by Kylie Parker
“Ok.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jimmy and Emily were all smiles during the short drive to St. Mary’s orphanage. They teased each other, reminiscing about their happy memories. Jimmy refrained from telling her about his one and only condition, fearing that she will not like it. Emily’s emotional outburst had troubled him. Jimmy loved her; he didn’t want to argue with her over his decision, especially not after the wonderful night that they had spent together. Of course, it was a little too far-fetched for her to react like that, but Jimmy would not risk it.
After a rather long and cordial welcome –Emily had not been there in four years- Sister Margaret took her by the hand and led her in the building, while Jimmy stayed behind to chat with Father Howard, who was at the entrance. The two of them climbed the stairs to the first floor, where the nursery was. The four young nuns who were there, taking care of the babies did not recognize Emily; they were barely her age.
“I’ve been hearing some really good things about you.” Sister Margaret remarked. “You’re making an impact out there.”
“Thanks.” Emily said with a grin. “I’ve been trying really hard lately.”
“Patience, child.” The nun advised. “Good things will come.”
“I sure hope so.” Emily chirped.
“We were all so relieved that Jimmy gave us the money to keep this place alive. What he did was really noble.” Sister Margaret commented. “God sent him that day.”
“I beg to differ.” Emily smiled in embarrassment. “He told me his heart sank when he heard about this place shutting down.”
“You must mean his broken heart, my dear Emily.” Sister Margaret corrected her. “Boy, I got to tell you. Whatever happened with that girl must have torn him apart. His Anna must be really special.”
“Anna?” Emily squinted at her.
“That’s right. He gave us the money, on one condition: That we name the baby girl in the nursery after her.” The nun explained.
“There you are.” Jimmy gasped, standing on the top landing. “I’ve been all over the place looking for you.”
“We were just talking about your…” Emily faltered. “Condition.”
Jimmy lowered his eyes. He would not face her. Staring at the floor, he waited for words of anger to come out of her mouth. Amazingly though, she did not look surprised. She did not sound angry, either. Instead, Emily slowly walked up to him. She stopped right in front of Jimmy. Taking his hand into her palm, she whispered:
“Let’s go see her.”
Her suggestion put a smile on Jimmy’s face. A sigh of relief escaped him. Emily had shown understanding. He returned his gaze to her.
“Thank you.” He muttered.
“Thank me?” She snorted. “I already knew you loved her, honey. I just didn’t know how much. Now, come on. Let’s go see that baby.”
“After you.” Jimmy mumbled. His heart leaped with joy, as he caught a glimpse of baby Anna. She was in her bassinette, looking around her, with a young nun standing over her.
“Sister Barbara, this is Jimmy Holden I’ve been telling you about.” Sister Margaret interjected, as they entered the nursery.
“Oh, thank you, sir!” She said, averting her gaze from the baby girl, looking up at him, her voice filling with gratitude as she responded.
Jimmy gave the nun a polite smile and then looked down at baby Anna. He picked her up by sliding his left hand under her neck and head, and the other under her bottom and her hips. Jimmy spread his fingers as he lifted her to his chest. Then, he gently slid his left hand along her back. Baby Anna’s head and neck slid along his forearm, making their way into the crook of his arm and elbow. Jimmy brought her close to his body, gazing into her big, brown eyes.
“Look at you.” He whispered. Baby Anna smiled up at him.
“She likes you already.” Sister Margaret remarked.
“Yeah, all Anna’s like me at first.” He joked.
“Jimmy, I don’t know if you’re considering adoption. I just wanted to tell you that she probably won’t be here for long. Couples like to adopt babies. We’re already reviewing an application.” The nun said.
“I can’t do that, Sister.” Jimmy spoke in a firm tone. “You know as well as I do that a kid needs both parents. I’m too young to raise a kid anyway.”
“Jimmy, please leave the baby here.” Emily requested. “I need to have a word with you.”
Jimmy gave baby Anna back to Sister Barbara and then followed Emily out of the nursery and into the large, wide hall.
