The Alexandru Chronicles: The Beginning

by Julienne Holmes

  It was on the first ring that Jewel picked up.

  “Hello...” Genevieve immediately felt guilty when she heard her sister's groggy voice on the other line. For those few brief minutes, she didn't say anything. Yet, when Jewel said, again, “Hello...” she finally did.

  “Jewel, this is Gen...”

  “Gen...,” she heard Jewel moving around. From the faint ruffle sound in the background, Genevieve was willing to guess, that her sister was sitting up in bed, which had her feeling even more guilty. “what time is it?”

  “Six..., I was just calling to see how you were doing?”

  While Jewel was silent, for less than a minute; during that lapse, Genevieve had wondered, if Jewel had possibly drifted back to sleep. Yet, before she could repeat the question, her sister said, “I'm fine...Gen, what's wrong?”

  “Nothing...” Genevieve wearily looked around her apartment. “I just wanted to see how you were doing?”

  It was those few seconds, of her not responding, that had Genevieve worried. Yet, before she could ask if anything was wrong, Jewel said, “I'm good...things have been good...”

  “That's good...” the tone of her voice slightly faltered. “I'll let you get back to sleep then...” before Genevieve hung up, she said, “Jewel..., I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Gen.”

  XXX

  Once Jewel had hung up her cellphone, she continued to stare at the blank black screen– she couldn't help, right then, being overwhelmingly worried about her sister.

  She had never heard such anxiety in Genevieve's voice.

  Gen was the strong one in the family - the outspoken one that told you off, if you pissed her off.

  This Genevieve, though, had sounded different – vulnerably frightened.

  As she sat there in her bed, with the sheets irritably wrapping around her legs, she was tempted to call Genevieve back.

  But knowing her sister, she probably wouldn't tell her what was bothering her. Gen had the uncanny habit of keeping herself closed off. If she was irritated about something, she tended to just keep it to herself or take her frustrations out on one of the many gadgets in her apartment.

  The keeping to one's self, was one of the few characteristics that Jewel and Genevieve had in common. Possibly that was why they got along so well, was that they didn't bother each other with the mundane. If it was serious and Jewel needed to talk to her sister, she would. And Genevieve would listen, and try to help her the best that she could.

  The matter regarding her belongings for the summer, had already been resolved; Genevieve had already offered to let all Jewel's belongings stay in her apartment – she had also invited Jewel to stay. It would be cramped, but Jewel would have a better time with Genevieve than she would have with both Amelia and her brother in-law.

  While it was true that both Jewel and Genevieve had certain similarities in common, their personalities hadn't stayed consisted over the years.

  Where Jewel had started to open up a little more about her life, Genevieve, on the other hand, had become more private. She couldn't seem to open up about anything anymore. And every time Jewel saw her, it was like she was re-acquainting herself with a complete stranger. Yet, regardless of this, the strong loving bond between Genevieve and Jewel had not changed.

  After ultimately deciding against calling her sister back, Jewel sat her phone down and, lying back down, she tried willing herself to fall back to sleep. While her body was exhausted, she couldn't seem to get her brain to settle down.

  After awhile of tossing and turning, she finally just lay there; staring up at the ceiling, her brain replayed over and over again the conversation, that she had had with Genevieve. And, it was during this time, as her brain became, like her body, overwhelmed by exhaustion, that she wondered what could possibly be bothering her sister?

  XXX

  After she had finished her second cup of coffee, Genevieve decided it was about that time to leave the comfort of her apartment. She wasn't looking forward to the day ahead; it was that nightmare, and the individuals in it, that had her very much unbalanced.

  It had been Genevieve's personal experience, that after a nightmare, such as last night's one, that the next day was surely to be if not chaotic than horrible.

  She remembered one such day, after a nightmare, where it had been belong bearable. That had been the day that she had lost Big Tom – her big tiger tom cat. A stupid prick had run him over, and when she had confronted the dumb fuck; his mother had the nerve of pointing out, that cats, and other defenseless animals, were just soulless creatures that didn't feel anything – like pain, sadness, or any other emotions.

  This had pissed Genevieve off so much, that she had spouted out, that a soulless creature, like the woman's son, was one that ran over defenseless animals; who weren't doing anything, but minding their own business as they strolled along.

  Of course, the woman hadn't taken kindly to her delinquent son being called 'a soulless creature'. Yet, Genevieve hadn't cared what that bitch had thought of her. She wasn't one, who thought before she spoke; if she was truly pissed off or a person was really asking for it, she told them off.

  Granted she could be nice, but that was either if she liked the person or a case, she was working on, called for compassion. All and all, she didn't have much use for people. She loved animals, but certain people made her sick to her stomach.

  While losing her cat, had, at least according to Genevieve, been categorize in that category of being the worse day of her life, the next day had been a little better – karma had made the wise decision, to take her side.

  When she had arrived home, she had noticed two police officers over at the little delinquent's apartment. They were arresting him, and, from what she had found out, from one of the officers, the little asshole had ran over a little girl at a school cross walk. As he sped off, the crossing guard, who had witnessed the whole thing, had written down his license plate.

