Waiting for Romeo (30 page)

I’m thankful these questions are directed at Logan and not myself. I sit, trying to put on my best poker face. I wonder if he’ll say anything about him and his efforts to extort a hundred grand?

Logan rubs the stubble on his chin and is quiet for a minute. “The last time I saw him was in December. December seventh.”

The awful night of his birthday: images of Sebastian and a mound of cocaine on the coffee table and a drugged out Logan with Seraphina snaked around him in a compromising position flash in my head. I block them out just as quickly as they come into my head for not only my own peace of mind but also for fear Detective Fernandez can read my mind.

“And, was that the last time you spoke to him as well?” She asks and stares into Logan’s eyes.

She stares for so long into his eyes that I’m mesmerized by her ability to not blink. One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand…

“Uh. No. Let’s see…I called him about a week later. It was during break and I was in New York. I called to tell him that I put the condo on the market and I was going to get a place on my own.” Logan explains and he rests his hand on my thigh.

“Let me guess: you had a bit of a falling out.” She glances from Logan to me for the first time in awhile.

“Yes.” He pauses a minute. “We were going in different directions and I decided it was best we go our separate ways.” I notice Detective Fernandez eyes look down and at the ring on my hand.

“I bet he wasn’t too happy about that. I’m sure it’s safe to say he quite liked living high on the hog. I went to your old place to see if maybe he was living in that building and to see if anyone had seen him and your place was quite nice. I hope that didn’t come out the wrong way? I don’t mean to offend you, but he goes from living in the penthouse suite to where? The streets? It’s quite a drastic change.”

Logan breathes and I look up at him, trying to gauge his thoughts. He shrugs. “I understand what you’re saying and you’re right, he wasn’t happy about it, but he really gave me no choice.”

“No choice? I get it. Honestly, I think you did the right thing from what I know about him. You probably heard he almost overdosed?” She says, but she words it as a question to get a response from Logan.

“Yes. I did hear that.”

“So you haven’t heard from him or spoken to him since December?” She scribbles again on her notepad.

Logan nods. “That’s right.”

“What about when he moved out? You didn’t see him then?” She asks. “Didn’t he have to move his stuff out once you sold the place?”

Good question…I look at Logan. But, I’m not sure where she’s going with all of this.

“When I called him in December I told him he had to move his things out then, before it went on the market. I thought it would be better that way. He only had his clothes and a few other things. The furniture and everything else was mine and I sold all of it with the condo.”

“Once you got back from New York, he was all moved out then?”

“Yes. He had a key…like I said…he didn’t have much to pack up. The place sold quickly and I leased a new place.” He pauses. “Honestly, I wish I could help you out but I have no idea where he is or where he’s staying. I do know where he should be.”

Detective Fernandez looks up brightly from her notes. “Oh? Where is that?”

“Rehab. He should be there. He needs some serious help.” Logan says and I’m surprised he doesn’t add: or jail.

“You’re right about that. He was in there briefly…too briefly. Did he always have drug problems? This is completely off the record by the way. But you know he’s doing some serious shit.” She shakes her head.

“Yes. It started with drinking and then it turned to drugs…he was into whatever he could get his hands on.” Logan says, quietly as if he’s talking about himself…not just Sebastian. I blink at the detective and wonder if she notices or if it’s just something I see because of what I know about Logan.

“That can be hard…you know as a friend, a roommate.” She says, sympathetically. “Especially if you’re not into that stuff.”

“Right…like I said we were going in different directions so it was definitely taking its toll.”

“Understandably. You know, he stole prescription painkillers from several houses. We see a lot of burglaries where electronics, cameras, and jewelry are stolen. But when those things are left in the house, we start to look at other motives. In the last couple break-ins, iPads, laptops, all sorts of hot items were left lying around the house in clear sight and that’s when we realized there was another modus operandi.” She pauses a beat. “It basically means we look for evidence that is distinct and recognized by a specific person. In these burglaries, the usual things that are taken were left behind and instead prescription meds were stolen and in some cases cash.”

