“Do what you need to do, Jeremiah. I’m out.”
The words felt foreign, almost as if they were coming from outside my body as I said them.
“I’m glad to hear it, Janessa. I don’t think there is a lot left there that you can do.”
“I thought I could give you a lot more. I guess I underestimated the kind of people I was dealing with.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be easy. You just have to understand that the Black Aces aren’t as much a bunch of yahoos as they may seem. People on the outside look at them and see leather clad outlaws, a bunch of guys who never grew up and just want to ride bikes and play in the dirt. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are filled with greed and will stop at nothing to keep their pockets lined.”
“You’re right. I suppose it is hard for someone like me to truly understand what people like that are like until they’ve spent some time getting to know them.”
“Well, welcome home. Are you out of the rental house and back in your old place?”
“Not yet, but I’m headed there. I’m packing up things here and the movers will arrive tomorrow to take what I need transported to a storage unit outside of town. I don’t want to move it into my house until I know I’m not being followed, until I know I am clear.”
“You sound afraid. Are you okay? Do I need to send a protection detail until you can get out of there?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’d just rather be safe than sorry. When I walk away from this place, I don’t want anyone or anything to follow me.”
“Good enough. You and I need to talk, but it can wait. When you get settled back in, we’ll get you into the office for an official debriefing and get you completely out of all this.”
“Okay. Just let me know.”
“Will do. Be careful, Janessa. I know you say you’re safe, but I’m still concerned.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine.”
“I’ll call you later to double check.”
“Good enough. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up the phone and looked at it solemnly. I hadn’t expected this to hurt so much, but it did. The fact was that no matter what D had done in his life, no matter what he was or wasn’t, I had real feelings for him and I didn’t want things to end. The flip side of that was that I had to consider the things he had said to me. Perhaps I truly didn’t know him at all, and he was very much the monster he claimed to be.
Sleep came slowly and fleetingly. It seemed like every hour I was awake again, glancing at the clock and trying to will myself back to sleep. By the time the sun came up the next morning, I was more exhausted than I had been after a day of packing up the belongings I had brought here. I was completely lost in thought as a knock came at the door. Glancing at my phone, I saw that two hours had disappeared in no time and that was no doubt the movers. A quick glance through the peephole in the door confirmed it.
“Good morning, Miss Cabri. Are you ready to get this stuff off your hands?”
“Yes, please. Thank you so much for being prompt.”
“Of course. It’s what we do. We’ll have you packed up and on your way in no time. I understand we are taking this all to storage?”
“Yes.”
“Is there any certain order to how it needs to be put into the bay? We try to load it on the truck the same way it needs to go into storage if we can.”
“If you could load the bedroom first so that it is at the front when you finish unloading, that would be great. The order of the rest of it won’t matter.”
“Any appliances? Washer, dryer, stove?”
“No. Small appliances are packed into boxes and the large ones stay with the property.”
“Good enough. We’ll get you taken care of and on your way in no time.”
“Thank you. I’ll try to stay out of the way so I don’t interfere with your progress. I’m anxious to get out of here as quickly as I can.”
“We’ve got you, Miss Cabri,” he said with a wink, turning to bark orders at a couple of guys standing just outside on the front stoop.
Sitting in the kitchen with a book, I tried to focus on reading while they packed up my things. I was shocked at how quickly they were finished and ready to go, but also relieved. I really did want out of here. I found myself wanting to put this whole episode of my life far behind me. It wouldn’t be entirely possible with having to sit down with Jeremiah, and then there would be the trial for my father’s death, but at least I wouldn’t be in this place where everything reminded me of D, of his touch, his smell.
“We’re ready, Miss Marquis,” Solomon said from the kitchen doorway.
“Very good. You have the address of the storage building?”
“Yes, we’re about to head there now.”
“I’ll be right behind you. Unit twenty-three. It is unlocked if you get there before me and need to get started unloading. I’ll lock it when you are done.”
“Perfect. See you in a bit.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, it’s what we do.”
He flashed a broad smile at me, displaying a large set of dimples that seemed to take over his entire face. I guessed that he was once a good-looking guy, but he had a worn look about him that gave him a haunted appearance. It made me wonder what had happened in his life that had made him who he was. I suspected this was something I would now wonder about every stranger I might meet. I knew what had changed me, and now, what was changing me again. Everyone had a story.
Taking one final look around to be sure I didn’t miss anything in the house, I gathered my purse and book, stepping outside and locking the door behind me. I would mail the keys back to the landlord later on as I didn’t want to give anyone a heads up that I was leaving until I was long gone. He would be happy. My rent was paid well in advance, and I had no doubt I wouldn’t be getting it back so he’d have ample time to find a new tenant.
Turning to make my way to the rental car that had been delivered to me earlier, I stopped in my tracks. Sitting in the street on the other side was D. He was perched on his bike, watching the moving truck head down the street. When he turned and saw me, he put his helmet back on his head and headed off wordlessly in the opposite direction. It felt like I had been shot and just hadn’t realized it yet. After a moment or two, I found my footing and walked to the car, slipping behind the wheel and heading off toward the storage unit. I couldn’t decide if I was relieved that he had no intention of following me or if I was hurt that he was just going to let me go without a fight.
I wiped at the tears falling down my face and reached for my phone, now ringing in the seat beside me. It was Jeremiah checking in on me again.
“Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to the storage unit. The movers have everything packed and are headed there with it.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’ve got some big news for you, but I can’t tell you on the phone. When are you able to come in?”
“I need to get this stuff sorted and then get settled back into my place. It’s been closed up for months except for being checked on here and there, so it’ll need some airing out and such I’m sure.”
“How about first thing in the morning? You think that is doable?”
“Sure. No problem. I’ll be there at eight.”
“Sounds good. Feel free to bring a low paid public servant some decent coffee from one of those places where the women all wear yoga pants and drink with their pinky out.”
“Yeah, I’ll get you a nice skinny pumpkin spice mocha latte that will make you grin like a school girl.”
“Let’s not get carried away now.”
“Okay. I’ll bring you a cup of coffee as black as your soul, then.”
“Now you’re making sense.”
“See you at eight.”
“See you then.”