by Claire Fogel
“Hi, Cara, back from summer vacation, or are you calling from Thornewood?”
He sounded happy to hear from me. I suspected that was about to change.
After I told the Lieutenant about the letter I’d found on my car, he said, “Stay there, lock your doors. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
It wasn’t even ten minutes when he pulled up next to me. I unlocked my doors and he got in next to me. I handed him the envelope, leaned back against the headrest, and closed my eyes. He read the letter, and I heard him exhale. Then he chuckled.
“You’ve been back in town for what, half a day?”
“Yeah. Since lunchtime. Twice today I had that uneasy feeling that I was being watched, but I told myself I was imagining things. Guess not.”
“Well, Cara,” waving the letter at me, “it doesn’t sound like this guy is any threat. He actually took the time to warn you, which surprises me.”
“Aidan, even though Romanov is in prison, this means he can still hurt me, right?”
“Only if he actually has any influence outside prison. I’ll have to contact Chief O’Donnell in Thornewood to see if he’s heard anything.”
I groaned. “And the Chief will call my parents. Will this ever be over?”
He reached over and patted my hand. “Of course it will, Cara. We just have to be patient and make sure you’re protected.”
I groaned again. “Which means my father will insist I have another bodyguard. Aidan, I don’t want another bodyguard!” I hadn’t meant to yell.
He looked surprised. “Why not? I thought you and Gavin got along well.”
I felt suddenly very tired. I brought my voice down to a normal level. “I’ve had enough bodyguards, Aidan.”
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“Well, let’s get you home now. I’ll follow you. Did you buy any bagels today?”
I looked over at him, at his pale blue eyes and a surprisingly affectionate smile.
I nodded. “Okay. You’re in luck. All the necessary groceries are in my trunk.”
He smiled as he got out of my car. He leaned in to say, “I’ll be right behind you.”
I waited for him to get into his car, and then I pulled out of the parking lot and drove home.
When we got back to Birch Street, the rain had stopped. We each took a few grocery bags and went inside. I had been in such a good mood when I left the house. It was completely gone.
Aidan sat down in the kitchen after I’d unloaded my groceries and began making the Sunrise Specials. There was no conversation as I worked although I could feel Aidan’s eyes on me.
We ate quietly. When we’d finished, he said, “That was delicious, Cara. Thank you. Getting back to that letter, I think there’s one thing you may be overlooking. The man who wrote the letter, the same man who caused your accident, is someone you no longer have to worry about. Of course, the police will still be looking for him, but he’s probably no threat to you. You get that, right?”
I looked across the table at him. “I get that it may be true. But Romanov used him once. There’s really no guarantee he won’t use him again, even if this man doesn’t want to be used.”
He nodded. “Yes, there is that possibility. But I doubt it. He must have followed you here from Thornewood just to give you that warning. He’ll be in hiding now, probably out of state. I’m not even sure that Romanov has people on the outside who would take on a job like this. We’ll be talking to our contacts to determine how much influence he has. He was never a big player in the whole scheme of things. Just a middleman who was trying to impress the people he worked for. Clearly, he didn’t.”
He looked at his watch. “I need to get back to the office, start making some inquiries. I’ll have a patrol car on this block tonight, and I’ll be talking to Chief O’Donnell later.”
He stood up and I walked him to the door. Before opening the door, he turned and said, “Call me, even if you just hear a strange noise, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry this happened on your first day back, Cara. But I won’t let anything happen to you, trust me.” He surprised me with a warm hug and left.
I was restless all night, pacing from the front window to the rear windows, peeking out, seeing nothing, and resuming my pacing. I turned on the TV, immediately turning it off because I was afraid it would cover up any outside noises. I was really missing Gavin.
My second year at Barrett had been so pleasant, so non-threatening, I had convinced myself my third year would be the same. I should have known better. After all, I was a disaster magnet. I snorted, shaking my head. How could I have forgotten that?
I decided to take a long shower. Maybe that would relax me. After some deep breathing exercises in the shower, I was feeling a little better. I dried off and pulled on lightweight p.j.’s, braided my wet hair, and went into the kitchen to make a pot of herbal tea.
I wasn’t sure Kathleen’s “relaxing” tea would work on this level of tension, but I didn’t have anything more potent. I turned the TV on again, without the sound, and watched a movie while I sipped my tea. Naturally, the movie was full of men shooting guns, blowing up cars, and beating the crap out of each other, so I turned it off.
The phone rang and I almost jumped off the couch! Nervous much? Nah.
I was surprised to hear Chief O’Donnell’s voice.
“Cara, I thought I should call you right away. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from Lieutenant Fox soon, but I wanted to give you a quick heads-up so you can take some necessary precautions. Do you have a bodyguard with you right now?”
“No, Chief. But there’s a Syracuse P.D. car parked outside. Did Lieutenant Fox already call you about the letter I got today?”
“Yes, he did, but I have more news, which I’m sure he’s received too. Cara, close your curtains and lock all your windows and doors right now. I’ll wait.”
My heart was in my throat as I flew around the apartment closing curtains and locking everything that had a lock. I picked up the phone again.
