Broken Road (29 page)

“Jeez! Don’t you two ever come up for air? Are you okay?” she asked Angel.

Angel turned toward her and said, “I’m fine.”

Ileana pulled her out of Jarrod’s embrace and brought her into her own.

“I bumped into Ava downstairs, and she told me you received another picture. Please tell me you’ve told Jarrod everything.”

“I have,” she said as she gently pulled herself out of Ileana’s tight hold and went to sit on the bed. “Jarrod knows everything now.”

“So, what do you think about the weird guy at the park?” Ileana asked as she turned to face Jarrod.

“Oops…,” said Angel quietly.

Jarrod looked at her, totally exasperated, and then turned to face Ileana.

“Maybe you and I should talk. I think I’ll get more information from you than I will from Angel.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

T
he following morning Angel, Jarrod, and Ileana paid a visit to the University of Florida Police Department. They brought the pictures with them and told everything to the officer in charge. They were asked if they knew of anyone who had shown a divergent interest in Angel and were asked to not rule out those that were considered simply friends or acquaintances. The officer told them that in many stalker situations, those that the victim least suspected were guilty. They all took a moment to think hard, but responded negatively. Ileana made sure they knew about the man from the park, supplying them with his name and description. A quick identity check was run on the computer. There was no listing of a Benjamin Smith as a student, graduate or undergraduate.

“I knew it,” said Ileana excitedly as she jumped up from her seat. “Y’see, I knew there was more to him than met the eye.”

Angel and Jarrod looked at her in incredulity.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Ileana added. “I told you I could be right at times.”

“I’m just glad you had the intelligence to ask for his last name,” said Angel.

“He’d be a fool if he gave his real last name,” said Jarrod.

“Damn,” uttered Ileana under her breath as she sat back down. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I’m glad you came to us,” said Officer Morales. “I just wish you had come sooner. You shouldn’t take such things for granted. We’ll station a few men outside your dorm, and I suggest you don’t go anywhere alone, especially at night. Make sure you always lock your doors and I highly recommend you begin carrying pepper spray with you for defense purposes. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to take some self-defense classes. If you receive any more phone calls, gifts, or pictures, anything at all, you need to contact us immediately.”

“Thank you. I will,” said Angel. “I promise.”

“Hi, Mom,” said Morgan as she threw a load of whites into the washing machine. There was one thing she did sorely miss now that she was on her own, and that was having her mother do her laundry. She hated all the sorting, folding, and putting away, but mostly she hated having to come downstairs into the filthy, mildew-smelling, bug-infested basement. Even with all the lights turned on, it still appeared dark and alarming. Knowing spiders, silverfish, and probably mice lurked beneath and behind the hundreds of odds and ends cluttering the floor terrified her.

“Morgan, sweetheart. Oh, honey, how are you?” said Helen as she placed her car keys back on the console table near the front door. She had been on her way out to her second job when the phone rang. She quickly glanced at her watch, knowing she would now be late for work. No matter. It was so seldom that Morgan called, she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to speak to her.

“I’m fine. How about you?” asked Morgan.

“Terrible. I miss you so. You hardly ever call, and I’m always worried sick you’re not well,” said Helen as she walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

“I’m fine. I told you not to worry when I don’t call. No news is good news.” She jumped when she heard something scampering behind her. She looked but didn’t see anything. Just to be safe, she hopped on top of the dryer and sat with her legs crossed beneath her. As she continued her conversation with her mother, she kept a watchful eye out for repulsive, furry critters and their equally disgusting friend, the cockroach.

“I understand that, but it doesn’t help with the missing part,” Helen said forlornly. “I’m so lonely without you.”

“Why? We barely saw each other when I was living there. You were always working,” said Morgan in a detached tone.

“You know why I work so many jobs. I want to give you as much as I possibly can.”

“Yeah, well whatever. Listen, I need you to wire me some more money.” Morgan turned her head abruptly to the left when she heard a loud thud. She couldn’t take this a minute longer. She jumped down onto the ground and ran up the basement steps as quickly as possible, slamming the door behind her. She was not going down there alone again. When John returned from work, she would ask him to go downstairs with her to retrieve her laundry. He’d do it. He always did whatever she asked.

“I thought you were working,” Helen said fretfully.

“I am, but things are slow at the store, so I’ve been forced to shorten my hours.” She couldn’t very well tell her the truth. She could just imagine her mother’s reaction if she knew Morgan had cut her hours at the boutique by choice because she was too busy following, spying on, and mentally torturing her cousin.

“I’m barely making enough to cover the rent in this rathole. I’m dying to get out of here and get my own place. Are you going to send the money?” Morgan began to walk back and forth in the living room. God, how she hated it here. Everywhere she looked was some sort of mess. Either empty pizza boxes left out on the kitchen table, dirty clothes strewn across the living room floor, old newspapers piling up in a corner of a room, or dirty dishes left to soak for days on end in the sink. Well, if her roommates were under the impression that she was going to clean up after them, they had another thing coming. She would keep her room clean, but that was as far as the extent of her household duties would go. Maybe just a little further to include the bathroom. She drew the line at having to squat to pee in her own home.

