Unexpected Lightning

by Cass Sellars

“Any time, Mia, you know that.”

  Mia tapped an appreciative kiss on Syd’s cheek and waved before sliding the large door closed behind her.

  Jenny launched herself from the couch and collected a handful of takeout boxes by their thin wire handles, creating an awkward bouquet in her fingers. “I am going to call my wife and hit the sheets myself. Thank you both for dinner. And thank you for doing the crib, Syd; you rock.”

  Jenny hugged Parker before she shuffled toward the spare room. Parker watched Syd rinse dishes and arrange them in the dishwasher while she placed leftovers in the fridge. “You’ve been far away all night, love. Is something bothering you?”

  Sydney sighed heavily and walked to the drawer. She knew keeping Parker in the dark wouldn’t last long. She pulled out the envelope and held it up. “How well do you know this Terry guy from the construction company?”

  Parker shot her a puzzled look and focused on the envelope Syd held by the outer edges. “Why? What’s that?”

  “The guy that delivered the food found it near the cars and brought it to me.” She let the folded parchment slide out onto the counter and opened it by the corners. Parker leaned over to read it, threading her arm around Sydney and tensing as she recited it aloud.

  I see your heart, in your blue eyes

  To feel you makes my pulse rate rise

  Until the time we touch again

  And I reveal my thoughts without this pen

  She can’t feel you the way I do

  Her sick ways are not for you

  I’ll feed your soul and set it free

  You’ll love your life, your place with me.

  Parker swallowed loudly, trying to stem an involuntary shudder. “You think this is Terry?”

  “Who else has ‘touched you’ lately? He looked all crazy when he saw us together and figured out who I was to you. I joked about it then, but now, I don’t think it’s funny. In fact, I don’t want you anywhere near him until we find out what’s going on.” Sydney’s jaw clenched, and she swiped her fingers roughly through her hair.

  Parker winced at the directive, and Syd took notice.

  “Baby, this isn’t me being bossy or macho; this is scary shit. You can’t take letters left on your car and in your house lightly.” She held Parker’s shoulders and pulled her hard against her chest.

  “I know. I am a little alarmed now. Especially for you. Whoever this is knows who you are. You deal with bad people, criminal situations, a lot. It could be anyone.”

  “He touched you. Blue eyes. It happened after all those people were here. It’s about you. Did he come to the party? That Terry guy?” She watched as Parker mentally checked through her memories of the CTI party night.

  “He would have been invited, but no, he didn’t come, I’m pretty sure.”

  Jenny opened the door, holding her toothbrush and heading for the bathroom.

  “Jenny.” Parker called to her quietly and motioned her toward the kitchen. “Did Terry Carver come to the CTI party here?”

  “No, he had to go to his niece’s wedding, I think. Why?” She looked at Parker strangely.

  “Syd got this note tonight, and well, you read it.”

  Syd spun it on the counter with the end of a pen, clearly intending for her to read it without touching it.

  “Ooh, very creepy, guys.” She frowned and backed away from the letter as if it was contagious. “Wait, you think this is Terry Carver?”

  “Well, no. I don’t know. It could be just coincidental, I guess.” Parker shrugged.

  “The fact is, he was in the building with her during the collapse, hence the touching part, and when he figured out Parker and I were together, he kind of acted…off, I guess. But it’s got to be the same person who left the one at the party. Can you think of anyone else that would be obsessed with her?” Syd pulled the note back to face her and reread the words that made her cringe.

  “He just doesn’t seem like the kind. But then, who does?” Jenny watched Syd use a napkin to refold the note into the envelope. “Should I mention it to Mack?”

  “I’ll make a report and turn it over in the morning. We can talk Friday when the training is over. I don’t want to put this on her when she’s trying to concentrate.” Syd stared at the envelope while she spoke, trying to find any pieces that might fit together.

  “I’m sure it’s just some weird crush thing, but we can brainstorm in the morning, Jen. Go to bed, go tell Mack good night, and don’t worry about all this, okay? It’ll be fine.”

