Savannah's Curse

by Shelia M. Goss

  Montana jumped out of the vehicle and he followed her up the stairs. She knocked and he waited.

  “Thank God,” Savannah said, hugging Montana.

  She looked in Troy’s direction. She looked relieved to see him. Propped on the couch was Asia. Out of habit Troy did a quick survey of her spacious apartment. Asia’s fixation with exotic things was apparent with the paintings and artifacts displayed throughout.

  Troy said, “What happened?”

  Asia rubbed the back of her head. She eased up on the sofa. Savannah propped a pillow behind her. “I came up to get some clothes. My front door was closed, but it was unlocked. I couldn’t remember if in my haste to get to Vanna’s, I had locked it or not. I was only in the apartment a few minutes, when out of nowhere, I felt a thump on the back of my head. The next thing I remember is hearing Vanna wailing.”

  Savannah stepped in. “Shh . . . I’ll tell him the rest.” She turned her attention toward Troy. “I was downstairs waiting and waiting. Too much time had passed, I thought, so I phoned to hurry her up. When I didn’t get a response, I got my gun and came on up.”

  “Was the door open when you got here?” Troy asked.

  “No, but it was unlocked,” Savannah responded.

  “Did you see anything suspicious?”

  “Yes. I saw this black sedan in the parking lot. I thought it was strange. It wasn’t like they were looking for a parking spot, because there were plenty of those.”

  “You didn’t see anyone come down or on your way up to Asia’s apartment?”

  “No. Believe me, I’ve been replaying those minutes back and forth, and I don’t recall seeing anyone or anything.”

  Troy said, “Whoever did this found an alternate exit.”

  “The balcony,” Asia answered. She pointed toward the balcony.

  Troy stood up and walked to the glass door. It was closed but unlocked. “That’s how they got in and got out.” He jiggled the latch. “This was an easy entry. Not a secure lock at all.”

  “Wow, thanks,” Asia managed to say.

  Troy looked at Montana. “Call a locksmith.”

  Troy walked out onto the balcony. Some of Asia’s plants had been knocked over. He bent down to examine a footprint. From the size of the footprint in the dirt, Troy made the intruder out to be male. He picked up the turned-over flowerpots and sat them upright. He surveyed around the balcony to see if the intruder had left any evidence. He looked over the balcony to see how the intruder had escaped. It wouldn’t have taken much to climb up to the second floor and get out. A simple rope would have done the trick. The person Savannah saw driving around the parking lot was probably the lookout guy. Something brown caught Troy’s eye. He reached his hand in between the leaves of the plant and pulled out a brown wallet. “Lucky me,” he said.

  He held the wallet up and reviewed the ID. The name matched the name on the list from Major’s file. Troy placed the wallet in his pocket. For now, he would keep his discovery to himself. He examined the rest of Asia’s apartment. He could tell she was a techie from all of the computer and computer accessories in almost every room.

  “All is secure,” he said as he took a seat at the dining-room table that sat directly toward the living room.

  “Troy, thanks for being there for us,” Savannah said as she got up.

  “No thanks needed.”

  Montana went with Asia to her bedroom so she could pack up some more stuff.

  “I guess she spooked whoever it was that came here, so they didn’t get a chance to get anything,” Troy said.

  Savannah responded, “I’m just glad that’s all it was. My heart skipped a few beats when I rushed into her apartment and saw her lying there.”

  Before Troy could respond, someone knocked on the door. He drew out his weapon. “I got it.”

  He looked out the peephole and put his gun back in his pocket. “It’s the locksmith,” he said to Savannah before he opened the door.

  “Come on in,” Troy said.

  “A lady called. Said you guys needed a new lock,” the round-faced brown-haired man said.

  “Follow me,” Troy responded.

  Troy informed the locksmith of what type of lock he wanted installed. “You sure you haven’t done this before,” the man joked.

  “Positive,” Troy responded.

