More Than a Soldier

by Irene Onorato

  “Thank you.” Cindy stepped closer and leaned as if to kiss his cheek.

  Hank stepped back. “You should get going. Darkness falls hard and fast out here and you’re not familiar with these back roads.” He went to the door and pulled it open.

  Cindy walked outside and turned quickly to face him. “I-I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime. Tomorrow night, maybe?” Her steely blues blinked with nervous expectation.

  “Are you asking me out on a date?”

  “Yes, I’m asking you out on a date.” She bit her lip. “So what do you think?”

  He ached to be with her, but he needed to process everything she’d said during her impromptu visit before making a decision to let his guard down again. “I’ll think about it.”

  Her smile quivered. “’Kay. That’s better than a flat-out no.”

  Cindy got in her car, started it, and rolled down the window. “Bye. Have a good night.”

  “You too. Bye.”

  Cindy’s car started to pull away.

  Hank’s heart pounded hard, and he wanted to chase after her. “Cindy, wait!”

  The car came to a halt. Hank jogged to it and leaned close to her window. “Text me when you get home so I’ll know you got there safely.”

  “I will.” She cracked a small, but genuine smile. “Good night again, Hank.”

  “Good night, Sassy.”

  Cindy’s brake lights flicked on and off as she negotiated her way through the trees. She hadn’t been gone a minute, and already he missed her. He took out his phone and cleared his voicemail and texts messages. It was time for a fresh, new start.

  Chapter 34

  Outside her apartment, Cindy threw the gearshift in park and texted Hank. I got home ok. The phone shined up at her while she waited for a Hank’s reply.

  Hank’s message popped up with a chime. Good, thnx.

  She’d hoped he’d say more, but at this point, anything was better than nothing.

  Cindy left her car and sprang up the porch steps. Mrs. Baker would want to know every minute detail of her visit with Hank.

  The door opened as she raised a fist to knock, and Mrs. B stepped out with an eager spring in her step. “Did you find him?”

  “Yes!” Cindy pumped her fist in the air, walked inside Mrs. Baker’s apartment, and dropped onto the couch. “And before I left Hank’s place, he called me Sassy, which is something I haven’t heard in a long, long time. I feel as though I’m floating on a cloud of hope. I’m positively giddy.”

  Mrs. B lowered herself onto a living room chair. “So, did you two kiss and make up?”

  “I wish. I have to say, I rather enjoyed kissing Hank outside the bar that night.” She licked her lips, reliving the sensation.

  “Well, never mind that now. What did you and Hank talk about?”

  Cindy shared everything from the moment Edward called until she asked Hank out on a date.

  Mrs. Baker pressed her palms together, her fingertips touching her chin. “Did he say yes?”

  “He said he’d think about it, and that was good enough for me.”

  “He’ll say yes. Mark my words.”

  “Oh, and Edward called while I was driving back from Hank’s and said he’s coming up for a visit this Thursday. Sergeant Dexter, the one I told you looks so much like Eric, is traveling with him. Dex has family over by Poughkeepsie, but Edward will be staying here with me until Sunday.”

  “That’s good news. You’ve told me so much about him, I can’t wait to meet that fabulous brother of yours.”

  “I have more news. I’ve decided to quit my job tomorrow morning and start looking for another one next week after Edward goes back to North Carolina.”

  “Excellent decision. I’m so glad.” Mrs. Baker clapped. “Bravo.”

  * * * *

  Cindy threw off the covers and sprang to her feet at the rooster’s first crow. Tuesday and Wednesday dragged like a ball and chain, but now it was Thursday, and Edward would arrive in a few hours. She took a quick shower, dressed, and made the bed.

  The apartment sparkled. Even the things in her dresser drawers were neat and orderly for a change. Without having to go to work the past two days, she’d had plenty of time to spruce up the place for Edward’s visit. If only Hank were coming with him.

  Edward called just before noon.

  “Hey, Edward. How was your flight?”

