Trouble Magnet

by DelSheree Gladden

  It hurt, a lot, to shove him away from me. Swallowing the pain and tears begging to pour down my cheeks, I stormed across the room—which also hurt—grabbed my borrowed blouse off the floor and stormed out of the room. I only stumbled when I reached the kitchen and saw the breakfast table set for two. Eggs and toast, coffee with sugar and creamer set out. I didn’t understand and balked in the face of so much confusion.

  The squeak of a door sent me spinning around. The pain that rippled through my chest had me grabbing for the chair back. Baxter stepped forward, but my furious glare stopped him in his tracks. “Why?” I begged, gesturing at the food. “Why make all of this and then…and then show me that picture and say what you did?”

  Baxter’s expression looked pained, for once. “Bernadette, she…asked me to…look out for you, and…”

  Realization hit me. Unreasonably devastated all of the sudden, I knew I was close to losing any sort of emotional control. “Okay,” I said as I stepped back. “I get it. Fine.”

  “Fine what?” he demanded.

  “You’ve just been trying to keep your word to her. I get it.” I clutched my shirt to my chest a little tighter as I backed away. “I’m sorry you got more than you bargained for with that promise. Please…consider your word kept. I won’t bother you again.”

  I ran. I spun around and bolted for the door.

  “Eliza, wait!” Baxter called out, but I didn’t.

  I made it out of his apartment and to the door of mine before I realized I didn’t have my keys. Afraid Baxter would try to follow me or say something, I switched directions and ran for the stairs. Sonya wasn’t always in her office on the weekends, but it was on the way to her ground floor apartment. I was halfway down the flight of stairs when I saw her standing outside her office looking confused.

  “Did you just come out of Baxter’s apartment?” she asked when I hit the lobby. Her eyes widened as she closed the distance between us. “Are you crying? What did he do?”

  Shaking my head, I said, “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to work on the clippings.”

  Sonya stared at me, her eyebrows arched as high as they would go. She started to say something, then closed her mouth. Nodding her head, she wrapped me up in a hug before ushering me into her office. Closing the door behind us, she hesitated at the door. “Is that…Baxter’s shirt?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t sleep with him. I didn’t sleep with anyone, okay?”

  Sonya held up her hands. “I’m not judging you if you did. I was just going to offer to send Puck after him if he hurt you in some way.”

  “Puck?” I asked, a confused laugh bursting out of me at the idea.

  “Yeah Puck,” Sonya said. “He would do it in a heartbeat. That guy’s hot for you, and he’s way tougher than Sean. After last night, I don’t think Sean would do it anyway.”

  Dropping my head to the desk, I rolled it back and forth a few times. “I don’t want to talk to, or see, any of them.”

  “All right, all right.” Sonya took her seat behind the desk and put her feet on a nearby box of old leases she kept meaning to put into storage. “Random old newspaper clippings then?”

  “I think there’s a connection.”

  Sonya shrugged. She wasn’t as convinced, but she wanted the killer caught as much as I did, and neither one of us believed the police would do it on their own. It had been too long and there were too many other bigger cases with more leads. Ms. Sinclair and Lucas were bound to fall through the cracks even without a possibly crooked cop on the case. There simply wasn’t anything else for them to go on.

  “Oh, hey,” Sonya said, “I was talking to Jake last night and he thought he might be able to get into Lucas’s phone for us.”

  “Jake?” I tried to pull my thoughts together, but last night had all become a jumble. “Which one was he?”

  “Stocky brunette with the tattoo on his forearm. Really sweet. He produces the band’s records as well as plays the keyboard. Very techy. When I told him about the password on the phone, he acted like it should be pretty easy to get into it,” she said.

  One corner of my mouth turned up. Not just because I really wanted to see what was on Lucas’s phone, but because I remembered Jake now. He was pressed in close to Sonya at the booth we’d all squeezed into. Sure, we were all a little squished, but Jake certainly didn’t seem to mind. “Maybe he was just trying to impress you,” I teased.