“I’d like to ask you a question and I need to tell me the truth.” Emily made her voice sound sweeter, as she put her hands on his wrists. “What’s so special about her?”
“I’m not sure you want to hear this.” Jimmy grumbled.
“I wouldn’t be asking you if I wasn’t.” She insisted.
“Well, if you must know…” He took a deep breath. “She’s beautiful, romantic, really confident and has a thing for flowers. And she’s the first woman I’ve ever been in love with.”
“Jesus, Jimmy!” Emily couldn’t keep her voice down anymore. “She’s your first love?” She squinted at him.
“That’s what I said.” He confirmed.
“Wow…” Emily silently mouthed, fixing her gaze on his hands.
At that moment, Jimmy’s attention was drawn by the sound of multiple, heavy footsteps on the stairs. He turned his head to the right, only to see two elderly men in suits and two, young police officers in uniforms. One of them pulled a picture out of the pocket of his suit, glanced at it and then looked up at Jimmy.
“That’s our guy.” He murmured. “Mr. Holden, I’m agent Berry, I’m with the FBI. This is agent Turner. We’d like to ask you some questions. Follow us, please.”
“Ok.” Jimmy nodded to him. “Em, I’ll meet you back at my place.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Just what I needed. Cops.” Jimmy thought to himself. In his mind though, he had nothing to worry about. He believed that Thomson was behind this, just like the raid in his apartment. For Jimmy, Thomson was nothing more than a common sociopath, obsessed with Anna. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but worry about her. Despite the fact that she told him that he had not bothered her again since the night in his cabin, Jimmy thought that he had not left Highland Park. Most likely, Thomson would try to approach her again. Men like him don’t give up. Jimmy could only wish that he had not hurt her in any way. He began to ask himself whether he should return to Highland Park or not. Whatever he would decide though, he would first have to answer the questions the police had. Sat in an interrogation room, he waited patiently for the FBI agent.
However, as soon as agent Berry walked in the heavy, steel door, it became clear to Jimmy that he would be there for quite some time. He had a massive folder in his hands. He eased them down on the small table in front of him and sat across from Jimmy. Agent Berry opened the folder, without addressing him at all. It was full of documents, but there were some pictures on top of them. He grabbed the first and showed it to Jimmy. What he saw, shocked and disgusted him. Marty and Nicolas had been brutally gunned down. They were lying down on the street, with bullet holes on their chests.
“A CI in Houston gave a bogus tip to your buddy, Marty Reid. He took the bait. He and Nicolas Green were shot last night.” Berry spoke in steady tone. “They tried to rob an armored truck in Houston last night. Reid pulled the truck over. Green opened the back door, but we were waiting for him. He pulled a gun on us. Reid heard the commotion. Same deal. We had to take them out.”
Jimmy had been trying to work up the courage to speak throughout Berry’s short narrative. However, he could not. Marty and Nicolas were not actually his friends, but he had known them for years. He did not want to see them dead, especially not like that.
“Correct me if I’m wrong Mr. Holden, but you knew these guys, didn’t you?” Berry went on.
“I did.” Jimmy said with a nod.
“I got do
zens of eye witnesses who say that you met with them at a cafe, a couple of days ago. A security clerk’s description in Dallas fits these two. She said one of them was about 6ft tall and skinny. The other was about 5’8” and fat. She also said that she talked to a third guy. He was taller and –quote- ‘With a very good build.’ Also, rumor has it that the money to keep St. Mary’s orphanage came from an anonymous donor. Some say that he grew up there. Would you happen to know who that man is?” Berry asked.
“I got no idea.” Jimmy replied. “Agent Berry, why the hell would the FBI raid my apartment? Because of this vague crap?”
“The FBI doesn’t raid houses acting upon suspicion. I don’t know who raided your apartment, but it sure as hell wasn’t us. You’re right, though. This doesn’t sound like much. Normally, I wouldn’t suspect you. But agent Thomson said he found more than a million bucks in your cabin. Can you account for that?” Berry raised his tone.
