Killing America's Sweetheart: A Natalie Miller Mystery (11 page)

Simon gently stroking her looked up, “Well, I am her knight in shining
amour.”

I smiled. In a way he was. He saved me twice tonight, first from being
sexually assaulted by my boss and then when he insisted on following me home.

We let the moment pass, only to have the peacefulness interrupted by thundering
footsteps. Looking up I saw Zack approaching.

“What the fuck happened?” He demanded.

I stared a bit taken back by his tone and demeanor. He looked like he had been awoken out of bed. His hair was sticking up slightly and he was wearing athletic pants and a t-shirt.

“Her apartment was broken into,” Simon said standing to meet him.

Both men were about the same height, looked like two alpha dogs sizing the other up.

“What’s he doing here?” Zack asked.

“He followed me home from work,” I offered.

Zack gave Simon a tense look.

“Why did he follow you home from work?”

“Because her boss is pervert and I wanted to make sure she got home
safety,” Simon replied.

“Is there something going on at work?” Zack asked with concern.

“Eric was just being inappropriate. Simon was there and saved me from further ridicule.”

Zack looked at the two of us and I could tell he was contemplating something.

“What happened here?” he asked again.

“Simon and I were coming up the stairs when I noticed the door slightly open. I motioned for Simon to look and he went in ahead of me. That’s when we found the place thrashed. Then I noticed H
oney was missing and Simon found her in the bathroom.”

Zack looked at
a resting Honey in Simon’s arms and put a hand out to stroke her, but Honey growled.

“Damn dog has always hated me,” he replied as he put his hand down. Simon softly patted her and she instantly calmed down.

“Well, it looks like she’s a fan of your Mr. Bellamy,” he replied curtly.

“I’m going to take Honey down to go do her business,” Simon announced, leaving me alone with Zack.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he demanded.

“I called the police, isn’t that what I should have done?” I replied.

“No, about that asshole Eric. You should have called
me
, I would have set him straight.”

“Look, Simon
just happened to be there and helped me. There was no need to call you too,” I reasoned.

“You need to find a new job. That guy has a known reputation for harassing women. He’s even been arrested in the past for it.”

“You did a background check on him?” I asked stunned.

“No, I didn’t have to. It’s common knowledge about him around the station. He’s a grade A sexual
predator.”

Chills went down my spine. Along with having someone threatening me in my own home, now I had to worry about being assaulted at work too. Great, just great.

“What’s up with this?” he asked pointing inside the apartment.

“I don’t know. But the message left is a bit unnerving. It looks like it’s written in blood.”

Zack nodded and let himself inside. I stayed on the porch and tried to calm myself. Things were getting a bit out of hand. Last night Karen and I were involved in the incident at the strip club, then the episode with Eric and now my apartment being vandalized. What would happen next?

Zack came out a few minutes later and put his hand
s on my arms and said, “Nat, I think you need to drop this whole business with Simon. It sounds like someone doesn’t like you nosing around in the investigation.”

I knew Zack would say those words. Hell, anyone would tell me the same thing. However, when I asked for guidance from Gilles, he was astute that I continue.

“No, I’m going to see this thing through,” I replied softly.

“Are you crazy? Someone broke into your house and wrote a direct message to you, possibly in blood and you’re just going to ignore it?” he demanded.

It sounded pretty stupid when he said it like that. But I knew I needed to trust not only my gut instincts, but my spirit guide’s advice as well. I knew I needed to finish what I started. Obviously I was getting close to something, possibly something the police were not even aware of. There was no way I was giving up now.

“I know you’re worried Zack, but I’ll be fine,” I said gently.

“Of course I’m fucking worried! I get a call from Fatty that he heard your name over the radio and I’m out of my mind with fear that something awful has happened to you. Shit, I jumped out of bed and got here as fast as I could,” he said with his voice rising.

Immediately I thought of Emma.

“Uh, was Emma with you?”

‘Yeah, why?” he asked, almost as if he was annoyed I brought her up.

“It’s just that I know she doesn’t like me and I’m sure you leaving her in bed to come to me is bound to piss her off.”

“She’ll get over it. She knows that work comes first,” he said

“So, I’m considered work?”

“Shit, Natalie. You always make me work. There’s no one who makes me work harder than you,” he said with a hint of smile.

And, we’re back to square one. Every time I try to get things back to friend territory, things have a way of derailing and crashing back to that one night three years ago. For the life of me, I’d never understand our relationship. Which is funny because we have known of each other since grade school, but have never ran in the same crowds. Zack was busy being the town golden boy, while I was hiding out in the yearbook room, just waiting for school to end. The kids he hung out with made my life miserable, calling me names while making fun of my abilities. It was common for them to whisper names at me like, “loser” and “freak.” Anyhow, the fact that we now seemed to orbit around each other was a strange revelation.

“Well, your apartment is going to be closed off for at least 24 hours. You’re going to need to stay somewhere else,” Zack said.

Fuck. On top of everything else, I was now temporarily homeless. I didn’t want to alert my mom and worry her and Karen was probably asleep by now. I guess I could call Visa and see how much credit I had available and pray it was enough to get me a room for the night.

“You’ll come home with me.”

I looked over to see Simon coming back up the stairs with a content Honey in his arms.

