[B.S. #1] Tied Up in Knotts (15 page)

“Don’t worry, Clay gave me the tickets. An investment deal we were working on closed and the client gave them to him. He passed them on to me as he couldn’t go tonight. Clay loves the opera. You should ask him about all the plays he’s seen, I’m sure he would love to talk about them to you.” There, James thought to himself, that would get Clay back. Clay was a sports nut and would be grinding his teeth if she asked him anything to do with the opera. He would have to make sure he was around to see it. “Myself, I think I would rather a horror movie, too.”

James pulled up to the theater and helped Avery out of his rusted-brown sedan. The attendant at the parking station looked like he didn’t want to touch their car let alone park it, but finally he took the ten dollars James offered and parked the car.

Avery loved the opera. James just sat and thought of how lovely Avery looked with her wide-eyed expression as she tried to take in everything around her. He also noticed all the looks she got from other men and made sure his arm stayed around her. He faced down every man with a blue-steel glint in his eyes. It told every man, without him having to say a word, to back off. It probably wasn’t proper in a place like this, but James didn’t give a shit. No one was poaching what James had already claimed.

Avery reflected back on the night as James drove down the freeway and back to the office. The opera had been an eye opener for her. She really didn’t understand it, but loved the costumes and the movements. Didn’t understand a word that was sung, but wouldn’t change the experience for anything. James had wrapped up the night with a great meal at a Chinese restaurant, and now, feeling full and relaxed, she watching James as he maneuvered the car through the dark night. Avery thought it was one of the best nights of her life. James had been the perfect gentleman and hovered around, never leaving her side.

James slowed the car down to a crawl. They were just reaching their off-ramp to the office. Looking up ahead she could see a bright light in the distance. Just then, another ball of light lit up the night sky ahead. Was that a fire? It almost looked around the area of the office.

James’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. James didn’t have to think about where the fire was, he just knew it was the office. James turned to Avery with a worried look.

“I think it might be the office.” Putting his foot down hard on the gas, James sped through the streets. As they got closer, Avery noticed people lining the sidewalks looking up the street.

They were stopped two blocks away from the office by police cars blocking the road. James told her to stay put. Jumping out of the car, he raced up to the first officer that they could see. Avery wanted to follow him but didn’t want to get in the way, so she peered through the front window, keeping an eye on the flames up ahead and James within her sight.

“What happened? I have to get in, my office and buddies are down there.” James grabbed the police officer’s arm to get his attention.

The officer turned and looked up at James. “You can’t go in there right now, they don’t have the fire under control yet.” He put an arm up against James’s chest to prevent him from going forward.

James backed down. Running his hand through his hair, he felt helpless. His friends could be trapped down there. He knew Clay, Angel, and Brad had been watching the store tonight. They were all expecting something to happen soon, but none of them had imagined this.

James heard his name called over all the noise and saw about half a block up Clay, Angel, and Brad walking his way. God, he was never so glad to see them. James took in the three soot-covered men coming his way.

Clay reached him first, putting a soot-covered hand on his shoulder. “God, James, you don’t know what you missed. I’m so glad that you and Avery were away for the evening.”

“What the hell happened? I go out one night and you guys decide to have fireworks. You know it’s not the fourth of July for another month yet.” James knew he was being sarcastic, but he just felt so relived. Things could be replaced, but people, family, could never be.

As James watched them walk toward him, he had thought of all the missions that they had survived, only to come back to civilization where he could have lost them in this senseless way.

Clay red-rimmed eyes looked at James. “I really don’t know. We were all in the kitchen around the table drinking coffee. Angel had insisted that the meeting would go better over coffee. After we made it, Angel just sat at down the table and didn’t budge, so that was where the meeting was taking place. We hear a noise at the front door. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. I just thought that you and Avery were back. When no one came through the door, I got up and had just reached the door of the kitchen. Didn’t make it all the way through the door. I was blasted back on my ass. The heat was sweltering and flames were starting to creep up the wall of the front office. It was growing fast and coming right at us. Angel and Brad picked me up and booted the kitchen window out, with the flames licking our asses all the way through the alley.”

Clay started looking around at the people milling around watching the fire. “Where’s Avery?”

Oh God, Avery. “I left her back in the car. I was in such a hurry to see if you were OK. I told her to stay put in the car while I found out what was happening.” James turned back toward his car that he had left in the middle of the street. He could see it and expected to see Avery in the front seat. Not seeing her, James started to panic and was just about to break into a run. Angel grabbed his sleeve and nodded with his head toward the crowd standing beside the brick townhouse beside them.

Avery was now standing, staring at them. She looked so lost with tears running down her face, her long red dress standing out like a beacon from the rest of the crowd, looking out of place. James strove over to her and gathered her in his arms. He was mad at her for leaving the car, mad at himself for leaving her, but so glad to have her in his arms. Taking his shaky hands, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“What are you doing out of the car? I left you there and expected you to stay where you were safe,” he whispered in her ear, the relief sounding in his voice

“Why are you crying? Clay, Angel, and Brad are OK. We can rebuild. Nothing was lost that can’t be replaced.”

Clay and the others had now gathered around Avery and she felt enclosed and safe within the wall of large men surrounding her.

“I know and I’m glad that everyone is safe, but all I owned was in that apartment. I lost everything. “Avery looked downhearted at the losses.

“Oh, baby, we can replace all your things.” James tightened his arms around her.

Looking up at James, her eyes swimming in tears, she said, “I lost all of my parents’ memories that I cherished. It wasn’t much after the Feds took everything of value. There was very little left that I was allowed to keep.” Avery reached her hand up to wipe at the tears she couldn’t seem to stop. As she wiped at her face, her charm bracelet touched her cheek. Avery looked at the bracelet. This is all I have left, she thought as she stared at the one treasure she had left.

