by Anna Wild
“So what” Tim questioned, still not understanding what his friend was getting at.
“I dug up some information on him. He’s heir to some huge, real estate firm. He’s a billionaire. He uses the firm as a front. Rumor has it that he keeps tons of cash in his house in North Haven. What do you say?” Jon’s proposal intrigued him; it couldn’t have come at a better time. Still, Tim was on parole and going up against a drug dealer was something that he had never done before.
“It’s dangerous,” he commented. “A lot more dangerous than anything else I’ve done. Besides, we both prefer working alone. Can’t you do this by yourself?”
“Nope,” came Jon’s sharp response. “I also researched his alarm system. It’s state-of-the-art; I can’t get into the specifics right now. All I can say is that I’m a little too fat to do this by myself. Whoever does this, he must be quick; athletic. There’s so much money in there that we’re going to need a goddamn wheelbarrow to carry it.”
“I need some time to think about it,” Tim said.
“You’d better not take too long,” Jon smirked. “That prick’s in Switzerland. He’ll be back in a few days.”
“You’ve really done your homework,” Tim remarked.
“Of course,” Jon winked at him.
“Did you hear about that murder in Vermont?” It was Tim’s turn to pose a question.
“Heard of it?” Jon laughed. He threw a few, furtive glances around him, before leaning towards his friend. “I know the guy who did it.” Jon’s words ran through him like an electrical current. Tim struggled to hide his surprise and decided to keep his mouth shut, in eager anticipation for whatever his friend had to say. “I was with him, the night before. He said he had to ‘take care’ of someone in Vermont.”
“I knew the victim.” Tim informed. “He was my boss. Who killed the old man, Jonny? I need a name.”
“His name is Darryl Kirkland,” Jon said, the steady tone of his voice convincing Tim that he was being honest with him. “He’s one of the best in the business. What the hell were you doing in Vermont?”
“I worked there,” Tim explained. “Where can I find him?”
“You can’t,” Jon croaked. “He’s coming back from L.A. tomorrow night. Why do you want to know?”
“I think I know who paid him to take out Jitter,” Tim spoke in a firm tone.
“Does it matter?” Jon wondered. “The guy’s dead.”
“It does matter to me,” Tim grumbled. “Nice talking to you, man. I’ll call you with my answer.”
Regardless of Jon’s proposal, Tim was happy to discover the identity of the man who had executed Josephine’s fiancé. Certainly, the hitman would not be much help, as they tended to be quite secretive about their clients, but he would try to find out more nonetheless, even if that meant the use of extreme measures. Tim had to know if Maddox was behind the shooting. If he was, Josephine would finally be free of him. The next thing that he would do was place an anonymous tip to the police. This would be his way of showing her that he had not forgotten about her. All the same, he was unable to shake the feeling that whatever he did for her would be futile.
Maybe it’s hopeless, but I’m still going to meet with Kirkland,” he thought to himself. “Putting Maddox behind bars might not be enough to change your mind about dating me. Hell, I don’t know what else could. It’s ok, doc. Even if you didn’t love your job so much, you and I have nothing in common. We come from completely different worlds. We were raised differently. I’m an orphan. I’m sure you grew up in a fancy place and your folks loved you to death. They had to be pretty weird. I mean, they named you ‘Josephine’? What are they: French? God, I’m too tired to think about this anymore. I need to get some sleep.
Tim still had a key to Caitlin’s 3rd story apartment on 22nd street and he was going to take full advantage. He didn’t even take his clothes off. Instead, he kicked his shoes off and tumbled onto her white, leather couch, closing his weary eyes. Tim was asleep in minutes.
Chapter Twelve
“You’re lucky I’m not alone …” Caitlin’s feathery voice woke him up. His eyes sprang open. She was standing next to the couch, accompanied by a tall, scrawny man. Indeed, he was in luck; his sister would have snapped at him, had it not been for her boyfriend. She didn’t even introduce them. All Caitlin did was mutter something inaudible and escort the man to the door. He closed the front door behind him, before she opened her mouth again.
