Glass Towers, Shattered (Glass Towers Trilogy) (7 page)

He nods, “Yes well
, since you were not threatened and from what I understand, nobody said anything, we can’t really do anything. I’d treat it as a crank caller.”

“Well, I
received another one of those calls this afternoon on my new number. I find it inconceivable that I would get another one of those calls almost as soon as I turned on the new phone.”

He scratches his head.
“Well that is odd, but until they say something to threaten you, we have nothing. Even at that, a pattern would have to be proven. My suggestion to you is to keep a log of each time you get one of those calls. It could be one of those robot callers I hear about. You know, they call around to verify numbers so they can call you to get you to buy a new windshield or something.”

Yeah, real helpful.

“Alright, so If I get any more of those calls I will keep better track of the details.” I look over at Clarke, and she is yawning and stretching. I can tell she has had enough for one night.

“I was also wondering if you have made any progress in finding out who bankrolled the jerk who broke into my place the first time?”

He perks up. “Well I am afraid we have not made a lot of progress. It seems we have more questions than answers at this point, but now that you mention it, I would like you to come down to my office to go over the pictures again. I have some questions about the dates you provided.”

“Oh
, ok. I didn’t realize the dates were a problem. Can I come down next week?”

He d
oesn’t seem to be listening to me. “Detective?”

“Oh yes, sure
, let’s see, can you come down Monday?”

“It is going to be tough for me to get
to the station before Wednesday afternoon. Will Wednesday work?”

“Well
, it’s later than I was thinking, but that should be fine. I have tonight’s visit to add to my already overworked staff anyway.”

I open the door and the detective passes through to the hallway.
“I’ll see you next week, and if you think of anything, do you still have my card? I’d like you to contact me directly, if you don’t mind.” He gives me a knowing look and hands me a card. I nod, while mumbling thanks.

I shut the door behind him and look back to Clarke
, who is leaning against the wall, with her eyes shut.

Her eyes pop open.
“Okay, let’s blow this joint!”

She grabs my two large suitcases and loads each of them with the two smaller versions.
I grab my purse, laptop bag, and overnight bag and put them on my left and right shoulders. I shove the two stacked boxes out the open door with my foot. I lock the place up, pick up my boxes, and the two of us make our way down to the parking garage. Once we get things loaded, Clarke hops in the car with me. We go around the corner to where her car is parked. I pull up right beside her car, and on the windshield, under the wiper blade, is a single red carnation. My heart skips several beats, as it makes its way quickly into my throat. I turn to her to see if she noticed the same thing. She turns her head to me and blurts, ”Oh shit!”

She hops out of the car and heads to her driver side windshield.
I hop out too and yell “Stop, don’t touch it!” She whirls around to look at me with a questioning arch of her brow.  As her mouth opens to say something, I holler “Evidence!” I reach back in my car to grab my phone off the console.

“Ahh, got it”
She mumbles as she backs away from her car, hands held in the air.

I take a couple pictures with my phone.
I watch as she removes the stinky carnation and hurls it to the back seat. We both climb in our separate cars, and I allow her to pull out in front of me, so I can follow her. Although there was no one else on the road, to speak of, I had a creepy sense that we were being followed. At the next stoplight, I text her to take the scenic route, just in case. I look down at my phone, propped in the cup holder and see that she text back “ok”.

As we were leaving my building , I saw two missed calls from
Harrison, so I had texted him quickly from the elevator. I will call him once we get to Simone’s. It is shaping up to be another sleepless night. I look forward to this weekend in anticipation of getting some sleep. I doubt I will be interested in much else.

After taking the freeway instead of the surface streets
, which would have actually been a more direct route, we arrived at Clarke’s. Satisfied that we weren’t followed, we unload my car, and she allows me to park my car in her garage, leaving her car in the driveway.

Once I deposit all of my luggage and boxes into the guest room
, I join her in the kitchen. I look around and see that she literally left everything and ran to my side. “Oh Clarke, I am so sorry to disrupt your romantic evening.” As I survey the room, I see extinguished candles everywhere, an open bottle of wine, glasses, and dirty dinner plates still on the table. A huge wave of guilt overcomes me.

She giggles
, as she shrugs her shoulders, “Hey, what are friends for? Besides, it will keep him wanting more, right?!”

I find myself relaxing a little
, as I chuckle with her.

She picks up the wine bottle
, holding it high, she asks, “Can I interest you in some Towers Private Reserve?”

Startled, I look at her and squint at the label
, through exhausted eyes. I see that she does, indeed, have a bottle of Harrison’s wine in her hands. “When did you start drinking local wines? I thought you were a strict Italian import snob?”

She looks at me with a crinkle of her brow and tilts her head
“Uh, hello! You sent me this a few weeks ago, remember?”

Shaking my head rapidly as my heart starts to race once again
I inquire, “What do you mean
I
sent it? I swear that I did not send you that bottle of wine! When did you get it and how did you receive it?”

Her face is pale now
, as she sets the bottle on the counter. “Dani, just what is going on here? This is starting to rattle even me. It came while I was on my last set in Bend. I found it on my front doorstep, in a wine basket with a burgundy satin bow tied around it.”

“Was there a card or note with it?”

She looks at me sheepishly, “Uh, well no. There wasn’t. I just assumed it was from you. I mean it was from Towers Vineyard, why would I think it was anyone else?”

