by Mary May
Alec’s foot stomped harder on the gas pedal of his car. He swerved around slow-moving vehicles and ran red lights whenever possible. He had called the police on his way out the door and even now he heard the sirens not far behind him. He finally slid up to her apartment then throwing the car into park he leaped out and raced inside. He didn’t wait on the elevator; he took the stairs two and three at a time making it up to her apartment in under two minutes. He knocked on the door and when it swung open he found a trembling shell-shocked Klara clutching Scooter tightly to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and stood out starkly against the pale white of her face. He moved her into the hallway, looking her over intently. “Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?”
She shook her head. “No, he missed, but just barely. I felt the bullet whiz by my face. Another half inch…” She trailed off as her eyes filled with tears. Alec took the cat and sat him down then gathered her up into his arms. He held her as the terror of what might have happened hit her and she fell apart in his arms. He felt her body go into convulsions; from head to toe she shook. He tightened his arms around her.
“Klara? What’s happening are you alright?” She stammered out the best she could that she would be fine, that her body did this under extreme stress, but it would pass in a few minutes. After about three minutes she started to calm down. He sat her on the side of the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. “Hey, that was pretty intense. Are you sure you’re ok?” She nodded, still too weak from the attack to speak.
He heard the cops arrive at her door, so he gently pulled back from her. “The police are here, sweetheart; let me go let them in. You stay here.” She nodded as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. She was a bundle of raw exposed nerves right now. She still couldn’t believe what had just happened! Someone had just seriously tried to kill her and would have if…if what? Fate? Luck? Klara had to take time and seriously reflect on her life and the way things had been happening or not happening to her. She knew there was more than just fate or luck on her side.
Two hours later she and her still angry cat were loaded into Alec’s car. This time she didn’t even argue when he told her she was moving somewhere more secure. Knowing when to concede was not her strongest point, but a bullet barely missing her cheek had a way of rectifying that character flaw rather quickly. “I can’t believe that Officer Willis still doesn’t believe that Marcus was behind this. What will it take to convince him -- me in a body bag?”
“Klara, that wasn’t exactly what he said. He said he didn’t know how Marcus could be behind these attacks on you. That he hasn’t had any visitors other than his attorney and the attorney was assigned to him by the courts and has been on the court dockets for years. He hasn’t even used his one phone call yet. I’m starting to wonder if it’s him myself.”
Klara stared out the window. “Then who could it possibly be?” she questioned.
“I don’t know. Is there any one you may have ticked off recently? Cut off in traffic or stole their gas pump? It doesn’t take much of an offense these days to make someone act like this.”
Klara tried to think of anything like that happening and drew a blank. “If I did, I didn’t know I did. I know that’s less than useful, but I really can’t think of anything, Alec.”
He reached over and placed his hand over her cold one on the console of the car. “It’s ok, Klara. We will find out who this is and stop them, you have my word on that.”
Alec pulled up to an old manor style mansion surrounded by aging oak trees. Klara looked at the stately place that looked like it had been frozen in time from the late 1800’s. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see ladies with wide hooped skirts milling about on the lawn drinking mint juleps with one hand and holding a parasol with the other. “Where are we, Alec?”
“This is my granddad’s estate, I couldn’t think of anywhere else safer for you with such short notice. I already called and he is expecting us.” Alec got out of the car and opened the trunk to get her suitcase then waited for her to get out. Klara felt like she was glued to the seat of the car. She wondered if this was what Matthew had felt like when he first saw the Walcott’s giant house. “Well, Scooter, it’s this or the Days Inn and I don’t think they allow pets.” Taking a deep breath to summon up her fading courage, she opened the door and stepped out.
Alec knew that Klara was less than thrilled to be staying here with her former employer, but he really had no other option. He could have rented her a hotel suite, but finding one that would allow her enormous cat might be a challenge. She could have stayed at his place, but with his upcoming divorce hearing he didn’t need to give Clarissa any more ammunition to use against him. Besides, he rather doubted that she would have agreed to that anyway. So this was the most logical choice. He had filled his granddad in on what was happening and he was more than happy to shelter the two until she could find more suitable arrangements.
They walked up the curved sidewalk lined with marigolds and petunias that somehow had defied the heat of August. Alec stopped at the door. Just as he was about to ring the bell, his granddad opened the door with a smile.
“Well, now, here she is! Come in! Come in! Agatha will take your things, my dear. Just set them down here by the stairs.” Klara smiled nervously at her old boss. Truth be told, she rarely saw him and didn’t even know if he would remember her working for him. She amended that thought a moment later when he grasped her hand warmly between his. “It’s nice to see you again, Klara; you were a fine employee. I was sad to lose you, my girl. You need to come back.”
Klara heard Alec mutter, “Good luck with that.”
She shot him a hard look then smiled at his granddad. “Thank you for allowing us to stay with you, Mr. Adams. It was very kind.” Abraham turned and led the way down the middle of the house to the living area that he called the lounge.
