by Liza Brown
“Mae! Mae! Who are you hugging?”
“Mae! Can you tell us where Elsu is?”
“Mae!”
“Mae!”
“Mae.”
“Move! Step back! Give her some room!” I heard a familiar voice. I let go of Steve and saw Bart. Jeremy was standing beside him with his camera from the Independent hanging from his neck.
April appeared suddenly. I swear she had puffed up like a blow fish. A super buff, hard as rock blow fish. I hadn’t really thought about her physical stature, but I realized then that she was probably rather muscular. I feared her briefly.
“Of all the people here, you are the one who needs to move!” She spoke softly but sternly to Bart.
“Oh! Now you’re working?” asked Jeremy. “He’s here on business. He’s allowed.”
“Yeah, you can check with my parole officer. As long as I don’t cause problems, I’m good.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Mae. We’re not here for you,” said Jeremy.
I hated them both so much but there was apparently nothing I could do. I stepped away from the crowd and headed toward the small group of firemen and police officers that were standing by one of the trucks.
Detective Graven separated from the pack when he saw me. “Mae! I’m glad you could get down here.”
I stared at the pile of smoldering rubble that was once my showroom.
I started walking toward it. “Mae, please stay back. We’re making sure the thing is out,” he said as he touched my arm.
“How?” I asked.
“We’ll know more in the morning when it’s daylight. We’re not sure if it’s an explosive or something else.”
I looked around and saw more debris. It was everywhere. “Does shit spread out like this in a regular fire?” I yelled at him.
“Not usually, ma’am,” said one of the firemen.
“Then let’s call it a bomb and move on,” I said.
I found April who still held my phone in her hand. I walked away from Detective Graven and was glad to see it was still connected to Elsu.
“Mae?” I heard Elsu’s voice in my ear.
“Tell me something good, Elsu. Tell me anything good,” I said as I sat down in the middle of the parking lot amid a singed doorknob and a piece of unidentifiable red glass. I crossed my legs and bent at the waist to fold in half to listen to Elsu’s voice.
“Mae, I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a few days now, but I haven’t been able to find the time and I didn’t want to scare you off.” There was a long, quiet pause. “I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with you, Mae.”
I froze. That was definitely not what I had in mind. “Elsu,” I sighed.
“I’m not asking for you to repeat it, Mae. I’m just telling you the truth.”
I started to sob. I knew my feelings were mutual. I hadn’t been able to put a finger on the emotions I was having. I’d never truly been in love before. Even when Bart and I were getting along, there was never what I felt with Elsu. He said what I hadn’t even realized I was feeling.
“Stop crying, Mae. Oh God, I made you cry, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to make you cry. That was an awful thing for me to say.”
“No, it was a wonderful thing to say. A beautiful thing to hear. I don’t think I could have imagined anything better than that,” I said through tears. “I don’t want to repeat it until you’re here with me.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible, Mae.”
“It’s awful, Elsu. The whole building is leveled. There’s damage to the main building and the paint garage. It’s like the showroom wasn’t even here.”
“So it was an explosion and not a fire?” he asked.
“I’m no expert, but I’ve never seen a fire spray stuff like this. There is stuff on the other side of the property fence and you know how far that is! Detective Graven said they won’t know for sure until tomorrow in the light, but I know. We all know,” I said as I looked at the rubble.
“I’m sorry, Mae.”
I started to get up and a hand appeared in front of my face. I grabbed it and was helped up by Bart. “Go away!” I yelled at him.
“What?” asked Elsu.
“Not you, Bart is here with Jeremy. The press are here, it’s a madhouse.”
“I’m trying to be sincere, Mae. I’m sorry.” Said Bart.
“I don’t want your apology, I don’t want your help, I want you to leave me the hell alone!” I yelled.
“That bastard is there? Goddammit!” I heard the anger in his words and I knew if Elsu were there, Bart would have been drop kicked into the next county by now. Bart seemed to always have a way of showing up when he knew Elsu wasn’t around.
“Mae, where is April?” he asked.
I turned to look for her and nearly ran into her arm. “Right here,” I said. “Bart’s apparently allowed to be here because he’s working for the paper with Jeremy, Elsu. I don’t know how this shit works, but it seems like I’m the one being punished,” I said as I walked away from Bart.
“I love you, Mae.” I melted. Was it possible to fall in love with someone in less than two weeks? I didn’t even care.
“Get home soon, please.” I begged.
“I will, I promise! Stay safe.”
“You too, you too.”
We hung up and I started walking toward the rubble again. This time, Detective Graven didn’t try to stop me. The two firetrucks were shining spotlights on the remnants and I stepped up to where the building’s foundation used to be. I saw a tire from one of the cars nearby. I went to it and kicked it. My phone beeped, letting me know I had a text.
WHAT A SHAME. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’VE GOT A MESS TO CLEAN UP.
I heard a beep from behind me and I looked to see Detective Graven checking his phone. “Got it, Mae.”
I sighed and started stepping further into the mess. Was there going to be a next time? Was he going to start endangering my loved ones? I started to panic. I finally replied to him.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
I stared at my phone, waiting for the reply.