  “Not bad. I just got the keys to the rental car and will be heading your way in a couple of minutes. All I’ve had since this morning was a snack on the plane. Can we meet somewhere close to your house for lunch?”

  “Tilly’s Café is a couple of blocks off the main drag going through town. Good food, fast service. Sound okay to you?”

  “Yup. Tell me how to get there and I’ll meet you in about forty minutes.”

  “Forty minutes works for me. See you then.” Cindy gave Edward directions and said good-bye.

  Thirty minutes later, she grabbed her purse, took a final turn in front of the mirror, and left the apartment.

  Edward was waiting outside the restaurant entrance, his stance erect and alert as if he were on guard duty. He flicked an unsmiling nod her way as she drove by on her way to the parking lot. She parked and hurried to him. “Edward, what’s wrong?”

  “Let’s go inside.” Edward took her by the arm, opened the door and led her to a table in the far corner of the room, away from other customers. He pulled out her chair and sat across from her. “Did you tell anyone you were meeting me here?”

  “No, why?”

  “You didn’t talk to Eric by any chance?”

  “Of course not. What’s going on?”

  “I got here a little earlier than I’d anticipated. While I was waiting in the car, an SUV driven by Dexter’s look-alike cruised by on the side street. He scanned the parking lot as if he were looking for someone. Minutes later, he made a second and third pass. I have no doubt the guy I saw was Eric.”

  Edward glanced toward the door and looked back at Cindy. “It would have been one thing if Eric had followed you, but for him to get here ten minutes before you means he had foreknowledge of where you were going.”

  “But how can that be?”

  “I think Eric bugged your apartment.”

  “What? Are you serious?” The very thought of someone invading the privacy of her home gave her the creeps.

  “I’ve had my suspicions all along that the cable guy your neighbor saw coming out of your apartment was actually Eric, and that the ransacking and robbery was a cover-up for something more nefarious.”

  “But Mrs. Baker knows Eric. Surely she’d have recognized him.”

  “What Mrs. Baker saw was an Able Cable uniform and hat walking toward an Able Cable van, which is exactly what Eric would have wanted her to see. Oldest trick in the book.”

  “You’re right. Mrs. B described the uniform and the van and not the man himself.”

  “Hank told me he didn’t think he was tailed on the way to that fancy party you guys went to where his tires ended up getting slashed. Hank’s a trained professional. If he said he didn’t have a tail, I believe him. Eric knew exactly where you guys would be, and when.”

  Cindy’s temples throbbed. Rubbing them didn’t help alleviate the tension. “Everything is starting to make sense right down to the red dress that hung by itself in the closet after the place was ransacked.”

  “Was there something special about that particular dress?”

  “Eric loved it. He often asked me to wear it when we went out to dinner. Come to think of it, he asked me to wear my jeweled cross with it too.”

  “The necklace that’s missing?”

  “Yes. How could I have missed Eric’s blaring calling card?” The ache in her head spread to her neck and shoulders.

  A waitress set menus on the table. “Can I get you guys something to drink? Appetizers?”

  Edward looked up at her. �
�Not yet. Could you give us a few minutes, please?”

  She gave a cheerful smile and a nod. “Sure. Flag me down when you’re ready.”

  Cindy waited until the waitress was out of earshot. “So, what do we do now?”

  “We get someone to check your apartment for bugs.” Edward fished his phone from his back pocket and made a call. “Hey, Dex. I need to ask a huge favor. Actually, it’s for my sister.”

  Edward scooted his chair closer to Cindy. “Dex, I just switched to speakerphone. Say hi to Cindy.”

  “Hi, gorgeous. What can I do for you? Your wish is my command.”

  It wasn’t hard to envision the sergeant’s playful smile. “Hello, Dex.”

  Edward set the phone on the table. “Where are you?”

  “I just finished having lunch at a soup and sandwich place not far from the airport. Why?”

  “Great, I caught you before you started toward Poughkeepsie. I need you to go to Cindy’s place and sweep for listening devices. Can you do that ASAP?”

