He stopped near a copse of oak trees and turned the engine off.
“We go on foot from here,” he announced. “It’s about 100 yards away.”
Now that they were actually here, Lennie‘s doubts reappeared. He hadn’t seen the cabin in years and wondered if it was even more dilapidated now than when he left it.
“At least she’ll be safe for now,” he muttered under his breath.
Finn followed Lennie into the woods. Their footsteps made a crunching sound against the dried leaves that littered the trail. Up ahead, she spotted the log cabin nestled among the trees. From the outside, it looked sturdy, made from oak logs. Through the year, time had turned the patina of oak lumber into a blackish red hue. Rusted sheet metal roofing extended outward from the eaves. Finn imagined that rainwater flowed down between the grooves, straight into the ground, during a downpour.
Lennie reached for the doorknob and pushed. The door creaked loudly against the hinges.
“No keys?” Finn noted.
Lennie shrugged. “Never needed one in the past.” He made a mental note to buy a good set of padlocks.
Inside the cramp interior, the air was musty with a tinge of petrol. Finn studied her surrounding as Lennie opened windows to allow the breeze in. Finn noted a small stone fireplace. Remains of chopped wood lay by the grill. Above the fireplace was a shelf with a collection of worn-out books under a mounted deer head. A small TV set was set against the wall in the cramp living room.
“It’s not much. But there’s propane gas for cooking and a wooden stove. Running water is brought in by an electric pump. I just need to switch it on.” Lennie said.
“This is fine,” she replied, sensing the embarrassment in his voice. But they were miles from anywhere. The idea made her feel safe for the moment. “Detective Palermo…”
“Please call me Lennie,” he cut in.
“Lennie, I want to thank you for everything you did today. If it weren’t for you, I’d be…,” Finn shuddered, unable to continue.
An inexplicable desire to comfort washed over Lennie. “It’s okay,” he said. “I promise to keep you safe.”
Finn was grateful for the assurance from the man she barely knew.
“Will you be okay if I leave you for a while?” Lennie asked. “I need to go to town and buy some supplies,” he explained.
“Yes,” Finn replied softly, and then added, “I need a shower.”
“I’ll turn on the pump on my way out. I have some clothes inside the bedroom. They’re probably too big for you, but you just need to make do for now,” Lennie replied.
Finn watched as he left. In the silence of the cottage, she cocked an ear to see if she could hear the engine start. She heard it in the distance. She looked around trying to imagine her savior in this rustic setting. If he hadn’t introduced himself as a cop earlier, she would have never made the connection.
She made her way to the bedroom and noted the small bed in the center of the sparsely decorated room. Another door led to the toilet and bathroom. Sitting above the toilet was a Hustler calendar dated from 5 years ago. Finn smiled. The image of Detective Palermo watching replays of a football game in his underwear and sipping a Corona came into mind.
Finn was grateful for the warm water gushing from the shower. She stood beneath the spray for what felt like hours, washing the grit from the sidewalk where she fell and the filth from the movie house where they hid.
A little of her equilibrium was restored as she donned a clean shirt she found in the closet. She looked ridiculously lost in it. The hem reached halfway down her thighs and the sleeve went way past her arms and over her hands. She rolled the sleeves up to her elbow. She sat down on the bed wishing she had a comb. She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to subdue the wild tresses.
She wondered how long he would be gone as a sense of lethargy swept over her. She lay down on the mattress propping a pillow beneath her head. She fought to keep herself awake, but eventually, surrendered to a sleep of utter exhaustion.
Chapter 5
Lennie Palermo couldn’t take his eyes off Finn sleeping soundly on his bed. He studied her as she slept. Her hair cascaded about the pillow which cradled her face. Her small frame was curled to one side in a fetal position, giving an appearance of utter vulnerability. Her full lips were slightly parted. He was intrigued by her lashes, long and thick, like semicircular moon resting gently on her cheeks.
The shirt she had on had pulled higher up her thigh revealing legs with skin that was almost translucent. Her fingers and toes displayed nails that were unpolished. Lennie thought they looked sweet unpainted.
She moved slightly and opened her eyes. Lennie saw the momentary look of panic as her hand flew to her throat. Lennie cleared his throat to announce his presence. Lennie was embarrassed she caught him watching her.
“I didn’t want to wake you,” he said.
“You’re back,” she replied in a relieved voice.
Finn followed him to the living room. Dusk had fallen outside while she slept and the cabin was lit from the glow of a hurricane lantern hanging from a chain attached to the ceiling. Bags of groceries spilled from the table and down the floor. A shiny deadbolt now decorated the door.
“I’ve managed to cook us some dinner before we start work on your statement,” Lennie said.
Finn toyed with the notion that Lennie had a way of making one feel as if they were working together. He apparently had no ego problems, she mused. After dinner, she cleared the plates and watched as he set up a video camera on the table. He placed two chairs opposite one another, one hidden and another in front of the camera.
Finn twisted her fingers as she took the chair facing the camera.
“Would you like to ask me anything before I start recording?” Lennie asked.