“Let me guess,” she spoke in a sarcastic tone. “You missed me.”
“Hi…” he groaned, rubbing his blurry eyes. “Actually, I missed the city.”
“You’re so full of crap…” Caitlin grumbled. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Vermont?”
“I couldn’t stay there any longer, sis,” Tim admitted, sitting up.
“Why?” She cried. “Why did you have to give that …”
“Hey, cut me some slack here!” He yelled. “Can you please get me some coffee?” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I’ll tell you all about it.”
Caitlin gave a gasp of exasperation, as she turned around. Tim only had a few seconds to prepare his story, but he didn’t need more time. He clearly remembered everything that happened. Just like him, his sister had a bad temper; yet, she was a reasonable person. She brought him coffee and joined him on her couch, with the same, angry look on her face.
Caitlin listened intently, as Tim told her the whole story. He had to repeat himself at first, as he brought up the night of Jitter’s murder, but otherwise, she didn’t interrupt him. According to him, he only mentioned it because he believed that his death gave him a chance with her. Tim also spoke about running into his old friend, but diligently left out Jon’s proposal, as his sister would not approve of anything illegal. By the time he had finished narrating, Caitlin was in disbelief. Everything she had heard had left her in awe. He simply sat in a state of confusion when it looked like she had nothing to say to him. She left the couch and went to the living room window, folding her arms across her chest.
“Women…” she said with a sigh. “We’re quite something, aren’t we?”
“Care to explain?” He requested.
“You said they go way back,” Caitlin’s emphatic tone felt like a good sign; she sounded confident about her conclusion. “This means that they know each other like the back of their hand. They can tell when one of them likes a guy or not. They don’t have to say it to each other. If you want my opinion, the doctor has a crush on you. You’re saying she’s in love with her job. That’s why she’s been avoiding you. She’s afraid you’re going to distract her. But Laura: she’s a whole different animal,” she declared, looking down at him over her right shoulder. “It looks to me that she knows about Josephine’s feelings and she’s just trying to steal you from her. She’s done it before. What’s going to stop her from doing it again?”
“Caitlin, are you crazy?” All of a sudden, Tim’s voice became higher-pitched. “The doc has a crush on me and Laura’s…”
“You can say ‘no way’ about it all you like, big brother,” she interrupted. “It won’t stop being true. Think about it, Tim. When did Laura show any interest in you?”
“I was on the roof,” he recalled. “Laura’s chopper landed, and the doc ignored me. She wouldn’t even look at me.”
“Right” Caitlin exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “and Laura noticed. What happened after that?”
“Laura wanted to see me.” Tim whispered, leaning his back against the couch.
“…while Josephine was present!” Caitlin went on, turning around. “Don’t you get it? First, Laura made it look like she wanted to update you on what Josephine had been doing. Then, Laura asked you out. Laura doesn’t want to just hurt Josephine, Tim. Laura wants to destroy Josephine. Why else would Laura insist on you staying there so much? Love at first sight? I don’t think so. Laura wants to see Josephine suffer.”
“It’s way too farfetched.” He voiced his mi
nd.
“Actually…” she paused. “It couldn’t make more sense. There’s only one way to find out. Go back to Vermont. You and the doctor need to have a nice, long talk. I don’t know her that well, but she sounds like a nice girl, Tim. If I were you, I’d stay away from Laura. Then, if things work out between you two, you need to be really careful.”
“So: six more hours on the road?” Tim smiled to himself; “sounds fun.”
“You didn’t hand in your resignation, did you?” she inquired.
“No.” He shook his head sideways. “I just told Laura I was leaving.”
“Thank God,” Caitlin sighed in relief. “You know, for a street guy, your knowledge on women is pretty dismal. You got between a manipulative bitch and a workaholic nerd, and then you freaked out. Didn’t you see the signs?”
