What a dick head. I wonder if he thinks I went for a pregnancy test.
He was definitely loud and clear. Nancy could sense her instinct to defend her position building up inside like a pressure cooker waiting to blow off steam. Where the fortitude came from to hold her cool, she couldn’t be sure. Nevertheless, at that moment, she didn’t think this was the right time or place to be changing the subject and to ask about the visit of internal affairs, or about Kelly.
‘Loud and clear.’
‘Right, well, just think about that over this weekend. I’ll see you on Monday. Make sure your cell phone is live early. I may need to talk with you before you arrive at the office.’
He turned his back on her and started to fumble inside one of the drawers of his filing cabinet. Nancy assumed the interview was over, rose to her feet, did a twirl and left through his door, slamming it behind her. Nancy marched to her desk, sat down and threw open one of the cold case files. Logan’s door opened and he sat at one of the detective’s workstations. Her gaze met Kyle’s eyes. They both shrugged their shoulders and half smiled at each other. The next two hours were excruciating. The minute hand on the office wall-clock seemed to her as if some invisible force held it back. She had no way of knowing, but all the time it felt as if Logan was watching her. Finally, the clock hit five and she hurried out of the building, not even aware if their vacation was still on for the weekend. Kyle caught up with her on the stairway.
‘Follow me. You can park up at Mom’s house,’ said Kyle. ‘We need to get to Interstate 5, North of Los Angeles, before the traffic gets too bad. Possibly, we can make Pine Mountain in one hour, or maybe an hour and a half if we hit traffic.’
Whatever Kyle and Logan argued about, he wasn’t saying. She had to bite her lip not to ask about Kelly and decided to wait for the right opportunity once they arrived at the cabin. There was no doubt in her mind he would have had the same relationship treatment as she, but for now she thought it was best left alone, as anything Logan may have said to Kyle obviously hadn’t deterred him from wanting to spend the weekend with her.
They soon arrived at his mom’s house. She greeted them warmly. Nancy noticed her wink and nod at Kyle as if given the official seal of approval. They quickly showered and changed clothes. Nancy moved her baggage into the rear of Kyle’s SUV. All the while, his mom fussed around him firing questions to make sure he had everything he needed packed and ready to go.
‘I’ll leave my keys with you, in case you need to move the car,’ Nancy said and handed his mom her keys.
They set off with a warm smile and a wave from his mom. Nancy smiled inside. She didn’t have him marked down as a mom’s boy. She wished the talk with Logan had not happened. Neither of them talked about the subject. She imagined Kyle was of the same mind as she. The battle not to ask him about Kelly was twisting her gut inside out, but mindful of Logan’s words, she held back, hoping he would talk about it, but he didn’t say anything. Nancy did the only thing she could do under the circumstances, she let the seat down to recline, and drifted to sleep.
Nancy awoke, her seat belt biting into her chest as Kyle hit the brake pedal.
‘Where are we?’
Chapter 25
Pine Mountain area, ninety miles north of Los Angeles.
Kyle pulled up at the booking office. The illuminated-wildfire-warning sign at the entrance had an arrow pointing in the yellow segment, almost bordering on the orange segment and indicating a high alert.
‘Wait here. We’ve arrived,’ he said.
Easing out of his seat, Kyle went to collect the cabin key. Nancy opened the car door to let in more air. The sticky heat of the evening air was stifling. She picked up a bottle of spring water from the holder at the side of the gearshift and took a slug. The water tasted warm. She leaned out of the car and spat the mouthful of foul tasting water out on the asphalt.
Hauling herself out of her seat, she smoothed down her jeans, opened the top buttons of her blouse and walked about aimlessly to stretch her legs. A soda machine beckoned at the entrance to the booking office, proving too hard to resist. The coins clanked in the bowels of the machine and she selected an orange soda. In her mind, there was something infinitely more satisfying about pulling the ring opener, followed by the hiss, which made drinking from a can pleasurable. Nancy rolled the chilled can on her forehead, then on her chest, before putting it to her lips and eagerly gulping it to quench her thirst. Nancy placed more coins in the slot and dropped a can of coke. Kyle exited the booking office and she tossed him the coke can.
