“Whatever. I would, too.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You would order take out. But you wouldn’t go in and sit.” He sees a spark of anger. “Don’t get mad at me. You know deep down it’s true.”
She rolls her eyes. “I would still like there to be a place like this near me.”
As they eat, a football game plays in the background. The crowd around the bar cheers.
Chandra blows out a long breath. Half of her burger remains. “I can’t eat any more.”
Julian pushes his plate to the center of the table. “I’m pretty full too. I do love the ribs here.”
“I can tell.” She says pointing to his dish. “I’m surprised you didn’t eat the plate as well.”
“Funny. What a hoot you are.” He pays the bill and they head to his car. His phone pings.
As she climbs inside, she peers over at him. “Do you have to go?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. One of my detectives is heading to a scene. He said he would call if he needs me to meet him.”
“I’m glad.”
“He knows I’m here with you. He won’t ask me to leave unless he needs me.”
Chandra pulls up the book store on her GPS. “If you pull out and turn right, the book store is about two miles down.”
Julian points to the clock on his dash. “You have a good thirty minutes before it starts. Perfect timing, I’d say.”
“Very good timing.” She tilts her head towards him. “You know, I’d say meeting you was perfect timing too. I can’t imagine going through all this without you. I’m forever grateful.”
“It’s all my pleasure.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Chandra sits at the table signing books. She finds it hard to concentrate watching Julian and Adam laughing in the corner.
“I’m such a big fan.” A young lady gushes, standing at the table.
“I’m glad you came out tonight.” Chandra starts to sign the lady’s book.
“Oh, will you make it out to Tamara? I’m your biggest fan, you know.”
Chandra signs the book. “There you go, Tamara, my biggest fan. Have a great evening.” She hands her the book.
“Thank you. Thank you.” Tamara cradles the book against her chest as she walks away.
Keeping Julian in her line of view, Chandra is distracted by the look on his face.
“Meeting you is the coolest thing.” A young boy waits for his book to be signed. When his favorite author doesn’t respond, he glances around. “Ms. Willis?”
Chandra smiles at him. “I’m sorry. Tell me your name.”
“Joey. Joey Standifer.”
“Well, Joey, how old are you?”
“I’m thirteen. I’ll be fourteen in three months and eight days.”
Hiding her giggle, Chandra takes his book, signs it, then hands it back. She reaches for one of the special addition hardback books on the table. “Since I won’t be seeing you on your birthday, here is an early present.” She hands the boy the book.
“Are you serious?” he squeals.
“Yes. Happy early birthday.”
“This is the best present ever. Thank you, Ms. Willis.” Joey takes off running from the table. “Mom, Mom. Look.”
Chandra watches as he and his mother walk away. The line is thinning. She looks around to see Julian and Adam walking towards her.
“Hey,” Julian says taking the chair next to her.
“I wondered where you had gone.” Chandra signs another book. “You look like you’re about to tell me something.”
“I have to go. Detective Jones called me.”
Chandra’s eyes light up. She stops signing, turning to Julian. “Did they arrest Thomas?”
“All I know is when he went to his house, Thomas became belligerent and argumentative. That allowed them to handcuff him and search his premises. They found green paint.”
“Okay. That’s great.” She nods at Adam then turns to Julian. “Right?”
“It is. I’ll call as soon as I know something,” Julian says.
Chandra’s brow wrinkles. “Will I see you later?”
“I hope so. If I can get away, I’ll text. Otherwise, I can come over tomorrow.”
“Okay. Text or call, either way.” She stands and hugs him. “Thanks for dinner. I hope you come over later.”
Julian kisses her on the cheek. “I’ll come by. Even if all I can do is say goodnight.” He rushes to the door.
Adam takes the seat vacated by Julian. “So, this is good news. Maybe they can arrest Thomas and stop the harassment.”
“That would be the best news.” Chandra smiles at a patron. She engages in small talk with a few more fans.
