HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Okay,” I sulked. “Where do you want me to start?”

  “Start when you saw Joel in the window,” he said softly. “Take your time, and don’t leave anything out.”

  “Alright,” I said.

  I leaned my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes. It had not been more than a couple of weeks since the day of the fire, yet it seemed like it had happened so long ago. My thoughts wandered at first. I couldn’t bring any tangible memories to the forefront. Ross honked the car horn at a motorist performing some rude or illegal driving tactic in front of him. With that sound of the horn, I could hear the Holstein kids’ screams in the back of my mind, and it all came back.

  “I was walking home from the radio station after work that day. It was a good thing I didn’t have my headphones on, because otherwise, I may not have heard the kids. Even before I turned onto my street, I had heard screaming. I ran towards the screams and saw the fire. The entire row of brownstones, including my townhouse, was on fire. Most of the flames were on the rooftops or second floors of the homes. A lot of my neighbors were running in and out of their houses. They were pulling out clothes, dragging furniture, and toting laptops, kitchen appliances, and other things they were trying to save.”

  “I think I was the only person who noticed Jessica screaming up to Joel. Smoke was billowing out of the same window where he had been screaming. Thinking back, the fire seemed more intense at the top of their unit. Jessica was shouting up at him, screaming for him to jump, but he was afraid. He kept looking back inside the room for some reason. At the time, I thought he was looking back because the fire was getting closer.”

  “I ran past them to the other end of the row house, because I remembered the ladder that the neighbor kept stored on the side of the building. I had grabbed it and carried it up the street to the kids’ place. I leaned it as close as I could to the window where Joel was, then climbed up the ladder. This part is a bit of a blur. I had tried to reach in for Joel, but he wouldn’t come to my arms. That’s when I think I climbed onto the window to pull him out. Afterward, I climbed back over with him on my shoulder, and came down the ladder with him.”

  “Was there any movement in that room or beyond it? Anything that you could see?” Matt asked.

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “I don’t think I could see that far inside”.

  “Try to remember being at the top of the ladder with him on your shoulder, just before you started the descent. Imagine looking past that room, through the door and into the rest of the house. Was there anything unusual that you saw?”

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “I…It’s kind of a blur.”

  “Did you see flames?”

  “I saw smoke,” I began. “I don’t believe I saw any flames in that room.”

  “What about sounds? Did you hear anything unusual?”

  “I really don’t remember, Matt,” I looked over to him and answered.

  “Keep trying with your eyes closed,” he said. “It really helps.”

  “Okay,” I said, leaning back and closing my eyes again. “There were so many other noises outsThe street was pandemonium. Jessica was still screaming from down on the sidewalk. I don’t think I heard anything out of the ordinary.”

  “So you got down the ladder. Joel was okay. What happened next? Did you see anything out of place?”

  “What you mean by out of place?” I asked.

  “Did you see anyone doing anything unusual? And what I mean is this. This was a large fire. People were running in and out of their homes. Other people were onlookers. Maybe neighbors from the other side of the street. Some were helping others. Was there anyone doing anything out of the ordinary on the street?

  “I don’t think I noticed,” I answered. “When I got to the bottom of the ladder there were a lot of people clapping and cheering. There were still people taking things out of their homes to their cars. And afterward I heard the sirens coming from around the corner. I think it was the police first and then fire trucks. And then I saw youThere were so many other noises outs. Do you remember?”

  “I’ll never forget laying eyes on you, Kate,” he said and smiled briefly. “Did you notice anyone walking away from the building? Think from the time you got to the street to when you rescued Joel.”

  “No I don’t… Wait,” I said. “Yes! There were two men dressed in expensive suits. They walked to their car and drove away. I didn’t think about it at the time, but what I realize now is they didn’t have anything in their arms. Everyone else had household items they were trying to salvage from their homes. Some had laptops, furniture, and clothes draped over them. But not these two men. I also didn’t recognize them, so they weren’t any of my neighbors. I don’t know my every neighbor by name, but I know most of their faces. The other strange thing is that they didn’t stop to help Joel. They just left. Is that strange?”

  “Yes. That is strange,” Matt said, and his eyes widened with interest. “Do remember what kind of car they were driving?”

  “Yes, it was a silver Bugatti. I know that without a doubt because my dad had a red one. I would beg him to drive it after I got my driver’s license. Because it was his favorite, he would always refuse. He wouldn’t even let me touch it. It was the only car that he wouldn’t let me drive, so I was a little obsessed over it. And it’s strange, because there were more expensive cars that he would let me use. So I’d recognize that car anywhere. It was definitely a newer model Bugatti.”

  “Do you remember anything about the men?” He asked.

  “No. All I remember is they were tall and thin, white, with dark hair. They were not wearing winter coats, because I noticed their expensive suits. That’s all I could see from the distance.”

  “Excellent. That should all help the police,” Matt said eagerly. “Great job remembering, Kate. Now, let’s talk about the hotel attack.”

