“What’s that baby?” I ask him and he shrugs. He gets the flap open and pulls out the contents. He only has the paper halfway out before he freezes.
His eyes widen and then darken and his hands start shaking while clutching the envelope. “Connor? Connor what’s wrong your scaring me.” He shoves the papers back in the envelope, drops it onto the table and runs to the bedroom. My instincts are on high alert now and I grab the envelope terrified of whatever is inside that could send Connor into such a panic. I pull out the thick, glossy paper and stare wide eyed at the black and white picture of me laughing while petting a snow covered Samson. Attached to the bottom of the picture is a note with two words. “
Fix it.”
“Nina no!”
My head snaps in Connor’s direction and he has his phone in his hand and his eyes are clenched shut. “Princess.” He says softer when he opens his eyes on a deep breath. “Don’t touch that. The police need to dust it for prints.”
“Prints. Right.” I mutter slightly dazed. The fact that I’m holding what looks like a surveillance photo of me should have me freaking out, but it feels so surreal. I just stare at the picture and it’s as if I’m dreaming. I
think I might be in shock, because now would be a good time to freak out, but the suffocating fear that I’m so familiar with never comes. “It’s from your boss isn’t it? It’s Max.” Connor face is pained and then he looks down at the picture and his eyes turn hard. It reminds me of when he intervened with Ricky. He looks frightening.
“He thinks he’s scared me with this. He has no idea he signed his death certificate with this picture. I will kill him before he touches you.” Connor looks at me and closes his eyes for another second then sits at the table. “Come here Princess.” I walk over and sit in his lap and he wraps his arms around me. “The detectives are on their way. I don’t want you to be afraid. Do you trust me?” I look up into his blue eyes and it brings me back to reality, though not the one where I’m scared shitless. I feel the fear but it’s not as strong as my faith in Connor.
“I trust you.”
There is a knock on the door a few minutes later and I step down from
Connor’s lap and move to the door. I peek through the peep hole before opening it to the two men on the other side. Both are average height and muscular. One has dark short hair and blue eyes and a mustache. The other has slightly longer medium brown hair and looks a pro wrestler.
“Good morning, I’m detective Edward Wheeler and this is my partner Joseph Gasner. The darker haired one says, his blue eyes crinkling up at the corners in a small smile.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” I hear Connor say behind me. I should have known he wouldn’t let me answer the door alone. “I’m Connor Wright. I called you. This is my girlfriend Nina Ryan.” He opens the door wider and gestures them inside. “This is the photo of Nina that was left on my doorstep on top of the paper. We have both touched it.” Connor points to the photo lying on the table that we had just made love on the night before.
“That’s okay. I’m guessing there won’t be any prints that we can use on this. Someone who goes to this kind of trouble isn’t careless. Nina, do you remember when this could have been taken?” Detective Wheeler asks sliding the envelope and picture into a plastic bag.
I nod and swallow. “Yes, it was taken last week. I was walking the dog. It was an excuse to call Connor’s friend Nick to invite him to Connor’s surprise birthday party. I went a couple miles down the road.”
“Do you remember how long you were gone?” Detective Gasner steps up to me and takes out a pad of paper.
“About one hour and forty five minutes.” Connor interjects. “She had an accident with the dog almost getting hit by a car.”
“What happened exactly?” Gasner asks and shoots a look at Wheeler.
“I was letting Samson, the dog, run without the leash because there weren’t any cars and when we got to the hill I didn’t see the SUV coming up the hill until it was almost to where Samson was. I was a few yards away on the other side of the road and the SUV swerved off the road and just missed Sam. The man came out of the car to make sure he was okay and left a few minutes later.”
“Did this guy give you a name, ask you any questions or act strange at all?” Wheeler steps up next to his partner. I notice how they are always facing the door and casually looking out the windows and around the house. To someone who wasn’t paying attention it wouldn’t be noticeable, but to someone who had been looking for signs and messages and avoiding people her whole life, details were important. These two were no rookies and they had probably worked together a long time. It made me feel better knowing they were the ones who came. Everyone has heard horror stories about cops not taking stuff like this seriously, I could tell that wasn’t the case with these cops.
“He told me his name was Lucas, but he didn’t give me his last name. He said he was stopping to see a friend and asked if there was a good bar in town to go to.”
“What did he look like?”
“Um tall, maybe 6’ 2”. Shaved head, muscular build early 30’s. He had on aviators so I couldn’t see his face.”
“Did he make a pass at you?” Gasner asks. I look up at Connor sure that he won’t like that I had left this part out.
“Yes sort of.” Connor’s jaw clenches. “He kind of insinuated that he might be interested in seeing me out at the bar and I told him that my boyfriend and I went there sometimes. He made a comment about the cute ones never being single and he left.” Connor looks less than thrilled at that so I turn back to the detectives.
“We spoke to the NYPD after you called. Sounds like you were a witness of a crime back in New York and they haven’t caught the guy yet. Is that right?” Wheeler says to Connor this time.
“Yes my old boss Maxwell Holden. He or one of his lackeys took this picture.”
“Are you sure?
" Gasner asks and the fact that he doesn’t discount Connor’s instincts solidifies my opinion of him and his partner.
“No doubt. The message is what erased any uncertainty I would have had. “
Fix it.
” It’s what Holden always said to me when he was double booked or there was a conflict with clients or personnel. He wants me to retract my statement. I’m betting if I don’t, he’ll contact me to turn myself over to him and he’s trying to use Nina as leverage. That won’t happen. I won’t be threatened and neither will my girlfriend.” He says, eyes gone dark again.