Finn hesitated. “What-what if I don’t want to do this?”
Lennie sighed and replied, “I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. There will be a murder trial and the accused will maintain his innocence. But if you refuse to be a witness and tell us what you saw, then I can’t keep you here either. You have to fend for yourself until the trial starts. The court will establish that the backpack belonged to you and may summon you as a reluctant witness.”
Finn sighed. “Either way, I’m a target with or without you.”
Lennie approached her, “I wish I could assure you that you’re not. But you saw what happened out there today. I know you’re afraid, Finn. All I can offer is assurance that I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
“What happens after?” Finn asked.
Lennie inhaled and replied. “You can decide to enter the Witness Protection Program. You’ll change your name, move to another city, and get a chance to start all over again.”
“That sounds so sad. I have a life here,” Finn retorted.
“I know,” Lennie replied, “at least you know the options open to you.”
“How long will it take before the murder trial begins?” Finn wanted to know.
“Twenty-four to forty-eight hours. A judge will issue an arrest warrant as soon as we can produce evidence.” Lennie answered.
“And your evidence will be my testimony?” Finn asked.
“Yes,” Lennie responded. Then he added, “I won’t lie to you, Finn. Those are the times when your life will be in peril the most. Eliminate the witness and the case is lost even before we begin.”
“Do you have a cigarette?” Finn asked, knowing it would calm her nerves.
“Sure,” Lennie replied, producing a half-open pack.
Finn’s fingers trembled as Lennie held a lighter to the cigarette. She blew smoke into the air, “It’s like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I can’t live with myself if I don’t testify. My conscience will bother me till the day I die and dying is something I have to deal with if I do testify.
“You’re doing the right thing, Finn,” Lennie assured gently.
Finn squa
red her shoulders and remarked, “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
As the night progressed, Finn realized sharing what she saw that night at the abandoned warehouse was strangely cathartic. She remembered what her mom used to say. A burdened shared was a burden halved. Someone else knew her secret now making that person equally accountable.
Lennie was an ideal interrogator. He never pushed, rushed, or tried to put words in her mouth. He even smiled encouragingly when she admitted that the only reason she was by the warehouse late that night was because of the moon.
Finn admitted her dread about being Victor Saldana’s next victim while confessing she wished she didn’t get to know Jimmy Torch’s name. It would have been easier to let it go, she said.
Lennie inquired about her job at The Greasy Spoon, the friends she had which weren’t very many, and her plans after graduating from Art School. Finn was surprised at how easily she shared her life with him. He laughed at her stories wanting to marry her father when she was young and how devastated she was when both her parents died in an automobile accident. She hardly noticed that Lennie had switched off the video recorder. She watched him stroll to the kitchen ref and come back with two cans of beer.
Lennie wasn’t stingy about his personal life. He was single and unattached, information that elated her somehow, and the guy seemed totally devoted to his job. Finn was surprised to hear Lennie confess that he could have been a famous tennis player instead of a detective, if not for a freak accident.
“That sucks. You might have been in Wimbledon now instead of this cottage in the woods.” Finn teased.
Lennie deadpanned, “Yes and earning millions in endorsement deals and driving a Ferrari.”
“Aw,” Finn laughed at the foolish expression on his face.
Suddenly, Lennie remembered something and searched among the bags he brought back earlier. “Here,” he said, handing her a brand-new cell phone. “In case you need to call me.” He warned her about not getting in touch with anyone else except for him.
Finn realized she didn’t have her purse or any change in clothing, either.
Lennie must have read her mind and handed her another paper bag. “I hope I got your size correctly,” he reddened. Finn peeked inside and saw shirts, pants, and some undergarments
“This should keep you occupied too,” Lennie added handing her a brown box.
Finn opened it and squealed in delight. Inside were tools like pliers and wire cutters along with headpins, eye pins, crimp bead and tubes, studs, crimp rings, etc. It contained everything she normally used in her Art classes.
“Thank you,” Finn gushed.
Lennie glanced at his watch then said, “It’s late. You need to rest. You take the bedroom and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Finn was surprised. She had no idea he would be staying the night. Suddenly, the thought that he would be sleeping just a few feet away made her feel…strange. “I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Finn replied.
“Humph,” Lennie replied, “I can sleep behind the wheel of a car during stakeouts. It’s not a problem.” He walked towards the couch and started to remove his shirt.
Finn wanted to avert her eyes but discovered she couldn’t. She gawked when he turned around and inhaled sharply at the torso outlined beneath the undershirt. He had a chiseled chest that looked smooth as a baby’s. Finn actually liked that better than hairy men who reminded her of the Stone Age. It was obvious that he hit the gym because his abs were sculpted to perfection. His shoulders were round and protruding, narrowing down to taut biceps in his arms.
Finn watched as he unfastened the holster of his gun and placed it carefully on a side table. He suddenly looked up and saw her watching him.
Finn blushed as she lowered her head. She grabbed the bag with the arts and crafts material intent on going inside the bedroom.
“Goodnight,” Lennie called from where he stood.
Finn stopped short. “Lennie?”