  Chapter 3

  We spent the rest of the ride going over the hotel attack and what happened at the radio station. By the time we were done, I was mentally exhausted, but we had three pieces of information to share with Detective Bateman. It wasn’t much, but it was three more than I thought I had remembered. I leaned on Matt’s shoulder, and he held me close. It was a relief to have him in my corner. He was so supportive and helpful.

  When we got to the station, Matt split his security detail into two teams. He sent one team back to the condo to do their usual sweep, and the other team waited outside. Matt and I entered the station and requested to speak with the detective. We waited a few minutes in the waiting room before a uniform officer escorted us to an interview room. Detective Bateman was already there waiting for us.

  “Thank you for coming, Miss Samuel. Nice to see you, Lieutenant Lewis,” The detective addressed us as we walked in.

  “Hello. Can I use the ladies room?” I asked.

  “Of course, Miss Samuel,” he said. “Lewis, show her where it is, will you?”

  Matt took me to the door of the ladies room and waited outside for me.

  “Just a few more hours of this and we’ll be home and safe, okay?” He said as we walked back to the interview room.

  “Have a seat,” the detective instructed.

  “Thank you, Detective,” Matt answered. “So do you have any new leads on the case? And have your men checked on George and Richard Wilkinson?”

  “Let’s get you both settled in first,” said Detective Bateman. “Would you like some tea, coffee, or water before we get started?”

  “Sure,” said Matt. “Water for both of us.”

  The detective walked over to the cooler which was just outside the door, and brought back 2 Styrofoam cups filled with water. He sat opposite us, reviewing a file folder that was several inches thick.

  “So,” Matt said anxiously. “Any updates?”

  “Let’s start with the Wilkinsons,” said the detective, flipping through his files and not looking up at us. “When you phoned us earlier, I sent two of my officers to their home, and
sent another two to the radio station where you mentioned George Wilkinson had been situated temporarily. Without going into too much detail, we have reason to believe that may be missing.”

  I gasped aloud, which caused the detective to look up at us.

  “I want to let you know right now,” he offered, “that we are gathering evidence at their home and that’s all that we can share with you at this time.”

  “Come on, Bateman,” Matt started, “you’ve got to give us some more information than that. For example, are you searching for them actively? Did the officers find any evidence of foul play? Do you think that they’re in any danger? Do you think they’re hurt? Could they just be out visiting or somewhere for lunch?”

  Hero barrage.

  “It’s an active investigation, Lieut. Lewis,” the Detective replied, and turned to me. “I am not able to discuss it at this time. What I will ask of you, however, is to provide us with cell phone that you received the threatening message on, so we can have our analysts attempt to trace the text. Do you have that phone with you?”

  I pulled the phone out of my purse and placed it on the table. “Yes, this is the phone. I can give you the password or turn off the screen lock so you can see the messages. I also saved one or two other messages that I thought were unusual. Those came in after the fire but before the bombing. I saved it because I didn’t recognize the numbers, and I noticed that they called me by my radio name. The only people who have my number are my friends, family, or colleagues at work, and none of them would call me Kate Rock. Also, all of their names are in my contacts in this phone. That’s why I found it strange that it came in from a number that was not already in my phone.”

  “So you’re saying you got a strange message before this one?”

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “Was it a threatening message?” He asked.

  “No. It was not,” I tried to explain. “It was just unusual because the person asked when I was going to be back on the radio. It was just out of place.”

  “Okay, we’ll take a look at the messages, and pay special attention at the most recent message that was the threat to you and the Wilkinson’s. Now, do you need any information from the phone in the meantime? We have to hold onto it for a few days while the analysts check it out during the investigation.”

  “Well, no,” I answered. “I don’t think so. I was expecting a call from my parents but I know their number from memory.”

  “Not to worry about the phone,” Matt said to me. “I have an extra one you can use.”

  “All right. Let’s turn to some of the updates we had to share from some of the prior incidents. What I can share with you about the fire - and Lieut. Lewis, I understand you already know about some of this information - is that it was deliberately set. An autopsy on the Holsteins revealed that they were murdered just prior to the fire. Their arms and legs had been bound, and they were found tied to two chairs, with gunshot wounds to the head. It’s unclear if their children had seen or heard anything, because the couple was found in Mr. Holstein’s study in the back room of the second floor.”

  “Miss Samuel, you rescued their son, Joel Holstein, from the front room of the second floor. It’s possible that Joel saw something, or heard something. Because of his age, however, we have not reached out to his guardians to interview the boy. A question for you, Miss Samuel. While you were on the ladder rescuing Joel, did you see anything unusual inside?”

  “Actually Detective Bateman, Matt and I talked about this on the way here. I do remember three details from the incidents. Can I just go over all of them now with you?”

  “Sure,” he answered, turning to a new page in his notebook, and flipping a switch on the table that activated the video cameras at the ceiling. “Go ahead.”

