CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Nicole Thorington was beyond furious and nothing seemed to be helping.
She’d been tossing Jason’s stuff off the bedroom balcony for several minutes now. Most of his clothes were strewn about on the lawn below. Same for his toiletries. But nothing seemed to assuage her anger.
It occurred to her that maybe part of the problem was that there wasn’t all that much to throw. Perhaps that should have been a sign that something was off with her marriage. Her husband had barely enough items to fill a suitcase at the house. Everything else was hers.
She did find a clock radio, which shattered satisfyingly when it hit the walkway near the front door. She noticed that Officer Daniel Herrera, who had been assigned to “protect” her, winced at that one. But he said nothing as he stood just off to the side of the porch.
He’d apparently decided that his job didn’t include stopping her from littering.
It was a smart move. She appreciated his presence but if he’d tried to rein her in, she would have bitten his head off.
He must have known that, because instead of saying anything, he simply sighed.
Maybe he hoped that letting her vent like this for a while would calm her down. He would be mistaken.
“If he had a car, I’d set in on fire!” she shouted down to Officer Herrera. “But of course he doesn’t have one because he was never around long enough to need it! Instead, I served as his personal chauffeur. I can’t believe what a sucker I was!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Herrera responded noncommittally from down below.
She was briefly annoyed that he didn’t try to make her feel better, tell her that there was no way she could have known. But then she let it go. He was there to keep her safe, not offer emotional support.
Nicole turned around and surveyed the bedroom, looking for anything more that she could toss out. There was nothing else in there. She was about to check the closet again when she heard Herrera’s phone ring. She looked down at him as he answered it, speaking softly.
“What’s that all about?” she demanded.
He looked up at her. “It’s my supervisor, ma’am. He’s going to give me some logistical details about the state officials flying in to speak with you, as well as your protection details for the night. Do you mind if I step inside the house for a moment?”
“Whatever,” she said with a dismissive wave. “I’ve got more crap to toss.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, disappearing from sight as he stepped through the front door.
Nicole returned her attention to the job at hand, marching to the walk-in closet. She rifled through her collection of tops, hoping that one of Jason’s shirts might have accidentally gotten mixed in. But she couldn’t find a thing.
Then she glanced down and her heart leapt with joy.
There was a ratty pair of old sneakers in the corner of the closet, staring sadly back at her.
She grabbed them and returned to the balcony.
Officer Herrera wasn’t back outside yet so she didn’t have to worry about hitting him.
She threw the shoes as far as she could.
One fell softly on the grass but the other made it to the street, landing with a satisfying thud.
The idea that the shoe might get run over gave her a little thrill. With that done, she suddenly realized that all this destruction had left her parched. She needed a glass of water. Truthfully, she needed something much stronger. But as it was only 12:22 P.M., water would have to do for now.
She allowed herself a moment to regroup, staring out at Monterey Bay.
In the distance she could see the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the iconic 116-year-old amusement park at the ocean’s edge that had been made famous in the 1980s movie, The Lost Boys.
The picture-perfect postcard that was the view from her balcony calmed her, if only slightly.
She headed downstairs quietly, hoping to potentially eavesdrop on Officer Herrera’s conversation and find out what the authorities had in store for her. Herrera had warned her that she would probably need to pack a bag at some point but had her hold off until he knew more.
She listened intently but heard nothing.
Maybe the call was over and he’d gone back outside.
She got to the bottom of the stairs and started for the kitchen to get her water.
But then she had a change of heart. If Herrera was in the foyer, maybe he was whispering to avoid being heard. She went that way instead.
She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. Officer Herrera was lying flat on his back, right in front of the slightly open front door. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Blood was gurgling out of his neck. It looked like his throat had been cut.
Nicole was about to scream when she saw that his body was convulsing. He still seemed to be alive but she didn’t know for how much longer. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a second or two, she decided to try to help him.
She was just taking a step forward when she heard what sounded like radio static right as she felt a stinging sensation in her back. Without warning her whole body seized up. She felt a mix of terror and helplessness as she watched the foyer floor come up to meet her face.
The pain of the collision was mitigated by the numbness she felt. Frozen other than involuntary quivering, she sensed herself being rolled over onto her back. Through squinted, watery eyes, she saw someone hovering over her. Now she really did try to scream.
But nothing came out.