  “I know it will. Love you, guys.” Jenny’s smile looked forced when she resumed her trip to the bathroom.

  “Let’s do the rest of the dishes in the morning?”

  Parker’s banal expression did nothing to dispel Sydney’s feeling of dread.

  Syd pulled her gun from the drawer, and Parker’s stare become stony. “Please, don’t give me crap about this, Park. Not until we know what’s happening?”

  “Okay. I get it. I just hate that we’re here again.”

  Syd knew Parker was thinking about the last time she saw her point a gun at the man who had nearly killed her and Mack in Syd’s car. Parker would understand it, but the thought stole a little bit of their peace.

  Sydney shut the blinds in the bedroom and laid the gun on the nightstand. She reclined on top of the bedspread fully clothed and watched as Parker slipped out of her shoes. “Can you come and lie with me for a second?”

  Parker crawled onto the bed and hooked her leg over Sydney’s thigh. She welcomed the flush of warmth that flooded her skin when Parker pressed her body tightly against her.

  “How can this happen? Haven’t we been through enough together already?”

  Syd pulled Parker closer instead of answering.

  “Don’t check out on me, okay? I don’t want to have to guess what you’re thinking. I need us to be in this together.”

  Syd knew it was typical to get lost in her own intense thoughts, and she needed to reassure Parker that they were a team.

  “We are in everything together. I’m just trying to figure out whoever this may be and why they’re doing it now. Who is new in your life that doesn’t know about me, or who is around you more than they were before? Can you think of anyone like that?”

  “No, I really can’t, and for that matter, Terry has been around almost as long as I have, and we’ve never been anything but professional with one another. Can we just put it away for tonight? I just need you…without all of this.” Parker slid onto Sydney and kissed her neck.

  “No fair. I have no defenses for that, but of course, you know this.” Syd allowed the eerie feeling to slip away as she rolled Parker’s body under her own and took her mouth.

  “I need to feel you.” Parker breathed into her skin, and Syd closed her eyes to the dangerous train she saw speeding toward them.

  Chapter Ten

  Wednesday morning, Jenny carried a sleepy Olivia into the kitchen and sat her on the edge of the island to shift an escaping sock back onto her pudgy foot. “So, did you have creepy dreams last night, like I did?”

  “Something like that, when I managed to sleep. I just can’t figure it out, and you know that makes me crazy.” Parker grinned ruefully.

  Syd jogged down the metal stairs from her office wearing black dress pants and a beige button-down shirt. Her suit jacket was tailored to her broad shoulders, a look Parker adored. She dropped her empty cup on the trivet near the coffeemaker.

  “Good morning, Jen. Good morning, Gangster Baby.” She kissed each on the cheek and then gave Parker a lingering kiss.

  “You’re certainly in a different place this morning. How long have you been up, anyway?” Parker had rolled over at 4:45, concerned to find Sydney’s side of the bed cold and empty. She’d fought the urge to look for her, assuming that the habitual night owl was hard at work in her office.

  “I started work about four, I guess. I had a lot on my mind, and I wanted to check on some things.” Syd offered Jen a mug of coffee and toppe
d up Parker’s tea.

  “Things like what?” Parker eyed her suspiciously.

  “Well, I just wanted to make some notes. I cross-referenced some names from the guest list and looked at some new people in the neighborhood, stuff like that.” Sydney replenished her coffee and slid the note into a plastic zip bag, joining it with the one from the night of the party. “I need to drop the note at the station first thing.”

  “Why don’t you just become a private investigator?” Jenny sipped her coffee and kept a steadying hand on Olivia.

  “Already am.” Syd turned to place the bag in the center of her portfolio.

  “Huh?” Parker looked at her as if they’d just met. “What do you mean ‘already am’? You’ve never even mentioned that once.”