“Thank you for asking me out tonight. I would have been asleep in my apartment at this time of night. I wouldn’t have made it out.” Babbling and in a daze, she stood holding the precious bracelet to her cheek.

“You’re OK, baby. We would have got you out.” James was starting to worry about the look on Avery’s face. Looking at the others surrounding them, James gently took her arm and led her back to his car. Clay, Angel, and Brad followed closely behind, looking around and trying not to miss anything that might give them a lead. They would have to dig into this now, but Avery’s safety was more important at the moment.

James handed Brad his keys. “Can you take Avery to my apartment and stay with her until I get there?”

Avery clung to him, grasping the front of his suit coat.” I don’t want to leave you. Can’t you come with us?”

“Baby, please go with Brad. I trust him with my life. Clay, Angel, and I will be here a while sorting out what happened. If we leave it to later, we might miss clues that would get overrun with all the firemen and spectators in the area. You know I would never leave you if it wasn’t important. Please, Avery, do this for me.” James unclasped her hands from his jacket. Leaning down, he brushed her cheek with a kiss and gently helped her into the car.

Brad ran around and got into the driver’s seat. Closing the door on Avery while she was still crying tore James apart, but he knew they had to get to the bottom of what happened. He had a clue, but would need evidence to back up his gut feeling.

Clay gripped his shoulder, trying to offer him some reassurance. All three watched Brad turn the car and head back uptown.

“She’ll be OK. Brad will keep her safe.” Giving his shoulder a slap, Clay got James’s attention away from the disappearing car and back on the job.

“Let’s get to it.” James resigned himself to a few hours without Avery by his side.

Chapter Sixteen

Avery didn’t pay attention to where Brad was taking her, just kept her head down and thought of all the people and memories she had lost lately. She didn’t know too much about Brad, she had seen him around the office, but he always kept to himself and walked around with his head down. Avery had named him Mr. Atlas. He always seem to walk around with slouched shoulders, He walking like he had the weight of the world on them and was starting to falter under the load. He was always nice if talked to directly and looked like a surfer guy with his long blond hair that most of the time was in his eyes, which were a light blue, almost silver, His appearance didn’t agree with the moods he always seemed to be in.

Looking up as the car slowed and took another ramp up into a high rise tower, Avery finally took in her surroundings. What were they doing at the Braden West building? In all of downtown Detroit this was one of the most pretentious buildings.

Brad seemed to know where he was going as he drove into an underground parking lot. It looked like a rich man’s garage with priceless cars in most of the slots. Brad pulled the car into an empty spot near the elevator. Coming around the front of the car he helped Avery out of the car, her eyes trying to take in the wealth surrounding her.

Brad didn’t say anything, just took her hand and walked her into the elevator. Brad put his index finger on the glass box next to the top button. A green scan started. When done the elevator door closed and it started to rise. Avery felt like she should say something, anything to let him know she felt bad that he had to leave the others to take care of her.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay and help but had to babysit me. After we get to the apartment you can go back. I can look after myself.”

Brad looked as if he hadn’t heard her apology or that she had even spoke. He just watched the numbers light up as they passed each floor. Avery tried again. “Look I’m sorry, you can leave as soon as you drop me off.”

Brad finally shrugged indifferently “Doesn’t matter. The guys have it handled.” He hadn’t looked at her, just kept watching the number light up as they passed each floor.

God there were a lot of floors. Finally the elevator stopped at the penthouse floor and the doors opened. A small hallway led to opulent doors. Avery couldn’t hold in her gasp when Brad opened the door with a key card. Ahead was a totally white hall with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Did they go up so far that they reached heaven?

It didn’t seem to faze Brad. He closed the door then walked in soot-covered boots to the next room and flopped down on the first couch he came to.

Avery walked behind him trying to match his footsteps and not create more dirt on the white plush carpet. The hall opened up to a massive living room and like the hall was done in all white with a few black accents to match the giant-screen TV bolted to the wall. Brad just picked up the remote and turned on the TV, still not paying her any attention.

Avery felt small and unimportant the way Brad was treating her. Taking off her shoes, she curled up on the other couch in the room.

Finally, after what seemed like hours to Avery, Brad turned to her. “I don’t talk much. Why don’t you go and find a bedroom and get ready for bed. I don’t think the others will be back soon.” Finally he took of his offending sneakers and laid down on the couch with a pillow behind his head.

“Who owns this place? We just can’t come in and make ourselves at home.” Avery hoped to get a few extra words out of him.

Brad look away from the TV. “James does. We are safe here. You don’t have to worry.” He turned back to the show that seem to holding his whole attention.

“What do you mean James? James can’t own this, He doesn’t have that kind of money, he works just like me. This doesn’t make sense.”

Brad didn’t even look away from the TV. Avery huffed and went around to explore. Might as well make the best of it. Brad sure was not going to answer any questions.

Walking around on stocking feet, Avery found a large kitchen off to the side of the living room, again all done in black and white. All the appliances looked like they had never been used and the rest of the kitchen was spotless.

Opening the door of the massive fridge, Avery poked her head in. She wasn’t hungry, but a drink would sure go down nice after breathing all that smoke-filled air. Finding a pitcher of orange juice in the fridge, she laid it on the counter and started opening cabinets looking for glasses. Pouring two large glasses, she put the juice back in the fridge and made her way back to Brad. His throat must be dry also, he had more exposure to the smoke than she did from her position two blocks away.

Putting the glass in front of Brad on the coffee table, she turned and continued to explore. It would be nice to get out of this long dress. Avery just then realized that these were all the clothes she owned. She had been more concerned about her mementos, not on the necessities of life. With that somber thought, Avery found a hallway leading out of the living room. Opening the last door she took in the large spacious bedroom.