“Shit
! Clarke! You never said anything to me!”

“Now
, wait a minute!! Why are you getting mad at
me
?! It was a reasonable assumption to make.” She puts her hand up to stop me from responding. “I think you just need to calm down. I would also like to remind you that I am an innocent bystander, being sucked into this melodrama.” She snorts with a look of disgust on her face. 

My guilt is now overflowing
, and I remember that I still need to call Harrison.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.
Honestly, Clarke, I don’t know what is going on. The last thing I want is for you to be caught in this web. I really am so sorry. I think, maybe, I should go stay at a hotel. Harrison said he would put me up in one of his.”

She crosses the kitchen to get a clean glass out of the cupboard and holds up a bottle of Jack Daniels
, with a questioning arch of her brow. I shake my head rapidly no. She pours a generous portion in a small tumbler glass and throws it back in one quick motion. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and then turns to face me, square on.

“Dani, I too have to be honest.
Ever since you started seeing money bags, all of these passive aggressive little threats have been making your life miserable. Now the asshole is engaged and you are standing here in the middle of my kitchen, virtually homeless.” She stops to pour herself another, smaller, portion of Jack and throws the second back just as quickly as the first.

It’s like she left out the part that she wanted to say
, which is that it’s all Harrison’s fault. I tend to agree though. But, only in the sense that it because of Harrison that I am the recipient of all of this nonsense; clearly, this is not his doing. 

“That said, I will not hear of you staying in a hotel!”
She gives a fake giggle, “Besides, it seems I am already in the middle of this.” She nods at the single red carnation she had placed on the table after carrying it in from the car.

I feel a cold chill travel from the base of my neck
, down my spine. A creepy reminder that things are getting worse, not better.

“If anything were to happen to you because of me, I would never
, in a million years, be able to forgive myself!” I realize that I sound like Harrison. “This is getting far too complicated. When I put it out to the universe that I wanted a fresh start and a new life, this is not exactly what I had in mind. Perhaps, I should have been more specific.”

She laughs and comes over
to give me a big, Italian-girl style hug. “I will help you get through this. I am optimistic that things will get better for you hun. Have some faith.”

I nod and feel hot tears stinging my cheeks.
It seems there is never a shortage of my tears lately.

I hear music coming from my handbag. It’s my phone. I look at Clarke, and she rolls her eyes. “Oh wonder who that could be?”

I feel guilty about taking his call.
  I try to explain, “Clarke, I have to take this...”

She sighs and nods her head
, as she stacks up the dishes from the table, “Yeah, I know…shoo shoo.” She motions with her free hand.

I answer the phone and feel tingles when I hear him say my name.

“Danielle?”

“Hi.
Sorry I haven’t called yet.”

He interrupts.

“I was getting worried; it’s been hours since we last spoke. You at Simone’s, I hope?”

“Yes, I am fine
, and I am here at Simone’s. I am planning to stay here for a few weeks. In fact, I am handing in my notice. I am stuck in a lease, with a few months left, but it is worth buying it out. I can’t live there anymore.”

He sighs.
“I am so, so, sorry Danielle. This would not be happening if I hadn’t pursued you. It’s all my fault. I feel like history won’t stop repeating itself. I lost the last woman I loved, and I have worked hard to not love again… until I met you.”

Gasp.
My breath gets caught at the back of my throat. There it is again, his professed feelings for me. I can hardly process this. I feel giddy and excited at the prospect of Harrison Towers loving me forever. At the same time, my heart feels heavy because of the challenges we have been given. What do I do? I was never supposed to fall in love again.

“Danielle?”

“Yes, sorry.” I whisper into the phone. “Harrison, we will get through this, right?”

“Yes
, Danielle, that is the hope.”

“Wow, now that is not the response that I was hoping for.
‘That’s the hope’? Not encouraging at all! Simone just finished telling me to have faith too. What I am feeling is anything but hope and faith at the moment.”

“I know.
This has been really hard on me also. I am working with my guys around the clock to find out the information that will lead us to unraveling Marion. It is just taking more time than I had hoped. She knows my methods too well, and she is not doing this alone. It’s obvious that she has an inside track, and we are trying to uncover who is helping her. If we take down her help, then it will disarm her, and I can find a way to rid myself of her blackmail.”

Now
, I feel like I am in a Lifetime movie. The last time I felt this way was back when I was going through the divorce. How did my life go from so simple to so, so complicated?

Without my consent, my life has transitioned into that of mystery
, with intrigue, danger, money and power, but I am simply a pawn in all of this. None of this is the result of my actions, except that I allowed myself to fall for Harrison Towers.

“It is all too much for me.
I am exhausted, and I don’t know what to do. I need to get some sleep, Harrison. We can talk tomorrow right?”

“Yes
, of course, I will let you get some sleep. Hey, did the detective show up tonight?”

“Yes, he did. He still has no solid leads on who is bankrolling that creep who broke in the last time.
And, he said those calls I keep getting are not a concern, unless I am being threatened. He advised me to keep a record of the calls nonetheless.”

“Right
, well that is what I have been telling you also.”

“I know
; I just figured that I could use my phone records. Before I forget, someone also sent Clarke a bottle of your Red Reserve from Towers Vineyard. Apparently, it was on her doorstep when she got back from a job in Bend, so who knows how long it had been sitting there.”