Logan looks lost in thought while a question that’s been nagging me resurfaces again.

I clear my throat. “May I ask you something?” It’s the first time I’ve spoken in awhile and both of them turn their heads in my direction.

“Sure.” Detective Fernandez says.

“How do you know it was Sebastian? I mean…did someone see him or something?” I ask and pause a second. “Or maybe you’re not allowed to tell us.”

“I won’t hear about it on Studio One?” She asks, seriously.

“No…of course not.” I say.

She smiles. “I’m joking…I know you wouldn’t do that. Well, the other store had a surveillance camera and we can clearly see that it’s him. Then at all of the break-ins there was a significant amount of cigarette stubs left and it matches his DNA. He has a prior criminal record so he was already in the database.”

“Really?” I ask.

“About which part? His past criminal record I can’t tell you about it or maybe you already know about it.” She looks at Logan. “And as for the DNA, we can match it through the saliva on it.”

“Amazing.” I say and I think of Bryn and her obsession with those detective shows. Now, I understand her interest and their popularity. It’s fascinating. “I thought you could only find that stuff out through fingerprints.”

“No. DNA can be collected from anywhere…hair, saliva, semen, sweat, earwax, and, of course, blood and all we need are just a few cells to identify a suspect with absolute certainty. You’re right…it is amazing.” She smiles and then continues. “The frustrating part is that we have all of this information, but we can’t find him.”

“Well, like I said earlier, I really wish I could help you out.” Logan says. “I think it’s safe to say he’s not happy with me for kicking him out, otherwise, I probably would have heard from him by now.”

“I know.” Detective Fernandez says, giving Logan a look like she agrees with his statement. “But I am a bit surprised he hasn’t tried to contact you about money. Am I right to assume he’s borrowed from you in the past?”

I think of Sebastian on top of me in the park, threatening me to come up with some story to borrow the money from Logan. My stomach twists into a knot.

“I don’t know if you could say he borrowed the money.” Logan smiles and it looks like Detective Fernandez visibly swoons for a brief second. “He asked for money that’s for sure, but he was never in the habit of paying me back.”

“Nice friend.” She replies and puts her notepad back in her pocket. “Before I go, I do want to ask you one other thing.”

“Sure.” Logan says.

“Did he ever make any threats against you?” She looks at Logan and then she turns her attention to me. “Either of you?”

Logan shakes his head. “No. What kind of threats?”

“Did he ever threaten to hurt you or anything like that? Or did he threaten to hurt anyone you know?”

We both shake our heads. “No.” We murmur at the same time.

“Is there a reason you’re asking this?” Logan asks when I’m wondering the same thing myself.

“I don’t want to alarm you, but when I mentioned the burglaries and how prescriptions were stolen and some cash, there was one other item stolen from the store and we know Sebastian took it because it’s on tape.”

“Oh, what’s that?” Logan asks.

“A handgun.” Detective Fernandez says, without blinking.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“MAYBE WE SHOULD LEAVE FOR NEW YORK TONIGHT.” I say sort of half joking and half serious to Logan.

I lean against the back wall of Spyder after I briefly explain to Rosemary that I just need a little longer to talk to Logan. Detective Fernandez spoke to Rosemary just minutes before we arrived so she knew she had some questions regarding Sebastian and she was looking for Logan. Then Rosemary saw us out back talking to the police officer so she also understood that I wasn’t exactly blowing off work.

After the detective left, Rosemary must have sensed my anxiety because she kept trying to tell me to just take the day off. But it’s still early in the day and I definitely welcome the distraction of work. Besides, the thought of discussing Sebastian the rest of the day is far from appealing to me.

“Seriously.” He pauses a minute. “He’s done a lot of stupid things up until this point, but honestly, I can’t see him doing something that insane. He could have stolen the gun for a bunch of reasons.”

