Craig smirks, “That’s great to hear. I’m very proud of you for taking on the business while I’m here.”
“Thank you, Sir. These past few years have been rocky, but I believe with the right management and attitude, Alder can prosper.”
Craig smiles approvingly but notices something and points, “What happened to your neck?”
The visitor reaches up to touch it.
“I apologize, Sir. I didn’t realize it started bleeding.”
Craig’s voice deepens, “What happened?”
“Nothing, it’s just her. She got a good hit on me and scratched me. She’s been a feisty one ever since she came to us. But don’t worry, I have an idea on how to handle her. It’s just that she surprises me sometimes, especially those eyes of hers. They’re so exquisite and mesmerizing; like an angel.”
“Well, I’m glad you found her. Keep me posted about the plans.”
“I will, Sir.”
And with that, the visit ends and all I see is red. He said “her eyes”. I know who he meant. If there’s anything I know about Craig, it was that he loved her eyes. And now, this other prick is talking about her. What did he mean by handling it? He better not fucking touch her.
Rob notices the anger seeping from me and rushes me out of the room.
“Duke, relax. We’ll find him. There’s still another tape left. We’ll watch it.”
I shrug my shoulders out of his grasp and seethe.
“Rob, he has her. He’s had her all this time. It’s been five years and she’s been trapped somewhere, trying to escape.”
Pacing up and down the hall, I’m trying to breathe calmly in order to prevent another outburst in this place. My thoughts go back to my visit with Craig. He said that I’ll never find her. He knew that because he had her. That’s why he acted the way he did. He knew he won.
Rob’s concerned voice echoes, “We don’t know that for sure. We need to gather more information and find this guy, okay?”
My jaw tenses, “Oh, I’ll find him and he’ll wish that I never did.”
Duke
After our trip to Auburn, my nerves are shot. I haven’t been able to sleep for a few days now, and the exhaustion is slowly catching up to me. Rob and his firm are still working on locating Craig’s visitor, but what they don’t know is that I already found him.
It’s not hard trying to find someone when you know how to search for a needle in a haystack. With the help of my boss and a few buddies at the precinct, we were able to find a match with the facial recognition software.
Davis, my boss, notices the match, “Look, it found the guy. Looks like he’s been spotted all over New York City.”
I glance at the screen, “Okay, what do we have? A name? A birth date?”
The technician, Rudy, responds, “Let me run that in our database and see if he has a record.”
The system analyzes the man’s face to search for any history of criminal activity. A few seconds later, the search completes and populates with multiple offenses.
Rudy shouts excitedly, “Bingo! We’ve got a hit!”
I lean in closer to view the data and scour through the information, “His name is Derrick Anderson. Charged with robbery, assault, a couple DUI’s, and disorderly conduct. Looks like he even had a run in the juvenile system.”
Davis inspects the data, “But do you notice all of those offenses happened over seven years ago? Do you think it’s odd that nothing since has happened?”
Rudy shrugs his shoulders, “Perhaps he reformed?”
I shake my head, “No way is he reformed. He must be under the radar. Has to be.”
Rudy starts an advanced search including his name. “Okay, Derrick Anderson is pretty common but we have hits all over New York. Is this guy local?”
“I don’t think so. I have the feeling he’s out of state, but no clue where to begin.”
Davis’ brow arches, “I have an idea. Can you run his portrait through a search on the internet and see if any other images of him come up? If he’s out there, then the internet is the best place to find him. Even if it’s a cell phone picture—just something.”
I scoff, “I doubt he’s on social media. If he’s trying to hide I don’t think he’d be stupid enough to have that.”
Davis responds, “You’d be surprised how dumb people really are.”
We head out to grab a bite to eat while the search engine does its magic. Two hours later, the precinct calls Davis and he puts the phone on speaker.
“It’s Davis. Talk to me.”
“Davis, it’s Rudy. I found our guy.”
My body tenses as I prepare myself to hear the news.
“That’s great, Rudy. Where is he?”
“He’s in Chicago. Apparently he’s a kickboxing instructor and one of his students took a selfie of herself and he was in the background. I found the image on Instagram. I’ll send you the image right now. It’s fairly recent, about two months old. My guess is he’s still the instructor.”
I speak up, “Thanks, Rudy. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem, Duke. I hope you find the asshole.”
Davis hangs up and we head back to work. All I can think about is finding Derrick and pummeling my fist into his face. If he’s hurt her…let’s just say that he’d wish he was back in jail.
Davis and I gather all of the information about Derrick and locate the gym where he works. I call the gym to see if he’s still employed there, and lo and behold, he still has a job. I call up Melanie and Rob, telling them the good news. For once in my life, I can see a clear future ahead of me. I’m no longer hinged by my past regrets. Everything is so clear and precise, I won’t lose this time. I can’t lose.
A few hours later, I’m at the loft, packing up my stuff and getting ready for my flight to Chicago. As I pack away my toothbrush, I hear the buzzer and let Melanie into the building. Seconds later, the doorbell rings and open the door, allowing her to slip inside.
“Melanie, what are you doing here? You know I’m leaving in a couple hours, right? I need to get to the airport.”
