Uncorked
Page 11
The previous Friday while at the airport, the hotel manager from Humphreys had sent Chella an email to tell her she had received some mail, so they detoured through the hotel to pick it up. As they approached Mitch’s vehicle in the parking lot across the street, Chella realized something was terribly wrong.
Chapter Five
The SUV’s tires were slashed. The windows and windshield were smashed, and the vehicle was badly keyed. Chella knew immediately.
Aaron.
The pattern was becoming more frustrating by the minute. The fact that the police had no leads in the case was driving Chella up the wall.
Detective Carter and a squad of police arrived soon after Mitch called. They thought Mitch’s parked Jaguar across town would have thrown Aaron off, but somehow Aaron found out what Mitch had been driving. Rusty had dropped the vehicle off early Sunday morning. At nearly eight o’clock in the evening, it had clearly happened sometime that day.
The police reviewed the cameras and found out that the vehicle had been vandalized only twenty minutes before Chella and Mitch arrived. Two people dressed in black with masks on and under the guise of the night’s darkness had destroyed the vehicle in less than a minute.
Because it had just happened, the police believed the perpetrators might still be in the area, possibly watching what was taking place. Detective Carter had serious concerns for Mitch and Chella’s safety. If they were being watched, the culprits could plan to follow Chella and Mitch home. Detective Carter wanted them taken to the station. From there, he could find a way to get them home safely and undetected.
As Detective Carter drove them to the station, Chella was dead silent. In fact, she had not said a word since the police arrived. Mitch knew the thoughts that had been going through her head, and the conversation they were likely to have when they were alone. He being targeted because of her was a conversation they would have all over again.
They now had evidence to prove Aaron had not been working alone. Whether he had the finances to pay someone to do this were still unknown, but highly unlikely, so they were working under the assumption that he was one of the men in in the video.
When they arrived at the police station, Detective Carter escorted them to a conference room.
“Can I get either of you anything?” he asked.
“No, thanks,” Chella replied.
“Some water, please,” Mitch continued.
When Detective Carter left the room, Mitch pulled his chair close to Chella and took her hand in his. “Sweetheart, you haven’t said anything.”
“What do you want me to say?” Chella replied. “We’ve been here before. I’m sure you know what I’m thinking. Mitch, the fact is, whether you want to admit it or not, I’m a liability to you and your business. I can’t allow this to continue.”
“Chella, please don’t.”
“If I continue seeing you, you’ll end up dead.”
“What about you? There’s not a doubt in my mind that he’s trying to kill you.”
“Mitch, I don’t want you getting hurt. I can’t handle that.”
“Chella, I’m starting to think that there’s more to this than you’re telling me.”
“I don’t expect you to understand any of this, Mitch.”
“Please, I’m begging you. Make me understand.”
She had become so attached to him, started to fall in love with him, but she could never tell him. When her parents died, she lost the two most important people in her life. In the span of a short time, Mitch had filled that void. She was afraid to go through the hurt and pain of losing someone she loved again. Compounding the situation was Emily. She had completely fallen in love with her, and she could not bear something happening to him or his child because of her. Causing that precious little girl to grow up without a dad was simply not an option in her mind.
Detective Carter returned to the room, handed Mitch the water, then said, “I’m sorry this is taking so long. We’d prefer to do this in an unmarked car, and none are available at this minute. We’re making arrangements to get one back here.”
“I’m thinking of renting a vehicle. What if I had it delivered here?” Mitch asked.
“Might not be a bad idea. We can have it delivered to our underground parking lot. That way no one on the outside will see you leave. Better yet, I’ll drive you both home while the two of you lay low until I’m certain we’re not being followed. Someone can come over to your place and pick me up.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you explain the delivery,” Mitch responded.
“Sure.”
While Mitch made the arrangements, Detective Carter sat next to Chella.
“Ms. Noon, I’ve been working tirelessly to get this solved.”
“I’m sure you have, but that doesn’t change the reality of the situation. Is it possible for you to get me a ride to my hotel?”
“You’re not going home with Mr. Mariani?”
“If I stay in his life, he’s sure to get killed by this maniac. That’s not a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Ms. Noon, I strongly advise against this. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“There is nothing you can say to get me to do otherwise.”
“You’ll get yourself killed,” Detective Carter said adamantly.
“Better me than him. After you handle this call with him, can you give us a few minutes alone, please?”
“Sure.”
When they had finished the conversation, the detective left the room.
Chella walked over to Mitch, looked him in the eye, and said, “I’ve asked Detective Carter to make arrangements to take me to the hotel.”
“Why don’t you stay with me? At least for tonight.”
“No. I can’t see you anymore, Mitch. It’s over between us.”
“Chella, I refuse to accept that.”
