by C. J. Carson
Jake turned to Dakota. “Do you think we might be able to get him to come to the station tomorrow?”
In unison, George and Dakota responded, “Yes!”
Carl looked around the room. “I think we should call it for today. Let’s reconvene early in the morning, say seven o’clock?”
Payne turned to the rest of us. “How does that sound? I think if George and Dakota are okay with it, we should keep them involved in this research as much as they are willing.”
Dakota walked over to Payne. “I’m in, how about you, George? You do have a business to run.”
“I can get my night manager to do a split shift and bring some employees to first shift. That will cover me, so I’m in. We can call Paco this evening and arrange for him to come in tomorrow morning sometime.”
Carl shook George’s and Dakota’s hands. “We really appreciate all your help. I am seeing, with the magnitude of this case, we are going to need all the help we can get.”
I turned to Dakota. “Do you think you could give me a ride home?”
Payne immediately interrupted. “Sorry, Allie, any transportation for you, to and from this station, needs an officer. I will give Officer Moretti a call and get him down here to escort you home.”
“Really? Do you think that will be necessary?”
As Carl was walking out of the room, he looked back and raised his hand. “Payne, stick to your guns on this one, no pun intended!”
Chapter 31
I ARRIVED HOME TO THE SMELL of something wonderful coming from the kitchen. I placed my keys on the table in the entry and called out to Claudia.
“Hey, girl, are you still working?”
There was no answer, so I went to check for her in her studio and bedroom, but she wasn’t there. Moving through the apartment, I called out again.
“Claudia, where the heck are you?”
I got to the kitchen, went directly to the oven, and opened it. She was cooking a large roast with carrots and potatoes. Panic rose in me until I turned around to find a note on the island.
Allie,
If you get home before I make it back, I will only be gone a few minutes. I am walking to the small bakery on the corner to get some dessert. I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Josh over for dinner. I couldn’t reach Jake, so I left him a message on his phone. Hopefully, he will get it in time.
See you in a few,
Claudia
***
As Claudia was walking back from the bakery, she cut through the underground parking garage to take the elevator up to the tenth floor. Moving through the garage, she couldn’t help noticing the expensive cars. When she came around the corner to approach the elevator, she stopped short. Behind a massive concrete pillar was a large black Hummer, parked right in front of her. She was startled by the feeling of someone behind her, and before she could cry out, he grabbed and covered her mouth, silencing her.
A familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Quiet, don’t make a sound.”
As she struggled, he spun her around. It was Dakota. Letting her go, he put a finger over his mouth to quiet her. As he backed her up against the concrete wall, she nearly dropped the box from the bakery.
He mouthed the words, “Stay right here.”
Moving, at that point, was not an option, as she stood frozen with fear.
She watched him move stealthily through the garage. She watched as he chased someone running to the exit and around the corner, but by the time he got there, it was too late. Whoever he was chasing was nowhere in sight.
He ran back to Claudia. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry I frightened you.”
“No, I am not all right! Were you chasing that guy away from this Hummer? Who was it?”
“Wait, no I was not chasing him from the Hummer. I followed him from upstairs. As I came through the lobby, I overheard him asking questions about Allie and me. I tried to approach him, but he took off running to the stairwell leading down here.”
Officer Edwards came up to us from the other side of the garage. “Well, it looks like he slipped away.”
Claudia was so confused! She looked at Dakota. “I think he ran out without his vehicle. I bet this is his Hummer.”
“No, that’s mine.”
Claudia took three steps back. “Oh, really? Well, that’s interesting because it looks just like the one that Allie described as being parked outside of her house the night her stalker broke into it.”
“You’re right… Well, not exactly. It was my car there that night, but I am not her stalker. I am guessing you haven’t talked to Allie since she got back from the station.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Well, let’s go upstairs and talk to her now. We have some things to explain to you.”
Claudia stepped back again. “I’m not going anywhere with you until I talk to Allie.”