  Sonya grinned. “One could only hope.” She giggled, then made an attempt at being serious. “He really did seem to know a lot about electronics and all that. More than us, anyway.”

  Honestly, that wasn’t hard to accomplish. Sonya was knowledgeable enough. She kept the building’s books herself and set up automatic payments for most of the residents. She used social media and all that, which was more than I could say. I had zero online presence and really only used the internet for research, recipes, and banking. Breaking into a locked phone was severely beyond my skills. For half a second last night, I’d thought maybe Baxter would help us figure this out. He’d been interested in the missing Mouser, at least.

  Clearly, my brain hadn’t been functioning properly at the time. Baxter was not going to help us.

  “So, I asked Jake if he’d stop by today and see what he could do with the phone,” Sonya said.

  “Oh, great. The one text we could see part of made it sound like he’d been complaining about his aunt. Maybe he mentioned something that will help us.” It was a longshot, but that was the only kind we had at the moment.

  Happy for a distraction, I asked, “When is he coming?”

  Glancing down at her phone, Sonya started to say something when the door handle squeaked behind me. I spun around, fearing another run-in with Baxter. Relief sent me sinking back into my chair when I saw Jake and Puck standing there instead. Jake’s attention was focused on Sonya, who’d stood to greet them. Puck, however, cocked his head to one side and gave me a funny look.

  “Did we come too early?”

  I sucked in a breath as my eyes flew wide. I couldn’t even imagine what I looked like right then. I could feel my ponytail from last night hanging sloppily off to the side. No doubt my makeup was smeared in who knew how many places, I had no shoes on, and I was in what accounted for pajamas. I frantically wondered if Puck could tell I was wearing a guy’s shirt. His gaze darted lower for just a second and I realized he probably wasn’t nearly as concerned with the type of shirt I was wearing as the fact that I didn’t have on a bra. Oh yeah, I’d left that at Baxter’s, too.

  “Sonya,” I asked without looking in her direction, “can I borrow the spare key to my apartment?”

  “Huh? Oh sure. Let me find it.” Rummaging commenced behind my back, but Puck kept his gaze on me. A smile crept onto his mouth as we waited. It felt like forever before Sonya tossed me the spare key and I leapt out of my chair.

  My hasty exit was stalled when Puck caught my elbow at the door. I ducked my head, but he held me in place. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, fine. Just locked myself out on accident.”

  Puck gave me a disbelieving look. “Remember how you’re not a very good liar?”

  Heat spawned in my belly, both at being caught and by Puck’s close proximity. “It’s no big deal,” I said. “Just an argument with a neighbor. Locking myself out really wasn’t on purpose.”

  Puck nodded. He probably knew there was more to the story—when wasn’t there with me—but it seemed to be enough to make him change topics. “How are you feeling this morning?” His thumb skimmed over the bandage Baxter had applied last night.

  “Sore,” I admitted, sounding a little shaky, “but otherwise fine.” I pulled out of his grip before things could get any more…close, and backed into the lobby. “I need to change and shower.”

  He nodded, but continued to watch me until Sonya slipped past him. “Hey, it’s a little cramped in here. Do you want to do this at your place? I’d say mine, but my grandma complains about noi
se when I have people over.”

  “Sure, no problem. Just give me a few minutes to get cleaned up, okay?”

  Sonya grinned. “Of course. See you in a few.”

  I took that as my opening and headed for the stairs. I would have run up them if I could have. I settled for a quick, non-bouncy pace that got me out from under Puck’s gaze and closer to not looking like I was half dead. I hustled to my apartment and slipped inside as fast as I could. Stripping off my socks, I tossed them in the direction of my bedroom to be picked up later. I wasn’t sure how long Sonya would wait before heading up and was eager to get through my shower before anyone arrived.

  Pulling my shirt up as I walked, I carefully felt around for the metal clasp that was holding the elastic bandage around my ribs. My finger brushed something cool on the center of my back and I may or may not have growled something unpleasant about my neighbor. It was high enough up on my spine that I couldn’t quite reach it. My shirt getting in the way certainly wasn’t helping. Grabbing the hem, I stuck it between my teeth and tried again.

