by Mary Abshire
“Something wrong?” She withdrew a pair of sneakers from one of her bags.
He lowered his hand and scooted upright. “No. I’m fine.”
Carrying her shoes, she walked around the bed. Whatever was on the screen had taken away the cheery attitude he’d had earlier. She paused behind him and glanced at the laptop.
“Who’s that?” The picture on the screen showed a happy woman with two boys. Her eyes and forehead looked familiar. Emily gazed at Andrew, then back at the photo. “Is that your sister?”
He nodded. “What’s a blog?”
Emily pressed the arrow up. The page moved to the top and showed the title Vanessa’s Blog.
“A blog is a site where the owner shares information or news. It’s a dedicated web page used for the owner to communicate with other people,” she said. “Who is Vanessa?”
“She’s my mom’s youngest sister. Her husband died a few years ago. He told us Tamera had lived with them after the accident.” Andrew scrolled down to view the picture.
Emily took a seat on the mattress nearby. His downcast mood surprised her as much as his interest to locate information about his family. She hadn’t suspected he would be concerned about any living family members since she’d thought he’d stole Andrew’s identity. The story he continued to repeat was too unreal every time she thought about it. Maybe his search for family was a ploy to get her to believe him. But if so, why was he so melancholy? He continued to confuse her.
“Is there a reason why you were looking for your sister?” She slipped her feet into her shoes.
“I was curious to see if I could find her. We weren’t close since we were ten years apart, but she was, or is, my sister.”
“Are you thinking of visiting her?”
“No.” He walked to the window and then opened the curtains. The bright sunlight lit up the room in a blinding glare. Staring outside, he squinted until his eyes adjusted. “I’m ready to find this demon and complete the job I was sent here to do.”
And she was ready to get the truth from him once and for all. “Let’s get going.”
She closed the laptop before she slid it into the case. The bag wasn’t as bulky since she’d removed all the money. Before she’d gone to bed she’d spent time cleaning Nancy’s blood off the bills. From her count, a couple hundred dollars was missing. In the grand scheme of what had happened, she was fortunate more hadn’t been taken. With her computer bag strapped across her, she grabbed her jean jacket and purse before she headed out the door.
Using the GPS on her phone, she navigated through the downtown streets, which were nothing like Chicago’s. Cars moved at a steady pace instead of the annoying stop-and-go traffic she was used to dealing with. Buildings were in various sizes and more spread out instead of tall skyscrapers crammed into a small city block. When she glanced up, she could see more of the sky.
Andrew remained quiet during the drive. He had his arm on the windowsill as he gazed outside. She suspected he was still thinking about his sister.
After circling the area twice, she managed to find a spot a block away from Harold’s place of employment. She locked her purse and computer case in the Jeep so she wouldn’t have to lug them around with her everywhere. Fortunately, the tinted windows hid things from curious eyes.
“How are you going to be able to pick this guy out?” she asked as they strolled down the sidewalk.
“His aura will be black.”
“Ah, right.” She’d forgotten he’d told her that the other day.
They passed a building and crossed an alley before the area opened up to an outdoor gathering or market place. Food vendors were setting up tents within the large square. One of them had popcorn and the smell of it enticed her to buy some. A four-story garage took up most of the next block behind the market. She stopped before the two steps leading up to the square and shifted her attention across the street. The glass building Harold worked in was the tallest in a six-block radius.
She hid her hands inside the pockets of her jacket. “I bet he’ll be coming out from there and he probably parks in that garage.” She pointed with a tilt of her head.
“There’s no way we can find him inside. We can’t search each floor.”
She didn’t believe they could locate him in the building either. Plus, each floor probably had security. “Do you want to at least go in and take a look around?”
“Sure.”
He stepped between two parked cars and waited for the traffic to clear. After the last vehicle drove by, he headed across the road. She followed behind him.
Past the revolving door, the noise of the outside was replaced with the claps of shoes, dinging elevators, and chattering of voices. Andrew stopped a few feet from the entrance. Emily quickly noticed a security booth about ten feet away. She grabbed Andrew’s hand and led him to the left.
She counted two rows of six elevators before they reached a small shopping area. There was a coffee shop, a café, and a small sit-down restaurant. A few small tables were available for guests outside the café.
“How about some coffee?” she asked.
“I’m fine, but thanks.”
His soft tone indicated otherwise, but she didn’t question him. She strode up to the counter and ordered a latte while he meandered by the exit. After a short wait, she took a sip of her drink. She instantly felt happy. Caffeine was the best drug created.
“Shall we walk to the other end?” she asked as she reached him.
“Sure.”
She led the way down the wide hall. The tinted glass blocked the sun from shining in, but the warmth of the rays could still be felt. They passed the security booth with two men sitting behind it. Past them was another row of six elevators. They reached the end of the building to find a flower and card shop. A single set of glass doors led outside. She continued toward them as she drank more coffee.
Andrew followed her out of the building.