Officer Edwards interrupted. “I think it’s safe to say you can trust Dakota. Detective Payne called and spoke to me about some recent developments, and they included clearing Dakota. I do, however, agree that you should have a conversation with Allie.”
Claudia and Dakota made their way up to her apartment, neither of them speaking the entire time.
***
As I was coming out of my room, the front door closed. “Is that you, Claudia?”
“Yes, it’s me, and Dakota is here as well.”
I met them at the door. “It’s nice to see you again, Dakota.”
Claudia moved toward the kitchen. “As if you haven’t spent the entire afternoon with him?”
Puzzled, I looked at Dakota. “Do I sense a slight sarcasm in her voice?”
“Let me clear that up for you! Yes, it was sarcasm in my voice. Why don’t you fill her in, Dakota?”
Dakota grimaced. “We had a little incident down in the parking garage.”
Claudia turned on her heels to face him. “Is that what you call it? You nearly scared me half to death. Oh, and you know what else? That Hummer parked outside your house the night of your break-in. That was his, and he was in it—”
“Claudia, I have a host of new information to tell you about. Jake called while you were out and he is going to come over. We can fill you and Josh in over dinner tonight. Dakota, would you like to stay?”
“Oh no, I don’t want to be a fifth wheel. Besides, I still have to catch up with Charles at the front desk about this whole incident in the garage. I’m sure he will have to report it to Payne.” He turned to Claudia. “Please fill Allie in. Allie, I will see you tomorrow at the station with my father.”
With a look of utter shock on her face, Claudia blurted out, “With your father? I guess I have missed a lot!” Still a bit frustrated, a slight smile crept across her face as she exhaled, and began to relax. “Look, Dakota, I’m sorry if I have misjudged you, but you have to admit, you took me quite by surprise downstairs.”
As Dakota started to leave, he paused and came back to Claudia, placing his hand on her shoulder. “You’re right. I’m really sorry Claudia. I wish things had happened differently downstairs, but believe me, I was just trying to keep you safe.”
Claudia reached up and hugged him. “I think we can get past this. After all, you were trying to help, even though I didn’t know it at the time.”
Jake and Josh both arrived about an hour later, just in time to sit down for dinner. The first thing out of Jake’s mouth was, “Allie, I think this stalker, whoever this guy is, seems to get more brazen every day. Officer Edwards told me he walked right into the lobby and started inquiring about you and Dakota.”
“Honestly, I don’t think it was him. I think he would be too afraid to be recognized. Look, I’m not saying he isn’t involved in the incident, but think about it. Would he expose himself like that?
“I know they sent the security footage over to Payne and Carl to see if they could match it to any of the photos they have. I think that’s a long shot, and maybe the best we can hope for is that this stalker has enlisted the help
of someone who has a record and will show up in the criminal database. Even though the front desk didn’t give the guy any information, that he came here to inquire shows that he can still trace and locate me.”
Josh took a bite of his food before taking a sip of wine. “So, tell us about your day at the station. Were you able to uncover anything in the files that were brought by Officer…what was his name? Jefferson?”
I chuckled. “His name is Detective Carl Johnson, and today was quite the day for discoveries. For one thing, Dakota has been helping George keep tabs on me. Before he died, Grandfather enlisted George, Dakota, and Dakota’s father, Paco, to watch over and protect me.
“Claudia, that is why the Hummer was parked outside my home that night. Dakota has been trying to catch this guy since he attacked me in my office.”
Jake sat anxiously for an opportunity to speak and couldn’t hold it in any longer. “There were a couple of discoveries that were surprising to all of us, including you, Allie. Do you want to tell them, or can I?”
“Go ahead, you can tell them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Well, today, Allie pulled some dried sage out of the box her grandfather gave her and burned it to clear the room’s energy.”
“How is that a discovery?”
“Because when she picked it up, it ignited in her hand without a source, and then, after she moved around the room, it also went out on its own.”
