Compulsion

by Terri Breneman

  “Let me call Anne.” Vicky pulled out her phone. “She needs to know that Toni’s place has been bugged.” After a few minutes, she closed her phone. “Anne said she’d do the prelim for you and that you’re not to come in until Wednesday. She’s very concerned about your safety. She’s going to call Captain Billings and let him know what’s going on. As soon as we figure out what we’re going to do, I’ll let both of them know.”

  Toni was suddenly frightened. Having her boss insist she stay away worried her a little. Does she think I’m overreacting? Or does she think I’m about to be killed? She felt a cold chill go through her body and she put her fork down. The thought of food suddenly made her queasy.

  Johnnie, sitting across the table, reached out and touched Toni’s hand. “We’ll figure this out. You’re safe with us.”

  Toni smiled weakly, and Boggs gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

  “We need to assume that your place is bugged, at least in the bedroom. But to be safe, let’s not talk about anything regarding this in the entire place.” Johnnie pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. She gave Toni’s address and a few instructions then hung up. “I’ve got an agent sitting on your place until you’re completely moved.”

  Boggs sipped her coffee, her brow furrowed. “You know, I’m now in a ‘trust no one’ mode, so I’m thinking we need to double-check the movers and the furniture delivery people.”

  “I agree,” Vicky said. “Give me the info.” She pulled a notebook out of her backpack and wrote everything down. “Now we’ve got to figure out what they already know. Since this shit started, tell us everything you can remember that you did in your bedroom.”

  Toni felt her face get hot once again. She remembered one particular night when she’d been rather aggressive and vocal in bed. Oh, my God! If anyone heard her, she’d just die of embarrassment. She lowered her eyes for a moment and when she looked at Boggs, she was grinning like an idiot. Obviously she remembered that night. Jeez. Toni looked at the rest of the group, who were all grinning. By now she thought her face was probably the color of a ripe tomato.

  “I don’t think we need those details,” Vicky said, chuckling. “Of course, it might prove to be entertaining.”

  “It was pretty hot,” Boggs offered, then hugged Toni. “But seriously, I’m sure we talked about moving.”

  “That’s right.” Toni was relieved that the topic had moved away from that particular night. “In fact, I remember us saying something about we’d be in our new place in two weeks.”

  Patty shook her head. “Then we have to think that they’re going to step things up. Did you ever discuss where?”

  Toni was shaking her head. “I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. You know how it is, random conversations when you wake up or when you’re getting dressed.” When she glanced at Johnnie, she received a quick wink. Her face flushed again.

  “I’m pretty sure we never talked about the location in the bedroom,” Boggs said. “The only time we did was to you guys in the living room.”

  Johnnie was drumming her fingers on the table. “Well, I think we should check the place out before you move in, just to be safe.” She wrote the address down. “What about bank people, or the title company? Karen Young works for a bank.”

  “I’m sure we’re good on the bank people,” Boggs said. “I’ll let Aunt Francie know that we need to be very discreet. She’ll know what I mean.” She made the call.

  Toni smiled and nodded at Boggs, realizing that she hadn’t mentioned there was no loan. Did Vicky even know they were buying the house with cash?

  “What about your parents?” Patty asked. “Do they know anything?”

  “Nope. I told them that we were going to look at houses and that we’d found one, but I never told them where.”

  Boggs had just gotten off the phone. “What about Aunt Doozie? Did you tell her?”

  “Sure, but I don’t think I told her the location.” She thought for a minute. “Oh, yes, I did. I told her it was in the warehouse district.” Her shoulders slumped as she realized that information might put them in danger. “Oh, wait. I didn’t talk to her on the phone and I’m sure we weren’t webcamming.” She was trying to remember. “That’s right. I didn’t say a word. I e-mailed her.” Relief flooded her.

  “Then unless you were talking out loud when you were typing,” Vicky said. “I think we’re okay.”

  “What about the party?” Jessie asked. “Have you asked people? Told them the address?”

  Toni and Boggs looked at each other, shaking their heads. “I mentioned it to Sam,” Boggs said.

  Jessie shot her a puzzled look.

