Fleeting Glimpse

by Victoria M. Patton

  Officer DeLeon motions to another officer. “Would you put a call in to Lieutenant Drake? See if he’s available?”

  The officer complies using the radio on his shoulder to call dispatch.

  “Where did the event happen?”

  Chandra lifts her head. Officer DeLeon’s bright blue eyes stare back at her. “In Bedford.”

  “He would have had enough time to get here.”

  Officer Riegle walks up. “Lieutenant Drake is unavailable. Dispatch is attempting to locate him.”

  “Before you leave, would it be possible for one of you to go through the house? Make sure he didn’t go inside. Since my alarm or my app didn’t work, I would just like to be sure.” Chandra asks the officer as she stands. She braces herself against the open door of the vehicle, holding her keys and phone in one hand.

  “Absolutely.” Officer DeLeon steps back, reaching out to her.

  The officer that drove off earlier parks in front of Chandra’s house. He walks up to Officer DeLeon. “The guard shack at the construction entrance said only workers and their trucks have been there tonight. They’re working in different shifts. But all of them drive trucks or SUVs, and all are accounted for.”

  Officer DeLeon nods. “Okay. Thanks for checking.”

  “Ms. Willis, Jeffrey and I will make double rounds tonight. Don’t hesitate to call the shack though. For any reason,” George says.

  “Thank you, George.” She watches as he speaks with an officer, then rides off in his golf cart. Walking to her front door, she opens the security app on her phone. “Hmm. That’s odd.”

  “What’s odd?”

  “My app shows my home is disarmed.”

  “Maybe that’s why there was no alarm or video.” The officer smiles at her.

  Chandra thinks back to when she left earlier. “I swear I set the alarm.”

  “Hey don’t sweat it. I have a system at my home, and my wife always forgot to set it when we first got it. Did you just have it installed?”

  She nods, fighting back the tears.

  “There you go. However, be grateful this is all that happened. It could always be worse.”

  She turns the key in the deadbolt, then turns to Officer DeLeon and snaps her fingers. “I forgot I can’t open this door. I have a special lock on it. We’ll have to go through the garage.” She twists the doorknob, out of habit, as she starts to walk away, when the door swings open. “That’s not supposed to be unlocked,” she says staring at the door.

  “Are you sure you locked it?”

  Chandra shakes her head. “I don’t know, I’m not sure I did anything now. I guess I could’ve thought I locked this and set the alarm, but didn’t.” She places her keys and phone on the entryway table. She checks to make sure the key is in the deadbolt. “Hmm, I have no idea what I was thinking when I left.” She turns towards the officer. “Thank you for doing this.”

  Officer DeLeon smiles at her. “I don’t mind at all.” He follows her around from room to room.

  Theo is close on their heels.

  “Too bad he isn’t a watch dog.” Officer DeLeon kneels to scratch his head.

  Chandra smirks. “No. He would be no help if someone got in.” When the officer stands, she smiles at him. “Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome. The other officers checked the perimeter earlier. The outside looked undisturbed. They saw no other damage to the house.”

  Chandra sighs as she follows him to the front door. “I really appreciate all you’ve done.” Watching as he leaves, the neighbors follow and go home. “Crap,” she says when she sees her car. Walking to her vehicle, she quickens her pace, locking the door once inside the car.

  Turning the ignition, it doesn’t start. “What the hell?” She turns the key again. This time the motor sputters, still not turning over. “What else can go wrong?” She leans her head against the steering wheel. A few tears drip off her chin. Taking a few deep breaths, she removes her foot from the gas and waits a few moments before turning the key one last time.

  “Yes,” she says as her car engine roars to life. She pulls into the garage, lowering the door before she exits. Gathering all her things, she enters through the mudroom leaving everything on top of a table she uses for folding clothes. Remembering she left the front door unlocked, she rushes into the kitchen. She gasps, stopping abruptly. “Why are you in my house?” Her rigid posture keeps her frozen in place.