“Mitch, you have a mother who would die for you and a daughter who loves and needs her dad. Put your energy there. You have to leave me alone. You have to let me go.”
“Why won’t you talk to me? Why won’t you trust me to help you?”
“It’s just not going to work out between us. I’m sorry.”
She saw the hurt in his eyes. Her heart broke as she saw the pain creep over his face. She needed to get out of there—fast—if she was going to hold it together. She cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him softly on his lips.
“I’m leaving now.”
“Chella… wait.”
“No, Mitch, it’s over. I have to go, they’re waiting for me,” she said then left, disappearing into the bathroom. In the privacy of one of the stalls, she completely broke down and cried.
Twenty minutes later, when she had finally pulled herself together, Detective Carter waited for her in the conference room.
“Did you escort him home?” Chella asked.
“I did. He’s safe.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s get you to your hotel safely.”
“Thank you.”
After Detective Carter dropped her off to her hotel, Chella took a bath and tried to go to bed. She could not sleep. Neither could she stop thinking about Mitch. Even though the hurt in his eyes broke her heart, and she was heartbroken as well, she was doing it in his best interest.
After an hour of total restlessness, she got up and decided to do some work. She switched on her laptop. As she waited for it to boot, she opened the mail she and Mitch had picked up earlier to distract her. The last envelope slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. She reached to pick it up. It caught on fire.
Seconds later, it exploded.
Mitch lay in bed, uncertain of what to think. He knew Chella was holding back, keeping something from him, and she was trying with all her might to force him away. In the last few weeks, he knew that this had always been a possibility, but it hit him unexpectedly hard when she told him it was over.
As he lay on his bed, re-playing the weekend in his mind, he flipped through television channels
aimlessly. A caption at the bottom of the local news station caught his attention.
Breaking News: Explosion at hotel near Coronado Island
He quickly turned up the volume. As he listened to the news report, his instincts told him somehow Chella was involved in this. One report stated an unconfirmed death of a young woman.
Mitch felt like all the blood had drained from his body. His skin turned to ice. He speed-dressed while dialing Chella’s number.
“Pick up…pick up…pick up.” No answer.
Chella’s voicemail picked up. After calling twice and leaving her two messages, he called Detective Carter,
“Carter here.”
“Detective? It’s Mitch. I was just watching the news. Please tell me Chella is fine, and it’s just a coincidence this happened at her hotel.” Mitch’s heart pounded as he waited for his response.
“Mr. Mariani. Meet me at Sharp Hospital on Coronado in twenty minutes.”
“Can you please just tell me if she’s okay?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t see her. When the paramedics took her away, she was unconscious.”
“The news said there were unconfirmed reports that a woman died?”
“The only person injured was Ms. Noon. I spoke to the paramedics, and they told me she was unconscious but alive. We have no idea how this happened. If she’s awake, I need to speak to her.”
“I’m on my way…” Mitch replied.
He rushed through the busy San Diego streets, his sweaty palms guiding the car as he clenched his fingers tightly around the wheel.
When Mitch arrived at the hospital, Detective Carter awaited him.
“Where is she? I need to see her,” Mitch asked, out of breath.
“She’s with doctors right now. I know she’s alive, though.”
“Thank God. How much longer before the doctors come out?”
“Hard to say. I don’t know the extent of her injuries.”
“How did this happen?” he asked, raking his hand through his hair.
“I’m not sure. I dropped her off, stopped to pick up some dinner. By the time I got back to the station, the call came in.”
“Did you see the space? How big was the explosion?”
“The damage was confined to her room, most of it around her desk and the floor by her desk. It was powerful enough to break the glass on the patio doors and windows. Did you notice anything strange or do you know if she had any chemicals or anything that might accidentally explode?”
“No. We were in Santa Monica for the weekend, and we came back this evening. Soon after we got in, we called you because of my vehicle.”
“Tell me exactly what happened when you got back to San Diego.”
“We sailed in and anchored at Shelter Island about seven. We cleaned and hosed down the boat, packed all our stuff then headed to the vehicle when we saw the damage. Wait,” Mitch paused. “Before that, we stopped at the front desk at Humphreys to pick up some mail and a small package. She said she had received an email from the hotel manager on Friday while we were at the airport telling her that she had some mail and a small package at the desk.”
“Forensics is at the scene right now, but it’s possible it might have been a letter bomb.”
“The letter and that package were with us while we waited in the station conference room?”
“Did you see or did she say who they were from?”
“No, I think there were three letters. I remember her perusing through them, but she didn’t make any comments about the senders. She didn’t say anything about the package, either.”
“Excuse me a sec. Let me make a few calls and see if there may be video surveillance of those letters being delivered.”
“He’s not going to stop until he succeeds at killing her.”
Detective Carter nodded. “As of now, this is no longer a stalking and vandalism case. It’s attempted murder.”