  “Sam Clark. My boss. But I didn’t give him the address, just told him to tell his wife, Betty. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it to anyone else.” She shrugged at Toni.

  “I told my aunt, but only in an e-mail.”

  The waitress appeared and took everyone’s plates. She returned a minute later with a full pot of coffee, filling their cups and leaving the check on the table. The restaurant was still pretty empty.

  “We need to do two things now,” Vicky said as she added cream to her mug. “First, we need to get you two out of that townhouse immediately. Too many fires for my taste. Second, we need to flush these people out.”

  “We can stay at my place,” Boggs said.

  “Let’s go under the assumption this woman is obsessed with me,” Toni said. “She thought I was with Jessie, so she torched her car. To make her feel better, we’ll need to have me break up with Jessie. Maybe that way she won’t feel as pressured to act. Then I can announce, to myself, that I’m going out somewhere. I’m betting that she’ll attempt to make contact.”

  “I don’t know,” Boggs said. “That sounds a little dangerous to me.”

  Toni’s mind was racing. She was afraid to go home now, but she had to go and get Mr. Rupert and some clothing. If fire was a solution for this woman, the next logical place would be her home. The thought of anything happening to her boy terrified her. “I need to get Mr. Rupert.” She was beginning to panic again.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Vicky said. “You and Jessie will go back to your place. Throw enough stuff in a bag for a few days. Then have an argument and kick Jessie out. She’ll take your stuff and leave. Then you announce where you’re going. Put Mr. Rupert in a kennel and leave.”

  “Wouldn’t it look odd to take a cat out? In case they’re watching, I mean,” Jessie said.

  “I’ll say I’m taking him to the vet for his yearly shots,” Toni said. “And then we’re getting the hell away.” Once she knew that Mr. Rupert was safe, she’d feel a little better.

  “Now where should we have Toni go?” Patty asked. “Somewhere where we can keep an eye on everything.”

  Vicky finished the last of her coffee. “A bar wouldn’t make sense. Toni wouldn’t go there by herself and anyway, there won’t be many people there in the afternoon and tonight everywhere will be packed.”

  “That’s right,” Toni said. “It’s Pride weekend. What about me going there? To the park? It would look normal for me to wander around and look at the booths and stuff.”

  “By yourself?” Boggs put down her mug. “No way.”

  “I could wire her,” Johnnie offered. “Along with the wire I’d put a transmitter on her. We’d know exactly where she is every minute. I think it could work. We could all hear everything and mingle around. As long as Jessie isn’t around, we should be okay. I’ll have agents in the van on the outskirts of the park. We’ve already got the van set up for the surveillance at the bars for Jessie.” She looked to the group for a response.

  Vicky nodded. “I think it’s worth a shot. We’ll have Toni on our radar the whole time. Then tonight we’ll watch Jessie at the bar to try to get a handle on the dealer.”

  “And I know who I’m looking for, right? One of our suspects.” Toni took a deep breath. “I’m up for this. As long as I know that Mr. Rupert is safe.”

  “But
it could also be someone else,” Boggs argued. “Like when Doug called you.”

  “I won’t feel safe until this woman is caught,” Toni responded. “And I’m sure it’s a woman because of what Cathy told us.” She squeezed Boggs’s hand. “And you’ll be there.” She looked at the rest of them. “Let’s do it.”

  Johnnie and Vicky immediately got on the phone. Toni borrowed a piece of paper from Vicky and began listing the things she wanted to take.

  Vicky closed her phone. “Okay, which car did you bring?”

  “We took my car,” Boggs said.

  “Okay. Then Jessie will drive Toni home. We’ll all meet at Boggs’s place at three to get the wires set up.” Vicky looked at Johnnie for confirmation. She nodded.

  They all put money on the table for the bill and left. Outside, Toni hugged Boggs. “I’ll be there in less than an hour, hon. I love you.”

  Boggs kissed her quickly. “I love you, too. Be careful.”

  As Jessie was driving, Toni noticed she was gripping the steering wheel like it was about to fly off. She grinned. “Don’t be nervous. I’ll give you cues as to what to say. I think if you act like it was no big deal that you cheated on me, it’ll go smoothly.” Jessie’s eyes got big and Toni laughed.

