Twinkle Little Star: A Marlow and Sage Mystery Thriller (A Nursery Rhyme Suspense Book 4)

by Lee Strauss

  Jack dropped us off in what appeared to be an ordinary office conference room with windows that looked out to the control area where all the activity was being monitored. My leg bounced with nerves as if it had a mind of its own. Sage laid a hand on my knee to still it and my heart almost stopped. I glanced down at her fingers and then up at her face. She quickly moved her hand away.

  Jack returned and four people entered behind him.

  “These are agents Seaway, Black and Kato,” Jack said. Agent Seaway was in her mid forties, with dull brown hair cut short; Agent Black was a bit younger with a Mad Men look; and Agent Kato was Asian, not much older than Sage and me, and shared Sage’s preference for fashion eyewear. She adjusted silver frames and smiled at us.

  Jack added, “Black and Seaway are field agents, and Kato is tech.”

  Behind them was an older African American man with short-cut gray hair. Jack introduced him as Dr. Abe Turner, Chief of CISUE. Unlike the agents who immediately settled into the boardroom chairs, Dr. Turner circled around the table to where Sage and I were seated. He shook our hands in succession, his gaze lingering on Sage.

  “Welcome,” he said. “So good to see you.”

  Then he sat across from Sage, his deep-brown eyes smiling at her with affection. It made me wonder if there was a connection there. He tented his hands and addressed us, “When Jack suggested we bring you two in on this investigation, I was resistant. The people and situations we deal with at CISUE are often volatile and dangerous. I certainly don’t want to purposely put young people in harm’s way. However, as Jack pointed out, this case seems to have drawn the two of you in, despite my objections. We can better protect you if we have you working with us.”

  “Let us know how we can help,” Sage said. I was unhappy with how eager she was to dive into something Dr. Turner had just described as “volatile and dangerous.”

  “Of course,” Dr. Turner said. “How about we review the case first. Marlow, why don’t you tell us how things started?”

  I brought everyone up to date on Sage’s accident, the death of Crystal Morrisette and my teleportation experience.

  “Each time he teleports an energy signal is given off,” Agent Kato said. “The code is unlike anything we've ever monitored before, so it immediately caught our attention. We picked up the unusual activity on the night of the accident. There were ten other occasions previously, two per day on five different occasions. Each set of two were only minutes apart, between one and five.

  “What was unusual about that night was the odd number. A set of two, then a single transmission, then another set of two.”

  “I’m guessing Crystal Morrisette was teleported out and back,” Sage said, “and when the perpetrator saw that Crystal was dead, he panicked and teleported her back.”

  I agreed. “That would explain why we didn’t see Crystal’s body right away. I thought I missed it because I was distracted by the accident and worried about Sage, but the body wasn’t there at that moment to see.”

  “If you’re picking up the signals,” Sage said, “why can’t you get a lock on him?”

  Agent Black spoke up. “When the suspect teleports, the sign patch is only a split second, not long enough for us to get a precise location, only the general vicinity. It makes it hard for us to nab the guy.”

  Jack leaned back in his chair and threaded his fingers. His lips worked as his eyes narrowed, a tell I recognized from before. He was about to say something he didn’t want to.

  “This is where you two come in. The suspect is either a student or faculty member or maybe even someone who works at the University. Someone with a high IQ, but who feels ostracized, marginalized, and has some kind of ax to grind. We need you to keep your eyes and ears open on campus and report back on anything unusual or suspicious.”

  “Can you think of anything?” Seaway said. She stared at us with steely-gray eyes, and I didn’t doubt she was serious about her job.

  “Rudy Finch has a way of ostracizing himself," Sage said. “He has a temper. He doesn't share his dorm room with anyone. He lords his authority as a teachers assistant over the other students. You should've heard how he spoke to one of them.” Sage recited the conversation Rudy had with the person in the hall outside his dorm. “Plus, he was obsessed with Crystal Morrisette.”

