by Shara Lanel
“Well, you’re about to lose my business if you don’t get my car and me to the dealer right now.”
Evan gave the man his slow Southern smile, but he didn’t seem impressed. The smile worked better on the ladies. “Well, out of my way, Jack, so I can finish this up.”
Evan drove a bit too fast to the car dealership and his customer was fuming by the time they arrived, but finally he was rid of him. He immediately dialed the phone.
“Mr. Sentron? Yes, this is Evan. I know where Kerry’s going to be in just a couple hours.” He proceeded to disclose his conversation with Lydia.
“I want you to stay away,” Jason said. “For your own safety. Kerry may be dangerous.”
Evan laughed. “Yeah, right. But I’ll stay away. I want no part of this, only my reward.”
“Which you will have soon, if your information is accurate.”
* * * *
Rick squeezed Kerry’s hand at the door. “I’ll be back soon. We need some clothes and your make-up, right?”
“Yes. I’m still worried they may be watching the house. Make sure no one follows you when you leave.”
“I will.”
“Jason’s men are very good at what they do. They’ll probably keep a few cars back…”
Rick stopped her with a kiss. “I’ll be careful and I won’t be gone long.”
As Rick left the well air-conditioned hotel through the sliding glass door, he was met by a wall of humidity that made it hard to breathe. According to the news, this was another red ozone day. The grass and hedges around the hotel were brown and brittle despite the sprinkler system. Rick opened the door to his BMW. He could cook in the heat inside the car, so he started the engine and a/c before he’d even closed the door.
The drive to his home was uneventful. He parked in the alley two doors down from his house. For a moment, he just sat there observing his surroundings. Everything looked pretty much the same, but he had new neighbors across the way and wasn’t familiar with their car. Was that the same one that had been there yesterday?
Was it only yesterday?
“Well, now or never.” He pulled his keys from the steering column and climbed out of the car. He closed the door softly, not wanting to draw undo attention. Then he walked through the narrow space between the buildings to the front sidewalk. The usual joggers and dog walkers were about. Rick again scanned the parked cars. They all seemed empty, so he casually walked to the front door of his house, unlocked it and entered. Quickly, he gathered Kerry’s make-up and toiletries, a couple of her outfits as well as his workout pants, a pair of khaki shorts and a “Virginia is for Lovers” tee that Evan had bought him as a gag gift one day. He’d never worn it, so he thought it would be appropriate for today, a sort of disguise. He glanced around the empty rooms and spotted his incense burner on a windowsill. He decided to throw that into the bag as well as some sandalwood incense sticks and a box of matches.
He checked that the back door was locked, something he rarely did. For a moment, he felt a twinge of resentment at having to leave his newfound home, but then he remembered Kerry’s face and her soft body. She was worth it, and a house was merely a belonging and could become a prison if its importance outranked that of people. But still, it was his. He owned a piece of the Earth after years of owning nothing. This house connected him to family, to a history. He sighed and grabbed two mangoes and added them to the bag. This would all be resolved soon.
What then? he wondered. Would Kerry stay, and, if she did, would they continue their relationship? The thought of Kerry elsewhere brought an unfamiliar ache to his chest. He closed his eyes. He still had no idea how he felt about this relationship, but wasn’t the whole philosophy of Buddhism to breathe and let it be?
Rick returned to his car, following the same zigzagging path. He checked his surroundings, then drove down the alley onto the side street that led to Monument. He checked his mirrors frequently as he drove. Sometimes he thought he saw a suspicious vehicle but each time it turned off while he continued up Monument to Glenside. There he hopped on I-64, getting off at the Broad Street/Short Pump exit. Once inside the sliding doors of the hotel, he glanced back at the parking lot, then around the lobby. Nothing. Relief flowed through him. Kerry’s fear was infectious. Now they just had to survive meeting with Lydia at noon.
* * * *
Kerry added another layer of lipstick, then turned from the mirror to face Rick who was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. “How do I look?”
