Shadows and Lies (8 page)

“Oh good,” I said in relief. It crossed my mind to wonder what they’d been doing in said bedroom, but it was none of my business. Thinking about what they did in the privacy of their own home did not help me help them.

Glen, my Wedge Antilles look-a-like, popped his head outside. “Oh, hey Carrie,” he said, pushing his longish brown hair out of his eyes. He didn’t look nearly as shocked over what had just happened as Charles did. He waved his cell phone at Charles and said matter-of-factly, “The police are on their way.”

“Guys, look at your cars.”

I jumped in surprise at the sound of Sean’s voice behind me. I hadn’t noticed it, but he’d emerged from his apartment too and was looking down at the parking lot. All three of us followed suit, leaning over the railing of the landing. I sucked in my breath when I saw what he saw. As I’ve mentioned before, Charles had a classic 1950’s Ford truck that he had been slowly refurbishing. Only last week had he finally put a new coat of paint on it, making it look like new again. Glen had a little foreign hatchback something or other that sat right next to it, but both vehicles had been keyed, their tires were slashed, and they had been spray painted liberally with curse words and a giant GOD HATES YOU on both windshields.

It was horrible and shocking. I had never seen anything so despicable in my life.

Both Glen and Charles turned away from the sight. Other people saw the vehicles too, and I watched while some shook their heads and said “what a shame,” while others pointed and nodded and agreed with the message. I looked at Sean, gauging his reaction. Sean was among those who were shaking their heads in dismay, and I was glad. He wore no superior, smug look on his face that suggested he thought that it was Charles’ and Glen’s fault that they were victimized.

Sean looked at me and asked, “Did you see or hear anything?”

Charles and Glen looked at me hopefully. Obviously they had no clue as to the identity of their attackers since they’d been in the rear of their apartment, but I could only shake my head. “No. I heard some voices when I was coming home a few minutes ago, male voices, maybe two or three guys, but nothing distinct and I didn’t see anyone at all.”

Sean shook his head once more and looked regretfully at Charles. “Damn man, I’m sorry. I didn’t see anything either. I was on my back patio working out with my iPod on.”

So he hadn’t been avoiding me, I thought happily. He was working out, and I could see that this was true because he was wearing sweaty workout clothes that showed off his muscular physique.

Sean was fully aware that I was ogling him. I brought my gaze quickly back up to his face, but his eyes were fixed firmly downward. What was he looking at? Oh. My stun gun was still in my hand. He had a severe frown on his face and I thought Uh-oh as I tucked it into my back pocket next to my mace. Busted. But he didn’t say anything; he just stood by my side till the cops showed up a few minutes later, a female officer with a male partner. The woman interviewed Charles and Glen while the man interviewed me and Sean and the other neighbors. The male officer, whose name was David Trotter, called me honey and asked me questions in a very kind tone of voice. I thought by his manner that the officer was hitting on me, but I wasn’t sure, so I told myself to ignore his charming smile and just answer his questions. I told him what I had heard and about how I had rushed outside with my stun gun and mace. He smiled and called me brave but told me in the future to just stay inside and not try to be a hero. He asked me which apartment I lived in and took my phone number down, and then moved on to the next interviewee. No one could ID the perps, which made the cop’s job harder. They snapped photos of the two vehicles and confiscated the brick. They told Charles and Glen that since this was so obviously a hate crime the FBI would be called, and they suggested that everyone keep an eye out for suspicious goings on in the near future. Then they left.

As they drove away, the media showed up with their cameras and microphones and their probing questions. I wondered what idiot had called them up while Charles was asked if this was the first hate crime ever perpetrated against him. He gave them a stony, “No comment,” and went inside with Glen, shutting the apartment door in the reporter’s face. This didn’t faze the media; they were able to get a good shot of the vandalized front door. I was unlucky, and stupid enough, to still be standing nearby, and so I got ambushed.

“Excuse me, can you tell me anything about your neighbors?” the reporter asked.

“Um,” I said, not knowing what to say. Should I say ‘no comment’ and walk away, or should I say something nice about Charles and Glen? I opted for nice. “They’re really nice people.”

