The Story of Her Life, page 17
“Oh, I think I’d like that actually. It would give us a chance to catch up.” I don’t know why I didn’t think of asking her myself. It would give us a chance to talk about what’s been going on with her and Matt. Maybe I can offer her some advice like she’s been able to do for me about Devan. “Do you even like coffee? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink any since I’ve worked here.”
“No, I hate coffee actually.” She said, wrinkling her nose and sticking her tongue out. “But if you’re going to the shop up the road, they have an excellent selection of fruit teas.”
I sit at my desk and boot up my laptop. I spend most of the morning working on the stories I’ve been assigned for the week, my email app open in the background hoping to get another email from my source agreeing to meet with me in person. I do receive a few emails from some of the business owners in response to installation techs, however. As I suspected, each of the businesses that were involved in the string of robberies had Jerry on their installation team. It looks more and more like Jerry was somehow involved.
When 11:30 hits, Marie and I leave the office together to walk to the coffee shop up the road. I tell the security guard where we are headed and let him know that since I’m not walking alone that I won’t be needing an escort. He frowns at me before nodding his head and retreating behind the security desk.
“What was that all about?” Marie asks looking over her shoulder at the security guard as we walk out the front door onto the sidewalk.
“They’ve been escorting me to and from the building every day for the past week. I’d had a few threatening notes attached to my car and Devan was worried that someone would actually try to act on the threats.”
“What? And this is the first I have heard about them? What the fuck, Julie?”
“Sorry, Marie. I didn’t think to bring them up. It’s not like they were that big of a deal.”
“But they were a big enough deal that you have security escorting you whenever you leave the building?”
“Oh, that. That’s more for Devan’s peace of mind really.”
“Whatever.” She scolds me. We get to the coffee shop and place our orders before picking a booth in the corner to sit and talk for the next hour. I give her an update on the burglary story I’ve been working on and what else I had found out about the installation techs. She agrees with me that Jerry is worth looking into.
“Sounds like he might be your man.”
“Right, but there is only so much information I was able to get out of Martha and Mr. Steadman isn’t willing to talk to me anymore. How else can I possibly get any more information about him?” I ask her, genuinely confused at how to proceed at this point.
“Well, aside from talking directly to the source...”
“I’m not going to do that. If he is as creepy as Martha says he is, I don’t want to be caught anywhere with him alone. Ever.”
“True. So, what about your source? Are you able to verify anything with him?”
“I’m still waiting to hear back from him. I sent him an email asking if he were ready to meet in person so I could ask him directly about this Jerry guy. But I haven’t heard anything back from him yet.”
“Well, shit. I don’t know what else to tell you to do, Julie.” That was what I was afraid of. Without being able to confirm the information with my source directly, I was literally backed against a wall.
“So, what’s new with you? Have you seen Matt lately?” I ask, genuinely curious. Not to mention, ready to change the subject. I’m discouraged with the way my story is turning out. I always wanted to be an investigative journalist, but it seems to be turning out a lot more difficult that I imagined it to be. Honestly, why do I think I’ll be able to break this story when the police can’t even get any leads. And I’m not a detective. At this rate, I’ll be writing bullshit stories for a two-bit gossip rag for the rest of my life.
“I spent the day with him Saturday, actually.” She says before taking a sip of her tea. She’s actually blushing behind her teacup. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush before.
I smile at her before taking a sip of my coffee. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She narrows her eyes at me and tilts her head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’ve never seen you like this before. You like him. Don’t you?”
“Obviously. I mean, you’ve seen him. What’s not to like?”
“So? What’s taken you so long?”
“Julie, look. There’s a lot you don’t know. I have a past that I’m not proud of and it’s hard for me to open up to someone like Matt. I mean, I like him. I like him a lot actually. I’m just scared of getting hurt.”
“I don’t think Matt is going to hurt you, Marie. He really likes you. He was going crazy trying to figure out who you were after he met you at the club.”
“I know.” She looks down at her lap and I almost feel sorry for her. I don’t know what her past is like, she’s never told me anything about her prior to having met her at work. But she looks defeated, and a little scared.
“Look, Marie. Just take it one day at a time. If it works out, great. If not, that’s fine too. Just know that I’m here for you if you need to talk about it. Okay?”
“Thank you, Julie. That means a lot to me. You have no idea. But you’re right, one day at a time.”
We finish our lunch break in silence while I stew over the information. Before standing up to leave, I take a few minutes to look around the coffee shop. I’ve had chills going up and down my spine from the minute we had walked in here and haven’t shaken the feeling that someone has been watching us. But looking around, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. “You ready to head back?” I ask Marie as I stand to throw my cup into the trash bin.
“Yeah, I have a few appointments this afternoon to finish up for my stories.” We walk out together and go back to work.
I struggle for the rest of the day to concentrate on my actual work. My mind keeps going back to the coffee shop and the feeling that someone was watching me. I keep thinking of everyone that I saw sitting around our booth and can’t think of one of them that seemed out of place.
