Now You See Me

by S. Y. Thompson

  There were no lights on inside, and Jim had only the moonlight to navigate by. The layout of the house was unfamiliar to him, so he had to move carefully, but he got the impression the majority of the house was open and inviting.

  There was only one closed door, and it stood out as an oddity in Jim’s mind because of the sheer inconsistency. It was the last doorway before the room where he knew he would find Mary Adams, and Jim was curious what he would find.

  The room was almost pitch-black without any windows. Jim knew he was going to have to turn a light on this time and was thankful for the small flashlight he always carried in his overcoat. He would have to close the door first, though so that no light would escape to draw attention to his presence.

  Something hard touched the edge of his shoe as he turned to close the door, and Jim was careful not to step on anything. He turned back around after he shut the door and fished the light out of his pocket. As soon as he snapped it on, he froze in shock.

  The room turned out to be a very large closet that had been converted into a nightmarish workroom. There was space to maneuver in the small area, but a desk had been wedged in toward the back, liberally covered in newspaper clippings about Marsters. Jim stepped farther into the walk-in closet to see some wire clippings, small gray bricks of what had to be C-4 and a backpack were against one wall, and building blueprints were thrown carelessly to one side.

  Just that brief glance was enough to let Jim know they had found the killer, but when he looked closer at the desktop his blood ran cold. More recent articles of the Holcomb incident sat on top. Erin Donovan and another woman Jim didn’t know featured in the article and someone had circled their pictures before both their faces were exed out with a back marker.

  The intent was clear, and Jim forgot Mary Adams as he fumbled for his cell phone. He stepped backward and tripped on the hard object that his shoe had touched earlier. Tired and disoriented in the unfamiliar space Jim lost his balance and fell. If the room had been smaller he probably would have bounced off the wall, but it was large enough that when he fell there was nothing to catch him. His head struck the corner of a protruding shelf as he went down, and just before he lost consciousness, he saw what it was he had tripped on.

  It was a massive climbing axe covered in dried blood and human hair.

  CARSON CONCENTRATED ON the roadway as she steered through traffic on the way home. It was only quarter to five, but it was already dark and it was also rush hour traffic. Headlights reflected off cars in front of them from close range since the relative speed was around forty miles per hour. She didn’t mind though. The week was done and she had a few hours to prepare for a long weekend with Erin.

  Right now Erin would be leaving work to get ready for dinner with her father. Carson smiled and thought how easy Erin’s relationship was with her father. On one hand, it was something she envied, but on the other, she was happy for Erin. Thoughts of Erin inevitably led back to her own family, and the smile faded.

  Carson’s stomach twisted at half-remembered images of her own father. Derek Tierney was a tall man with hawkish features, light brown hair, and sunburned skin. Instead of the cologne Erin’s father wore, her father put off the perpetual scent of alcohol. It was no secret he blamed her for his wife’s death, and he made sure Carson blamed herself.

  She had just turned age five when she was left suddenly without a mother or a father.

  Carson pushed the unwanted images away, and her thoughts naturally migrated back to Erin. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she had something...someone that really cared for her on an emotional level and not just for what she could do for them. Along with the warm and fuzzy feelings associated with Erin came another unexpected twinge.

  There had hardly been any contact with Erin all week long except for a few brief phone calls here and there. Even with the brief contact it was obvious something was bothering Erin. Maybe tonight she would get a chance to find out what the problem was, and it would turn out to be something minor. Carson was just afraid Erin was having second thoughts on being involved with her.

  Carson glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed a red sports car right behind her. If she had to slam on her breaks, the driver would slam right into the back of her Lexus. Annoyed Carson tapped on the brakes to remind the driver to back off a little. Instead of merely backing off the driver swung into the other lane and caused several other cars to swerve to avoid him. Horns blared in outrage and Carson shook her head when the young driver roared past her.

  Scary, she thought. Some people really had no idea how to drive in heavy traffic.

  Carson’s cell phone rang and she jumped a little in startled surprise. Only Erin called her on the cell, but she hadn’t been expecting to hear from her. She smiled as she reached for the phone and checked the call display.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi. It’s me. I just wanted to hear your voice before I met with my dad.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Carson admitted. “I don’t feel we’ve hardly spoken all week.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about that, but I really have been busy getting ready for the seminar at the end of January. It’s amazing how much work one little speech can be.”

  “Did you get it finished?”

  “Yes, I think so. I’ll go through it again in a few days just to make sure, but for the most part it’s finished.”

  “Good.”

  Carson must have sounded a little too excited because Erin chuckled. “Why? What did you have in mind?”

  “I just want to have you to myself all weekend with no distractions. So, are you getting ready to meet your dad?”

  “Yeah, in about forty minutes, but I’ll pack my bag before I meet Dad so that I can just drive out there when we’re finished. Will that be all right?”

  Carson’s smile turned into a huge grin. “That would be wonderful, but do me a favor? Bring a swimsuit.”

  “A swimsuit? It’s the middle of winter!”

  “Just trust me, will you?”