  A knock sounded on my door, sending my aggravation sky high. I couldn’t imagine why Sonya thought I would be done so quickly, but I needed help. “Come in,” I called through a mouthful of shirt, still trying to catch the clasp. The door creaked as it pushed away from the jamb. I was so close.

  A hand pushed mine away and I knew instantly that it wasn’t Sonya’s. My body went still, my breathing hitching as I tried to suck in a breath. “It’s just me,” Baxter said. He unclipped the fastener and started unwinding the bandage. “I came to drop off the things you left, and to…apologize.”

  I couldn’t breathe properly. I was angry, so angry at him, but the repentant tone of his voice ate at me. His hands were gentle as he unwrapped my ribs.

  “I’m sorry for what I said.” He unwrapped another loop. “I’m not trying to be a judgmental asshole. I just don’t want to see you hurt.”

  Pulling the end of the shirt out of my mouth, which I should have already done, I held it tightly beneath my breasts. “You mean you don’t want to have to save me or patch me up again.”

  “No,” he growled. “I meant what I said. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Except by you,” I whispered before I could stop myself.

  Baxter’s hands froze. There were still two loops around my ribs. I could get them off on my own. When I tried to pull away from him, his hand pressed against my abdomen. “Not by anyone,” he said, “including me, especially me.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, Baxter. Just because Bernadette…”

  He spun me around, towering over me. Frustration and heat pulsed in his eyes. “This isn’t about Bernadette.”

  “Then what is it about?” I demanded.

  Baxter’s lips parted, but then his gaze dropped and his eyes widened. I hadn’t realized the last few loops of bandage had fallen away until he tossed the whole thing onto the table and stepped closer. I twitched when his hands moved toward my ribs. He slowed, but brushed his fingertips against my skin.

  “Does that hurt?” he asked.

  I wasn’t sure. My brain was more focused on Baxter’s fingers feathering across my skin than what his touch was doing to me. What else his touch was doing to me. My breath stuttered out of me as I tried to think. Baxter looked up, concerned at my lack of answer.

  “Are you…in…pain?”

  Was he speaking slowly, or was that just me? My head shook back and forth. “I, uh, need…to take a shower.”

  Baxter frowned. “But do your ribs hurt? They look awful.”

  Peeling my gaze away from his, I dropped my head and tried to see over my bunched up shirt. I gasped when I saw the angry purple splotches dotting my entire ribcage. Just looking at them made me hurt. It could have been in my head, but I was apt to think not feeling the pain earlier was what had been in my head. My ribs certainly hurt every other second.

  “Yeah,” I finally said, “they hurt.”

  “You should lie down, rest.”

  Why did I suddenly want to follow his advice, but only if he meant his bed? I tried to shove that sort of thought very far away. It was just the way his bed smelled…the way he smelled. No. It wasn’t Baxter, at all. He was mean and scary and intimidating. Way too volatile for the simple life I really was trying to create and exist in. But his hands were still on my ribs, and it wasn’t just the pain of breathing that was cutting my breath short.

  “I need…to take a shower,” I said again. My breathing picked up. I hoped that didn’t sound like an invitation. Why couldn’t I just shut up? Baxter’s hands slid to my back. I couldn’t figure out why until I was suddenly pressed against his chest.

  “Breath deeper, Eliza,” he commanded.

  Had I started to faint? My head felt fuzzy. He smelled so good. I turned my face into his chest and his grip tightened, too tight. I whimpered at the pain that flashed through my chest. Baxter eased up immediately, and I think he might have said he was sorry again. Twice in one day. I was on a roll. No, I was a mess. As usual.

  “Breathe, Eliza,” Baxter said.