  “Does this have something to do with that stalker ex-fiancé of hers you told me about?” An all-business tone replaced Dexter’s whimsical lilt.

  “Yes, it does.”

  “I’m on it. Give me the location and I’ll head that way now.”

  Cindy leaned toward the phone and gave Dexter her address. “Oh, and my neighbor, Mrs. Baker has a spare key to my apartment. I’ll call and let her know you’re coming.”

  “Thanks. LT, I’ll let you know what I find. Adios.”

  Cindy called Mrs. Baker, gave her the message, and put her phone away. “Now what?

  Edward shed his man-in-command persona and eased against his chair back with a comfortable smile. “Now we wait. And eat.” He flagged the waitress and they placed their orders.

  * * * *

  Edward exuded quiet confidence that alleviated Cindy’s fears. Under his protection, nothing could harm her. The tension in her neck and shoulders eased and the first couple of bites of shrimp scampi calmed the rumblings of anxiety in her stomach.

  Finally, she had her brother all to herself, and she wasn’t going to let thoughts of Eric or anything else ruin it. Unlike Hank, who could converse easily with a fence post, priming Edward for conversation took more effort. “So, Edward. When’s your birthday?” It no sooner rolled from her tongue than she remembered she already knew his birthday from the information package Eric had given her.

  “December thirty-first. Hank’s is October 31, you know.”

  Her benign icebreaker ended up pricking her own heart. “Hank’s birthday’s on Halloween?”

  “Yup. Fits him, doesn’t it.” Edward chuckled.

  “But that’s this Saturday.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Tsk. A person’s birthday is an important date to know, and stupid me, I never even thought to ask him when his was. What’s his favorite kind of cake?”

  He gave another smothered laugh. “Pan, of course.”

  “Besides pancakes.” That had to be Hank’s favorite food in the world, and his love for them was no secret.

  “Hank’s more of a pie guy. Pumpkin’s his favorite.”

  “Good to know. If he doesn’t call me soon, I’ll bake him a pie, and— No, scratch that idea. My cooking would probably end up poisoning him. I’ll buy a pie and bring it to him. It’d give me another excuse for going to his house and seeing him again.”

  “Why do you need an excuse to see him? Isn’t the fact that you love him enough reason to go out there?” He sawed off a piece of his chicken cutlet with a bulky serrated knife and popped it in his mouth.

  She did love Hank. With a depth of feeling that boggled her mind. Edward’s small, knowing smile confirmed that he knew he’d hit the mark by stating the obvious.

  A message pinged on Edward’s phone, saving her from answering his question. He glanced at it and turned it for her to see. Dexter’s message read, @ house, got key, going in.

  “He got over there fast.” Edward wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his empty plate aside.

  The text set the butterflies loose in her stomach again. “How long do you think it will take him to check the house?”

  Edward shrugged. “Probably not long. With as much effort as Eric put into his robbery ruse, he might not have had much time to plant the bugs very deep.”

  They finished their meals, and the waitress brought each of them a large piece of Dutch apple pie and coffee. Cindy ate half her pie, sat back and patted her stomach. “I’ve never had a disappointing meal here.”

  “It was delicious.” Edward nodded toward the door. “Here comes Dex. I texted him when you went to the ladies’ room a few minutes ago. Told him to come in and give us his report in person.”

  Dexter pulled out a chair and brushed his gray sweatshirt hood off his head. “Hey, sweet cheeks. How’s it going?”

  Edward frowned. “Enough with the cheap talk. What’d you find?”

  “Walked in, went straight to her bedside table, turned over a lamp, and found the first bug. The one inside the wall outlet next to the couch in the living room wasn’t much harder to find. The idiot left a fresh screwdriver scratch on the faceplate screw. Might as well have laid out a breadcrumb trail.” Dexter dragged Cindy’s half-eaten pie over to himself and picked up the fork that lay across the plate. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “No, help yourself. But tell me, how did you know where to look?”

