by D A Rice
Rei braced herself on the door frame without opening the door completely, “am I in trouble? If I am, I should probably call my dad…”
“Why would you think you’re in trouble?” Agent Montoya asked from behind the detective, her voice kind. “You just happened to be at the café on a very interesting night. I had a few follow up questions for you, if that’s ok. Jackson said he already talked to you but...” She shrugged, laughing in a huff, “I always like to do my own face-to-face questioning when I get reassigned.”
“Reassigned?” Rei asked curiously, looking back at Jackson.
“Agent Montoya here is the lead investigator for the Arachnid case. The Recluse has drawn some attention to himself, and she just wants to be thorough. You’re not in any trouble. Can we come in?” Rei nodded and opened the door a little bit further. Jackson nodded back in acknowledgement before stepping inside.
He found himself pausing to address her again gently, “if you do want to have your dad here, I understand. It took me a while to recognize you, but I know Theodore. He’s a good man.” She wasn’t a minor, she didn’t need her dad present, but Jackson could understand how it would be comforting.
Rei nodded with a shy smile, “he’s a very good man, and he taught me well.”
Agent Montoya smirked at the subtle warning as they entered her meticulously clean living room and sat on the edge of the couch. Rei pulled a chair over from the island in her kitchen and sat down off to one side, then waited.
“Do you want to call him before we get started? As the detective said you’re not in any trouble, we just had some follow up questions. You can answer whichever ones you want and pass on others; this conversation is completely up to you,” Montoya said, noting how Rei clutched her hands nervously. Jackson was glad Montoya was there to help ease the young lady’s nerves. He could tell she didn’t do well with all the attention.
Rei smiled, looking down once before meeting Montoya’s gaze again. “I really don’t want to disturb him; he’s very busy. Besides, anything I can do to help is my pleasure.”
Montoya grinned back at her before nodding once and leaning forward, bracing herself on her knees. “I know you told Detective Jackson that you didn’t see anyone specific that night at the Cafe. I get that it’s hard with this being New York. New people are coming in all the time from all over the place.” The agent laughed lightly. “But I was curious to know if anyone has approached you recently that you didn’t know before. Maybe tried to befriend you? Or if you’ve felt followed or unsafe in any way since the incident at Debbi’s Café?”
Rei frowned, shifting her eyes nervously between Jackson and Montoya. Though her eyes were flighty, she gave nothing away of her thoughts. It was hard for Jackson to get a read on her when she had a nervous and fidgety disposition to begin with. Did this make her an accomplice? Or just a shy girl with her own issues? He had heard about Theodore’s daughter through multiple sources within the NYPD. Her dad being a renowned lawyer, she was a topic of great debate for a while. Rumor was that she was in therapy for some issues she was having, which Theodore never talked about. With this in mind, Jackson didn’t want to judge her based on her nerves alone. Anyone would be nervous with a federal agent and an old detective on their doorstep. It had to be worse for someone who struggled with anxiety issues already.
“I know it’s a bit of a disconcerting question,” Jackson added softly, the father in him taking over as he tried to ease her worries. “And without going into too many details, we are honestly just looking out for your safety. So anything that you remember would be immensely helpful to our cause. In the days past, or the days to come...” He paused here, hesitating. He didn’t want to scare her, but he did want her to know that the possibility that she was in danger was very real.
Rei nodded solemnly, “I understand, detective,” she replied, voice far steadier then he’d expected. She met his gaze, “I’m not afraid of this city. I have no doubt you know all about me. People talk. Especially with my father being who he is, but I’m not naive enough to not be aware of my surroundings whenever I can be. Especially because of who I am and what people may know about me, or think they know.
“People think that because I see a psychiatrist, I am defenseless. I’m not. With that being said, I can honestly tell you that, no, I haven’t met anyone recently that I think is in any way dangerous to my health.”
Jackson sat back, his lips twitching up as a warmth sparked in his eyes, “you are his daughter.”
