by Gina Ardito
“Okay, then,” he said instead. “Goodnight.”
She walked with him to the door, and he dropped the room key on the dining table on his way out. “Goodnight, Shane. And thanks.”
Her smile widened again, and the breath left his lungs as if he’d been punched in the gut. Time to leave before he did something stupid. Like try to kiss her again.
~~~~
The first thing Adara did after Shane left was take a long, hot shower. Between the attacker in her apartment and the filth of that other hellhole, her pores had absorbed too much stench, and she needed to feel clean again. Thoroughly scrubbed and refreshed, she wrapped herself in her fluffy terry cloth robe and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Eight o’clock. Only twelve hours or so until Shane came back. What would she possibly due to fill the void?
Her stomach growled like a feral animal on the prowl, reminding her that she’d eaten nothing since the attempt to swallow the egg white omelet earlier. Maybe she should have taken Shane up on his offer to go to the market.
But, no. She’d never been a burden to any man before, and she wouldn’t start now. Especially not now. So, what to do about a meal? She recalled seeing a series of vending machines tucked in an alcove on the way to her room. That would have to suffice as a take-out restaurant, she thought as she quickly discarded the robe and tossed a sundress over her head.
She slipped into her shoes then found her purse on the couch where she’d dropped it earlier. Much like an archaeologist seeking evidence of an ancient culture, she dug into the bottom of the bag for spare change. Her expedition rewarded her with four quarters and six dimes. Hopefully, that would be enough to buy a package of cheese crackers and a soda. Neither nourishing nor filling, but the best she could do until tomorrow.
After retrieving the room key from the table, she strolled outside, locking the door firmly behind her. It was a beautiful night. The sky was filled with diamond white stars, and a slight tang of salt tinged the cool breeze blowing off the bay. Underneath it all, the faint hum of her room’s air conditioner and the buzz of crickets hiding in the tall grasses pleasantly broke the night’s stillness.
While she walked along the outdoor deck, she said a silent prayer of thanks to Shane for finding her this haven. Where was he now? Was he home? What did “home” look like for him? A house with a white picket fence like in her fantasy? Probably not.
He struck her more as a condo or townhouse owner, no fuss or muss. He’d have stark white walls with modern conveniences galore on the inside. Black leather couches and glass and chrome tables. On the outside, she pictured a manicured garden with grass neatly trimmed by employees of the homeowner’s association. Definitely, a condo owner.
Reaching the alcove with the vending machines, Adara studied her options. The soda cost a precious dollar of her hoard, but she really needed the jolt of caffeine. Fig bars, however, were a mere fifty cents. That would have to suffice.
With her meager dinner purchased, she strolled back to her room, but stopped short when she noticed a tall, blond man leaning against her doorframe.
“Ted?”
“Hello, my angel.” He wore another white linen suit, this time with a turquoise dress shirt. In his right hand, he held up a plastic shopping bag. “I brought you a few things to make your exile more comfortable.”
“H-how did you find me?”
Chapter Fifteen
After picking up Tyler at his mother’s, Shane drove the three miles home, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Adara. He should have stayed with her. At the very least, he should have posted a cruiser outside the inn. According to Lou, the assailant from her apartment had lawyered up immediately upon reaching the precinct and refused to cooperate. His rap sheet indicated that he was indeed on Cherry’s payroll, and Shane didn’t for one second believe the attack was an isolated incident.
Thank God Ron could be trusted to keep an eye on her tonight. Tomorrow, he’d have to come up with a better plan.
Which reminded him, he still hadn’t informed his commander of her move to the Bayside. Oh, well. Tomorrow was soon enough. Everything else could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he had to concentrate on the little boy sitting at the dining room table, an untouched bowl of macaroni and cheese before him.
“How was school today, Tyler?”
“Good,” Tyler replied, eyes downcast.
“What’d you do?”
“Nothin’.”
Shane sighed his frustration. The same routine played out every evening. Getting Tyler to open up and talk about anything was impossible. He prayed Adara was right about karate giving him power. For now, he’d settle for the topic giving him a voice—or at least, sparking some kind of interest in the child’s passivity.
“Hey, guess what?”
Tyler stopped poking at the orange macaroni in his bowl long enough to look up.
“I was talking to a lady today who thinks you might enjoy learning karate. What do you think of that?”
“Like Prufrock?”
Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of Prufrock? The taco-eating superhero on Tyler’s favorite cartoon, who fought bad guys with his rapid-fire karate moves, was the ideal role model to inspire the child.
“Yeah, just like Prufrock. So what do you think? Would you like to try?”
He shrugged his tiny shoulders. “I’m not very strong.”
“Not right now, you’re not. But Prufrock wasn’t strong when he first started, either. Remember? When Penn found him in the garbage can, he was just a little baby dinosaur. But after a while, with Penn’s help, he grew bigger and stronger. And now, no one messes with him.”
Forming his fingers into claws, Shane hissed at his nephew with a not-too-ferocious look on his face. It had the desired effect; Tyler giggled. Quick as a blink, though, his expression reverted to blankness again.
