“No way, Renee. You owe me some kind of explanation.”
“All right, my past has caught up with me. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I need to disappear for awhile.”
“You what? You’ve got to be kidding. You’re acting like some kind of a spy or something.” He calmed himself. “Renee, we mean too much to each other. Don’t do this. Talk to me.”
Her shoulders relaxed. Tears glistened in her eyes.
“I’d love to, but I can’t. Not now; there isn’t time. You’ll have to trust me on this.”
“Who’s after you, Renee, and why?”
“I can’t, Aaron. I can’t put you and Adam at risk. You mean too much to me.”
“This is crazy. You have to trust someone. Trust me.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
She circled her arms around him and shivered in his embrace. For a long moment she stayed in his arms. Finding her strength, she pushed away.
“I’ll call you when I’m safe.” She bolted from the patio and ran through the kitchen.
“No way,” he roared and ran after her.
❧
How’d he find me, Lord? After all these years; two different states, and still he finds me. How?
Renee heard Aaron calling out to her. She had to leave. She had to protect him and Adam.
“Renee,” Aaron yelled. “You can’t leave like this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. Looking back would give her pause, and if she paused, her heart would win over her mind. Logically, she knew what she had to do. In the early years she had prepared for her escape if ever the need arose. But as time went by, she’d almost forgotten.
Almost.
Fumbling with the keys, she jammed the ignition key in place.
“Renee, stop! Please stop. I love you. Don’t leave me like this.”
Her hands shook; the tears freely fell. “Aaron, it’s because I love you. I have to leave.”
“Whatever it is, the Lord will see us through this.”
She leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.
“Please, Renee, stop long enough to tell me.”
He opened the door and placed a loving hand on her back.
“Please, trust me, Renee.”
She looked up at the blurred image of the man she loved. He knelt beside her and placed his left hand on her knee.
“Talk to me. What could you possibly have done that I wouldn’t forgive you?”
“It’s not that; it’s who he is. He doesn’t forgive. He’s the epitome of hatred.”
“Who?”
“He must have gotten out on good behavior or something. He was supposed to be in prison for twenty years.”
He rubbed her back gently and waited.
Should she tell him? If he knew, would he be in danger? To spite me, he’d come after Adam and Aaron. She shook her head no. “I’m sorry, Aaron, I can’t put your lives in danger.”
“Why can’t you tell the police?”
She wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I don’t know. I guess because Detective Diaz still believes I’m behind the break-in at the office. Do you know what he found in my apartment?”
Aaron shook his head no.
“The old computer. Your old computer. Can you believe that? If I was going to rob the place, do you think I’d want the old computer? It’s such a dinosaur.”
She shook off the train of thought. “The fact is, Diaz doesn’t believe me that. . .he. . .was in the apartment. He said I was just trying to cloud the investigation. And what’s this about a file of E-mails?”
“There’s a hidden file on the server that came up when we logged in as you. It contains E-mails between you and another company, B&J Advertising. You were offering my database of clients for a fee.”
“You can’t believe I did that.”
“Of course not. It’s too obvious. Even if you were at fault, you wouldn’t have kept a record that I could have stumbled upon. Personally, I think someone is trying to set you up.”
“Trying,” she huffed. “I’d say Diaz is certain of it.”
“Don’t be too sure. He plays the devil’s advocate for certain, but I think he believes you.”
“I don’t know what to do, Aaron. You don’t know the man like I do, and I couldn’t live with myself if something were to happen to you or Adam.”
“Trust God, Renee. All along our relationship has been slowly developing with God at the center. Just because something horrible from the past has come to haunt you, don’t stop trusting the Lord.”
“But—”
He held his finger to her lips.
“Honey, whoever this guy is has found out where you live. He probably already knows where you work and who you work for.”
“True, Benny would do a thorough investigation.”
“Benny who?”
Oh, no. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything.”
He caressed her jaw with the feather touch of his finger.
“Did he rape you?” He ached for her, his chocolate eyes so expressive.
“No, nothing like that. He lived with my aunt on a fairly regular basis for a time. He drank, and when he drank he’d beat her. I came home once when he was beating her. And well, I tried to yell at him to stop. He didn’t. He landed a solid blow to my jaw. I grabbed the closest thing handy, my baseball bat.”
Aaron’s eyes widened.
“I’d just come home from softball practice. Anyway, I swung and connected. I broke his arm. He managed to get the bat from me and hit me again. By the time the police came, the bruises were showing. Not to mention my cracked rib. He had me arrested. My aunt wouldn’t back up my story. She was terrified that he’d be released and come and beat her again, I guess. Anyway, in a nutshell, that’s what happened and why I have a sealed record. Connecticut has changed the laws recently, extending the time for sealed records to be on file. Detective Diaz wouldn’t have found it if the old law still applied. Benny was a small-time dealer and thug for hire. The cop arrested him too and was happy to get him off the streets. And since I was a minor, he received a greater sentence, and the charges against me were dropped.