YOU OWE ME, MAE.
I heard Detective Graven approaching and I looked to see him get the message. “Keep going,” he said.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
I typed with shaky thumbs.
JUST YOU, MAE. MY PLAN WAS GOING PERFECTLY UNTIL THAT DAMN BASKETBALL PLAYER SHOWED UP.
I panicked. I turned and faced the police cars and the fire trucks and returned to where April was now standing with Steve. Bart and Jeremy were behind them. “Bart! Give me your phone!” I yelled.
He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to me. I searched it and found no signs that it had been recently used. I replied to the stranger. “Bart!” I waited. There was nothing on Bart’s phone. I wanted so badly for his phone to light up and for everything to be over. I quickly texted myself from Bart’s phone and received it. The number didn’t match that of my stalker.
“Detective Graven! Check this man’s pockets for another phone! Or Jeremy! Where’s your brother, Bart? Check his phone!”
“Mae, I need an order from a judge to do that.”
“Really? You think this is me?” yelled Bart as he snatched his phone back. “I’d rather stay out of prison, Mae.” He took off his coat and shook it upside down. The only thing that fell out were a few coins and a set of keys. He opened the camera bag he had sitting at his feet and quickly pulled everything out and then shook it upside down, too. “See? Nothing! I have no other phone!”
“Ok, if not you, what about Jeremy?”
“You want to check Jeremy’s phone? Hold on!” Bart turned around and called his brother who had returned to the group of paparazzi.
“What?” asked Jeremy as he came to stand with us. He had made his distaste for me abundantly clear.
“Mae here thinks you’re the one who did this. Show her your phone.”
“Umm, shouldn’t I have a lawyer?”
“What?” asked Bart. �
��Why would you need a lawyer?”
“I don’t know. Some sort of protection?”
“If you didn’t do this you don’t have anything to fear,” said Bart as he stepped back and looked at Jeremy. “You didn’t do this, did you?”
“NO! I did not do this! But still, get a warrant and you can look at my phone.”
“Just text Mae and prove to her that you’re not the person who’s been texting her.”
Jeremy pulled out his phone and texted me at the number I gave him. His came in with a different number yet. This was not helpful.
“April? How do press statements work?” I asked.
“How do you mean?” she asked.
“I want to tell those paparazzi something and I want to make sure it gets out to anyone who will listen.”
“We can help,” said Bart.
“I don’t want help from you! I can’t look at you. I don’t want either one of you here! I hate you Bart!”
“I’m trying to help!”
“April! Please!”
“I’m sorry, Mae. I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” said April. “According to Detective Graven, Bart’s allowed to be here.”
“The man who almost killed me is allowed to be here? Tell me how that’s fair?”
“Until you can prove he’s doing something illegal, I’m sorry.”
“Well, they both crossed the tape up there!” I yelled and pointed toward the crowd of on-looking reporters.
“That, I don’t know about. But…”
“Mae,” said Bart as he took a step toward me and I took two back. “I swear I did not do this. What do you want me to say to make you believe me?”
My world was spinning. How many times had those exact words come out of his mouth when he would apologize for his latest beating? Too many to count. Now I swear he was actually trying to be sincere but I was also certain he was still the devil. My mind couldn’t handle the confusion.
He took another forward. “Mae, just come to the line and tell them you want to make a statement. They’ll eat it up. There’s enough light up there from the street light and the spotlights they’ll be able to see you just fine. If you want, I can go prep them. Just tell me what you want me to say.”
I was seeing stars. Help from my enemy! How was I about to accept that when I was barely capable of looking at either one of them?
“If it’s not you two, I want to address the asshole who is doing this.”
“Not wise, Mae.” Detective Graven came to my side. “You’ve obviously pissed him off, you start barking orders at him, he’s bound to do something else.”
“I’m not breaking up with Elsu!” I yelled.
“It may be your only choice until we can find him.”
“Tell me how you’ll find him if I break up with Elsu and the attacks stop!”
“It will give us time to use the information we have. Let me sort through the information I’ve been given.”
My phone beeped.
BART? IS THIS 20 QUESTIONS? MY NAME IS NOT BART.
“Should I call him?” I asked.
“No, let’s do that in the station. Not that he’ll answer, but it might help us find him.”
“How do you figure?” I asked.
“When we’ve tried to call him, we get some sort of a ping from the GPS. It’s different than what we get from the texts. We think if we can get him to answer the phone, we’ll have a chance to pinpoint his location. It’s just a theory, but we need more equipment,” he said.
“Then let’s get to the station!” I said.
“Mae, it’s two in the morning. The specialists will be in later and hopefully we can find a nearby department that can spare their equipment.”
“So, calling in the specialists when there’s an emergency isn’t something that can be done?” I asked.
“I’m sorry Mae, this is how we have to do things.”
“Well, in the meantime if anyone gets hurt, it will be your ass on the line! You have the ability to do something but you’re being a lazy cop!”
“Mae!” said April. I felt like I had been reprimanded by my fifth-grade teacher.
“I’m sorry, but that’s how it feels. We’ve got the chance to do what’s right, but we’re not going to do it until someone gets their eight hours of sleep!”