She sighs, “I know, that’s why I stopped by. I’m worried, Duke. I don’t want you going out there all alone. Shouldn’t the police be involved?”
“Melanie, I’m not going to start a war; I just need to find this guy and shadow him, that’s all. I can’t blow my cover without getting all of the facts first. Who knows, maybe he’ll lead me right to her without even noticing.”
“I just want you to be careful. Please don’t get carried away with everything.”
“I promise, I won’t get into trouble, but I can’t promise that trouble won’t find me.”
She slaps my arm, “Really? Stop being an ass.”
I laugh at her and sling my arm around her, “You love it. Don’t deny it.”
She chuckles, “Yeah, I do. Please promise me.”
I kiss her cheek, “I promise.”
She pulls out of my embrace and heads toward the door. Before she exits the loft, she turns to look back at me and smiles.
“Bring her back to us, Duke. Bring her home.”
I nod my head as she exits the loft and return to gathering my things for the trip. I head into my bedroom, pull out my drawer, and grab a few boxer briefs. A folded white piece of paper falls onto the floor and I bend down to pick it up.
My breath catches as I read Raya’s last words to me. Don’t worry, Raya, I’m coming for you.
Six hours later, I land in Chicago, on a mission. I hail a taxi and give him the address to my hotel. On the drive to the hotel, I make a quick call to Davis to let him know that I’ve arrived. He tells me to hang low and not cause any attention. As an investigator, I don’t have any rights or responsibilities as a law enforcement officer. No jurisdiction and no authority, just the ability to scope out the suspects and make a citizen’s arrest, if need be.
Once I check into the hotel and put away all of my belongi
ngs, I call Derrick’s gym to find out his class schedule.
The receptionist answers, “Thank you for calling Evolve Fitness & Training. How may I assist you?”
“Yes, I’m interested in your kickboxing class. What days and time is that class offered?”
“We have several kickboxing classes. Which one are you interested in?”
“Are they all taught by the same instructor?”
“No, our gym owner, Lucas, teaches the higher skilled class and the beginning classes are taught by Derrick.”
“Let’s start out with the beginners’ class. When is that one?”
“Kickboxing for Beginners classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from seven to nine and we also offer an evening class. The evening class is Mondays from eight to ten. Would you like me to sign you up while I have you on the phone?”
“No, that’s alright. I’ll just head down there and sign up in person. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, sir. And we look forward to seeing you. Have a wonderful day.”
“Thank you.”
Alright, tomorrow it is. I call Melanie and tell her everything that I’ve found out. My plan is to just watch him and follow, that’s all. After I hang up with Melanie, I walk over to the window and stare out into the city.
It’s not New York, but it’s a close second. The tall buildings climb high into the vast, open sky. The busy streets fill with shoppers, tourists, residents, and crowds of people gathered to see the city’s most prized entertainment.
My thoughts go back to Raya as I look out at Chicago’s city limits. Is she here in the city? Or is she somewhere else? Does she think of me as much as I think of her? Does she even remember me? What if she moved on? If I find her, will she want to stay with me?
No, I have to stay positive and optimistic. I can’t afford to have doubt. I reach up and touch the window as hope fills my soul. If I play my cards right, I can do this. I can save her.
For the next week, I shadow Derrick and follow him wherever he goes. So far, nothing seems too out of the ordinary. He teaches his kickboxing lessons, visits a few bars during the week, and goes back home. I don’t think he has a wife or any children and most of his company appear to be men his age. In the past week, he hasn’t gone anywhere to make my instincts go on alert. Maybe this is a bust…perhaps we’ve got the wrong guy?
It’s Friday night and here I am, standing outside of Derrick’s place, hoping he’s going to make a move. It’s actually a pretty nice neighborhood. Houses with picket fences light up the street at night while kids play outside during the warm summer days.
As I hide in the shadows across the street, I glance at my watch. Ten thirty. Perhaps he’s staying in tonight? I take a look at his house one last time before I head out. At that moment, I see him exit the house and lock the front door. I hide deeper in the shadows, preventing being seen. Derrick walks down the steps of his porch and jumps into his car, revving it to life. He quickly takes off into the street and heads east.
I run up to my rental, get in, and pull out of my parking spot, following Derrick to his destination. We drive northeast on the interstate for about twenty-five minutes before exiting. I make sure I’m at least two cars back so he doesn’t suspect anyone of following him.
I continue to follow him for the next ten minutes as we cruise through the rural streets of Northern Chicago. The quiet neighborhood passes by as we make our way further into the vast hills.
The streets are empty except the two of us, so I decide to pull away slightly and turn off my headlights. I wouldn’t want to get caught now. I watch Derrick turn onto a street a few hundred feet away. As I drive up closer, he parks his car outside of a large brick home with an angled roof and a wraparound porch.
I park my car down the street and watch Derrick enter the house. I gather my camera and cell phone and hop out of the car. I send a quick text to Davis giving him the alert that he was waiting for. I walk up the hill, toward the large house and come upon a set of brick pillars by the front gate. A black metal address plaque is mounted on one of the pillars. The plaque says “Alder Manor”
Fuck yeah, I did it. I found him. I send another text to Davis telling him the address and to start calling the guys at the precinct. Hopefully, within the next few hours, this place will be overrun with police.