  Well, that was karma for you.

  While she didn't like that an innocent child had had to end up hurt for it to take effect, it was just the way the planetary alignment had worked out for her.

  After Genevieve had retrieved her holstered weapon from the bedroom and her keys from the coffee table, she left her apartment. Once she had locked the door, and swiftly made her way downstairs, she headed toward the parking lot. She was trying hard not to think about that nightmare. Yet, for some reason, she desperately wanted to know what that dream meant.

  She wasn't a superstitious person. Yet, this nightmare had her cautiously wondering, if it was wise for her to pursue a romantic relationship between Cirpian and herself.

  She imagined that it was never a good sign, to dream about a potential love interest in a villainous sort of way.

  After she had unsuccessfully tried to shrug away the nervous flutter in her stomach, she walked past a couple, who she exchanged really weird looks with; she couldn't say why, but the way the couple had looked at her, had her even more on edge.

  As she stopped to watch them pass, it was then that she caught a few words that they whispered among each other; as they continued to sneak anxious glances over at her. “...she doesn't know.” when they both noticed her stoic gaze on them, they hastily walked away.

  Anxiously watching their departing backs, Genevieve rubbed her face. After she had stood there for a few minutes more, watching them disappear behind a corner, she finally continued on her way to the parking lot. Yet, the whole time that she walked, she kept wondering on what they had meant by that statement:

  “She didn't know...”

  She didn't know what?

  While she was tempted to follow after them and ask them what or who they were talking about. She resisted the urge, by resigning herself, to the fact that it was possible that she wasn't the one they had been discussing. Then again, their expressions had said otherwise.

  She was so much lost in her own thoughts, that she wasn't really paying that much attention. If she
had been, her car probably wouldn't have been such of a surprise. Then again, she probably would have still reacted the same.

  The moment she saw her car, she didn't even recognize it.

  The wreckage was like nothing, she had ever seen or heard of.

  She had heard of cars being scrapped like this, either in drug bust or by the typical car thieves. Yet, this...this...this was something else.

  Her brain refused to believe it. Even though she was seeing it for herself, her brain was still having a hard time comprehending what her eyes were actually seeing.

  The car was keyed, all four tires had been flattened, the windows had been busted out, and, as she walked around the car, she noticed how the hood and roof were caved in.

  The once pretty car, that had been more reliable than any man in her life, now looked to belong in a junk yard.

  The first thought that successfully got through, her over-strained brain, was denial. This couldn't be her car. Yet, she recognized that parking place, the one she usually parked in, right below her bedroom window, and the silver cross that hung on her rear-view mirror.

  “Ah...” before she could even get the curse word that hung on her tongue out, her cell phone, cut her off.

  The annoying device had her flinching inwardly. Yet, once she had gotten over her surprise, she pulled it out. Like her wrecked car, the name that flashed on the screen, left her brain trying to catch up with her eyes.

  It was Cirpian.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The phone rang three times, with her just dumbfoundedly staring down at it. Eventually it made up her mind, for her, to cease it's consistent droning. Once it had stopped, she stood there looking at the missed call. It did dawn on her, that Cirpian would call back. And possibly that worried thought, was the reason behind her quickly dialing Kyle's number.

  He answered on the first ring.

  Once she had told Kyle what had happened, his reaction had been one of surprise. First, he had asked her to repeat herself. Then, he had told her to wait outside for him to show-up.

  That last part, had had Genevieve of course rolling her eyes.

  Sometimes she didn't know what her partner was thinking. He had to know that close to seven, the temperature was hastily making it's way up there to the triple digits. It was possible that since he had a darker complexion than her, that he was somewhat immune to the summer heat. It could also be that he was just the typical dumb male, who didn't know that the hot breeze blowing in his face, really didn't feel good. Yet, she was willing to give her partner the benefit of the doubt, and say that he was just one of those Tucson natives that truly enjoyed the unbearable summer heat.

  After Genevieve had taken a few pictures, with her phone, of the damage – her insurance consultant would need proof to believe her – she went upstairs to her apartment.

  She had just plopped herself down on her couch, when her phone rang for the second time that day. Glancing, uninterestedly, down at the screen, she saw that it was, again, Cirpian.

  He was persisted, she had to give him that.

  Yet, at that point, she was in no mood to talk to him...Or, for that matter, anyone.

  As much as she would have liked to explain away everything, she just couldn't – her detective brain was too busy laying out the facts.

  First, it had been her brakes.

  Now this.

  After last night's nightmare and now finding her car vandalized, she was officially on over load.

  What made Cirpian an even more likely suspect, was that both incidents had happened when he had been over at her apartment.

  Sighing, she rubbed her face, and kicking off her shoes she put her feet up on her coffee table. As she stared off into space, it was then, that she noticed the spare laying in the little glass bowl that sat in the middle of her coffee table.

  The surprise of seeing her spare key, had her abruptly taking her feet from upon the coffee table's edge, and leaning forward, she retrieved the spare from the bowl. After she had subconsciously traced the edges of the key, she stared perplexedly off into space.

