by A. C. Arthur
“He tried to kill me,” Hailey said softly and for the first time Jerald realized how raspy her voice sounded.
“Ms. Jefferson, I am Agent Young from the FBI. I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, but we need a statement from you.”
Agent Young was the one that Jerald figured was Bonner’s contact with the Bureau. It certainly would explain the look the two of them shared when they’d arrived.
“Not right now,” Jerald replied the moment Agent Young stepped towards the bed.
“It’s better if they get her side of the story while it’s still fresh in her mind,” Bonner interjected.
Jerald was really beginning not to like this guy.
“I don’t give a damn what you think is better. She’s not ready to do this,” he said.
“No. I am ready,” Hailey replied from beside him. “I want to tell them what happened. I want to get it over with.”
Bonner didn’t budge but Agent Young nodded to Jerald with a definite smirk. Someone else Jerald didn’t care too much for at the moment.
“Start from the beginning, Ms. Jefferson and tell me as much as you can. We’ll go as slow as you need. Would you like a glass of water?” Agent Young asked her.
Hailey was about to shake her head, but Jerald chimed in. “Yes. She’d like a glass of water.”
The room went silent until Bonner cleared his throat and motioned for the other agent to go and get the water.
“I woke up and he was here,” she began. “Right at the foot of the bed.”
She continued until Jerald wanted to leap off that bed and find wherever they were keeping Mendoza so he could beat his ass! But Hailey was holding his hand, gripping it tighter when she told of how Mendoza had called her a slut then began choking her.
“Another guy came in and then I heard a gunshot. I was out after that,” she said. “I thought I was…dead.”
Her last word thrust the room into stunned silence once more and Jerald ignored the fact that they were not alone. He leaned over to kiss Hailey’s forehead and used his other hand to rub over her head and down to her shoulders.
“We had to shoot him to get him off you,” Young told her gently. “The other guy that came in was Peary Ramirez. He’s a recruiter.”
The last was directed at Bonner whose facial expression remained grim.
“That means he was here to take her to their network of buyers,” Jerald said hating how the words sounded in his voice.
Young nodded tightly.
“Mendoza will get medical care and then he’ll be transported to our field office for processing. Ramirez is on his way to the office now,” he told them.
“What about his daughters?” Jerald asked thinking of the fear he’d heard in Malaya’s voice over the phone and the still haunted look she had when he’d come through the door. “What will happen to them?”
“If they’re not U.S. citizens, they’ll be sent back to their home country. If they are, then they’ll be put in foster care.”
The other agent had returned with the water. Jerald handed it to her and Hailey took a tentative sip before saying, “That’s horrible for them. This is all so horrible.”
“But it’s over now, sweetheart,” Jerald told her. “We’re going to get your things and then we’ll leave. I’m going to take you home.”
Home.
Jerald had a home and he was certain Hailey did too, in Virginia.
“I’ll go to a hotel,” she told him.
He didn’t argue, not while Bonner and Young were still in the room. He simply nodded and began to help her from the bed. When he pulled back the sheets and realized she was barely dressed he turned to the others with a frown.
“A little privacy, please?” he asked.
Young and the other agent nodded in turn, leaving without another word. Bonner stood staring at him.
“I’ll be right outside,” he told Jerald.
“I’m afraid of him,” Hailey said the moment they were alone.
Jerald had managed a half smile at that. “I’m sure you’re not the only one,” he told her. “Come on, let’s get you dressed so we can find you a hotel.”
Chapter 11
This was the last place Jerald wanted to be. He’d actually planned to be holding Hailey in his arms at least until noon. Then he’d figured on ordering lunch in and maybe a lazy afternoon watching movies—movies that she liked, not like the ones that had gone missing from his penthouse. But Hailey had other ideas.
“I’m not going to sleep with you tonight, Jerald,” she’d said once they’d gotten her settled in the hotel room and had ordered room service for dinner.
They’d just finished the meal and were sitting on the couch in the sitting area of the suite Jerald had booked at the Beverly Wilshire.
“I haven’t asked you to,” he said feeling a bit offended that she would jump to that conclusion.
While he’d be the first to admit that the start of their relationship had been based on an undeniable lust, Jerald was fully aware that it had quickly turned to something more. Only, he still wasn’t ready to put a name on what that something more was.
“I’ve just been through so much since coming to L.A.,” she continued. “I feel like I’ve been living someone else’s life. I’ve never even thought of going to a sex club before and surely never assumed my first real job in my chosen field of study would lead to someone trying to kill me. It’s a bit surreal.”
He’d been able to relate to that.
“Sometimes things happen that you could have never imagined,” he replied thinking back to his infamous skiing accident. “But the days do get better.”
That last sentence came out before he could think to stop it. He hadn’t been very optimistic after is accident, a fact that had led to the secluded way he chose to live his life. The life he’d never thought of changing, until Hailey. That’s what he’d meant by the days getting better, because he planned for those days to be filled with everything she needed. If he also planned for them to continue their relationship the way it was, well, he didn’t need to mention that right now.