  Luke is holding Theo in his arms. “I came over to check on you. I saw Theo on the walkway and your front door ajar.” He looks over his shoulder towards the driveway. “Noticed you moving your car. I came in to wait.” He places Theo on the floor. “I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

  Her heart races. She keeps a safe distance between her and Luke. “Thank you for catching him. I must have left the door open when I moved my car.” She steps to the side, keeping a wide berth as she maneuvers a path to the door.

  “No worries.”

  She squares her shoulders as she passes him.

  Luke reaches out taking a hold of her wrist. “I can stay, if you would feel safer.” He nods to the sofa. “I don’t mind camping out there.”

  She pulls her wrist from his grasp, stepping to the foyer and the keypad on the wall. “I’ll be fine. Thank you again for washing the paint off for me.” She pulls open the front door.

  “I didn’t mind at all. Save you some embarrassment. Wouldn’t want everyone knowing you’re being harassed. As it is, it will be all over the neighborhood. At least they won’t have anything to gawk at.”

  Chandra bristles. “What makes you think I’m being harassed?”

  He shrugs. “I just assumed. I mean I guess it could be someone had the wrong house.” He takes a step closer to her. “But I think someone is harassing you. With all your changes and upgrades, it’s an easy assumption to make. At the very least, someone is trying to get your attention.”

  Chandra inches back as his eyes meet hers. The weight of his stare sends her pulse racing. The sound of her heartbeat thrashes in her ears. “I hope it’s a prank gone wrong.”

  “We can always hope.” He steps over the threshold. Reaching out he places his palm against the door, stopping it from closing. “I spoke with the builder. He’s going to deliver a gallon of paint matching your home. He has it on record. I’ll paint your door tomorrow for you.”

  “You don’t have to. I can pay someone or do it myself.” Attempting to close the door, he pushes back.

  “It’s the least I can do.” He smiles at her before stepping back. “Make sure to lock your door and engage your system.”

  She watches through a cracked door as he walks across her lawn to his home. Closing the door, she leans against it. She breathes out through her mouth. Closing her eyes, she tries to calm down. Her body is trembling. She leans against the entry table, balancing herself. She punches in the code on the keypad, arming the house.

  She double checks all the locks on the doors and windows, including the sliding glass doors. Using the remote she turns the glass opaque. She closes all the drapes. After two more checks of all the locks, and making sure the alarm is armed, she feels secure.

  She places her sandwich in the refrigerator. Instead of eating, she opts for wine. “Julian had it right. There’s enough for one big glass.” She pours out half, then places the bottle back in the fridge.

  Turning on her TV, she listens to the nightly news. Searching for her phone she remembers it’s still on the entryway table. Quickly retrieving it, she bundles up in a blanket.

  “I need something else.” She grabs the TV remote. Scanning the channels, she searches for something light hearted. Finding nothing, she opts for a recording on her DVR, an old Christmas movie. “This should hit the spot.” Snuggling in with her cat and wine, she gets comfortable, pushing the fear down.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  The doorbell rings. Chandra wakes to someone pounding on her door. Theo is purring nex
t to her. “Coming,” she yells out. Walking to it, she catches a glimpse of the clock on the mantle. “Who’s at my door at three a.m.?”

  Through the side window, she can see Julian. Disarming the alarm, she opens it. He stands before her with a bouquet of pink roses. She wipes the sleep out of her eyes. “Why are you here? It’s a little late for flowers, isn’t it?”

  Julian leans forward. “It’s nev….” A gurgling noise comes out instead of words.

  “Julian?” Chandra steps towards him.

  His mouth hangs open. A trickle of blood runs down his chin. “Julian? Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

  He tries to say something. Opening his mouth wider, blood gushes out. He drops the flowers, shattering the vase on the floor.

  Chandra’s eyes bulge. She watches as the tip of a blade pokes out through his stomach and slices upwards towards his chest.