“There are two exits,” she said as headed up the alley toward the main street. “Did you notice?”
“This one is closer to the garage.” He pointed diagonally to the lot.
“I bet most of the staff come and go through the side door.”
She paused at the end of the sidewalk and waited for the traffic to clear. Jaywalking was easier to accomplish in a city like Pittsburgh, but she dared not to do it in Chicago.
They crossed the street after the last car passed. More vendors were busy at the market square. Benches were located at each side and round metal tables were in the middle.
“Let’s sit at the square,” she said.
He followed her up two steps to the side of the market, the one closest to the garage. But it really wasn’t that close since five lanes separated them from the lot. They walked by a couple setting up a table to sell honey. Another booth had fresh vegetables. She stopped at a bench in the back and sat. He took a seat next to her.
Minutes passed without a word spoken between them. The lack of conversation and the way he avoided looking at her left her questioning what the hell was wrong with him. Could it have been the close encounter of their lips the night before?
“You’ve been really quiet this morning,” she said.
“Sorry.” He leaned forward, pressed his arms to his knees, and rubbed his forehead. “I shouldn’t have been looking on your computer. Ever since I saw the picture of my sister and read about her on my aunt’s blog, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
A touch of relief flowed through her, knowing that his thoughts had been elsewhere instead of the kiss that had almost happened. Awkwardness was like a disease she wanted to avoid.
“Maybe you should visit her,” she said and then wondered why she had when she didn’t believe he was the real Andrew Webster.
“I want to, but I know it would be a disaster. I don’t want to upset her.”
“I can see that happening, or she’ll think she’s gone crazy.”
He straightened and sighed heavily. “I know the
right thing to do is to forget about her, but she’s my little sister.”
The fact he cared so much about this woman was amazing. He deserved an Oscar for his performance. She drank more of her latte.
“If you had been gone from your sister for almost three decades, wouldn’t you want to reach out to her?” he asked.
She chuckled. “No.”
He stared at her as if he were waiting for her to explain.
“I’m like the black sheep of my family. My younger sister got everything handed to her. In the eyes of my parents, she could never disappoint them. But me…” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “They set high expectations and when I wanted to do things my way, I was a failure to them. And it didn’t help that I always hung out with Troy. He treated me like a brother and his parents were more than wonderful. If I went away for thirty years, I’d miss Troy more than anyone else in the world.”
“Would you try to see him?” Andrew asked.
“Huh?”
“If you were gone and came back, would you try to visit him?”
She inhaled deeply as she thought about his question. “I suppose I would. I’d stalk him for a while first. If he looked happy… I’d walk away and never bother him.”
As much as it would break her heart, she would leave him so he could be happy. But if he had a miserable life with a thankless job and no ends to the means, she would knock on his door and give him hell.
“You’re stronger than I am,” Andrew said as he stared at the building across the street.
“You might surprise yourself,” she said as she looked for a trashcan. She found one at the other end of the square. “Are you hungry?”
He lifted a shoulder.
“Is that a yes or no? Because I’m going to get something to eat while you stay here and watch for your demon.”
“What are you going to get?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich. I’m going to check out what’s around here first.”
“I’ll have whatever you get.”
“Have you got your phone I gave you?”
He dug into his front pocket. With a little effort, he withdrew the prepaid cell she’d set up for him yesterday. He held it up and shook it.
“Call me if you see Harold,” she said as she stepped back.
“Don’t roam too far, black sheep.”
Grinning, she spun and walked away from him. She tossed her empty cup in the trash before she headed down the sidewalk.
As she strolled near the street, she enjoyed the peacefulness of the city. Horns weren’t blaring. Cars weren’t speeding past red lights. Crosswalks weren’t crowded. She thought about her job, her family, and everything she gave up when she left Chicago. To her surprise, the only part she missed was Troy and she still kept in touch with him. She missed Libby too, but she had to cut her out of her heart. Her friend was gone and Emily had to move on.
She’d made it two blocks without seeing another café. Starbucks was at the end of the street. Heaven forbid if there wasn’t one every three blocks. Emily rounded the corner and decided to keep going further. Andrew wouldn’t miss her if she were gone long anyway, she suspected. She walked another six blocks before she started to see more food options. Although she was hungry, lunchtime was quickly approaching. A salad sounded better than breakfast sandwich. She turned another corner, looping back toward the market square. Minutes later, her cell started vibrating. She hurried to grab it from the pocket in her jacket.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Emily, I found him and he’s heading my way.”
The excitement and alarm in his tone brought her to a quick halt in the middle of the sidewalk.
“Don’t let him see you,” she said. “I’m on my way.”
Chapter Twenty
Andrew pushed the phone into his back pocket as he strode across the square, heading to the alley. He couldn’t believe his eyes at first when the demon had walked out of the building. He looked as human as they guy crossing the street with him, but his black aura indicated otherwise. Andrew had jumped to his feet, knowing he had to get away. He wasn’t ready to face the demon yet.