“Shit,”
Zack swore under his breath.

“Oh, Simon I don’t want to inconvenience you. I can just get a room for the night,” I said.

“Nonsense. You know I have plenty of room and I would feel much better if you did,” he replied with concern in his tone.

Zack was clearly pissed and made no attempt to hide his feelings.

“Can’t you just go to your mom’s?” he practically whined.

“It’s too late and I don’t want to worry her.”

Simon came up beside me and placed Honey in my arms.

“Then it’s settled. You’ll come home with me,”
Simon announced with a smile toward Zack.

The two men stood for a moment, one glaring while the other gloated. That’s when
a realization hit me. Was I now that woman? The one who had two hot guys fighting over her? No. It simply wasn’t possible. I was an average chick, dramatic things like having two hot guys vying for my affections did not happen.

‘You are officially that woman,
’
Gilles echoed in my mind.

I stole
a glance first at an angry Zack and then a merry Simon.

Shit. Gilles was right. When did my life suddenly get exciting? And dangerous?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After being allowed to gather a few personal belongings, I stuffed my things into a plastic Wal-Mart bag and followed Simon back to his estate. At first he didn’t want me driving, but after a bit of protesting he relented. As I drove through the gates a sense of serenity hit me. I found it odd, since this home had just recently endured a horrific amount of violence. Normally when I enter areas where death or great emotional pain was experienced I generally feel an overwhelming sense of sickness. A few years ago a man hung himself outside of the post office and any time I walked by that area I always felt incredibly ill and a great deal of sadness. When people die in horrific manners, be it by their own hand or not, their feelings and emotions leave an imprint. As I parked in front of the large home, none of those expected feelings hit me. All I felt was contentment.

Strange.

I called out to Gilles for a little explanation, but he was mum.

Strange again.

“Do you need help?” Simon asked as I stepped out of my little car and Honey eagerly bounded to the house.

I laughed, ge
sturing to what my mom calls a Mexican suitcase, (my Wal-Mart bag). “I think I can manage.”

I followed Simon up the stairs and as he held the
front door open for me, I couldn’t help but turn toward the area where Hannah was killed.

Nothing. None of the expected feelings were present.
So very strange.

“You’re exhausted aren’t you?” he asked.

I suppose the events of the past few days had caught up to me. There was no denying how completely and utterly tired I was.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Let me take you to your room,” he said gently, taking my hand and pulling me up the grand staircase with Honey in tow. Once we arrived on the second floor, we made a left and headed down the hall, stopping at the last door on the right.

“I hope this room will do,” he said as he opened the door and switched on the light.

Um, it would do.

The room was beautiful. Tastefully decorated in subtle shades of teal and neutrals, the focal point was the
intricately hand carved wooden bed, stained in a rich mahogany. Everything in the room was perfect and inviting, I felt so at home.

“It’s fine,” I replied bewildered.

“Good. You have a private bathroom, fully stocked with towels and anything else you may need,” he gestured to the right of the room where there was an opened door leading into the bathroom.

“Thank you Simon,” I said with my voice cracking from fatigue.

He smiled, grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

“If you need anything, my room is right next door. Don’t hesitate to come in if you need something,” he said and with that he rel
eased my hand and left me alone. I looked for Honey and found her already fast asleep on the bed. Man, when I died I wanted to come back as a well-loved dog.

I figured I’d be knocked out in no time, but I was wrong. Instead of getting the blissful sleep I needed, I ended up getting a vis
it from someone very unexpected.

Hannah.

“Well, you don’t waste any time,” she replied with her arms folded under her breasts. She was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing the same clothing she had warn the night I saw her in the store and appeared to be very solid.

I sat up, startled.

“Looks like I have your attention. I can’t believe how quickly you move,” she reiterated.

“Hannah? What are you doing here?” I asked. And why was I able to see her, let alone speak to her?

“Where the fuck else do I have to go?” she said.

“Uh, Heaven or
someplace like that?” I replied groggily.

She laughed. “Seriously, I don’t know where I go from here. All I know is that I’m stuck until you help me.”

“Me? What do you mean by that?”

“I know you’re already assisting Simon, but I’m here to tell yo
u that you need to step it up, or I will make your life a living hell,” she said with a smile.

Jesus. Like it could get much worse?

“So, what do you want me to do?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Find my killer!”

Okay. Someone was a little testy. I guess dying didn’t give Hannah any enlightenment or wisdom. She was still pretty much the same in death as she was in life. What a letdown.

“You don’t have to get bitchy with me. I know you saw your killer, so why don’t you just save us all a lot of trouble and tell me who it is?” I asked.

Hannah tensed and grew surprisingly quiet.

“Hannah? I saw your murder in my dream. I know you saw the killer, so who is it?” I asked.

“Well, if you saw my murder, then you know who my killer is. Why don’t you tell me?” she replied in a juvenile tone.

My head was beginning to pound.

“Because Hannah, my dream was interrupted by my dog.”

“Humph, that little mutt has impeccable timing,” she said throwing a scowl to a now growling Honey.

I calmly petted Honey trying to relax her. The last thing I needed was for Honey to start barking.

“She’s a touchy little bitch, isn’t she?” Hannah replied.

I thought the same could be said for her too.