Brainstorm (6 page)

“He’s abusive. He’s jealous and controlling, and when he
calls and tells me to come home, I have to go. If I don’t, there’s always
trouble. Audrey, every day he makes me to talk to him on my cell all the way
home, so he knows exactly where I am and exactly when I should be pulling into
the driveway.”

“So you’re telling me that’s what you were doing when you
said you had to take your grandmother to the doctor?”

She nodded. “I’m so sorry, Audrey. I hated lying to you.
You’ve been so nice to me.” She reached for the water glass on the table, and
at the edge of the hospital gown’s sleeve, I saw that bruise again; the one
that had gone green; it wasn’t new. I immediately felt like shit.

I thought about the pancake makeup in her desk drawer,
and understood now that she used it to mask bruises that couldn’t be covered by
clothing. I got mad thinking about how little of that makeup was left in the
tin. “Well, you can’t go back there.”

“Oh, I have to! I’m supposed to call him when I leave the
hospital, so he knows when to expect me. He’s probably already furious that I
haven’t been there to cook his meals.”

“Does this guy have a job?”

“If he had a job, he couldn’t control me all day long.”

“How do you live? On what little I pay you?”

“You’ve seen the place,” she said.

“He wasn’t there when I went in yesterday. The door was
unlocked.”

“He only leaves it unlocked when he runs out for beer or
cigarettes. You probably came within minutes of having him find you. I wouldn’t
want to think about what he would have done.”

My temperature skyrocketed. “Okay,” I said, “here’s what
we’re going to do. You’re going to leave your car here; don’t worry about the
parking charges – I’ll cover those. It just so happens I want to stay away from
my apartment for a while; I’ll explain that later. As soon as you’re released,
the two of us will move into the second floor of the office. If your car isn’t
there, your boyfriend – what’s his name?”

“Carl.”

“If your car isn’t in the parking lot, Carl won’t know
you’re staying there. I just had a security system put in, so we should be
okay. Sound good?”

“I don’t know, Audrey, I don’t want to piss him off any
more than I’m sure he is already. He’ll look for me at the office, and he’ll
kill me if he finds me.”

“You can’t go back to him,” I said, “I won’t hear of it.
Has he visited you since you were admitted?”

“He wouldn’t show his face around here, even though it’s
probably killing him not to – I’m sure he’s convinced himself that I’ve been
flirting with every doctor on staff and he’s just waiting for me to get back
home to punish me for it.”

I gave her a hug. “I’m sorry about all this. I’m going
over to the office now and get the place ready. I’ll stop by my apartment and
grab some things we’ll need; we’ll figure out how to get your stuff out of your
place later. Hang in there.”

“Thanks, Audrey,” she sniffed.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. And I’m really happy that the
guy at the office didn’t injure you any more than he did. It’s awful that two
men have hurt you like that.”

She started to cry all over again. “Audrey, oh, God,
there was no guy. No ski mask. It was Carl. He got angry over something stupid
and came to the office when he knew you weren’t there. I’m sure he’d been
sitting in his truck across the street, waiting for you to leave. He pounded on
the door and said if I didn’t open it, he’d break it down.”

In disbelief, I stared at her. “
You let him in?”

She nodded. “I know it’s hard to understand how he can
have such a hold over me, but I’m terrified of the guy. If I wasn’t, I’d have
left him long ago. But he said if I did, he’d find me and kill me, and I
believe him.”

If there was one thing I understood, it was how a person
could be controlled, either by another person, a drug, or a disorder like mine.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “he won’t get another shot at you.”

Fueled by fury, I went home and loaded stuff I thought we
would need into Nelly. I dug out paper plates, and plastic forks, spoons, and
cups, from last year’s Labor Day picnic. Harley was about my size, so I threw
some extra clothes and PJs into a bag, and grabbed a bunch of washcloths and
towels from my little linen closet. As I carried my small TV out to Nelly, a
sense of panic began to set in that I was taking too long. What if Carl did
show up to take Harley home? Moving as quickly as I could, I packed a box with
some non-perishable food, and then put everything salvageable that wasn’t
coming with me, into the freezer. The rest went into a garbage bag, which I
threw into the dumpster on the way out. I stopped into the saloon to tell my
landlord I’d be out of town, just in case anyone asked.

By the time I reached Harley’s room, she had her
paperwork in hand. I was relieved beyond words that Carl was not there. “I’m
ready,” she said. “Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”

Back at the office, with Harley safely inside, I began
emptying Nelly. I carried the small TV upstairs and set it on a table, then
pulled the sheets and blankets out of the plastic bags and made up the cots. I
settled her into her makeshift bed and then gave the bathroom a quick wipe
down. The place looked almost livable. Almost.