  Dexter scooped a mouthful of pie and ate it. “Easy-peasy. A long-term listening device needs a power supply. It’s simple to tap into something like a lamp, clock or wall socket. There could be more devices around the house, but without equipment, all I could do was a quick visual search.” He looked at Edward. “I left them in place like you told me too.”

  “What!” Cindy smacked the table, rattling a spoon against her coffee cup. “Why would you want to leave them?”

  Edward shushed her. “Relax. We’re going to use them to our advantage.”

  “Our advantage to do what? I can’t live in a house knowing someone is victimizing me by listening to everything I say or do.” Vulnerability churned in her stomach, making her queasy. She turned toward Dexter. “Please tell me you checked for hidden cameras in my bathroom.”

  Dex laughed. “I did. And don’t worry. I didn’t find any peeping Erics in there.”

  Edward stopped the chatter with a raised palm. “Listen up. I have an idea about how we can draw Eric out in the open so we can nail him. But we’re going to need Hank’s help to do it.”

  Dexter finished the last bite of pie. “Count me in, LT.”

  Edward picked up his phone. “I’ll call and tell him I’m coming over for a visit.”

  * * * *

  Hank skipped a rock across the surface of the lake and turned at the sound of Edward’s rental car making its way down the bumpy road.

  Edward pulled in next to the Jeep, got out and started toward him. Dexter emerged from the back seat, went around and opened the passenger door. Cindy stood and looked at Hank over the hood. Even at a distance, her shy, uncertain smile revved his pulse.

  Hank shook Edward’s hand and pulled him into a brotherly hug. “What’s going on, Eddie? Why are they here?”

  Cindy walked toward the front of the house alongside Dex carrying a white bakery box tied with string. Dexter sent a hello via a two-finger salute, pushed open the front door for Cindy and followed her inside.

  Edward exhaled a long breath. “I asked them to wait inside because you and I need to talk.”

  Chapter 35

  “They’ve been out there a long time.” Cindy pushed aside the coarse tan curtain and leaned against the living room window frame. The glass blocked all but indistinct mumblings of Hank and Edward’s conversation at the water’s edge. “Hank just finished making a phone call, and now he and Edward are talking some more.”

  “You’ve been reporting their every move to me for the last tw
enty minutes.” Dexter came and stood beside her. “Why don’t you sit and relax awhile?”

  “I can’t.” She could scarcely break her gaze from Hank. “Look at him. He seems angry, don’t you think?”

  “Hank? Can’t blame him. If you were my girl and somebody had just told me some creep has been spying on you, I’d be ticked too.”

  Hank left Edward by the lake and started toward the house.

  “Uh-oh, here he comes. And without Edward.” Panic swept over her. She let go of the curtain and hurried from the room.

  * * * *

  Hank pushed open the front door and went inside.

  “She’s in there.” Dexter jerked his thumb toward the kitchen as if reading Hank’s mind.

  “Thanks. Would you mind leaving us alone for a couple of minutes?”

  “You got it. I’ll go see what LT’s up to.”

  A burst of cool air hit Hank’s back as Dexter exited the door behind him. He stood frozen, his thoughts going back to Cindy’s last visit.

  He’d been hard and unyielding and had let his pain force him into an emotional corner. But his anger had dissipated as he watched her car leaving the property. Loneliness, pure and raw, took its place. He missed her more than he could say.

  Hank walked into the kitchen.

  Cindy’s fragile smile looked as though it could fall apart any second. A slender-fingered hand rested on the bakery box on the counter. Her other palm slid nervously down the thigh of her jeans. “Hi. I-I brought you an early birthday cake. Pie actually. Pumpkin. Edward said it was your favorite.” Her words were modulated with unconvincing enthusiasm.

  “Thanks. That was thoughtful.” He stepped closer. “Edward just told me what happened to Belinda and her baby. I know that had to be hard on you, and I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Crystal droplets sparkled on Cindy’s lower lashes. “Thank you.”

  “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me about that, and about Eric’s threat toward you when you came to see me the other day.”

  “I-I was afraid you’d think all I really wanted from you was protection. But that wasn’t the reason I came at all. I hope you know that.”