She’d leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and rubbing her hands down her face.
“I know they will. I just need to take a few seconds to regroup. I’m so worried about my grandmother and now all this is…it’s just been a roller coaster ride these last few weeks,” she said.
“I’ve arranged for your medical insurance to go into effect immediately. All you have to do is fill out the forms and I can have my assistant send those over tomorrow,” he told her.
“Not just the cancer,” she began, staring out towards the window. “Although I guess the other will go away now that Ronnel’s in custody.”
Jerald frowned at the mention of that man’s name. “You guess what will go away?”
“Oh,” she said turning to him. “I hadn’t told you that someone had broken into my room earlier yesterday and left a message on my phone. It was to my grandmother, apologizing for putting her life in danger. I guess it was Ronnel and I should have told the FBI.”
She moved like she was about to stand. Jerald stopped her with a hand to her arm. “It’s okay,” he told her. “Sit down. I put one of Agent Young’s cards on the table over there. He gave Bonner a stack of them before we left the house.”
“And this Bonner guy works for you? Is he FBI too?”
“No,” Jerald said shaking his head. “That’s a long story. But right now I want you to tell me about the threat against your grandmother.”
“It was nothing,” she told him. “Well, I came to the conclusion that it was nothing because when Ronnel typed the message on my phone, he neglected to send it. I’ve talked to my grandmother and she’s just fine. I guess he figured that would scare me into doing whatever he said. He also took the keys to the SUV which was probably punishment of some sort as well.”
Jerald listened to her words but wasn’t actually connecting the same dots that she apparently had
. Ronnel Mendoza made his threats face-to-face, as noted by the scars on her neck. He wouldn’t do something as sneaky as the cell phone incident, it just wasn’t his style.
“It’s over now,” he’d told her, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Bonner had come here because of all the incidents that Jerald had laid out for him. This would be another piece he’d throw at the Navy SEAL to see if he could fit into one big crystal clear picture.
“Yes. It is,” Hailey had said to him. “And while I know this is going to sound crazy considering what just happened I think I’d like to be alone tonight.”
That had sounded crazy to him because the last thing Jerald wanted to do was leave her alone. On the other hand, he’d never begged a woman before in his life and he wasn’t about to start now.
“If you’re sure that’s what you want,” he’d told her after a moment’s hesitation.
She’d nodded. “I’m sure. I just need some time with me, to get my thoughts together and figure out what my next step is.” She’d held up a hand the second he was about to speak, stopping him cold. “I’m aware of your offer, Jerald and I appreciate it. I just need to take some time to come to my own decisions about all this. So I’ll see you tomorrow? Okay?”
No it was not okay, Jerald thought. But wasn’t he used to things not being okay in his life?
So he’d agreed and he’d left the hotel room, hating every step he took that led him further from her. What if Mendoza had other men working for him? Others that knew his plans for Hailey? What if he had somehow gotten a message to them to grab her and continue on with the plan? Jerald’s mind was whirling with ‘what ifs’ when Bonner stepped from around a corner in the hotel hallway, startling the crap out of Jerald.
“Do you ever make a sound when you approach? Maybe you should carry some keys in your pocket or something,” he said irritably.
Bonner had only frowned back at him as if he had no interest in what Jerald was saying.
“I’ll stay here and watch her tonight,” the guy announced.
“You’ll what? Why? Is there a reason for her to continue to be watched? Did Mendoza escape?” he asked immediately.
“No,” Bonner said with a shake of his head. “But there is something that is not right. Something that does not fit.”
Exactly what Jerald had been thinking when she told him about the cell phone message.
“I think you may be right,” he told Bonner.
The bigger man nodded. “So I’ll stay here tonight and then check-in with you in the morning.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jerald said. “What about the morning” How will we keep an eye on her if you’re at my office with me?” he asked when he’d been about to walk away.
“Young and Westbrook want to talk to her again about things she may have seen or heard while in Mendoza’s house. They’ll be here at ten. When they arrive I’ll come see you. I’ll have them call me when they are about to leave and I’ll circle back here to watch her again.”
It sounded like a good plan. It also sounded like what Hailey had just said, a roller coaster ride.
Jerald hadn’t gotten much sleep last night thinking about Hailey and all that she’d said to him. He’d also been thinking about how he could possibly make this better for her.
In the morning he’d come in to work and sat in his closed office not doing one scrap of Carrington Enterprises work. Instead his mind had been whirling with questions for Bonner as he waited impatiently for the man to arrive. At ten fifteen Bonner called to say that the agents had to switch their meeting to the afternoon. And so it was that at three fifteen Jerald and Bonner were just sitting in his office talking.
“I don’t think Mendoza was behind the brick throwing, the cell phone, or stealing those videos from your house,” Bonner stated plainly after Jerald had filled him in or what Hailey had told him last night.
Sitting back in his chair Jerald was not surprised by the man’s words. After going over everything more than a dozen times last night, Jerald had concluded that he didn’t think so either.