By the time I was done, it was past dinnertime. “I’ll hook
up the cable,” she said, “why don’t you go get some takeout.”

“You should stay in bed,” I said, “and I don’t want to
leave you here alone.”

“Better now than after Carl realizes I’ve left the
hospital. And I do not intend to stay in this bed!”

“Okay, what sounds good?”

“Surprise me,” she said.

Before I went out I checked and double checked the
parking lot, vowing to park closer to the building on my return. It didn’t help
that I was in a neighborhood where an extra gunshot or mugging would go
unreported for a good amount of time. Now, with Carl about to learn of Harley’s
disappearing act and Danny Stearns on my mind, I decided to have Miller add
some lights in the parking lot.

A quick trip to a nearby pizzeria, netted me a large pie
with everything and a six pack of soda. I nestled Nelly in close to the door,
locked her up, and went inside with our hot and aromatic dinner. We ate and
watched the news. Within half an hour, coverage of Sean’s press conference
began. He was great – emotional, angry, and deadly serious all at the same
time. But when the camera pulled back, I was horrified to see myself standing
near the platform, next to the podium.

When I gasped, Harley asked, “What?”

I explained the whole story about Danny Stearns running
into me, how I’d recognized him on TV, and how now maybe he’d seen me. “Do you
think he’d recognize me after all this time?” I asked. “Because if he did, and
he knows I could be the one to ID him, I think he’d come after me. And seeing
me on the news in Syracuse would certainly narrow the search area for him.”

“Why didn’t you say anything about this before?” she
asked, looking more upset that I’d expected her to. I didn’t want to add more
stress to what she was already shouldering.

“It’s not exactly a story I’m fond of telling,” I said.
“It’s one I’d hoped would stay in my past.”

“So you just happened to be standing in his path,” she
said, almost to herself. “How does a thing like that happen? I mean, what are
the odds?”

Talking to Harley made me more convinced that Danny
Stearns
would
try to find out who and
where I was. I could only hope that he hadn’t seen the report, but these 24/7
news outlets replayed the same stories over and over for days. He would have
lots of chances to see me. I got up and examined my two medicine bottles,
trying to decide which one to take. I went with the happy pill, knowing that
anxiety was my worst enemy, and that I didn’t really want to sleep heavily
anyway. I wanted to hear any creaks or other noises that may occur during the
night, and I cursed myself for having had carpeting put on the stairs.

I threw out the paper plates, took a shower, jammied up,
and dropped onto my cot, facing Harley. “Listen,” I started, “we’re going to
have to tell Jack that you were not attacked by a man in a ski mask. We can’t
have the cops out looking all over the place for some phantom thug. You can get
in trouble for that. They can make you pay for the cost of the investigation
and you can’t afford that.”

She put her hands over her face, shook her head, and took
a deep breath. “The last thing I want to do is get myself in more trouble –
especially with the police. I didn’t even think about the repercussions of
lying to them; I was just trying to protect myself.” Then she stopped and
looked at me. “Who’s Jack?”

“Oh, sorry. Officer Morey. He was one of the responding
officers at Ferdy’s, and here too. He’d given me his card, so when I saw Danny
Stearns on TV and got upset, I called him. He was also at Sean’s press
conference, and I had lunch with him earlier today.”

“So, you’re dating him now?”

“No, no, we just keep bumping into each other and like I
said, we had lunch today. I mean, he’s a big guy and good looking; I’d be lying
if I said a little chemistry couldn’t develop between us, but there’s a
downside too.”

“Like what?”

“Like he wants me to talk to the police in Rochester and
tell them I saw Danny Stearns there the day the bank was robbed. He wants me to
get all involved in that, and I don’t want to. And now we’re going to have to
tell him about Carl.”

“I knew this was too good to be true,” she said. “Why
didn’t you tell me you were dating a cop before you brought me here?”

“We’re not dating! And what would you have done – gone
back to Carl?”

“I don’t know! You didn’t really give me any time to
think! I might have gone back, but maybe I would have decided to disappear,
instead.”

This was as close to a fight as Harley and I had ever
come. Our emotions were running high and we needed sleep. “How about, first
thing in the morning,” I said, “we eat a big breakfast, gas up Nelly, and drive
her over a big cliff holding hands – just like Thelma and Louise? Wanna?”

“That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” I said. “Come on, you know we have
to tell Jack.”

“Your new boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend! But he’s the only police officer
I know. Maybe he can persuade his brothers-in-blue that you were protecting
yourself when you lied about the guy in the mask – that Carl is a violent
person. They know all about domestic abuse and you have the bruises to prove
it.”

“That much is true,” she said, rubbing her arm.