Marie left about and hour after we returned from Club Coffee and didn’t return to the office. After I finish up a few emails, I pack up my laptop to leave for the day and take the elevator down to the main floor. I walk up to the security desk ready to meet my evening escort to my car. I don’t recognize the man sitting at the security desk. In the time that I’ve been here, I don’t recall ever seeing him here before. He glares at me as I approach before turning his attention back to watching the monitors of the building.
“Can I help you ma’am?” He asks without looking up from the screens.
“Yeah, I’m supposed to get an escort out to my car when I leave for the evening.”
“No, I wasn’t told anything about that. Don’t worry though, we have cameras on all the parking around the property. I’ll just keep an eye from here.”
That doesn’t sound right, and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck start to stand up. I twist my hand together nervously before asking, “Are you new?” I’m starting to feel more nervous by the minute.
“No ma’am, I’m just new to this shift. I’ve been here for a while and I’m sure someone would have mentioned something about being an escort.” He finally looks at me, but the glare he gives makes me feel insecure and somewhat terrified.
“Fine, thank you.” I turn and walk out the front door ready to put more distance between me and the security guard. It’s already getting dark and I feel even more nervous and jittery than usual. I still can’t shake the feeling of being watched even though there isn’t anyone around. Approaching my car, I stop dead in my tracks when I see a piece of paper sticking out from behind the wiper blade. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
I grab the paper and sit in my car, slamming the door shut and locking the doors quickly. I start the car and drive home as fast as I can get away with. I’m determined not to even look at the note until I’m in the safety of my own apartment. When I get inside and lock the door, I sit on the couch to read the note. For the first time since moving to the city, I feel afraid in my own apartment and wish that I weren’t here alone. I can’t call Devan because he’s out of town. I don’t want to involve Marie because she has enough to deal with right now. I take several deep breaths to steel my nerves before opening the note and reading it to myself.
“You’ve been warned, paper doll. Yet you continue to play with fire. We have eyes on you and will enjoy watching you burn.”
My hands tremble and the note falls to the floor slowly. A loud buzzing starts in my ears, my heart begins pounding so hard in my chest it feels like it may break through my ribs. I can feel the cold starting in my toes and working its way up my legs as if my blood were turning to ice. I had felt it since lunch, the feeling that someone was watching me. The prickly feeling on the back of my neck as if someone were standing too close. Then that security guard refusing to escort me to my car only to find another note there. My mind begins whirling in multiple directions and suddenly, I realize that I can’t trust anyone.
How convenient for there to be a new security guard at the desk tonight. How convenient for there to be a note left on my car on the one night that I don’t have an escort. I need to talk to Devan. But then, I’m not sure that I should. I don’t want to worry him especially when he is out of town and not able to come to me or offer me any comfort. It isn’t fair to put him in that position and I don’t want to make him feel guilty for not being here. Still, I text him to let him know I made it home, just like I do every night after work. It doesn’t take but a few minutes for my phone to ring. I fumble to accept the call, needing desperately to hear his voice.
“Hello?” I answer, trying to calm myself at the same time so he won’t hear the shakiness of my voice. I know as soon as I hear myself that it doesn’t work.
“Julie, what’s wrong?” He must have heard it too. I’m still shaking so hard I can barely hold the phone to my ear.
“Nothing, Devan. It was just a long day.” I try even harder to be more convincing, but I know I’m failing big time. Especially when instead of him saying anything, my phone starts ringing over to video chat. There won’t be any hiding it now. I click over and wait for his picture to load. I instantly see his expression drop as he takes in the sight of me obviously frightened of something. I’m sure he can see me shaking and the trembling of my bottom lip.
“What happened? Are you okay?” I can’t form the words needed, and my breath is becoming shallow and ragged. “Julie, talk to me! What is going on? You’re scaring me.”
“I’m s-sorry, D-Devan.” Still trying to compose myself to talk. The tears start pouring down my cheeks like a faucet and I can’t stop. “I-it was t-terrible.” I try to slow down so I won’t tremble so bad that he can’t understand me. “There w-was a new security guard t-tonight. He wouldn’t... he wouldn’t walk m-me out.”
“He what? Please, angel, tell me nothing happened. God, I should be there!”
“N-no, Devan. Nothing happened.” I close my eyes and take a few more calming breaths. I’m still trembling and it’s getting harder to talk. “I got t-to my car and there w-was a note. I came straight home before I read it.”
“What did it say, Julie?”
“I can’t, Devan. I am shaking so bad I don’t want to read it again. P-please.”
“Okay, angel. Can you face the phone to it so I can read it myself?” I set the note on the table and turn the phone camera, so he’s able to see it. “Fuck!” He yells and I can see the inside of his hotel room as his arm moves around while holding the phone. I can picture him waving his arms in frustration after reading the note. Then I see his face again, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tense. “I’m coming home, angel. Keep the doors locked until I get there. I’ll text you in two hours, so you know I’m there.”
“No, Devan. I can’t make you do that.”