  “Rudy Finch makes a good suspect,” Jack said. “We need more Intel on him. We want you to watch him carefully, do some digging, maybe question other students about him. Something that could point to where he’s moved his operations.”

  I shared a look with Sage and we both nodded. “Okay.”

  “But please,” Dr. Turner interjected, “be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Sage said.

  The agents left and Dr. Turner said good-bye. Again he cupped Sage’s hands, holding on for a second longer than required.

  “What else goes on here?” Sage said when we were alone with Jack. “In a weird way I feel like I've been here before.””

  Jack’s chin snapped up in surprise. “Really?”

  “Probably just reminds you of something you've seen on TV,” I said.

  “Actually, Marlow,” Jack said as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, “her instincts are right. You've both been here before. In fact you've both been here more than once."

  That would explain Dr. Turner’s familiar behavior. Something had happened that made him feel close to us, especially Sage.

  “And you’ve wiped our memories,” I said. It bothered me, though I knew we must’ve had agreed to it, like we did this time.”

  “Yes, for your own protection,” Jack said. “There’s a lot of sensitive information here, and if it and you ended up in the wrong hands… So it’s best if you don’t know. And we don't want to sway the direction of your life prematurely. Once you’ve graduated from University and you know this is the kind of life you want to lead, then we can talk about recruitment. That’s our policy.”

  “Hey, is this why I knew how to pick that lock, or how to flip Rudy onto his back?” Sage said.

  Jack nodded. “In the other times you've been here you've had opportunity to train with our self-defense team and spy technician."

  I was stunned by this revelation, and I had to admit it was kind of cool. We were spies and secret agents, so secret we didn’t even know it.

  Thinking back it made sense now how someone like me, a skinny non-active dude, could do some of the things I’d done.

  “In fact,” Jack said, “I'd like you to take a couple hours this afternoon to refresh your skills. They might come in handy.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Sage

  Ivan was our self-defense instructor. He had short dark hair, a closely trimmed beard on a nice-looking face, and was toned and limber, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was walking on air.

  He saw us and smiled. "Hey guys, nice to see you again."

  I glanced at Marlow and we shared an understanding. We didn't know who this guy was.

  “Right, you guys don't remember me. Hello. I’m Ivan, and I'll be your self-defence instructor today." He addressed us formally like we were first-timers in a private class, then snickered at his own joke.

  “Okay, let's begin with warming up. We don't want to blow out your muscles on the first day." He led us through a series of body stretches, lunges, and toe touching. I winced a little when the muscles around my ribs protested, but at least the stitches from my forehead and wrist were gone. I had two pink scars to forever remind me to appreciate my life.

  I had to smile at how Marlow pinched his face. He wasn't naturally athletic; his long limbs and pointy joints reminded me of a grasshopper.

  Ivan clapped his hands. “Alright, let's see how your muscle memory does.” He pointed to a kick bag. “Take it away, Sage.”

  I approached the bag nervously, unsure what to do. Ivan encouraged me by punching the air. Feeling bashfully self-conscious in front of Marlow, I h
it the bag with a tentative right-hand punch. Then a left, another right, another left. Harder and harder, with growing energy. My body just moved without me telling it, switching to elbow strikes. Right elbow to the stomach, backward hammer strike to the kidneys. I repeated it on the other side of the bag. From there I stepped into round-housed kicks with my right leg—yes, that was what it was called, a round house kick—and followed it with a sequence of other kicks, front and back and ending with a final roundhouse kick.

  I stepped back, wiping sweat off my forehead. Ivan applauded. Marlow stared, mouth open, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. I was shocked myself at what I had done, somehow knowing exactly what to do without having learned technique.

  “You’re up, Marlow,” Ivan said. Marlow approached the bag looking as worried as I had felt at first. “You can do this, Mars,” I encouraged.

  He poked his forehead like he often did when he forgot he wasn’t wearing lenses, and I held in a smile.

