by Mckoy, Cate
Catlyn added, “And, when he heard about me and Jack’s opposing accounts of events, he must have put two and two together and confronted Jon, unknowingly, after Jason left.”
“What are you doing with the file now?”
“There were latent prints at the scene, I was thinking of putting them through the FBI database IAFIS.”
“I am going to use my connections to put a rush on it. Jason mentioned that Jon left finger prints at other crime scenes. They have his prints from when he attended law school.” Kyle informed, “That was how they were able to connect him to the crimes Jason referred to last night.”
Catlyn shook her head. “I can’t believe he has gotten away with so many crimes for over a quarter of a century.”
Kyle said, “It’s because his crimes are international. When Interpol got involved they were able to connect the dots and follow his crimes like bread crumbs. And being independently wealthy didn’t hurt him.”
Seeing the tears in Catlyn’s eyes Ashley changed the subject, “So, what do you have planned for today, relaxing?”
Jack snorted. “Like relaxing is in her vocabulary… not!”
Catlyn gave him a watery smile, “I have some shopping to do for our bar-b-q tomorrow night, plus I want a salon girls’ day out with Mackenzie and Tasha.”
Mackenzie laughed, “I am down for that.”
Jack threw up his hands. “Oh, God, spare me the triple threat.”
Kyle laughed and then looked at Ashley, “You have to promise me you won’t get into any trouble while out with the girls.”
With a completely straight face, Ashley said seriously, “I don’t get into trouble.”
The other three looked at Ashley like she had lost her marbles and then each threw a grape at her.
****
“So, I told Sanchez ain’t nobody got time for that,” Tasha was bending Catlyn’s and Ashley’s ears while they were all at different stages in their salon regimen.
“I like Sanchez. He’s a good guy. You could do worse than him.” Catlyn told Tasha.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me some Latino, but I can’t be doing no long distance shit.” Tasha imparted while flipping through a magazine with trendy hairstyles.
“I get the long distance thing, but, what do you have against moving?” Ashley wanted to know as she stepped from the sink back to the salon chair. The hairdresser spun Ashley around to face the mirror and started to blow dry her hair.
“Girrrl, please, if I move it’s going to be for a ring not just to shack-up.”
“I know that’s right!” Gina, the hairstylist, put in her vote.
Ashley shrugged, “I’d moved for the right guy without a ring.”
Tasha shook her head, “’Cause you know damn well, that sexy ass director ain’t letting you go without a ring.”
“That’s not true.” Ashley frowned, subconsciously fingering the ring under her shirt. “He dated Bunny Bencroft for years and she didn’t get a ring.”
Catlyn and Tasha shared a look over Ashley’s head. Catlyn explained gently, “Mackenzie, I think Kyle was looking at you for years. And, that is why Bunny-Honey didn’t get a ring.” Tasha laughed at their nickname for Bunny.
Gina finished blow drying Ashley’s hair and looked her in the eye via the mirror, “Ok, girl, what you want done?”
Ashley shrugged, “Can you do a French braid straight down my back.”
“Uh, uh!” Tasha jumped up from underneath her dryer, waving a page at Gina. “This, you have to give Mackenzie this style.”
They all looked at the page Tasha was pointing out. On it was an Asian model with her long black shiny hair super straight with sharp angles on the sides and very even horizontal bangs and the same horizontal straightness at the end of the long fall of tresses in the back. With the exception of her skin being lighter the model resembled Ashley.
“Wow, she’s stunning. It will look marvelous on you Mackenzie. You should go for it and it will look great with your dress for the wedding which you are being fitted for in couple of days.” Catlyn added her endorsement. “I can’t believe I will be married in 7 days.”
Ashley stared at the picture, pondering. She hadn’t cared about her looks since she was 11 and she had wanted Chad to think she was pretty. Thinking of the look in Kyle’s eyes as he looked at her wearing one of his gifts, Ashley knew Kyle already thought she was pretty. But, with this new hairstyle maybe she could be beautiful for him.
Taking an empowering breath, she looked at Gina and nodded.
****
“What the hell do you mean you lost her?” Jack was yelling at the uniformed officer he had following the girls.
“Honey, don’t yell at Officer Neil. We were standing right next to her and we lost her too.” Catlyn was rubbing Jack’s back, trying not to read too much into the very scary look Kyle was giving them since he heard Mackenzie had taken off.
“Sir, in my defense, you asked me to not let Professor Lyte out of my sight. I couldn’t follow Ms. Mackenzie and keep Professor Lyte in sight.”
Jack conceded the officer’s point. “Thank you, officer. I will call if I need you.” Officer Neil nodded and left quietly.
Catlyn put her hands on her hips giving Jack a direct look. “How long have you been having me followed?”
Unconcerned of her reaction he told her, “Since I heard Jon Dark might be in Newburgh.” His tone dared her to make a big deal.
Relenting mainly because she was relieved to know she had never really been alone while out and about without Jack. Catlyn turned to Kyle, “Kyle, are you ok? You look kind of sick.”