“Jack’s already trying to figure out who’s after our
clients; I don’t want to have to break in another cop. He can handle this for
you, we just have to tell him sooner, rather than later, to mitigate your exposure.
He can try and keep you alive and stop me from going under at the same time,” I
smiled.

“Maybe you don’t even need Jack,” she said. “You could
probably stop the attacks on your clients by yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“All you’d have to do is just close up shop before
anything else happens.”

“Close? And do what?” I picked up the file I needed to
read in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting with Miller, but after fifteen
minutes, realized that I was not going to be able to concentrate on it, and put
it aside. We tried to watch a movie, but my mind kept wandering. “I’m calling
Jack, okay? You have to get this thing settled.”

“Fine,” she said. “I just hope you’re right about him.”

I picked up my cell and punched in Jack’s number,
realizing I was looking forward to hearing his voice. And to seeing him again.
He answered on the second ring. “Jack, it’s Audrey,” I said. “Can you meet with
Harley and me sometime tomorrow? At my office? There’s something you should
know.”

I opened my eyes the next morning and Harley’s bed was
empty. Immediately, I thought she’d decided against meeting with Jack, had
called a cab, and skipped out. But the aroma of brewing coffee from downstairs
brought sweet relief, and I grabbed a quick shower, dressed, and headed down
for a cup.

It was already 10:30 – Jack would be here in half an
hour. After tossing and turning last night, I’d given in and taken a sleeping
pill; I guess I’d needed the shuteye, because I remembered nothing after taking
it.

Harley had all the shades drawn and was busy working on
the computer. “I had calls from six of Tony’s eight stations,” she said,
“they’re all bailing on him.”

“I figured they would,” I said. “Bastards. And guess who
gets to tell Tony?”

“And Carrie Ashton called. She wants to know if I can go
up there today. No one had an intern to spare and she’s in a panic. You know,
Audrey, Carrie’s computer problems are probably just glitches – not connected
to the others at all.”

“I hope you’re right, but we can’t afford to lose her in
any case, so go ahead; take Nelly. I’ll meet with Jack and talk to him about
Carl, all right?”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I will, but I’m sure he’s going to want to
talk to you when you get back,” I said, as I tossed her my keys.

She gathered up her paraphernalia and took a good long
look outside before she opened the door. I walked out with her and waited until
she was safely in Nelly, then I went back inside, locked the door, and set the
alarm.

Even though I was looking forward to seeing Jack, I was
nervous about exposing Harley’s lie, and hoped there would be no repercussions
for her. She’d gone through a lot, and I completely understood her actions; I
couldn’t help but wonder if I would lie the way she had under the right
circumstances – out of straight-up fear. I shivered, knowing that if Carl found
out that Harley was living here, I’d no doubt end up in his crosshairs, right
along with her.

When Jack knocked on the door, I couldn’t get there fast
enough to let him in. I surprised myself – and him – when I stood on my toes
and kissed his cheek. “Sorry,” I said, immediately embarrassed, “I shouldn’t
have done that.” He shut the door, then turned back to me and swept me into his
arms. He kissed me hard and I leaned into him. All muscles. All man. Big hands.
Soft lips.

“Wow,” he said. “Good ice breaker. I’ve been wanting to
kiss you since I first laid eyes on you.”

“You have?” My face got hot, and I hoped that if I was
blushing, he wouldn’t notice.

He kissed me again. “Good thing the other guy isn’t here
yet,” he laughed. “He’d probably want a kiss too.”

“What other guy?” I asked, trying to regain my composer.

He took off his hat. “Matt St. John. He’s the Liverpool
cop working Tony’s investigation. He has a couple of questions, that’s all.
Where’s your Jeep? When I drove in, I thought you might not even be here.” He
looked around. “Where’s Harley? I thought the two of you wanted to talk to me.”

“I had to send her to a client this morning, but she said
I could speak for her.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It is. And I need you to let me tell you the whole story
before you ask me any questions, okay?”

He nodded. “Come on – let’s sit. What is it?”

I explained about Carl, Harley’s fear of him, and how
she’d made up the story about the man in the ski mask to keep from being
beaten. “I understand you can’t have men out there looking for a guy who
doesn’t exist, but she lied out of fear for her own safety. That should count
for something, right?”

“Will she press charges?”

“I doubt it. She’s staying here because she’s scared to
death of him.”

“That’s no good – he’ll look for her car in your parking
lot, first thing.”

“We left it in the hospital garage. She’s got my Jeep
right now.”

“Well, I’m telling you that he’ll eventually find her.
And he won’t be happy to learn you’re sheltering her.”