“Usually, I can tell when a woman likes me or not,” he claimed in a confident voice.
“You’ve probably never met any geeks,” she chuckled. “My friend Sonia from college used to do that. She would just ignore the guy she had a crush on. She thought it was a good way to get his attention. She didn’t. The guy just wouldn’t give a crap. I’m not sure about Josephine, but my gut feeling says she has been trying to avoid you, because she likes you a little too much.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” Tim sighed.
“Just be honest with her,” she advised. “Everything else will come naturally.”
“Well then, I have to get going. It’ll be getting dark soon.” Tim said, dropping his gaze from her.
“Good luck,” Caitlin chirped. “Call me; I want to know how it goes.”
Chapter Thirteen
The more Tim thought about Caitlin’s words, the more plausible he thought his sister’s theory sounded. Perhaps his inner desire made it feel right; Tim wanted to believe in the truth of the theory. At any rate, he agreed with her that the only way to find out if she had a point was to speak with Josephine. Determined to clear things up with her, he would completely disregard his fatigue and drive back to Vermont. Still, he had to be quick; it was already 4pm when he left New York City and he now felt doubtful as to whether he would find her at the compound or not.
The conversation with his sister served as a wakeup call. As the minutes went by, he realized that her conclusions about him were mostly correct and he did not appreciate that. Indeed, the otherwise fearless burglar had been scared off by a complex situation. It had not occurred to him that something like a complex female situation would overwhelm him so much that he had to get up and leave.
Oh, man… I’ve gone up against rabid dogs, high-end security systems, state-of-the-art safes, cops, huge bodyguards and none of them scared me like this situation. Maybe it’s because I was never good with words. I didn’t have to speak to any of those; I just had to fight my way out. Oh, shit! I totally forgot about Kirkland! Nah, screw that. I can call Jon and ask him to arrange a meet with him. Talking to Josephine is more important now.
About a mile away from the compound, Tim saw a few familiar cars on the opposite lane. Happily, none of them was Josephine’s. The thought that she had left early ran through his mind, but the young brunette was always the last to leave. Tim turned right onto the narrow, snowy road that led to the facility, the tires of his Impala picking up gravel and ice from the ground.
The sight of the parking lot sent his pulse rising. There were only three cars in it, including Josephine’s small, white Honda. Tension was building in his veins, as his pulse thudded in his ears. He parked his car next to hers, feeling his heart beat faster and faster by the second. All of a sudden, his tiredness was gone. It was as if he had just woken up from a good night’s sleep. He stepped out of his car, eagerly anticipating seeing her again. Tim caught a glimpse of a small object, out of the corner of his eye, as he brushed past her car. It was barely two inches behind her front, left wheel. Had it not been for the large lamppost to the left, he wouldn’t have seen it at all. It was a small, grey notebook. Most of it was submerged into the snow and covered under the shadow of the car. The only visible part was the upper left edge. Tim bent down and picked it up. He pushed the snow away from the cover, as a snowflake landed on his right palm.
2-23-2017
Dear diary,
I met the new security guard today. My God, he looks handsome. He’s tall, he has a manly, pointy face, high cheekbones, blue eyes and his voice makes me shiver. It’s so deep, so masculine… His name is Tim Shaw. He used to be a burglar. I’ve never met anyone dangerous. I always believed that I’d be repelled by the idea of being close to one, but I am not. However, he doesn’t look that dangerous. When you think of criminals, you get images of scarred, battered men. He is nothing like that. Tim could well be a swimmer or a model, only bigger and more muscular.
I now understand what my friends meant when they called a man ‘hot’. Never in my life had I met someone as attractive as him. That man has awakened my primal urges. Oh, how I would love it if he took me in his arms… The mere thought of that makes my body tingle. I really hope his duties keep him away from my lab. He could easily distract me and my time is limited. I need to stay focused on my research.
Tim’s hands began to shake uncontrollably and not due to the cold. Dying of curiosity to read her next entry, he turned the page with trembling fingers.