“Morgan, I’m not sure that I can. I don’t have much left in the bank and I’m already putting in as many hours as I possibly can.”

“Never mind. If you don’t want to send it, just say so. Don’t come up with lame excuses,” said Morgan in a bitter, nasty tone.

“They’re not excuses. It’s the truth.”

“Whatever. I have to go.”

“No. Wait. Don’t hang up. I’ll find a way to send some.” Helen didn’t know where she was going to find the money, but she would. She always did. She tried willing away an oncoming headache by rubbing her temple with her free hand. Why did every phone call she received from Morgan always have to end up in an argument? The fact that Helen was usually left penniless as well was just par for the course.

“Thank you…so, have you heard from Uncle Willie and Aunt Laura recently? How’s Angelise doing?” Morgan asked tentatively while attempting to change the subject. She was wondering if Angelise had mentioned anything to her parents about the flowers and pictures. She walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and grabbed the last can of Diet Dr. Pepper. It was John’s, but she knew he wouldn’t say anything. If it had belonged to Nate, he would make some sort of negative comment about it, and if it was Benjamin’s…what was she thinking? Benjamin never had anything to eat or drink stored in the house. He would bring his daily consumption of food, water, soda, and snacks home with him every day after work. He would take his little package of goodies into his room and eat it in there. In fact, he did everything in his room. He ate, watched television, read, and slept in there. The only times she had the misfortune of seeing him was when he would leave his seclusion to make use of the bathroom or to go to work in the morning. In actuality, he was almost the perfect roommate, the kind that was never around. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was so weird, she wouldn’t mind seeing him on those rare occasions.

“I spoke with your Aunt Laura last week. Everything is fine. Angel loves it at the university and is doing very well. Oh, and guess what?” said Helen, forcing Morgan back into the conversation.

“What?” Morgan responded, trying desperately not to sound thwarted with the news that Angelise was adjusting magnificently to college life.

“Angel met a special young man and they’re dating. Sounds pretty serious too. You’ll never believe this, but he’s from New Jersey.”

“Really?” she bit her lower lip as she tried not to show her fury. “What’s his name?”

“I can’t believe I forgot to ask, and Laura never even mentioned his name. All I know is that Angel told Laura he’s wonderful and treats her as if she were made of gold. I’m so happy for her. You don’t know how I wish you would find someone special to love. Jarrod was nice and comes from a great family. I wish the two of you had never broken up. His brother says he’s doing well—”

Morgan interrupted her mother by saying, “Mom! Hold on and back up a bit. Have you seen Alec?”

“I bumped into him awhile back. Such a nice boy.”

“Yeah, he’s a real gem,” Morgan said sarcastically. She was beginning to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Did you happen to mention to him that I was in Florida?”

“I believe so. Why? Was I not supposed to?”

“Mom! I told you not to tell anyone I was here.” God, how stupid could her mother be? She may have ruined everything for her. All her hard work gone to waste.

“I don’t recall you saying I couldn’t tell anyone,” Helen said, fearing she’d just awoken the beast and released it from its cave. Again.

“I did tell you. Damn it all. Who else did you tell? Did you tell Aunt Laura?”

“Yes, I did. But I didn’t say what town you’re in because I don’t even know. Which, by the way, I still don’t understand why you’re being so secretive about it.”

“It’s a good thing I didn’t say what town I’m in, or you would have blabbed that information out to everyone as well. God, you’re like the freakin’ town crier,” howled Morgan.

“What’s the big deal? Why don’t you want anyone to know?”

“Don’t worry about my reasons. Just do me a favor and stop telling people where I am. I don’t want anyone, especially the Wentworths, to know that information.” Morgan was livid with her mother.

“Alright, honey. Calm down. Please don’t be angry with me. I didn’t know…I’m sorry.” Helen hated it when Morgan was angry with her.

Totally fed up with her mother, Morgan said, “I have to go. Just remember to wire the money to me as soon as possible. You still have the account number from the last time, don’t you?”

“Yes,” replied Helen softly.

“Good. Oh, and if it’s not too much trouble, would you please just shut up about me? I don’t want you talking about me to anyone anymore, got it?”

Unavoidable tears were welling up in Helen’s eyes as she said, “Fine. Whatever you say. Again, I’m sorry. I love you and please try to call more often. I worry about—”

Morgan hung up.

Helen gazed at the phone for a moment before hanging up as well. She fought back the terrible constriction of pain and tangled mass of emotions she was feeling. She couldn’t comprehend how it was possible for Morgan to be so callous and merciless. Helen had done her best to raise her as well as she could, but it never seemed to be enough to satisfy her.

Was it because she worked so much and wasn’t able to dedicate as much time to her as she should have? Or was it because her daughter lacked a father figure in her life to help guide and support her? Was she so angry at her father for abandoning them that she took it out on everyone else? So many unanswered questions. Well, there was one question Helen would find the answer to. Tomorrow when she went to the bank to wire the money into Morgan’s account, she would inquire as to the location of the bank that housed that particular account. She would find out exactly where her daughter was.

Helen glanced at her watch and jumped up from the chair, knocking it over in her haste to leave for work.

Chapter Twenty-Eight