‘Thanks.’ Kyle fumbled with the can, before bringing it under control. He pulled the ring on the can. The contents of the can sprayed him in a fountain of soda mist. ‘What the crap?’
He stood back holding the can at arm’s length. Nancy burst out laughing. He must have seen the funny side, because he snickered before taking a drink.
‘Some outfielder you’d make. I wouldn’t go setting up a trial with the Dodgers just yet.’
‘Funny, ha, ha. The only sport I like is watching.’
‘Where’s the cabin?’
‘Surprise. It’s a little way from here. You’ll see.’ Kyle pocketed the cabin keys. ‘Jump in the car, it’ll only take five minutes.’
Surprise? I bet it doesn’t match the surprise I have in mind.
Nancy was familiar with the area. She could hardly fail to recognize the roadside sign for the picnic area where she had bought the painting that hung on the wall in her apartment. Her backside lifted off the seat in the opposite direction to her insides as Kyle’s SUV hit the small hump-back bridge over a creek. Kyle spun the wheel, hit the ruts of a track off to the right and drove uphill. With only the dust covered dimmed beams of the SUV to guide them, Kyle changed the gearshift to off road and slowed to a crawl.
‘I hope you know where you’re going?’
By now, she had a good idea where they were headed, although visibility was down to four feet. She could hardly contain her excitement. Despite the uncomfortable rocking of the SUV’s suspension on the rough track, she had a notion this was going to be some romantic gesture. Nancy wanted to pinch herself, thinking there had to be a catch. The rocking motion smoothed out and the tyres crunched gravel. The tyres skidded on the grit as Kyle hit the brake pedal and they stopped with a final lurch, and shards of gravel on rubber sound.
Nancy felt like someone had given her all her life’s birthday presents at one time.
‘It’s the cabin in my painting. Wha… hey. Oh, Kyle, come here.’
She reached out and threw her arms around Kyle, drew him to her and they kissed. Kyle drew back.
‘Come on, let’s unpack.’
Kyle worked his way around the back of the SUV and opened the rear door. Nancy skipped toward the cabin door, as if she were a child. He rushed past her and opened the door, reached inside and switched on the light. A bow and a waving gesture from Kyle and she started to walk inside, when, without warning, Kyle swept her off her feet and carried her inside.
‘Your castle awaits, Madam,’ he said as he set her down. She felt her cheeks redden with heat at the gesture, unsure how to react, and glanced around the room.
‘I’ll get our baggage and provisions,’ he said and disappeared outside the cabin.
Nancy felt a cold shudder, her arms dropped lifeless to her side and her legs trembled. She stood slack mouthed. This was more than a flash of déjà vu. Everything in the cabin was exactly as in the vision of her dreams, down to the line of ants on the kitchen door.
Chapter 26
Nancy took hold of a chair at the dining table and collapsed her backside onto the seat. An expression of bewilderment took hold across her face and in her mind. Thoughts twirled in a vortex that made her light headed. The smell of the freshly polished wood in the cabin, which was pleasant to the senses when she first entered the room, now hit the back of her throat and she felt sick.
She struggled to make sense of the situation and tried to put her in
itial fragmented thoughts in some semblance of order. Maybe, she thought, her memory of the dreams of visiting the cabin was playing tricks on her mind, because of the damage caused by the knocks to her head. She reasoned that most cabins in Pine Mountain were likely furnished with pine furniture and log-burning stoves. Perhaps it was a tourist thing, to give the cabins an old frontier feel. Most cabins, she imagined, were probably furnished with old-world items, like the rocking chair in front of the stove. Ants marching in line on the frame of kitchen door alarmed her. She wondered if seeing the ants triggered some kind of illusion that she had visited here before.
Kyle distracted her thought pattern as he piled his baggage, including his fishing gear onto the dining table surface. Up close, the fishing tackle smelled like a pile of months old dirty dishcloths.
‘Not on the dining table, please.’
‘Damn, you sound like Mom,’ he said and moved the items to the floor away from the table. ‘You look pale, something wrong?’
