Stealing Sunshine

by Tina Michele

  Belle cursed at the slow moving car as it lowered her to the basement. She pushed at the doors and squeezed herself out before the doors opened. She searched for similar marks on the floor and ran the length of the hall along the glass vault, but there was no sign of them. Belle ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and turned in a circle, when she spotted Tara and Xander lying on the floor inside the vault. “How the hell?”

  Belle ran to the door and scrabbled for her key card. She entered her code, pulled open the door, and ran to her. “Oh, Tara.” Belle touched Tara’s bloody face, and it was as cold as the floor beneath her. “Tara? Please, wake up.” She stroked her hair and face as she leaned down close to her.

  *

  “Baby, please wake up.”

  Tara heard Belle’s soft distant voice calling her, and she groaned. “Oh! Tara, hey, open your eyes, sweetie.” Tara was weak and cold, but she opened her eyes to Belle’s sweet smile.

  “Hey,” Tara said and returned a feeble smile.

  “Shh. Let me get this off of you.” Tara watched Belle shuffle through her desk drawer for something. She found a razor knife and went to work cutting Tara’s arms and legs loose.

  “Xander. Alan.” The new freedom of her cramped arms made her wince in pain.

  Belle went to them. Tara couldn’t see, but she could hear Belle cut them loose as she called their names. As Belle said Alan’s name several times without response, her stomach twisted. She held her breath waiting to hear his voice. When she heard him groan, she breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Alan’s okay and Xander isn’t as beat up as you. I think they’re fine,” she said as she returned to her side.

  Tara didn’t have the strength or full use of her muscles so Belle helped her up. The rush of blood to her head made her dizzy. “Whoa. Slow.” Belle propped her against the desk, and Tara’s entire weight leaned into it.

  “You’re hurt pretty bad. The police should be here soon.”

  “Did they hurt you?” Even through a haze, Tara could tell that Belle was out of sorts.

  “I’m fine,” Belle said as she fiddled and fussed with Tara’s uniform. She reached up to her desk for a box of tissues and dabbed at the wounds on Tara’s face.

  “Belle, stop.” Tara grabbed Belle’s shaking hand. Compared to her own it was so very warm and comforting, so she held on to it.

  “What? You’re bleeding. We have to—”

  “Just wait. Are you okay? You’re shaking like a leaf, and I’ve seen more color on a sheet of notebook paper.

  “I was so scared.” Belle’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Belle, I’m okay, now. I’ve been cut and bruised before. Worse than this come to think of it.”

  “They…I thought he was going to kill me. And then I thought he killed you. I was so scared, Tara. I couldn’t breathe. He left me there to die.” Belle pulled at her shirt collar and gasped for air.

  Tara’s heart ached as she watched Belle fight to stay strong even as the fear washed over her face. “Shhh. Come here.” Tara reached up for Belle, and pain shot through every part of her. “Ah, shit!” she said as she clutched her side.

  “Tara?”

  “I’m fine. Just sore.” The pain she felt from her injuries was nothing compared to the hurt she felt as Belle looked at her. “Just come here.”

  Belle moved in closer to Tara and touched her face.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

  “No, sweetheart. This isn’t your fault. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Tara cupped Belle’s cheek and wiped away the tears that ran down her face.

  “I am now.”

  Tara pushed herself up and kissed Belle’s soft lips. Tara’s lip was swollen and sore, but the contact sent a long absent heat through her veins, and her temperature rose as she fed off of her warmth. A tap on the glass made Belle jump away, and the loss sent a shiver of cold through her. A team of officers stood on the other side of the glass, and Belle left her to let them in. The blaring of the alarm stopped, and the pain hit her like a truck as she realized they were safe. She slumped over onto the floor with a grunt and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  As soon as Belle opened the door, the officers rushed in. The uniformed men pushed past her and secured the area. Belle returned to Tara’s side and pulled her close. The fully armored tactical team swarmed through the entire vault with speed and efficiency. Once they declared the all clear the paramedics moved in on the injured. Belle was reluctant to move when they started to assess Tara’s condition. She stepped away and watched as they helped her off the floor and into a chair. Tara winced and growled as they poked and prodded her injuries.

  Belle leaned against the wall and braced herself. The sight of blood always made her stomach turn. She hadn’t thought about it at all when she’d seen Tara crumpled on the floor of her vault bruised and battered, but now she was feeling queasy. Before she could stop herself, her knees went weak and she slid down the wall and landed on the floor with a thump. She felt the blood rush from her face and the cold of the room hit her.

  “Belle!” Tara called as she attempted to jump up from her seat, but she was stopped by both the paramedics attending to her and the officer who placed himself directly between her and Belle. The look on the officer’s face was stern and unyielding.

  Another set of EMTs went to Belle’s side. She saw the concern on Tara’s face and attempted to comfort her distress. “I’m fine. Just a little woozy from watching them poke at you.” She didn’t feel fine, and it was more than just the sight of blood that made her feel that way. “I think I just need some air.”

  “Ma’am, once we assess you and get you stabilized we can begin transport to the hospital,” one of the emergency workers said.