“Really? Like what?” I ask.

“He could be getting threats from any number of dealers. There are some really shitty people out there and if they’re not getting their money and he’s making promises…he’s fucked. He may have taken the gun just to protect himself.” He explains.

“That’s actually a good point.” I say.

“Besides, he’s on this insane burglary spree so maybe he took it for that reason as well.” He shrugs.

“Again, for protection?” I ask and then my earlier humor about the craziness of this situation dissipates and all I can think of is Sebastian using the gun against Logan to get money from him. My eyes sting with tears.

Logan immediately puts his arms around me, pulling me against him.

“I won’t let him hurt you, Emilia.” He whispers. “He’ll have to get to me first before he gets anywhere near you. Besides, he’s mad at me and he’s after my money.”

“Exactly.” I sniff and fight the urge to sob into his chest. “I can’t stand the thought of him trying to hurt you.” I say, shakily as I lean back to look up at him.

“I really don’t think he will.” Logan says, softly. “I’ve known him a long time and he’s doing a lot of dumb things but I don’t think he’s capable of shooting someone. I honestly, don’t see that happening. But at the same time, I won’t take that risk with you. I know you’re joking about New York, but maybe we should go…just to get away from here for a little while.”

I blink up at him. “What about school? I can’t miss the track meet either.”

“Oh, Emilia. I think you’re safety is more important than all of that. Agreed? We could probably get some type of independent study so we could finish the school year without ever coming back until graduation.”

I frown. “I can’t do that. Besides, I can’t leave Bryn here alone.”

“My guess is that Bryn would totally understand. In fact, she’d probably pack your bags for you herself.” He smiles, reassuringly.

I shake my head. “No. I can’t leave. I think I’d worry more if I weren’t here. I’d worry about Bryn…not to mention the Suttons. I don’t know…if he has a gun even if he doesn’t plan on using it against someone…just the fact that he has one and he’s so unstable…I don’t trust him. Who’s to say he doesn’t come back here and break-in again hoping to get more money? And if he has a gun and someone is here and he threatens them with it…” I babble as the tears well up in my eyes again.

He pulls me close against his hard chest. “Don’t baby.” He breathes in my hair. “Look, I’ll just have to stay in your space even more now…around-the-clock, seven-days-a-week surveillance. You think you can handle that?” He says as he leans back, grinning and then kisses the top of my head.”

My tears stop and I smile up at him. “Sounds kind of rough, but I think I might be able to rise to the challenge.”

“I’m sure you’ll rise to the challenge. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He pauses a second and then continues. “It sounds like the police are taking it all very seriously so I’m sure it’ll just be a matter of time before they find him and he gets arrested. He’s making all of these stupid mistakes and obviously he’s not thinking clearly.”

“I hope it’s sooner rather than later.” I mutter.

“So do I.” Logan’s brow furrows.

“What are you thinking?” I ask.

“I’m just sorry you have to deal with all of this. This is my fault…maybe I shouldn’t have kicked him out. It makes me think this mess could have all been avoided. I can’t help but wonder.” Logan says, quietly.

I shake my head. “I don’t think it would have made any difference…even if you had let him stay as your roommate…more than likely…he’d be bugging you relentlessly about me or you’d be spiraling out of control along with him. Besides, we’d probably not be together if he was still your roommate.”

“Excellent point.” He leans down and kisses me softly on the lips. “You say, ‘probably not be together’?”

“Okay. Definitely. You know, I told you from the beginning Sebastian loathed me. I knew he was going to make things difficult for us…he did and he still continues to. But the thing I worried about most was confirmed the night on your birthday. I always worried he’d lure you back to that dark side…and he did. I had no intentions of getting back together with you. But one of the things that made me think you had changed…really changed…was the fact that you severed your friendship with him. So, you can’t really think or worry about how things would be different if he was still your roommate. If he was still your roommate, we wouldn’t be standing here discussing this.” I explain and let out a breath.