“A million?” Jimmy acted surprised, at the same time wondering who was responsible for the raid in his apartment. “Who, me?” He pointed to himself. “Trust me, officer. If I had stolen that money, I wouldn’t be here talking with you. And by the way, you should do a background check on that psychopathic prick.”
“Watch your language, Holden!” The agent yelled.
“I’m telling you the truth here!” Jimmy cried, jolting up. “A girl I know has a restraining order against him!”
“Sit down.” Berry commanded, lowering his tone. Jimmy was boiling with rage. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his body. He had to try hard to control his heavy breathing and to keep his hands from shaking.
“I said sit down.” Berry insisted. Jimmy complied, grunting.
“I won that money in Vegas.” He croaked.
“You’re a smart man, Holden.” Berry said with a sarcastic smile on his face. “Those two had just come back from a trip to Jamaica. But you? You stayed right here.”
“Just because I knew them, that doesn’t make me an accessory.” Jimmy claimed. “Do yourself a favor and do some research on Thomson. He used to date some girl and she had to get a restraining order against him, because he wouldn’t leave her alone. Hell, he’d even put a gun to her head.”
“Thomson may be a psycho.” Berry sounded much calmer than before. “Some eye witnesses may not remember things so well, but these…” He pointed at the stack of papers in front of him. “These say the exact same thing: That you knew those poor bastards a little too well.”
“Am I under arrest here?” Frustration was lingering in Jimmy’s voice.
“No.” Berry replied. “Get the hell out of my sight. Sooner or later, you’ll make a mistake.” He paused, planted his hands on the table and leaned towards Jimmy. “And when you do…”
“Whatever.” Jimmy grumbled. His gut feeling was correct. The police did not have anything on him. They could only suspect him. For now, he did not have to worry about cops. However, Jimmy could not shake the feeling that Anna could still be in danger. On his way back to his apartment, he was in a dilemma.
“Stay in San Antonio or go back to Dallas? I don’t know. Maybe I should talk to Emily about this. What should I say? ‘Hey, my ex is in danger?’ How can she help me? She can’t, Jimmy. You just want her to say that she’s ok with you going there.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emotionally drained, but in a good mood despite the day’s events, Jimmy stepped out of the elevator on the second floor. He would soon see Emily again; yes, things could not get physical between them, but she was still a familiar face that he could trust. Nevertheless, as he turned his head to the left and faced the front door to his apartment, Jimmy noticed another female figure: He was more than thirty feet away from her, but he would recognize her face anywhere. After all, it had only been a few days since they last saw each other. Her whiskey hair and her curvy body left him no doubt: It was Anna, standing across from him, with her arms folded across her chest. His heart fluttered; for a moment, he believed that she was there because she wanted to get back together with him. Still, the sullen look in her eyes as he made his way towards her did not leave him much hope.
“Anna?” He said, his stentorian voice bouncing off the walls of the corridor. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Jimmy.” She sighed, looking deep into his eyes. “We need to talk.”
Jimmy unlocked the door and showed her in. She took two steps into his living room and stopped, before he passed her by. Bothered by her distrust, he flipped around and faced her.
“Look, if you’re going to tell me off about the past…”
“It’s not about that.” She assured, interrupting him. “I read about the orphanage. The report said that the money came from an anonymous donor. It got me curious. I called. I spoke to Sister Margaret. Sweet lady. I didn’t have to ask her; she told me everything.” Anna spoke in a calm, steady tone.
Jimmy could not believe his ears. He raised his arms and ran his hands through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut. But he was already too upset by the news of his partners’ death and Berry’s persistent questions. Frustrated, he dropped his arms and clenched his fists. He threw his right arm forward and punched the wall next to the door.
“Damn it!” He cried. “I told her not to say anything to anyone!”
“She told me that, too.” Anna continued. “She said she wanted to help us get back together. She loves you a lot.”
Jimmy blew out an exasperated gasp.
