Troublemaker

by Heather Beck

  “You don’t need to text your dad because we’re not stopping at Boulevard Café or anywhere else.” Isabelle’s tone was firmer this time. “I want to get you girls home.”

  “We can at least get the smoothies to go,” Tessa said, still texting her dad.

  “When will you start listening to me, Tessa? I said we’re going home and that’s final.” As the light turned green, Isabelle hit the gas pedal, a bit heavy-footed.

  “Is everything okay, Mom?” Ava asked, casting a curious glance at her sister, who had finally put her phone away. She was used to her mom being sweet, never snapping at anyone or getting angry, even when things got really tough. But lately, she’d noticed a change in her behavior, as if she was a little on edge. It had started before the incident with Christopher, but whenever Ava asked her about it, she just shrugged it off.

  “Everything’s fine,” Isabelle said, not sounding very convincing. “Boulevard Café is always swarming with paparazzi. I don’t want them hounding you two about that night. It’s the last thing any of us need right now.” She cast Tessa an apologetic look. “If you want, we can order in their seafood special for dinner tonight.”

  “Sounds great,” Tessa said, giving her mom a tight little smile.

  By the expression on Tessa’s face, Ava knew she was growing tired of being told what she could and couldn’t do. She just hoped – for both their sakes – that their mom was going to give them more freedom once they got to Mexico.

  “What in the world is going on now?” Isabelle said suddenly as they drove through their open wrought-iron gates and up the driveway.

  Breaking from her thoughts, Ava looked out the window to see a police car parked outside their house. She furrowed her brow, wondering the exact same thing as her mom. “Maybe they’re here because they have some good news,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.

  “Yeah, like they’ve finally done their job and caught Christopher,” Tessa said.

  “I certainly hope so,” Isabelle muttered as she parked the car.

  Ava said nothing as she got out of the car and headed into their house, her sister and mom at her heels. As soon as she’d stepped inside, she heard voices coming from the living room, their words undecipherable but the seriousness of their tone clear. She hurried to the living room, opening the French doors to find her dad and two police officers sitting tensely on the couch.

  “What’s going on?” Ava asked, her eyes falling on the clear plastic bags marked evidence that lay on the coffee table.

  “Ava,” Mitchell said, getting up to give her a hug. “Thank God you’re home.”

  “Seriously, Dad, you’re freaking me out.” Ava watched as the police officers stood up, too. “What the hell is happening?” She broke from his embrace, seeing the worry in his eyes. “Is it Christopher? Has he been caught?”

  Before Mitchell could answer Ava’s questions, one of the cops – a muscular man who had his brown hair tied in a bun – spoke up. “I’m Officer Garrett, and this is my partner, Officer Livingston,” he said, gesturing to the short, tough-looking woman with blonde hair who stood beside him. “I’m afraid we’ve run into a little situation.”

  “Situation?” Isabelle repeated. “What kind of situation?”

  “Your husband called us an hour ago regarding a disturbing letter he received in the mailbox today,” Officer Livingston said. “It was addressed to Ava, and we’re taking its contents very seriously.”

  “For me?” Ava’s eyes fell back on the evidence bags. She walked to the table and then picked them up. One contained an envelope that was indeed addressed to her, and the other, a handwritten letter. Before the officers could stop her, she read the letter, taking in every creepy word.

  Ava, my love,

  Please forgive me for what I’ve done. I never wanted to hurt you, but you gave me no choice. Why would you do that? Why would you deny me, deny our love, in front of everyone like that? You know how much I love you, and I know you love me, too. If you forgive me, I’ll forgive you, and then we can be together forever. Don’t worry, my sweet Ava, I’m coming for you. No one will ever stop us from being together. I swear both our lives on it.

  ’Til death do us part.

  Christopher

  “Oh my…” Ava muttered in horror.

  “Is it from him?” Tessa asked, her eyes wide.

  “We have every reason to believe it was written by Christopher,” Officer Livingston said, taking the evidence bags from Ava. “We’re waiting for the security camera images to be processed, and once they are, we can confirm his identity – with your help.”

  “Security cameras from where?” Isabelle asked. “The post office where he mailed the letter?”

  “There was no postmark on the letter, ma’am,” Officer Garrett said. “It was hand-delivered.”

  Ava felt her blood go cold, but before she could ask one of the many questions that were circulating in her mind, Officer Livingston’s phone beeped.

  “Perfect timing,” Officer Livingston said, scrolling through her phone. “We’ve received the images.” She held the phone up for Ava to see. “Is this your stalker?”

  The screen showed a picture of a man standing outside their gate, preparing to put a letter in their mailbox. He wore a hat, his head turned to the side, as if he was on the lookout. The picture was zoomed in on the man’s face and the quality sharpened, making it easy to see who he was.

  “Yes, it’s Christopher.” Ava gulped, hating the fact that he’d been to her house again.

  “He won’t get away with this,” Mitchell promised Ava. He then turned angrily to the cops. “How the hell is Christopher able to walk around in plain sight, in daylight, right to our damn house and not get caught?”

