by Rose Pressey
“So we should talk with Haley,” he said.
I nodded. “Yes, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask her about it, but I feel bad because she did just lose her husband.”
“But she asked us to look into this,” Dangerfield reminded me.
“When do you want to do this?” I asked.
“Later this evening?”
“I’ll call you.”
“Sure, that will be okay. Bye, Courtney.” Dangerfield waved. He turned and gave me a long look before walking out the door. My stomach did a little flip when he smiled. He turned and walked out the door. “See you later, Charley.”
I felt Courtney’s eyes on me. “Well, that was something.”
“I know. Can you believe Tim and Haley were fighting? And Dangerfield came in here right after Anthony left. He could have passed Anthony on the street,” I said.
“That is not what I meant,” she said.
I avoided her stare. “I know what you meant.”
“What’s going on with you two?”
“He’s hot, okay? I won’t deny that, but don’t you think we are like oil and water?” I asked.
“Sometimes that’s the best combination,” Courtney said.
“I don’t know about that. Anyway, enough talk about him.” I waved off the thought. At least I tried to erase him from my mind. “I should get home.”
Courtney stared for a moment as if she wasn’t finished with the conversation. I knew she wanted to ask about Marc too.
Finally she said, “Call me later. Be careful out there.”
I waved as I walked over to the door. “I promise I will,” I said over my shoulder.
She didn’t need to tell me to be careful. I was fully aware that danger lurked around every corner. It was hard to know what to look for though when I didn’t know why the danger was there. If only I could fit all the clues together. Maybe a talk with Haley would lead to something. It would give me a chance to ask more about Jeff.
Haley’s number popped up on my phone so I picked up.
“Chase, I need your help. You have to come quick.”
I’d never heard her sound so frantic before. “What’s wrong, Haley?”
“There’s a man in the house and I know he’s trying to kill me,” she whispered.
Chapter 21
“I’m hiding now, but I think he will find me soon.”
“You should call the police.”
“They won’t believe me. I’ve called them and nothing ever happened. Please don’t bother calling the police.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with her, but it was her decision. It was kind of scary to think I would be walking into a house where there was a potential killer.
“Okay. Try to stay calm and I’ll be right there. Where are you?” I asked.
She rattled off the address and I quickly wrote it on the palm of my hand. There was no time to find paper to write on. I tossed the phone back in my purse and rushed out to my car. I slipped behind the wheel of the Porsche and started the engine. Traffic might be heavy, so I didn’t know what I would do if I was stuck. It was too far to walk and it would take too long.
I dialed Dangerfield’s number.
“You’ve reached Bill Dangerfield. Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”
Great. Just when I needed him to answer the most. “Dangerfield, it’s Charley. Haley just called and needs help.” I left the address and hoped that he got the message soon.
I didn’t want to go in there by myself. The logical part of my brain said I should call the police. But since she insisted that I shouldn’t, I would go along with her request. If I felt it was dangerous when I got there I would have no choice.
I still didn’t understand why she didn’t want me to call the police. I understood that she felt they weren’t taking her seriously, but it was too dangerous to play around with this situation.
The street where the house was located was quiet. A couple cars drove by as I rushed out of my car. My anxiety was at an all-time high as I walked up the sidewalk to the house. It was a two-story home with a white porch on both the bottom and top stories.
When I reached the front door, I knocked. Of course no one was going to answer, but I had to do it just the same. I wouldn’t wait long for an answer before I would try to get into the house. I just hoped that the door was unlocked. I couldn’t break in through a window, or could I? I had never done anything like that before and I wasn’t sure I would even know how.
I eased the door open. I didn’t want to go in, but if Haley’s life was in danger, then I had to go into the house. I stepped inside the foyer. The space was dim and quiet. Eerily quiet. That spooked me out the most. I had no idea where to even start to look for Haley. Who was the man who was trying to get her? Was it the same man she thought was trying to kill her all along? The same man who had killed Tim?
I inched to my left and entered the living room. My senses were on high alert. So far I hadn’t seen a soul. I stayed close to the wall so that maybe the person wouldn’t see me. The space had a lot of furniture so I was praying that I didn’t knock anything over. After making it through the living room, I emerged into the kitchen. It was empty as well. I made my way through to the dining room and back to the foyer. Why did the house have to be so big? I peered up at the staircase. I supposed I need to look upstairs for her next.
I peeked in every room, but still couldn’t find her. The only places left were the closets and under the beds. I wasn’t sure if I should start calling out to her. What if the person heard me? I wouldn’t be able to help Haley if the person got to me before I got to her.
There were six doors on this floor. I assumed they were bedrooms and bathrooms. Maybe a closet or two. I stepped through the bedrooms looking under the beds and in the closets.
I tiptoed down the hallway. I figured I would check the bedroom on the right first. I’d made it halfway to the door when the entire house went dark. Now panic really set in. Adrenaline rushed through me. I had to calm down. It was probably just a problem with the breaker. If I found the box I could just switch it back on. No problem.
