by Mary Abshire
“If you got a deal with this man, be careful,” Terri said. “In my experience, men don’t do what they say they’re going to do. They always want something more.”
Emily considered her arrangement with Andrew. She had nothing other than his word that he would do everything in his power to help her get into heaven. He could’ve been feeding her a line to make sure she helped him. But he seemed honorable and trustworthy. Could he be putting on an act to get her to work with him? Why would he want to help her get to heaven? How could she be certain he’d hold up to his end of the bargain? Truth be told, she had no way of knowing if he’d stick to his word.
Maybe she needed to reconsider if working with Andrew was in her best interest.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Andrew panted as he reached the top of the staircase. His heart thumped at a strong steady pace after his six-mile jog. Drenched in sweat, he removed his long-sleeved shirt as he strode to the apartment. The shorts helped keep him a little cooler, but he was still burning up from his choice of top.
He reached the door and unlocked it. Part of him was glad to be back to familiar place with Emily’s belongings. Her clothes, her scent, even her brush and shampoo supplies reminded him of her and the good times they’d shared. Seeing her items helped him hold onto hope. The other part of him dreaded returning because of the emptiness of the studio. He struggled to sleep, eat, or stay still for more than fifteen minutes. He was ready to climb the walls while he had to wait for news from Troy.
Once inside the apartment he headed to the kitchen. He dropped his shirt on the floor near his blue chair. After he snagged a bottle of water from the fridge, he strode to the window. He opened it and a small breeze brushed over his arms.
The long run had helped him burn off some excess nervousness, but not enough. He still felt the need to do more. He’d done two hundred sit-ups earlier. Maybe he’d do more and add pushups.
He took a seat in the blue chair and twisted the cap from his bottle. The sounds of cars driving down the street and dogs barking drifted into the room. He downed some of the chilled water and it refreshed him as it slid down his throat. His anxiety remained strong since Emily dominated his thoughts. He couldn’t stop wondering if she was scared, nervous, or angry. Was she pacing in a cell? Were other criminals trying to hurt her? Was she fuming mad and ready to beat the shit out of him for getting her into such a mess? Although she was strong-minded and could defend herself, he worried about her.
Before he’d left for his run he’d called the lockup facility to check on her. The only information they’d given him was that she was there. They wouldn’t provide any other details and they wouldn’t deliver messages. On the bright side, she was alive and hadn’t been transferred. He tried to stay positive.
The ringtone and buzz from Emily’s cell in his pocket startled him and he squeezed the bottle. Water almost shot out. He hurried to set the bottle in the cup holder before he fished for the phone. He managed to answer it on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“The poison just arrived,” Troy said.
“What about Emily’s records?” Andrew asked.
“Don’t you want to know about the poison?”
“Later. Did you get her records erased?” He couldn’t get the words out fast enough. His heart thudded faster as he waited to hear if he’d resolved the crisis.
“I went to a lot of fucking trouble to get this.”
“Thank you, but, Troy—”
“Chill, angel, I replaced her data with Carrie’s. Emily’s fingerprints don’t exist anymore.”
A hint of relief flowed through Andrew.
“I even took care of all her Florida charges. They now show dismissed. The arresting officer made a mistake. Imagine that. The only charges remaining are the two new ones.”
The news lifted his spirit and filled him with joy. Not only did she not have to worry about being sent back to Chicago for murder, she no longer had to be concerned with the Florida charges. Her time in the slammer should end soon.
“You’re a genius. Did you have any trouble switching them?” Andrew asked.
“Accessing the Florida system was like a walk in the park. New York was trickier, but I’ve seen more difficult databases. Most local and state databases are outdated and easy to get into.”
“This is great news. I’m going to call the lawyer to get her out of jail.” So much excitement filled him he was ready to run another six miles.
“Before you do that, we need to discuss our plan,” Troy said.
Andrew furrowed his brows. “Our plan?”
“Yes, our plan. I don’t have much faith in you right now, so this is what’s going to happen. I’m going to fly to New York with the poison this evening. You’re going to pick me up at JFK airport. Don’t worry, I won’t be sleeping at your place. I have somewhere else I can stay.”
Andrew’s thoughts swirled in chaos. He didn’t know what to say. He could manage without Troy’s help. The lawyer would work on getting Emily out of jail. As for the poison, Troy could send it overnight. Andrew would find a way to administer it to the demon. Yes, Andrew was responsible for Emily’s time in jail. But did Troy really think Andrew couldn’t be trusted now?
“You don’t have to come here,” Andrew said.
“Oh, I’m going to make sure my girl gets out of jail. And if anything happens to her while she is in there, I’m going to take it out twice as hard on your motherfucking ass.” The seriousness in his tone was undeniable.
“You don’t need to threaten me.”
“Yes, I do because you got her into this fucking mess.” His words shot out fast and furiously.
“It was a mistake and I take full credit, but—”
“That’s right motherfucker. And you’re going to pay. Now, I’m flying in around six. Meet me at J fucking K airport. I haven’t had much sleep so don’t fuck with me.”
