by J. J. Stone
“That’s a shame. Well, I’ve got to get to speech. Professor Douglas will probably fail me if I’m late again.” Abigail let out a slightly crazed chuckle. “Thank you again for the autograph!”
Ada smiled and nodded at Abigail as she trotted out of the classroom. As soon as she was out of sight, Ada’s mouth relaxed with a loud sigh. She was glad she had remembered to toss her boxing gear in the trunk the night before. She felt a much-needed date with a punching bag coming on.
CHAPTER 2
JAB. CROSS. JAB JAB. CROSS.
Ada floated around the punching bag as her gloves made solid and quick contact with the bag’s crinkled skin. Her breath wheezed out of her lungs, but Ada pushed through it. She landed precise left and right hooks in rapid succession, inwardly loving the solid THWACKS that sounded in the near-empty gym.
“Can you turn that up?” Tiffany called to the front desk clerk.
The clerk glared at her for a moment but turned up the gym TV volume so that it overpowered the thumping gym music.
Ada paused for a moment as her breath whistled out of her mouth. “Now you’re just obsessing,” she gasped then went to her gym bag and dug around for her water bottle.
Tiffany watched a news segment on the recent murders, ignoring Ada’s jibe. “I can’t believe this doesn’t freak you out at all, Ada.”
“Why should it?” Ada asked as she wiped a towel over her sweat-soaked face and neck.
Tiffany turned away from the TV, shaking her head. “I just can’t believe we have a serial killer here.”
Ada tossed the towel over her shoulder and picked up her gym bag. “Lock your doors and make sure to have one of your boyfriends on standby,” she joked.
“I’ll see if I can round somebody up to spend the night or something.”
“So you can sleep soundly?” Ada sneered.
Tiffany shrugged, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her lips. “That’s all they need to know.”
Ada shook her head and headed for the gym door. “And you wonder why the thought of being in a relationship makes me squirm,” she said. “You just cast such a romantic light on everything.”
Tiffany followed her out the door with a chuckle. “So, I’ll see you for coffee in the morning?”
“Sure. You’re buying.”
“Whatever. Don’t be late!”
“Hilarious,” Ada said then tossed her gym bag in the back of the car and slammed the trunk shut.
Tiffany gave her a small wave before getting into her car and driving away.
_____
“Authorities are cautioning women in the Seattle area to stay indoors after dark—”
Ada mashed the power button on the car radio and shook her head. “I just can’t get away from it,” she muttered.
The Seattle streets were beginning to die down as 10:00PM drew close. Ada loved this time of day. Everything went from loud and crazy to docile and sleepy.
As Ada turned onto her street, her phone went off, breaking the comforting silence in the car. Ada picked it up and grinned as she brought it to her ear. “Hey, Uncle Mike.”
“Ada-bug! How’s my favorite niece?” Mike Brandt said, his voice cracking slightly in the phone speaker.
“Tired and sore,” Ada said, turning into her driveway. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“Eh, I’m living a little,” Mike chuckled. “Hey, how about you and that big goofball come to my house for dinner tomorrow night? I’ll cook your favorite.”
“Steak and potatoes?”
“You bet. I might even cook a steak or two for Tiny.”
Ada stepped out of her car and made her way up the sidewalk to the front door. “What’s the occasion? New book getting published? Girlfriend? Finally win the lottery?”
Mike let out an offended gasping laugh. “Can’t a man just want to have dinner with his niece?”
“Not when that man is you,” Ada replied as she walked into her house and shut the door behind her. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me. I’ll just try to act surprised.”
Tiny trotted up to Ada and leaned his head against her leg as she scratched his ear.
“Great! Be here at eight,” Uncle Mike said. “Can’t wait to see you. It’s been a while.”
Ada felt a sad smile tug at her lips. “I know, Uncle Mike. I’m sorry we haven’t been to see you.”
“Oh, stop. I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you,” Uncle Mike assured her. “All right, I’ll let you go. I know you have class in the morning. I’ll see ya tomorrow, kiddo.”
“Night.” Ada ended the call and ran a hand over her tired eyes. She hoped sleep wouldn’t evade her tonight.
Ada made sure the porch lights were on then left the foyer and turned down the hallway to her bedroom. Tiny followed her into the room and made himself comfy on his pillow bed.
Ada smiled at him as she sat down on the bed to take off her shoes. “So you’ve decided sleeping in here is OK now?” She crossed the room to his place under the window and scratched his ear, smiling as he leaned into the touch. “No bad report from Jess today. I guess you let her walk you today instead of the other way around?”
Tiny let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.
_____
“I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” Tina Lancaster called over her shoulder to her friends. They had all just exited the Langley Main Street Coffee Shop and broke ranks to head for their cars.
“Be careful, T,” one of her friends called back.
Tina waved and crossed the empty street to her parked car, car keys in hand. Surveying her surroundings, she quickly opened the driver door and slid inside the car, locking the doors immediately.