Jack tsked, “That’s because the woman he loves is out there in some kind of trouble.”
Catlyn shook her head, “We don’t know she’s in trouble, Jack. Don’t borrow trouble where there may not be any.”
Kyle came to his full height with agitation, “Knowing the woman you partnered with for years, knowing her propensity for finding trouble and knowing her affinity for justice, tell me with a straight face that you believe that bald-face lie you just uttered.”
“Hey, Kyle, take it easy, Catlyn is just trying to stop you from thinking the worst.” Jack put a reassuring hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “She may be all those things you just said, but, Mackenzie is also a highly trained, ass kicking, federal agent.”
Kyle nodded, “You’re right.” He gave Catlyn a crooked smile, “I’m sorry, Catlyn. I am just worried.”
Catlyn touched his hand, “I know. Mackenzie may have a knack for getting into trouble, but I’ve never seen anyone better at also getting out of trouble.” She squeezed his hand, “And, I wasn’t just placating, Mackenzie was fine when she took off.”
Tasha frowned and clarified, “She was physically fine.”
Kyle looked at Tasha, “What happened?”
“Well, we were in the upper parking level of the Galleria Mall, headed back to the car and we were joking around, laughing. Mackenzie was laughing too but then she suddenly stopped as though she were dizzy or something and then she shook her head, like she was clearing it then looked off into the distance at a group of people. She suddenly dropped her bags and took off like a lighting streak.”
Catlyn picked up the story, “I gave chase to give any kind of backup I could. But, I lost her when she jumped down to the lower level via a brick wall edging the parking structure stairs. I didn’t want to risk hurting the baby by trying to keep up with someone who is obviously in better physical condition.”
“You did the right thing. Do you have any idea what spooked her or what she was going after?”
“I’m sorry, no. If I had to guess, I’d say someone in the group of people she was staring at clicked something for her and she went after them to check it out.” Catlyn was feeling useless.
Tasha was just as upset, “We did try to look for her and we waited over 20 minutes for her to return.”
“Don’t feel bad. Ashley is probably following whoever she saw. God knows wher
e she is now.” Kyle was feeling disappointed and scared. “Still, I’d like to head over there and see if I can’t find her. She might return to the parking spot.” Kyle pulled Jack over to the side, “Can I borrow your car? You take care of Catlyn. I will find Ashley.”
Jack nodded, handing over his keys.
****
Ashley circled the Galleria one more time to make sure Catlyn and Tasha were not looking for her. The car was gone from their parking place but that didn’t mean they weren’t still there looking for her. She didn’t know how she was going to explain this to them without sounding crazy.
She had been feeling fine, happy even, with her new hairstyle and the fun girls-day-out with Catlyn and Tasha, when suddenly, a figure in the distance struck a chord deep within her being. The more she looked at the man, in the far off distance, the more convinced she was that he was… her father David Mackenzie. When the totally insane thought went through her mind she was assailed with memories of the day she was attacked by the Newburgh Slasher:
She was at her post next to the DJ setup when she sensed someone watching her. She turned to look and her eyes had clashed with startling grey ones. The eyes were ones she knew, had looked into a thousand times, eyes she had dreamt about for over 20 years, the eyes of David Mackenzie! The eyes were staring at her so hard and with such a look of wonder, as soon as he realized she returned his scrutiny the man had taken off. Instantly Ashley had followed.
The crowd was huge and hard to navigate. Ashley kept the man’s red ball cap in her line of vision, following through the mob of people, moving as fast as she could. She was closing the distance between them when she caught sight of another presence that also had a strong pull. It was Detective Tyron Anderson. Why was he walking away from the dance? Walking away from the people he was supposed to be protecting? And, why was he walking towards the water’s edge?
Ashley’s training, sense of duty and intuition kicked into overdrive and so she forgot about the man in the red ball cap and went after Anderson instead.
Ashley’s memories had came to an abrupt end at the point where she changed her direction to follow Anderson. Dropped harshly back into the present she saw the man again she had seen at the waterfront that day. He was part of a group of 4 men. The men started towards a lower level. Urgency flooded Ashley and she took off.
The men got in the elevator, the doors closing before Ashley could catch them. Quickly she made a dash for the exterior stairs. She rounded the elevator on the other side. She looked over the wall to the stairs, to save time, instead of going around to the top of the stairs, she jumped the wall and landed neatly on the fifth step and then raced down the stairs to catch the elevator before it opened.
Fast as she was going, she missed the patrons disembark. Ashley looked all around. The crowd was bigger in the front of the mall. The elevator opened onto the main floor which led to the main parking lot in front of the mall. The mass of people seemed to get larger. That didn’t stop Ashley from doing a systematic grid search for the man in the blue shirt that had pulled at her subconscious mind.
She didn’t know how long she looked, but, she was definitely sure the man she saw was gone. Feeling defeated that she didn’t even get a make or model of a car, Ashley made her way slowly back towards the parking level where she had left Catlyn and Tasha.