Rei smiled back at him and nodded, “I am.”
Montoya placed her card on the coffee table, writing her personal number on it before meeting Rei’s gaze. “I am glad to hear that you are vigilant, and I have no doubt that you are,” she smiled. “Regardless, we have intelligence that someone of interest has taken an interest in you.
“I want you to have my number. If you feel at all like you’re in danger, I want you to contact me there. I will always answer it.” the agent pointed at the card with her pen. Rei nodded before she and Jackson stood with Rei right behind them. Montoya stretched out her hand, and Rei took it, “I appreciate your time, Ms. Williams, and your vigilance to keep yourself safe. This city can be a dangerous one.”
Rei nodded again before she showed them both out. Once the door was closed with a soft thud, Jackson glanced over at Montoya with an eyebrow raised. “What do you think?” he asked low, so only she could hear. The hallways were clear of people, but he had no doubt the walls were not as thick as they may seem.
She glanced back once before they both started to walk towards the main entrance of Rei’s building. “She’s hiding something,” the agent speculated, shaking her head. “I just hope that whatever it is, it doesn’t get her into trouble.”
Jackson nodded in agreement, trusting Montoya’s instincts. They left without another word between them.
…
Rei leaned back first against her door, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. She grabbed her phone with shaking fingers and pulled up her notes. Rei moved around to sit on the couch with her elbows on bouncing knees. She copied and pasted Eli’s code into her browser before tossing the phone onto the coffee table. She took another deep breath, trying to calm her riddled nerves with her head in her hands. Had they noticed she’d avoided their question? She could feel her body shaking as her demons fought to take control.
She steepled her fingers before her nose as her phone vibrated on the table before her. She scooped it up and read the message Eli had left her.
I’ll come to you.
0123
She could feel her face relax in relief as the message disappeared again. Rei bit her lip and glanced around with nervous eyes. The tremors shaking her body started to subside. She’d guessed Eli had known here she lived. It was a natural thing to assume, and it was almost unnerving how comfortable the thought was. She couldn’t help but think, for a moment, of Damion’s warning to her with the Agent’s fresh in her mind. What if Eli was dangerous?
Rei shook the thought out of her head. If he were, he would’ve hurt her by now. She’d been an apple, ripe for the picking, but instead of taking advantage of the situation, Eli had taken care of her. He had protected her. How could she not trust him after that?
She leaned back on the couch, her arm covering her eyes as she took another steadying breath, releasing the last of her nerves. That’d been incredibly close to becoming one of her episodes. They didn’t always have triggers, but when they did, sometimes she found that she could breathe her way through it. She was glad it was the weekend, it was going to be a long Saturday and it’d only just begun.
A knock at the door made her turn her head marginally. She recognized Damion, even before he unlocked the door and sauntered in. She’d given him a key long ago so he could check in on her when necessary. She waved at him, not moving as he closed the door and pulled off his coat. His head tilted as he studied her, “you ok over there? Or is it just a couch kind of day?”
; She smirked, rubbing her hand down her face before sitting up, “I’m fine, I just had an unexpected visit is all.” She glanced at her phone; it was still mid-morning.
“Oh?” Damion’s eyebrow came up next as he slid into the chair she left next to the TV.
“Apparently someone told the NYPD that I am a person of interest to a person of interest,” Rei laughed lightly as she quoted Agent Montoya.
Damion’s mouth dropped in incredulity. “Have you called your dad yet?”
“No, they just left, I was just…recovering,” Rei set her phone back down on the table, rubbing her eyes again. She could feel a headache coming on from the battle she had just won, but it was the normal kind.
“I think he should probably know,” Damion moved from the chair to sit on the coffee table in front of her. He put his hand on her knee gently, rubbing his thumb in calming circles. Rei had no doubt he could see how unnerved she was. “Did you tell them about your mystery man?” he asked after a moment.