“I hear you had dinner with him,” Adam says leaning in close to her.
She smiles and poses for a picture with a young lady. “I did.”
“And?”
“And that’s all you will get out of me.”
Adam twists his watch on his wrist. “This should be over in about an hour.” He looks towards the end of the line. “Maybe sooner. Then I can take you home earlier.”
Chandra leans into him. “I have to stay here until eight p.m. Even without customers.”
“Such a stickler for rules.” Adam sips his water.
A small lag in customers gives her a chance to take a break. “Have you heard from Thomas? Or anything having to do with him and the suit?” Chandra sits back in her chair.
“Nothing I’m aware of. I did see the lawyers in Jane’s office. But I haven’t heard what they spoke about.”
“I hope tonight means this whole thing will blow over.” Chandra sits up as another fan comes up to the table. Signing a book, she hands it to the man. “Thank you,” she says as he walks away.
“Julian told me about everything happening to you. You should have told me and Jane.”
“I did. You both told me I was over reacting.” Chandra signs another book and poses for a picture. She looks at him. “You guys already think I’m just shy, or anxious. I figured if I pushed it, you would think I was crazy. Heck, even I thought I was crazy.”
“We wouldn’t have thought that.” Adam takes a long drink of his water. “I guess I should’ve listened more. I’m sorry. You know you’re more than an author to me and Jane. We care about you. You shouldn’t have had to deal with this alone.”
“Thanks for saying that.” She smiles at him, patting his hand.
“I emailed you the itinerary. I want you to look at it and make sure it’s okay. Not many changes can be made, but there is a little wiggle room.”
Chandra sighs. “Yay!” She claps her hands together like a little kid.
Ninety minutes later, Chandra squirms in her seat as Adam drives through her neighborhood gate. She chews on the inside of her cheek. She taps her thumb against her fingers on her right hand. Her counting speed increases as they near the driveway. Studying every inch of the front of her house and yard, nothing looks out of place. She breathes out a long breath of air.
Adam turns to her, taking her hand in his. “It’s okay. I’ll come in with you. We’ll walk through it together. Julian wants me or you to text him.” He squeezes her hand. “You ready?”
She nods. “Yes. Thank you for doing this. I know he’s questioning Thomas, but I can’t help feeling apprehensive.”
They walk to the front door. She unlocks it, but the door won’t open. “Crap. We have to go through my garage. I forgot I have this new bolt thingy.” She punches in the code and uses her security app to shut off the alarm. Unlocking the mudroom, Adam follows her to the kitchen.
“Do you like the new system?” Adam asks.
“I do. I like the new locks as well.”
Theo sits in the kitchen, waiting for her to acknowledge him.
She bends down and scratches his head. “Have you been sitting here waiting for me?”
Theo stretches and struts to the sofa. Curling up in a b
all, he shuts out the noise.
“So much for that welcome.” Chandra walks to the table, placing her purse on it. The glass door is clear. All the blinds are open. Julian opened them while she slept and she forgot to close them before she left. Giving a sidelong glance to Adam, she turns her attention to the back porch.
Adam stands beside her. “I checked all the rooms, both upstairs and downstairs. Nothing looks out of place to me, but I don’t live here. I didn’t find anyone hiding in the closets.”
“Thank you. I appreciate this.” Chandra’s gaze falls to the floor.
“Not a problem. There isn’t anything to unload. You don’t have any more signings until we leave.” Adam reaches out, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Enjoy the next week. Sleep in. Relax. And write. You always have to write, per Jane.”
“I’m almost finished with the book. I have a few more chapters.”
“Jane will be happy to hear that news. I’ll tell her tomorrow.” He turns towards the garage. “I’ll go out this way.” He heads to the mudroom. “Come lock it up behind me and set your alarm.”
She walks him to the edge of her garage.
He opens his car door. Turning around, he snaps his fingers. “Text Julian. Let him know you’re home. And you need to let Jane know about Thomas ASAP. She will want to tell the lawyers.”
