WindSwept Narrows: #16 Anna Carson & Catherine Jenkins

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “Aaron told me you kept a journal, Anna…do you have a picture of this man?” Catherine looked from one to the other, watching the gentle hand stroking over the dark hair at her side.

  Aaron went to her desk, opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a thick, time worn paper binder held together with thick rubber bands. He saw Anna nod and handed the book to Catherine.

  “That was thirty years ago…” Carter watched the exchange, pulling Anna against him, his arms surrounding her from behind.

  “Let me…” Anna held out her hand, carefully removing the rubber bands and turning the beginning pages.

  “I…you have drawings of all the people you saw when you were little, Anna?” Catherine asked quietly, watching her turn pages and point, stopping when the date changed. “Six of them…alright…” Catherine took out her phone and carefully centered and took pictures of them all before turning the phone and making a call. “Morris…Jenkins. I’m sending you six photos. I want them run through the aging software…bring them up thirty years then run them through the recognition program. Yes, I’m very serious…make sure to include deceased, if we have them in the system at all, I want to know. Immediate…yeah, yeah…convo…that’s me…resting and rehab…good, you got them? Call me if you get hits, thanks.”

  Carter looked at her curiously. “You’re with the police?”

  “I am…at least for another thirty days,” Catherine leaned back in the chair, idly glancing around the room. “You have video coverage of the nursery?”

  “Yes. All areas,” Anna said quietly, nodding to the computer. “You can access it through there…my name…password wonderland.”

  Catherine accepted the strong palm held out to her, and tried offering a reassuring smile. She sunk into the chair behind the desk, hands moving expertly over the keyboard once she found the program she wanted.

  “What time, Anna? What time did the TV van show up?”

  “I…a little before noon…but I don’t know who the man was…I’d never seen him before…but I know his voice…I know…”

  Catherine keyed up the time frame, watching the parking lot until the van pulled into one of the slots. She watched the man come into the screen, teeth tight together when she pushed a long breath between them.

  “William Barrows…”

  “Congress hopeful?” Carter said curiously.

  “Yeah…and two of his entourage…probably PR and bodyguard,” Catherine froze the picture and printed it out. “Now maybe it’s just my naturally suspicious nature…I get the TV truck being here for a fluff piece…..why would a politician come to a nursery with a camera crew in tow in the middle of the week?” She looked from the photo to Anna. “No one contacted you about him showing up for a publicity deal?”

  “I don’t do politics and I don’t allow it done on my nursery,” Anna said firmly, her control slowly being pulled around her. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…you all…I…Crystal…I need to apologize…” The breath she drew in was shaky but better. “I couldn’t think. I was…I was a child again…I heard him…I could feel him touch me…”

  “Don’t make me smack you, sis…you know better,” Aaron finally let out a slow breath, one palm up and rubbing over his neck.

  “Please don’t read that…” Anna was up and across the room, taking the journal and replacing the rubber bands.

  “I’m sorry. Habit…we haven’t been introduced…Catherine Jenkins,” she held out her palm. “Your brother’s told me a lot about you.”

  “Anna…I’m sorry…” she shook her hand and held the book to her chest tightly for a few seconds before tucking it back into the drawer. “I haven’t looked in this for a long time…I think part of me was afraid to look again…”

  “I can’t say I ever expected to find anyone from…hell, thirty years ago…in the middle of our lives now,” Aaron paced the office, his jacket shoved back and hands in his pockets.

  “Have you always lived in this area?” Catherine looked from one to the other.

  “Within five blocks…pretty much,” Aaron stopped, two hands up and pressing palms against his eyes. “I can give you the address of each of the other houses…the first ones…we tracked them when we were older. Curiosity for the most part…both of them were in high end neighborhoods.”

  “With the exception of college…we’ve lived in the same area,” Anna agreed, shrugging and sinking to the sofa, letting herself be tucked against Carter. “Is it okay to feel like an idiot? You all interrupted your days because I’m having a…a…weird flashback…”

  “I’ll smack you around later for it, okay?” Carter teased, his lips brushing her forehead when she chuckled.

  “It’s just another excuse for you to drug me,” she murmured testily.

  “Huh….we seriously need to have lunch and discuss your brother’s tactics, Anna,” Catherine said with a glare. “Breaking into my car…”

  “He has gadgets…” Anna said with a shake of her head. “Always has…fiddles with them…picks locks…” Her head popped up with the phone on the desk sounded, Catherine’s hand out and voice answering instantly.

  “Jenkins,” she said curtly, listening with a deepening frown. “Really? Now isn’t that interesting…send them to me here…yeah…I don’t know what I have yet, Morris…thanks for your help.” She set her phone down and put her hands on the keyboard, her eyes closed for a minute until she remembered how to access from outside the department. “I’ve got problems with dots…that don’t make the right picture…” Catherine looked up, noting with a corner of her mouth lifted. “Can I use your white board?”

