by Cindy Bell
“What a rough day, Peaches.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and Peaches settled right into her lap. “Sometimes I think that no one is interested in the truth anymore.” She shook her head. “Luke is involved in this, I know he is. I just hope Julian isn't, too.” As the cat purred, Ally felt her body begin to relax. She could feel the stress leaving her.
When things had begun getting tense between her and Daniel, spending time with Peaches had been the only thing that kept her calm. Although she had friends she could have called, Peaches kept all of her secrets. She never had to worry about the cat judging her or convincing her that her intuition was wrong. Again her feline friend was serving as her solace in the middle of the unfolding chaos.
Ally found it hard to believe that anyone could survive life without a pet of some kind. Maybe she wouldn't find snuggling up to Arnold as relaxing as cuddling with Peaches, but she knew that her grandmother loved that little pig just as much. It made her mind shift back to Julian. She wondered if he had a pet. It was funny to her how it only took seeing an old crush to spin around her decision that she would never love again. Now Julian was creeping into her mind without her permission. She found herself imagining what it would be like to go out with him like he had suggested.
“Before any of that can happen, Connor's murder has to be solved.”
When she was finally able to drift off to sleep, Ally's dreams were strange. A mixture of faces, a mixture of locations, as her past, her present, and her future all attempted to blend into one. In the middle of the night she woke up with a start. As she stared into the darkness she knew what she had to do. She couldn't just let her suspicions linger, she had to find out the truth.
Chapter Twelve
It wasn't often that Ally woke before her grandmother. She could count on one hand the amount of times she'd known her grandmother to sleep past six. Ally made sure she was awake by five. She dressed as quietly as she could. She stopped long enough to put out food for Peaches and to leave behind a note saying she was going out for a few hours.
As soon as she set off she felt a fluttering in her stomach. She munched on one of the triple chocolate muffins she had made. They were not too bad. She was sure that they would have been better if her grandmother had been the one to make them. But there was still something so satisfying about eating something that she had baked herself.
The drive towards the old factory was a quiet one. There were very few other cars on the road. Ally noticed a police patrol car making its rounds, but other than that she was alone. She was determined to get a closer look at the factory in the hope of figuring out just what was happening there. By the time she reached the long driveway, her muffin was gone and her stomach was still fluttering. It wasn't hunger, it was nerves. Would Luke be there waiting for her? Had Julian reported back to him that she was acting strange? She shook off the idea. She didn't want to think of Julian and Luke being so close. But until she knew for sure that they weren’t, she had to be cautious.
Ally drove around behind the factory to park her car so that it could not be seen from the road. The grass was very wild behind the building. Structures that had likely once been intended for extra storage were in different states of crumbling. Ally shook her head at the waste. Why would someone buy the property just to neglect it?
Cautiously, she opened her car door and stepped out. The morning sun was already hot as it beat down on the aging factory. Ally surveyed the outside of the building. Although it was unkempt and overgrown there were signs that someone had been there. The grass by the doors was trampled down. There was a scrape in the dirt where the door had been opened and closed. Ally didn't find any footprints. She suspected that might mean that whoever had been in the factory did not want anyone to know. She looked at the door for a long moment. She knew that once she chose to open it and enter the building she was technically breaking the law. However, with Brent being arrested for something she was sure that he didn't do, and Luke probably having Julian's ear, Ally felt as if she had no choice but to go inside.
Ally opened the door and was immediately confronted with a strange smell. She couldn't quite place what it was. With some hesitation she stuck her head inside the factory and looked around. There were enough high windows to allow the natural light from outside in. Ally could see dust was illuminated in the air by beams of sunlight. However, there was a large, long metal table in the middle of the wide open space. It looked shiny, as if someone had just wiped it down. Ally stepped all of the way inside the factory. It didn't appear that anyone else was there.
As she walked towards the table her heart raced with every footstep. She was going down a potentially dangerous path and had no idea where it was going to lead. When she paused beside the table she noticed that there wasn't a speck of dust on it. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure it was clean while the rest of the factory appeared to be untouched. There were a few lockers lined up against a wall where workers were meant to store their personal items. Workers that had never been hired, as the factory had never even opened.
Despite the fact that no one had ever actively worked in the factory, Ally had an eerie sensation along the back of her neck, as if the factory was filled with invisible eyes watching her. She looked over her shoulder towards the door. It was still open about an inch or so. It was clear that no one cared to lock the door, or chain anything up, so it was not likely that anything valuable was stored inside. Still, why would this one table be kept so clean? Why would it be such a secret that activity was occurring inside the factory? What was that smell?
Ally ducked down to look under the table. As she did, she heard a voice. It made her entire body tighten up with every muscle frozen. She listened closely to it. Ally didn't recognize the voice and couldn't quite make out the words, but she could tell that it was getting closer. Her throat went dry with anxiety as she wondered if she would be caught inside the factory. If she was caught who would catch her?