Oh, no you don’t. I’m going to get a sustained reaction out of you if it kills me…
“Well?” He poked the boy’s shoulder, hoping to jar something loose.
“It might be cool.”
Not good enough, Tyler. I’ll have to up the ante.
“It might be cool? You wouldn’t sound so disinterested if you’d seen what I saw. There’s a lady I’m working with, and she’s kind of tiny. Well, today I saw her knock a man twice her size onto the ground. She had him rolling around in pain in no time. I swear, he didn’t know what hit him.”
“Was it a bad man?” Tyler’s question came out a frightened whisper.
Shit. How best to answer that without terrifying the child?
Tyler knew what Shane did for a living. In happier times, he used to brag about his uncle, who fought bad guys. Shane had even visited the boy’s preschool to talk to the children about staying away from strangers.
Still, these days he didn’t want Tyler thinking that the world was filled with nothing but bad guys. Then again, if he knew that Adara had flattened a bad guy with karate, would that give him the impetus to take the classes seriously? He shook his head in confusion. Too bad no one gave guardians a How-to manual when they accepted responsibility for a child. Substitute Parenting for Dummies. It would probably be a bestseller.
Since a guidebook wasn’t an option, maybe he should consider joining his mother at those LVOM meetings. A lot of children were orphaned or transferred to guardians after a murder in the family. Surely someone in that organization—at least one other person—must have overcome some of the hurdles he faced with Tyler.
Unfortunately, at the moment, no easy solution lay at hand. He’d just have to wing it, something at which he was getting extraordinarily good these days.
“Yes, he was a bad man,” he said solemnly. “And I was in the next room, too far away to help. But she didn’t need me. She had him moaning in pain before I could even get there. Fifteen seconds flat.”
“Really?” The child’s eyes widened with wonder.
“Really. So? Do you want to try it?”
“Can I
meet the lady first?”
He hadn’t expected that. “Why?”
“Because I want to see her for myself.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that, Uncle Shane. It’s just that…well…I want to see how big she is…you know…compared to me.”
“I won’t lie to you, Tyler. She’s a little bigger than you.”
He clucked his tongue. “I hope so. Otherwise, she’d be a pretty small grown-up.”
“So then why do want to see her?”
“I want to talk to her. I want her to tell me how big was the bad man. And how did she get him on the floor if she’s so little?”
Exhilaration tickled at Shane’s lips, but he kept the feeling in check. For far too long, Tyler had trapped himself in a world of monosyllabic answers and complaisance. Now, at last, with a simple discussion about karate, he was opening up again, becoming more animated, interested.
Shane hid his pleased smile by picking at the grilled halibut on his plate. “She said it was something called Combination Sixteen. Let me see if I can describe it the way she told me…” He stroked his chin, playing for time, ratcheting up the excitement for his audience. “The man had sneaked up behind her and put a hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream for help. But by relaxing her body, she was able to get him to loosen his hold on her, and then she kicked him off balance, turned around really fast, and slammed the butt of her hand into his face. I think she broke his nose.”
Tyler bounced up and down in his chair, his skinny little legs swinging in excited arcs. “Cool! And she thinks I can learn to do that, too?”
“Yup.”
“When can I start? Maybe tomorrow?”
Shane’s eyes glanced upward at the ceiling. Thank you, Adara.
~~~~
“I assure you, my dear, everything is hermetically sealed. I’m not trying to poison you.” Amusement laced Ted’s voice, and Adara couldn’t help but smile.
The more she thought about it, the more far-fetched the idea of Ted as hired assassin became. “Thank you,” she said, reaching for the cellophane bag he held out to her.
“Your detective has left you woefully unprotected for the evening. I would think, after today’s excitement, he’d take better care for your safety.”
She nearly dropped the bag, but fumbled for it at the last minute. Ted’s hand reached to assist her, and their fingertips touched. In that instant, her mind saw a forest glade and a charging boar heading straight toward her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she cried out in fear, and the vision disappeared as if blown apart.
“Are you all right, dearest?”
She nodded and swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. “How did you find me? No one is supposed to know I’m here.”
“Call it mental telepathy,” he replied with a dazzling smile. “When I listen to my heart, it tells me where to find you.”
Fear and confusion transformed to wry doubt. Uh-huh. Sure. She hefted the grocery bag and peeked inside: milk, coffee, bread, and eggs just to name a few items. “Well, you must have heard my stomach growling, too.”
Soft laughter rumbled through his chest, warming the air around them. “I’ve always loved your sense of humor.”
Unsure what to do next, Adara wavered in the doorway. Should she invite him in? Was that inviting trouble? It smacked against her natural inclination to slam the door in his face, but she’d never considered herself one of those stupid women like in horror movies, the ones who know the killer’s in the basement so they immediately head down there all alone.
“I don’t intend to intrude upon your solitude, dearest,” he said as if reading her mind. “Go inside now, and rest at ease. Lock your door. I shall remain here to watch over you tonight.”
“Out here on the porch?”
“I shall be quite comfortable, I assure you.”
It was a split-second decision, and she might regret it later, but for now, it made sense. “No. Why don’t you come in? At least for a minute or two.”