A knock on the door told us that officer St. John had
arrived. “We’ll talk later,” said Jack. “I want to ask around first and see
what can be done.” He gave me a wink that filled me with more than a warm
feeling; it gave me hope, and I went to open the door. The two men greeted each
other and then Jack introduced me.

By my guess, Officer St. John stood about six foot six;
the perfect picture of someone who’d probably had his criminal justice degree
paid for by a basketball scholarship. He sat down, looking like a parent forced
to park himself in a child’s chair, at an elementary school open house. “I need
to ask a few questions about your relationship with Tony Bravada, so if you
don’t mind, I’d like to get started.” He pulled out a notebook. “How long have
you and Mr. Bravada been working together?”

“About eight years,” I said.

“Does he have any enemies you know of?”

“Of course not. He’s one of the nicest people I know.”

“How about you – anyone who might want to get to you by
harming Mr. Bravada?”

“I can’t think of anyone.”

“So, how often do you see Mr. Bravada in an average
week?”

“We meet for coffee every Monday morning before he goes
up for his first round of traffic reports. We go over new contracts and the
week’s work.”

“Where?”

“Mike’s Diner on Route 11 – it’s close to the airport.”

“When was the last time you met him there?” he asked.

“Like I told Jack,” I said, “the day of his accident.”

“What time did you get there?” I threw Jack a look.

“Around 6:45.”

“Did he leave the same time you did?”

“No, he stayed to finish his coffee.”

“So, you didn’t see him after that?”

“Not until after the crash.”

“Okay, well that’s it for now. I may have more questions
for you later. You’ll be available?”

“Of course,” I said. I walked him to the door and then
watched him get into his patrol car. I turned to Jack. “What the heck was that?
He was asking questions I’d already answered for you.”

“Just police work. It’s his jurisdiction. Don’t worry
about it. When will Harley be back?”

“Not sure. She’ll have her hands full at Carrie’s.”

“Okay,” he said, “I’m going to take off and see what I
can do with her situation. I wish you could talk her into pressing charges, but
she probably knows that Carl wouldn’t spend more than a few days in jail, if
any, and then he’d be out looking for her. She may have to consider leaving
town altogether.”

“She’s convinced he’ll find her no matter how far she
goes. She’s been totally controlled by him and now that she’s trying to leave,
he’s still there, in her mind. She’ll be looking over her shoulder until the
day she dies, unless he dies first.”

“Keep your door locked,” said Jack, as he put on his hat
and headed for the door. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He took me
in his arms and kissed me, leaning back until my feet left the floor. “Who
would have thought I’d find someone like you at a crime scene?” he laughed.

I watched him drive away, sad to see him go. Seconds
later, Miller pulled up in his van. Just as I expected, he got out carrying all
kinds of crap I knew I would have to read about, understand, appreciate, and
figure out how to market. Business-to-business. Business-to-consumer. Suddenly
I wanted to run away.

After an hour or so, Miller sat back in his chair and
rubbed his eyes. My head was pounding and I reached into my desk drawer for a
bottle of aspirin. “Want something?” I asked him.

“Please,” he said.

My bottle was empty, so I went to Harley’s desk and found
that hers had only two pills left in it. I handed them to Miller without
letting on that I needed them as badly as he did. He swallowed them, and then
packed up the few lousy scraps of paper he was taking with him. The bulk of it
would remain with lucky me.

“Everything okay with the system so far?” he asked.

“I guess so; it hasn’t really been tested. But I feel a
lot safer since you wired me up. I’m thinking about parking lot lights now.”

“Just give me the word,” he smiled.

Once he’d gone, I went back to my desk and called Harley.
After I told her what Jack had said, she seemed a little relieved, but still
nervous in general. “I just hope I don’t get into a load of trouble over it,”
she said. “As for pressing charges against Carl – the answer is no; it’s just
too dangerous.”

“That’s entirely up to you,” I said. “I’m in your corner,
whatever you decide. Will you be back sometime today?”

“Not a chance. I’ve already made reservations at a hotel.
I’ll work the rest of today and hopefully finish up tomorrow. One way or the
other, I’ll see you by dinnertime.”

I thought there was a chance that Carrie would try and
hire Harley away from me, while she had her there. And it would make sense for
Harley. A good move for her, really. A great job with a raise (anyone could pay
her more than I could), the chance to use her skills with equipment and
software I’d never have, and a place Carl would most likely never think to look
for her.

I almost felt it was my duty to call Carrie and suggest
that she hire Harley. Who knew how much longer my agency would even be viable?
Jobs were not easy to come by. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed
to be the perfect way out for a really nice woman who needed a serious break.
It was positively ludicrous to expect her to live here at my office, even if it
was temporary. I picked up the phone and punched in Carrie’s number.