Ally moved away from the table and looked for a place to hide. Most of the factory was wide open, aside from the lockers. They didn't offer much place to hide either, because they were flush against the wall. She knew that she only had one choice. She ran over to the lockers and jerked the first one in the line open. Luckily it was open from top to bottom with a hook in the back. It was wider than conventional lockers, probably for tool storage. She climbed inside. The cool metal touched her elbows and pressed against the top of her head. It felt very claustrophobic. She gulped as she pulled the door shut. A subtle click let her know that the door was shut all the way. What she didn't know was whether it was locked. She tucked herself away just in time as the person who she had heard, swung the factory door open all the way.
“Why is this door open?” A second voice barked. Ally couldn't see who had walked in. But she didn't recognize either of the voices.
“I don't know. It's usually closed, but we don't keep it locked.”
“Why not?” the other voice demanded. “Do you want to get caught?”
“No, what I want is to keep things as inconspicuous as possible. If you put a shiny padlock on an old, abandoned factory you're asking for attention. Besides the stuff is never stored here very long.”
“That's a good point, I guess. It just makes me nervous. This is quality product.”
“Let's take a look.”
Ally could hear footsteps drawing closer. She took as shallow breaths as she could manage. She clenched her teeth in an attempt to hold back her fear.
“I don't know what you're thinking questioning my product. I've never been anything but honest and often quite generous.”
“Enough with the sales pitch, let me see what you have there.”
Ally's heart was in her throat. Was it drugs? Diamonds? It could have been anything at all.
She heard something strike the table. Then the two men mumbled to each other.
“Is that all of it?”
“It's all he ordered.”
“Well, it look
s a little slim.”
“It's not slim at all. Let's count it.”
“Oh trust me, we'll be counting it.”
“No need to get hostile.”
“I'm not hostile, but I won't be jerked around either. He ordered a certain amount of product and it better be here. We have customers waiting.”
“All right, all right. Let's get to it.”
Ally closed her eyes. Her fear spiked as sharp pain pounded in her head. What had she gotten herself into? If the men found her in the locker she would surely end up just like Connor. Was Connor somehow involved with these men? Or did he walk in on something that got him killed? She had just done the same thing. She listened closely just in case she lived long enough to relay what she heard to Julian. She could have kicked herself for not telling him the truth and having him there with her, or even better, instead of her. She could have told him everything now, if she wasn't locked up in a tiny locker.
“This is premium.”
“It looks good.”
Ally was hit with another cloud of the scent she had breathed in when she opened the door. It was more potent this time. The smell was vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn’t place it. What was it? Was it aftershave? Was it some kind of drug? She tried to remain focused on what the men were saying outside.
“It is the best.”
“It stinks though.”
“That will wear off by the time you box and ship it. It just means it's fresh. So you see, it's all there, I didn't cheat you.”
“Good, let me put it away then I'll get you your money.” Ally heard a scraping noise. Then she heard footsteps headed in her direction. She bit into her bottom lip to keep from crying out as the footsteps got closer and closer to where she was hiding.
“Wait just a minute. Money first.”
“Fine, whatever. It's in the trunk, come out with me.”
“Gladly.”
She heard the two men walking back towards the door. Her heart raced. This was her chance. She knew it might be her only chance. As soon as she heard the door creak open and closed she tried to open the locker. When she pushed on the door it didn't budge. She began running her fingers along the interior of the door for any kind of latch or release lever that would allow her to open it. The longer she searched the more panicked she became. She knew that the men wouldn't be outside long. If she stepped out of the locker just as they were coming back in she would be spotted.
Just when Ally's fingertips brushed across something that she thought might be the latch, she heard the door squeak open again. This time only one set of footsteps echoed through the factory. She heard the scraping sound again. She froze inside the locker and gave up on trying to find a way to get it open. Instead she focused on the sound of someone approaching the line of lockers. When he reached it he dropped something heavy and loud on the floor. Ally guessed it might have been a wooden crate. She could tell from the sound of his breath and subtle mutterings that he was right outside the locker. Only a thin sheet of metal separated them. Ally's stomach twisted as she anticipated what he would do when he opened the locker and found her.
Chapter Thirteen
Ally held her breath as she listened closely to the man on the other side of the locker door. Then the door jolted. Whoever was on the other side of it was tugging hard at the door. Ally closed her eyes, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.
Her chest was tight with fear. The locker door shook again.
“What is wrong with this thing?”
Ally opened her eyes. She saw that the door was still closed. “Must be jammed,” the man outside muttered. Ally drew a shallow, shaky breath. She hoped that the man would not hear it. She heard the clank of the next locker being opened. He shuffled something into the locker. Then he opened the next locker door. She heard more shuffling. Ally guessed that whatever the man had just purchased, was being stored in the lockers. She closed her eyes and hoped that he would not come back to the first locker and try to force it open. Ally's stomach churned as she heard his footsteps approaching her locker again. Luckily, he passed right by and continued walking.