  She covers her mouth, screaming. She turns to run; her feet won’t move. They’re glued to the floor. Her skin stretches as she tries to pull them free. Chandra screams jumping back as Julian falls to his knees. Thomas is standing behind him.

  “It’s time to pay, Chandra.” An evil grin spreads across his face. He steps over Julian’s body, plunging the knife into her stomach.

  She can feel the blade penetrate, as it cuts through tissue and muscle. Blood spews from her mouth. She wheezes, coughing as she gags on the iron taste. She falls to the floor clutching her stomach as her insides spill out. The last sound she hears is Thomas laughing.

  Waking up in a sweat, Chandra’s head is pounding. Clutching her stomach, she can’t catch her breath. She’s coughing. Spit is dangling from her chin. “What….” She pants. Dragging her hand across her belly, she searches for a wound.

  “What the hell is going on?” She looks at her glass of wine. She doesn’t remember drinking it all. She stands. Unable to support her weight, she sinks into the sofa. Her eyes dart around. The clock on the mantle says it’s two a.m.

  She tries to stand again. Dizziness overtakes her. She flops back down. Black spots float around her head. Bile is creeping its way up. Letting her head hang limp against her chest, she waits for it to pass, taking several deep cleansing breaths.

  Feeling a little stronger, she stands. Letting her weight rest on the balls of her feet, she steadies herself. The swaying subsides as she straightens up more. Her phone pings. Unable to bend over and pick it up at the same time, she sits back down on the edge of the sofa.

  Her phone pings again. Opening it, she sees there is a message from an unknown number. Her fingers tremble as she taps the glass.

  You like being the center of attention, don’t you?

  She’s about to put the phone down when another message comes through.

  You have something at your door.

  Refusing to let her nightmare or Thomas scare her, she gathers herself. Taking slow steps to the front door, she looks out the little window. She can see a bouquet of pink roses. “No, no, no. This isn’t happening.”

  She takes a few steps towards the living room, before she has to lean against the wall for support. Placing her back against it, her butt slides down to the floor. Her knees are bent, pulled up to her chest. Placing her arms across them, she rests her head.

  She swallows the bile hovering at the back of her throat. A cool sheen of sweat beads around her hairline and down her back. Her skin is clammy. Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, she pushes the vomit down before she passes out.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Mid-day Saturday

  “Chandra?” Julian bangs on the front door. “Chandra? Are you in there?” He puts his face against the small glass window. He can see the edge of the living room. Banging harder on the door, he yells louder. “Chandra!”

  She staggers to the door. Yanking it open, her alarm goes off. The siren-like sound echoing through the quiet neighborhood. She quickly shuts it down. “What are you doing here?” she asks, pushing Julian to the side.

  “Holy shit. Did you go on a bender?” Julian asks watching her. “What are you looking for?”

  “Where are the roses? Did you take them?”

  “What roses?”

  She closes the door. Setting the alarm, she bolts the door, engaging every lock, before walking to the living room. Chandra falls into the chair by the window. Unable to stop herself, the sobs start. Tears drip from her chin.

  Julian glances around the room. It looks like a dungeon of darkness. “What’s going on, Chandra?” When he turns back to her, his face softens. “Hey, hey.” He pulls the matching chair closer to hers. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  She wipes her face. “Didn’t the officers from last night get a hold of you?”

  “No. Why would police officers contact me?”

  She ran through the events of the evening. “I swear I didn’t drink more than one glass of wine. Not even a full glass. I kept having weird dreams. Then I got a text saying there were roses outside my door.” She searches her phone. “I—I swear.” Her eyes dart around. “There were messages on here.”

  Julian touches her knee. “I believe you.” He sighs. He takes out his phone. “Hey, Steven. I need a favor. Pull the incident report involving 1425 N. Alabaster in Chantilly Estates. It happened last night. Get me everything. Email it. I appreciate it. When you’re done, head home. We can be on call out of the office.”

  “What about the texts? I saw them. They were on my phone.”

