Preservation

by Charles Lemoine

  Nothing.

  A few more minutes passed before the technology gods smiled upon her. A series of beeps came through in rapid-fire succession as her phone was inundated with messages. She smiled as she saw the list of contacts that’d contacted her: Wulf, Theresa, and her mom. Then she saw David’s name on the list. Her stomach sank. After the hair-raising ordeal she’d gone through, she decided she’d need a few hours before she responded to her mom and then figure out what to do about her betrayer.

  Mariska sent a quick message to Wulf and Theresa letting them know she was safely back on American soil and asked Wulf if he would be able to come and pick her up. He responded within seconds, letting her know he was on his way to LAX to get her.

  Good, now I just need to get through customs, she thought.

  Phone and passport in hand, she marched toward customs with an excitement she hadn’t expected. Was it because she was finally home? Or, because Wulf would be waiting for her on the other side? It didn’t matter at this point; she needed to get home and put on some clean socks. She wiggled her toes trying to scratch an itch that wasn’t going away.

  The lines had moved slowly, but she made it through and out the other side unscathed. There was always that momentary fear that the customs agent wasn’t going to let her through, but after a thorough once over, he had smiled and welcomed her home.

  Now, where was, Wulf?

  She walked past security and into the main part of the airport where there were people all around, shopping, eating, laughing, and rushing toward their gates.

  “Mariska,” a man behind her said.

  She turned and saw Wulf rushing toward her, his arms stretched out wide. She stepped toward him, and they embraced. His strength wrapped around her. Mariska pressed her face against his chest and breathed in his scent. A moment passed before she released him and took a step back.

  “Thank you so much for picking me up.”

  “Absolutely. I was so worried about you from the moment you’d left.”

  She smiled, “I think once I’ve had a chance to shower and change my clothes we will have a lot to discuss.”

  “I brought someone with me,” Wulf said. He waved someone over to join them.

  Mariska looked in that direction and couldn’t help, but laugh. Theresa came over, and they gave each other a hug.

  “You came too?” Mariska asked…her smile disappearing slowly as she grew suspicious. “Did something bad happen while I was gone?” She looked from one to the other. “Are my parents, okay?”

  Wulf put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, your parents are just fine. I talked to your dad yesterday. He said they’re still mourning Jane’s death. Your mom is having a hard time with her death which is understandable. And, of course, they’re worried about you. Other than that, everything is fine on their end.”

  “Oh, thank god. When I saw you both here, I was thinking it was to break some devastating news or something.” Mariska turned to Theresa. “So, what are you both doing here?”

  Theresa said, “We were investigating a few leads together when we got your text that you were back.”

  “Great timing.” Mariska grew very serious and put a hand on Theresa’s shoulder. “Have you heard from Eddie?”

  Theresa shook her head. “No, but I contacted the university. They said he is okay, but was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. There’s going to be a full investigation of course, but I’m relieved he doesn’t seem to be too badly banged up.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Mariska let out a sigh of relief. “He saved my life.”

  “He’s a great guy.” Theresa blushed and looked away.

  Mariska stepped closer and whispered in her ear. “I know he still likes you…a lot.”

  Theresa nodded.

  “And I have a feeling you like him.”

  Theresa nodded, again.

  “When this is all over with, I’m taking you to Copenhagen for a quick vacation…my treat.” Mariska gave Theresa a hug. “How’s that sound?”

  “Sounds, wonderful. I hope I’ll be able to manage it with classes and the internship.”

  “From the sound of your nickname, I’d say you can handle just about anything you put your mind too.”

  Theresa’s eyes grew wide. Mariska giggled, but when she looked at the confused look on Wulf’s face, she busted out laughing.

  “I’ll have to ask about this when we have more time,” he said. “Sounds interesting.”

  Mariska nodded and then yawned. “Any chance we can find me a shower and some clean clothes before we start getting down to business?”

  “Of course,” Theresa and Wulf said in unison. All three shared a quick laugh.

  Wulf then said, “Theresa filled me in on what happened to you in Copenhagen. I’m glad you made it home in one piece.”

  “Neither of you know the half of it. I’ll have to get you both up to speed on the car ride home.”

  The three of them walked out of the airport and into the parking garage together. Mariska got in the front passenger seat started telling them what had happened, including the car ending up in the Danish Straits. Wulf and Theresa both looked shocked and kept interrupting her story to ask if she was okay. Once she was done relaying everything back to them with as much detail as she could remember, she yawned again. It was like the more pent up information and stress she got out of her system by relaying what had happened, the more tired she felt.

  She watched as Wulf put the car into reverse and started drifting off to sleep before they pulled out of the space. The jostling car ride back to her apartment woke her up a couple times, but she hadn’t realized she arrived until Detective Wulf gently nudged her. “Mariska…we’re here.”

  She opened her eyes and stretched her arms high into the air. “Great, you two are more than welcome to come up with me.”

  Wulf and Theresa agreed, and they went single file, up the metal staircase. At the top step, Mariska tipped over the potted plant and took out the key she’d stashed there for emergencies.

  “The key won’t work,” Wulf said.