“No. She still shouldn’t have.”
“Andy said you snapped when he asked for your help.” She changed the subject. “Why?”
“Aren’t you going to say anything about what I did? Is that how much you hate me?” Jimmy squinted at her.
Anna dropped her gaze from him. She shook her head sideways twice, biting her lower lip. A deep sigh escaped her, as she turned around. She reached her arm forward and put it on the door handle. Jimmy strode across the floor. He raised his arms over his head and slammed his palms against the door. Then, he leaned towards her, feeling his heart racing faster by the second.
“Do you hate me?” He whispered in her ear. Anna would not speak. Jimmy waited for a few seconds for her to address him. A faint sniffle tore through the thick silence like a jagged edge. In a split second, he removed his hands from the door. He put her on her shoulders. In a swift move, he turned her around. However, nothing could have prepared him for what he witnessed. Tears had welled up in Anna’s partially open eyes. She could not open her trembling mouth. Her entire body was shivering. More tears had soaked her face; one of them rolled off her right cheek.
“Please, open the door.” She whispered, her voice quivering.
“You’re not going anywhere until I get an answer. Do you hate me?” Jimmy insisted, his voice thick with emotion.
“How could I?” Anna let out one more, soft whisper. “You did a wonderful thing. I should have known it was you.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the man I fell in love with.” She confessed, tears streaming down her beautiful face. “God… I see your face everywhere I go.”
“Me, too.” Jimmy whispered, sliding his right hand down the door. “I can’t escape your eyes, Anna. It’s like they’re following me around. Full of anger… Pain… Sorrow. God, I miss you so much.”
“Please stop.” She begged, as his hand touched her hair. “Stop saying those things.”
“It’s just how I feel, baby.” He added, his voice barely audible.
“You’re making me yearn for you.” Anna complained. “I can’t yearn for things I can’t have.”
“Can’t?”
“What if the truth comes out, Jimmy?” She wondered. “What if someday people know about you? Everybody in Highland Park is going to say that I let a murderer in my house.”
Jimmy remained silent, relishing the feel of her silky hair between his fingertips. Sensing that it was over between them, he stepped back, rolling his eyes to the left.
&nb
sp; “Go. Just go.” He urged.
Out of the blue, Anna took two quick steps towards him. She put her still shaking hands on his face. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, knowing that this was the last time that he would feel her featherlike touch on his skin. Anna bent her head towards him. A gentle kiss on his cheek forced two tears out of his eyes.
“Goodbye, Jimmy Holden.” She whispered. He would not watch her leave. Jimmy chose to keep his eyes shut. The sound of her heels on his floor and the one of the door opening and slamming shut tore him apart. Part of him wanted to go after her, talk to her again, feel her breath on his face, but Jimmy was too emotional to even move.
“Goodbye, my sweet Anna. Go on. Leave me. I guess it doesn’t matter if I’ve regretted everything. It doesn’t matter that I’ve chosen to do good now. You still won’t take me back. What people might say is just a lame excuse, sweetheart. You’re still mad at me. Thanks for the nice comments on what I did. But even that wasn’t enough, was it?”
Chapter Thirty
A few seconds later and just when Jimmy was about to call Emily, his doorbell rang. His heart fluttered. Could it be that Anna had changed her mind and wanted him back? Jimmy didn’t have to wait for long to get an answer. Moments after the sound of the doorbell, he heard her sweet, feminine voice:
“Jimmy, it’s me.”
He did not waste any time. Jimmy opened his front door. Indeed, it was Anna. But she was not alone. Her head was locked between the crook of Ben Thomson’s elbow and the right side of his body. He held a gun with a silencer to her head. Anna’s face had almost turned blue. Tears were still coursing down her cheeks and her eyes were riddled with fear. Shocked to his core, Jimmy opened his eyes in disbelief and instinctively raised his hands above his head.
“Remember me, motherfucker?” Thomson said, gritting his teeth, glaring at Jimmy. “Take a couple of steps back.”