Mind Slide (16 page)

“I know, I know. What can I say? I was a stupid kid.”

“Have you seen him this week?”

“Not yet. We've talked on the phone.”

“Well, when I pick up Dani at his place, you're all he talks about.”

Kelly smiled into the phone. She pulled into her driveway.

“It's after midnight. Don't you have to go to bed?”

“Yeah. Brian's already in bed. Maybe I'll wake him up and rock his world.”

“Lisa!”

“What? We're married. Not dead.”

“I just pulled up to my house. I think I'll be hitting the bed myself.”

“Okay. I'll call you tomorrow.”

Kelly hung up and shoved the phone in her purse. She wanted to call Mason, but she was tired. She also didn't want to wake him up.

She wanted to see him. She needed to make that happen soon.

She reached out to stick her key in the front door.

The door opened a few inches on its own.

Dread crept over her. Through the gap in the door she could see her living room, barely visible by the porch light. The few magazines and books she had on her coffee table were scattered on the floor.

She pushed the door open all the way.

The bookshelf in the dining room was empty. Every book was on the floor. The dining room chairs were knocked over.

A quick flash of memory hit her. A rag soaked with ether held to her face while she was dragged inside a van. She had gaps in her memory as she was carried inside a house and chained to a wall. She remembered the smell of nature, and that musty basement.

The rest she remembered completely. It haunted her dreams at night.

She knew Neil Grainger wasn't in her home. He was locked up, far away. That didn't stop the terror from washing over her. That didn't stop her from running back to her car and locking herself inside.

She curled up as tight as she could and laid across both seats. Tears flowed freely down her face. Her hands shook as she reached into her purse and clutched her pepper spray like it was a life jacket. Her breath came in short, raspy bursts.

She could feel the chain wrapped around her ankle.

She pulled the leg of her slacks up to her knee and rubbed her foot, sobbing as her fingers ran over the scars.

She knew she was in her car. But the only thing she could feel under her was that dirt floor. She could hear the basement door opening and the creaky steps as Neil walked down, whistling
Amazing Grace
.

Her hands still shook, but she managed to call the only person she could think of.

*****

Mason wasn't sure how many laws he broke driving to Kelly's house. He drove sixty miles per hour in a thirty zone and ran three red lights. He turned normally what was a fifteen minute drive into five.

He parked at an odd angle in Kelly's driveway, not even bothering to shut the driver's side door.

He wanted to stay on the phone with her on the drive over, but he had to call Brian. He had no idea what to expect when he made it to Kelly's. She barely made any sense on the phone. She simply begged him to come over, and something about her living room being messed up.

He took slow steps up the driveway, scanning everything he could see.

Doc's voice echoed in his head.

Be aware
.

No lights were on in the house, only the porch light. The front door was wide open. He could see a set of keys sitting on the front doorstep. Kelly must have dropped them.

He saw a flash of movement, and red hair, in Kelly's car.

He jogged to her door and looked through the passenger's side window. Kelly was curled on her side, staring at the glove compartment. He tapped on the window.

“Kelly? It's Mason.”

She looked at him. His heart broke as he saw the terror and tears running down her face. He immediately thought back to when he first saw her in that horrible basement.

She unlocked the door, but made no move to get out. Mason opened the door and knelt down to be at her level. He grabbed her hands and held them tight.

“It's okay. I'm here.”

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Mason laced his hands around her back and lifted her out. She didn't resist, but she didn't help either. Only when she was on her feet did she lock her legs and bury her head into Mason's shoulder. He kept his arms around her and simply held her.

He peered into her house as best he could. Through the open front door and part of the living room window he could see books and chairs on the floor. It looked like a robbery.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid someone assaulted her.

Kelly spoke into his shoulder through hitched breathing.

“Thank you...for coming.”

He ran a hand through her hair and let it rest on the back of her neck.

“It's quite simple, Kell. You need me, I'm there.”

She smiled. She liked her new nickname. Finally, the basement started to vanish around her. She was only aware of the feel of Mason's body and heartbeat against her chest.

The sound and flash of sirens cut through the night. Mason turned his head to see four squad cars pulling up on the street, almost all at the same time. Leading the way was Brian in his personal car.

His best friend jogged up the driveway. Despite everything happening, Mason let out a smile. Brian wore a white shirt with no tie, his dress pants, and bunny slippers. His hair was a mess.

Even Kelly managed a chuckle.

Six uniformed officers followed Brian. They stopped when he did.

“What's up?” Brian asked.

Mason shook his head and looked his friend up and down. “Holy hell, Brian.”

Brian didn't crack a smile. “You said you needed help. Didn't think I had time for a shower. What's going on?”

Mason gestured with his head toward the house. “Looks like a robbery.”

Brian squinted his eyes. The burglar was most likely long gone, but they would play it safe.

He nodded to the uniformed officers, and they approached the front door, guns drawn.

Kelly calmed down as the minutes passed. She pulled away from Mason, although it felt great to be in his arms. Neighbors came out of their houses and watched from their yards, curious about what was happening.

Fifteen minutes passed. Brian emerged through the front door and approached Mason and Kelly.

“No one's inside,” he said. “It's a bit of a mess in there. A lot of things knocked around. All the dresser drawers were open, a lot of books on the floor. We're dusting for prints now, then you can start cleaning up and see if anything's missing.”