“Are you friends with the victims?”

Their names are Charles and Glen, I wanted to tell him, but instead I said, “Yes. We get along well. They’re good neighbors.”

My sentences were short and to the point. I did gossip or get emotional. I figured I was not a reporter’s dream interviewee.

“Do you think that you’ll be able to feel safe in your neighborhood after tonight?”

“Safety is a relative thing,” I pointed out. “Who really feels safe anymore?”

“Do you think the management company here at White Pines should be doing more to ensure the safety of its residents?”

Before I could open my mouth and say something stupid that would probably get me sued, Sean stepped up. “She has no comment on that.” He took hold off my arm. “Come on, Carrie. Let’s go inside. It’s late.”

I let myself be drawn away. The reporter didn’t miss me; he just turned to someone else and started asking his questions all over again. Sean led me to his apartment instead of mine, and when I would have opened my mouth to complain, he just gave me a look. I shut my mouth. If he had given me that look a few days ago I probably would have started screaming for help and the news crew would have gotten a great story. But now that I knew things about Sean, like the fact that he was an upstanding citizen and Isaac’s friend, not to mention the fact that he had good taste in flowers, I was no longer scared to death of him.

Well, I was still scared of him, just in a new, junior high sort of way. So I allowed him to pull me inside his apartment.

As soon as the door was closed behind us, he turned to me and demanded, “What did you think you were doing out there?”

He was frowning and he looked rather upset and intimidating, but I reminded myself that he wasn’t a serial killer. “What? I was just answering some questions.”

He shook his head in frustration. “That’s not what I meant. What were you doing out there with a stun gun? You told the cops that you were the first person outside after you heard the window breaking.”

“I figured I was going to stun someone,” I said carelessly. My plan should have been quite obvious to him.

“Didn’t you think for a minute that whoever had done that could have been lurking around still and that you could have been hurt?”

“No.” I held back a smirk of amusement. I thought this line of questioning was amusing, but I didn’t think Sean would appreciate it if I burst out laughing.

“Jesus,” he said, rubbing a hand over his bald head worriedly. “Suppose they had a gun?”

“I don’t have to get that close to shoot this thing,” I said, pulling out my stun gun even though I did see his point. I may have a warped sense of humor, but I’m not an idiot.

Wait a minute. Hadn’t I already had this conversation with myself when I went charging outside to face dangers unknown with only a stun gun and mace? My amusement began to drain away, especially as Sean added darkly, “A stun gun is no match for a real gun with bullets, Carrie.”

“I know,” I said, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Alright? I know that going out there was stupid, but in the movies, when someone throws something through someone’s window, they always take off as fast as possible because they’re just cowards and bullies. I didn’t think I’d be in any real danger.”

“If you really thought that, why did you take the stun gun with you?” Sean challenged me, crossing his arms over his chest.

I crossed my arms over my chest too, even though I know the effect was not the same considering my arms were skinny and his were big and muscular. “You have no right to bully or lecture me,” I said stubbornly.

Sean opened his mouth as if to argue the point, but then snapped it shut and shook his head. It was his first taste of my bullheaded, argumentative personality. “What am I going to do with you?” he asked me tiredly, sitting down on his couch and looking up at me as if I were the oddest creature he’d ever seen outside of a zoo.

“Nothing,” I retorted logically. “We hardly know one another and it’s not your job to keep me safe.”

“If anything like this ever happens again, please just stay inside and call the police.”

I looked at him through narrowed eyes. He seemed genuinely distressed that I had gone outside with my stun gun, and I knew that he was right, so I decided to put him out of his misery and agree with him. “Okay,” I said amiably.

“And we’re not strangers anymore. We’re friends. Right?”

His gaze was so intense I couldn’t hold it, and I looked down at my feet. I glanced up at him swiftly, and then back down again. “Thank you for the flowers,” I said quietly, accidentally not answering his question.

It was Sean’s turn to look embarrassed. “You were unhappy,” he said gruffly. “I thought they’d cheer you up.”

I smiled at his discomfiture. “It worked,” I said softly. Then, “How did you know I was unhappy the first time?”