  “I would never do that,” Jessie said.

  “Oh, sweetie, I don’t think that.” She touched her arm. “We just need to make it believable. Just act like an ass and it will be fine.”

  Jessie finally relaxed. “Okay, I can do that. I’ll just pretend I’m my sister.”

  Jessie parked and they both took a deep breath before Toni opened the front door to her place. She keyed in the code and locked the door. Checking her list, she went to the laundry room and grabbed a duffle bag. She motioned for Jessie to follow her upstairs, putting her finger to her lips.

  Toni went into her bedroom, nodded to Jessie and began. “I can’t believe you think it was okay for you to go out with someone else.”

  Jessie grinned. “Hey, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re married or anything.”

  “But we’re supposed to move in together,” Toni countered. “That means we’re a couple. What were you thinking?”

  “So I slept with someone, what’s the problem? I love you. I don’t love her.”

  Toni was standing near her walk-in closet and she almost giggled. She composed herself and threw the duffle bag onto the bed. “That’s it. You’re such an ass. Take your crap and leave.” She took several things from her closet and started packing the bag. Then she went to her drawers and began digging, pulling out everything she thought she might need. Then she gathered all her things from the bathroom. Once the bag was full, she handed it to Jessie. “Now take your shit and leave.”

  Jessie took the bag. “God, you’re such a bitch.” Then she mouthed, “I’m sorry,” grinned, grabbed Toni’s briefcase and left.

  Toni waited until she heard the front door slam shut, then began mumbling about what an ass she’d been, believing that someone actually loved her. She took Mr. Rupert’s carrier from her closet and called to him. “Come on, buddy. Time to go to the vet.” She noticed her voice was shaky. Perfect. She’ll think I’m upset, not scared to death. Mr. Rupert sniffed his carrier, then went inside and curled up. She took a deep breath. “Too bad you can’t come to Pridefest with me this afternoon, buddy. But it’s way too hot out there with all your fur. Guess I’ll have to go stag. Well, time to go to the doc. I want to be at the park by four o’clock.” She touched her gun that was under her T-shirt, looked around her bedroom and started out. She felt the urge to run but managed to control it. At the last minute she closed her laptop and tucked it under her arm.

  The woman frowned when the screen went black. Damn it. She must have closed it. Even though she was disappointed, she was thrilled that Toni had dumped that woman. And she was going to be at Pridefest alone. Perfect, she thought. She’d call Jan and see if she could drug her again. It wouldn’t be unusual to see someone a little drunk at Pridefest. Happened all the time. She grinned and made the call.

  Boggs was waiting outside her apartment when Toni and Mr. Rupert arrived. She ushered them inside, set the laptop on her computer desk and hugged her. “How did it go?”

  “I think we’re going to be nominated for an Oscar,” Toni said, chuckling. “But I’m so glad to be out of there. It gave me the creeps standing in my bedroom.” She opened the door on the carrier and Mr. Rupert poked his head out. “This is our new temporary home, buddy.” She smiled as he headed straight for the 55-gallon fish tank. Boggs had put a chair in front of it so he could sit and watch at eye level. “Shit. I completely forgot about his litter. I’ve got to run to the store.” She headed to the door, but Boggs stopped her.

  “I’ve already got one,” she said. “I put it in the half bath.”

  “You’re the best,” Toni said as she hugged her. She picked up her huge cat, took him to the bathroom and set him down. “There’s your new facility.” He sniffed once, touched the litter with his paw and meowed. Then he ran back to the living room and took his place on the chair again, staring at his fish. Toni followed him out and laughed.

  “You know, babe,” Boggs said, glancing at her watch, “we’ve got about two hours before everyone gets here.” She was grinning.

  Toni felt her face get hot.

  “Oh, I wasn’t thinking that,” Boggs said. “But I wouldn’t mind a repeat of the other night.” She winked. “But I was wondering if you’d like to go over to Stray Rescue and see that little guy.”

