Chapter 22 The Phoenix #2
“Bradshaw,” he said curtly in what I had to guess was his typical way of greeting.
“Daxton,” I whispered, trying to keep the fear from my voice. Twisting my hands in the sleeves of my sweater, I tried to focus on the facts and not let my imagination run away with what could be happening to my sister.
“Rae, what happened?” His voice changed from dull and professional to worried.
I swallowed around the thick lump forming in my throat, refusing to let my anxiety win as I explained the situation to the best of my ability, trying to trust that he wouldn’t blow up at me for showing my weaker emotions like I had been conditioned to expect in the past.
“I received mail tonight, they’re photos of Michelle at my house. I didn’t know who to call.” I felt pathetic. Most normal people wouldn’t have an issue calling the cops over something that was so obviously a threat. Although most people didn’t have the cops thinking they were insane either.
“What do you mean by photos of Michelle at your house? Recent photos?” I heard a faint beep that sounded like the unlocking of a car before the faint hum of a starting engine sounded in the background.
“They would have to be recent, she’s been staying there with my dog.”
“Have you tried to call her?”
“Not yet, since I can’t exactly go and check on her.”
“Don’t worry about that right now, I’m on my way over to your house. What’s her phone number?”
I rattled off her number without thinking to ask how he knew where I lived. Daxton briefly put me on hold while he tried to call her. A few seconds later, he let me know she hadn’t answered.
“I’m a few minutes away, just stay on the phone with me, okay? Everything will be alright.” His voice was firm, commanding in a way that I wanted to believe every word he said.
“I’m so sorry about this,” I started, but he cut me off.
“Don’t. Don’t you ever be sorry for calling me. I should always be the first one you call.”
Choking down a sob, he didn’t leave me room to argue, and funny enough, I didn’t want to. No one had ever put in the effort to make me feel secure in reaching out before.
He stayed on the phone with me until he arrived at my house.
I made a mental note to ask later how he knew where I lived once I knew my sister was safe.
Daxton confirmed that her car was in the driveway and continued to stay on the phone as he knocked on the door.
Riley's barks were audible in the background, so I took that as a good sign.
My dog would have never let Craig into the house without a fight, and barking meant he was ok.
Daxton must have taken the phone away from his ear, because I could barely still hear him talking. I almost cried with relief, willing my legs to stay upright as I gripped the phone tightly when I heard my sister's voice.
“She’s okay, Rae. Do you want to talk to her?” He said into the line.
“Yes, please.”
“Rae? What’s going on?” She asked, the skepticism strong in her voice.
“Are you okay?” Even though Daxton had already assured me that she was, I needed to hear it for myself.
“Yes, I’m fine, I was in the bath earlier, that’s why I missed the phone call. What’s going on? Why is your therapist here?”
“Craig sent some photos in the mail. Photos of you outside my house, Mickey. In the last one, he was holding a knife.”
“Are you sure it was him?”
“Yes, I’m sure, who else would pull a stunt like that?” I tried to soften my tone when I spoke to her, reminding myself that she was on my side and was probably trying to process the information just like I was.
“Have you called the police?”
“Not yet, I wanted to make sure nothing had happened to you, and I’m scared they aren’t going to believe me.
“I’m going to take Riley back to my house tonight and have Gavin come over.” Gavin was her gay best friend that Riley had already met on several occasions and didn’t have any issues with.
“Please call me in the morning?”
“I’ll call you at seven sharp, Rae. Here, Daxton wants to talk to you, and I need to go get Riley's stuff.”
I said goodbye to my sister as Daxton came back on the line.
“I told her I’d wait here until she’s ready to leave,” he said quietly.
“Thank you, seriously, I can’t thank you enough for checking on her.” My heart had never known what it felt like to be this much of someone’s priority, even before the ordeal Craig had put me through.
“You don’t need to thank me, Rae, I told you I’d take care of you, and I meant it. After I make sure she leaves safely, I’m going to give my friend at the police station a call about this, so be prepared, they may send an officer to the hospital to collect the photos.”
“Do you think they’ll believe me?”
“My friend trusts me, and I trust you, so I guarantee at least one will. Your sister is coming out with your dog, if you can call that horse a dog,” I snorted a laugh at his comment.
Riley was huge for his breed, but he was my big baby.
“I don’t think you should show anyone else the photos until the police get involved. ”
“Kendi has seen them,” I uttered without regret.
“Kendi, I trust, but I wouldn’t let anyone else take a peek. You never know how people will react to things like that. I’ll come check on you tomorrow morning.”
“Okay,” I agreed, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. The weight that had been bearing down on my shoulders since opening that envelope had lessened significantly. Knowing that I had someone in my corner to help carry the burden.