“I don’t trust him,” Renee continued, “and I can’t have him hurt you or Adam. He’s like that, Aaron. He’s spiteful beyond compare. If he knows I care for anyone, he’d go after that person first, then me. Or worse yet, he’d make me watch.”
“Come here.” Aaron directed. She leaned toward him, and he wrapped her in his protective arms. “Father, we come before You and hand this situation with Benny over to You. Keep Renee safe from harm. Keep all of us safe. Show us what to do and how to handle it.”
Renee cleared her throat. “And, Lord, help me with my lack of faith. Help me to trust You completely with everything in my life. And thank You for Aaron.” He squeezed her hand. “In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen.”
The truth was out, and Aaron didn’t think her horrible. She probably should have told him ages ago. “Oh, no.”
“What?” He turned the engine off.
“Where am I going to live?”
Thirteen
Aaron slipped her keys into his pocket. “Okay, let’s take this one step at a time. First, we need to go to your apartment and see if Benny’s still there or if he left a message for you. Second, I also need your help in tracking those phony E-mails, how they got on our server.”
“I don’t know, Aaron. I think you’re better off without me. Do you think Benny could be behind all the problems at the office?” Fear centered in her eyes.
“Is Benny good with computers?”
“Not that I know of. He could have learned in prison, I suppose.”
“True. Come.” He took her hand and encouraged her out of the driver’s seat. “Let’s go back in the house and talk things through.”
“But your parents? Do they know?”
“About the business? Some. About the detective’s suspicions regarding you, no.
”
“Oh.” She looked down at her feet.
He lifted her chin with his index finger, willing her to look at him. “Renee, you were the victim. Why are you afraid to let people know what happened?”
“I spent nearly a year in custody. Rumors got out, and when I returned to school, no one wanted to be around me. We were living in an apartment building, and several classmates saw me carted off in handcuffs.”
He held her close. Help me reassure her, Lord. “But Honey, that was years ago. Today people know you for who you are, not what you did. Besides, it seems to me, it was self-defense.”
“Some defense. He beat me bad. The worst betrayal was from my aunt. She lied to the police. Well, she didn’t exactly lie. She just refused to speak and wouldn’t agree with my account of the incident. Benny supported her habit at the time. I guess she didn’t want to lose that.”
Benny seems like a real gem, Lord. How can she fight this monster? “Renee, we’ll need to fill my mother in for Adam’s sake, if nothing else. She’s seen you upset. Can’t you tell her why?”
“I don’t want to put her in harm’s way, Aaron.” She pulled out of his arms. “I really should go away.”
He grabbed her hand. “No, we’ll fight this together. I’m not your aunt, Renee. I’ll stand by you. You forget, I’ve dealt with a man who beats on women. I know how to stand up to these guys.”
Aaron escorted her back to the front door. Adam would be safe here, he hoped and prayed. They went inside and, after Renee filled his mother in, she offered Renee a place to stay. Aaron had never been more proud of his mother, of her generous spirit, and he knew she would accept Renee as part of the family. The phrase “part of the family” continued to play in his mind as they drove toward Renee’s apartment.
“Aaron, are you okay?” Renee’s gentle touch brought him from his musings.
“I’m fine. Sorry.” He noted the speed and pushed the accelerator. He glanced over. “Honey, it’ll be all right. I doubt he’s still around. And if he is, all the better. I’ll be able to confront him.”
She nodded.
His cell phone rang. “Hello.”
“Mr. Chapin, it’s Detective Diaz.”
“Yes, Detective.” Aaron sighed.
Renee whipped her head toward him.
“Have you heard from Renee Austin?”
“Yes, she’s with me now.”
“Did she tell you what we found in her apartment?”
“Yes.”
“There’s more.”
“What?” Aaron captured her hand and squeezed it slightly.
“Those E-mails came from that computer.”
Aaron glanced at the rearview mirror. “Is that really a surprise? Someone’s setting her up.”
“Appears that way, but you know I can’t overlook the obvious.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Aaron slowed down as the flow of traffic stopped for the tollbooth. “Hang on a minute.” He cupped the phone. “Do you want to tell him about Benny? I think you should.”
She shook her head no.
“All right.”
“Is there anything else, Detective?”
“We’re working on those E-mails. I’ve contacted the company where they came from. No one at the company goes by that name.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“No, I suppose that would have been too easy. Here’s my problem: They were sent from that company too. Whoever this is had to have access to this company’s E-mail service and set up a dummy E-mail address. Seems to me someone is going to a tremendous amount of trouble just to try and frame Ms. Austin. But here’s where it gets interesting. This frame is superficial; it would never hold up in court. Let me ask you why, Mr. Chapin? Why would someone go to all that trouble?”
“I honestly couldn’t tell you.”
“Also, the feds would like to speak with you about a possible sting operation.”
“Great. When?”
❧
Renee tried not to listen to Aaron’s conversation, but she was sitting right beside him. Why can’t I tell Detective Diaz? Am I so vain? She worried her lower lip.