  Mariska then noticed the door locks were different than she remembered. “Who changed the locks?”

  “Your father,” Theresa said.

  “Yeah, he gave me the code.” Wulf reached past Mariska. “See you just have to put in this six-digit code and the door will automatically unlock. Your dad left the emergency keys in your bedroom.”

  “I guess he doesn’t hate me then. The last time I saw him, I wasn’t sure he’d ever speak to me again.”

  Wulf put his hand on small of her back and urged her inside. “I can assure you, your family loves you and would never hate you.”

  Mariska went into her apartment and looked around. Everything had been freshly cleaned, and she could even smell a hint of lemon disinfectant in the air. No doubt, her mom hired a cleaning crew while she was gone to try and erase the atrocity that took place here a few days ago.

  “You guys make yourselves at home, while I get cleaned up.” Mariska pointed the way to the living room and continued on to her bedroom. When she reached the door, she paused, unsure of what to expect once she entered the room.

  Would every trace of Jane’s murder be gone?

  She slowly pushed the door open and was immediately met with the smell of a fresh coat of paint. It was clear that the apartment had not been completely redone yet, but all the blood was gone or at least hidden. The walls had been painted over with the first layer of primer paint, and the carpet had all been ripped out. The bare floors were ugly but clean. Thank you, Mom. Rubbing her face and pinching her eyes closed to get rid of the bad memories, she closed the door and blindly made her way to the bathroom. Stripping down to her birthday suit, Mariska turned on the water and let the steam fill the room before getting in. I left out the part about David. I should have told Wulf and Theresa. They needed to hear the whole truth. I’ll do it right after the shower.

  Letting the water wash away her tension and worries, Maris
ka wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing in the shower when a knock at the door drew her mind back to the here and now.

  “Mariska?” Theresa said. “Is everything going okay?”

  Mariska wiped the water from her face and turned off the shower. “Yes, all is well. I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”

  She stepped out of the shower and shivered. It was far from cool in the bathroom, but she felt nervous like something was wrong. But she wasn’t sure what was off. Walking into the bedroom, the cell phone on the bed drew her attention. Picking it up, she sent David a message letting him know she was home in case he wanted to stop over. It couldn’t have been him in Copenhagen…could it? It was someone named Caleb…not David.

  Minutes later, after she’d changed clothes, and dried her hair, he replied: I would normally say yes, but I’m visiting my folks for a couple of days.

  Mariska thought about that for a moment. She shook her head. He’s lying. David had a terrible relationship with his family. He wouldn’t have just up and went for a visit. Totally out of his nature. She replied: That’s great. I’m glad you’re getting to see your family. Let me know when you get back into town, and we’ll get caught up.

  No reply. What was he up to?

  Mariska joined her friends in the living room and sat.

  Wulf was the first to speak. “Do you need anything before we go? We don’t want to be in the way.”

  Theresa chimed in, fully agreeing with the detective.

  “To be completely honest with you, I’m not loving the idea of staying here alone tonight.”

  Wulf and Theresa exchanged looks of concern.

  “I’d totally stay, but I can’t tonight,” Theresa said. “I’ve got a butt-load of homework to do, and I have to be at the Museum early to give the opening tour to a bunch of grade-schoolers.”

  Theresa and Mariska turned to Wulf. He grew red under the collar, and Mariska wanted to laugh. For a detective, he sure didn’t play his hand close to his vest.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Mariska said. “I have stuff I can do to keep myself occupied.”

  Wulf cleared his throat. “No, I think you should come and stay with me tonight.”

  Mariska smiled and slapped her knees. “Perfect. I’ll get my things.”

  “Before you get too excited, there’s something we need to discuss with you first.” Wulf turned to Theresa. “Would you like to start?”

  Theresa shook her head.

  “Come on, guys. Why are you acting like a couple of weirdoes? It’s like you’re going to give me a fatal diagnosis, or something.”

  “Not exactly,” Theresa said. “It’s possibly bad news…if it’s true.”

  Mariska looked at Wulf for explanation.

  “I’ve been doing some digging,” Wulf said, clearing his throat. “It’s about David Beaumont. We think he might be involved in the attacks…or, at the very least the La Brea Woman’s disappearance.” Wulf leaned forward and put his hand on Mariska’s.

  Mariska’s expression fell. “I know.”

  “You know?” Wulf sounded surprised.

  “I left something out when I was telling you what happened to me in Denmark.” She looked away, feeling guilty. “The accident that nearly drowned me was caused by David. Or at least I think it was him. I was treading water trying to remain quiet…they couldn’t see me very well in the dark. I heard David’s voice, but the weird thing was the guy that was with him addressed him as Caleb.”

  “Caleb?” Theresa said as she got up and sat next to Mariska on the sofa. A look crossed her face that said she knew more than what she was letting on to.

  “Do you know something more about this?” Mariska looked from Theresa to Wulf.

  “I’m not sure.” She took out her cell phone and began scrolling.

  “As part of the investigation, I’ve had to run background checks, interview, and run bank records on everyone involved. That includes the two of you.” Wulf shrugged. “It’s how this works.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” Mariska said. “And?”