  Toni was still flushed, remembering the same night as Boggs, but she pushed that from her mind. “That sounds great. If we decide we want him to join our family, I think it would be best if we waited to bring him home until Tuesday, don’t you think? That way he won’t have so much chaos.”

  “Sounds good to me, babe. Let’s go. Do you think Mr. Rupert will be okay for a bit? I’ve got food and water for him.” She pointed to bowls in the kitchen.

  “I’m betting he’ll still be sitting there when we get back.” She rubbed his big head and kissed him. “Be back in a little bit, buddy.”

  They were greeted at Stray Rescue by a woman named Harriet, who was sitting behind the front desk, trying to fill out some paperwork. Three large cats were helping her, one attempting to grab the pencil from her hand. She smiled at them warmly.

  “Hi. My name is Boggs and this is Toni. I called about the little Cinderella kitten.”

  “Oh, he’s such a doll,” Harriet said. “Come on back to the cat room.” She led them through several doors and Toni heard the sounds of cats, dogs and who knew what else. The cat room had about twenty-five kennels. Some of the cats were lounging around on cat condos and an overstuffed chair. There were several toys strewn about. “Some of the older cats like to be with each other,” she explained. She opened a kennel, took out the little gray and white cat and handed him to Boggs.

  Toni watched as Boggs’s eyes filled with love. The little guy was only about twelve inches long. His gray fur had been shaved from his tummy down to his legs. The fur on his back two paws was untouched, making it look like he had white fluffy socks. His tail was about two inches long, and it moved around in a circular motion. His eyes had a look of surprise on them, but he was purring loudly in Boggs’s arms.

  “Oh, my God,” Toni said as she reached out to pet him. “He’s adorable.” He licked her hand in response to the compliment. Boggs handed him to Toni and he immediately snuggled into her arms and continued to purr. She lightly kissed his little head and he meowed. It sounded more like a squeak. “I don’t know about you, but I’m sold. I think he belongs with us.” She looked at Harriet. “Is it possible for us to wait until Tuesday to bring him home with us? We’re going to be moving on Monday and I don’t want to traumatize him too much.”

  “That would be fine,” Harriet said. “We’ve already approved your application.”

  “You won’t let anyone else take him, will you?” Boggs asked.

&nbs
p; “Oh, no, honey. He’s yours. I think he likes you both.”

  Toni kissed him again. “We’ll be back in three days, little guy. Don’t worry. And you’ll have your very own big brother.” She put him back in his kennel. “This is hard,” she said to Boggs. “I don’t want to leave him here.”

  “Me either, babe. But you’re right about all the commotion and stuff of moving.” She put her finger in the kennel and he licked it. “See you soon, little guy.”

  They went back out front and Boggs gave Harriet the adoption fee. Even though it was only supposed to be sixty dollars, she handed her two hundred. Harriet frowned at her in confusion.

  “That’s for his boarding fee,” Boggs said with a grin. “Since he’s ours now, that’s for his room and board.”

  Toni squeezed Boggs’s arm. What a great feeling to be able to donate to a great shelter. While Boggs signed a few forms, Toni noticed a flyer from the organization that cared for pets of people with AIDS. Something about the flyer looked wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Boggs touched her arm, letting her know she was done, and they left.

  “Let’s stop at the pet store before we go home,” Boggs suggested. “We need to get some new toys and stuff.”

  Once there, Boggs made a beeline toward the cat condos. They had all shapes and sizes and she stopped in front of one that was six feet tall.

  “This looks perfect,” she said. “It’s got a little fort on the bottom, lots of shelves, a tray on top, and there’s toys hanging. Let’s get it for the boys.”

  Toni giggled. “Do you think it’s big enough?”

  Boggs frowned. “Do they have any bigger ones?”

  “I was kidding, hon. This is huge.” She looked at the price. “And it costs a fortune.”

  “But since we’re getting new furniture, shouldn’t they? Do you think it will fit in my SUV?”

  “I’m sure we can make it fit.”

  Boggs rushed off and got a flat cart and the two of them hoisted it up. “Jeez. This thing weighs a ton,” Boggs said. “I guess we don’t have to worry about it falling over.”