‘Err, what? ...Sorry. No, I’m fine, just tired. I’ve had a stressful day.’
He reached over and gave her a peck with his lips on her cheek.
‘Tell me about it, same goes for me. I’ll bring the rest of the baggage inside. Then we can take a shower, change into something comfortable and relax. Mom made us a shrimp salad and wrapped some fresh baked bread. I have a bottle of Merlot to wash it all down. We can eat and chat. Maybe you can tell about your day and what Logan said.’
‘Sure.’
Taking his hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze. His fingers slipped from hers as she loosened her grip and Kyle headed out to his SUV. She felt a sense of relief that Kyle wanted to know what Logan had said, and hoped for a two way street on the subject of how they had spent their day. But there again, she wondered if it would lead to too heavy an insight as to where their relationship was at, especially after Logan’s lecture. Until now, their mutually beneficial friendship, had not posed any threat to either of their careers. The notion made her feel nervous. The last thing she wanted was to feel awkward at discussing relationships with him this weekend. In her mind, she thought she would rather come straight out with it and ask about the janitor’s suicide investigation part of his day, and to hell with Logan’s view on the subject of partners talking shop out of work hours.
Nancy used her hands on the tabletop as a lever to raise herself to her feet. She walked over to her bags, picked them up and headed for the bedroom. An annoying housefly dived bombed her as she unpacked. After unpacking, she walked over to the head of the bed, stooped and lifted a corner of the bed sheet and held it to her nose. The unmistakable smell of freshly laundered bed linen brought a smile to her face. Everything was perfect, except for the annoying fly, which landed on the glass of the window. You’re not gonna spoil what’s going on in here, baby. Nancy unhooked the handles on the window, pushed it open, and quickly closed it again. With the fly gone, Nancy undressed, put on a bathing cap and stepped into the shower. The water, as it hit her body, relaxed the tension in her muscles. She could see Kyle enter the room through the frosted glass door, but took no notice and carried on showering.
‘I’m going to take a shower in the next room.’
She could see the hazy figure of Kyle through the sliding door. He was undressed down to his boxer’s and looked to be holding a towel.
‘Pass me my towel before you go, it’s in the drawer next to the bed.’
Nancy dwelled on the gesture he had made and the trouble he must have gone to for him to locate and book the cabin. Kyle returned and she slid back the door for him to pass the towel. His hand reached inside offering her the towel. She grabbed his wrist, slid the door open and pulled him inside.
‘Next door? You wuss, come here.’
She pulled him to her. He threw the towel over the cubicle frame and they embraced.
‘My boxer’s?’
‘Well, take them off, before I change my mind.’
He wriggled out of his boxer’s and left them blocking the drain. He removed her bathing cap. Her hair fell to her shoulders and he pushed his body hard against hers. She rested her back against the tiles and they threw their arms around each other’s bodies. They kissed feverishly. Kyle twirled stands of her hair in his fingers, and she could feel the sensual warmth from his breath in her ear. To Nancy, their entwined bodies felt as if they were as one entity. She was in a special place in her mind as they made love. They broke apart like two spent roman candles and snickered like naughty schoolchildren as if they had just shared their first cigarette behind the bike sheds.
‘Thanks for all this,’ said Nancy.
‘What, for the sex?’
‘No, you idiot, the cabin.’
‘Oh, that. I have another surprise for you. I’ve bought you a present.’
‘What is it?’
She squealed with excitement at the thought of the present, but then started to worry. What if it’s an engagement ring? Damn, I’d have to say no. My career. There was no doubt in her mind he was making a special effort, especially after Logan’s lecture.
‘Wait and see, the quicker we can scrub each other’s backs, the quicker we’ll get to it.’
Nancy slid the door open and ushered him out of the cubicle.
‘Get it now, we can scrub after.’
Kyle picked up the towel and rubbed himself dry. Nancy followed him out of the cubicle and tiptoed to the drawers to get a large bath towel.
‘Well, where is it?’ Nancy asked and wrapped the towel around her body. She sat at the bottom corner of the bed. Kyle hauled a canvas bag onto the bed, unzipped it and took out a gift-wrapped package.