  “You’re a tough act to follow,” he said.

  Ivan jabbed the air the same way he had done with me, encouraging Marlow to step up. And then Marlow started punching.

  Once he let himself go, he actually beat the crap out of the bag—hard fist strikes and strong repetitive kicks. It was mesmerizing. Marlow looked really hot in action. No longer an awkward grasshopper, but a lithe ninja. I felt my face flush and I had to turn away.

  “Good job, both of you,” Ivan said. “Are you feeling warmed up now?”

  We both nodded, but I couldn't look Marlow in the eye.

  Ivan was oblivious to my discomfort. He instructed us to stand about six feet apart, facing each other. “Marlow, you are approaching Sage in an aggressive manner. You reach for her shoulders.”

  The warmth of Marlow's hands and our close approximation caused my heart to pitter-patter. I automatically stepped in with my right foot, grabbed the cuff of his T-shirt with my left hand, and the area near his collar with my right. I pulled him to me, my left elbow up, twisting my arm as if I needed to look at my watch, and knocking Marlow slightly off balance. I released the collar of his shirt and brought my arm up under his armpit. I stepped back with my left foot, twisting my hips and bent over, pulling Marlow over my shoulder and onto his back. It took less than three seconds.

  “That's what I did to Rudy Finch the other day.”

  Marlow stood and stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

  “Okay, Marlow,” Ivan said. “You're walking down the street, minding your own business, and someone comes up from behind and puts you in a chokehold. What do you do?” Ivan looked at me and chin-nodded toward Marlow. I was shorter than Marlow, but I could still reach up if I went on my tiptoes and grab him around the neck. Marlow immediately ducked his chin before I could get a good grip. He reached over with his left hand to pull on my elbow, stepped behind me with his left leg, and twisted out. Since he still had a grip on my elbow, he wrenched it behind my back and dropped his weight on the back of my knees.

  “Ow!”

  Marlow broke his hold and helped me up, worry in his eyes. “Did I hurt you?"

  “I’m okay,” I said rubbing my arm. “No worries.”

  “You got to expect to end up with a few bruises in this class,” Ivan said. “It’s the only way to learn.”

  He pivoted toward me. “Sage, you’re wearing your hair in a ponytail. What do you do if some guy grabs your ponytail and pulls?”

  I walked across the room like I was minding my own business passing Marlow who was pretending to be hiding in the shadows. He reached for my ponytail and pulled. My left hand flew like a windmill behind me hitting Marlow’s wrist like a board. He lost his grip on my ponytail, but I stepped in continuing to block his arm and thrust a flattened fist with my knuckles jabbing his throat. Marlow dropped to his knees on the ground gasping, and I was horrified.

  “Marlow?” I glared daggers at Ivan. “We can’t keep hurting each other like this.”

  I helped Marlow up as he got his breath back. He rubbed his neck and looked at me like I scared him.

  “I'm sorry, Marlow.”

  “It's okay,” he said, his voice raspy. After a few seconds he added, “I’m actually really glad to see how capable you are at taking a creep down.”

  “Alright, let's do one more,” Ivan said, “and I’ll let you get back to your day. Sage, you've stumbled to the ground and your attacker is on top of you. This is a classic rape scenario. What do you do?"

  Marlow and I exchanged a round of rapid blinking as understanding dawned on us. Ivan wanted me to lie down and Marlow was supposed to hover over me, his knees between mine. Neither of us made a move.

  “Come on, guys.” Ivan clapped his hands to spook us into motion. “This is a real situation that happens to women every day.”

  Slowly I reached for the ground and lowered myself to my back. I could tell Marlow was nervous by how his eyes darted around at everything but my face and how his fingers tapped against his thighs. He glanced at Ivan one more time and Ivan nodded him on. Marlow fell to his knees and shifted in between my legs. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and I dry swallowed along with him. Awkward didn’t even begin to describe how uncomfortable this was.

  “Okay, Marlow. You need to pin her arms down.”