The detectives smile at each other and Wheeler claps Connor on the shoulder. “Good man. Honestly
, I think you’re on to something. We’ll keep monitoring the area and ask around to see if anyone was expecting this Mr. Lucas.”
“In the meantime I’d invest in a gun and a security system.” Gasner says. “You didn’t happen to catch anything else about the SUV Lucas was driving did you? License plate number, distinguis
hing marks or bumper stickers, anything?
“No the windows were tinted and I wasn’t paying close enough attention. I’m sorry.” I look at the floor.
“Hey, no worries kiddo. You gave us something to go on.” They gather up the evidence and head to the door. “We will be around checking up on some of this. Let us know if anything else happens, weird people coming around, phone calls, more notes and if in doubt write it down and call us. There is no such thing as too much information.”
Gasner hands Connor his card and Wheeler stops and looks back across the room to the dog house and I follow his gaze and see that Samson is standing at the glass wagging his tail. He barks once
, but seems more curious than upset. “When this Lucas guy got close to you, did Samson have any sort of reaction to him?” He asks.
I think about that and realize that I’d never heard Samson growl before that day. “Yea he growled at him. He kind of always stayed in front of me.”
Wheeler nods. “I’m betting Samson doesn’t do this often?”
“No never.” Connor says nodding. The men exchange knowing looks and the detectives head out to the car.
When the door closes and Connor turns to me, I can tell he’s reigning in his temper before he speaks. “Nina. Why didn’t you tell me about this Lucas guy?”
“I did. I told you someone almost hit Samson.” I’m grasping at straws and he knows it.
“You know that’s not what I mean!” He takes a deep breath. “Nina Ryan I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to survive you.
Please
. Tell me this kind of stuff, okay. It would be different if a regular looking guy approached you at a public place. But a big, young, strong man in the middle of a deserted road, in winter…” He closes his eyes. “I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. Especially because of me.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me because of you. I’m safe because of you Connor. I promise I’ll tell you about anything out of the ordinary from now on.” I walk slowly up to him and go up on my tiptoes to run my fingers through his hair and kiss his chin. I pull away to look at him and he kisses me lightly then swings me up into his arms.
Nick walks in the door then and see’s us in an embrace and starts towards his room. I can tell he isn’t at his best right now, but he needs to know what happened today.
I pat Connor‘s bicep and he sets me down. “Nick.” He stops and turns around on a sigh as I say his name. “We need to talk.” I look at Connor and his face turns dark again.
“What’s up guys? Sorry I ditched you last night.” He says looking at Connor with a twitch in his jaw. “I had some unfinished business to take care of.” Connor just shakes his head and heads to the living room so Nick and I follow suit. I sit on Connor’s lap in one of the chairs and Nick plops down in the other.
“Nick they found us.” Connor says and Nick’s expression changes from tired to alert. “They took a picture of Nina while she was walking the dog the other day. The same day she called you. They left it for us this morning with a message on top of the paper.”
“They threatened you with her. Let me guess it was some vague note that can’t really be traced back to Holden if you decide to retract your statement and clear his name.” Nick says and Connor nods in acknowledgement. “Did you call the cops?”
“Yea they just left. Nick man, are you sure you want to stay?”
Nick chuckles at his friend. “As if I’d leave.” Connor nods once more then stands and grabs my hand and pulls me up with him.
“Where are we going baby?” I ask him, wishing that for once Connor and I could be together without something or someone coming between us.
“We need a bubble bath. Extra bubbles.” And just like that, with only a few words Connor makes everything okay. I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck and hang on. I look over my shoulder to see Nick retreating to his room. I push my worry for him and Toni, Lo and Drake and Max and Lucas out of my mind and focus on Connor. Tonight is just for us. Tomorrow we go back to work and the rest of the real world. Everyone else will just have to wait till tomorrow.
“Don’t go anywhere alone, or without telling me.” Connor is attaching his pocket watch to his vest the following morning and continues to dress while bossing me around. Multitasking at its finest.
“Yes Mr. Wright.” I say in my best impression of a snotty student.
“Cut the attitude or I’ll make you call me that in bed.” Connor says but I can see he’s smiling so I know he’s joking.
“Quit bossing me around or you won’t get me in bed.” I say sweetly and Connor quirks an eyebrow.
“Princess I’m very serious. Please be careful. Until they find Max you need to think on the defensive. Don’t trust anyone. Don’t go anywhere alone. Be aware of what’s going on around you. And never, give anyone any information they can use against you.” This time I raise my eyebrow at him.
“Excuse me, but have you forgotten the day we met? I’ve been on the defensive my entire adult life so I don’t need the lecture.” I pull on my ballet flats and stand with my hands on my hips and give him my “don’t mess with me” look.
“You look beautiful baby let’s get going.” Subject closed.
Good boy.
We head out the door and neither of us has seen or heard from Nick since last night, but we don’t mention it.
Connor is still putting together an outline of the program and working on getting the office set up with several outreach programs supported by local businesses and groups. He has a community service program, martial arts, study groups, peer groups, a phone tree so that the kids can hold each other responsible and he even set up awards, commendations and leadership positions to give the kids incentive to participate. Mark and the school board were so impressed they told him to take the rest of the day off, so he takes the opportunity
to sit in on my last two classes. During the last of the two, a couple of little girls were whispering to each other instead of doing their voice warm ups with the rest of the class
“Camille, Stephanie? Is there something you would like to share with the class?” I address them. Camille giggles and Stephanie sits up a little straighter.
“No, Miss Ryan,” Camille sing songs, but Stephanie ignores me and stares at Connor. I turn around and Connor gives me a shy smile and shrugs.
“Stephanie? Is there something you want to ask Mr. Wright?” Stephanie contemplates this for a second, then stands up.