  “Okay,” I started. “When I had first got onto the street, even before I took the ladder from the side of the building, I noticed two men dressed in business suits. They walked to a silver Bugatti and then they left the scene. I didn’t think anything was unusual with them at the time, but looking back now, I realize it was somewhat strange. Everyone else was either looking at the fire as bystanders, or were rushing in and out of their houses to get their belongings. These men were nonchalant when they walked away and they didn’t even stop to help the Holstein kids. In the rush of everything happening, I didn’t remember that. But now, I think it’s unusual.”

  The detective feverishly made notes in his little pad.

  “The next thing I remember is from the hotel. I had explained that the man had tattoos on his hands and a ring. The tattoos I remember are a skull, a bridge, and two x’s with some numbers after it. I don’t remember the numbers but I believe I saw a number one. I don’t know if that’s of any significance. His fingers were short and thick, and a part of his index finger may have been amputated. What I remember is I didn’t see a fingernail, and the finger was almost as short as his thumb.”

  I took a breath and looked over at Matt. He nodded and gave me a faint smile, so I would continue.

  “The last detail that came back to me since the bombing was that before I went on to do my segment, I think I noticed one of the men that left the scene of the fire in the silver Bugatti. I can’t say for certain. I just remembered the suit he wore was a dark blue pinstripe, made from a shiny material. His hair was slicked back and he was tall and slim. I had not been paying really close attention to him. The only thing that makes me believe it’s the same person is the suit color and texture. That man was tall, probably 6 feet, white, with dark hair. He didn’t say anything to me, but I did see him place a purple gift box into the charity drive food bin.”

  “That’s all that I remember beyond what I shared with you the last time I was here. I don’t know if it helps.”

  “Well thank you Miss Samuel,” the detective said as he continued making notes. “This is very helpful information. We will review it along with everything else we found and contact you if we have any more questions.”

  “So is that it?” I asked. “Is there any information you have about the man who attacked me, or the bombing?”

  “There aren’t many details that we can share at this time,” he answered. “We do believe we may have identified the man who attacked you at the hotel. What we would like to do is show you some suspect photos. We’d like you to review them carefully and let us know if you recognize any of them.” He took a smaller file from his larger file folder and passed it over to me. He then stood up. “I have to take your phone to log into evidence now. In the meantime, please look over this folder and let me know if anyone seems familiar to you. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Matt nodded at him as he left the room, and then looked back at me. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I answered. “Why can’t they tell us more? I feel that they’re not telling us much about George and Richard.”

  “It’s because we are not next of kin,” Matt answered.

  “I understand we’re not next of kin, Matt, but we’re the ones who reported it. I’m the one who has the threatening message on my phone. Shouldn’t I be entitled to have some information? After all it is my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault, and they can’t give us any more information. But not to worry, okay?”

  “Okay,” I said softly. I was so out of my element.

  “Let’s go through this file of mugshots so you could see if there’s anyone that you recognize. That’s going to help them more than anything else we can do right now. You’re really looking for two or three faces. The man who attacked you at the hotel, and the two men who left the scene of the fire. One of them might be easier for you to remember because you may have seen him twice. Take your time and look at each image and all of the details very carefully. Sometimes it’s the simplest feature or characteristic that helps you to remember. The style of their hair, the way they frowned, the shape of their nose, or any distinguishing marks you see, that you may not have noticed at the time. Take it ve
ry slowly and I’ll be right here with you as you go through them.”

  I flipped through the pages slowly, just like Matt suggested, as he looked on. No one looked familiar the first time I look through the file. It was frustrating. I was ready to give up, when I remembered that George and Richard were out there and I was probably the only person who could help. Some small details were locked in the recesses of my memory, or my subconscious, or wherever it was. If I could just hone in on them, I could resurface them and lead the cops to my only friends in New York. Why was it so easy to remember amygdala jokes from college – jokes that weren’t even funny - and I couldn’t remember key details from these incidents that happened in the last month?

  Chapter 4

  “Why can’t I recognize them?” I groaned under my breath, exasperated.

  Matt rubbed my shoulder. “Just relax, honey,” he said.

  “I can’t relax,” I answered. “I keep drawing a blank. Remembering them should be simple, with everything at stake.”

  He leaned over to me. “Kiss me.”

  “What?”

  “Kiss me,” he whispered. “It’ll help you relax.”

  “Seriously, Matt? You know I love kissing you, but I don’t think it’ll help this time. And look, the cameras are still on.”

  “So what? Come here,” he laced his hand in my hair and pulled me in to meet his lips. I closed my eyes and let him draw me into a temporary escape. He was right. Kissing him helped me relax. But I was no closer to recognizing any of the faces in the mugshot folder. Instead, all I could think about was jumping Matt’s bones, right there on that table. I was fucking useless.

  “It helped, but I still don’t recognize anyone from these pictures,” I informed him.