  “There are tons of apps out there to remove text messages after they are read. I’m not an app expert, but I could ask our electronics division. See if they have an idea.”

  “I was drugged. No way a half glass of wine makes me pass out or feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck.” Chandra stands. “I need some water.” She picks up her empty glass as she walks to the kitchen.

  Julian follows. He opens the fridge, removing the bottle of wine. He removes the cork and sniffs. “Smells like wine.” He places it in the trash.

  “Shouldn’t we test the bottle? I know I was drugged.”

  “I can’t request that. Not without a case. And right now, we have no case. We can’t even prove you were drugged.” His phone beeps. Checking his email, he reads over the report. “The time line fits. Thomas could definitely be our guy. And his actions in front of me last night, and the vandalism on your property, may open the door for us to question him.” He sees her eyes light up. “Only question, Chandra. I can’t arrest him.”

  She takes a long gulp of the water she grabbed from the refrigerator. “At least you can question him.” She rinses her face in the sink. After blotting it dry with a towel, she guzzles the last of the water. “Oh man, I needed this.”

  Julian walks into her mudroom about to check the trash for the flowers, when he sees a bouquet on the table. He lifts the pink flowers from the book store. “Where did you get these?”

  Chandra looks at the small bouquet. “Those were delivered to the book store last night.”

  Julian reads the card. “Looks like your fan is at work again. He must be following your schedule. Does your publisher post your appearances on line?”

  Chandra nods. “Yeah. They started that several months ago.” She leans in towards him. Her brow draws together. “Why did you go to my garage?”

  “I wanted to see if the flowers were placed in your garbage. I’m sure they weren’t. That would be too easy.”

  She barks out a cackle. “I think I’m going crazy. This whole thing is making me nuts.” She places a second bottle of cold water against her face before guzzling its contents. “I know someone put something in my wine. And I know flowers were on my porch. I also know I got text messages telling me to look.” She glances up at him, her mouth turned downward. “You do believe me, right?”

  He pushes a strand of hair out of her face. “I do. Do you have any video from last night?”

  Chandra’s chin rests against her chest. She shakes her head.
“I must have forgotten to turn on the alarm. There isn’t any video, and when I unlocked my door, the alarm was disarmed, and the new lock wasn’t engaged.” Her arms hang limp at her sides. The empty bottle dangling from her fingertips.

  Julian moves closer. “It’s okay. It’s a simple mistake to make.”

  “But I’m sure I locked and armed the system. I know I did.” She wipes her brow. “I feel as if I am losing my mind.” She looks at Julian. “Did Thomas do this to the other women?”

  “No drugging. There were victims who received flowers and other gifts.”

  “It has to be Thomas.”

  “How would he get in?”

  “I don’t know.” Her voice comes out as a high-pitched whine as she pulls on her hair, running her fingers through it. “But it has to be him. I’m sure of it.”

  The doorbell rings.

  “You expecting someone?” Julian asks.

  “No.”

  He follows her to the door.

  She peeps out the small window. She leans into him. “It’s Luke, the guy who washed the paint off my garage.”

  “Open the door.” He nods towards it.

  “Hey, Luke. What can I do for you?”

  “Hey Chandra.” Luke steps towards the door.

  “Hello. I’m Lieutenant Drake. Can I ask you some questions about last night?” Julian smiles at him.

  The muscles in Luke’s jaw twitch. “What do you need from me?”

  “Tell me what you know.” Julian walks out into the yard. He nods for Chandra to follow.

  Luke stands next to her. “I came home from a late meeting and I saw the vandalism done to her garage door. I called the security gate, who in turn called the police.”

  “Did you see anyone? A suspicious car? Anything?” Julian asks.

  “No. When I drove in last night, I didn’t notice anything or anyone. No dog walkers or other cars. I wish I could be of some help.”

  Chandra squirms under Luke’s stare.

  Luke hides a snicker. “The builder should be dropping off the paint soon.”