“Nonsense, I have all this room and you’re in need of just a little of it, although that cat of yours might need a wing all to himself. What do you feed that thing? Baby elephants?” Klara laughed. “You would think so to look at him, but I just feed him regular cat food. He is supposed to be on a diet. But that’s harder on me than him honestly.”
“Bah, can’t put no animal on a diet. I had a rat terrier once; Alec, you will remember this. Old Lucille was her name; she waddled more than walked and she lived until she was fourteen. Happier dog I’ve never seen. You leave that cat alone.” They all walked into a living area that faced the back yard that was just as beautiful as the front. The lawns were all a deep lush green that looked like a carpet that spread out for acres around the mansion.
There weren’t a lot of yard ornaments or distracting landscaping; the beauty was in its simplicity. Klara sat down in a well-used leather sofa that molded to her body like a glove. She still held Scooter in her arms; she was afraid to put him down. “You can put him down, Klara, that cat won’t do anything to this house that hasn’t been done before, I promise you. As a matter of fact, I bet there is a cat box and litter stashed around here somewhere left from one of Amelia’s house cats. I’ll have Agatha look for you. Now tell me, young lady, what made you decide to leave our firm? Were you not happy with your job?”
Klara looked from Abraham to Alec then back to Abraham. She wasn’t getting any help from Alec, she could tell by his small smile. “No, sir, that wasn’t the case at all. I just felt like it was time to move on.” Abraham sat there stroking his chin and studying her. She saw where Alec got his ability to look right through you. She wanted to squirm under his unnerving appraisal but made herself sit still and hold his gaze without wavering.
After a few moments of staring at each other, Abraham smiled then he stretched out his hand. “Here, kitty, kitty, come on you great beast.” Klara started to tell him that Scooter didn’t kitty kitty for her, that she doubted he would for him, but the big traitor went right to him, leaping into his lap. and started his deep rumbling purr like they were old friends.
Alec go
t to his feet. “Klara, I’ll show you to your room if you would like to lie down for a while; you should probably call your parents.”
Klara looked up from her seated position on the couch. “I’m not telling my parents about this. They would just worry themselves sick. They worry enough about me as it is.”
“Well, don’t you think they will find it odd that you’re staying here instead of your apartment if you don’t give them some sort of an explanation?”
Klara shook her head again. “I’m not telling them I’m staying here. Problem solved.”
Alec frowned harder at her. “You can’t not tell them about this, Klara; this is serious.”
Narrowing her eyes at him, Klara responded, “Ummm, yeah, I know this is serious, Alec. I was the one dodging bullets earlier, remember? But I’m still not telling them. It’s my decision. I would like to lie down if you don’t mind. I have a pretty intense headache right now.” She reached for Scooter but the large cat growled at her.
“He is fine, Klara. Me and Old Tom will just keep each other company while you go rest. I’ll have Agatha bring you up some aspirin.” Shooting her traitorous cat a dirty look, she followed Alec up the winding staircase. He stopped at the third door and opened it, letting her enter it first. Judging from the pale lavender walls and white ruffled bedspread, this was a woman’s room. She turned a questioning gaze to Alec and he nodded. “This was my mother’s room. Anytime they have female guests, this is the room they put them in. Your bathroom is through the door to your left. Klara, I know that it is your decision whether to tell your parents or not, but I really wish you would reconsider. Get some rest. Agatha will bring your medicine in a few minutes.” Then he gently shut the door.
Klara sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her temples. This was not her life any longer. It had been turned upside down yet again. “God, if there is a point you would like to get across, I wish you would find a less terrifying means of communication.”
“I have found that God seldom uses terrifying means to speak to us, my dear.” Klara looked up in surprise! She didn’t even hear the door open. But what was truly surprising was who was standing in front of her. It was the old woman that had spoken to her in the park that day when she went for her run! “It’s you!”
“Yes, it’s me and it’s you. How have you been, my dear? You look like things haven’t gotten much better for you. Did you do what I told you to do?”
Frowning both from her headache and the woman’s confusing question, Klara looked up at her through squinted eyes. “I’m sorry, what?”
Agatha set the bottle of aspirin and a tall glass of water with lemon on the table then sat down on the bed by her. “I told you to give God all your pieces; did you do that?”
Oh, that. “Not exactly,” she mumbled.
“Well now, God can only put back in place the pieces that you give Him. You can’t expect Him to make your heart whole if you are holding on to pieces of hurt and anger.”
Agatha then patted her hand softly. “You take some medicine and rest, my dear. We can talk about this later.”
After she left, Klara grabbed the bottle of aspirin and shook out three tablets then tossed them to the back of her throat followed by nearly the entire glass of water with lemon. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. That might be the biggest source of her headache. She walked to the window and looked out at the beautiful scenery wondering what happened to the girl who used to look at this view everyday…
Chapter 16
Alec came back downstairs and sat down with a deep sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off his own headache that was coming on strong. His granddad and Scooter hadn’t moved and both looked content to sit there a while with the old man stroking the cat with long even strokes. “That girl has got spunk! I like her. She didn’t back down an inch when I stared her down. Not many people male or female can do that.”