“You’re not making me do it, baby. I can see that you’re scared. I want to come home. I need to come home. I’ll be there in two hours.”
“Okay. Please d-drive careful.”
“I will. Just stay inside and don’t answer the door for anyone. I’ll let myself in.”
“Okay.”
Chapter 19
Devan
“Hello?” Julie answers the phone and I know instantly that something is wrong. I can hear it in her voice, the way she’s shaking and breathing as if she has just completed a nine-minute mile.
“Julie, what’s wrong?” I ask her, my body tense and instantly on alert.
“Nothing, Devan. It was just a long day.” She’s trying to hide it and I commend her effort, of course. Knowing that I’m working out of town, she’s trying to keep it all to herself so that I don’t worry. I need to see her though. She sounds upset about something and I want to see for myself that she is truly okay. What I see, however, when she answers the video call breaks my heart into a million pieces.
“What happened? Are you okay?” My beautiful, brave girl is pale and shaking. Her eyes are rimmed in red, her mascara streaking down her cheeks, and I know that she’s been crying. Her lower lip is quivering and shaking as bad as her voice when she speaks. The video is shaking violently and it’s making it hard for me to focus on her eyes. “Julie, talk to me! What is going on? You’re scaring me.”
She begins to tell me about what happened to her, shaking and sobbing so bad that she’s stuttering. I wish I were there to hold her and help to calm her. My blood pressure begins to skyrocket as she tells me that a new security guard left her to walk to her car... alone. “He what? Please, angel, tell me nothing happened. God, I should be there!” I stand and pace the hotel room, running my finger through my hair in frustration.
“N-no, Devan. Nothing happened. I got t-to my car and there w-was a note. I came straight home before I read it.” She says.
“What did it say, Julie?”
“I can’t, Devan. I am shaking so bad I don’t want to read it again. P-please.”
“Okay, angel. Can you face the phone to it so I can read it myself?” Then she shows me the note and something in me snaps. “Fuck!” I jump to my feet, my mind scanning through several scenarios over a span of only a few seconds. The only conclusion is that I need to get to my angel. I need to be there to comfort her and hold her close. She needs me, and there is nothing that will keep me from getting to her. “I’m coming home, angel. Keep the doors locked until I get there. I’ll text you in two hours, so you know I’m there.”
I’m instantly on my feet, telling Julie through the phone that I am on my way home even as she tries to talk me out of it. I quickly pack up my gear and my overnight bag and check out of the hotel. I got all the shots I need for this assignment earlier today so there is nothing more that I need to do here tomorrow anyway.
I arrived in Solvang early this afternoon and started right away getting the photos I needed. This adorable Danish village hosts a culinary festival every March and wantss some photos for their promotions and advertising. The lighting had been perfect at the time of my arrival to get pictures of the actual architecture and atmosphere. I spent several hours walking around the village, enjoying the scenery and taking photos. The only other thing I had planned to do in the morning was to walk through some of the shops that I had seen while taking the pictures.
Right now, however, my priority is getting to Julie. I have never seen her so shaken up before and I am terrified for her right now. Getting into my car, I take a few minutes to breathe deep before starting the engine. The last thing I need to do is get into an accident trying to rush home to her.
This is going to be the longest two-hour trip of my entire life. My mind keeps circling around what might be happening to her right now with me not there to protect her. What if someone had followed her home? What if they were just waiting for the right time to come into her apartment and hurt her for real? What more was it going to take for her to listen to me and go to the police?
Without hesitation, I call Matt and put it through the Bluetooth in the car. He answers after two rings. “Hey, troublemaker.”
“Matt, I need your help.”
“You okay?” He asks. He obviously mutes the television which I heard in the background when he answered so I know I have his attention. “What happened?”
“I’m fine but I’m rushing back from Solvang. Julie got another note on her car at work. It’s got her pretty shaken up and I’m worried about her.”
“And she was alone? I thought you said security was escorting her to her car.”
“They were. But there was someone new tonight and he refused to do it. She was by herself and waited until she got home to read the note. It was bad, Matt.”
“Fuck!” He exclaims. I can hear the rustle of clothing, so I know he’s on the move.
“I said the same thing.”
“Do I need to go sit with her?”
“No. I don’t think you need to go that far. She’s pretty shaken up and I told her not to answer the door for anybody. But maybe just go sit outside her apartment and keep an eye out until I can get there. I’m two hours away and I don’t even want to think about what might happen in the time it takes me to drive home.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll park out front and wait for you to get there before I leave. Be careful man. I got it covered here.”
“Thank you, Matt. I owe you man.” I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he’s got my back and won’t let anything happen to her before I can get there. That calms me down enough that I’ll at least be able to make the trip safely.
“Don’t mention it.” I can hear him already getting into his truck before he hangs up the phone.
Finally, after the longest two hours of my life, I pull up to her apartment. I take a few more deep breaths before getting out of the car to steel myself. She doesn’t need me to be storming into her apartment like a wrecking ball right now, she needs me to be strong. I shoot her a quick text letting her know I’m on my way up.