“I will. Thanks again, Adam.” She waves at him. Stepping back, she hits the garage door opener on the wall, closing the door. She locks the mudroom behind her. Wanting a little snack, she gets the sandwich from the other night out of the refrigerator. Cutting it in half, she wraps the remaining portion, putting it back. Removing a bottle of water at the same time.
Theo is quick to check out what she has on her plate.
“Leave my food alone,” she says grabbing a can of his from the cabinet. “I’ll give you some of yours. Quit stealing mine.” Scooping the contents into his bowl, she washes her hands and heads to the sofa. Turning on the TV, she opens the water bottle. The news of Thomas gives her a little peace of mind. And Luke can’t get in. She takes a bite of her sandwich, then quickly texts Julian. Her phone pings.
I might get there in an hour. Is that okay?
A grin fills her face. Of course. Can’t wait to see you and hear about Thomas. Watching the early edition of the news, she finishes her snack and curls up under the covers. Theo joins her, taking his share out of the middle. “Hog.” She squints at him. Giving in to his pouty face, she rubs his belly.
She keeps looking at the glass door. She resists the urge to frost the glass. Instead, she tries to enjoy the view. Something she hasn’t done for a long time.
Her lights flicker on and off. She freezes, rooted to her spot on the sofa. She looks all around, double checking behind her. “It’s a flicker. Nothing more, Chandra.” Picking up her cell phone, she dials the front gate.
“Jeffrey here.”
“Hey, it’s Chandra Willis.”
There is silence on the line.
“Jeffrey, are you still there?”
“Yes. Sorry about that. What do you need?”
“My lights are flickering. Do you have any reports of power surges or anything?” She hears a rumble of thunder off in the distance.
“Construction hit an underground line today. The power company has been working to get it up. Most everyone has power, but there seem to be a few glitches. There are also storms rolling in.”
“I just heard the thunder. Nothing to worry about, then. I guess. Thanks.”
“Don’t hesitate to call me.”
She can hear Jeffrey whisper to someone.
“I have to go, Chandra. Remember, don’t hesitate to call us.”
She frowns as her line goes quiet. “I won’t,” she says out loud to no one. The weather man repeats what Jeffrey said. A threat of thunderstorms over the next few hours and several rounds of rain over the next four days. “Great. Now I’ll be stuck inside for the week.”
She takes her plate to the sink. Looking for something sweet, she settles on a few pieces of chocolate from her candy stash. Glancing at her watch, she has at least forty-five minutes before Julian can get there.
Wanting to keep herself busy, she decides to clean, starting with the downstairs bathrooms. Once done, the strong smell of bleach fills the hallway. “I may have gone a little overboard.” She walks into the spare bedroom. She dusts the night stand and dresser. Her lights flicker again. Carrying on with her cleaning task, she finds herself humming.
A clap of thunder erupts. She looks out the bedroom window. Lightning flashes in the distance. Her phone pings. Biting her lower lip, she’s hoping Julian is telling her he’s on his way. As she opens her messages, a second one pops up.
Both are from a private number. Her finger hovers above the messages, threatening to delete both them before she reads them. She sighs as curiosity gets the best of her.
It’s time, Chandra.
It looks like your book tour is going to have to wait.
Chandra’s heart races. This time she takes a screen shot of the messages. Taking a deep breath, she starts to respond, thinking it’s Thomas. Then she remembers he’s at the police station. She texts Julian. Is Thomas still with you? She taps her foot, waiting. Her phone pings.
We had to let him go. We couldn’t hold him. But the DA is going to put something together. Why?
I just got a text from him. At least I think it’s him.
I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry.
Chandra decides to respond to Thomas. I’m not afraid of you, Thomas. Or whoever you are. The police are on their way.
They won’t get to you in time.
Chandra’s hands tremble. She walks out of the bedroom, and the lights go dark. A small yelp fills the hallway. She uses the light on her phone to search for a flashlight in the kitchen. “I know I had one in this drawer.” She searches another drawer. Giving up she calls the guard shack.