“Different. Extremely different.” He snaked his arms around her and cupped his hands over her breasts.
Kerry rolled her eyes and swatted his hands away, though, if they had time, she would have liked them to linger. “That’s the idea, right?”
Her red hair was gelled and spiked beyond recognition, but not so far out of the realm of fashion as to stand out. She’d done her make-up with a heavy hand, using some of the newer colors, such as bright blue eye shadow and purple liner under her eyes. She planned to wear sunglasses as much as possible, but they would look conspicuous inside the store. Rick already wore a ball cap from the nearby gas station. He also wore a T-shirt untucked and uneven. Since he rarely looked slovenly, this was quite a change.
“Are you ready?” Rick asked, standing. He kissed her neck.
She took a deep breath. “I guess. Do I really look different enough?”
“You do to me. Remember we’re unlikely to see anyone you know other than Lydia. No one knows where we are.”
* * * *
Jason grinned as he spoke on his cell phone. He leaned against his car at a gas station, aware he looked sexy and approachable. Two teenage girls giggled nearby causing their bikini-clad breasts to jiggle. They wore denim shorts and had bikes strapped to the back of their SUV.
Jason turned his attention back to his conversation. Stephan had followed Kerry’s “savior” to a hotel down the road, across from the intended meeting site Evan had mentioned.
“Should we grab her when she comes out?”
Jason thought about this. It would be very public, but then so would grabbing her at Starbucks. “No, but follow her and do not lose sight of her for any reason. Put Alex at a table in Starbucks. Perhaps he’ll be able to catch some of their conversation.”
“But when do we take her?”
Again Jason paused in thought. “It would be best in her room. Very private. Send Rodriguez to chat with the maid, borrow her cart.” The girls strutted to the convenience store affording him a tantalizing view of tight asses. He adjusted his stiffening prick. Business first. “Tell the maid that his friend just got married and he wants to put rice in their sheets as a prank.”
“Rice?”
“Or something like that. A subordinate mentioned it to me after his brother’s wedding, a tradition he said.”
“What if they don’t return to the room? Maybe they’ll try to take off after the Starbucks meet.”
“Good point, Stephan, which is why I want your primary objective to keep track of Kerry. Be ready to follow wherever she leads and we’ll alter our plans if necessary.”
* * * *
Kerry held Rick’s hand tightly as they entered the bustling coffee shop. Shelves lined the far wall of the small store, stocked with decorative coffee mugs, teakettles, tea bags, and various blends of coffee beans. A glass cabinet held baklava, pies and sandwiches. A line stretched from the counter to the front door. As Kerry took off her sunglasses and let her eyes adjust, she noted two tall tables indoors and several round tables outdoors. The outdoor tables made Kerry feel very exposed, so she hoped to find Lydia ensconced at one of the indoor tables.
No such luck. Actually, they didn’t see Lydia at all.
“Do you think she’s coming?” Kerry asked, keeping her tone low and leaning close to Rick so that he could hear her over the rumble of voices.
“She’ll be here. She said this is her lunch hour. Perhaps she couldn’t get away when expected.”
“Then shall we comm
andeer a table?”
“Yes, but how?”
“We circle like vultures until someone looks like they’re readying to leave, then we dive in for the kill.”
Rick looked down at Kerry with his killer grin. “You have an amazing mind.”
She blushed. “Why, thank you, kind sir.” Rick’s thumb brushed her palm sending trills of sensation up her arm. She was so conscious of his touch that she could feel the ridges and valleys on the surface of his skin.
At the moment, they were mixed in with the line of people waiting to be served, but finally Kerry noticed the telltale removal of purse from chair back, followed by key retrieval. “There!” This was a whisper. She didn’t want any other vultures honing in. Kerry and Rick slipped behind the seats of the trio getting ready to leave. The women gave them pleasant smiles as they gathered their trash and hopped off the stools.