  “What? No, I don’t need to go to the hospital. I just want to talk to my friend,” Belle said

  Through the chaos of people and noise an officer approached her. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we cannot allow you to speak with anyone until we’ve gathered everyone’s statement.”

  “I can tell you right now what happened.”

  “Ma’am, I advise you not to say anything at this time.”

  “What?” Belle asked as they lifted her onto a stretcher. “No! I don’t need to go to the hospital I said. Stop.”

  “That is your choice, ma’am, but we are recommending that you be seen by a doctor. You may be unaware of your injuries due to the shock and increased adrenaline in your system.”

  Belle was going to continue to fight back until she heard Tara’s voice over the crowds. “Babe, just do as they say. It will be okay. I promise.”

  She watched as Tara was then lifted onto a stretcher as her face contorted with pain. Her heart ached as did her head as her heart rate began to decrease. “Tara? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just a bloody nose and a few cuts and scrapes.”

  Belle pointed to the laceration on her cheekbone. “That looks worse than a scrape,” Belle said as they pushed her past Tara. Her head spun a little until she set her heavy head back and twisted the sheet with her fingers.

  “Eh. A few butterflies, and I’ll be good to go.”

  “Are they all right? Where are they?” Kyle asked as he pushed his way toward them.

  Everyone in the room turned toward the doorway as a frantic and disheveled Kyle ran in.

  The look of distress on his face tore at Belle. When he saw her, his eyes teared and she responded in kind. When he pulled her into a tight embrace, the pressure of his hug caused a sudden panic within her. She pushed him away and gasped for air. “I…need…air.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. He looked at Tara. “Damn, and your face!”

  “It’s fine. Superficial, for the most part. We’re going to the hospital.”

  Belle began to breathe deeply and exhale through pursed lips in a steady cadence. “There are too many people in here. Please, can we go?”

  Tara slid her hand across Belle’s arm a
s she passed. “It will be fine, sweetheart.” Kyle rushed along beside the gurney.

  Belle felt odd and tingly. “She’ll need butters for that,” Belle mumbled.

  “Butters?” Kyle asked.

  “Butterflies. Steri-Strips, for this,” Tara said as she pointed to her face.

  “Wait! Are you sure you don’t need stitches? Does she need stitches?” he asked over his shoulder to the EMTs as they left the room.

  Tara waved them off. “I’m sure they’ll know either way at the hospital, Kyle.” The officer that accompanied them out of the vault stopped Kyle as they loaded Belle and Tara onto the elevator. “Sir, you’re going to have to stay here to speak to one of our detectives.”

  “What? I can’t. I have to go with them.”

  “No, sir, we cannot allow any of you to communicate until we have assessed the entire scene and eliminated the suspects.”

  “We are suspects? This is outrageous!” The shocked look on Kyle’s face was clear even through Belle’s fading vision. “I’ll see you at the hospital, my love,” he called out to her.

  “It’s okay, Kyle. We’ll be fine,” Belle told him as the elevator doors closed.

  As they rode the elevator up in silence, Belle took those few moments to prepare herself for the worst. In her determination to find Tara, she looked past most of the damage the men had done. Quick flashes of gold shards and the sound of ripping fabric was all she could recall. She tried to steady her breathing that had already begun to speed up. She counted in her head, in for four, out for four.

  When the doors chimed and opened, Belle was bombarded with the screeching of police radios and what sounded like a thousand voices all yelling at once. Small yellow numbered markers littered the floor where even the tiniest piece of debris was found. Shattered glass crunched under their feet as they traveled along the corridor. As they made their way past the galleries, Belle tried to see around the people and commotion to get a sense of the damage, but the paramedics kept them moving along down the hall.

  “Please. I need to see.” Belle said as she reached out toward the gallery as they passed.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

  When they reached the Grayson Gallery, her heart stopped. The smiling portrait of Grayson that always greeted her each day was lying on the floor. “Wait.” She tried to sit up from the gurney, but a firm hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back. Even from there Belle could see that the glass was smashed from the bent frame. Belle’s eyes drifted from the portrait up to an opening of people who milled around in front of View of the Sea of Scheveningen. But to her horror, there was no Van Gogh, only an empty frame with its tattered remnants clinging to the gilt wood.

  Belle covered her mouth. She tried to stifle the devastated cry, but it was no use. Her body shook with desolation and dismay. Had she been standing her legs would’ve given out on her. “They took it!” Belle screamed in pain, not from a physical pain, but from one deep within her soul.

  “Shhh. Come on. Let’s go outside,” Kyle said as he rubbed her arm.

  As they loaded her into the ambulance, she watched the lights flashing around her and got lost in their blinding cadence. The loud and bustling noise around her became muffled as she stared off into space.

  *

  The ambulance sped into the bay and the doors burst open. The nurses and paramedics exchanged information as they pushed her stretcher into the building. Belle had hoped that she and Tara would’ve arrived at the same time so that she had a chance to see that she was all right. But as the second ambulance pulled in, Belle was already inside. They wheeled her into an examination cubicle, and she noticed the police and detective who had followed her in and were now camped out on the other side of the curtain.