Ally knew she wasn't safe yet, but she felt as if she was getting closer to the possibility. After a few more moments she heard the squeak of the door opening and closing again. She held her breath and stayed perfectly still. She listened harder than she had ever listened in her life. In the distance she could hear the faint rumble of a car engine. She nearly passed out from relief. She couldn't be sure, but she suspected that the man had left. How long would he be gone? Were others on their way? She had no idea. All she knew for sure was that she had to get out of the building as fast as she could. She jiggled the lever on the inside of the locker door. It did not budge. She pushed on it hard. The door still would not open.
“No!”
She shoved her entire body weight against it. It barely trembled. “No, no, no!” She pounded heavily on the inside of the door. Trapped inside of a tiny space, with no hope of getting out, she would be forced to wait for some criminal to find and execute her. Or worse yet, no one would ever find her. She hadn't told anyone where she was going. Why would they even look for her there?
With her heart pounding she knew that there was only one thing that she could do. She didn't want to put her grandmother in danger, but she was the only person that Ally could trust. Ally managed to maneuver her hand into her purse. She pulled out her phone and dialed her grandmother. When the phone rang, it sounded so loud through the ear piece. Her body tensed. What if the man hadn't left? What if he could hear what she was doing?
“Hello? Ally?”
“Mee-Maw, I need you to come to the old factory. But you have to be careful. It's dangerous. I'm trapped and I…”
A sharp beeping sound alerted Ally to the fact that the call had been dropped. She tried to dial again, but her grandmother must have still been on the line because the call went to voicemail. Ally tried again and saw that she no longer had service. Just then she heard the rustle of something not far from the lockers. It could have been an animal, or it could have been a person. Shocked by fear, Ally turned her phone off. She didn’t want someone to hear it ring or vibrate if her grandmother called her. She had no idea if her grandmother had understood her. She didn't even know how much she might have heard before the call dropped. Was anyone going to come to help her? She stood perfectly still. She was too scared to wait, but too scared to start pounding again. She didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she was there, just in case someone dangerous was still close enough to hear. She had never been in any precarious situations in her life.
Her boring office job didn't involve hiding from dealers. Her dull husband's riskiest behavior was turning the channel when she was watching her favorite television show. The fear that coursed through her was far different than anything she had ever felt before. As she tried to get control of herself she knew that she might not be able to escape.
Ally leaned her forehead against the inside of the locker door and felt tears building in her eyes. She had made a huge mistake by running her own little investigation. She was either going to starve, or she was going to be killed. Those were not very good options for her to pick from. Being under so much pressure made her begin to get a little dizzy.
As the minutes slipped by she lost more and more hope. Then she heard the creak of the door. Ally was sure that it was over. The man had come back, or someone had arrived to pick up whatever he had stashed in the lockers. Either way if she was found she would be in a lot of danger. However, if she stayed trapped in the locker she might never have another chance to get out.
After several more seconds slipped by, Ally finally decided to take the risk.
Ally began pounding hard on the locker door.
“Ally?”
“Mee-Maw! Help me, I'm in here!” Ally nearly burst into tears with relief. She heard the subtle clack of her grandmother's low heeled shoes as she hurried over. Ally could hear her tugging at the door. “It's stuck,�
� Ally wept.
“How did you even get in there?” Charlotte sighed. “Don't worry we'll get you out. You push and I'll pull and kick.”
“You'll what?” Ally looked at the door.
“Do as I say, Ally!” Ally cringed at the tone in her grandmother's voice. It was one she had heard far too often as a child.
“Okay, ready!” Ally shoved her weight against the door. She could feel her grandmother tugging from the other side. Then she heard a loud clang. The door popped open and Ally fell out right into her grandmother's arms. “How did you do that?” Ally stared up at her with wonder.
“I've dealt with a stubborn locker or two. It usually takes a good, hard kick.” Charlotte helped Ally to stand up straight. “Now, do you want to tell me what you were doing in that locker?”
“I will, but not now. We have to get out of here before they come back.” Ally jerked open the locker door beside the one she hid inside. When she saw what was hidden there she gasped with surprise.
“Cigarettes?” She stared at the packages with disbelief. “Why would they go to so much trouble to hide cigarettes?”
Charlotte peered inside the locker. “I bet that they're illegal cigarettes.”
“Illegal cigarettes?”
“They get smuggled into the States because of the high tax on cigarettes. The worst part is they have no regulation. People buy these cigarettes without having any idea what is inside them.”
“That's gross.” Ally scrunched up her nose. “They could really just put anything in them?”
“Yes. Most people won't notice the difference. I saw a special about it. But I never would have guessed they'd be running them through a small town like Mainbry.” She shook her head. “I guess people are right about the crime rate going up.”
“There's no time to think about the crime rate of small towns, we have to get out of here before anyone comes back.” Ally grabbed her grandmother's hand. As they rushed towards the door Ally's foot caught on something sharp. She lurched forward and caught herself on the handle of the door. When she looked down at what she had tripped on she saw that it was a small, silver case.