Freedom

by Mary Crawford

  “Okay, now I’m dying of curiosity. What’s going on with you?”

  “You were friends with Katie before she moved, right?”

  “Yeah, I miss her a lot,” Jessica says.

  “Before she met Logan she was supposed to get married. Did you know about that?”

  “Of course I did. I think half of Florida knows. The story of how she met Logan is pretty legendary. Not every girl can pick up a guy while she’s wearing a wedding dress.”

  “I don’t know how much you knew about Katie’s life but, my brother was the jerk she was running from. Katie was almost my sister-in-law.”

  “Oh … I’m so sorry. You can’t pick your relatives. If I knew Vinnie the Pooh was your brother, I’ve long since forgotten.”

  “Unfortunately, these days I can’t seem to forget my brother. He’s angry because I have been subpoenaed to testify against him at his trial for kidnapping and rape.”

  “I’m so sorry. It’s tough when legal matters come between family members.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not all. Tonight he called me and threatened to burn down Hope’s Haven if I testify.”

  Jessica gasps before she asks, “What are you going to do? If you have a subpoena, you can’t just choose ignore it.”

  “I don’t know. I feel so stuck. But, I don’t want to put the dogs at risk. Maybe Vinnie has a point. Maybe I should get a case of the flu during his trial so I don’t have to testify.”

  “I know it’s tempting to run. But, what if the information you give at the trial prevents him from being free to kidnap and rape other women?”

  “I don’t want to believe what they’re saying about him. However, his attitude concerns me.”

  “If I were you, I would call Tristan and ask him to up with the number of security patrols in your neighborhood.”

  I sigh. “I already did that when I invited Phoenix to stay with me.”

  “Phoenix? What are you talking about?” Jessica asks with surprise in her voice. I don’t blame her. I’m not one who is well known for socializing with my friends.

  “Yeah, I talked to Mitch about this yesterday. Phoenix is a who, not a what. He rescued a dog and he’s been sticking around to check on Bruiser’s progress. Phoenix is really sweet. He helped me write down everything about the phone call with my brother. Without him, I wouldn’t have remembered so many details.”

  “Normally, I would be giving you a big sister-type lecture about taking it slow and easy and learning a lot about each other. But, quite frankly I am glad there’s someone else there with you. Our facility is pretty isolated. Still, I think you should contact Tristan or Isaac and let them know what’s going on. It sounds like the threat level has gone up several hundred notches.”

  “Okay, I’ll call them. Oh, wait I need to tell you something. You know when I told you Phoenix would be staying here a day or two to watch out for Bruiser? It turns out that when he’s not riding his motorcycle around, Phoenix Wolf works for Identity Bank.”

  “Shut the front door! That is just wild. Well, he should be able to pull some strings for you.”

  “Something tells me that Phoenix won’t be much help in that department,” I answer with a laugh.

  “I guess we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Go ahead and send your notes to Mitch. He has a meeting with Tristan when we get back. I’ll have him bring it up. After all, we want to make sure that all the critters at Hope’s Haven are safe regardless of whether they have two legs or four.”

  “You’re coming home in a couple of days, correct?”

  “That’s the plan. Gracelyn is not happy in her car seat. I can’t wait to get home and be in a regular routine again.” Nobody told me how hard it was to travel with a little one.”

  “Aww, I’m sorry. Tell Mitch I’m sorry my brother is stirring up all this drama.”

  “Maybe this is all a big bluff. You know, big brothers being tough and all. I bet he’s just lashing out because he’s hurt. He probably thought you'd be unabashedly on his side regardless of what he did to other people. A lot of people put a ton of stock in family loyalty.”

  “I’m not trying to be disloyal,” I insist. “I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

  I hear Jessica sigh through the phone. “I know. That’s the part of this that stinks. You shouldn’t have to feel bad for doing the right thing. This is your brother’s problem. Don’t let him make you feel small.”