  I nodded, determined to pull myself together. Drawing in deep breaths, my head finally started to clear. Around the time I could think properly, I realized I was still holding my, his shirt, in my hand and was clinging to Baxter like a life raft. “I’m…”

  “Knock, knock. Hope you’re decent, because we’re coming…” Sonya’s voice trailed off as she took in the scene. “Baxter? What are you doing in here? Where’s Eliza?”

  Realizing she hadn’t seen me behind him, I hurriedly pushed my shirt down and took a step back from Baxter. I stared at him, silently begging him not to say anything about…well, any of it. Baxter’s expression was back to his normal half scowl as he turned. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Jake and Puck. “She’s right here. She needed help getting the bandage around her ribs off.”

  “And you just happened to be passing by?” Sonya asked.

  Baxter glared at her. Sonya’s eyes drifted to the pile of stuff Baxter had set on the table. Her boots, my purse and keys, my phone, her blouse I’d dropped at some point before running from Baxter’s…along with a bra strap hanging out from between the folds of the shirt. She’d seen me hobble down the stairs wearing Baxter’s shirt, and I could see her piecing at least part of the situation together.

  “Or were you coming over to help us with the newspapers and phone?” Sonya asked. The two guys standing behind her looked confused, and in Puck’s case, suspicious.

  “I have to go in to work for a few hours this morning,” Baxter said, “but Eliza and I were talking about Mouser, and I think she’s still in the building. Let me know if you guys come up with anything else.”

  He looked back at me for just a moment, then bailed. Sonya jumped out of his way, and Jake moved with her. Puck didn’t stand in Baxter’s way, but he watched him leave. Then they all turned to look at me. Sighing, I said, “I’m taking a shower. Feel free to start without me.”

  As I rinsed the soap from my body a short while later, I remembered Baxter saying whatever was going on between us wasn’t because of Bernadette. Then he saw my badly bruised ribs and got distracted, never answering my question. If his constant rescuing, yelling, and confusion wasn’t because of Bernadette…what was it about?

  16: Another Layer to the Puzzle

  I didn’t bother with makeup, and only piled my hair up in a sloppy bun. I did, however, put more thought into my clothing. I went with jeans and a lightweight, long sleeved t-shirt that was dark enough there was no chance of anyone seeing my bruises through it. Basically, my whole look translated into hands off. I didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s hands on me, violent or…not.

  When I walked out of my room, Sonya, Jake, and Puck were at the kitchen table. Heads bent, they all seemed to be looking at something. I walked closer and peered over Jake’s shoulder to see Lucas’s phone in his hand. It took me a minute to realize he was scrolling through text messages.

&nb
sp; “You got it open?” I blurted out.

  Sonya jumped in surprise, but Jake just nodded. “Yeah, his phone hasn’t been patched for some of the new security bugs yet. Most of the carriers are pretty slow rolling them out. Typing a bunch of random numbers into the emergency call screen worked like a charm.”

  I wasn’t sure what he was talking about when it came to patches or the emergency call screen. Did my phone do that? I’d never tried to make an emergency call without unlocking my phone. Maybe I should have him show me how to do that. The likelihood of me needing to make a call in a time sensitive, dangerous situation was fairly high.

  “So, have you found anything interesting?” I asked. I pulled out the chair between Puck and Sonya, sitting without moving my upper body. I hadn’t taken the elastic bandage with me when I went to shower, and I had no intention of asking anyone else to help me put it back on.

  “Not so far,” Jake said, “at least not that I can tell.” He scrolled through a few more messages. “I’ll back this up to your computer and you can look through all the texts a little easier that way. You can access his emails on the phone, too. See if there’s anything weird there.”

  I hadn’t said more than a quick hello to Jake the previous night, but I was glad Sonya had taken an interest. There had to be something on his phone. No way he lived with that crazy old lady and didn’t complain about weird things she might have been doing. Or if he really was the cause of all this, there was a good chance he planned his dealings through texts or emails. From what Sonya said, he was an okay guy, but not the type of person who’d be running some kind of masterminded plot.

  “What about these ones?” Jake asked, holding the phone out to Sonya and me. I scanned the conversation quickly.