She’d never been more thankful in her life than when her aunt decided to move to New York. Her senior year in high school had brought welcomed relief. No one knew about her past, and she refused to tell anyone.
Aaron pulled up to the parking garage. She pushed her remote and the gate opened. How did Benny get in here? Security oozes from every corner. At least she thought it did. Now that was up for debate.
He pulled into her numbered parking spot.
It seemed an eternity ago that she’d been in here with Adam, joyfully bringing up some of the food for their Thanksgiving feast.
Aaron continued his call as they headed for the elevator.
The super, dressed in his gray work clothes, called over to her. “Evening, Ms. Austin. Did you see your father?”
“Father?”
“Yeah, I let him into your apartment earlier. He said he wanted to surprise you.”
“He’s not my father. My father died when I was eight.” She held back the scream.
A pallor washed over the middle-aged super. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry.”
“Excuse me,” Aaron interrupted, clicking his cell phone shut. “You let a stranger into her apartment?”
“I’m sorry. He seemed. . .” The man stammered.
“It’s all right,” Renee interjected. “But in the future, no one, absolutely no one, can come to my apartment without my permission. All right?”
“Yes, Ms. Austin. It won’t happen again.”
“Thank you.”
Aaron held her in a protective embrace. “Well that settles how he got in.”
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “But what about the computer? How’d that get in there? Did Benny let the guy put it in? Or was it already in there when Benny arrived? In that case, someone besides the super has access to my apartment. Either way, I’ll have to stay with your parents until the locks are changed.”
“You’re right.”
“What was all that other stuff you and the detective were talking about?”
“I can’t tell you. I want to, but they asked me not to because—”
“Because I’m still a suspect.”
Aaron nodded his head.
Would she ever be free of the past? Should she tell Diaz and get it over with? It’s not like other people haven’t been tried and convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. I was innocent, but I still had to go to counseling. The stigma of having been beaten, arrested, and put away still tore at her heart. Will I ever be free, Lord?
Aaron pulled her keys out from his pocket. “Which one?” he asked.
“This one.” She pointed to the silver key with a blue plastic ring around the end. She’d identified it for quick and easy recognition. Not that it mattered much if anyone could get past the super. She might very well need to look into moving.
Placing the key in the lock, Aaron opened the door. “Stay here while I check the place.”
Renee nodded. Her heart started to race. Why did she let him talk her into coming back here? She could have just bought new clothes. Although she’d want to get her computer, if it was still there. Would Benny steal it?
“All clear, Renee. Come in.” Aaron held the door open. Slowly, she entered.
The apartment seemed different somehow. Nothing was out of place, but the invasion hung in the air like a thick fog over the harbor in the fall.
Aaron rubbed her shoulders. “It’s all right, Renee. I’m here.”
“Did the police take the old computer?”
“Yes.”
“Great.”
“It’s circumstantial, Renee. Plus Diaz has been in your apartment. He knows it wasn’t here before.”
She sighed. “I’m going to have to tell him, aren’t I?”
“It would be helpful for him, but it isn’t necessary. I understand you’re wanting to keep it hidden, but.
. .” He paused and turned her to face him. “I think it would be easier if you did tell him. It’s not your fault, Renee. It was self-defense.”
“It’s not shame; it’s fear. I was arrested and held for so long. If I hadn’t had a Christian caseworker, I think I would have gone crazy.”
He smiled.
“What?”
“I was wondering where God was during that time. You just said He was there looking out for you, in spite of your circumstances. It’s reassuring to hear.”
“Oh, well, I suppose you’re right. I attended her church for awhile. Then we moved to New York.”
“Where’s your aunt now?”
“I have no idea. When I went to college, I came home and discovered she’d moved out. I never heard from her again.”
“Not once?”
“Nope. She hated my going to church. I guess it reminded her of everything she gave up when she left Uncle Pete. He remarried, and that really bothered her. You know, it’s strange, but why is it that the ones who do the sinning blame everyone else for their problems? Aunt Ida always blamed Uncle Pete, but she was the one who left him.”
“When we’re sinning, we like to pass the buck. That way we don’t have to acknowledge our sin. Look at my sister Marie. She still won’t leave Manuel, who, by the way, has been back for a week.”
The red glow of her answering machine blinked. She hit the play button.
Aaron opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. She’d started keeping them in the house ever since they’d started dating.
The first message let her know that her dry cleaning was done.
The second came from John. “Hey, Renee, if ya see the boss, tell him the McPherson account called and gave the go-ahead.”
Renee smiled.
“Thank You, Lord.” Aaron saluted toward the ceiling with his bottled water in hand.
They’d worked long and hard on that proposal and had kept it completely between the two of them. She turned toward Aaron. “Finally,” she sighed.
“Yes, and we can prove you aren’t the leak.”
“Maybe. Diaz will probably say I let the sale go through to keep the attention off of myself.”
Aaron shook his head. “You don’t trust the police, do you?”
“No.” She pushed the play button to continue her messages.
Cords Of Love Page 11