Death and Deceit (10 page)

The man standing near Jessie who had tried to console her spoke up again. “Must have been defective glass.”

“Must be,” the curly headed man agreed. He turned to the third man, who was short, stout and balding. “Get a couple of big brooms, Wilfred, and put on some masks. There could be a chemical in the air. We’ll check on the damage after we’ve cleaned up the mess.”

Jessie quickly moved away from the aerobic class room. She had noticed
the debris that was strewn over a big part of the centre of the room. “How could this happen?” Her voice rose hysterically. “I mean, this is practically a new building.”

“Accidents happen.” Tom’s voice was calm and soothing.

But Jessie wondered.
Be watchful, Pet. Watch out for your friends.
The death threat message had said. Did the stalker work with her? Was it someone she saw every day? Was it someone in the room? Maybe it was Tom. She looked at the faces of all three men. It could be anyone of them. Or none of them at all.

Jessie turned from the men and hurried out to meet Kent. Pulling the car door closed, she ignored his greeting and sat trembling on her own side, staring out the window.

Kent let her be, citing a bad day. They’d arrived at her apartment before he spoke. “Is it your mother?”

Jessie broke down. Kent helped her into the elevator avoiding stares from other
riders. Jessie’s cheeks were streaming with tears by the time they entered the apartment.

“Okay. Time to fess up. What’s wrong?”

Her arms entwined his neck and she clung to him. Every emotion and every detail of the past couple of weeks’ horrible encounters on the computer rolled out of her mouth.
“It could be anyone. It could be Gary Burke or someone at work. Whoever it is
they tried to kill me today. A light fixture collapsed and fell from the ceiling. I narrowly escaped it, and whoever it is knows about my mother’s illness. Oh, Kent, I can’t take anymore. I’m afraid to go to work and I’m afraid to stay home.”

Kent held her trembling body and searched for words of comfort. There was only
one thing he could think of. “I’m not leaving you, Jessie. I’m moving in. You’re in no state to be alone now. You
need
me.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Kent lay on the cramped sofa, his foot had fallen asleep and he kicked it to restore circulation. “Damn,” he grumbled in the darkness. Jessie was in there in her big bed, alone. She had offered him the sofa when he’d offered to stay. He had no choice but to accept it. She was in a state — too emotional to deal with. She needed a good night’s rest and she seemed to feel safe with him there.

Footsteps interrupted his half-sleep and he sprang for the lamp. When the soft light spread across the room, it fell upon Jessie tiptoeing to the kitchen.

“Sorry,” Kent said, while viewing her in a soft pink nightgown, which shimmered in all the right places. It was about four inches above her knees, and he’d never realized before how long her legs were considering she wasn’t a tall girl. “I forgot where I was for a minute.”

“It’s okay, Kent. I guess I startled you.”

He leaned back on the sofa watching her pour a glass of water. One thin strap of
the gown fell off her shoulder and settled across her upper arm. He had an urge to pull it back in place just to touch her skin. He remembered how it felt, so smooth yet firm. “You can’t sleep either?”

“It’s terribly hot tonight.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, wiping the drips of sweat from his bare chest. “How come you don’t have air conditioning? It’s hellish up here.”

“Too cheap. My landlord that is. I guess I could get my own window thing — if
I could afford one. I just spent money on a computer, stupid idea but Liz talked me into it.”

“Why was that stupid?”

“Oh, it’s not stupid- stupid really, but look what’s going on? Someone’s harassing me and maybe it’s because of the computer.”

She carried her water to the living room and sat on the edge of the sofa. Kent felt the heat and he wished he could dive into her ice-packed glass to cool himself. Was it the night heat? Or was it his own heat? Probably both, but it wasn’t a good idea for her to have seated herself so close to him. His main trouble sleeping, which he couldn’t tell her, was because he pictured her in the bedroom and pictured himself there with her. Now, here she was — so close — he could reach out and touch her — and he did. “Yes, I know what you mean…about the heat.”

His hand covered hers and the ice cubes tinkled when she trembled. She sat the glass on the coffee table after gulping down a cold sip.

“May I?” he asked, looking first at her then at the glass.

She nodded and watched his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. Sweet longings
from deep within her spread across her thighs.

Lowering the glass he caught her gaze. “Thanks,” he said.

She smiled. “Thank you...for staying. I feel better just knowing you’re here.”

He wanted to tell her he wasn’t sure it had been a good idea, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about him. She trusted him and with all her troubles right now, she needed someone to rely on not someone to take advantage of the situation and her vulnerability.

He removed his hand from hers. “You’d better try and get some sleep.” He passed her the half-filled glass and she took it from him, her fingers touching his in the exchange. She rose.

“You’re right. I’ll just get some more water and try not to bother you anymore tonight.” She filled her glass and returned to the bedroom whispering a soft goodnight.

Hell, he thought. She bothered him all right, and closing that door and keeping
quiet so he could sleep was like a joke. Even though there was a heavy wooden door between them, he still felt her presence. Her scent was all over the apartment. He lay back on the sofa after switching off the lamp and stared at the ceiling.

Kent must have passed out because when he awoke it was 8:30 and the apartment
was quiet. He rolled off the sofa and knocked on Jessie’s door.
“Jessie, get up. It’s late. We overslept.” He tugged on his wrinkled shirt and
fought with the buttons. He’d have to rush home and change, even if it meant being late for work.

“Jessie?” When no answer came from behind the door, he opened it slowly and
peeked inside. A large palm stood in one corner of the baby blue room, which was adorned also with various other plants. All in all Kent had found Jessie’s apartment to be most cheerful and colourful, with plants overflowing every window sill. In the living room a bright, geometric-patterned rug with a beige-white background stretched across the hardwood and under the off-white plump sofa — comfortable to sit on but too short for sleeping.

