Chapter 45
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
As the detectives prepared to leave, a familiar truck pulled up, and Laura's heart skipped a beat when she saw James stepping out of the vehicle with plywood sticking up in the back. Det. Stone spotted him first, “Mr. Black, your timing couldn’t be better. I see Ms. Turner decided to call you after all.”
Laura turned around and started to tell him to leave, but she realized she didn’t want to discuss their relationship in front of the detectives. She tried to smile and thanked him for coming so quickly. Avoiding eye contact, she asked in a low tone, “Who called you?”
“Suzie did. She was worried. I was, too, when she told me what’s been happening.” James held up a hand. “Before you go off on me, at least let me board up your window. Please?”
She turned away and licked her lips. “All right. It is starting to get chilly inside,” she acquiesced.
The detectives bid their farewells, with Det. Cagney reminding Laura of her appointment the following day. Laura assured them she would be there, and the detectives departed together.
Meanwhile, James took measurements of the window, his brows furrowed with concentration as he prepared to cut the plywood. Fighting the pull he had on her, Laura decided to let him handle it and retreated inside to tackle the task of cleaning up the mess and changing her clothes.
As she busied herself with sweeping up the broken glass, a knock on the door startled her. With relief, Laura realized it must be James. She welcomed him inside, and he immediately insisted on helping her with the remaining pieces of shattered glass. Side by side, they carefully cleared away the debris.
When they were done, Laura offered him a drink and they moved into the kitchen. The tension between them was palpable.
Their fingers brushed once when James accepted his glass of lemon water, and Laura sucked in an audible breath, as if zapped by electricity.
“I miss you, Laura,” James admitted and took a long pull of his drink.
Laura pressed her lips together, as her eyes lingered on his working throat as he swallowed. “I miss you, too, James,” she whispered softly and dropped her gaze.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. When Suzie called, all I could focus on was getting over here as quickly as possible. I almost forgot the plywood.”
Laura couldn’t help but chuckle a little, but she quickly composed herself. “Things haven’t changed for me, James. I still can’t be what you need. I can’t trust myself with you or with love.”
James's face fell, and he finished his water in one big gulp. “Fine, forget I ever said that word. But let me help you now, Laura, please?”
Like that will work. “I don’t know that I can forget, James. Really, I can manage by myself.”
“Of course you can, but there’s more to life than managing it. That’s what friends and family are for – to help when you need it. It’s not a flaw to need help once in a while. Could you have fixed the window by yourself?”
“Well, no, but that doesn’t mean I need help. I would have called the landlord and he would have fixed it. In short, I would have managed. I don’t need you to rescue me.” Laura rose and brought the empty glasses to the sink.
“Maybe you could stop thinking of this as a rescue and instead think of it as help from a friend? We are still friends, aren’t we?”
She stole a glance at him over her shoulder. Casual as could be, he leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretched out, claiming as much space in her kitchen as in her head.
“You can always find a way around me, can’t you, James?” She braced herself on the kitchen counter and collected herself. “Okay, yes, we can still be friends, but nothing more right now. Is that clear?”
“Crystal. Now let’s get you packed up to go to the condo,” James urged. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here alone.”
“What?” Her hackles rose. “We’ve been over this before, James. I’m not moving in with you.”
“I can take you to Suzie’s or your father’s, but I’m not leaving you alone,” James insisted, his voice unwavering.
“I don’t want to endanger them or you,” Laura countered and busied herself with cleaning the already spotless countertop .
“So you admit there’s danger.”
Damn him. Laura turned back around and angrily washed dishes.
“This is temporary,” James asserted. “You helped the police arrest a dangerous loan shark and now you’ve been threatened.” He pulled in his legs, leaned forward, and braced his elbows on his knees. “You’re in danger, Laura, and you are asking me to leave you here alone, knowing you are in danger. I can’t do that to anyone, least of all you. Would you, if our positions were reversed?”
“You can take care of yourself,” she argued.
“But I wouldn’t want to be alone,” he said with quiet intensity.
She ran out of dishes and couldn’t find anything else to do.