Rei shook her head, and his movements paused. When she met his gaze he was studying her intensely, “Rei... why protect him? I’m trying really hard to understand here, but all I get is a creepy vibe from it.”
Rei shrugged. “I don’t know, I just...” she paused, shifting away from his touch. He pulled back as his eyes narrowed and she looked away, “I just get this feeling that I’m supposed to.”
“That isn’t a good answer,” Damion said, his voice soft but intense. His hands were on his thighs as he studied Rei. His legs had boxed hers in. He leaned forward, his eyes shifting to his own clasped hands, “this is dangerous.” His voice was so quiet as he spoke, so sincere, “when are you meeting with him again?”
Rei met his gaze, “what?”
He smiled, his eyebrow raising once more, “you can’t honestly expect me to believe you aren’t seeing him again. I want to meet him. If he’s not dangerous, then I want to know it firsthand.”
“I can’t just have you show up while he’s there, Damion. He may never trust me again!” Rei leaned back sharply as he met her gaze with his stubborn eyes and his thin lips. She sighed and looked down, hands clutching the sofa beneath her, “I’ll ask him if he’ll meet you,” she relented.
Damion leaned back, arms crossing his chest, “so… tonight, then.”
Rei met his gaze but said nothing, and he held her look, steadily matching her silence. She looked away first, and he sighed, “if he doesn’t want to meet me, Rei, then chances are he’s up to nothing good. I’m your closest friend. If he means well, then he’ll see my wanting to protect you as a good thing.”
She nodded, acquiesced, and smiled, “then I’m sure he’ll agree. For now, let’s waste away a perfectly good Saturday, shall we?”
Damion’s eyes twinkled as he smiled, “agreed. Let’s do it.”
13
Eli sat back against the wall of the building as he glanced into the street. His hood was up, and he had on his old leather jacket. A holey blanket covered his lap, his tablet hidden within. To anyone else, he looked like one of the many homeless lining the walls of the alley. They stood over shopping carts, slept on whatever they could find, or lounged against the outside walls of the buildings like him. Eli was good at blending in with them, even as he kept his distance from the majority.
His attention was on the coffee shop across the street from where he sat, windows shining in the light of the setting sun around him. He had been out here ever since Rei had activated the code and he found out the FBI had teamed up with the NYPD. He could guess what her message for him would be as he watched the two law enforcement officers work over their coffee. He sent her reply with barely a glance down, continuing his reconnaissance.
He knew that they had questioned her at the cafe and it took quick work to find out that they had stopped by today for a follow-up. He needed to know why. Eli hadn’t wanted her involved in his dangerous life. However, after finding the app intended to spy on Rei uploaded into her phone, he knew he needed to protect her.
He did not doubt that whoever had planted the bug on her had also tipped off the NYPD to his existence in her life. Why else would they come back to speak with her so soon? Especially if she’d let it slip, even on accident, that she may know who he was. His gaze lingered on the coffee shop with its huge windows. It was easy to see, even from this distance, the agent and the detective inside as they huddled over something between them.
Eli’s gaze dropped to his lap, his blanket twitching as his fingerless-gloved hands moved over the tablet underneath as well as the keyboard connected. He had positioned the blanket carefully, so he could see the footage he had tapped into. It had taken him less than thirty seconds to gain access to the coffee shop’s wifi network. From there he had tapped into a laptop nearby, using it as a zombie drone, and accessing its camera. He zoomed in on his tablet. The agent and detective were looking at various notes between them.
Eli used the tablet itself to take screenshots of the paperwork that they were so invested in. He did not doubt that they were notes about him. He wanted to know what they had written about Rei. Whatever their impressions of their morning interaction with her, they hadn’t written a report in the computer about it yet.