Her friends drove past her and waved furiously. Tina grinned and waved back as she started her car. The radio blasted the last few seconds of one of her favorite songs.
Tina put the car in gear and pulled off down the street. The song ended and the radio announcer came on.
“Again, we’d like to encourage all women in the area to be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior. Stay in large groups if you are out tonight, and be sure to lock all entrances to your home. If you see anything out of the ordinary, please be sure to call the Langley Police Department. Now, back to the music.”
Tina gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as she drove down a dark side street. She had always been an overly cautious person, but with the recent murders, her guard was raised even higher. She glanced in her side view mirrors as she reached the Main Street four-way stop.
Tina activated the left turn signal and looked around the intersection. She glanced in her mirrors again then glanced up in her rearview mirror.
A masked face with only the eyes visible looked back at her in the mirror.
Tina’s mouth opened to scream as a gloved hand clamped down on it. Another gloved hand reached past her to place the car in park.
Tina could not pull her eyes away from the figure in the backseat. She thrashed around in her seat as she tried in vain to pull out of the vice grip on her mouth.
She heard a click and her seat belt flew off of her. The free hand pulled her into the backseat. The last thing she saw was a balled fist coming down to smash into the side of her head.
_____
Ada stifled a yawn as she gathered up the neat stack of assignments. She stood from her desk and walked up and down the rows of glassy-eyed students.
“Not a bad round of revisions, folks,” Ada said. She reached one student’s seat and held out the paper. No one grabbed it from her.
She glanced down at the empty seat then looked for the name at the top of the quiz. “Does anyone know if Tina is coming today?”
CHAPTER 3
The crisp autumn air gave an extra bite to the breeze created by the speed of th
e ferry. Ada relished it. She had always regarded fall as the best time of the year. Fall meant apples, pumpkins, and more sleep.
The upper deck of the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry was empty, except for Ada. The sun was beginning to set, tinting the water a warm amber tone. Below Ada, cars sat silently in their rows. Most people chose to remain in their vehicles while on the ferry, the novelty of this form of transit lost to them. Ada had grown up taking this ferry every week, and she still got excited at the idea of going up to the top of the boat to take in the sights.
On the adjacent deck, a little girl no more than five years old ran up to the railing, pointing at a flock of seagulls flapping after the ship. The girl’s parents followed her out onto the deck, warning the girl to keep both feet on the deck. When the father caught up with his daughter, he hoisted the little girl up onto his shoulders. The mother quickly warned him to be careful.
Ada watched the pure wonderment light up the little girl’s face as she gaped at the wide expanse of water around them. She had been that girl years ago with Uncle Mike, riding back home after a day in the city. Those seagulls had provided her with endless entertainment as they bobbed and weaved in the wind behind the boat.
The little girl gave her father a quick peck on the top of his head and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. A pang of something hit Ada. She knew it wasn’t envy of the girl. It wasn’t even nostalgia for the times that she had done just that to her uncle. Ada was not entirely shocked to realize she longed to be in the mother’s shoes, watching her daughter interact with her father.
Why do you do this to yourself, Ada wondered as she turned to head back inside. Family had been something of a mystery to Ada all her life. Her own was certainly not something that would be called desirable. When she was younger, Ada had detested sleepovers and birthday parties. She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that a child had a mother and father who doted on them and made sure they knew they were the most loved human being on the planet. She’d lived through a special kind of hell as a result of who her family was. It would be understandable to never want to voluntarily place herself in a family environment again.
Yet, once her friends got married and started producing adorable miniature versions of themselves, Ada felt something in her heart begin to ache. She longed to cradle a swaddled bundle of newborn to her chest. Every time she played with Tiny in the backyard, she always pictured a child or two running around with the Dane.
Children were not what scared her about family. A husband was a concept that made Ada’s skin crawl. Mary Brandt had loved Jacob Brandt. Uncle Mike had told Ada how her mother’s eyes would light up as soon as Jacob entered the room. How could someone that in love be that blind to who a person really was? Ada suspected love itself had been the deceiver. To think that love could shield a person’s true self from the person vowing to bond with them was deterrent enough for Ada.
The approaching dock announcement broke through her thoughts. Ada descended the metal stairs and made her way back to her waiting car. Tiny barked in greeting as she got in and buckled up.
“Hungry?” Ada asked as she started the car. “Hopefully Uncle Mike hasn’t lost his flair with steak.”
_____
Mike Brandt loved his life on Whidbey Island. After years in the Seattle FBI office, he had retreated to Whidbey with his six-year-old niece to start a new life, a fresh start for both of them. Leaving a cramped Seattle condo and transitioning into island life had been the healing medicine they both needed.
When Mike had driven them up to their new house for the first time, he knew he was home. The house sat on almost an acre, a rarity in his area of the island. Thick woods offered invaluable privacy, and behind the house was a small stretch of clearing that ended with a cliff and a 100 foot drop. But the view of Puget Sound was worth the potential danger.