  There was no way.

  It had to be a different key.

  Yet, after she had quickly retrieved her key ring, that had her apartment key on it, from the other side of the coffee table, she started comparing keys. Both keys looked identical.

  Yet, there was just no way they could be the same key.

  Getting up from her couch, she went over to the door and after trying first the key on the key ring and then the one from the bowl; she was surprised to see, that the one from the bowl, was a perfect match to the one on her key ring.

  How was that possible?

  As she stood in the middle of the living room, looking first from the coffee table to her apartment's door; she found herself getting more and more puzzled by this whole situation.

  How had Cirpian gotten out of her apartment?

  Heading into her bedroom, she looked at the window, and, after checking to make sure it was still securely closed, she rubbed her face.

  Again, how had Cirpian gotten out of her apartment?

  As she thought back to this morning, she had been so out of it, that she hadn't even noticed that the chain had been still on the door. When she had gone to open it, she had...

  Well, at that time, she hadn't known what to think or feel. All she had done was removed the chain, unlocked the door, and then left her apartment.

  Granted, after finding something that didn't look quite right, the typical response, would have been surprise. Yet, after last night's nightmare, her brain had still been reeling.

  Yet, now, that she stood there looking down at her spare, she was baffled on what was going on. In all facts and pretenses, it looked as if he either hadn't been in her apartment that previous night or he hadn't left.

  Yet, he had been, she remembered the incredible, intoxicating, feel of him inside her. And the wonderful ensnaring way, his arms had felt wrapped securely around her.

  While she had a pretty good imagination, she was positive that it wasn't that good – there was no way that she could have imagined him being here.

  Was it possible that she could have locked the door behind him?

  That was another reasonable explanation, that didn't make any sense. For one, she couldn't remember getting up.

  She could remember waking-up, but the other...; she couldn't remember doing.

  As she stood there, perplexedly, gazing around her bedroom, it was then that her temple started throbbing. She would have one hell of a headache, if she didn't take something right away. Yet, Genevieve knew that with all this thinking, that her head wouldn't be the only thing on the verge of hurting; for her stomach was already feeling those reeling, agitated, twinges of pain – it was so agitated, that it felt like someone had, literally, slugged her a few times in the abdomen.

  It was after she had taken two Tylenols, from the bottle on her nightstand, that she heard the knock on her door.

  For a few brief moments, she stood there; just wondering what she should do. She was afraid, that it could be Cirpian.

  Yet, it could also be Kyle. She had, after all, called him; that had been a subconscious mistake.

  Either way, she wasn't looking forward to seeing either man.

  With her partner, it would be an interrogation of some sort.

  “Who did you piss off, over the past few days?”

  Looking over at her unmade bed, Genevieve found herself tempted by the thought of climbing back into bed and calling out sick.

  To be honest, it wouldn't be a total lie.

  She felt sick to her stomach, and the Tylenol probably wouldn't kick in until her head was about to explode or she was about to barf on everything – most likely it would be all over Kyle's precious Mustang.

  “Buck up, be a big girl...” she mumbled these words to herself as she went to answer the door.

  And after taking a deep breathe, she readied herself for what this already horrible day had in stor
e for her.

  XXX

  As it turned out, Kyle was a little more understanding than usual; he knew that Genevieve wasn't in any mood to talk about her cherished car being vandalized in such a way.

  Why state the obvious?

  Genevieve knew that someone had it out for her. Of all the cars in the parking lot, hers was the only one that this prick had touched.

  If she had even bothered to make an effort to deny the obvious, she knew what her partner would have said.

  “Yea right, Gen, who'd you piss off?”

  While it was true that she had made someone angry, she couldn't really put her finger on who that person was.

  She'd been on her best behavior.

  Well, she'd been as good as she could be.

  There were times when she really pissed people off by being sarcastically outspoken. She couldn't help herself, she got this sick enjoyment at telling people off. Yet, what brought her even more pleasure, was the ability to use sarcasm as her weapon.

  Keith had been her latest victim of her outspoken personality. From the moment she had met him, she hated his feminine centered of attention attitude. She had wanted to do something to him. Yet, she had promised Amelia and Kyle that she would be on her best behavior. And lord knows, she had tried.

  She had tried so hard, that she had given herself a stomach ache.

  As she sat, now, beside Kyle, with the hot Tucson air blowing in her face, she tried to keep her mouth shut and not complain over Kyle's cheap choice for a car.

  If the heat and Kyle's silent refusal to turn on his AC, wasn't bad enough, it was the way her hair kept whipping her in the face; that had her appreciating Tucson less.

  As tempting as it was, though, to ask Kyle, why he didn't turn on his AC, she was too afraid of him replying with a question of his own.

  “Gen, who did you piss off?”

  Of course this question would have come after, he had, none so gallantly, informed her that his AC didn't work.

  The prick.

  Genevieve was willing to endure the heat, just to get out of answering that question or being put under a scrutinizing interrogation; she was just breathing a sigh of relief, when they pulled into a O'Reilly's car dealership.