“Very well.” He smiled broadly and stepped into her room. With what she could only describe as regal strides, he took a seat at the little dining table. As he stared out the expanse of windows, his back to her, he looked like a king upon a throne.
Shaking such silly thoughts out of her head, she placed the groceries on the counter.
“I shan’t stay inside long,” he said, his back to her. “I worried about you after the episode with Mr. Cherry’s goons and sought to determine that you were unharmed. I am relieved to see you well, but I’m quite distressed at Detective Griffin’s neglect. He should not leave you alone at such a dangerous time.”
She paused, her hand holding a quart of skim milk she’d intended to place in the refrigerator. “How did you know what happened at my apartment?”
He rose from the table and turned to face her, remaining a safe distance away in the living room section of the suite. “I was at the precinct when your distress call came in. Speaking to Detective Gennaro, as a matter of fact. I hastened to the scene, but found you already gone when I arrived. I take it you used your karate on that dastardly man?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “I must say, I’m quite thrilled all those black belts came in handy when you needed them. But then, I always knew they would. You have the heart of a warrior, Adara.”
Hiding her face behind the refrigerator door, she silently cursed her fickle warrior’s heart yet again. It would be so easy to fall in love with Ted. He was gorgeous, cultured, and totally devoted to her. So why did she still prefer a blue-eyed detective who probably only saw her as “this week’s case?”
Story of her life, really, she thought with a sigh as she returned her attention to the grocery bag. Never satisfied with what she had, always fearing abandonment. That’s what had happened with Terry, too.
Terry was sweet, good-looking, and attentive. Still, it hadn’t been enough for Adara. Deep down inside, she knew he’d someday disappoint her. And because he was less than perfect, she’d thrown him away, killing him in the process.
“You had nothing to do with Terence’s death, m’dear.”
She dropped the can of coffee on her foot. “Ow!” He’d managed to surprise her again. “What do you mean?”
He quickly approached, knelt at her feet, and touched her bare toe, soothing the hurt there with a deft rotation of his fingertip. Flashing an encouraging smile, he looked up at her. “I shall let you in on a little secret. Have you ever heard the story of Arachne?”
“Of course. My Gigia used to tell me. Arachne was a weaver who bragged she was better than Athena. So the angry goddess turned her into a spider.”
He stood again and wagged a finger at her. “But a very important spider. Arachne now weaves the threads of mortal lives.”
“O…kay. What does that have to do with me?”
“Think of mortal lives as millions of spider webs in a tiny closet. Due to the close proximity of so many webs, the threads will intertwine, connecting and disconnecting over and over again. Yours and Terence’s, Benjamin Cherry’s, Detective Griffin’s, even mine at the moment, criss-crossing time and space. Your friend, Terence, was meant to die that night. It was his fate. No matter whether or not you accepted Terence’s proposal. He still would have died, and you still would have been left behind. I, of course, would have perished of a broken heart at the news of your betrothal, but nothing else would have changed. You would still be here at this time.
“Terence’s thread ended the moment Mr. Cherry’s thread crossed his web. Your thread intersects them both. It is the fate Arachne has woven for you.”
Her lips twisted in a disbelieving smirk. “Gee, what did I ever do to tick her off?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Nothing. Arachne’s handiwork holds no malice. She cannot control the webs she makes any more than you can. They are foretold long before we ever arrive here on earth.”
“You don’t honestly believe that, do you? I me
an, it sounds like a nice way to appease my conscience, but I prefer to think I have choices in my life. I walk out this door, and I can choose to walk to the right or to the left. Either way, it’s my choice.”
“Ah, but what if you wish to fly straight up instead?”
She snorted. “Puh-leez. That’s impossible.”
“Only because you’ve never tried. You see, even your choices are preordained. Whatever has come before serves to affect the choices you make now. They may seem like choices of your own free will, but that is what we tell ourselves to appease our conscience.”
“Great,” she retorted. “So what choices is Arachne willing to give me now?”
“What choices do you need, my angel?”
She grimaced. “I need only one—a place where I’ll be safe from the Benjamin Cherrys of the world.”
“Ah,” Ted exclaimed. “There’s a simple solution to your dilemma.”
“There is?”
“Marry me, my darling. I shall take you far away from here, to a place where no one could ever harm you. I promise you, our life together would be filled with joy, love, and peace. For all eternity.”
He walked to the door, turned at the last minute, bowed, and clicked his heels together. “I wish you a pleasant evening, Adara. I shall remain outside all night. Should you require anything or need assistance, you merely have to call out. Remember to bolt the door after I’m gone.”
The door closed behind him, leaving Adara alone and agape.
~~~~
The blaring phone woke him sometime around three a.m.
“Griffin,” he mumbled automatically, though his brain still sought refuge in the fog of sleep.
“Detective Griffin?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s Arnie—Arnie Simon. Commander Stewart told me to give you a call.”
Arnie’s agitated voice pierced the haze, jolting him to a fully alert state. In the background behind Arnie, Shane discerned the familiar sounds of emergency activity—muffled, clipped voices, a wailing siren, and something staticky, like heavy rain.