2-24-2017
Dear diary,
Today, I tried to ignore Tim, yet again. It is the only way for me to focus my wandering mind. He doesn’t like it, but I really do not have much choice. I have to resist the temptation.
Laura informed him on the subject of my research. I don’t know what happened between them in the hallway, but I do know that she came on to him later tonight. She knows I’m attracted to him. I can’t hide from her. She would do anything to win him over, just because I like him.
I had to tell him everything about Paul. It really came as a shock when he said that he would not reveal my secret. I needed to thank him for his discretion. What could be better than a kiss? I was so foolish to think that a kiss from him would be enough to satisfy my lust. I told him to stop but, deep down, I didn’t want him to. My God, I have never felt like that in my whole life. The way he touched me, the way that he made love to me just… swept me off my feet. And I would have loved to stay in his room and have him touch me again. But, I could not. I had to make him believe that we had to forget about it and staying there would make it all the more difficult. How could one say ‘no’ to such a thoughtful lover? I found it really hard to get out of there. Why did you have to be so good to me, Tim? You are sweeter than sin; I have to stop this now, before we both get in trouble…
Tim was stunned into stillness. The thoughts he had just read had sent his adrenaline into the ozone layer. In just a few lines, Josephine had managed to describe her feelings for him very well. Unable to take his eyes off of the notebook, he just stood there, as the snowfall quickened, the cold temperature causing frosty air from his mouth to cloud his vision. His fingers were turning blue, but his shock was so deep that his muscles couldn’t find the strength to move. He had no idea about the existence of more entries and he would not attempt to flip through the pages. A small hand in a black, woolen glove entered his line of sight, gently pulling the notebook out of his shaking grasp. Tim slowly rolled his gaze up. It was Josephine. He was so lost in his thoughts that he had failed to hear her footsteps on the snow. She had snowflakes in her long, brown hair and a desperate look on her beautiful face.
“Now you know…” The soft whisper that escaped her tore the silence, sending shivers down his spine, as their gazes met.
“I don’t believe this,” he uttered. “I just can’t.”
“Well, it’s true,” Josephine confessed. “I thought you’d left. Why did you come back?”
“For you…” Tim whispered. “I wanted to ask you a few things. I guess I don’t have to now.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she continued, her voice quivering as she looked deep into his eyes. “
My diary, your questions… nothing matters. We can’t d…”
He didn’t give her time to finish her sentence. Tim wrapped his big, strong arms around her back, pulling her close. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head down to meet her lips and pressed his mouth against hers. Her gasp of surprise did not discourage him. Lost in his embrace, Josephine did not attempt to break free of his hold. Entwining her arms around his waist, she kissed him back, as he ran his hands up her back. Tim’s left hand stopped just before her hairline, while his right slipped into her hair. Savoring her gentle, passionate kiss, he knotted his fingers in her soft hair, feeling her warm breath on his skin. He trapped her upper lip between his own lips and gave it a short, sweet kiss, before pressing his forehead onto hers.
“I know what you were going to say,” Tim whispered, slowly opening his eyes. Several strands of her hair were falling across her face. He took his left hand off of her and used it to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I’ve heard it all before; I don’t want to hear it again.”
“Please, Tim,” she begged, the sound of her sweet, feminine voice overwhelming his senses. “Please, forget you ever knew me. Nothing good can come out of this.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong, doc,” he said, a bitter smile spreading across his face. “There’s more to life than just work.”
“I know,” Josephine sighed, nodding at the same time.
“I don’t think you do,” Tim claimed, his tone tranquil as he caressed her hair. “Will you let me show you?”
“What, Tim?” She whispered, as tears rose in her eyes. “Show me what?”
“I just need a few hours of your precious time,” he said, his voice lowering to a tender whisper. “One date: that’s all I’m asking.”
“God…” Josephine heaved a deeper sigh. “You’ve read my diary. You know how much I want to say ‘yes’ to you, but…”