Kent glanced at the unmade bed with the little silk nightgown in a heap on one pillow. He moved closer and picked it up holding it above him in his thumb and forefinger. Then he drew it to his face, breathing in the scent of Jessie. It felt as soft as it had looked the night before, as it had glistened on her body when she’d gone to the kitchen for water.

He let it drop, turned and walked out of the bedroom. Why hadn’t she awakened him?
Damn. He couldn’t understand women. She knew he had to be at work too. He was staying here to protect her and she’d walked off alone. Some protector he was. He made a call to the gym.

“Why didn’t you wake me, Jessie? I would have driven you. You shouldn’t have
gone off alone.”

He sounded like Alan used to when they were kids. Jessie remembered how her
older brother had watched over her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking. I was late too, and when I saw how peaceful and deep you were sleeping, I just tried to be quiet and even left without breakfast. I should have woken you, but I just wanted you to rest after
the hot night and all. I’m sorry, but I arrived here okay.”

“Yeah, but you might not have. You don’t know where this character is and if he’s watching your every move.”

Jessie shivered. She knew he was right, but after last night she’d decided she needed to take care of herself. Being with Kent, alone in the apartment, was too tempting. Although they’d made love in her hometown, it seemed more awkward in her apartment. Being out under the willow had been magical and very spontaneous. It was almost as if neither one of them knew how to make the first move now.  She knew she was ready but was he? If he hadn’t said she should go off to bed, when he held her hand on the sofa, she wouldn’t have been able to do it herself. She had been on the verge of falling into his arms, right there on the sofa. But he had pulled back and it confused Jessie, even though it had been her in the first place who had suggested he take the sofa.

“I can’t hide forever, Kent. And you can’t be my bodyguard. Maybe I should go
to the police.”

“With what? You’ve no real evidence. You even erased the messages and never
checked where they came from.”

Jessie knew he was right. “It was stupid of me, I know,” she said, seeing her first
class prepared for their workout. “I have to go, Kent. They’re waiting for me.”

“Be careful,” he said. “I’ll pick you up tonight.”

****

When Jessie entered Kent’s car the whiff of pizza from the back seat greeted her.

“Oh, you’ve brought supper.”

“Just repaying you for letting me sleep on your sofa last night. Besides it’s too hot again to cook.”

Kent cranked up the car’s air conditioning and Jessie leaned back. “That feels
great, doesn’t it? I’ve never seen such a hot June, and it should be me repaying you for sleeping on my sofa.”

“No problem, Jessie. And yes, it could be a hot summer ahead.” His eyes caught hers before he turned back to concentrate on the street.

“Could be,” she said and gazed out the window.

When the pizza had been consumed along with a six-pack of cold beer, the day’s
heat settled in on the forth floor apartment. Jessie cleaned off the kitchen counter, while watching Kent check out the weather on TV.

“You don’t have to stay you know,” she said. “I’m all right now. I was upset
over my mother and that last message, also the accident at work threw me. But Mom’s feeling better — I called Sandra — and if I get another message, I’ll save it and get evidence for the police.”

He shut off the TV and came up behind her. She felt hot in his arms. “So, it’s
an
accident
now, is it? You were pretty sure it wasn’t the other night.”

She turned in his arms and looked in his eyes. “I was wrong. Accidents happen.
Just like the cleaner said.”

She was too close and she wasn’t fooling him with her bravery. “I’m not leaving,” he said. “Get used to me. Besides I’ve had too much beer.” She stared at him. She was so close he could see himself in her eyes. He closed his and placed his mouth over hers. Such hot, sweet lips tasting of pizza.

She kissed him back. It didn’t matter that the sweat now glistened on her neck.
She wrapped both arms around his waist and pulled herself as close to him as she could get.

This was ludicrous he decided. He was still in his work clothes. His tie almost
cut off his circulation. She wore shorts and a tank top but he was stifling in his shirt and pants. He pulled back and smiled at her. “We’re way overdressed, Ms Albright.” He pulled his tie loose and began unbuttoning his shirt.

“Kent,” she said. “I...I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Well I am,” he said, now stripped to his pants.

She watched the sweat trickle down the fuzzy sandy- coloured chest hair that narrowed into a line and disappeared under his belt. She swallowed dryly. “I need a drink.”

“You just had a drink,” he said, lifting her into his arms. “The bedroom or the sofa?” he asked. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

“Kent,” she said again, louder than before. But it was her last objection and he chose the bedroom.

He laid her down softly and raised the tank top over her head. She wore no bra and was now exposed to his view. She only stared up at him, a gentle smile on her lips. He bent closer and kissed each nipple. They responded immediately and stood tilted towards him. He caressed them with his fingertips and they grew rigid. “You’re lovely,” he whispered.

His forehead was soaked and she reached up to wipe the sweat away. “I do love you,” she said.

Her eyes were so soft he melted into her, feeling her skin connect to his.
“You do?” This angel had spoken and he loved the beautiful words that she’d uttered. Unsettled events had brought them together lately, but tonight was going to be beautiful. No one would interfere with these tender moments.

“Yes, I love you,” she answered.

Kent needed to hear no more. She was ready for him and he was going to show
her just how much he loved
her
, and he didn’t need words.

Jessie pulled out of her remaining clothes while Kent unfastened his trousers and
stepped clear of all clothing. They were nowhere near being cool; in fact shedding the clothes hadn’t helped at all as far as Kent was concerned. The heat in the bedroom was almost unbearable.