More people were crowding the booths and conversing with the vendors. Andrew paused near the edge of the square, close to the alley. The demon walked up the steps to the market with his buddy. For such an evil creature, he was shorter than most men and had a large gut. He wore a blue polo shirt tucked in his khaki pants. Andrew guessed he was in his thirties. He had a round, clean-shaven face and short dark hair. As he passed by clusters of bodies, Andrew still managed to keep his eyes on his target.
The demon and his friend stopped at the flower stand. A young woman with long dark hair greeted them. The two men talked with her for a while, but it was the demon who did most of the chatting. His friend left him and went to the popcorn stand. The lady selling flowers continued to smile at the demon, but when other people paused to check out her flowers, she gave them her attention. It almost was as if she were trying to politely ignore the demon. He held his hands in the front pockets of his khakis and lingered near the flower lady like a dog with its tongue hanging out, waiting for a treat. She moved to the other end of her table and he ambled toward her. What a creep, Andrew thought. If a woman wasn’t interested, why stick around?
Andrew meandered near the booths by him. One had small loaves of bread and cookies for sale. The next one over had a variety of herbs in small square containers on the table. He pretended to be interested and smiled at the woman selling the bakery products. At the same time, he kept the demon within his sight. When he saw the demon move, Andrew gave him his full attention.
The demon caught up to his friend at the popcorn stand. His friend had a plastic bag of full of the popped snack. They had a few words and then began walking back the way they’d came. Andrew followed at a distance. The two men continued across the street and on a direct path toward the building. After they reached it, they disappeared inside.
Andrew wandered near the flower stand.
“Hi,” said the young lady with long dark hair and a soft white glow around her body.
“Hello,” he said. “Beautiful flowers.”
“Thank you. I grow them myself.”
“I’m surprised the fellow over here a few minutes ago didn’t buy any from you. They’re difficult to pass on,” he said, hoping she’d share her thoughts about the demon with him.
“He likes to talk, but he never buys anything.” She shook her head and shrugged. “I think he just likes to flirt with me.”
“Hey.” Emily arrived slightly breathless. She placed her hand on his arm. “Where’s our friend?”
“Have a good day,” Andrew said to the flower lady before he walked away from her.
Emily stayed at his side as he headed toward the bench in the back of the crowded square.
“Where is he?” she asked, looking around.
“You missed him. He came out with a friend, flirted with the flower lady while his friend bought some popcorn, and then they went back inside the building.”
After dodging around people, he finally reached the empty bench. He took a seat on it and Emily sat beside him.
“Damn, I was trying to hurry.” She took a deep breath and calmed. “What did he look like?”
“He was short and had dark hair,” he said.
“Did he have horns or a tail?”
“No. Why would he… Oh, I get it.”
Grinning, he shook off the humor in her comment. Although the demon had the appearance of any normal human being, Andrew saw him for what he truly was. He’d watched a man, but under the flesh and blood lived an evil spirit. For the first time, he felt one hundred and twenty percent confident he would kill the demon. In fact, he looked forward to it.
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to pick him out from the crowd. Look how many short men there are with dark hair. I’ve counted four already,” she said as she scanned the people in
the market.
“I think we should stay and see if he comes back out for lunch.”
“If he sees you, will he know you’re an angel?”
“I don’t thinks so. The guard didn’t mention if they could see me or not.” And he hadn’t thought to ask at the time. He hoped the demon wouldn’t be able to detect him, elsewise he would have a bigger challenge on his hands than avoiding sex. Well, maybe not bigger.
“Then we should stay. I’d like to follow him after he leaves work.” A melody played from her pocket. She withdrew her phone. “It’s Troy.”
She sat back as she pressed the cell to her ear. Andrew could hear chatter from the phone, but he couldn’t decipher any words.
“Oh, really,” she said, sparking his curiosity. Following a pause, she said, “Yes, that helps. Thank you, Troy.” She chuckled. “You are the best. Bye.”
“Good news?” Andrew asked.
She lowered the cell and crossed her legs. “Not really good. He said three girls went missing during the four years Harold was in college. The girls didn’t have a lot of friends according to the articles he read. From his research, they’re still missing.”
“What are you thinking?” he asked, wondering if he had the same thoughts.
“I think he killed them. I think he was testing the waters to see if he could get away with murder. Maybe he used them for money or sex or something else. I don’t know, but I think his first wife isn’t the only victim. That’s why I had Troy do more research.”
Emily had thought the same thing he had. In the short amount of time Andrew had watched the demon, he suspected the evil creature had a fondness for women and not the same kind Andrew did. The dropped rape charges, the death of the demon’s first wife, and the quick marriage to his second were signs too.
“I don’t know how demons come to possess a human body or if they are born into it. I wasn’t given that information. But I know this much, if he has killed all those women, then he is evil and he needs to be stopped.”
She rose and tucked her cell back into her pocket. “I doubt he’ll be back out anytime soon. I’m going back on the search for food for us.”