“Victory!” Rick said. Several bystanders glared at him. “Shall I stand in line for something to drink?”
“No. Wait ‘til Lydia gets here. I don’t think I could drink coffee anyway. My stomach’s too queasy.”
Rick squeezed her hand. “Relax.”
Kerry scowled.
“You’ll look less suspicious if you relax.”
That got her, so she took a deep breath and attempted to look relaxed. Finally, Rick saw Lydia approaching the door and waved to her.
“What? No coffee?”
“We were waiting for you, but we don’t feel much like eating.”
Lydia looked at each of them in turn, then plopped a heavy law tome on the table. American Jurisprudence it read.
“That sounds awful.” Kerry flipped to the Table of Contents. “This looks like it’s just the Didn’t Rick mention we were interested in restraining orders?”
Lydia sat down and started flipping pages. “I is for injunction, and since I’m not criminal law and haven’t been in Richmond long, I can’t give you many specifics. Anyway, tell me what all the cloak and dagger is about.”
Rick looked to Kerry. She gave a small nod, so Rick said, “Kerry witnessed a murder.”
“Ohmigod! When? Where?”
“In California. A few weeks ago.”
“Did you report it?”
Kerry shook her head, keeping her gaze focused on the table. She knew she’d made a huge mistake in not going right to the police.
“It was Kerry’s ex-fiancé and he threatened to kill her.”
“He knew she was there?”
“Yes, and that’s why she ran. But the worst part is that this ex-fiancé involved Kerry’s father, asking for his help covering it up.”
Kerry met Lydia’s eyes. “His family is extremely well connected in local government and even with the police.”
“So, what has happened now?” Lydia poked at her chipped finger polish.
“Evan brought Jason, the ex-fiancé, to my door.”
“Evan did what?” Her fingernail snapped. “Shit.” She put the finger in her mouth, took it out and looked at it, then dabbed at the bleeding quick with a napkin. “He wouldn’t do that to you!”
“Not to me, perhaps, but to Kerry.”
“It may have been unintentional,” Kerry said. “Maybe he thought he was doing a good deed.”
“But then, why not ask you first?” Rick brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. The store was not much cooler than the outdoors with the press of bodies and the constant influx of outside air.
Lydia scowled. “I can’t believe that bastard would do that. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind like he’s never heard before. I’m going to call up his mother.”
Rick and Kerry laughed.
Lydia stopped her tirade and asked, “How did he know about the ex-fiancé and where to find him?”
“We think he saw the Missing Persons ad on TV. When Kerry saw it, she wanted to leave right away.”
“But you talked her into staying?”
“Yes, she can’t keep running. That’s no way to live. He’ll catch her eventually.”
Lydia seemed to be looking at Rick with adoration and suddenly Kerry had the familiar urge to scratch her eyes out. For distraction, Kerry flipped to the center of the book. “So does this have any information?”
“Well, restraining orders are generally for domestic disputes and, from what I hear, are not worth the paper they’re written on. I think you need to report this. Now.”
“But it happened in California…”
“That doesn’t matter. Virginia police will contact the local department. Do you know where the body is?”
“No.”
“Could you get your dad…?”
“I haven’t spoken to him since I left. I was afraid he’d tell Jason my whereabouts. But what will happen to Jason once I report him?”
“If California files charges based on your statement, then Virginia police would likely arrest him, then hold a hearing to send him back to California to face those charges.”
“So, a restraining order won’t work?”
“Have you ever reported him for abuse, or do you know of an old girlfriend who may have?”
“No. I thought he was the prince of my and my family’s dreams when I met him, and it all came on so gradually, but everyone told me to stay, that I was imagining things.” Kerry touched the scar on her cheek. “There is this.”
“What’s that from?”
“He shot me.”
Lydia’s eyes widened. “Kerry, you have to report him. That’s attempted murder.”
“So a restraining order won’t work?”
