by Jenna Brandt
Zach noted the man was good at using all the buzz words and to say purchase rather than shop. He was good, but Zach was better. “My friend here is good on her own. When we’re ready to take a look at one, we’ll let you know.”
The car salesman nodded, stepping back saying, “I’ll be around here if you need anything.” He wasn’t joking either, because for the next half hour he followed them around, keeping just enough distance to make it look like he wasn’t doing it on purpose.
Erica let out a heavy sigh and said, “Honestly, I have no idea what I’m looking for. All of these cars seem fine, but I just don’t know what to do.”
Zach had an idea. All he needed to do was ask her one question. “What was your dream car when you were a kid?”
Erica’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I’m a girl, Zach. I didn’t play with cars growing up, so that wasn’t really what I dreamed about.”
“Yes, but there must have been some car you liked and thought one day it would be great to own one.”
She bit her lip and thought about it for a moment. “You have to promise not to laugh,” she ordered.
He nodded and crossed his heart.
“I was obsessed with Barbie dolls when I was growing up. I had dozens of them as well as her dream house and her car, but my favorite was her pink jeep. When you asked about a dream car, that was the only thing that came to mind.”
Zach pulled out his phone and started punching buttons. A moment later, he looked up and called out, “Hey mister, we’re ready for you now.”
“What are you doing?” Erica leaned over and asked through clenched teeth.
“Getting you your dream car,” he whispered back.
The car salesman came over with a big grin on his face as he asked, “What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering, do you have any Jeep Wranglers around here?”
The man’s brows furrowed together as he inquired, “Are you sure that’s what Miss Cruz wants?”
Zach glanced over at her as she nodded her head. “It sure is. Oh, and do you have one in pink?”
Two hours later, Erica was finishing up signing the paperwork for a brand-new Jeep Wrangler with an appointment to have a custom pink paint job done on the car next week.
As Zach walked her over to the SUV and opened the door for her, she said, “Thanks, Zach. This is the first time since getting my inheritance that I’ve actually had a good time, and I owe it all to you. I was coming in here just wanting to get the most basic car possible so no one would think less of me, but you showed me it’s okay to have a little fun with the money.”
She slid into the car and placed her hands on the steering wheel. She turned to face him, causing her curly brown hair to flip over her shoulder.
“You look good in your new ride,” Zach said with appreciation. He wanted to reach out and touch the side of her face, but he thought better of it. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, and just seeing the smile on her face was enough. “I’ll see you at church next week,” he whispered, shutting the door firmly.
She rolled the window down and gave him a big smile. “Thanks again for all your help. I really appreciate it.”
As Zach watched Erica drive off the car dealership’s lot, he realized he just had the best time with a woman as far back as he could remember. It didn’t even involve his usual pastimes. What was going on with him? He knew the answer; he was starting to care for Erica Cruz.
Twelve
Erica couldn’t wait to curl up with a pizza, watch a movie, and relax for the night. It had been a long day at work with back-to-back teeth cleanings in addition to assisting on a lengthy oral surgery. As she waited for the pizza to be delivered, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her kitchen table to go through her mail.
She set aside the first couple of pieces, planning to pay her bills over the weekend. Next was a fancy handwritten card from a local real estate agent offering to take Erica around to see various properties that were available if she were ready to move up from her apartment. Erica rolled her eyes, annoyed by the audacity of the woman. She was happy in her apartment, and didn’t have any intentions of moving just because she inherited money.
She took a swig of coffee, enjoying the taste and the jolt of energy she received from the beverage. The doorbell rang and Erica answered the door. She paid the delivery guy and took the pizza, then settled back at the table.
There were two more bills, a couple pieces of junk mail, and then an envelope without a return address. She flipped it over to find nothing on the back to identify where it came from either. She tore open the letter and read the contents:
You have what belongs to us.
Return it and we’ll let you live.
Refuse and you will meet the same fate as your father.
She read the threat three times, still unable to fully accept the words written on the page. Why would someone send this to her? Was it a joke? If it was, it wasn’t very funny. Should she take it seriously? If so, what should she do?
Her hand was still shaking as she tucked the letter into her purse. She stood up from the table and headed out the door. She needed to talk with Lindsay and Aiden about this.
As Erica drove the short distance to her friends’ house, she prayed about her situation, asking God to help her let go of the fear the letter stirred in her heart.
Gingerly, she tapped on the front door, not wanting to wake the kids in case they were asleep.
Lindsay opened the door, surprised to see her friend. “What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”
Erica shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s why I’m here. I need to get Aiden’s advice on something.”
“Okay, come on in,” Lindsay said, stepping back to let her enter.
They made their way into the living room where Aiden was sitting on the couch watching TV. He looked up and gave Erica a grin saying, “Hey there, Erica.”
“Aiden, can you turn off the television. Erica needs to talk with you about something.”