  “Thanks for the advice. I’ll try not to. Something tells me his opinion counts with me more than it’s actually worth.” I respond. “Have a nice trip home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When Jessica hangs up, I sag against my headboard.

  Small. That about sums up my entire existence more succinctly than I care to admit.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  PHOENIX

  “GO FIND ZOE,” I ISSUE the command to Bruiser after I unhook his leash. I have no idea whether he understands, but he seems to know a lot of stuff already. I guess it’s theoretically possible. He looks at me as if he’s puzzled by my words. He takes off running to the kennel room. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be struggling much although he does seem to be favoring his rear left leg a little.

  I struggle to keep up as he scampers down the halls. Finally, we reach the threshold of the door I could not cross the other day.

  Zoe is pouring a gargantuan bag of dog food into a large barrel. It’s hard for me to tell, but it looks like she’s upset. I rush over to help her lift the heavy bag.

  When I grab the bag, she jumps as if she wasn’t expecting me. “Oh, geez you about gave me a heart attack. My nerves are so on edge these days. I feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder and waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “That’s understandable after the run-in you had with your brother.”

  “Hey, I appreciate the help. I thought you couldn’t come into this room.”

  “All the dogs are sleeping and not having their own barking symphony. The smell is still a little much for me but if I’m only dealing with one overwhelming thing, I generally can work around it. But sometimes, I just get swamped.”

  “I understand the overwhelmed part. I’m feeling that way right now. I wish I could run away from my whole life.”

  “Why don’t you?” I ask.

  “Hope’s Haven is the best job I’ve ever had. I can’t just leave them in the lurch just because I’m scared of what my brother might do. If I left, it might make the situation worse because he might lash out at them simply because he can’t reach me.”

  “That’s a scary thought. Although, I can’t say your logic is flawed.”

  “Isn’t it? I’ve had nothing but terrifying thoughts tumble around in my brain since he called. I’m scared to death. Even so, I can’t let those people down. My brother has shown real ugliness I never expected. It just lends credence to the other stories.”

  “I think you should go to the police station first, but after you’re done, I can take you for a spin on my bike.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe this isn’t as serious as I think it is. If I go to the police, they might laugh me right out of the station. What if Jessica is right and he’s bluffing?”

  “Based on what you told me, I didn’t get the impression you thought your brother was simply bluffing. I think you should go to the police and the DA and let them know what’s going on. He shouldn’t be able to terrorize you like this. I don’t care if he is your brother,” I insist.

  “Vinnie has intruded on my happy little life here and I hate it. It makes my job really hard because the dogs can pick up on my stress and they don’t pay as much attention to the training when I’m out of sorts. So, even if he doesn’t do all the stuff he threatened, he’s still disrupting my life.”

  “So, let’s do what we can to stop him. Maybe I look at things too black and white and don’t see enough gray. But, it seems to me he’s done destructive things to a lot of people. I just think a guy like that needs to
be stopped. If we can help with that, then that’s what we should do,” I say emphatically.

  “Who is we? Do you have a frog in your pocket?”

  “No, I’m just doing an awful job of telling you that I can stick around to help you do that tomorrow, if you want.”

  “That’s just it. I have no idea what I want. I wish I could wave a magic wand and justice would be done. I don’t know if my brother did any of the things people are charging him with. But, I’m starting to believe it’s entirely possible he’s guilty. I don’t want to think those things about my own brother. But he runs hot and cold like a broken air-conditioner.”

  Suddenly, Bruiser runs to the front door. Zoe and I follow quickly. Bruiser lays down with his nose against the threshold and growls. I peek out the window, but don’t see anything. Bruiser is not deterred. He continues to growl.

  I look at Zoe and shrug. “I don’t know what has him all riled up. There doesn’t seem to be anything out there.”

  “Where did you park your bike?” Zoe asks.

  “I put it in the blue storage shed like you told me to.”

  “Is it locked? I don’t know enough about motorcycles to know if you can even lock them up.”