  “Of course…I…I have to talk to Crystal…” Anna pushed away and stood up, shoving her shoulders back and taking a deep breath. “Thank you…all of you…I’ll be right back…”

  “Christ…” Aaron stood up and paced to the wide window, shoving it wide. “You know…I used to think I’d handle it better when I got older…when she gets thrown back to being four years old, I feel helpless…just like I did then…”

  “No…you’re not helpless…” Catherine looked from one grim expression to the other. “You’re both here for her…your voices broke through…I’ve seen terrorized, raped women too much the last dozen years…it becomes almost coma like just to escape it. It’s hard on you because you’re not there with her…she’s in there alone. It had to be next to impossible to grasp when you were kids…”

  “She woke up screaming last night…” Carter said softly. “I usually watch the news…half attention…there was a story on about some kids found in an abandoned building that exploded because of a drug making operation. It must have stuck in her head…”

  “And I kept you awake,” Anna stepped back into the room, tears glistening in her eyes as she closed the door and leaned against it. “I’m sorry…I warned you…”

  Carter ignored the gesture that told him not to, rising and crossing to her, his arms gathering her against him, pale lashes closed behind his glasses.

  “Yeah…and I listen well…” He led her to the sofa and crossed to the small fridge. He shook the small bottle and handed it to her. “You missed lunch, didn’t you?”

  “I…it was just coming up lunch time…I would have eaten something…” She made a face at him, relieved when Aaron and Catherine joined his laughter. She set the bottle down and crossed to her brother, her hands going around his waist for a long, slow hug. “Thank you.”

  “Hey…big brother’s got important jobs…you know…monsters under beds and stuff…” Aaron worked to keep his voice light even as his arms tightened around her.

  “I messed up your lunch…all of you…didn’t I?” Dark eyes went around the room and met with instant and adamant denial on each face. “You’re all lousy liars.”

  “Ahh…alright boys and girls…let’s look at what my nifty work buddy managed to pull together for us,” Catherine held the pages in one hand and used the cane, tacking the photos on the white board with the little magnets and stood back to look
at them. “Now…what we have here…is a very interesting collection of citizens…”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Anna closed her eyes and pushed against Aaron, taking a step back and turning slowly to face the board. She felt Carter behind her. She could feel his strength; smell the cologne he liked and the general scent that told her he was behind her.

  “I can’t believe how…detailed…you’re an amazing artist, Anna,” Catherine stepped back, almost stumbled except for the man that came up behind her, steadying her and holding her firmly in place. “And you were four years old…”

  “A couple child prodigies that no one knew about,” Anna said softly, her head shaking as she stepped up to the board, very close to the board. “That’s the man in the parking lot…”

  “Who very oddly enough…” Catherine leaned on the edge of the desk, hands up and rubbing her neck. “Also happens to be the man you drew when you were four. The one who gave you nightmares, Anna. According to Morris…he’s got a squeaky clean background…no relatives hiding in the background…nothing out of the ordinary. So the question begs to be asked…how did he end up part of Anna’s nightmare? And why did he come to the nursery today?”

  “These other ones…”

  “Why did you draw them, Anna?”

  “Just people…” she shrugged. “They visited the parents…”

  “She drew everything back then. Even us…birds, squirrels, flowers…” Aaron commented, recalling memories for long ago.

  “Until we figured out how to get outside, people were limited to those that came in and had deals with the parents,” Anna spoke detached, turning and going to her desk, pulling the old journal out again. “Are they still drug people?”

  “One of them is dead…” Catherine took a marker from the desk and drew a large X over one of the aged pictures. “The rest…this one is in prison for murder…bad drug deal…he lost. The other four…one of which wants to be a politician, who has been a model citizen and businessman since he was twenty…I really love my cynical side…”

  “It does pose the question on his existence before twenty,” Carter watched Anna closely.

  “Officially…probing into the life of a politician is…touchy,” Catherine said delicately. “However…I know a snazzy news girl who doesn’t mind heat…”

  “He’s trouble, Catherine,” Anna said quietly, standing before the rendered drawing, her hand shaking a little as she reached out to touch the page. “He’s hurt people. Children. It’s in his eyes…in his voice…no one would believe me…but I know…he touched me…I know…”

  Aaron realized too late he was too far away, watching her from the side, he saw the color drain from her features. Carter had also been watching, his body across the room in two long steps, catching her as she folded gracefully toward the floor. A low curse left his lips seconds before he caught her against him, lifting her and laying her out on the sofa. He didn’t think about the slender elbow that shoved him carefully aside, her hands down and checking her eyes and patting her cheeks gently.

  “Some cold water?” Catherine asked. She accepted the bottle and poured a little into her palm before sprinkling it over Anna. Dark lashes fluttered and opened slowly. “Welcome back.”

  “I…” she peered up at the three faces staring down, a flush of heat in her cheeks. “I hate when that happens.”

  “I’m guessing they’re not too fond of it, either. So…how about some lunch?” Catherine leaned on the cane, her cheek pulled between her teeth as she faced the four faces once more.

  “I don’t have time…” Anna began.

  “We’re going to lunch,” Carter said firmly. “Anna’s buying. There’s a quiet little place right across the street,” he took hold of both her hands and tugged her to her feet. “I’m starving. You owe us…”

  “You’re diabolical,” she tossed back, teeth clenched.