“Okay, Chief. Done. And now that you’ve scared the crap out of me, how about telling me what’s happened.”
I heard him sigh. “Nick Romanov was being transferred to another prison this afternoon when the van he was being transported in was involved in a serious accident. Romanov and two other prisoners escaped. The other two were picked up within an hour, but Romanov is in the wind. This happened about a hundred and fifty miles from Syracuse, so he might be heading in your direction, although that’s just a guess.”
“Chief, have you called my parents yet?”
“No, I’ll do that now, Cara. I thought you should be warned first. I’m sure your parents will be on the phone to you momentarily. My advice: Stay indoors, stay safe. I’ll call you with any developments.”
“Thanks, Chief.”
I hung up, my heart still pounding. It didn’t seem to matter where I was; trouble always found me.
I remembered my knives. They were still in one of my duffle bags along with my boots. I changed into comfy sweats and pulled on my boots, my knives secure in their sheaths. It didn’t look like I’d be getting any sleep tonight.
The next phone call was from Lieutenant Fox.
“Cara, I’m sending another patrol car to keep an eye on that park behind your house. We’ll have both the front and the rear covered. I’ll stop by as often as I can until Romanov is captured. There’s an APB out on him too. I don’t think he’ll get anywhere near you. Try to relax and get some sleep, okay?”
I snorted. “Aidan, you have to be kidding.”
“No, Cara, you need your sleep. We’ve got you covered, trust me.”
I thought to myself, famous last words!
There was no way I’d be able to sleep.
My parents had called right after I spoke to Lieutenant Fox. He called them to tell them I was being protected by the Syracuse Police twenty-four/seven. Naturally, they wanted to send me a bodyguard immediately.
<
br /> “Dad, there’s only one bodyguard I want, and he’s no longer available to us. Please don’t send anyone else.”
I heard him sigh. “The other alternative is you come home until Romanov is back in jail.”
“I’ll think about it, Dad. Right now, I’m surrounded by police. I think they can handle it.”
Actually, I wasn’t sure about that. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore.
“Perhaps, Cara, but I refuse to take any chances with your safety. We’ll talk again tomorrow. You sound tired.”
I was sure sleep would be impossible, but I think I dozed off on the couch around four in the morning.
There was a soft tap on my apartment door around nine. Laurie had just noticed the police cars in front of the house and wanted to know what was going on. I explained they were there to protect me, and that there was a search on for the drug dealer who had escaped from prison.
“Oh my, Cara. You don’t exactly lead a charmed life, do you?”
I had to laugh. “You could say that, Laurie. My father is threatening to send another bodyguard too.”
I shook my head. “Sometimes I think I wasn’t meant to live a normal life. It’s kind of depressing, to be honest.” That was when I realized that I had gone from feeling happy to seriously depressed in less than a day. A new record.
After we had a cup of tea together, she returned to her apartment, telling me she was right upstairs if I needed her for anything.
I made breakfast along with a pot of coffee to keep myself awake, and curled up on the couch with a sketch pad and a few pencils. Ralph curled up at my feet, looking up at me sympathetically. He knew something wasn’t right and had stayed close to me since I returned home from the grocery store the day before.
Lieutenant Fox arrived around lunchtime carrying two brown paper bags.
“What’s all this, Aidan?”
He smiled. “I thought you might enjoy a sub sandwich loaded with salami, ham, cheese, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. And I had them add a little oil and vinegar.”
It did sound good. He carried the sandwiches into my kitchen, unwrapped everything, and we sat down. Unwrapped, they even smelled delicious.
“Soda or water?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Beer would be perfect, but you’re too young to buy any. Which seems strange.”
I looked up, confused.
He added, “Well, it just seems someone with your rich, criminal-related history should be a lot older. Know what I mean?” He grinned over his sandwich.
I just rolled my eyes and got sodas out of the fridge. “Very funny, Aidan. But I do know what you mean. I feel at least forty today.”
“You didn’t sleep, did you?” he asked.
“Not much.”
“Is your father sending a bodyguard?” He sounded in favor of it.
“I asked him not to. I think I’ve had enough bodyguards in the past three years.”
“Cara, don’t you think you’d feel a lot safer with a bodyguard whose only job would be to protect you?”
The sub sandwich had filled my stomach, but it hadn’t lightened my mood.
“No. Been there, done that.” I heard how flat my tone of voice was. My total disgust with the recurring problems in my life was showing.
There was silence for a few minutes as we finished our sandwiches and sodas.
His voice was soft as he asked, “You were really attached to one of your first bodyguards, weren’t you?”
I frowned and looked up at him. “Who told you that?”
“Not important. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“That’s none of your business, Aidan. It seems like a long time ago anyway, and it has nothing to do with this present problem.”
He shook his head. “I think it has everything to do with your present refusal to have another bodyguard. I think you’re afraid to depend on anyone that much. Am I right?”
I shrugged, not looking at him. More silence.
Finally, he stood. “I have to get back to work. Just remember, there are two officers behind this house, and two more in front. Keep your curtains closed, and don’t answer your door unless it’s one of us. No one can get to you.”