He gestured towards the walls. “The insulation’s not so great here. Sounds carry.”

I blushed. He’d heard me crying through the walls. That was horrifying. I backed towards his front door. “I-I guess I’d better go. Thanks again.” I turned to beat a hasty retreat.

“Wait!” Sean said, leaping to his feet and striding quickly towards me. I stopped and turned around mere inches from the door and escape. Sean put a hand on my shoulder and I felt myself blush at his touch. I was acting very silly, and I knew it.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. “Are we friends?”

I swallowed and nodded. “Sure.”

Sean took his hand from my shoulder and held it out to me. He wanted to shake my hand. “We’ve already met,” I said in confusion as I placed my hand in his. Once more I noticed how nicely his hand encompassed mine. He was warm too, while my hands were like ice.

Sean smiled. “I know. I just want you to know I’m not going to bite.” He shrugged. “I know I’m not the cuddliest looking person on the block.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “I know that. Now.”

Sean’s smile grew. “Of course, now that we’re officially friends, I get to bully and lecture you about not chasing after bad guys.”

I couldn’t help but grin at his maneuvering, which made me relax, which was something of a small miracle since he was still holding my hand. “I also have mace. And I know how to take a man down. I took a class.” I was more than a little proud of that.

Sean let go of me then, which I found I did not like, and folded his arms across his chest. He looked me up and down skeptically. “Really?” he asked. There was a touch of playful sarcasm in his voice. “You took a class?”

I glared at him in mock indignation. “For your information, it was a series of classes which I passed with flying colors.”

“Have you ever used that stun gun on a real person?” Sean asked me.

“Yes I have,” I said imperiously, hitching my chin up. “It was part of the class. A couple of young guys, who I assumed were seriously strapped for cash, were paid to come in and let us shoot them so we would know what it’s like to pull the trigger and be able to do it under stress. We did the same thing with the mace. The guys wore goggles over their eyes.”

Sean didn’t say a word after my little speech. He simply looked me over, his smile fading as his eyes raked over me from my head to my toes. It made me feel very vulnerable. “So,” he said slowly. “You’re a tough girl.”

I shifted uncomfortably. I was no such thing. Still, I couldn’t help but raise my head hight and say firmly, “When I have to be.” I couldn’t help but add sheepishly, “But sometimes I’m afraid that I’m weak. Sometimes I wish I could be strong all the time.”

Sean looked at me steadily. “I think everyone fears and wishes the same thing.”

“Even you?” I asked jokingly.

“Even me,” he replied softly. He reached out and stroked my cheek with one large, stained thumb. “But that’s why we all have friends; to give us a little support and maybe some flowers when we’re sad.”

I was frozen under his touch. I couldn’t blink, I couldn’t curl my toes. I could only stare into his eyes, and he smiled a small smile at me as he traced my cheek bone down to my jaw. His touch was light and intimate. I wanted to flinch, but I forced myself not to.

“You know those dancing lessons that Genny’s forcing us to take starting tomorrow evening?” he asked quietly as he took his hand away.

Now that he wasn’t touching me, I could move once more, and I nodded. Genny wanted everyone in the wedding party to learn to waltz so we could look as good as possible for her wedding video. At her own expense, she’d booked several appointments for private group lessons at a dance studio in her neighborhood and told us that we had to go or else.

“We could ride over there together,” Sean suggested persuasively.

“It would save on gas,” I managed to say, trying to sound practical.

Sean chuckled. “Yeah, it would. So that’s a yes?”

“Okay,” I squeaked. I cleared my throat and said more normally, “That sounds like a good plan.”

Sean laughed. “See you at seven then?”

I nodded firmly. “At seven.”

I turned to go for good, terrified that Sean would touch me again, hoping that he would. But he didn’t reach out, and he didn’t say another word. He just watched me with a very satisfied look on his face as I left his apartment. I for my part was shaking from head to toe as I closed his door, and I leaned back on it and took a deep breath. What had I gotten myself into? My heart pounded as I made my way back to my own home and locked the door securely behind me.