  “And, David has had a few things come back as concerning…at least to me.”

  “Like, what?”

  “There’s almost nothing in the public record under the name David Beaumont. Other than the obvious things, he’s earned a Ph.D. from UCLA, works at the Page Museum, and rents an apartment in a sketchy side of town…there’s nothing. It’s like his life started when he entered the doctoral program at the University.”

  I’m going to have to send Badger a message, Mariska thought. Maybe he can help?

  Theresa said, “I ran a few internet searches with as much information as I could get from work. I managed to sneak into his employee files and honestly, there wasn’t a lot to go on. His social security number was valid, so was his driver’s license…but there was no activity related to his social security number until he entered college at UCLA.”

  Wulf then said, “We were concerned he might not be who he said he was. And, now I’m sure of it. That bastard tried to kill you, and we need to stop him before he can get to you.”

  Mariska sat back into the soft sofa. “And, I appreciate that. But it’s so hard for me to accept this entirely. I mean, he was my best friend…for years.” The absurdity of it all threatened to make her laugh, but her heart ached.

  “Do you promise not to do anything crazy?” Theresa asked. “David’s dangerous, and you need to stay away from him until the police can track him down.”

  Mariska nodded and crossed her arms.

  Theresa gave Wulf a look that made Mariska think that neither one of them believed her.

  “Anyway, I have some things packed in the event that one of you two were going to let me stay at their place.” She shrugged and looked at the detective. “Are you ready to go?”

  The three of them got up and met back at the front door. Mariska was the last one onto the stairway landing. She backed out and closed the door, locking it behind her. She grabbed Wulf by the elbow. “Thanks again for taking me in for the night.”

  “Anytime,” he said. “I’m glad I can help keep you safe.”

  She gave his arm a squeeze and started down the stairs. Now, she not only had to prove her own innocence but keep herself alive while her best friend tried to kill her.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  A sharp pain knifed through Mariska’s left knee as she climbed the single step to Wulf’s front door.

  “Ouch,” she said as she started to lose her balance, falling into Wulf.

  “Are you all right?” Wulf said, steadying her with strong, sturdy arms.

  Mariska rubbed her knee. “Yeah, I’m okay. I banged my knee up on the way to the airport last night. Plus, I’m exhausted…and needy.”

  “As soon as we dropped Theresa off at her place, you fell asleep. I actually felt bad about waking you up to come inside.” Wulf smiled. “You were sleeping so peacefully.”

  It’d seemed like forever since Mariska could remember feeling safe enough actually to sleep, peacefully.

  “Thanks again for letting me stay the night.”

  Wulf unlocked the door and placed a warm hand to the small of her back, welcoming her to go inside in front of him. His hand felt nice, goose bumps began to form across her arms, and all the little hairs stuck up on end. Really nice. As she took the step up once again, she noticed her knee didn’t seem to hurt quite as bad this time.

  Wulf locked the door behind them and led her by hand deeper into the house. “I’m sure you remember the way, but I know you’re tired.”

  “Seems like forever since I was here.” Mariska looked around the home. She hadn’t noticed how well the place was decorated before now.

  Up the stairs they went, Mariska wincing every few steps, but doing her best not to let it show. At what point did she spill her guts about everything that happened in Denmark? Or, did she play it cool and keep it all bottled up inside? The twinge in her stomach as she began to instinctively push everything deep inside, out of vi
ew from the rest of the world.

  They walked into the guest room that Mariska used the last time she was there. The bed looked inviting, but she would need a long, hot shower before slipping between the sheets. Mariska suddenly realized she hadn’t brought the duffle bag up from the car. It had everything she’d need for at least a couple days. She turned to ask Wulf if he wouldn’t mind getting it from the car when he placed the bag on the bed next to her.

  She went over and unzipped it. “Thank you for bringing this up for me. I’d completely forgotten about it.”

  “Yeah, I kind of figured. You looked like you were running on autopilot…at best.” He smiled and crossed the room. He began closing the plantation shutters. The room dimmed with each closure. “Figured you’d like your privacy.”

  Mariska nodded. “Yes, thank you.” She walked around the bed and gave him a hug.

  She felt his body relax into the embrace. Soon, his arms were wrapped around her in a protective cover. She could have stayed like this forever. His scent weakened her knees and made her heart race. She breathed in deeply and felt her throat tighten with emotion.

  No. Don’t do this, Mariska. Stop while you still can.

  Suddenly, Wulf’s words sounded inside her mind: Everyone’s a suspect.

  Swallowing hard, Mariska let her arms fall to her sides and leaned back away from him. He let her go, and she turned away and went and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “What’s wrong?” Wulf asked.

  “Nothing.” Mariska tried to push her rising anger away. Wulf was just doing his job. There wasn’t anything they could do about their relationship until the investigation was over. “I’m just tired. I think the jetlag is getting to me. Not to mention all the crazy shit that happened over there.”

  “Speaking of, what did happen over there?” He came around the side of the bed and sat next to her.

  Fighting the urge to lean her head against his chest and tell him every last detail, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “It’s a long story.”