“Sure,” he said, clicking the remote and turning his attention to Erica. “What’s going on?”
Erica took a seat next to Aiden on the couch, then pulled the letter from her purse handing it over to Aiden. He opened it and read the contents. His eyes darted up to meet hers with concern. “Do you know who sent this?”
Erica shook her head. “It was in the stack of mail I got from my mailbox today.”
Lindsay came over and glanced at the letter. She looked over at her friend with equal concern, but quickly asked, “Couldn’t it just be a prank? I mean, she’s been in the news a lot lately. Someone could just be trying to get a reaction from her.”
Aiden nodded. “That’s possible, but considering you don’t really know where your father got his money, there’s a possibility this threat could be real. I wouldn’t dismiss it without getting more information.”
“How do I do that?” Erica inquired, wanting to figure out what her next step should be.
“Well, you can call the attorney that settled your father’s will for starters. You could also research your father and see if you can figure out what this might be about.”
Erica’s stomach tightened into a knot as she whispered, “I had no idea this was going to happen when I went to that meeting. I’m really freaked out guys.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It could legitimately be nothing more than a prank,” Aiden said, “But we just need to be sure. Why don’t you give it to me and I can take it down to the station tomorrow and see if they can get any DNA or fingerprints from it.”
“Thanks, Aiden, I appreciate that.”
“We’re family, Erica. Anytime I can help you, I will.”
“Do you feel okay to be on your own? Do you want to spend the night instead?” Lindsay offered.
Erica shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” Standing up, she headed towards the door. “I’ll let you all know whatever I find out.”
On the way home, Erica d
ecided to call Mr. Braxton and find out what she could from the man. The phone went straight to voicemail. She decided to leave him a message, asking him to call her back.
She didn’t really feel like going home, but she knew she couldn’t do anything without trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious letter. She decided she could do some research at the library.
Three right turns later, she was parking her car out front of the Clear Mountain Library and heading inside. She made her way over to one of the available computers and took a seat.
Erica started with her father’s name. Nothing came up in the United States, but there was mention of him hosting an event at his vineyard near the outskirts of Amsterdam. She mentally went over the list the lawyer gave her, trying to recall if the asset had been on the list. She was pretty certain it was the case.
She was unable to find out anything else concerning her father. It was almost as if he was a ghost. Next, she looked up Theodore Braxton. His name turned up massive results. He was actively involved in supporting the arts in Amsterdam, was on several boards including the regional hospital, and had an active firm there. Erica jotted down the number to the main office. She quickly calculated the time difference and decided that there was a chance someone was already at the office.
On the third ring, a woman, whose voice she recognized from the first time she called, answered.
“Hello, this is Erica Cruz. I’m trying to reach Mr. Braxton.”
The woman didn’t answer for several seconds, then finally said with a somber tone, “Mr. Braxton passed away recently.”
“Oh my gosh,” Erica gasped. “What happened?”
“He was involved in a hit and run. According to witnesses, he was crossing the street when a car swerved and hit him. He died before the ambulance could get him to the hospital.”
“I can’t believe it,” Erica said. “I just saw him a couple of weeks ago.”
“Yes, Miss Cruz, he had barely gotten back to Amsterdam when this happened. It was a shock to all of us here at the office.”
“Thank you for telling me what happened. I’m very sorry for all of you.”
She hung up the phone and sat in her car, shocked at the turn of events. What did all of this mean? Between the letter and the suspicious death of Mr. Braxton, Erica was certain she needed to get to the bottom of what her father had been involved with. Staying in Colorado wouldn’t do her any good. She needed to go where she would be able to access the information more easily. She needed to go to Amsterdam right away.
As Erica went to climb into her car, a hand darted out and grabbed her, pulling her behind some bushes. Erica let out a yelp, trying to turn around and see who had her tightly gripped in their arms.
She made out a pale man with a shaved head, but before she could make out any details of his face, he whipped her around and pressed his body against her back. The more she struggled, the firmer his hold became. The attacker covered her mouth and growled in a Dutch accent, “Stop moving. You’re only making this worse.”
Erica was starting to panic. What did this stranger want? Money? Her car? Something even worse? She sent up a silent prayer, asking God to help her.
“Did you get the letter?” the deep voice asked.
She nodded.
“This is to make sure you take it serious. You better get us what we asked for. The threats aren’t empty, and we can get to you at any time. If you don’t give us back what belongs to us, we’re going to kill you just like we killed your father.”
Erica’s heart seized with fright. What on earth had her father been involved with? Her mother always acted like her father was a bad man, but Erica always believed it was because of the way their marriage ended. Erica didn’t actually believe it was because he truly was a bad man. Now she was wondering if her mother hadn’t been exaggerating.
“You have three days to get us what we want or we’re going to kill you and everyone you care about.”