  Once the doctors were gone and Belle was comfortable, the detective entered. “Good evening, ma’am. My name is Detective Campbell. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the incident this evening.”

  “Hello,” Belle said as she pushed herself up in bed.

  “I know you must be exhausted, so I’ll try to be brief.”

  Belle relayed her memories of that evening to the officer the best that she could. She didn’t know if it was her exhaustion or her mind that were making it difficult for her to vividly recall what she had experienced. She could remember the sound of the siren, the man’s choking hands around her neck, and Tara’s bloody and battered face, but everything else seemed to be clouded in a fine mist. “I’m trying, but it’s getting so hazy.” Her head dropped back against the bed and she began to cry.

  “I understand, ma’am. I think we have enough for this evening. I would like you to come down to the scene tomorrow for a cognitive interview.” He took a card from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “If you can think of anything between now and then, call me.”

  “I will.” Before the officer left the room, Belle asked about Tara.

  “She’s stable and being questioned as well. Once we get her statement in hand, you’re both free to go. We’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Winters.”

  Belle breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  *

  When Tara and Belle were discharged, they met Kyle in the waiting room. He was clearly relieved to see them up and walking out of the hospital on their own. “I’m so glad you are okay. I was scared to death.”

  “I know the feeling,” Belle said.

  She gave him a small smile. “I’ll take you two home before I head back to the museum.” He helped them both into the car to take them home.

  “How bad is it, Kyle?” Belle asked.

  “Don’t worry about that right now, sweetie.” Kyle tapped Belle on the thigh. “I want you to go home with Tara tonight. You can both keep an eye on each other for me. Okay? Tara?”

  “That sounds like a perfect idea to me.” Tara agreed without any hesitation.

  “No. I can go home. I’m a big girl you know,” Belle said.

  “I know, but it would make me feel a lot better knowing that you two were together in case something happens.”

  “Seriously? You don’t have enough proof of the shit that can happen when we’re together? At this rate, I’d expect her damn house to burn down.”

  “I hope not. I love my house. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  Belle didn’t have the strength to argue any more than she already had. “Fine.”

  *

  The three of them were silent for the remainder of the ride to Tara’s house. She was okay with that, however she was concerned about Belle. Tara hoped that once she got showered and changed she could begin to relax and hopefully get some sleep.

  Kyle pulled up to Tara’s house and let them out. “Take care of yourselves. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Tara helped Belle up to the house and let her in. Belle stopped in the foyer and stared around the room in awe. “Wow! I almost said something stupid like, ‘this place must’ve cost a fortune.’ But then I just said it didn’t I?”

  Tara laughed. “It wasn’t as bad as you’d think. It was in terrible shape when I bought it.”

  “That’s even more impressive. Did you do the work yourself?” Belle asked as they made their way up onto the large wraparound porch and into the house. “Holy—” she said as she looked up at the vaulted ceiling and wooden rafters with a second story balcony overlooking the wide-open great room.

  “I did some of it. I designed it myself, fixed the little things, but I hired contractors for the big stuff. Like those beams.”

  “And a crane.”

  Tara laughed. “Yes. Definitely.” Tara showed Belle to the large sectional sofa. “Will you be all right here for a minute while I go clean myself up?” Tara’s uniform was covered in blood, and what had dried to her face was pulling at her wounds.

  Belle sat onto the couch. “Yes. I’ll be fine.”

  Tara turned on the television and handed her the remote. “I’m not sure what’s on at four thirty in the morning, but here you go. I’ll be right ba
ck. Promise.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Tara leaned down and kissed Belle on the forehead. “Good.”

  Tara went upstairs to her room and picked out comfortable clothes for herself and for Belle. She carried her things to the bathroom and set them next to the sink. She looked between the shower and the bath and thought for a moment. Instead of starting a hot shower, she filled the tub. She exchanged her pile of clean clothes for Belle’s and then gathered towels, washcloths, and soaps for her as well. Once the bathroom was set, she headed back downstairs to get her.

  Tara chuckled at the home shopping station Belle was watching. “Hey,” Tara said as she came around the couch.

  “Hey. That was fast.”

  “I decided to run you a bath first. I can shower down here in the guest room.”

  “That sounds so amazing, but you didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to. Now come on.” Tara grabbed Belle by the hand and led her upstairs.

  Once Belle was settled, Tara grabbed her things and went downstairs to shower. She turned the water as hot as it would go and then dialed it back a little when the room filled with thick steam. She stepped into the spray and sucked her teeth as the water washed over her wounds. Tara pressed her hands against the wall and let the heat soothe her sore and bruised body. She was exhausted. Her mind and body had been vibrating for hours, and the adrenaline was wearing off. She washed her hair and body and then forced herself out of the shower.

  Tara sat on the couch and flipped blindly through the stations on the television. She had almost drifted off to sleep when Belle slid down next to her on the sofa.

  “Hey. How are you feeling?” Considering what they’d both been through, Belle looked beautiful.

  “Better. Had the water not cooled off I might still be in there.” Belle slumped into Tara’s side.

  Tara wrapped her arm over Belle’s shoulders and pulled her in close. She ran her fingers through Belle’s hair and she shivered. “Are you cold?”