  An hour later, Troy was satisfied that the windows and all of the doors were now secure. He paid the locksmith and gave him a generous tip.

  “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me,” the locksmith stated before he left.

  Asia hugged Troy. “Thanks for everything.”

  Troy hugged Asia back. She reminded him of the sister he had lost. He didn’t have time to mourn. He snapped out of it. “Ladies, let’s get moving. You all can stay at my place tonight.”

  “I need some clothes,” Montana said.

  “Me too,” Savannah added.

  They went in two separate cars, but they followed each other to Montana’s town house and then back to Savannah’s to retrieve their things. Troy knew the time to implement their plan was at hand. It was time to set their plan in motion.

  24

  Troy gave up his room to Savannah. She tossed and turned the first few hours of trying to sleep, so she decided to go downstairs to get something to drink. Maybe if she could warm up some milk, it would help her rest. She didn’t expect to see Troy, with a pair of pajama bottoms and a bare chest, looking sexy, doing the same thing.

  “I couldn’t sleep either,” Troy stated, as if he read her mind. “Here, I made enough for two.”

  He poured her a cup. She sat on the bar stool at the counter and sipped it. “That hits the spot,” she said as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, enjoying the taste.

  Troy joined her by sitting on the bar stool next to her. “It’s the cinnamon. It adds the zing to it.”

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I like it.”

  “Savannah, we need to talk. We can’t go on with this tension between us,” Troy said.

  “I thought we squashed that. I mean, you’re my hero. You were there when I needed you.” Savannah stared into the cup of milk.

  He reached over and placed his hand over her other hand. “I’ll always be there for you.”

  The palms of her hands sweated. She hoped he couldn’t feel her increased pulse. “Thanks.” She brought the cup up to her lips and used it as a time to remove her other hand from under his. She drank the rest of the milk. “I think I’ll sleep better now.” She got up from the stool. “Thanks again.”

  Troy didn’t say anything. Savannah was getting under the covers, when she heard a slight knock at her door. “Come in,” she responded.

  She was expecting to see one of her sisters. Instead, Troy stood there, looking like the man of her fantasies. The moonlight beaming through the curtains hit his chest, making the hair on his chest seem to shine a darker black. No words passed between them. Troy seemed to glide toward the bed. Without saying a word he got in the bed and embraced her. She was asleep seconds later. She didn’t have any nightmares; in fact, she couldn’t recall dreaming at all.

  When she woke up the next morning, she was in bed alone. A part of her felt that the vision of Troy coming to her room must have been a dream, but he left a reminder. A red rose, with a note under it on the pillow next to her.

  She smelled the rose before reading the note: I didn’t want to disturb you, so I let you sleep. Thank you for last night. I needed it more than you realized.

  She folded the note and placed it on the table beside the bed, along with the rose. She went to the bathroom and showered and dressed before going to check on her sisters. She followed the laughter. They were downstairs talking to Troy.

  “There she is.” Asia got up and hugged her.

  “Glad to see you’re doing better,” Savannah noted.

  “We were going over our game plan for today,” Montana said.

  “And you didn’t wait for me.” Sav
annah pretended to be insulted. “I see you all have bonded in my absence.”

  “Eat up, because today is your first mission,” Troy said. He placed a plate filled with food in front of her.

  Savannah’s stomach was relieved. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime the day before. After breakfast they met up in Troy’s home office.

  “I found out that one of the guys on the list has a standing monthly appointment with a psychiatrist. You’ll be subbing for his regular psychiatrist.”

  “How will we pull that off? What about the real doctor and the secretary?”

  “Already got you covered. Montana has volunteered to be the bait. She’s going to be so psychotic that the secretary and the doctor will be occupied for a while in another office. That’ll give you and Asia enough time to talk to suspect number one.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Savannah asked.

  “Trust me, it’ll work,” Troy said. “Besides, if all else fails, I’ll pretend to be a robber and hold them hostage until I feel you’re through.”