Mitch stepped away from the detective while he made his phone calls to talk with one of the nurses.
“Is there any news or information regarding Chella Noon?”
“Are you family?”
“She my girlfriend. She doesn’t have any family.”
“I’m sorry. We can only give that sort of information to her family.”
“But she doesn’t have any,” he responded, clenching his teeth.
“I’m sorry, sir. Hospital procedure.”
“Fine. Can you at least tell me if she looked okay? Is she going to survive?”
The nurse smiled at him apologetically then responded, “I’m no doctor, but I think she’s going to be okay. She was able to talk when I left the room.”
“Thank God,” he replied then thanked the nurse.
As he waited, he paced the floor.
God please let her be all right.
He sat for a moment and thought about her and the growing deep feelings he had for her. He wanted her in his life despite the fact that she had pushed him away. The last time he had lost a girlfriend this early in the relationship, it was sad because it was an unexpected death, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as when Chella told him it was over. Losing her in his life was one thing. Her being killed was an entirely different sort of pain.
Aaron Stewart had become a daily detriment to their lives and by extension, his family, and he needed to do everything within his power to stop him. Maybe putting his picture on TV as a wanted man or getting the FBI involved in this case was becoming necessary, because in a short period of time he had been the cause of so much physical, emotional and mental harm, not forgetting the thousands of dollars in damage he was quickly racking up. Mitch suspected Aaron had access to money, as well. Was it even possible to create a letter bomb on a low budget?
Detective Carter got off the phone and approached Mitch. “Looks like we might have picked up some new camera evidence. The good thing is, we have a positive ID on the suspect who delivered that letter. We have a vehicle color, but we’re not certain on the make. Tomorrow we’ll see what evidence we can pull from other surveillance cameras in the neighborhood.”
“What about getting the FBI involved? Put his face on TV or something?”
“We’re considering putting his image on TV. It could only help. As of tonight, though, the FBI and the ATF teams have the lead on the case.”
Mitch began pacing again. “Why is it taking so long for the doctors to come out?”
“Wait here. I’ll see what I can find out.”
In reality, it had been an hour. To Mitch, the wait felt like a year. Eventually, the doctor came out and told them they could come in to question her. To the hospital staff, Mitch must have looked like a cop, because no one stopped him from seeing Chella.
When Chella saw Mitch, she became overwhelmed. She didn’t want him to get hurt because of his affiliation with her, but this incident really scared her. On one hand, she was afraid but felt comfort when she saw him; on the other, she wanted to keep him as far away as possible from her. To say she had mixed feelings was an understatement.
He rushed to her side. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“In a little pain, but okay for now.”
“Doctor, is she going to be all right?”
“Yes. She is very lucky. She’ll be okay.”
Her right hand was swollen from the burns. Most of the visible injuries were on her shoulder and left and right arms, and she had a two or three inch cut on her left hand that required stitches. Her whole body was covered with patches of black, blue and burgundy. She could still feel the heat emanating from the burns despite the fact that she had gotten treatment. When the letter exploded, flying glass and debris ricocheted off her body. Some left cuts, others left bruises and a few pieces embedded in her flesh. She had a throbbing headache, whose epicenter seemed to be at the bump just above her temple. Presumably, the blast sent her airborne and she hit her head when she landed.
Before the doctor could say anything further, Mitch replied, “I’ll take responsibility for her. I’ll hire a nurse if I have to.”
“Miss Noon, are you okay with that?” the doctor asked.
She looked at the doctor hesitantly then Mitch.
“Yes. Thank you, Mitch.”
“I’ll get things started on the discharge papers,” the doctor said, exiting the room.
“Ms. Noon,” said Detective Carter. “I’m sorry that I’m here under these circumstances, but I need to find out what happened.”
“I was opening some mail I picked up earlier tonight. While opening it, the third one slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. As I was leaning over to pick it up, it caught fire. By the time I started backing away, it exploded.
“Do you remember who it was from?”
“It looked like my normal bank statement. Nothing about it struck me as odd.”
“The fact that it fell from your hand and didn’t detonate immediately probably saved your life. The FBI is part of the investigation now. By tomorrow, I’ll be able to confirm with you whether or not we’ll release his picture to the media. I have to get back to the hotel. I’m sending two cruisers to get you back to your home safely.”
An hour later, they arrived at the penthouse. After Mitch ensured Chella was comfortable in the guest room, he left her. He told building security not to allow anyone up to the penthouse while he was out. When he arrived at the scene, police were still around winding things down.
Detective Carter met him in the lobby with Chella’s packed bags. “Anything she didn’t get, it’s because it’s being held as evidence. Mainly clothes.”
“What about her computer? I know she’s going to need it for work.”
“Badly damaged in the blast. It was taken into evidence, as well.”