  “Calm down, Mr. Riley,” Officer Livingston said, her tone never wavering. “This is likely the first time Christopher has been out of hiding. He’s getting desperate, and that’s going to make our job a lot easier. We will catch him.”

  “My partner’s right. The more desperate he becomes, the more likely he’ll make a mistake that will lead us straight to him,” Officer Garrett said. He hesitated slightly before continuing. “I must admit that I have concerns, though. Delivering the letter to your house was bold. You should be extra careful – not just Ava but all of you.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to keep these two safe.” Isabelle wrapped her arms around her daughters’ shoulders.

  “That’s why Isabelle and the girls are going away for a while,” Mitchell said. “Somewhere far away, where Christopher can’t hurt them.”

  “Do you mind if I ask where you’re going?” Officer Garrett said.

  “Mexico,” Isabelle replied. “In the Yucatán Peninsula.”

  “Be sure to stay in touch,” Officer Livingston said. “When we catch Christopher, we’ll have Mr. Donovan’s testimony to bring against him, but if you testify, too, that will really help the case.”

  “We’ll definitely be testifying,” Tessa said firmly. “That man deserves everything that’s coming to him.”

  Ava couldn’t agree with Tessa more, but right now, she just wanted to get away from Christopher and all the messed-up drama he’d brought into her life. Her parents were right – going to Mexico was a good idea. It might even be the best idea they’d ever had.

  * * *

  Chapter Four

  “Are you sure you have everything you need?” Mitchell looked back and forth between Ava and Tessa. He appeared anxious, on edge, like he had for the last several days.

  “Positive,” Tessa answered.

  “Yeah, didn’t you see all the luggage we checked in? Most of it belonged to this one, though.” Ava pointed her index finger at her sister.

  “A girl has to look her best at all times,” Tessa said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

  “But of course,” Ava joked, noting how her sister looked perfectly put together, while she was dressed super casual in a baby tee, hoodie, and yoga pants, her hair pulled back in
to a ponytail. She wasn’t surprised, though – Tessa always made an effort to look good no matter where they were.

  Right now, the Rileys were standing outside the security clearance gates at LAX. They had booked a red-eye flight to Mexico so they could avoid the paparazzi that stalked the airport during the day. They wanted to have some privacy to say goodbye to their dad, and more importantly, they didn’t want the media getting wind of where they were going.

  “You don’t need to worry about a thing,” Isabelle reassured Mitchell. “Ava and Tessa will have everything they need in Mexico. I’ll make sure they’re taken care of.”

  “I know you will. You always have.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “We’re not kids, you know. We can take care of ourselves.”

  “I know you’re all grown up, but that doesn’t mean I’ll miss you any less.” Mitchell wrapped Ava in a big hug and then Tessa. “Try not to have too much fun, and remember to call your old man every once in a while.”

  “I’ll miss you, Dad,” Ava said, “and I promise we’ll call.”

  “Yeah, and maybe you can come and visit us on a weekend or something,” Tessa said. “You know, when you’re not working.” Although she was talking to her dad again, after running out on their family dinner last week, Ava could tell that she was still upset with him for canceling their show. She also suspected that she was a little hurt that he wasn’t coming with them.

  “I’d like that, but we’ll have to see.” There was a hint of sadness in Mitchell’s eyes, a telltale sign that he knew he wouldn’t be able to visit because of his work schedule or some other reason unknown to Ava.

  “We should get going,” Isabelle said, glancing over her shoulder to see the growing line of people at the security checkpoints, most of them men and women in business suits, carrying briefcases.

  “Yes, you can’t miss your flight.” Mitchell gave his wife a hug. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too, Isabelle.”

  “I won’t.” She pecked him on the cheek. “As long as you don’t work too hard.”

  “I won’t.”

  A brief silence came over them, and even though they’d said goodbye hundreds of times before, their work commitments separating them more than they would’ve liked, Ava realized that, this time, it felt different.

  “Goodbye, Mitchell,” Isabelle said as she picked up her carry-on luggage that lay at her feet.

  “Goodbye, Isabelle,” Mitchell said, sounding sad. “Bye, girls.” He kissed Ava’s forehead and then Tessa’s before adding, “Have a safe flight.”

  Ava was about to say goodbye to her dad when she heard a commotion in the distance. Startled, she looked where the noise was coming from to see two men and one woman hurrying in their direction, each of them holding an expensive-looking camera.

  “There they are!” the woman shouted as she pointed straight at Ava and her family.

  “What the hell?” Mitchell cursed under his breath, seething with anger as he pulled Ava and Tessa behind him.

  “Ava, look over here,” one of the men said, causing Ava to retreat further behind her dad and the cover of her spread-out hand.

  “Tessa, give us a big smile for the camera,” the other man said.

  “How did they know we were here?” Ava asked in disbelief, feeling like an animal at the zoo as they snapped pictures of her and her sister. She immediately recognized them as a group of paparazzi who often worked with the most popular entertainment magazines and blogs. They were notorious for being extremely pushy, not leaving until they’d gotten exactly what they’d come for.

  Mitchell took a step toward them. “I don’t know, but they’re leaving now.”

  “Mitch, no,” Isabelle intervened. “Don’t start anything.”