“You make stubbornness sound like a redeeming quality,” Alec said with a groan. He really was going to need some aspirin himself.
“Stubbornness is kissing cousins with determination. It just needs focus. Now what are we going to do about this individual that is out to harm our girl? What do we know about him?”
“Next to nothing. We suspected it was Marcus Kelley the boy’s father that Klara had turned into the police, but the arresting officer all but assured us it was impossible. So now we don’t have any suspects at all.”
Abraham got that quiet intense look in his eye that Alec recognized when he was in deep thought. “I have found that impossible is only a word to someone who has it in their heart to do someone harm. I wouldn’t stop looking at Marcus; he may have just covered his trail really well. When they run ballistics on the bullets, they may find something to help you pinpoint the culprit.” Alec nodded in agreement. “That is true. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Klara looked at her watch for the third in time in as many minutes. Today was her afternoon to see Matthew and she couldn’t wait! She hoped he was ok, that the Walcott’s hadn’t taken their displeasure with her out on him. She heaved a sigh of relief when the hour hand finally struck four and she could lock up her drawer at the bank and go see Matthew. Her new job was going really well and she enjoyed her co-workers for the most part. There was this one older lady that had a tendency to be a bit of a sourpuss, but all in all she was content here. Of course, Abraham badgered her daily to return to work for the law firm, but she had held her ground and stayed at the bank. Since she had moved in with Abraham a few days ago, she hadn’t had any phone calls or attempts on her life. The report came back on the bullets they had dug out of her wall, but it didn’t offer any new clues as to who was after her. They were standard issue nine millimeter rounds that had been wiped clean. Officer Willis had Marcus moved to a more secure location and ever since then her life had been quiet. She knew Alec was starting to have doubts that Marcus could be behind this, but Klara didn’t. She saw the look of intense hatred in that man’s eyes when he threatened her. He meant it.
She had just put away her drawer when she heard Alec greeting her coworker, Michelle. Michelle was Klara’s favorite person to work the day shift with. She was spunky and kept Klara smiling throughout the day. The customers always went to her window if they could, and she didn’t blame them. “Hey, are you about done here?”
She smiled and nodded. This was what she had been looking forward to all day. “Yes, I’m ready!” They waved at the others still on duty and walked out of the bank into the sweltering August heat. Late summer in St. Louis, Missouri, was brutal. Klara felt her lightweight dress stick to her skin almost immediately. “I half expected to get a phone call saying that they were not going to let me see him again after last week’s disaster.” She waited while Alec unlocked the door to his sedan. Then she slid in, grimacing as the warm leather stuck to her bare legs. She fanned herself until he got in and turned on the air conditioning.
“They very well may have tried, but it would be hard to convince Judge Miles that we were not trustworthy. Especially since he has known me all my life. Sometimes it really is nice to have friends in high places. Smiling at him again, Klara agreed.
“You’re in a good mood today. That’s the second smile I’ve gotten from you. I take it your excited to see Mattie?” he teased.
Klara rolled her eyes at his attempt to bait her. She was in a good mood and wouldn’t let him spoil it. “Yes, I am. But I have been a little worried that they may be angry with him because of me. Do you think they would?”
Alec felt a sudden intense dislike for the frown lines that appeared on her face in place of her previous sunny smile. “I honestly don’t know. It wasn’t Matthew’s fault so let’s just pray for the best.”
Klara studied him for a moment. “Do you? Pray, I mean?” Alec looked sideways at her wondering where this was going. “I can’t say that I have knowingly made the effort to pray for a long while, but I think God hears even our unspoken prayers, don’t you?”
/> Klara left his question unanswered as she turned to look out the window. They were driving over the Black River Bridge and they passed the spot where she had jumped. Now she wondered what would have become of Matthew if Alec had not had driven by when he did. Was that an answer for someone praying for her or for Matthew? Maybe…maybe they were each an answered prayer for the other.
They pulled up to the Walcott’s residence and this time Matthew was waiting for them outside by the sidewalk. His face lit up when he spotted Alec’s car. Klara opened her door smiling as Matthew ran toward her and gave her a small hug. She knew he was still a little uncertain around her, but she wasn’t worried about it. Braylie was standing by the door watching. Klara waved and smiled, but she didn’t get a response back. Alec walked over and told them their plans for the afternoon, which was to take him back to Abraham’s to play in the pool.
“Hey, Matthew, would you like to go swimming today?” His blue eyes grew round with wonder.
“Swimming? In a real swimming pool?”
Smiling in spite of her cracking heart, Klara nodded. “Yup in a real swimming pool! It even has a slide!”
His excitement turned to despair then he whispered. “I better not. I can’t swim.”
Klara settled him in the back seat and fastened his seatbelt. “Can I tell you a secret? You have to promise not to tell.”
