked her cheek.
Her heart fluttered as he stared at her. "Do you think that you have everything figured out?"
"What do you mean?" He eyed her intently.
"You know… life." She sighed wishing she could just open up to him about what she'd been through.
He clutched her hand. "Let's get out of here."
***
Dana had not ridden in someone's car for a long time, but as the wind swept her hair away, all she wanted was to run away with Gio and take care of him even if a part of her feared he was a womanizer. Tonight, she wanted to forget everything−forget she was Abigail Madison or Dana Simmons. Tonight, she would focus on being a woman with no past and no future, just the present.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Just wait." He parked his Bentley near the curb.
She enjoyed gazing at him, how classy he dressed, how he ate, and most of all, how he treated a woman. "Do you keep in touch with Courtney?"
Grinning, he stepped out of the car, walked around to her side, and opened her door. "Abigail, I want you to know that there is nothing going on between me and
Courtney. She's very young and I—"
"I'm sorry I asked."
"Hey." He massaged her shoulders. "Tonight, we don't have to think about Courtney or work. Tonight, we get to have fun."
"You're right." She marched beside him.
"Close your eyes." He held her hand.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped his hand and closed her eyes. U.S. Marshall Collins warned her to trust nobody, but she was tired of taking care of herself. If only she could tell someone about her secret. She missed having a friend she could talk to.
"It will only be a moment," he said as he guided her.
Using her other senses, she heard the clinking of high heels against what sounded like marble floors. She smelled fresh lavender scent.
"We're almost there."
This time, Dana heard the sound of an elevator and people chattering. It seemed like an eternity, but Gio never let go of her hand. For once she felt safe.
Finally, the elevator opened and Gio led her out. She heard him fiddling with his keys and opening a door. They strode inside, and this time, he held her arms positioning her from behind.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Slowly, Dana opened her eyes and dropped her jaw as she stood in the balcony overlooking the harbor and city of Austin. She gazed at the boats anchored in the water and surveyed the lights around the area. Stars dazzled in the sky and left footprints in her heart.
"What do you think?"
She turned to see he now carried two wine glasses and champagne. "Is this where you live?"
After pouring champagne, he clinked her glass with his. "When I'm in Austin."
Taking a sip, Dana faced the view. "How long will you be in Austin?"
He joined her. "As long as you need me, I'm here."
"But what if I don't need you?" she hinted with a grin.
He leaned close to her and pressed his lips against hers. "Are you sure you don't?"
Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth as he gently caressed her tongue. He tasted like champagne laced with chocolate cupcake. He run his fingers through her hair, and she found herself drowning in lust.
She pulled away, breathless, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears. "We shouldn't."
He nodded, taking a step back. "I'm sorry."
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