  Syd shrugged. “It’s not anything that’s ever come up. Anyway, I thought we talked about it before. I got my license when I started the business, thinking I might use it as an extra source of income—as a fallback of sorts. I’ve never needed it, as it turns out.”

  “What else don’t I know about you?” Parker smiled, fascinated that she was still learning about her girlfriend. She would always be impressed by her. Awards lined the shelves in their living room, speaking volumes about the talents Sydney possessed, first as a general media editor and now working with district attorneys to help make their cases. It didn’t really surprise her that investigative work had always been in her blood. “Do you sneak out and do drag in DC while I’m sleeping?”

  “No, baby. You know that would cut into my gigolo time, and that’s where the big money is.” She winked at Parker casually, but the look on her face said she knew they would protect each other no matter what. “You’re both staying here today, right? No field trips planned?”

  “No, love. We shall be locked in just like our warden says. Where are you going?”

  “Just to the PD and to run some errands, you know, do a little research. I’ll let you know if I find anything. How about I bring home salads from Amici’s for lunch? Sound good?”

  “I’ll take that! Sounds great to me.” Jenny swept Olivia off the counter and into the playpen in the living room.

  Once they were semi-alone, Sydney’s expression became serious. “I know you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but it makes me feel better if you let me do it just a little, okay? Consider it relationship charity.”

  In response, Parker brought Sydney’s lips to hers. “We have a lot of work to do, so we’ll be here with the baby. We won’t even take her out for a walk until you get back, deal?”

  “I love you more than anyone ever will.” Sydney held her close and whispered into her hair.

  “I know that. I love you, sweetheart.” Parker kissed her deeply, letting the heat linger. “Come back soon.”

  ***

  Sydney parked next to a graphite gray Mercedes sedan in the nearly empty PRG parking lot. She scanned for Richard’s car, but since she wasn’t planning a lengthy visit, she was almost relieved by its absence. She waved confidently at the front desk attendant and walked purposefully toward the elevators. She’d learned that if you acted as if you were supposed to be somewhere, people would rarely assume you weren’t. She didn’t want her visit announced, not until she could do it herself.

  The account executives all shared the fourth floor with a bullpen of assistants and proposal writers occupying the center of the space. The early morning buzz was still mellow, and Richard Dailey’s office was still dark. She knocked on the frame of the open door of the next office. She noted the curious look on Dayne Grant’s face as she stood and walked around to meet Syd in front of her desk.

  “Got a minute?” Sydney stood behind the guest chairs, a convenient buffer, and Dayne extended her hand. Sydney shook it firmly.

  “Uh, sure. Have a seat?” She gestured to the stiff side chairs and leaned casually in a half sit against her desk.

  “I’m fine, thanks.” Sitting would have meant taking the submissive position to Dayne, which Syd would never do; she preferred to move when she spoke anyway.

  “To what do I owe this visit? I’m thinking this isn’t a social call.” She was tall and wore her spiky blond hair cut short over her ears, which displayed two large diamond studs in each, the same as when Syd had first met her nearly two years ago at Richard and Allen’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. She wore expensive olive green linen slacks and a short-sleeve silk sweater. Dayne was known for her extravagant taste in clothing and for getting what she wanted at any cost. Of course, that was how Parker got hurt. For just a few seconds, Sydney bristled at the memories of what she knew of their past.

  “No, it’s not a social call,” Syd finally responded. “I need to ask you a question I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to, but I have to eliminate some angles.” She unzipped the portfolio.

  “Sounds fairly ominous. I’ll do what I can.” Dayne watched Sydney warily.

  “Other than the night of the party at our place, have you had or attempted to have any communication with Parker?” Sydney sounded as if she was conducting an admission-seeking interview rather than garnering help from an acquaintance, but she couldn’t help it.

  Dayne frowned and shook her head.

  “Written her any notes, sent her gifts, or anything at all or had anyone else do it?”

  Dayne shook her ahead again. “No. Nothing.”

  “Julie, maybe?” Syd focused on Dayne’s eyes to see if she could detect deception.