Andrew rubbed his eyes with his free hand. If he spoke any more words they would be a waste of his breath. Troy was going to show up regardless. He cared for Emily too much to stay in Chicago. Since Andrew was on Troy’s shit list, he didn’t want to anger him anymore by arguing.
“I’ll meet you at the airport,” Andrew said.
“Good. Now, I’m going to contact an attorney I know in New York. I’m going to see if he can help Emily.”
Confusion struck Andrew. “But … Michael is her lawyer. She told me to contact him.”
“And you will follow her instructions. Do not speak a word about any other lawyer. So help me if you do, I will shove all this poison down your fucking throat after I cut your balls off. Am I making myself clear?”
His threats made Andrew grind his teeth. “I won’t say a word. Buy why even bother with another lawyer?” Andrew tried not to indicate his frustration in his tone, but he was fairly sure it came out that way. He didn’t understand Troy’s plan.
“First, I want to ensure she gets out. Second, you will have the poison and might be able to use it if you can get close to your lawyer before any court hearing. If he dies, she will need someone to be ready to stand up for her.”
His logic finally made sense. The man had a talent for planning schemes. Maybe Emily had picked up the skill from him. As for the poison, Andrew hadn’t considered when or how to use it. His main focus had been on getting Emily out of jail.
“What kind of poison is this?” Andrew asked.
“It’s tetrodotoxin in liquid form. You will need to put it in a drink. After he ingests it, the poison should take effect within five to fifteen minutes. His organs will shut down and it will look like he’s have a heart attack.”
“And the cops can’t trace this stuff?” He wasn’t even going to attempt to say the tetro word.
“Its origins belong to a blue-ringed octopus. If the compound is located, they will think he ate bad seafood. They won’t suspect it as the cause of his death. The heart attack is what will kill him.”
“I don’t know how you do
it—”
“And you will never fucking know. Are you done with questions now?” He was back to sounding annoyed.
Andrew sighed. “Sure.”
“Good, because I need to get some fucking sleep. Call her lawyer and make arrangements for Emily. If I don’t see your fucking ass at the airport I will hunt you down and kick it six feet under.”
“Looking forward to seeing you later.”
“Fuck you,” Troy snapped before the line went silent.
Andrew fought the urge to throw the phone across the room. Troy’s anger seemed over the top. Andrew had thought he’d seen enough rage from Emily, but Troy’s level of fury surpassed hers times ten. The man was dangerous with a capital D.
He tossed the cell into Emily’s chair before he downed the rest of his water. While he liked Troy and admired his loyalty to Emily, he felt a little jealous. He had the means and connections to make things happen. Andrew had nothing. The man knew how to plan and did it well. Andrew lacked experience. Troy had a variety of unique skills, so it came as no surprise to Andrew why Emily remained a loyal friend to him. She looked up to him, respected and admired him. Andrew needed to find a way to earn the same from her. He’d thought he was on a better path to such until she’d been arrested because of him.
Within the dark clouds, also known as their struggles, a ray of light shined through. Emily’s prints no longer existed. He could breathe a little easier knowing she wouldn’t be sent back to Chicago to spend the rest of her life in prison. While they still had hurdles to overcome, at least the major one had been resolved.
Andrew reached for Emily’s phone. After he tapped the screen, he searched through her short list of contacts. He thought she’d saved the lawyer’s information in case she lost the card. When Andrew found the demon’s name, he tapped the icon to call the number. The dial tone trilled three times before the voice mail came on.
“Mr. Lazzari, this is Spencer Reynolds. I’m the business partner for Carrie Reynolds. I wanted to let you know that she got arrested earlier this morning. She told me to contact you to make arrangements to get her out of jail. Call me at Carrie’s number so we can meet to work out the details.”
Andrew lowered the phone. Given it was a Saturday, he had no idea if the demon would call back. Andrew welcomed the chance to meet him once he had the poison from Troy. But how would he give it to him? Pouring it into a drink couldn’t be planned ahead very well. What if he didn’t want a drink? What if he had one, but Andrew couldn’t distract him to pour the fluid into the cup? There were too many possibilities. He would have to be ready to act on the fly.
Stinking from his jog, he decided to clean up. He set the phone on the counter before he stripped his shorts off. Naked, he stepped into the shower. Warm water massaged his skin. Not wanting to miss the lawyer’s call, he hurried to wash his hair and body. Again his thoughts veered to Emily. Was she able to take a shower? Did they feed her? He imagined they had to give prisoners food, but he didn’t think they’d allow for bathing. He suspected Emily had to be miserable in jail.
Andrew stepped from the bathtub and then towel dried his hair and body. His stomach growled, but he didn’t feel hungry. He’d taken a few bites of the leftover food in the fridge before he’d gone on his run. He’d probably burned off all the calories and his body now needed substance.
Naked and damp, he strolled from the bathroom to get a clean pair of boxers. Before he made it to the closet, Emily’s ringtone came alive from the bathroom. He spun and darted for her cell.
“Hello?”
“Spencer?” the demon asked.