“Mae, just go back home, get some rest and meet me at the police station in the morning.”
“Really? You expect me to sleep? After tonight? I can guarantee you that’s not going to happen.”
“Mae, you should let them deal with the mess for now and go back to your place,” said Steve.
“I would, if someone hadn’t trashed it!” I said as I glared at Detective Graven. “I’m starting to wonder if it isn’t you!” I said.
“Now you’re just delusional, Mae. Go home, get some rest, and come back. You’re running on fumes and adrenaline and the adrenaline is wearing off.” I glared at Steve. I knew he was right but I wasn’t about to admit it.
“Fine. April, I guess we need to go home,” I said.
I followed her toward the Escalade. The vultures began as soon as we got close.
“Mae! Mae! Who did this?” The questions were all the same.
I wanted to stop and say something, but Detective Graven’s words rang in my ears. I’d keep my mouth shut.
CHAPTER 16
Once back to the apartment building I walked to my unit and opened the door. It was spotless. “I thought it was trashed!” I said to April.
“I’ll give you three guesses, the first two don’t count,” she said.
“Magdalena is a saint,” I said as I scooped up Diesel and hugged him close.
“Agreed, ma’am.”
“Do you think they got them all?” I asked her.
“They used some sort of a device to search for them. A metal detector kind of thing. I’d be willing to guess they got them all.”
“Wait, is that a new TV?”
“They took apart anything they thought could hide one. Your old TV included.”
“Oh no. Did Elsu buy this one?”
“Surprisingly, no. This was bought by Arnold.”
“But he’s the one who needed a new TV.”
“He bought one for himself, as well.”
“Don’t ever let him fool you, April. That man is wealthy. But now I owe him for a TV.”
“He said you’d say that. You know he doesn’t want the money back.” April laughed.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” I nodded. “Well, Elsu has my toothbrush and toothpaste, I guess I’ll just Listerine myself some fresh breath and get a shower. April, thank you for everything.”
“It’s my job, ma’am. Miss Mae,” she corrected herself and smiled. “If you need anything, I’ll be in bed.”
After placing Diesel on my bed, I grabbed something to sleep in and stepped into the bathroom. I saw where the light fixture above the toilet was off center. Apparently where a camera had hid. I slid it back into place. I looked for evidence of the second camera but couldn’t find it. My digital clock was in the trash. In pieces. I sighed. I took a shower and when I got out I found myself trying to hide my body. The cameras were gone, but I still felt their presence. I wrapped myself in a towel and finished in front of the mirror. I rushed to my bedroom with my clean clothes and stepped into my closet to get dressed. What was I afraid of?
Once in bed I noticed Magdalena had laundered everything. My spare pillow was gone, now a piece of evidence. I sure hoped Elsu paid Magdalena what she was worth. The digital clock beside my bed was in two pieces, but somehow it still worked. It would need replaced as well. I closed my eyes but couldn’t get to sleep. I kept getting that sneaking feeling that I was being watched. I was being crazy. The cameras were gone. I tossed and turned and finally fell asleep.
I dreamt of paparazzi with cameras taking pictures of me in my apartment. They were around each corner. At first they didn’t have faces. Then they morphed into Bart and Jeremy and even
Carl. Eventually they started changing into my phone. I could hear the texts I had received from the unknown monster. The screen on my phone was green. No face. “Drop the basketball player, drop the basketball player…”
“Never!” I replied. “Never!”
“Mae!” I heard April’s voice, she was going to make it stop.
“Tell him no, April! I won’t!”
“Mae!”
“He won’t stop, make him go away!”
“Mae!” I opened my eyes. April was sitting on the edge of my bed, holding my arms to the mattress. I pulled out of her grip and scrambled to sit up against my headboard.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You were screaming, Mae. You woke me up.”
I looked around the room, there were no green phones telling me to leave Elsu. The clock said it was only four in the morning. I had laid down at three. I realized I was sweating and nervous. “I can’t stop thinking I’m being watched. It’s irrational, I know, but there were cameras here, April!” I said, like she didn’t know.
“I’m sure you’re having a hard time sleeping. Do you have anything you could take to help you relax?” she asked.
“I haven’t had a problem sleeping in a while. I used to take sleeping pills but I didn’t want to get hooked so I never renewed the prescription when I ran out.”
“Well, if you need anything, let me know. I can run to the drug store.” She walked out of my room and back to hers. I sat up for a while. I eyed the shadows of my room that I had never noticed before. Diesel joined me on the bed and tried to convince me to lay down, but even his sweet head butts weren’t helping. I grabbed my phone and contemplated calling Elsu, but I knew he had to be asleep. I called Uncle Richard.
I was surprised when he answered so quickly and didn’t sound like I had woken him up at all. “Mae? Are you ok?”
“No, Uncle Richard. I can’t sleep. I was wondering if I could come up and sleep on the couch.”
“Absolutely, come on up.”
“Be there in a second.”
I gathered my pillow and my blanket, found my slippers that looked like tow trucks, and went to April’s room. I knocked softly and heard her reply. “Come on in,” she said.