  “They’re the ones who started it by showing up where they’re not wanted,” Mitchell said, looking angrily at the paparazzi. “Get out of here before security throws you out!” he yelled, pushing away the camera that had gotten way too close to his face. Of course, this only enticed the paparazzi more, getting shots of Mitchell’s actions from every angle.

  “Where are you going and why?” the woman asked. “Is it because you’re scared for your lives? Don’t you think you’re letting your stalker win by running away?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she took close-up pictures of Ava’s face, hoping to capture her reaction to the questions.

  “Come on, girls.” Isabelle grabbed Ava and Tessa’s hands and led them to the security clearance gates, where the people in line stared at them and the unfolding scene with a mixture of shock and piqued interest.

  “Is it true that your bodyguard’s dead, Ava?” one of the men asked as they followed them.

  “And that you’re responsible for his death?” the other man added. “Because that’s what everyone’s saying.”

  “They don’t know what they’re talking about. Don’t let them get to you,” Tessa said to Ava, but it was already too late.

  “People like you need to get a life,” Ava snapped at the paparazzi, her blood boiling at their cruel, insensitive words. “And while you’re at it, get the hell out of mine.”

  “You need to face the truth, brat,” the woman snapped back. “If it weren’t for people like us, you wouldn’t have a life. We made you, and we can break you.”

  Before Ava could say anything or Mitchell had a chance to throw a punch – which he looked on the verge of doing – the airport security showed up. As the security began escorting the paparazzi away, they continued to shout out to Ava and Tessa and snap multiple pictures. It felt like there was no escaping their prying eyes and nasty words, but Ava had to try, and getting on that flight and not looking back seemed like her best chance of finally finding freedom.

  * * *

  Four and a half hours later and some twenty thousand feet in the air, Ava slowly awoke to the sound of the captain’s voice coming from over the PA system.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seats are in their full upright position and that your seatbelt is securely fastened. At this time, we ask that you turn off all electronic devices. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Still a little groggy, Ava stretched and yawned before reaching for her seatbelt and fastening it.

  “Tessa, you heard the captain,” Isabelle said. “Turn your phone off.”

  “Fine,” Tessa grumbled.

  Ava looked at Tessa, who sat to her left, but before she could see what her sister was doing on her phone, she turned it off. She mumbled something inaudible as she slumped in her seat and fastened her seatbelt. From the bags under her eyes, it was easy to see that she hadn’t slept at all.

  “How long was I asleep for?” Ava asked. She felt better rested than she had in a while, probably because for the first time in almost two weeks, she hadn’t dreamt about Christopher.

  “Almost for the whole flight, honey,” Isabelle said. “Seems like you really needed the rest.”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “Well, I think you woke up at the perfect moment,” Isabelle said with a smile. “You should look out your window. I bet there are some amazing views out there.”

  Ava turned to the window and opened it, letting the sunlight stream in. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the brightness, but when they did, she let out a small gasp. White fluffy clouds were giving way to the greenery below, and in the distance, she could see the vast Caribbean Sea, a mix of blue and turquoise that swirled together and sparkled in the sunlight, making it look like paradise. Of all the places she’d visited, she’d never seen a view as beautiful as this.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Ava muttered in awe, watching as the surf rolled onto the white sandy coastline. “I can’t believe we’ve never been here before.”

  Tessa leaned over Ava, as far as her seatbelt would allow, to look out the window. When she saw the scenery, her eyes widened. “Wow, it really is gorgeous.”

  As they drew closer to the ground, marshes,
golf courses, resorts, and the airport landing area came into view. The plane landed with a few bumps, its speed gradually decreasing as it made its way over the runway until finally coming to a stop.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Cancún International Airport. Local time is 7:35 am, and the temperature is a beautiful 82 degrees Fahrenheit,” the captain’s voice came over the PA system again. “For your safety and comfort, please remain seated until the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off. On behalf of myself and the crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip, and we look forward to seeing you on board again soon.”

  Just not too soon, Ava thought, feeling a lot more relaxed than she had in a while. She could practically feel the distance between her and Christopher, between her and the craziness of Hollywood, and she absolutely loved it.

  Forty-five minutes later, after going through immigration, getting their luggage, and then clearing customs, Ava, Tessa, and Isabelle stepped outside into the pick-up zone. For being so early in the morning, it was surprisingly busy. Taxi drivers honked as they tried to pass one another, while large tourist buses idled as the drivers waited for all their passengers to board.

  Isabelle raised her hand in the air to hail a taxi when a white SUV pulled up in front of them. The window was already rolled down, revealing the driver to be a man in his early forties. He was dressed casually in a plain white t-shirt, and he was well-tanned with curly black hair and green eyes. “Need a ride?” he asked with a smile.

  “Oh my gosh. We just got here, and we’re already being hit on,” Tessa said to Ava under her breath.

  “Rowan,” Isabelle said in surprise as she stepped forward and leaned in the window. “What are you doing here?”

  “Guess we’re not being hit on after all,” Ava whispered to her sister.

  “Okay, fine, but who’s Rowan?” Tessa whispered back, causing Ava to shrug in response.