“Laura,” he said softly. “Please. You can sleep in my spare room. Please, since you won’t stay with family, stay with me.”
“What if they come after you, too?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I think together, we’ll be able to handle whatever they throw at us. Why don’t you pack enough for a week? We can come back here to check on things every day.”
“I really don’t like dragging you into this mess. I got myself into it and I should be able to get myself out of it,” Laura reluctantly admitted
“Don’t think of it like that.” James rose from his chair but kept his distance. “If you had accidentally fallen into quicksand, would you turn down help?”
“Well, no.” Now she felt stupid for her objections, but she still glared at him as she gave up. “All right. I guess I can survive staying with you for a bit.”
Reluctantly, Laura started packing her belongings, focusing on the task at hand. She glanced at James, noticing how he walked around the duplex, his gaze assessing the risks in their surroundings. After locking all the windows and doors, they left for the condo.
The drive over was challenging, as was dinner that night. The silence between them, which had always been so comfortable, was now a wall wrapped in razor-wire. Laura fidgeted. James stewed.
The palpable tension between them created an unsettling energy, as if the room itself held its breath, awaiting a breakthrough.
Tears close to the surface, Laura longed to break down the invisible wall between them, but she was incapable, too engrossed in her emotions. She bit her lip. I built this wall.
“Do you think the Royals have a chance this season?” Laura asked, just to break the silence.
James shot her a quizzical look. “Since when are you a baseball fan?”
Laura shrugged. “Just trying to make conversation,” she remarked and pushed around the food left on her plate.
After more futile attempts at casual conversation, they gave up and James showed Laura to the spare room.
His footfalls heavier than usual, James left Laura behind in the spare room. He couldn't deny the conflict within him. While he longed for more than a platonic connection with Laura, he knew the timing wasn't right. The weight of their complicated situation pressed down on his shoulders. Right now, she was safe and that had to be enough.
He wandered back to the living room and took a bottle of Bowmore from the liquor cabinet. Captain Connor had introduced him to this particular brand of single malt Scotch.
Pouring a generous amount into a glass, James held it in his hand, appreciating the rich amber color. He brought it to his lips, taking a slow sip, allowing the smoky flavor to dance on his tongue. The familiar burn of the alcohol traveled down his throat and brought a momentary sense of warmth and comfort. Tonight, he needed this nightcap, not just for the taste, but to find solace in the depths of a fine Scotch.
He didn’t linger long but retreated to his empty bed soon after finishing the whisky and wondering why they spelled it without an ‘e’.
James hadn’t been asleep for long when distressed cries coming from Laura's room woke him. In an instant, he was on his feet, his heart racing with concern. He hurried to her room and found her tangled in the sheets, caught in the grip of a haunting nightmare.
“Laura,” he called, hovering in the doorway. “Laura, wake up. It's just a bad dream." But his words seemed to go unheard as she continued to thrash and cry out in distress. He moved to the bed to try and wake her again. This time he touched her arm, but she flinched and continued crying out. Now he could make out words, the words she muttered became more discernible.
“Jake, Jake, no, please, no more. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
James held her tightly, his arms enfolding her with a comforting strength. “It’s just a dream, Laura,” he whispered, his voice a soothing balm. “Wake up now. You’re safe. Jake can’t hurt you anymore.”
Gradually, her eyes fluttered open and her breath came in shallow gasps. Confusion and fear etched across her face as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. “Where am I? What’s going on? James? What are you doing here?”
His fingers tenderly brushing her cheek, stroking away a few tears. “Sh, sh, it’s okay. You’re in my spare room,” he reminded her. “You were having a nightmare. Jake is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe here. Everything is okay.”
Her eyes cleared and her cheeks reddened. “Oh dear Lord, you must think I’m a horrible mess. I didn’t mean to wake you. The nightmares aren’t usually this bad. Please forgive me, James.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Laura.” James continued to hold her and stroke her back. “You had a stressful day. A bad dream is a normal reaction,” he reassured her softly, “I’m glad I was here to help. How about a cup of herbal tea to help you get back to sleep?”