  Dayne chuckled and pushed herself off the desk. She glanced at the folder in Syd’s hand. “I can assure you, if I ever arrived at such a thought, Julie would not be the person I would go to for that. She would be more likely to send Parker one of my recently removed body parts.” Her tone was edgy and suggested the existence of some serious tension in the relationship. “Want to fill me in?”

  “This isn’t public knowledge.” Syd would trust Dayne with the information in order to gauge her reaction.

  “And I won’t make it any. I know you don’t believe that I want Parker to be happy, but I do. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

  Syd thought that she had done enough when she was caught cheating on her with Julie. “Since I assume that Julie wasn’t the first, you can understand why it’s not easy to believe that.”

  The fact that Parker had no names for the numerous casual flings that came before Julie didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of them. It didn’t lessen the fact that they had existed, and Syd knew it had seriously fractured their ten-year relationship.

  Dayne sighed. “True then and a fact now. I’m just not sure putting a finer point on that would help Park.”

  “You can’t believe that she doesn’t know.” Syd allowed the conversation to leave its intended track momentarily.

  “Maybe I just hope that the past, my mistakes, can just stay there.”

  Dayne shrugged, and Syd saw no point in continuing the dialogue about ancient history since she wasn’t there to dredge up the dusty memories that contributed to Parker’s divorce.

  Sydney slid copies of the two notes from her portfolio and handed them to Dayne, knowing Mack probably wouldn’t approve. “There was a delivery of two dozen white lilies in between those two, as well.”

  After of few minutes scanning and then rescanning the notes, Dayne focused on Sydney with a curious expression and handed the plastic-encased pages back.

  “You don’t know me well enough to know this, but those aren’t me. First of all, I suck at poetry and wouldn’t even attempt to write something like that…even that lame. I tend to be a little more direct than that, which is something you do know about me.” Dayne’s wry smile indicated that she recalled her past bad behavior as clearly as Sydney did. “I can promise you that those didn’t come from me.”

  “Any chance Julie would try to complicate things for Parker?”

  Dayne shrugged. “It’s a fair question, but no. And she would never spend that kind of money on a ‘stay away’ gift. She is the tightest per
son with a penny I’ve ever met, which makes our relationship challenging at times. She’s also very eloquent, good with words and appropriate sentiment. This sounds like a guy to me. Sparing with words, badly assembled. Almost elementary.”

  “It does to me, too,” Syd conceded, “but I had to ask. This guy could be dangerous, and I want to be one step ahead of him, and so far, I’m not.” Sydney placed the notes back in her portfolio and drew the zipper over the edges.

  “I get it. I would have done the same thing. Probably less politely than you did.” Dayne walked to her window and stood next to Sydney where the city moved below them. Without looking away from the view, she said, “I really do get it. This scares the shit out of you, and you’re on a mission to protect her.” Dayne’s words were measured, as though she knew she might be entering territory where she wasn’t welcome. “If I had to guess, you’ve put everything else on hold, but you haven’t told her that yet.”

  “There’s nothing to tell her.” Syd shifted uncomfortably and worked to police her expression. She didn’t want to give away her guilt at hiding anything from Parker.

  “Sure, there is. You’re pissed off that someone got this close and more than a little scared. Which is why you’re armed.” Dayne nodded at the small of Sydney’s back, and Sydney was thrown off by the detection.

  Dayne answered the unasked question. “My job is relationship management. Which is just a talent for figuring out what causes people to make the decisions they do. You’re wearing a jacket in ninety degrees, and it’s not because it matches your pants. Parker is the reason you get up every morning, and that scares the shit out of you, too. I believe you would break someone’s neck if they hurt her, and I understand that, as well. She has that effect on the people who love her because if she loves you, she would give up anything to make sure you were happy.”

  “Are you speaking theoretically, or are you still one of those people?” Syd crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Do you want me to lie?” Dayne stared out the window as a bus narrowly avoided a bicyclist running a light.