I had to find a way to get to the door. All I had to guide my way was the light from my phone. It didn’t provide much light—just enough that if I pointed the light toward my feet, I might be able to keep from falling. It wouldn’t be easy to find Haley in the dark. I spotted a light switch on the wall to my left. I eased over to the wall and tried the switch. Of course nothing happened. I released a deep breath and prepared to head back down the stairs to find the electrical box.
A hand grabbed my face from behind. My phone fell from my hands and tumbled to the floor. So much for having a light now. All that was illuminated was a tiny corner of the floor.
The man pulled me to the floor. I had no idea what he wanted to do to me. Would he kill me right away? Or drag me to a different location? I had to stop thinking of all the terrible things that could happen. I had to remain positive. I shoved and yanked, trying to break free.
A force that felt like a tornado pulled the man from me. Groaning and grunts sounded along with a scuffle between two men. I scrambled over to my phone and picked it up off the floor. When I flashed the light in the direction of the two men, I realized that one of the men was Dangerfield. I’d never been happier to see Dangerfield. But would he be able to fight this guy off?
“It’s me, Dangerfield,” he said.
I’d called him Dangerfield so many times that now he was calling himself that. The man flew down the stairs taking them two at a time. Dangerfield ran after him, but tumbled down the last two steps.
“Are you okay?” I called out.
Dangerfield jumped up from the door and hobbled across the floor in the direction the man had run.
“I’m fine,” he called out.
“I hardly think you are going to catch up with him now with that limp.”
Dangerfield came back around the corner. “He got away. Went right out the back door. Are you okay?”
Dangerfield reached out and touched my arms. “Did you get a look at him?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, he grabbed me from behind. The phone fell out of my hands. Plus, there was a mask on his face. That must have been who Haley had called me about. I hope there isn’t more than one of them.”
“Let’s not stand around and wait for someone else to find us,” he said.
“Where could she be?” I asked. “What if he took her out of the house before I even got here?”
“Haley?” Dangerfield called out.
There was no answer.
“I feel strange looking through someone else’s home,” I said.
“Let’s hurry and see if we can find her and then get out. We have to go back upstairs.”
I feared that the man had really killed her. What would I do if I found her body? No, I had to remain positive.
I walked with Dangerfield as we looked around the house. I wasn’t about to go through by myself this time. If the police happened to show up I had no idea how we would explain what we were doing. Marc would think I’d really lost it. If we didn’t find her soon I would have to call the police on my own.
We looked through all of the bedrooms and came to the last one. If she wasn’t in there then I had no idea where to look. We stepped into the last room. I hadn’t gotten a chance to look in there for Haley. If she wasn’t there then I didn’t know what to do.
When Dangerfield opened the closet door, a scream filled the room. Haley jumped out and started swinging her fists at Dangerfield.
Dangerfield grabbed her arms. “It’s okay, Haley, it’s Dangerfield.”
“I’m here too,” I said. “It’s me, Chase.”
Finally, she stopped swinging her arms. “Thank goodness you are here,” she said. “I thought I was going to die.”
“We’re here now, so there’s nothing to worry about.” I didn’t really believe that.
“All I can tell you is he had a mask on.” She wrapped her arms in front of her chest. There was a look of terror on her face. I didn’t blame her. “I was here watching the house for a friend. She will be back this afternoon. I told her I would feed her cat.”
“Is this person someone who was looking for her?” Dangerfield asked.
“I doubt that,” she said. “My friend doesn’t know anyone who would do that, and I doubt it was a random break-in.”
“Did this look like the person who has been after you?” I asked. “Were there any other clues that might help figure out who this man was?”
Haley sat on the edge of the sofa. “He was tall and dressed in black. Of course he wanted to blend in with the night, right? So no one would see him. He’d planned this for who knows how long. I don’t know why someone would do this to me,” she said as she placed her head into her hands.
I rubbed her arm. “We’ll keep trying to figure it out.”
She inhaled and blew out a deep breath. “I just can’t think right now.”
“It’s okay, maybe something will come to you later,” Dangerfield said.
“Wait. There was one thing that I remember about him,” she said. “There was a distinctive smell. A spicy scent. Like incense.”
I thought back to when I’d seen Anthony him with the incense. Maybe this all made sense now. Was he the one?
We helped Haley out of the house and over to Dangerfield’s car. She sat in the front seat.
“Don’t even think you are driving home alone,” he said with a warning stare.
“I’m in my car,” I said as I pointed toward the Porsche.
“I don’t care about that,” he said.
“I can’t just leave my car here,” I said.
“How about you let me follow you? Drive to Haley’s house first?” he asked.
“Okay, but I am sure I will be fine in my car.”
He watched as I walked back to my car and climbed in. A short time later we pulled up in front of Haley’s place. I waited in the car while Dangerfield walked her to her door. I worried about her being alone. Dangerfield had checked the house and she had an alarm system, but was that enough to keep this person away?
Dangerfield walked over to my window. “I’ll follow you back to your place now.”
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” I asked.
“I hope so.”