  “Okay,” Erin laughed. “Now I’d better run or I’ll be late.”

  “All right. Have fun with your dad.”

  “I will.”

  Carson started to hang up, but Erin stopped her.

  “Carson? I just wanted to say...I miss you.”

  Those were the three words Carson had wanted to say all week, but didn’t know if it would sound too juvenile for the sophisticated Erin Donovan. Now that Erin said it first, the words sounded like poetry.

  “I miss you, too.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Carson thought dreamily of Erin the rest of the way home until her headlights illuminated the private lane leading up to her home.

  She was so distracted by the call from Erin that she still wasn’t really paying attention when she parked in the garage and shut off the engine. Carson bent across the seat to pull her briefcase from the passenger side floorboard, naturally lifting her left leg for balance. When she straightened back up, Carson’s pant leg snagged on the hood release lever. It took a moment to extricate herself from the lever, but then she was free to get ready for her weekend.

  After a lengthy shower to rinse away the week and chase away the chill of winter, Carson dressed in jeans and an old sweater before she laid a fire in the fireplace. She would light it after Erin arrived. Then she began to lay the plans for a romantic evening.

  Erin had been complaining of the harsh Chicago winters since Carson met her so the hot tub definitely figured in on her plans, along with the fireplace.

  She dug through her dresser and came up with a little used bikini. It was a thin wisp of a thing, colored a pale silver blue that she hoped Erin would think complimented her eyes. Carson smiled and laid the bikini across the bed. If everything went as planned, she wouldn’t need any other clothes after they got out of the hot tub. She put a bottle of Erin’s favorite brandy, Remy Martin, on a table beside the hot tub along with two glasses.


  Carson wanted everything to be perfect and took one last look around the spa area. She was grateful that the hot tub was in an enclosed room and they wouldn’t have to brave the elements, but something was still missing. Candles.

  Ten minutes later, she was finally satisfied. Huge, fluffy towels lay next to the brandy along with a couple of terry cloth robes just in case.

  Satisfied with her preparations, Carson wandered barefoot into the kitchen. It was just a little after eight and Erin would no doubt be deeply engrossed in conversation with her father as they enjoyed dinner. When her own stomach growled in response, Carson pulled out a chopping board, butcher knife and some vegetables from the refrigerator. However, before she could begin to cut up broccoli, carrots, and celery, the quiet started to get to her.

  A little music would be very nice right now, maybe something soothing like jazz. Carson wasn’t in the mood to hear voices so decided on an instrumental selection.

  She put the knife down on the cabinet and turned to walk into the living room when she heard a thump come from the direction of the garage. For a moment, she thought she imagined the sound, but then she heard it again. It was too early for Erin to arrive, and she didn’t have access to the garage anyway.

  Carson frowned and walked to the inside garage door. She hesitated for only a second with her hand on the knob before she threw the door open. The garage lights automatically came on when the door opened to chase away any lingering shadows, but there was nothing immediately out of place. She couldn’t have imagined the noise, could she? Certainly not twice, Carson thought and stepped into the massive garage to take a closer look.

  The roll-up doors and the window on the far side of the room were both firmly in place, and locked. Carson looked out the window for an explanation for the noise she had heard. A tree sat next to the house and one of the branches had snapped. When the branch fell, it must have hit the side of the garage. It wasn’t the first broken branch she had seen during a high wind and from the way the trees were swaying it wouldn’t be the last.

  She was still barefoot and the concrete was cold, but at least the garage was heated. Still, it was cooler than it should be an hour after the doors were closed and Carson thought she needed to check the thermostat later. Right now, it wasn’t really important. After all, it was just a garage and she had other things on her mind.

  That was when she noticed the hood of the Lexus was ajar.

  Carson remembered snagging her pant leg on the hood release earlier, and snorted at her paranoid behavior. She must have barely tripped the lever earlier and the hood had only just now come open.

  Live alone for too long and look what happens, she thought. You get paranoid.

  Carson closed the hood and went back into the house to finish her snack.

  ACROSS TOWN, ERIN was spending quality time with her father, but her thoughts were definitely on a young woman waiting on her with the promise of a romantic weekend ahead.

  Erin shivered minutely at the sensual images in her head and almost missed the fact that her father had just asked her a question.

  “Sorry, what was that?”

  Sean Donovan smiled and looked at his daughter with an indulgent expression. “I asked what your plans were for this weekend.”

  “Oh. Carson invited me to spend time with her at her place.”

  Suddenly her father looked far more interested and Erin groaned internally. When he got that expression, she could usually count on a skilled interrogation that could leave her sweaty and shaking. At least it had been that way when she was a more adventurous teenager.

  “Do I sense some developments?”

  “You’re the one who said she was a ‘nice girl’,” Erin reminded him as she tried to deflect the inquisition, but her father knew her better than that. Her evasive answer was all of the confirmation he needed.

  “So why didn’t you tell me you were already seeing each other? Don’t you trust me?”

  Erin heaved a resigned sigh at the hurt tone he adopted. “Of course I trust you. I also knew you would enjoy the chance to tease me about her.”