“It seems too personal,” Jerald said. “Mendoza just met Hailey about six to seven weeks ago. She said he answered an ad she’d put online. He flew her out here for the interview and she’d had a week to go back home, pack and return.”
Bonner sat with his legs spread, hands braced on his knees. He wore all black again, this time jeans, another t-shirt and a lightweight jacket that Jerald wondered if he’d only put on to conceal the gun he was almost positive the man was carrying.
“Hailey was a commodity to him. All females are. That’s why the authorities are working double-time to find out if his daughters are U.S. citizens or not. They want to get them as far away from Mendoza and his people as possible, before they end up on the market as well,” Bonner said.
“So he wouldn’t bother to pull up to a salon and toss a brick through a window. Hell, he hadn’t even bothered to come down to the scene or to the hospital to check on his daughters,” Jerald commented.
“Like I said, commodities. When one is gone they can easily be replaced by another,” were Bonner’s next words.
Jerald nodded. “He’s a filthy bastard and I hope they give him a year in prison for every second of torture women have faced because of him.”
“They’re certainly going to try,” Bonner added. “But that doesn’t sew up your problem so neatly. I think what you and Hailey have got is a stalker.”
“A stalker?” Jerald said only seconds before his office door swung open.
“Jerald Carrington?” a man wearing a dark and wrinkled suit said as he walked in.
Two uniform LAPD officers came in behind him.
Jerald immediately stood and so did Bonner, his stance that of a man ready for battle.
“Detective O’Hurley,” the man in the suit said as he approached, flipping his badge so quickly all Jerald had seen for certain was a flash of silver. “I’m here to ask you about someone that was working for you. Mandi Waters.”
“Yes,” Jerald said wondering why Noble hadn’t called him before letting the officers barge into his office. “She’s an intern. Is there a problem.”
“How long has she been working for you, sir?” O’Hurley continued in a brisk manner, flipping back his notepad with exaggerated force before he began scribbling.
“Since the beginning of the summer. The end of May I do believe,” Jerald answered. “Do you mind telling me what all this is about?”
“It’s about a murder,” one of the officers that stood near the door like they were blocking an exit spoke up.
“Murder?” Jerald said. “Mandi?”
“Yes and yes,” O’Hurley stated coolly. “We’ve got a witness that clocks her leaving the Elite building yesterday at five. Your name’s on the lease to a penthouse there.”
The other officer snickered and Bonner gave him a warning look that would have intimidated Superman.
Jerald straightened his tie and kept his eye on the officers while he reached into his top desk drawer slowly. The two officers standing behind the detective reached for their guns. Bonner reached for his.
“Hold on a minute there,” O’Hurley said moving his hand slowly beneath his jacket for his gun as well. “Who are you and do you have a permit for that weapon, son?”
“U.S. Navy SEAL and yes, I’ve got several permits for several guns,” he hissed.
“There’s no need,” Jerald said. “I was just getting a card.” He came from around the desk then, offering the card to the detective. “This is my lawyer. Call him with the rest of your questions.”
Jerald proceeded to walk across the floor of his office standing for a second to stare at the officers who still acted as if they weren’t going to move. After a brief stand-off and another sound from behind Jerald which he figured was Bonner letting them know that he wasn’t afraid to use his weapon either, they moved out of his way.
Swinging the door open Jerald stepped out calling to his assistant,
“Noble, why didn’t—”
He paused because Noble was not there.
“You looking for another one of your employees, Noble King?” O’Hurley asked coming out of the office behind Jerald.
“Yes,” Jerald replied.
“We are too. Seems that after Mr. King, while helpful enough to tell us where Mandi was last seen yesterday, neglected to give us a reason as to why his company ID card was found in her hand.”
Jerald didn’t know what to say. Had Noble killed Mandi? Of course not, Noble wasn’t that type of guy. He went to parties on the weekends, came in on Monday mornings telling DeMarco how much fun he’d had and about what “foine” guy he’d managed to bring home with him. He was a playboy, making excellent money, living and loving his single lifestyle. The first thing he was not, was a heterosexual which immediately discounted the possibility that something could have been going on between Noble and Mandi. The second, Jerald thought as he looked over to Noble’s desk which was like Jerald’s in perfect order, was a murderer. Jerald would stake his life on that, or at least he would have if Bonner had not come barreling out of the office next.
“We’ve gotta go. Hailey’s gone and the agents have no clue where she is,” he said causing Jerald’s frown to deepen.
#
This was it.
Adrenaline pumped through my body like a supernatural drug. I couldn’t stop it and wasn’t certain I wanted to. I mean, I’d always been certain before. From the time I was seven years old I knew—I denied it for a while, but I knew.
I was different.
I played baseball, loved to play baseball actually. And I played with model cars. Well, I helped my dad put them together and I enjoyed looking at the completed project. It brought me closer to him, even though I knew deep down inside that he would never accept me, not the real me.
I was fifteen the first time I kissed a boy. Sixteen, three months and five days when I had sex with one.
What I’m feeling now almost matches what I felt that day. No, it surpasses it.