“Wow, I have to admit, that is more than a little strange.”
“Yeah, but it gets even better. When Dakota came into the room with George, Allie got upset. She was walking to the door to leave and calm down when the papers on the table started flying. No one in the room said a word until we all started laughing from the mere shock of it.”
I looked around at each of them. “In some ways, the discovery of all these abilities should make me feel less afraid and empowered, but because I can’t control them, they tend to have the opposite effect. I mean, I never know what to expect next.”
Josh shook his head. “I would really like to spend more time with you and Claudia down at the dojo. I can teach you several self-defense techniques and practice them with you until they become second nature.”
Jake got up to take his plate to the sink. “I think that’s a great idea! Let’s get the kitchen cleaned up and call it a night. We have to get an early start in the morning.”
After the long and intense day, I couldn’t wait to get some sleep. I said good night to Claudia and headed into the shower. When I was getting ready to climb into bed, Claudia knocked at my bedroom door. “Hey, Allie, do you have a few minutes? Can I come in?”
I walked to the door and opened it. “Only a few minutes. I have to get some sleep.”
Look, Al, I was thinking. Aren’t you curious to see if you can make things move when you want to? Did you even try to see if you could move something after that episode with the papers on the table?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Why not? Aren’t you even a little curious?”
“To be honest, Claudia, as strange as it may seem, I didn’t give it another thought. It seems that these strange things happen to me when I’m not expecting it or when my emotions are running high.”
“Do you want to try it now? Don’t you think it would be good if you could harness some of these abilities? I know I would be trying if I were you.”
“Claudia, it’s late. I need to get some sleep.”
“Just think about it. You may need that ability to defend yourself someday.”
“I’ll think about it, but not tonight. Let’s continue this conversation tomorrow.”
As Claudia left my room, I climbed into bed and I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of someone crying. It compelled me to get up and go to the window. I gazed down at the street to see a woman at the curb, leaned up against a lamppost, sobbing uncontrollably. Across the street was a figure moving toward her, wearing dark clothing and a hoodie sweatshirt pulled up over his head.
I raised the window and yelled out, “Hey, get away from her!”
Putting his head down lower, he continued to move in her direction. I grabbed my robe and took the elevator down to the door in the lobby. When I got to the street, he was running away, and she was face down on the ground. As I approached her, I carefully turned her over as she continued to wail in pain. Beaten and frightened, she came up fighting when I tried to help her.
“You’re going to be okay,” I told her, taking her hands in mine, trying to look into her eyes. “We’ve got this; please let me help you!”
I got her up from the ground and into the lobby as quickly as she would allow me. I sat her down in a chair and turned to the desk. The lobby was strangely dark and empty. Where was everyone? I spotted a bell on the counter and frantically rang it.
A gentleman came out of the room behind the desk. “How can I help you, ma’am?” Would you like a room for the night?”
“What? Are you kidding? I live here, where is security?”
He looked strangely surprised. “Ma’am, are you all right?”
I turned back to the woman I helped in from the street, but she was gone. Then, all the lights came on and, as I turned back to the desk, Guile was standing there.
“Allie, are you all right?”
I blinked a few times before I opened my eyes. What the hell? I found myself sitting in bed and Claudia was at my bedroom door.
“Hey, girl, time to get up. It’s five-thirty. Isn’t your ride going to be here in about an hour?”
“What?”
“Hey, Allie, are you okay?”
I didn’t dare say a word to her about my dream. I refused to open that can of worms. “Ah, yeah, thank you for making sure I’m up.”
“You’re welcome. Now, up and at ‘em, girl!
Chapter 32
AS PROMISED, ANTONIO PICKED ME UP by six-forty and had me at the station by seven o’clock. Much to my delight, Jake had stopped at the local breakfast shop and brought us coffee and pastries. I was the last one to arrive.
“Good morning, everyone. I can’t wait to get started.”