  “I’ve got an axle lock which works like a parking boot.”

  “Maybe you should take Bruiser and check it out,” Zoe suggests with a hopeful look.

  This is like a nightmare for me. Although I have taken Bruiser on several walks and am somewhat familiar with Hope’s Haven, I’m not sure of my ability to navigate it in the dark.

  “Do you have a flashlight?” I ask.

  “Let me get it for you,” Zoe offers. She quickly returns with some sort of headgear with a huge light. It’s kind of like what I’ve seen coal miners wear.

  When she sees my puzzled look, she laughs softly. “I know this isn’t a traditional flashlight, but it’s what we use to tend to the dog runs and the play yard. It’s remarkably effective.

  Zoe helps me position the awkwardly shaped light on my head. As she does, she runs her fingers through my long hair. Usually, I don’t like it much when people touch me. But, when Zoe does it, my heart beats a little faster, and I feel warm all over.

  “Just a moment, I have an idea,” Zoe says. She runs away again but quickly returns. This time, she’s carrying a small baseball bat. “Maya left this the last time she came here after baseball practice. I know it’s not much but, it might help you if you run across whatever it is that made Bruiser growl.”

  I look at the baseball bat skeptically, but I take it from Zoe. I try not to grimace when I feel the weight of the bat in my hand. As far as baseball bats go, this one is pretty light. Still, I don’t want to upset Zoe. “Thanks. I guess it’s better to be prepared.”

  “Hopefully, it’s nothing outside of our overactive imaginations because we’re stressed out.” Zoe offers.

  Zoe grabs a leash from a rack on the wall beside the front door. “Here you go Bruiser, time to live up to your name. Keep Phoenix safe from whatever bogeymen are out there, okay?”

  I take a deep breath and grab Bruiser’s leash. As we walk around the perimeter of the yard, the hair on Bruiser’s back stands up. I tighten my grip on the baseball bat. Bruiser starts to growl. I look down toward the ground to aim the headlamp. I almost trip on a stack of sticks. I squat down to take a closer look. The sticks look like they were deliberately placed there. They are in the formation of a tee-pee and there is a clump of dry grass under the crude wood structure. Laying in the grass beside it is a half-used book of matches.

  I look around to see if I can find anything to protect the objects from the weather. A few feet away I spot some empty flowerpots. Choosing the largest one, I turn it upside down over the pile of sticks. Grabbing Bruiser’s leash, I turn and sprint back toward the house. Bruiser barks as he enthusiastically participates in this new game of tag.

  Zoe must’ve heard my boots on the front porch because she opens the door with a panicked look on her face.

  “What did you find?” she asks.

  Pulling the headlamp off, I set it on a side table before I take off Bruiser’s leash.

  I look down at the ground to collect myself before I address Zoe.

  “I’m not exactly sure what I found, but I think we need to call the police.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I left my phone in the house, so I didn’t get a picture of it. Basically, it’s a tiny campfire with a set of matches beside it. In light of everything else going on, I interpreted it as a threat. I don’t know if the police will agree with me. But that’s what it felt like.”

  “Do you think we need to call 911?” Zoe asks as her voice trembles a bit. She pulls out her phone and types something in.

  I shrug. “I think if someone had still been there, Bruiser would’ve had a fit. We need to call though. Maybe we can use the regular line.

  Zoe bites her lip as she reads whatever is on her phone. “It looks like they have a non-emergency line. I think I’ll call that.”

  Before Zoe can do anything more, her phone rings.

  “Hope’s Haven, this is Zoe,” she answers, her voice a bit more steady. Her eyebrows raise in surprise as she listens. “Oh, hi Tristan. That was quick.” Zoe looks at me and shrugs as her brows furrow. “Did you see something? Were you able to capture anything on surveillance camera?” she asks insistently.

  She swallows hard and twists her hair between her fingers. “Who wears a stocking cap and gloves in Florida? I know it’s been raining, but it’s not that cold outside.”