Ada had spent endless hours sitting by that ledge watching the ships pass through the Sound against priceless Washington sunsets over the mountains in the distance. Mike loved standing on the back porch and watching his niece experience something innocent for a change. To this day, he was convinced that the island had saved Ada’s life.
Now a 65-year-old man, Mike enjoyed a life that revolved around writing his latest crime novel, visiting the stony beach, or heading into town to converse with the locals. A far cry from his days bustling around Seattle solving FBI matters, but it was a difference Mike embraced.
Car tires crunched up the winding driveway, breaking Mike’s moment of reflection. He stood from the porch swing and walked down the porch steps as Ada’s car pulled up to the house. Mike laughed at Tiny, whose giant head was dangling out of the passenger window, taking in giant gulps of the island air.
“He must smell a squirrel,” Mike chuckled as Ada climbed out of the car and released Tiny from the passenger seat. The dog bounded up to Mike, leaping up and planting his giant front paws on his shoulders.
“Tiny, calm down!” Ada chided. She walked up to Tiny and Mike and yanked at Tiny’s collar. The dog reluctantly released Mike from his embrace and sat obediently at Ada’s side.
“Oh, he’s just excited to see me,” Mike said as he wrapped Ada in a warm embrace. “How are you, Ada-bug?”
Ada grinned against his shoulder. “Better now that a home-cooked meal is in my near future.”
“Do I want to hear how long it’s been since you cooked?”
“It’s pretty much been take-out for the past few weeks.”
Mike groaned and steered Ada toward the house. “Well, I’m going to see to it that you get a nice square meal tonight. Same goes for you, too,” he said over his shoulder to Tiny.
The dog’s tail wagged furiously as he followed the two inside.
_____
“Do you need help with anything?” Ada asked as Mike hurried into the kitchen. She followed him, taking in all the pictures that lined the walls of the house. Uncle Mike had been a stickler for taking pictures when she was growing up. She had hated it at the time, but now she was glad these snapshots existed.
“I’m just going to throw these steaks on the grill,” Mike said as he opened the back door. Ada and Tiny followed after him.
Mike carefully opened the grill lid and placed the slabs of meat onto the rack. The steaks hit with a sharp hiss. Mike shut the lid and turned to watch Tiny leap around the back yard.
“I guess he was cooped up a little too long, huh?” Mike said as he sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs facing the glistening waters of Puget Sound.
Ada sat down in the chair next to his and pulled her knees up to her chest. “He’s been kind of stir crazy lately. I really haven’t had time to walk him much,” she said, “It’s just a crazy time at the college right now.”
“Midterms?” Mike asked.
Ada nodded and whistled for Tiny to come lay down by her chair. “This is one of the times of the academic year I dread. So many manuscripts. I wish I was the one writing instead of grading.”
Mike chuckled. “You’re the one who chose an academic career over law enforcement.”
Ada tossed a glare at him. “I know. I don’t regret the choice.”
“Oh, come on. The FBI wouldn’t have been such a terrible profession.”
“I might have considered it if I hadn’t spent my childhood hearing about … what did you call it? Oh, right, that soul-sucking excuse for a career,” Ada said as she gazed out at the setting sun.
Mike grunted and stood up to flip the steaks. “It wasn’t all that bad. But it was also time for me to go.”
A tinge of sadness touched Ada’s face and she looked down at her hands to regain her composure. “I can’t believe tomorrow is twenty-five years,” she muttered, almost to herself.
Mike flipped the steaks and closed the lid again. He squeezed a hand around Ada’s shoulder before taking his seat.
“Yo
u’re welcome to stay here, you know. Maybe call in sick tomorrow,” he said as he reached over and took her hand in his.
Ada gripped his hand and sighed, “That’ll just make it worse.” She looked out at the setting sun. “I just need to stick to my routine. That’ll make it just another day, nothing special.”
“All right. The offer still stands if you change your mind.”
They simultaneously turned their attention to the spectacular sunset painting the sky and water with swirls of pink and purple. Ada let her mind wander, an action she typically banned herself from performing around this time of the year. Thinking back to that day inevitably led to anger, nagging questions and a couple pints of comfort ice cream. A flash of panic coursed through her as she remembered her uncle’s penchant for commemorating this time of the year by reciting the events of the day that he had become her world, after her old one was swiftly decimated around her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mike take a deep breath and lace his fingers together, his classic storytelling pose, and she acted quickly. “I think those steaks are done.” Ada sniffed the air for emphasis.
Mike grunted as he rose from his seat to grab the steaks off the grill.
Ada sighed in relief and stood up to head inside, motioning for Tiny to follow.
_____
Ada placed the last bite of steak in her mouth and closed her eyes in satisfaction. “I think those are the best you’ve made,” she told Mike.
The older man chuckled and downed his last sip of water. “You say that every time!”
“Well, it’s been true every time. You keep improving,” Ada said. She glanced down at Tiny, who was lying in the corner of the dining room, out cold. “I think you gave Tiny a food coma.”
“Poor pup. What have you been feeding him anyway?”