They had been at this coffee shop for hours, poring over the notes wedged between them. Eli smirked as he thought, maybe they’ll never put notes about me on a computer again, not knowing my skill set. If it were him, he would keep the notes in a file folder in a room without cameras or computers. He’d keep his files someplace he’d have to walk in and get a physical copy from. He’d lock his notes in a faraday cage.
He wasn’t sure they’d considered that yet with him, and he was grateful.
Movement from his tablet made him glance up towards the windows. They were getting ready to leave. He’d been wondering when they would. They’d been so absorbed in their conversation that they’d likely not noticed how much time had passed. Eli subtly shifted his body, acting like the restless people around him, and pulled his hood a little further over his face. He shifted the tablet in his lap, hiding it more.
They would go back to one of their offices now to sort through the rest of their facts. Eli could tell, however, that the FBI agent - Montoya was it? - She thought she had a lead, a tiny thread that would break Arachnid, and him, wide open. She knew he was connected to them in some way; she just didn’t know how.
Eli smiled; he couldn’t wait to meet her.
He tapped his tablet, and it shut off before he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. He could hear them coming, hear their distinctive voices. “Change for food?” He asked in a gravelly, but soft voice. The footsteps halted as the agent and detective shifted from their quiet conversation to focus on him. He didn’t open his eyes.
He heard someone shift, kneeling, and then there was a strong hand on his shoulder. He squinted up, eyes glassed over as if drugged. Eli hoped they were hooded enough not to expose the gold that made them memorable. The detective, Jackson, set something in his lap in an uncommonly kind way.
“Here, friend, I know what it’s like to be down on your luck,” the older man’s eyes shifted, looking down Main Avenue. “If you’re interested, I know somewhere that people like you can go and be safe.” He set something else down, squeezing Eli’s shoulder before rising. Eli nodded, mumbling his thanks, and the detective turned away, resuming his conversation with the agent as they left.
Eli looked down, opening his eyes fully to see a wrapped bagel sandwich. He huffed a soft laugh, his lips twitching up one side of his face. The bagel was all the confirmation he needed about Jackson. The other item the detective had left was his business card, which only made Eli’s smile grow. He stood and stretched, tucking the tablet inside his jacket in one smooth, hidden motion. Then Eli turned, handing his blanket to the man next to him with a bow of his head, “thanks, Derek.”
The scraggly-bearded man nodded as his light blue eyes flicked to the spaces around Eli warily. Without ever actually
meeting his eyes, the man spoke, “we gots to stick together out heres. No one else will take care of us if we don’t. You sure you don’t need dis where you’re going?” Derek’s voice was hoarse. He smelled like the trash surrounding him, and his tongue periodically flicked in the gap where his two front teeth should be.
Eli shook his head, kneeling to Derek’s level and offering him the sandwich he held, “You need it more than I do, man.” Eli replied, referencing the blanket he had draped around the man’s shoulders. Eli set the sandwich in Derek’s lap, “and here. I know you haven’t eaten today, and I don’t want you digging anything out of the trash. You’re worth more than that, man,” his hand fell on the homeless man’s shoulder, “make sure you make it to the church later.” His eyes shifted to the others around them, “and bring as many as you can, ok?”
“You got it, my man.”
Eli smiled and shifted, pulling his hood off to reveal a beanie on his head, “good, cus we take care of our own, right?” Derek smiled at this before he nodded. Eli saluted before turning and strolling the opposite way from where Agent Montoya and Detective Jackson had disappeared.
He found himself smiling again as his hands found his jacket pockets. He wondered how long it would take Jackson to find the gift Eli left the detective in his pocket.
...
Nikki Wilkins’ eyes were empty. She’d had plenty of people in to see her; she’d noticed none of them. To her, all these people in and out of her room were just a constant buzz in the back of her head.
She only knew her name because she’d been called it so many times. It was the only thing that stuck other than the cool voice that had taken residence. The voice was masculine, and it commanded everything she did. Nothing else mattered. If the voice told her to stop breathing, she would. She had no identity outside of it.