She nodded gratefully and started to get up. “That sounds wonderful. Do you have chamomile?”
“A few moments later, James returned with two steaming mugs of chamomile tea, sweetened with a touch of honey. He handed one to Laura, their fingers briefly brushing, before they settled back onto the bed.
“Mm, that’s wonderful. Thank you, James.”
Her sound of appreciation went straight to his loins, but he managed a “You’re welcome.”
They sat side by side, sipping their tea in companionable silence, the tension of the earlier evening dissipating with each comforting sip .
Sensing Laura's vulnerability and her need for closeness, James asked gently, “Would you like for me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?”
“Thank you. I’d like that very much.”
James quietly placed the mugs in the sink and made his way to his bedroom. He slipped into a comfortable t-shirt and sleep pants before returning to the spare bedroom. He got onto bed on top of the covers and opened his arms, inviting Laura to find solace in his embrace. He held her gently, enjoying the weight of her body against his, and listened to the rhythm of her breath as it gradually slowed.
As he lay there, he remembered how good she felt in his arms and how wonderful it was to make love to her, whether she was restrained or not. He hoped they could get their relationship back and she would finally trust him enough to love him. Content with holding her in his arms, James didn’t move but drifted off to sleep on top of the comforter dressed in more clothes than he usually slept in.
After breakfast, James drove Laura straight to police headquarters. They found the organized crime division and Det. Cagney came up to meet them. “I’m so glad to see you Ms. Turner. I was half-afraid you wouldn’t come after yesterday.”
“That brick made me mad, detective, it didn’t scare me off. It will take more than that to keep me out of this. Besides, I have protection now.” She indicated James. “Did you two meet yesterday? I was a bit distracted and can’t remember if I introduced you. James, this is Det. Cagney. Det. Cagney, this is my overprotective friend, James Black.”
A look of recognition passed between the two men, and Laura wondered what that could be about, as they shook hands. “Good to meet you Mr. Black. I’m glad to see Ms. Turner has someone to watch her back. She’s a brave woman.”
“Yes, she is that,” James agreed.
“Let’s get your statement out of the way and you two can get on with your day.”
Det. Cagney led them into a room with a stenographer, a digital audio recorder and a video camera visible in an upper corner. “I don’t like to take chances with important statements. I hope you don’t mind the redundancy.”
“No, it’s fine,” Laura said and James nodded agreement.
“Okay, Ms. Turner, why don’t you start with your meeting with Jake Taylor, since that seems to be the beginning of this? I’ll interrupt with questions when I need something clarified.”
For the next three hours, Laura went through the events of the last couple of weeks, focusing on Jake, John Smith and the broken window. When she was finally finished and Det. Cagney had run out of questions, she felt as exhausted as the first time she had tried running.
“You’ve been very thorough, Ms. Turner,” Det. Cagney gushed. “Thank you so much for your time today. We’re still holding John Smith and your statement should help with keeping him locked up. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop Donatelli and his people from harassing you. I think you need to prepare yourself for more of it. Donatelli doesn’t give up easily, but we’ll do everything we can to help. I recommend being around other people as much as possible. Stay away from your home. Do you know how long your neighbors will be gone?”
“At least another two weeks, I think,” Laura said. “I’ll do my best to stay safe. Is there any chance they’ll go after my family?”
“Probably not, but take precautions. Don’t drive the same routes all the time. I noticed yesterday you’re a runner. Do not run alone, and even in company, don’t run at night. Break your routines wherever possible.”
“Are you trying to scare me detective?” Laura asked.
“Yes, Ms. Turner, I am. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it means scaring you. As I said before, all the previous witnesses against Smith withdrew their charges. All were harassed until they gave up. One actually moved away to escape.”
“I don’t give up that easily,” Laura said. “We’ll do as you say and cope. If Smith doesn’t turn on Donatelli, how long will this go on?”
“If he doesn’t give up Donatelli then we will have to go to trial, which could take months, but I’m going to show part of the videotape to Smith and his lawyer and see what happens. We’re also investigating the Garibaldi Import Export Group to see where that leads. If we have to go to trial, it could be quite a while, so you need to be prepared for that.”