“Yes?” He replied wondering.
Finn turned and headed in his direction. Lennie looked momentarily confused. Finn was filled with overflowing appreciation for everything he had done for her. When she was close enough, she reached out both arms and hugged him tightly around his waist.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly into his chest. Then she released him and made her way back into the bedroom.
Lennie stood there taken by surprise. He knew she was grateful. He understood that. But he couldn’t find an excuse for the sudden feeling of hardness and excitement that bloomed between his legs.
Chapter 6
“Ouch.” Finn sucked her index finger. She managed to cut herself with headpin attaching a gemstone to a charm bracelet she was creating.
“It’s your fault. Dreaming about Detective Palermo.” She blushed at the idea she was crushing on her protector.
Ever since that night when she saw him without his shirt on, she’s been having wayward thoughts about Lennie. She tried to act normally around him. But it wasn’t always easy. The proximity was unavoidable because the cottage was so small. They brushed against each other heading for the door or accidentally touched when reaching for the same object. Lennie would remove himself to allow her to pass, or quickly mumble an apology. Finn unwittingly considered the single bathroom in the cottage as hers and squealed in surprise when she entered and found him toweling off after taking a shower.
Surprisingly, she adapted to the idea that they would be staying longer than expected. Lennie arrived at the cottage one evening with a frustrated look on his face.
“Filing the murder charge is taking longer than I expected. The chief wants to be absolutely sure the charges against Saldana sticks. Meanwhile, the commissioner is moving at such a slow pace deciding where to raffle the case. This is election season and he doesn’t want to appear biased. He is aware of Saldana’s influence with the civilian population. The guy is a saint as far as the locals are concerned.” Then Lennie added, ‘I’m sorry Finn this is taking longer than I expected.”
Despite the notion that her life was on hold for now, Finn felt elated about this development. It meant she would be staying longer with him at the cottage, a concept that seemed sweeter with each passing day.
“It’s alright, Lennie. I know you’re doing the best you can,” Finn comforted him.
She looked forward to the evenings when he would return and they would share a simple dinner and he would tell her stories about his day. It almost felt like they were in a platonic relationship, although Finn would deny it if someone accused her of wanting more than just that.
She wondered what Lennie actually thought about her. He teased her a lot and laughed at her stories. But he always acted appropriately around her.
“Shit,” she muttered as she sucked the blood on her fingertip. The charm bracelet came out better than she expected. She knew Nora, her teacher at Art School, would have been impressed.
Suddenly, Finn shot upright from the bench. She had lost track of the days since she arrived here in the cottage. She searched frantically for the cell that Lennie gave her. She found it among the beads. With mounting tension, she scrolled to the calendar icon then threw her hands in the air in frustration.
“My thesis. It’s due today,” she realized.
She had been working on it for weeks before the fickle finger of fate steered her in the opposite direction. She had invested all her spare time from The Greasy Spoon on finishing the thesis. It was the only thing standing between her and graduating from Art School. It was a good paper. Unfortunately, it was currently inside a folder in her apartment.
Finn knew there was no way she could get it to Nora. It was a crushing feeling at the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t just go and get it. Lennie had repeatedly warned about keeping out of sight.
Of course, Finn never revealed to him that she had taken walks in the woods gathering twigs and natural materials for her bracelets. Once, she even ventured out into the copse where he normally parked his ca
r. Hiding behind the trees to keep out of sight, she observed buses passing by along the highway.
During all these time, no one had come anywhere remotely close to the cabin.
The idea of taking a bus to New York appeared in her mind. “I can do it,” she thought. “I’d make a quick trip to the apartment, grab the thesis and bring it to Nora. I’ll be back before dark and Lennie would never know.”
Finn was torn between disobeying Lennie and a strong desire to salvage something for herself. This was about her future. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that she could do it.
She pushed all hesitation aside as a sense of urgency pervaded her being. She remembered that Lennie often tossed loose bills into the drawer in the living room where he slept. Finn found money and placed it in her pants pocket. She walked out the door and straightened her shoulders as she headed towards the road.
It didn’t take long before a bus appeared in sight. She hailed it and heard the familiar whoosh of the air breaks. Finn sprinted inside and found there were only two people inside the bus. She paid the fare and headed towards the back.
As Albany receded behind her, Finn was assailed by doubts. But she determinedly pushed it aside. She was going somewhere familiar and she was doing this for her future. It meant a lot to her to graduate and pave the way for a better life other than just waitressing at the Greasy Spoon.
If only she could ignore the nagging voice that was telling her than Lennie would be furious if he ever found out.
“He won’t then,” she vowed.
The trip went smoothly. Finn was actually glad to be back in the familiar chaos that was her neighborhood. She giggled inwardly, feeling like a detective, as she scanned the streets furtively for any signs of threat. Nothing felt amiss so she walked briskly to her apartment and entered the premises. She headed straight for the drawer where she kept her papers. It was all there tucked neatly into a brown envelope. She grabbed it and headed out the door once more.
On Fire (Seduction Series Book 3) Page 12