Making my way back down the hall, I tried to keep a neutral look on my face as I went back to find Kendi still in the lounge. She was still sitting in the same spot, her book propped open on her lap with the envelope tucked underneath.
“Is everything alright?” She asked quietly, not drawing attention to my return.
Picking up my book and finding my place, I nodded, whispering to her what had happened.
We agreed that if the cops hadn’t come by the time we were required to return to our prospective bedrooms, we would hide the envelope in her room.
It could easily be explained as paranoia, but after everything Craig has shown he’s capable of, having someone in here to fuck with me wouldn’t be that far of a reach.
We didn’t need to worry about hiding it.
Daxton had pulled through with his promise of reaching out to his friend at the police station.
I didn’t doubt his word, but I did doubt that any officer would believe my story enough to make the trip to the hospital.
Within thirty minutes of getting off the phone with him, an officer showed up, escorted by a security guard from the clinic.
We watched them arrive, stopping to speak with Shemar at the nurses’ station before they came to the lounge.
The security guard asked if they could speak to me privately in one of the unused evaluation rooms. I nodded and didn’t say a word as I took the envelope from Kendi and followed them out.
If anyone asked when I came back, I could easily say it was over the situation that landed me here in the first place.
I hadn’t exactly been subtle when I explained how I had been committed here against my own will, so it should be an easy enough story to sell.
The security guard left us alone in the small room, promising to be back in a few minutes to escort the officer out.
He took a seat in one of the chairs as I did the same.
My nerves were almost completely shot around the police.
I forced myself to steel my spine and refused to let Craig win this round by giving in to my fear.
“I’m Officer Caleb Johnson,” he said politely, “I’m a friend of Daxton Bradshaws.
” A wave of relief washed over me that it was his friend who showed up, reassuring me that maybe I had a chance of being believed.
He was young, probably close to Daxton's age, though he wasn’t built the same.
Officer Johnson had light blonde hair and pale blue eyes.
His uniform was tight against his broad frame, though he wasn’t nearly as tall as his friend.
He was handsome in a prep school type of way, probably wore a lot of Abercrombie and Fitch in high school.
“Did he tell you what was going on?” I asked hesitantly, holding the envelope tightly in my lap.
“He gave me the brief rundown, said that you received some photos in the mail that I should take a look at which also involves a person of interest in a double homicide.”
“And attempted murder,” I added sarcastically, and sighed, I wouldn’t get my point across by being a sarcastic asshole when Daxton went out of his way to make sure his friend showed up.
“I got these in the mail.” Gently, I set the envelope on the table between us, feeling like I was handing over a ticking bomb.
Officer Johnson pulled a pair of white latex gloves out of one of his many pockets and slipped them on before touching the envelope.
“Besides yourself, did anyone else here touch it?”
“Yes, Shemar, the nurse who handed out the mail and another patient. Other than that, I’m not sure who else handles the mail.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else as he slid the contents out and looked through them.
“Is it okay with you that I take these in for evidence?” He asked as he flipped them over to read the back. I had forgotten all about the writing on the back in my panic to reach my sister.
“I guess that’s fine, but it’s an obvious threat, right?” I tried to crane my neck to read them before he put them back in the envelope.
“Technically, yes, it’s threatening; the sender clearly states that if you don’t ‘come to your senses’ that you will ‘lose what you care about’.” Officer Johnson turned the photos with the writing around so that I could read it. “Is this Mr. Grasso’s handwriting?”
“Honestly, it doesn’t look like it, but no one else would have a reason to threaten me. He’s still wanted for what happened to his mom and sister, too, isn't he?”
“He’s still listed as a person of interest, yes. Daxton has been pushing to have your case reopened as well, given the new information we’ve been provided with.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we’re doing our best to find him. Do you have any idea where he might be hiding?”
I thought long and hard about his question.
If he wasn’t at his parents’ house, I honestly had no idea where he would slither away to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.
Shaking my head, I told him as much. Craig didn’t really have a lot of friends, at least none that he had introduced me to.
“I’ll probably be back in touch. Daxton informed me that your sister went back to her house and has a friend staying with her in the meantime?”
“Yes, she took my dog with her, too.”
“Can I offer you some unofficial advice?”
“Sure, lay it on me.”
“You might want to line up having someone stay with you after you get discharged. At least until we get this mess sorted out.”
“I’ll make sure to do that,” I assured him as a knock on the door preceded the security guard entering the room again.
As he escorted Officer Johnson down to the lobby, I was allowed to go back to the lounge. Even though reading was the last thing on my mind, I didn’t want to hide like a child in my room and avoid everyone. Craig wanted me weak and controllable, and I wouldn’t allow him that power anymore.