  “For some reason that doesn’t make me feel any better,” Savannah responded.

  “No time to second-guess. Time is of the essence,” he stated.

  Montana said, “Come on. I need to work on your and Asia’s appearance.”

  Troy went over key points about Redford with Savannah. She made her notes. Troy tested the hidden recording device to make sure it was positioned correctly on her shirt. They waited in the parking lot for Montana to use her device to signal them it was okay to make their way into the office.

  “We only have a fifteen-minute window, so, Asia, I’m counting on you to be Savannah’s backup,” Troy said as they exited the car.

  Savannah and Asia slipped past the security guard and went to the seventh floor.

  “Make sure it’s Redford before you send him in the office,” Savannah said to Asia.

  “I know what I’m doing,” Asia responded.

  “We’ll see.”

  “Where’s the confidence?” Asia smiled. Savannah went into the doctor’s office. Redford’s file was already out on the desk. She quickly thumbed through it.

  “Your four o’clock is here,” Asia’s voice came over the intercom.

  “Send him in,” Savannah responded.

  Redford, a brawny-looking man, seemed startled when Savannah turned the chair around. “Where’s Dr. Monroe?” he asked.

  “She had an emergency, but wanted me to step in because she didn’t want you to have to reschedule.”

  He backtracked. “I’ll come back later.”

  Savannah used her feminine wiles. She stood up. She removed the hairpins holding her hair together and loosened her hair. He watched as the curls fell to her shoulders. “From what she briefed me on, you really can’t afford to miss an appointment.”

  “I guess I can stay,” he said as he sat down on the couch.

  She picked up his folder and a recorder. She sat in the chair next to the couch and crossed her legs. She made sure to show more skin than what she would normally show. “I know it might be difficult to talk to a new doctor, but I assure you, you are in good hands.”

  He stuttered, “I don’t kn-know. Dr. Monroe, she knows all there is to know about me.”

  “Pretend I’m her,” she responded.

  He giggled. “I wish. You’re far more attractive than she is.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, but it isn’t about me. It’s all about you.” She reached out and touched his hand.

  She listened to him talk about some of his emotions. Her ears didn’t perk up until he mentioned his current assignment. “Doc, I want to get out of this, but I’m in too deep. My boss is a pig. He has me . . .” He paused. “What I say here is confidential, right?” he asked.

  “Yes. Nothing goes past these four walls,” she assured him.

  “Well, he’s stabbed his own friend in the back, so why should I trust him? I want to get out, but I’m in too deep.”

  Savannah contemplated her approach. “You’re only accountable for your own actions, not others.” She continued, “Coming here and talking it out can help. What is it that you don’t want to do?”

  “He wants me to cause problems for one of my excolleagues. I can’t. The man he’s sending me after is a good man. He was one of the best we had, until he got out. Lucky him.”

  Savannah read in between the lines. She knew “cause problems” was the equivalent to kill. She twitched as she thought about the threat on Troy’s life. “You can always say no,” Savannah suggested.

  “I have no choice. The way they are trying to cause him problems, they can turn on me. I have two kids. I can’t let that happen.”

  “What if there was a way out? What if there was another solution?” Savannah suggested. “Would you take it?”

  “In a heartbeat,” he responded.

  “Seriously, I might have a solution to your problem.” Savannah hoped Troy heard everything and would take the initiative to come help her out.

  “If you could help me, Doc, I would gladly take you up on your offer.”

  “I need my assistant for a moment.”

  Savannah made the mistake of turning her back on Redford. He had his arms around her neck before she could get to the door.

  “You think you’re smart, don’t you? Your voice sounded so familiar. I just remembered where I heard it. What did you do to Dr. Monroe?”

  Savannah remembered the move Troy had taught her. Redford loosened his grip and fell back when she used the heel of her shoe and dug into his leg.

  “You, bi . . .” Before he could get it out, Troy burst through the door with Asia behind him. Troy punched him a few times.