Thank God for that, too big for a ring. She sat on the edge of the bed and ripped away at the wrapping.
‘Oh, Kyle, that’s so sweet.’
Emotion welled inside and her eyes moistened at the sight of the gift basket.
‘Oooh, Belgian chocolates... and strawberry scented candles, my favourite. What’s this? Champagne? And... and lingerie!’ She held up the outfit. ‘Hmm, sexy. Maybe we should have waited until after the shower.’
‘Hope it fits? I took the sizes from some stuff in your bedroom when I called around to your apartment.’
Nancy looked at the gift card. Bittersweet Butterfly Lingerie. Did he follow me? Nah, he was in the office before me.
Kyle sat on the bed next her and they shared an embrace and a kiss. Kyle pulled away.
‘The shower!’
Water was spilling out over the cubicle base. He rushed into the cubicle and turned off the shower, picked up his boxers and twisted them to wring out the water. He stepped out of the cubicle and they both laughed.
Kyle dressed and left the bedroom, carrying the candles. Nancy sat pondering. She wondered where all this was leading. There was no doubt in her mind that it felt good to be with Kyle. A thought caught her by surprise, that maybe she could ask for a transfer to the gang division. She wiped the thought from her mind. What are you thinking girl. Get a grip. Nancy put on the outfit she had bought earlier, including a white silk short robe. Time to show him my present.
He sat on the rug in front of the log burner. Kyle had set out a picnic on the rug, scattered cushions from the sofa, and surrounded the scene with lit candles. She hesitated for a moment. The imaginary wall she had surrounded herself with all these years on the relationship front, crumbled. She stepped under the ceiling fan, which blasted welcome cool strawberry-scented air over her and she opened her silk robe.
‘Here’s the present I bought you. Do you like it?’
‘Like it, what more could a man want? Beautiful.’
‘Sure you don’t mean pig headed, touchy and having a chip on my shoulder.’
‘No, I mean, beautiful, intelligent, and sexy,’ he said and rose from the floor and stood in front of her, leaned forward, put his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. ‘Then pig headed, touchy and with a chip on your shoulder, but irresistible.’
Nancy playfully pu
shed him away. ‘Careful, flattery like that will get you everywhere. Let’s eat I’m starving.’
‘See if you can find an opener for the wine. I never thought to bring one.’
Nancy headed for the kitchen humming the tune Flying Without Wings. The opener was on a rack on the wall. She inspected the coffee and sugar jars, relieved there was enough for at least a few coffees. Nancy turned to the refrigerator and opened it to see if the previous occupants had left anything else. It was empty, save for a carton of milk and a childish handwritten note in front of it. ‘Have a nice time, Katy and Lucy. Say hi to David.’ At the bottom of the note, was a crayoned drawing of two girls holding hands with a taller boy in the centre of the picture. The boy’s head was totally out of proportion and had the look of an alien. Warmth engulfed her at the sentiment of the note; she smiled and closed the door. She froze.
‘David!’
An image of the janitor’s son flashed through her mind. A cold wave started at the nape of her neck and headed down her body in waves. A photograph of a family fastened to the door with a fridge magnet, mesmerized her.
‘Holy crap! It’s...’
Her lips froze. She felt weak in her legs. The light around her dimmed, she staggered and then total darkness descended.
Chapter 27
The faint sound of someone calling out Nancy’s name drifted through a dark corner of her mind, which grew into a crescendo, stabbing at her brain. Nancy opened her eyes. Focusing on the figure above her, it appeared black, silhouetted against the florescent ceiling light. Gradually Kyle’s features formed on the face of the figure. His mouth twisted to one side and his eyes pleaded an explanation.
‘What the hell happened?’ Kyle asked. ‘One minute you were humming a tune, and the next thing I heard was a crash.’
‘I tripped, that’s all. Help me to my feet.’
The last thing she wanted to do was to spook him with the truth, and have him think she was one-step away from a mental institution. Kyle grasped her arm and helped her to stand. He reached out for the corkscrew and slipped it in his pocket. The floor beneath her seemed to sway and she held onto Kyle as they shuffled into the living room.
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