“Is there any way we can do this tomorrow? I...really don't want to go in there tonight. I'll get a change of clothes and stay at a hotel.”

“No,” Mason said. “You're coming with me.”

She shook her head. “It's okay, Mason. I got money, remember? A hotel isn't a big deal.”

Brian winced and looked around to make sure neighbors weren't listening in.

“We'll finish dusting for prints. You can get an overnight bag, go wherever you want.” He pulled a set of plastic gloves from his back pocket. “Get what you need, but try not to move anything around too much. Tomorrow, when you're ready, we can see if anything's missing.”

She took the gloves and slowly walked toward the front door. She hesitated before vanishing inside.

“What do you think?” Mason asked.

Brian shook his head sadly. “It sucks, but it's more common than you think. This is a nice neighborhood. But the best time to rob a house is when an owner dies. And if it gets out that Kelly is rich. Well, you can figure out the rest.”

“I'm gonna take her with me,” he said. “Do me a favor. Leave every light in her house on.”

Brian smirked. He didn't need to ask why. “You really care about her, don't you?”

Mason nodded. He felt a pain in his heart thinking about Kelly being upset or hurt in any way.

“Yeah. I do. Didn't ask for it, but there it is.”

Brian put a hand on his shoulder. “She had a phone. Only takes three presses to call 911. But she called you. I'd say the feeling is mutual.”

Mason sighed. He knew she liked him too. But he tried to control his feelings, for a lot of reasons. He didn't want to complicate Kelly's life more than it already was. He was also simply afraid. There were a lot of parts of him no one besides his family knew about.

How would Kelly respond to his many secrets?

Kelly left her house with a single suitcase. She waited with Mason and Brian as the police finished trying to lift prints from the house. One by one, the other police left in their squad cars as the neighbors vanished inside their houses.

It was only the three of them in her driveway.

“Where's the closest hotel around here?” Kelly asked.

“I told you. You're coming back to my place.”

Kelly smiled. His shyness had taken a back seat. He was forceful, almost aggressive. She was flattered.

“Mason, I'm not sure that's a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Kelly was quiet. Mason and Brian traded looks. Brian only shrugged, a small smile on his face.

“Don't look at me,” he said. “You're on your own on this one.”

Kelly whispered in Mason's ear. Brian noticed how comfortable they were with each other.

“I've never slept at a another guy's place before,” she whispered.

Mason laughed. “Kell, I'm not gonna make any moves on you. I promise. I'll sleep on the couch. I don't want you at a hotel. Just follow me in your car.”

She lowered her head and put her bag in the back seat.

“And thank you very much for embarrassing me.”

“No problem, anytime. You ready?”

“Yeah. Just let me turn off the house lights.”

“Uh, we left them on on purpose,” Brian said. “It'll definitely keep people away tonight, since you're not staying.”

Kelly shrugged. “If you say so.”

She climbed behind the wheel of her car.

Brian gave Mason a wink as they went their separate ways.

“Are you sure about this?” Kelly asked as Mason unlocked his front door. He was nice enough to carry her suitcase. “I don't want to impose on you. This is your space.”

Mason laughed. “Tell that to the creature running around in there as we speak.”

He entered the living room first, Kelly a step behind. She jumped when she saw a flash of movement to her right.

Lucy stood on top of her cage, an intense eye on their guest.

“That's Lucy. Lucy, this is Kelly. Be nice to her.”

Kelly smiled. “You let her run around like that? She doesn't stay in a cage?”

“I'll cage her if she's getting into crap while I'm sleeping. But that's about it. It took forever to litter train her. Don't worry, she won't come near you. It took her a few weeks to get used to Dani.”

Lucy jumped off her cage onto the coffee table. Then she pounced on top of the couch. Kelly let out an adorable little scream as Lucy jumped into her arms. She licked and kissed Kelly on the lips. Kelly laughed the entire time.

“So much for that,” Mason said. He set Kelly's suitcase down near the dining room table, then looked at Lucy. “Traitor.”

Mason looked at his apartment. It dawned on him that Kelly had never seen it. They somehow spent all their time together away from their homes.

“Okay,” he said. “Make yourself at home. Kitchen is here. Bathroom at the end of the hall. Let me get a blanket and pillow, then the bed's all yours.”

Kelly nodded. She still wore her work clothes. She couldn't wait to change into her pajamas and get to sleep. There was only one issue.

“Listen, Mason. I know it's the manly thing to take the couch. But seriously, I'll sleep better on the couch. I won't feel comfortable in your bed.”

He thought it over, then shrugged. “Sure. Either way is fine by me. Let me get you a blanket.”

Mason disappeared down the hall. Kelly took the time to look at his place. It was clean and cozy. She smiled at Lucy, who watched her from the top of the couch.

She noticed the picture of his parents in the center of the dining room table.

She took note of his entertainment. His DVD collection was nothing but educational documentaries. His music was only classical. It was something she expected to find out of a stuffy college professor's library.

Mason was far from stuffy.

He came back in the living room, blanket and pillow under his arm. She gestured to his shelves.

“Interesting stuff you have here.”

He smiled, then his face turned red slightly and he looked at the floor. “Yeah, well, it's kind of like a replacement for not having an education. Gotta learn somehow, right?”

It was a sad thought, all the things he missed in life.

“My bedroom's right across from the bathroom. Holler if you need anything. And don't worry-”