I stood. “Thanks for lunch, Aidan. I do appreciate what you and the rest of the Syracuse P.D. are doing for me. I’m not in the best frame of mind, that’s all. Not your fault.”
After he left I went back to the couch and picked up my sketch pad. When I saw what I’d been drawing, I threw the pad across the room, narrowly missing my TV.
That was the last straw! My subconscious had been doing the drawing, obviously. I’d drawn pictures of Adam all over the page, just quick sketches of him with different expressions on his handsome face.
I put my head down on the arm of the couch and fought the tears that threatened. Sometime later, I fell asleep, feeling totally hopeless.
The next day was the same, except for a phone call from Amy. She’d spoken to my mother and knew what the situation was. She tried to cheer me up by mentioning all the attention I was probably receiving from the handsome Lieutenant Fox.
He had stopped by for lunch again, looking disappointed when he found me in the same blue funk I’d been in the day before.
Classes would begin in just three days. It didn’t look like I’d be allowed to attend, not unless Romanov was captured before then. I was a virtual prisoner in my apartment. So was Ralph, but at least he had a doggy door.
Mom and Dad called several times a day, obviously disturbed to hear me sounding so depressed. Lieutenant Fox brought either lunch or dinner every day, continuing to assure me I was perfectly safe in my apartment.
I gave him a sour look. “You realize I’m a prisoner here, right?”
“It’s just temporary, Cara. He’ll be picked up soon. He can’t survive out there much longer without being seen. And he hasn’t been spotted anywhere near here.”
He always hugged me before leaving, which was really nice—for a whole five seconds. I could have used a longer hug, or more hugs, or something. Mainly I needed my life back.
The following afternoon I was watching one of my favorite old movies on TV—“You’ve Got Mail”—I could never watch the ending without crying when “Over The Rainbow” started playing. It had just ended when there was a knock on my door. I went to the door, wiping the tears away, and called, “Who’s there?”
I heard a familiar soft voice, “Cara, it’s me.” I flung open the door and found Gavin on the doorstep, the duffle bag over his shoulder. At the curb I saw Lieutenant Fox leaning against his car, smiling.
I grabbed my former roommate around the waist and pulled him inside, hugging him until he laughed softly and said, “Cara, do you think you can let go of me now?”
Letting go, I looked up at him and felt new tears filling my eyes. I wasn’t sure where they’d come from, but I was just so glad to see him. Naturally, that was when they started running down my face.
“Oh, Cara, I’m sorry.” Gavin wrapped his arms around me and patted my back until I was able to stop crying.
“Did my father send you?”
He blushed. “No. I sent myself. When Amy told me what was going on here, I packed my bag and started hitchhiking.” He took a deep breath. “It took a long time, but then the good Lieutenant found me walking from the highway and picked me up. I couldn’t stand knowing you were up here alone. I’ll stay until Romanov is back in jail. Okay?”
I was finally able to work up a smile. “Okay. I’m really glad you’re here, Gavin.”
Over a dinner of Sunrise Specials, Gavin described what had been going on at home and in the forest, and I explained about the letter I’d received and finding out Romanov had escaped shortly afterward.
“The Lieutenant told me there are more police behind this house, in the park back there, as well as those parked on the street out front.” He shrugged. “Romanov would have to be invisible to get near you, Cara.” Then he smiled. “But at least I can keep you company until the pol
ice find him. You can teach me how to play poker!”
So I did. We played poker all night, using pennies for chips. I had a whole jar full of pennies I’d collected from various shopping trips. By five in the morning, he’d wiped me out. Gavin had the perfect poker face.
By five-thirty, we were both asleep, me in my bed, and Gavin in his sleeping bag just outside my bedroom door.
The next day, we both slept late until my phone started ringing. Gavin made coffee while I answered the phone. It was Mom, of course. When I told her that Gavin had hitched rides to Syracuse, she was amazed.
“He really is devoted to you, isn’t he?”
“Mom, he’s a very good friend who didn’t want me going through this alone. Just having his company has made this whole ordeal easier.”
She chuckled. “Well, I’m glad he’s there. I think your father will be surprised, but grateful at the same time. Please give Gavin our thanks.”
I said I would and asked her to give my father a hug for me.
Gavin seemed determined to find things for us to do that would take my mind off being housebound. He made sandwiches for us, kept the coffee pot full, and turned the TV on to every game show being broadcast.
He also picked up my sketchpad from where I’d thrown it the other day, where it was still leaning against the wall behind the TV.
He handed it to me, saying, “I only saw Adam in camp a couple of times after I’d returned, and I never really knew him, except for his reputation as a phenomenal knife thrower. He trained you, didn’t he?”
I nodded. I didn’t really want to talk about Adam.
“Are you still practicing?”
“Yeah. Several times a week while I was home during the summer.”
“Good. I watched you and Kevin practicing a few times. Kevin’s a little faster with the bow and arrow, but you’re much faster with your knives.” He smiled. “Of course, I hope you’ll never have to, but you could probably beat anyone besides Adam.”