Lydia bit her lip. “The temporary restraining order only lasts ten days during which time they would hold a hearing to determine if your case has enough merit to hold a trial. The burden of proof is on the party seeking the injunction, namely you, and I think you’d have a hard time proving abuse. Plus the abuse has to have taken place in this jurisdiction. But I know a friend of a friend who does criminal law. If I can track him down I’m sure he can offer you some advice. Maybe you could get him on stalking.”
Kerry sighed and stared unseeingly out the window. Would that be enough or should she get the hell out of Dodge? As she pondered her problem, she spotted something familiar in the parking lot. A man with a ball cap. “He’s wearing a suit.”
“What?” Rick and Lydia looked at her.
“That man out there. He’s wearing a ball cap with a suit.”
“That’s a bit odd,” Lydia said.
“But it’s more than that. He’s familiar. I’ve seen him before.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kerry’s heart raced and her breathing sped up as panic rushed in.
“Calm down,” Rick said in her ear. His hand gripped her arm.
“What’s the matter?” Lydia’s voice pitched to a squeak.
“It’s one of Jason’s men. Jason knows I’m here.” Kerry jumped from the stool, but Rick kept a firm grip on her arm. “I have to get out of here.”
“We have to get out of here. Maybe they haven’t spotted you yet.”
“I can’t take that chance.”
Lydia moved to stand next to them. “Can I help?”
“Can we borrow your car?” Lydia’s eyes widened at Rick’s request. “You’ll get it back, I promise. There’s a chance they followed me from the house today and, if so, they recognize my car. If we can get Kerry into your car, maybe they won’t realize we’ve left.”
“Well, give me your keys then,” Lydia said.
“No!” Kerry stilled Rick’s hand. “If they recognize Rick’s car they may go after you.”
Rick nodded. “Can you call a cab or a coworker?”
“Okay.” Lydia dug her keys from her purse. “But be good to it, please. It’s my baby.”
Kerry smiled at her. “We plan to keep a very low profile. And thank you.”
“Lydia, don’t tell my cousin. I don’t know if he is to be trusted.”
Lydia gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “I told him,” she whis
pered. “I told him where I was meeting you. He said he wanted to come by to make sure you’re okay.”
Kerry snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“How could he?” Lydia’s eyes filled with tears. “I will never forgive him for this.” She turned on her heel and disappeared out the door.
Rick shook his head.
“Maybe he really doesn’t understand what he’s doing,” Kerry said. “Maybe he honestly thinks he’s helping me.”
Rick’s soft lips grazed her fingertips. “Perhaps. I want to believe that.” He lowered her hand. “But for now, let us get out of here.”
With heads ducked down and sunglasses on, Rick and Kerry worked their way through the far side of the crowd. Once outside, they briskly walked to Lydia’s car and jumped in. “Get down.” Rick took off his ball cap as Kerry hunched out of sight.
The engine of Lydia’s Audi was almost silent as Rick drove around the far side of the shopping center and out onto Cox Road. He sped down the road and turned onto Three Chopt.
“Is it safe for me to get up?”
Rick glanced in all of his mirrors. “Yes.”
Kerry straightened in her seat. “Is there a highway entrance around here, on Broad Street maybe?”
“Yes, the next light, I believe.”
Rick cut over to the larger street, then drove to the 64 East entrance.
They rode in silence for several minutes.
“We’ve lost our stuff again,” Kerry said morosely. “It’s still in the hotel room.”
“Maybe I can have Evan … Lydia swing by and retrieve it.” His mouth pressed into a grim line.
* * * *
Kerry tuned in the eighties station breaking the heavy silence as they continued through downtown Richmond towards Williamsburg.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
Rick gripped the wheel. “I think we get the restraining order.”
“But that means going back.”
“We have to go back. My home is there and so is your job.”
“You can go back and I can go on. Maybe I’ll head north this time. I can always get another job.”