  She listens a little longer before she says, “No! I’m sure it wasn’t Phoenix. He was in the house with me and went out to check the yard when Bruiser started growling.”

  She looks frustrated as she responds, “Yes. I plan to call the police — in fact, I was about to dial the number when you called. Okay, I’ll tell them you have footage.”

  “Okay, hanging up now to call them. No, we haven’t touched anything,” she responds and then looks to me for confirmation.

  I put my hands up and back up to indicate I didn’t disturb anything. "I put a pot over it to protect it from the rain."

  “No. Phoenix says he didn’t mess with it. He covered it was something.”

  Zoe hangs up the phone. She walks over to the sink and gets herself a glass of water and takes a couple of sips. “I know I have to do this, but I’m afraid of the can of worms it will open. I’m almost afraid to ask where my brother is. Doesn’t it seem like he is mentally torturing me because he knows I am deathly afraid of fire?”

  “I’m not sure. Any way you slice it, it’s pretty messed up.”

  “I hate to ask this of you, but can you stick around until they figure out what’s going on? I don’t want to be here by myself.”

  Zoe looks so shattered; I can’t bring myself to say anything except, “I don’t see a problem with that. My schedule is flexible.”

  “Oh, thank God! I’m just about as frightened of the dark as I am of fire. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”

  “I’m just glad I was here. Let’s see if we can get some more help. Do you want me to call, or do you want to?”

  “I suppose I probably should since it’s my job to take care of the property when Mitch and Jessica are not here.”

  Zoe reaches out and grabs my hand. She squeezes it tightly as she dials her phone with the thumb of her other hand.

  I can hear voices on the other end but I can’t make out the conversation. After a few moments, Zoe seems to relax. She hangs up the phone and announces, “They're sending someone out. They told us to just sit and wait.”

  I groan. “Those happen to be two things I’m terrible at. In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to fidget and pace. I hate to wait. It’s so bad that I order my groceries online so I don’t have to stand in line at the grocery store.”

  Zoe smiles at me. “I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. Sometimes, I feel like I am a preschooler in a grown-
ups body.”

  “What should we do to kill time?”

  “It’s not very exciting, but I was in the middle of filling food and water dishes when Bruiser started growling. I probably need to get back to that. Do you want to help?”

  “Sure,” I answer with the far more confidence and I have. The last time I tried to enter the kennel room, it didn’t go so well. I’d rather not embarrass myself again. But I don’t know what else to do.

  As we enter the room, Zoe whimpers as if she’s in pain. She spins around and grabs the front of my shirt. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her. She draws in a shuddering breath as she says, “Look at this, Phoenix. Not counting Bruiser, I’ve got five dogs in here. If something were to happen to Hope’s Haven, how would I ever get them all out of here in time?”

  I place my chin on the top of her head as I murmur, “Maybe I’ll talk to Tristan about whether he could install some sort of sprinkler system.”

  “That’s a good idea. But I don’t know if my bosses have that kind of money.”

  “Yeah, in older buildings like these, something like sprinklers could be tricky. Maybe the police department will have a better idea how to keep you safe.”

  As I stand to the side and listen to Zoe recount her conversation with her brother and his history with women, I’m surprised when the cop, Cody Erickson just nods. “I’m sorry Ms. Hurlington, I’m much more familiar with Vincent Hurlington than I ever wanted to be. I had to rescue my partner during her wedding.”

  Zoe’s jaw drops in shock. “Partner? You were involved with her when she was dating my brother?”

  Officer Erickson grins. “Only in my dreams. Katelyn Ashford was my partner on the police force before she moved to Oregon.”

  Zoe becomes pale. “Oh my gosh! I was so stressed out that day — I completely forgot you were there. I remember you had to arrest my brother and haul him away from the church.”

  He shrugs. “Yep, nobody could ever call Katie’s wedding boring.”

  “I hate to break up this little family meeting, but someone is threatening Zoe. Do you want me to show you what I found?”