“Security.”
“Hey, it’s Chandra Willis. Did the power go out for the whole neighborhood?”
“What are you talking about? The power isn’t out.”
“Jeffrey said some construction work caused a few power outages. My power is out. I wondered if the construction work is to blame.”
“No, Ms. Willis. There haven’t been any other outages.”
She can hear the ringing of another phone.
“Hang on.”
She hears a muffled conversation. She cups her hand over her open ear, listening. The guard’s voice sounds jumbled.
“Ms. Willis, it could be a blown fuse. Do you know where your fuse box is?”
“I think it’s in my garage.”
“Go and flip the switch and see if the power kicks back on. Call me back if it doesn’t.”
“Thanks.” Chandra hangs up. She uses her phone to get to the garage. A roar of thunder startles her. She searches for the fuse box. She stands in the center of her garage trying to figure out where it is. “C’mon, I know it’s here.” Using the flashlight on her phone, she sees it behind one of her metal shelving units.
Opening it, she flips the switch. Nothing. She flips all the switches on and off. Hoping it would trigger the lights. Frowning, she calls security. This time there is no answer. “Great.” She walks back into the kitchen. She shivers rubbing her arms.
She finds no open doors or windows. She stiffens. “Calm down, Chandra. It’s just a storm, Julian is on his way.” She hears her words, but her body doesn’t believe them. Her fingers tremble as she calls the security shack again.
“Security.”
“This is Chandra Willis.”
“I can’t hear you. Can you speak up?”
Chandra steps further into the living room. “This is Chandra. It’s not my fuse. Can you help me? Can you come over here?”
Lightning flashes. A crack of thunder booms, rattling the dishes. She jumps, letting out a scream. She yells into the phone. “Jeffrey? G
eorge?” She looks at the screen. The call is no longer connected. She starts to move through the living room, heading towards her front door.
A soft meow catches her attention. “Theo?” she whispers. “Theo, where are you?” She hears the kitty meowing. Using the light on her phone, she searches for him. “Kitty, where are you.” Another round of thunder rattles the sliding door.
She follows the meowing. Standing at the foot of the stairs, her back is to the glass door. “Theo? Where are you, kitty?” Jumping when her phone rings, she looks at the screen. “Julian,” she pants as she answers it.
“Chandra? Are you okay?”
“Julian. The power went out. I think someone is here.” Another bolt of lightning flashes. A loud crash of thunder booms. She screams into the phone. “Julian are you almost here?”
“Chandra, it’s just a storm. Call security.”
“You don’t understand. I can’t get through to them. You have to get here. It’s Thomas. He’s here.”
“I’m on my way. I should be there in ten minutes. I’ll call security.”
She can hear Theo meowing. Spinning around, a bolt of lightning illuminates the backyard. Theo is hiding under the chair near the glass door. She gets on her hands and knees and drags him out. “I know storms are scary.”
Backing away from the door, she whispers into the phone. “I got Theo. I’m going to get in my car. Julian? Julian?” She yells into the phone. Looking at the screen, she sees the call has been dropped. She scratches Theo’s head. She feels something around his neck. It’s a collar.
Her heart thuds against her chest. Each beat thrashing in her ears. There’s a charm dangling from it. The light from her phone bounces off the silver charm. She gasps. It’s the match to the heart left in her mailbox.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“No, this isn’t happening.” She covers her mouth, stifling a scream. A bolt of lightning brightens the room. Another loud boom of thunder shakes the house. Theo jumps from her arms, hiding in the living room. “Theo? Kitty, come to Mama.” Chandra tries to grab him from under a chair. Tears sting her eyes.
Another lightening flash illuminates the back porch. Something catches her attention. When she looks at the door, nothing is there. Reaching under the chair, she’s trying to get a hold of Theo.
Fleeting Glimpse Page 16