“Is Laura physically at risk?” James asked.
“I don’t know,” the detective responded. “It’s possible. They haven’t harmed a witness that we know of, but there’s a first time for everything. We’ve never gotten this close to them before. If it looks like things are going in that direction, we can put Ms. Turner in a safe house. ”
“No way,” Laura said. “I’m not giving up my life like that.”
“We’ll do our best to keep that from happening,” Det. Cagney promised.
When James dropped Laura off at work, he cautioned her about the threats. “If you leave the building, make sure you’re with someone. Call me at the end of the day and I’ll come and get you. I’ll come all the way up, so you won’t be waiting in the lobby alone.”
“Yes, James, I’ll wait at my office,” Laura chanted, rolling her eyes, and trudged on into the office.
It felt good to be back at work, surrounded by mundanity. She settled in, finger flying over the keyboard, her gaze fixed on the computer screen, but her mind kept wandering to the threats, and of course, to James. She frowned and deleted three lines of code. At this rate, she would end up with nothing to show for today’s work. Before she had managed to concentrate on her project, Kevin, Michael and Gloria, her regular lunch buddies, were standing in front of her station.
“Lunchtime, Laura,” Gloria said. “Time to get your mind onto something other than web design.”
“No thanks. I’d rather stay here. Could bring me back a salad, please?” She reached for her purse and pulled out money to give Gloria.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come out for a while?” Michael asked.
“Not today. I really need to get into this project. I’ve already lost half the day.”
“Damn, I was hoping to find out what’s been going on with you lately.” Kevin was the office gossip and liked to keep up with the news among the staff.
“Yeah, that’s a really good reason to go out, Kevin.” Laura snorted.
“I’ll bring your salad, Laura. Good luck with the project and everything else,” Gloria said.
They left and Laura’s eyes stayed glued to the screen as she forced herself to forget anything but Angular, Typescript and SCSS. When Gloria dropped her salad and change off, she barely noticed. Mechanically, she forked some salad into her mouth, not tasting anything, and kept coding. The world around her faded and narrowed until nothing more existed than the clicking of her keyboard and the symbols appearing on the screen in front of her.
At 6:00, her phone rang, popping the bubble of concentration she had created.
“Hey, honey, I’ve been expecting a call for the last hour,” James greeted her.
“I’m sorry, Sir. I got so into my work, I lost track of time,” Laura replied guiltily. “Are you finished for the day?”
“Yeah, but I can do some more paperwork if you’re not ready to go,” he offered.
“Sure, I understand. I’ll start wrapping up. When you get here, the guard will have to let you up. The building technically closes at 5:00 pm.”
“You mean you’re alone there now?” James asked, alarmed.
“No, no, there are at least ten other people here, plus cleaners, plus security. We work all hours, but the building restricts access after 5:00 pm and before 7:00 am. ”
The phone rang again as she was getting herself packed up for the day. This time, it was the security guard asking about letting James up to her floor. She told the guard she was expecting him.
Satisfied with her progress, she committed her files to the version control system, Laura cleared up her workstation, and went to wait by the elevators for James.
When the elevator door opened a few minutes after later, it was not James standing there, but a taller man who bore only a superficial resemblance to James. He advanced quickly on her and a rush of fear coursed through her veins when she recognized the unmistakable shape of a gun concealed beneath his coat, pointed directly at her.
“Wh-what’s going on?” Laura stammered.
“What’s going on, Ms. Turner, is that you’re coming with me.” The man came closer and put his arm around her to conceal the gun that was now against her side. He pulled her into the elevator and pushed the button for the parking garage, but it didn’t take.
Shakily, Laura said, “You can’t get to the garage without a key card, and I don’t have one.”
The barrel of the gun dug hard into her side.
“Why not?” he demanded.
“I don’t have a car, so there’s no reason for me to have one. The only floor you can go to from here without a card is the ground, where there’s a security guard waiting.”
“Okay, but if you let out a peep, you’re a dead woman, remember that.”
The elevator made it to the ground floor and the door opened to the sight of James arguing with the security guard.