  “Okay,” Sean said and held up a hand in surrender. “I won’t tease you about Carson if you won’t tease me about Cheryl. Deal?”

  “Deal. Oh, and speaking of which, you promised to tell me all about her. Out with it. What does she do? How old is she? Where did you meet her?”

  “One question at a time.” Sean laughed then gathered his thoughts for a moment. “I met her about six months ago, but we didn’t really get along at first. I was on the tennis court and here comes this little redhead telling me that my time is finished, and I need to leave. After all, the courts are booked in advance and I was already ten minutes into her scheduled hour.”

  “That must have gone over well!”

  “You have no idea. I looked at my watch and told her it was more like ten seconds, and that she could show a little patience.”

  “Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Erin joked.

  Sean smiled and to Erin’s surprise, his ears turned a little red. “The next time I saw her was a week later. I was in the bar at the country club having drinks with some friends.”

  “What happened?”

  “She walked right to the table, interrupted our conversation, and laid a gift wrapped box in front of me. Then she said, ‘This is so that you won’t be late. Meet me here in two hours and be prepared to treat me to a fantastic dinner.’”

  “What was in the box?”

  Sean held up his wrist by way of explanation so Erin could see a shiny gold watch.

  “Is that all,” Erin asked flabbergasted. “Some bossy woman plunks a watch down in front of you and demands that you take her to dinner, and that’s all it takes?”

  “What can I say? I like bossy women.”

  Erin and Sean both laughed. It was no secret Erin had inherited her stubborn streak from her mother.

  “It turns out she was just as nervous as I was,” Sean finally said. “Dropping that watch on me and making demands was the only way she could get up the nerve to ask me out. She didn’t think I would ask her, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.”

  “That’s priceless, but I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks, honey, but what about you? Seriously, why didn’t you tell me about Carson? You know, I’m not some backward Neanderthal who thinks love should be reserved for those who follow the status quo.”

  Erin shrugged delicately. “Nerves, I guess. I’ve only been seeing Carson since the incident at the Holcomb Building. That was what? Two weeks ago?”

  “It’s not about the length of time; it’s about the feeling. How does she make you feel?”

  “Confused,” Erin answered immediately. At her father’s look, she tried to answer more fully. “Half the time I’m scared out of my wits like I’m on my first date and afraid to drop soup in my lap. The other half of the time, I’m so excited just to be around her that I think my bones are going to vibrate through my skin. She’s so smart it’s intimidating, yet so sweet and naïve that I want to fold her away in my arms and protect her from the rest of the world.”

  “And the sex?”

  “Dad!”

  Sean laughed. “Well, we’re both adults here. I don’t need details, but how do you feel when you’re with her?”

  If he could have taken a snapshot of the dreamy expression on Erin’s face then, he would have. But it was her answer that caused a sting in his eyes and reminded him of Rita.

  “Amazing, for lack of a better word. When I’m with Carson the whole world just disappears. Nothing else matters, not work, or anything else. Only Carson. She’s all I can see, all I can breathe.”

  Sean cleared his throat and said in a deliberately light tone. “Sounds like love to me.”

  “Love? Yes, I suppose that’s what it is. But isn’t it too soon?”

  “Only you can answer that. I knew the moment I looked into your mother’s eyes that I loved her. That feeling is
a precious gift that too few people ever experience. If you love Carson, then you love her. It’s that simple.”

  Erin smiled wryly and reached across the table to clasp her father’s hand. “When did you get to be so wise?”

  “Oh, I was born this way. It’s a difficult burden to bear, but someone has to do it.”

  His small joke had the effect he wanted and the serious moment drained away as they both laughed.

  “Now, tell me, where does this wonder woman live?”

  Erin took a sip of her coffee. “Carson called it the old Rockfort place. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t really place it. All I can tell you is it’s one of the older estates north of Rodger’s Park. Apparently, it was pretty rundown when she bought it, and she’s having the whole place renovated.”

  Sean whistled appreciatively. “Not Jethro Rockfort, head of the largest oil refining business in the country? I knew he used to live around here, but I couldn’t imagine knowing someone who lived in his former mansion.”

  “The inside of the mansion is already finished, and it’s pretty amazing.” Erin grinned at her father’s enthusiasm. “It sits right off Lake Michigan, and has a private lake and boat dock. That part’s still under construction, but she’s offered to take me fishing in the summer.”

  “Sounds wonderful and rumor had it that the place was rather secluded. I heard it sits on ten acres and is situated at the furthest part from any of the other estates in the area.”

  Sean wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and forced another laugh from his daughter. The bawdy behavior wasn’t something Sean was especially inclined to do, but Erin was far too serious sometimes and he enjoyed hearing her laugh.

  “Rumor is right,” Erin joked back. “Why do you think we’re spending the weekend at her place?”

  “Ah, that explains how you can forego the RL for more than one meal.”

  “Now Dad, that’s not funny. I don’t eat here every night.”

  “No, just most of them.”