I make my way to the house, blending into the bushes and trees to remain inconspicuous. At that moment, my phone starts to vibrate. David is calling so I hit the green button.
I whisper, “Davis, I can’t talk. I don’t want to be seen.”
“Duke, get your ass out of there now!”
“What? No! I’m so close.”
“You don’t understand. Once I made the call into the station, they told me that this case is out of their hands. It’s been taken by the feds.”
“The feds. They know about Alder?”
“Listen to me, son. Get out of there now. I’m not sure what’s about to happen, but if the feds are involved, some shit is about to go down and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“No, I can’t leave now. What if she’s here?”
“And what if you risk this operation? Can you live with yourself if you screw this up? The feds will chew your ass and charge you with obstruction and a bunch of other shit that you won’t want to deal with. Now listen to what I’m saying and go.”
I glance at the house and let out a deep breath, “Fine, but I’m not coming home yet. I still want to trail Derrick.”
“I’ll call you with any other details that come up.”
I hang up the phone and make my way back to my car. As I get inside and turn the key in the ignition, I take one last glance at the house, thinking that maybe I’m making the biggest mistake of my life. Should I walk away when I’m so close? I don’t want to jeopardize her safety. If Davis knows anything, it’s the law. So I turn the car into a U-turn and head back into the city.
Raya
I soak my body in the warm water as I wash away my nerves and insecurities. Tonight is another auction for me and Derrick said this one has a high-end client attending, so I can’t fuck this up. I soak in the tub for a few minutes and gather my thoughts. Once my skin is wrinkled, I make my way to my room and get dressed. Once Trish left, I decided to handle everything on my own. I figured there was no point in getting another coach if nothing matters to me anymore. What’s the purpose of looking my best if it’s just going to be ripped off of me anyway?
I decide to wear a red mini skirt with a black lace bra—that’s it—nothing else. I don’t give a shit about what Derrick says. I’m tired of playing his games. He doesn’t like it? Then he can get rid of me because I don’t give a flying fuck. I dry my hair and wrap it up in a tight bun and place a few bobby pins to hold it in place. I apply a dab of lip gloss and a streak of liquid eye liner to accentuate my eyes. No shimmer, no blush, no eye shadow.
I slip into a pair of black pumps and look at myself in the mirror. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight. My ribs are easily visible and the bruises all over my body stand out. They are no longer hidden underneath my provocative clothing. A few minutes later, there’s a knock on my door and West enters the room, shutting the door behind him.
I grunt, ‘What are you doing here?”
He slowly walks up to me, “I just wanted to see you. It’s been a while.”
I huff, “It’s been two weeks. It hasn’t been forever, West.”
He smiles, “So, you’re keeping track. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I slap his arm, “Shut up. Now leave before Derrick finds you here. Remember you’re still in hot water for breaking those winners’ legs.”
He scoffs, “That was eight months ago. I doubt he’s still mad at me over that.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised. The man knows how to hold a grudge. Trust me, I know.”
He lowers his saddened eyes to the ground, “I’m sorry you had
to go through that. I tried to talk him out of it.”
I step away from him, “What’s done is done. No point in bringing it up again.”
He steps behind me and wraps his arms around my body. I try to resist his touch but I give in to his calming nature. No matter how hard I try to deny it, I need West. He keeps me grounded and whole. I still have a huge void after the loss of Layla, but having West around slowly fills that void. I rest my head on his shoulder as he cradles me into his strong arms.
He whispers into my ear, “You look gorgeous tonight.”
I sigh, “I look like a slut, that’s what I look like.”
“Don’t say that. You are not that person, Raya. You’re better than that. Remember who you are. Don’t forget what makes you, you.”
I shrug my shoulders, “Whatever you say, West.”
He lets go of me and spins me around to face him, “Look, I know tonight is a big night for you. I need you to be careful, okay? Please, for me.”
I notice a slight panic in his voice, “What do you mean? Be careful about what?”
He breathes deep, “Just trust me, okay? Please.”
“West, you’re scaring me. The last time you came to my room, it was the night Layla was killed. What are you not telling me?”
He shakes his head, “I can’t tell you, Raya. I need you to trust me. If something goes down, I’ll come get you.”
“Goes down? What is happening, West? Don’t you think I have the right to know?”
“Raya, don’t make this any harder than it is for me. Just know that I’ll come find you. I promise.”
I cross my arms over my chest and give him a growl. West is such a mystery to me. I don’t get him sometimes. Why work for Derrick if all he cares about is helping me? He knows that Derrick rapes me and beats me. Why not stop him then? Why is he so secretive all of the time?
West gives me a tight squeeze, let’s go, and heads toward the door. Before he exits, I call out for him, “West, wait.”
He stops and turns to face me, “Yeah?”
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but I want to tell you something that I should’ve said a long time ago.”
His brow arches and a confused expression scales across his face, “What is it?”
Little Things Page 20