Payne smiled as I walked in. “Good morning, Allie. We just filled Carl and George in on the incident that occurred at your parking garage late yesterday, so I think everyone should be up to speed.”
I walked over to the gentleman standing next to Dakota. “So, you must be Paco?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am. It is an honor to finally meet you.”
I reached out and took both his hands in mine. “No, the honor is all mine. I am so glad to have a connection to my ancestry, especially such a close friend of both my father and grandfather.”
Bringing my hands to his heart, he smiled. “Your grandfather was a great man, with an infinite understanding of the world around him. We grew up together on the reservation, and even as a young man, he had a wisdom beyond his years. Your father had a loyal heart and a boundless gift of compassion. I have many joyful memories that I would love to share with you when the opportunity arises.”
Stepping forward, I looked straight into his eyes. “I look forward to spending time with you and learning all about your youth with Grandfather, as well as your memories of my father.”
Payne spoke up. “Can I ask everyone to have a seat, so we can get started?”
I moved toward the whiteboard. “Payne, has Paco had time to look at any of the photos?”
“No, not yet, but he has given us a new lead.”
“Really? What is that?”
“There is a young woman who survived an attack by someone we think might be your stalker. She should be here any minute. I thought we would let both her and Paco review the photos together.”
He no sooner got the words out, when a woman was escorted into the room. As I turned to see her standing in the doorway, the blood rushed from my head as I passed out.
The next thing I knew, Dakota was calling out to me, but it seemed distant. “Allie, are you okay?”
As I came to, I realized I was on the floor, with someone’s jacket tucked under my head.
The young woman was kneeling next to me. “Are you all right?”
“I think I am.” The room was just coming into focus and my head was pounding. Leading Dakota over to the photos on the board, I paused for a second. “She’s not here!”
“Who’s not here?”
I turned and pointed to the woman that had come into the room. “Her! She’s not here!”
“Well, no, why would she be?”
“She was on this board yesterday. I saw her there. I noticed her because she was wearing a turquoise necklace that looked to be Native American. I’m telling you; her picture was right here.”
“Okay, Allie, if it was here it has to be in the room somewhere.”
“No, it was one of the pictures of his victims, and now it’s gone!”
Feeling myself reeling near hysteria, I walked over to sit at the conference table. “I need a minute. Just give me a minute. Could someone give me something to eat? I’m feeling a bit weak in the knees. I think you should all have a seat. I have something I need to tell you.”
After I collected my thoughts, I looked over to the young woman. “May I ask your name?”
“Of course, my name is Tanis.”
“Tanis… That’s a nice name. My name is Allie, and I am so grateful you have come here today to help us. Do you think you can tell me what happened to you the night you were attacked?”
“It is difficult to talk about, but yes.”
“How about if I ask you some questions to get started?”
“Okay.”
“How long ago did this man attack you and where did it happen?”
“It was seven years ago, outside the old Rockland Hotel. It has been sold and turned into a high-rise apartment complex. I think it’s called the Summit now.”
With widened eyes, I took a deep breath. “Seven years ago? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m certain. It was on July tenth, that’s my birthday. I was on my way home from my surprise party when a man came up behind me. I’m normally so careful to stay aware of my surroundings when I walk at night, but I never saw him coming. He pummeled me from behind, knocking me to the ground. The whiplash from that blow sent a shooting pain up my spine and into my neck. He spun me over and struck me several more times. I got lucky because I was carrying mace on my key chain and somehow held on to it during the struggle. He bent over and lifted me from the pavement and began threatening me. When he tried to strike me again, I summoned the strength to lift my arm and sprayed him in the eyes. I don’t know where that strength came from, but it bought me the time to stumble to my feet and getaway. I ran for blocks until I finally tripped on a curb, falling, and hitting my head on the pavement. I dragged myself over to and leaned on a lamppost. A short time later, I’m not sure how long, I heard a woman yelling out of a window above me in the hotel. The next thing I knew, she was helping me to my feet and into the lobby.”