  “Are you okay?” Troy asked Savannah.

  Asia asked, “Why didn’t you press the alert button?”

  “I was in the process of doing that, when the jerk grabbed me.” Savannah rubbed her neck.

  “Okay, we need to get him out of here, before the real doctor returns. Asia, help Savannah straighten up while I think of a way to get him out of here.”

  Asia and Savannah made sure the room looked like it appeared before the incident. They used some wipes Troy had given them to remove their fingerprints. Savannah pinned her hair back up.

  “You’re going to pretend you guys are a couple,” Troy said. “Let him lean on you. He’s awake enough to walk on his own, though.”

  Redford was disoriented but did as instructed. Savannah pretended he was hugging her, just in case the camera was activated before they could get out of its view.

  Asia took the elevator down. Savannah, Redford, and Troy took the stairs. “Okay, I got him,” Troy said as he flipped him over his shoulder.

  Savannah ran down the stairs as fast as she could. Asia had the car pulled up as close as she could to where the stairway ended in the parking garage. Troy looked around and placed him in the backseat. “I’ll sit back here with him, just in case he fully awakes. Asia, switch seats with Savannah, and I need you to reactivate the security cameras.”

  They did as instructed. Once Asia gave the okay that her task was completed, Savannah drove out of the garage as if nothing had happened.

  “That’s Montana,” Asia said as she clicked the phone on speaker.

  “I need one of you to come check me out,” she said. “I’m in the psych ward. They will only release me to a relative.”

  “See, I always told you, you were crazy. Now you’re certified,” Asia joked.

  “You better be glad I’m here.”

  “Talk nice,” Savannah said as they rolled down the highway.

  Troy jumped in the conversation. “I’ll send a buddy of mine to get you. Meet us back at my house.”

  “Who? How will I know I can trust him?” Montana asked.

  “You won’t know, but you can trust me,” Troy responded.

  “Look, Montana, you’re not in a position to be making any demands. Do as the man says. Chill. Someone will be there to get you,” Savannah sai
d before she disconnected the call.

  25

  “Meeks, I need a favor. I need you to check someone out of the psych ward,” Troy said to his friend. “She’s under the name Constance. April Constance. Pretend like you’re Mr. Constance. It’ll work out fine.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Meeks responded from the other end of the phone.

  Their passenger stirred. Troy ended his conversation abruptly. “Look, I have to go. If you run into any trouble, hit me on my cell.” He disconnected the call with Meeks. “Your sister will be in good hands.”

  He heard Savannah let out a sigh. Redford attempted to sit up, but couldn’t because he was tied up. He opened up his eyes and stared into Troy’s cold black eyes. Troy said, “Redford, you picked the wrong man to come after.”

  “Man, I had no choice.”

  “You always have choices.”

  Troy could see the fear in Redford’s eyes. Redford’s sinister laugh was a failed attempt to mask his fear.

  “I’ll do anything. Just let me go. My kids. My two sons will miss me.” Redford was begging for his life.

  “Shut up. If I was going to kill you, I would have done it an hour ago.”

  “What do you want?”

  “You ask too many questions,” Troy responded.

  Savannah pulled up to the gate. He handed her a card. He assisted their extra passenger into his house. “You ladies don’t have to wait. I got this.”

  Savannah crossed her arms. “No, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Troy didn’t argue with Savannah. “Let’s move this party down to the dungeon.”

  “Dungeon. Man, I don’t like closed-up areas,” Redford complained.

  Troy laughed. “I know. That’s why we’re going.”

  Redford protested, but Troy dragged him down, anyway. “Asia, wait at the door. I need for you to listen for the doorbell. It’s hard to hear down here.”

  Asia said, “Man, I miss all of the fun.”

  Redford looked at them all. “You people are sick.”

  “Not as sick as you’re going to be if you don’t tell me what I want to know,” Troy said as he pushed in a chair.