She was on her third and final circuit of the parking level, making sure Catlyn’s car was definitely not there when she saw Jack’s SUV come to a screeching halt.
Kyle got out of the vehicle with a stern look on his face. Oh, boy. She was in trouble again!
“Ashley!” His voiced echoed off the concrete walls.
She stopped moving, waiting until he reached her, which wasn’t long his angry stride had him next to her within seconds. He crushed her to him in a tight hug.
Stunned at first, Ashley stood unmoving in his embrace. Then loving the feel of his strong arms holding her close, she put her arms around him, laying her head against his chest as he kissed her temple.
“Babydoll, you scared me to death!”
“I know. I am sorry. I have to apologize to Catlyn and Tasha too.”
Kyle pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. “Later, right now you and I are going to find a nice quiet corner and we are going to discuss what the hell is going on with you, ok?”
Nodding, Ashley went back into his arms. Kyle led her to the car at the same time he dialed a number on his cell. “I found her. Yeah, right here in the parking garage at the mall.” He held her door open so she could get in and when she was settled he shut the door adding, “I am going to take her out for a cup of coffee. We need to talk. We’ll see you at your place later.
****
Kyle watched Ashley pensively drink her coffee. Her new hairstyle was gorgeous, as the male patrons of the diner revealed with long looks at her. Ashley was oblivious to the looks aimed her way. No one was getting her attention and that included Kyle himself.
She stared into her cup as though she lost something in it. Her look was not only pensive but sad. Kyle decided it was definitely time for him to take his turn with 20 questions.
“Ashley, where were you born?”
“Richmond, Virginia.”
“How did you and my sister meet?”
“I met her one day at the orphanage where I lived when I was 12 years old.”
Kyle was shocked. “You’ve know Nancy that long? I assumed you guys met that day of the bank robbery and she ended up being one of the hostages and you got stabbed protecting that pregnant woman.”
Ashley confirmed with a nod still looking into her cup. “Her name is Mia Winslow the pregnant woman in the bank. I know you assumed Nancy and I just met that day when we were actually getting reacquainted. I saw Nancy almost every day from ages 12 -17 when she used to volunteer at the orphanage. I left about a week after my eighteenth birthday.”
Sadden about the young Ashley being alone at such a tender age, Kyle reached across and took her hand in his. He was surprised to find her hand was cold. He placed her chilly one between his warm ones, trying to stir her circulation. “I’m sorry you grew up in an orphanage, Babydoll. I am sorry you were not.”
Ashley finally looked at him. Kyle couldn’t interpret the look she gave him. She shook her head and then continued her contemplation of her coffee cup.
Sighing Kyle continued his questioning. “Why were you a 31 year old virgin?”
She then pinned him with a look that had a hint of accusation in her dark eyes, “Because, you didn’t take it when I was 25 years old. I don’t know why you waited so long.”
Kyle knew exactly what she was talking about. She had been 25 when he kissed her at that auction, very well, enough said on that subject.
“Can you explain to me why you take so many chances with your life, ignoring my direct orders in the process?”
She kept her head bent and was silent for so long, Kyle didn’t think she’d answer him. But, she spoke in a low voice, “Someone has to help those in need. They have to know, that someone is going to be there for them and that even if it seems as if all hope is gone there is going to be someone there to save the day at the eleventh hour.”
Kyle had read about the hero complex a lot of law officials tend to acquire. However, he didn’t think that was her issue. Ashley was missing key parts of that complex. She wasn’t flaunting her heroism and there wasn’t a conceited bone in her lovely body. In fact, she shunned the spotlight when she could. It was just that some of her rescues were so news worthy, she couldn’t avoid the limelight. But if she could get away with the rescue without attention, she did.
Kyle was reminded of several times when Ashley had given the credit of her good deeds to other agents. She could have passed the credit on so that she wouldn’t get another lecture from him and to avoid any disciplinary actions. Kyle didn’t think that was the reason.
He tried to understand, “Sweetheart, if it doesn’t work out, you’d essentially be swapping your life fo
r theirs.”
She shrugged. “Isn’t that the job?”
“Hell, no!” Kyle got a little loud, getting attention from the surrounding tables. He lowered his voice, “The job is to protect those who need protecting and help get them out of trouble if they are in trouble, but, no, you are not here to swap your life for theirs within your day to day, maybe for a helpless innocent, like a baby or a child, but not for every Tom, Dick and Harry, or should I say Dwayne?”
“You’re referring to the man in the club. Technically, it wasn’t Dwayne I was saving. I believe his name is Rodger Rand. Rodger had a knife pulled on him by Leroy and then Dwayne pulled a gun on me.”
Again with the pushing of his buttons, “Ashley, don’t you dare split hairs with me over some scumbag’s name. You could have been killed.”
“So, you’re angry because the person I helped had a criminal record? Are you saying because he was a petty thief he deserved to be gutted on a dance floor?”