The stranger let her go, then stepped back disappearing into the shadows leaving Erica completely alone. She was shaking and didn’t even know if she could make it to her car. Somehow, she managed to do it. Without thinking, her fingers flew to her phone and she hit Zach’s number.
He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Erica, what’s up?”
“I…need…you,” she blurted out between sobs.
“What’s wrong? Where are you? I can come right now.”
“I’m at the library, but I don’t think I can drive.”
“I’m on my way, Erica. Whatever’s going on, it’s going to be all right.”
Far quicker than Erica expected, Zach came barreling into the parking lot with his lights and siren on. He jumped out of his police SUV and rushed up to the side of her Jeep. He opened the car door and bent down beside her. “You’re crying. What happened?”
Erica turned to face Zach, the warm tears cascading down her cheeks with no restraint. “Some man just attacked me. He grabbed me while I was coming out of the library and pulled me into the bushes.”
“Did he, did he hurt you?” Zach asked defensively.
She shook her head. “No, but he said he’s going to come back and kill me.”
“I don’t understand. Did he say why?”
Erica spent the next ten minutes explaining the situation. Once she was finished, Zach said, “I have to call this in, Erica. The guy might still be in the area. We might be able to catch him. Heck, with Harley’s help, I could probably find him on my own right now.”
“No,” she shouted, reaching out and placing her hand on his arm. “Don’t leave me.”
He nodded. “Okay, I won’t, but I do have to call this in. We need a report on file in case this guy does decide to come back.”
The thought of it made Erica start to cry again. The way the man had grabbed and threatened her was so scary, she was certain the next time he would kill her.
“I don’t know what to do, Zach. I’m so scared.”
“Let me get this all sorted out with dispatch. They’ll probably send someone over to check the area, but I can take you home if you like.”
She nodded, letting him help her out of the car and over into his police vehicle. He radioed in and told Deanna about the situation, then explained he would be taking the rest of the night off to help Erica.
A half hour later, Zach was escorting Erica into her apartment, with Harley by his side. “I hope it’s okay that I’m bringing Harley in. She doesn’t like being left in her kennel for long stretches of time.”
“That’s fine. I love dogs.”
“Glad to hear it,” Zach said with a grin, “because I don’t know if we could be friends if you didn’t.”
A small laugh escaped, taking a little of the tension out of her body.
Zach guided her over to the couch, then sat down next to her. “Given the situation, I think it might be a good idea if I spend the night. I’ll sleep here on the couch, of course, but I don’t feel right about leaving you alone.”
She nodded. “I would appreciate it.”
“You ready to go lay down? I can help you to your room,” Zach offered.
Erica shook her head. “I need to do a couple of things first.”
“Like what, Erica? You’ve had a difficult night. I think it would do you some good to get some rest.”
“I will, after I book a flight to Amsterdam. I need to leave first thing tomorrow.”
“What? You’re planning to go to Amsterdam on your own? Given everything that’s happened tonight?”
“I don’t think I have a choice,” Erica explained. “I need to figure out what is going on, but all the information points to Amsterdam. If I don’t go, I’m going to wind up dead like my father and Mr. Braxton.”
“You can’t go alone,” Zach stated firmly. “You’ll need a bodyguard.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, I’m serious. If you’re going, you need someone to go with you who can protect you.”
&n
bsp; “And how exactly do you go about hiring a bodyguard,” Erica asked, mystified. “Is there an agency for that?”
Zach shrugged. “Even if there is, you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll go with you to Amsterdam and protect you.”
“Are you serious?” she asked in a shocked tone. “What about your work? What about Harley?” she asked glancing down at his K-9 partner that was curled up at his feet.
“I have a lot of vacation stockpiled. As for Harley, we have kennels at the substation, so she’ll be fine. Plus, Aiden can look after her for me.”
Erica wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea of having Zach as her bodyguard let alone having him travel with her. It had only been recently that she could stand being around him. Would constant, close proximity be a good thing for their barely-there friendship? Could they get along for such a long period of time, or would they end up being at each other’s throats within a couple of days? The problem was, she didn’t have time to find anyone else. Plus, he was good at his job, so she knew he could keep her safe.
“Fine, let me call and book us a flight and a hotel for us.”
“Sounds good. I’m going to make some calls and start arranging things on my end. Aiden has a key to my place so he can grab my passport and pack up a few things for me. I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Erica wanted to argue he was being too cautious, but part of her liked it. She was still frightened from what happened earlier in the evening.
“Sounds like we have a plan then,” she stated, “We leave for Amsterdam first thing tomorrow.”
Thirteen
The next morning, they arrived at the Denver airport and made their way through the terminal until they reached the boarding gate. There was a brunette woman behind a check-in counter typing away on a computer. She glanced up and smiled. “May I help you?”
“We’re here to check-in,” Erica said, handing over their boarding information.