  I lifted my arms up beside my head and waited for Marlow to grab them. I could feel the weight of his body on me, his hands on my arms, his face six inches from mine. If this were a romantic movie, this would be the scene where the lovers finally kiss with passionate abandonment. This wasn’t a movie and we had an impatient instructor to pull me out of any romantic fantasy.

  “Sage, what would you do?” Ivan barked.

  I thrust my hips up, lifting my right leg and dropped it in front of his chest over both his arms, jerking him off balance, and forcing him to release his hold on me. I twisted sideways and rolled. Up on my feet. Stomp on his ankle. Run away.

  I didn't want to actually hurt him and I held back some of my weight. Apparently not enough.

  Marlow groaned. “I’m tired of being beat up by a girl.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Marlow

  While Jack was driving us back to campus Sage got a call from her mechanic that her truck was ready.

  “Jack, would you mind dropping me off at Rod’s Auto Mechanics?” she asked.

  “I can drop off both of you there,” Jack said. "I'm not comfortable dropping you off on your own. Not with a lunatic on the loose.”

  “I agree,” I said, crossing my arms in an attempt to make me look like a wall she couldn’t budge. “If you want to pick up your truck, I’m going to tag along.”

  Sage eyed my posture with amusement and said airily, “You can come.” Jack twisted his body to look at Sage after we pulled into the shop. “CISUE has taken care of your bill.”

  Sage sat up straight in surprise. ”Really? Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. You wouldn't have gotten into that accident if it weren't for an unexplained or unusual circumstance, and that’s what we are all about.”

  Sage broke into a smile that made her eyes sparkle. “Thank the agency for me.”

  She burst into a child-like squeal when she saw her truck parked in front of the garage. We walked to it and she stroked the hood. “Hey, Boy Toy. I’ve missed you.”

  I stared at her incredulously. “You named your truck Boy Toy?”

  “Yup. I’m off flesh and blood men.”

  I scoffed. “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s true. And I couldn’t be happier.”

  She did look pretty happy, but still, her announcement bugged me.

  The mechanic smirked at her childlike joy as he gave her the keys. “She’s got a new bumper, new airbags and a new driver’s seat,” he said proudly. “We gave her a tune-up, cleaned her up nice.”

  “It looks great!” Sage said. “Thank-you!”

  We hopped in and headed back to DU.

  “This is a nice ride, Sage,” I said.

>   “Thanks. I think so.” She stroked the steering wheel with exaggeration.

  “But there’s no way I’m going to refer to it as—”

  “BOY TOY!” Sage laughed and I laughed with her. I missed seeing this happy side of her.

  Her smile fell into something more solemn. “Mars, I feel like I want to go back to the scene of the accident.”

  “No need. Jack and I have already done it.”

  She shot me a quick look. “You have?”

  “I should've told you. You were still in the hospital. Nothing to report though, we didn't find any evidence.”

  “I’d still like to go back. If not for the case, just for my own sake. I don't know if that makes sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense. Do you want to go now?”

  “You don’t have to come.”

  “Jack would kill me if I let you go alone.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” She made a U-turn and headed north toward the forest and the bush party.

  I couldn’t let Sage go back to the scene of the accident alone, but I also couldn’t keep leaving Dakota hanging. I sent her a quick text telling her my dad arrived unannounced and we were having a late lunch. A half-truth. It made the juices in my gut swirl. I hated how I kept lying to her.

  Sage watched me as I tucked my phone back in my pocket. Her mouth moved and I thought she was going to ask me about Dakota, but instead she asked, “What does it feel like to teleport?”

  I tapped my fingers on the door rest. “Well, at first I was just freaked out. I didn't understand what was happening. One moment I was outside in the forest and the next I was inside a small, dark space that smelled funky. The next thing I knew, I was back on the forest road. I thought I’d been drugged or something, or that I’d had some kind of hallucination. I really didn't understand what was going on until later."