I sighed. “Me too.”
That didn’t instill much confidence, but I knew he was only telling the truth. Dangerfield pulled out onto the street behind me. I keep looking back to see if anyone was following us. It was almost like the calm before the storm.
After dropping Haley off at her house and making sure she would be okay, Dangerfield followed me back to my place. I thought about asking him inside. Tonight I didn’t want to be alone, but I ultimately decided against it.
Chapter 22
The simple act of walking down the street had changed for me recently. I never knew when a weird person would show up. I kept thinking if I waited the strange guy out, he would get bored with me. He’d followed me, given me the notes, phone calls, and tried to kill me by running me over, so it didn’t seem as if he would tire of me any time soon. I didn’t want to find out.
I almost walked into a man, I was so lost in my thoughts. Just a short distance and I would be home for the night. With each step, I thought about the comfortable surroundings of my home.
I’d been in my own world, but I heard a voice.
“Excuse me,” a woman called out from behind me.
I didn’t want to look back, but she called out again. I wasn’t sure I should turn around. She was persistent though. Soon she was right next to me. I stopped and looked over at her. Her face was red and her dark hair clung to her face.
“Yes?” I asked.
I hoped I didn’t seem too rude, but I never knew when that guy would appear again.
“I thought you wouldn’t stop,” she said. She shoved a little doll toward me. “Here, you dropped this doll.”
Why didn’t this woman just leave the thing on the sidewalk? I supposed she was just trying to be nice.
I glanced down at the voodoo doll and back up at her. The doll had a drawing tied to the front. Oddly enough, it did look a bit like me. The same shaped face and color hair. It was just an odd coincidence, right? Because of that I knew I would never convince her that the doll wasn’t mine. Nonetheless, I would give it a try.
“Oh, that’s not mine,” I said with a wave of my hand.
“I saw it fall out of your bag,” she said.
I frowned and glanced down at my bag. Did she see it fall from my bag or see it fall from someone else’s and just think it was mine?
She shoved it toward me again. “I don’t know what to tell you. I saw the thing fall from your purse.”
Now she sounded irritated with me. Of course I knew that I didn’t have a doll in my purse. Could someone have put the doll in my purse? If so, then who? I supposed I had no choice but to take the thing. Apparently, she was convinced that it was mine.
I sighed and reached out for the thing. I took it from her outstretched hand. She acted as if she was glad to get rid of the thing. She hurried away and didn’t look back at me.
I looked down at the doll. Now what was I supposed to do with this thing? I certainly didn’t want it. I didn’t like messing with the things.
Since I had a voodoo doll in my possession, I knew I had to take it to Courtney. I still had no idea how it had gotten into my bag, if what the woman claimed was true—it could have been anyone’s. I could have tossed it in the trashcan, but I’d known my cousin long enough to know she would freak out if I did that.
After a short walk, I reached Courtney’s shop. I clutched my bag to my chest. I wanted her to see this thing.
I pulled out the doll from the bottom of my purse. “Look what I have.”
She stepped back and her eyes widened. “Why do you hav
e a voodoo doll that looks like you?”
My mouth dropped open a little. “What do you mean? Do you really think it looks like me?” I knew the answer to that. I just didn’t want to admit it.
She placed her hands on her hips. “Can’t you see that the thing looks just like you?”
I stared at the doll for a second. “Well, I suppose you could say that it looks a tad like me.”
“A tad? It looks a lot like you,” she said.
That was not what I had wanted to hear.
“Well, we have to find out where it came from. Why are you convinced that it is mine?”
She gestured toward the doll. “Considering it has your name sewn onto the front of it, I think it’s a safe bet.”
I pointed at the spot with my name on it. “That only says Chase.”
She smirked. “Not exactly a common name.”
I sighed. “Okay, maybe it isn’t. Why would anyone want to give me a doll?”
She shrugged. “Lots of reasons. You have had a lot of stuff going on lately. The investigation, Anthony practicing voodoo, a stalker, scam artists that you uncovered… should I go on?”
“I can’t argue with that.” I shoved the doll toward her.
“Just get rid of the thing, okay?” She waved her hand.
“Even if it is mine, what do we do with it? How do I get rid of it?” I asked.
“We’ll do what I had you do the last time you came into contact with voodoo. We’ll bind the thing up in a cloth and get rid of it,” she said.
“Is it as easy as that?” I asked.
She paused and I took that as not a good sign. “That is the best way, yes. It should do the trick.”
“You don’t sound all that confident,” I said.
“No, I am confident.” She forced a smile on her face.
“I should call Haley and ask if she has received a doll.” I pulled the phone out of my bag and dialed her number.
After several rings, Haley picked up.
“Haley, sorry to bother you, but I have a quick question.”
“Sure, I’m glad you called. Have you found out anything new?”
My stomach sank when she asked. I felt bad that I didn’t have anything to tell her. “I’m sorry. I don’t have anything really, but I am working on leads,” I said. “What I wanted to ask was if you’d ever gotten a voodoo doll?”
