Zeke
When Tina opened the front door, her face was pale. She looked so different to the motherly, smiling woman they’d seen yesterday.
“Come in, dears,” she said, ushering them in and glancing at the street anxiously.
“Are you OK?” Sophie asked. “You look quite shaken.”
“I think so,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “Last night, I got a call. I haven’t told Jeffrey. I pretended it was my sister. He’s fragile right now... he hasn’t dealt with the grief very well. Anyway, the man on the other end of the call said, ‘it’s Zeke’s fault. Don’t get involved. He will pay’.”
Sophie gasped and held her hand to her mouth before looking up at Zeke.
“OK, you did the right thing telling us.”
“But now I’m worried that he might be watching,” Tina said, her eyes wide with fear. “What if he knows I’m helping you?”
Zeke placed his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you worry. This guy’s an amateur. If he was that smart, I’d already be dead, wouldn’t I?”
He didn’t really believe his own words, he just wanted to make sure Tina could cope with the stress. If he made this look like no big deal, surely, she could believe it.
“Shouldn’t you tell Jeffrey?” Sophie asked.
“He’s not ready,” Tina said, turning to Sophie. “He’d go mad. And if he got his hands on the fella God knows what he’d do. He’s still so full of anger at the loss.”
“I’ll protect you. We can monitor your calls, get them traced if need be, I deal with this sort of stuff all the time at work,” Zeke said. “But I agree, you should tell Jeffrey.”
“I can’t,” Tina said. “Not yet. Do whatever you need to do, bug the phone, set up cameras, whatever. I just need to protect Jeffrey from more stress.”
“If you’re sure,” Zeke said reluctantly.
He and Sophie left Tina’s, being careful to check for anyone watching or following. They swapped vehicles and returned immediately with the phone recording equipment that Zeke had in his apartment. He often kept basic equipment at home for last-minute emergencies. They cropped up more than anyone else would believe. He’d set up phone bugs in the early hours of the morning at several client’s houses before – usually for nuisance calls from ex-husbands or wives, though. He’d never had a bomb scare on such a personal level as this before.
While Zeke set up the equipment, Sophie helped Tina put together a pasta bake in the kitchen.
“It’s really nice having youngsters around,” Tina said, as she called Zeke through to the kitchen table for food. “It’s quite lonely sometimes, just the two of us. And with Jeffrey being away tonight, I’m glad you’re both here.”
Zeke watched Sophie’s beaming smile. He couldn’t help thinking about how she’d never had a mother figure in her life. This must have been nice for Sophie too as it had a family feel to it.
The three of them ate in the brightly lit room, discussing holidays and work and general small talk. It was like being at an aunt’s house. Suddenly the phone rang. Tina stiffened and looked to Zeke with panic in her eyes.
“It’s OK,” he reassured her. “We’ll trace whoever it is... if it’s him.”
Tina picked up the phone and nodded to Zeke when she heard it was the caller.
Zeke ran to the laptop connected to the cables and signaled to her to roll out some conversation, to buy some time.
“What do you want?” she asked. “Did you know my son?”
She listened as the caller repeated the same sentences about the accident being Zeke’s fault. He warned her to keep clear of “that murderer.”
She stayed strong and listened, her eyes on Zeke the whole time until the line went dead all of a sudden.
Zeke let out a grunt of anguish. “I nearly had him,” he said, rubbing his forehead.
“I’m sorry,” Tina said, still clutching the receiver.
“It’s not your fault,” Zeke said. “You did great. Honestly.”
Tina’s chest rose and fell quickly. “Will you both stay tonight? I don’t think I could bear to be here alone.”
“Of course,” Sophie said.
“I have night dresses or T-shirts you can borrow,” Tina said, “and there’s a guest house out the back you can share. At least I’ll know you’re on the property if I need you.”
“Sure thing,” Zeke said. “But she can have the night dress,” he added, pointing to Sophie.