  “And I intend to use every bit of it,” he told her without remorse. “Probably on a regular basis.”

  “A man after my own heart,” Aaron nodded agreement, ignoring the glares from both women.

  “You an’ me seriously need to compare notes,” Catherine said with a hurried few steps to catch up with Anna. “I need some kind of edge here…”

  Anna nodded and looped her arm with Catherine’s, their heads close together as they walked through the nursery to the parking lot.

  The men managed to keep it light through lunch, discussing business and how the rest of the state was handling the reclamation. Half way through, Aaron stared at Catherine when she answered a question from Anna about her job.

  “I turned in my resignation a day before this knife thing…figures, you know? Cop superstition…turn in a resignation or retirement and your next thirty days are nothing but grief,” Catherine shook her head.

  “You’ve resigned?” Aaron asked in-between a spoonful of spicy Thai soup. “I don’t guess we talked much about your work the last few days.”

  “That’s what happens when you drug a woman,” she said sweetly.

  Anna cleared her throat and stared at her pasta and shrimp.

  “You accepted a post somewhere else?” Aaron asked cautiously, feeling his heart thumping just a little out of control.

  “I’m going in as second in command with security at the resort,” she said with a smile. “Probably just as many loonies, but hey, lots more fun.”

  “The resort…” Aaron felt the grin on his face.

  “So you won’t be rid of me that easy,” she teased from behind the tall glass of water.

  “And you’ll have to start paying attention to the speeding limits,” Aaron remarked dryly.

  “Not for twenty-seven days,” She returned with a laugh.

  “You went to the benefit this past weekend?” Aaron asked casually, looking from Carter to Anna.

  “We did…it was actually very much fun…all dress up and good food and dancing,” Anna stopped when she looked up to see him studying her. “Why?”

  “You made the Sunday papers,” Catherine said quietly. “And I’m guessing that’s not something you might enjoy…”

  “We had a reporter talk to us…Rose was there with Ryan and…in the paper?” Anna repeated with a little nod. “I suppose it’s…part of their life…Ryan’s and Carter’s. No one’s going to look at me twice.”

  “I’m not so sure, Anna…” Catherine held up a hand when Aaron opened his mouth. “Think about it. Logically. Why would that politician be at the nursery?”

  “He couldn’t possibly know who I am…who we are…” Aaron said flatly. “Hell. We’re not four years old and as best I can remember, he only saw us that once. By July the house was shut down, the parents taken away to jail and we were taken to another house altogether.”

  “But you were still you. You began the life with that given last name. And when you were taken to another house, you kept that name. It wouldn’t have been difficult at all for some to keep an eye on you. It wasn’t until you hit the summer of fourteen that you – by that name – vanished. I did some research this morning about the explosion…” Catherine pushed the empty plate back, aware of all eyes on her.

  “He was there more than once,” Anna said softly, wrapping her fingers around the cold glass of water. “He was there a lot. The dad kept him away from the room. I heard them fighting.”

  “Can you remember how often, Anna?” Catherine asked curiously.

  “Every couple days. They argued about money and about stuff…drugs…he dragged the dad to his car once and I watched from the window. He said they had to fix a problem with…with…” she squeezed her eyes closed. “Robert Buckley. Then they left in a car.”

  “Every couple days…and now he’s a fine upstanding citizen…I don’t suppose you can recall a name attached to him?”

  “It’s in the journal,” Anna answered with a shrug. “It might…need a little interpreting. When we first began writing, it was phonetically since we didn’t really know all the spelling and the way
words were supposed to go together.”

  “I have appointments…” Aaron said with a glance at his watch.

  “I do, too…sorry ladies,” Carter carried Anna’s palm to his lips.

  “Can you give Aaron a ride to his office? I’ll take Anna back with me…” Catherine felt her tummy roll when Aaron leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll go to your place when I’m finished…just don’t expect cooking.”

  “I’d rather live and cook on my own,” he teased with a tug on the long braid. “See you later.”

  “I keep waiting to wake up,” Anna said when they were alone, her wallet out and money dropped on the check.

  “I know the feeling…your brother is…unreal…”

  “He always was…” Anna walked slowly with her from the restaurant. They talked about how she was hurt and how she met Aaron. “You make a cute couple. It’s nice seeing him happy. We talked about it a week or so ago…wondering if we deliberately kept people out of our lives because of each other…I think for a while, we did…”

  “I’m still working on the brilliant part…if I let myself think about it too much…” Catherine took a deep, ragged breath. “What does a guy that smart want with a street cop?”

  “We’re all smart in different ways…” Anna wiggled her behind in the plush seat of the sports car. “This is nice…I think I need to borrow Carter’s car…”

  Catherine laughed. “You don’t know what I had to go through to get this. My grandmother died a few years ago and left me some money. I wanted this car so bad I could taste it,” she breathed reverently. “I went to the chief and made my finances an open book before I bought it.”

  “Oh…because of the cop thing…people might think…”

  “I’ve heard rumors…some still do…and I’ve had it two years now,” Catherine shook her head. “It’s worse I think when you’re a narcotics cop. Everyone thinks you’re on the take.”