“Thank you for calling back so promptly, Mr. Lazzari.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Andrew hadn’t prepared a story to tell him, so he hoped he wouldn’t say something he shouldn’t. “We were waiting at the subway and a couple of men approached Carrie. She had a call come in on her line, so she gave me her phone to handle it. I stepped away. One of the men put money into her hands. Cops were there and neither one of us saw them. She tried to give the money back, but the cops arrested her for solicitation. The men ran away.”
“And you saw everything? You saw her try to give the money back?”
“Yes. I saw it all.” Regret hit him hard. He’d wanted to help Emily, but she’d signaled for him to stay back. She wouldn’t have been arrested had he not talked her into chatting with the men. He’d never do anything that stupid again if he could help it.
“You’ll make a good witness. That’s why I ask,” the demon said. “And when was she arrested on Saturday?”
“I believe it was shortly after one in the morning.”
The demon sighed heavily. “Okay, she will be held in lockup until an arraignment hearing on Monday. She picked a bad time to get arrested. Any time after six on a Friday night will guarantee a weekend stay in jail.”
“I figured as much.” Troy had told him something similar since judges didn’t work on weekends. Andrew hated the idea of her spending so much time incarcerated and he wished he could do something to help her. But they wouldn’t even let him see her.
“I can represent her, but it will cost extra since this wasn’t part of our original agreement.”
Andrew clenched his jaw. Handing over more money to the demon angered him, especially since the funds weren’t his to give. “I am her business partner. I have access to her accounts.”
“I will need five hundred in a cashier’s check.”
“Not a problem. I can get it.”
“Let’s meet at my office early Monday morning, say around ten. That will give me time to pull the report and review it. Hopefully, the court will have her listed on the docket by then.” His voice sounded more pleasant and upbeat. Andrew wondered if the change had anything to do with the fact he’d mentioned having access to Emily’s funds.
“So she’ll have to go in front of a judge on Monday?” Andrew asked.
“Yes, it’s a preliminary hearing to set bail bond. Judges like to hear the felony cases first, so she’ll likely be scheduled for later in the afternoon.”
“Can I see her before the hearing?”
“No, you can’t personally. The system allows for the defendant’s attorney or court appointed lawyer to visit. Now, you can be with me when and if I need to speak to her.”
“Do you think you’ll need to meet with her?”
“Right now, I don’t think so. But let me review the documents on Monday and decide. If I do, I’ll let you know.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’ll see you in my office Monday morning. Have the cashier’s check with you.”
“I will. See you then.”
Andrew lowered the phone and inhaled a deep breath. The next thirty-six hours were going to be a challenge. He had to spend them with Troy before meeting the demon. The man wanted to hurt Andrew and would probably kill Andrew if he could. Andrew wished he could fast forward through time to avoid the living hell he was about to endure.
He glanced at Emily’s brush and bottle of perfume on the counter. He missed her dearly. Her smiles and laughs always delighted him. Her soft voice soothed his ears. And she always smelled good even when she didn’t wear the perfume. Aside from the difficulties ahead, happiness filled him. Emily would be released soon.
Staring in the mirror, he sighed heavily. Between now and meeting the demon, Andrew had to find a way to survive unscathed and plot how to destroy the demon. He figured he’d accomplish one of his tasks.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emily walked into the cell behind ten other women. She hated being at the end of the line, but it was the safest spot since nobody liked to be last. The other female criminals sharing the temporary home with her had taken seats on the two benches. Terri sat in the middle next to a black prostitute with sexy legs to die for. Seeing all the space taken, Emily decided the floor would suit her just fine. She had zero energy to fight for space on a bench.
The center of the back wall ga
ve her the best view of her cellmates and allowed anyone outside the bars to see her better. After she tugged her dress up slightly above her knees so she could bend them better, she sat on the floor and stretched out her legs in front of her. The concrete cooled the area of her back exposed by the loop in her Asian outfit. Dirt on the floor brushed over her legs. She couldn’t wait to take a shower.
Terri leaned forward. “Sit by me,” she said to Emily.
“I’m good here. Thanks.”
Terri looked at the ladies next to her. Not even a minute later, she left her seat. Her new one ended up being next to Emily.
“You don’t have to sit by me if you don’t want to. I’m a big girl,” Emily said.
“I like talking to you.”
Emily crossed her arms over her ribs and let out a long breath. Her nerves had finally started to settle down. She’d made it past dinner and the guards hadn’t come to take her for questioning. She presumed Troy had been able to remove her records from the database. Not being able to talk to anyone on the outside had been difficult, but waiting to find out if she would be transferred to Chicago had been far more testing. She lost count of the times she’d wanted to release her anxiety on her cellmates.
“Dinner was good,” Terri said.
“Glad you enjoyed it.”
Terri brought her foot up, scraping her shoe on the floor, and placed her knee over her ankle. “I noticed you didn’t eat much.”
“I wasn’t hungry.” The meatloaf tasted halfway decent. She’d taken three bites and had left the rest. She’d eaten the mixed vegetables before she’d pushed her tray away. Her stomach had been in knots since her arrest while she’d waited for the cops to take her away.
“You didn’t eat much during the day either,” Terri said.
“Are you monitoring me?”
Terri picked at the string dangling from the bottom of her jeans. “No, I just thought maybe something was on your mind. And if so, you can talk to me about it.”