Logan smiles. “It’s no wonder I fell in love with you. You are the whole package…beauty, brains and brawn. I knew you’d forever change me the moment I laid my eyes on you. I know I screwed up, but sometimes that’s what we need in life. I lost you and because of it, it made me realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life proving to you it was the biggest mistake of my life and how much I love you.”

I smile and lean up to kiss him. “You know…you’ve had quite a profound effect on me as well…this is quite a change in conversation…if you’re trying to get me to stop worrying about Sebastian, it’s helping.”

“I’m glad. But you know, I can think of some other ways to keep you’re mind off that…some much more fun ways.” He leans down and nuzzles my neck.

I laugh. “I’d like that, but I actually have to go into work.”

He leans back with his hands still wrapped around my waist. “I’m sure Rosemary will let you have the day off.”

“No. I’m already late enough as it is. Do you think you’ll still go and meet Sam? Maybe it’s not such a good idea.” I murmur.

“No. We have to get on with our lives. Look, I said it before and I meant it, I don’t think he’d do anything that stupid. He’s definitely not going to walk around in broad daylight, swinging a gun around.”

I laugh, nervously. “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” He says and smiles.

“Do you think we should have mentioned to Fernandez about Sebastian approaching me in the park? The whole extortion thing?” I say, quietly.

“No. I was worried she was going to start asking you if you had seen him or spoken to him, but she didn’t. She asked me and what I told her was the truth. I’m relieved she didn’t direct any of those questions at you because I know you would have had to tell her.”

“But maybe it would help if they knew?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I thought about it. But I don’t want that information leaking to the press. It probably wouldn’t but I’d rather not take that chance. I don’t want our names in the paper with regards to this…I’m sure you don’t either.”

“Oh, that’s true. I’m pretty sure my dad would be up here in about five minutes. I’d have to kiss graduation good-bye. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I know what you mean.” I think for a second. “As of now the burglaries are barely mentioned in the news, if the press got wind that a Prescott was linked to this mess, it would be front page news and I’m sure your dad doesn’t want that.”

“That’s one of many reasons.”

“Another thing I know for certain is that Professor Hastings would be quite pissed off at me if he knew I was sitting on a great story and not doing anything about it.” I arch a brow.

“We’re doing something about it…we’re trying our best to stay clear of it and let the police handle it. On top of that, I’m going to keep you safe while I count the days until Spring Break and we can escape this nightmare.” His voice is soft.

I smirk up at him. “And, I’ll keep you safe.”

“There’s no chance I can convince you to play hooky?” He leans and kisses me. “I think we should discuss how we’ll keep each other safe at my place. I think you know what I mean.” He whispers as he kisses just below my earlobe, sending those familiar shivers down my spine.

I laugh. “I’ll see you at six. Then we can have that discussion.”

I’M AN HOUR LATE FOR WORK. Rosemary is all smiles when I finally enter the front of the store, ready to help. There’s a steady stream of customers for a couple hours and even though we’re quite busy, I catch Rosemary constantly looking over her shoulder to check up on me. I wonder what the detective mentioned to her or if it’s just her maternal instinct kicking in that something isn’t quite right. After about two hours, there’s a lull in activity and the store is empty.

“Hey, are you okay, Emilia?” She asks.

“Yes. Why do you ask?” I blink at her.

“You just seem nervous, a bit on edge. Look, I’ll just cut to the chase, I know Detective Fernandez was looking for Logan to ask him about his friend, well, former friend…burglary boy…what’s his name?”

I smile. “Burglary boy?”

“Ah, I’m glad I could make you smile. You haven’t been your normal, happy, cheerful self since you walked in here so you’re not fooling me.”

“Sebastian.” I pause. “Yes, she just wanted to ask Logan if he had seen or heard from him. I think she was mostly hoping he could help the police figure out where he’s hiding out.”

“He’s hiding out?” Rosemary asks, curiously.

“Well, it’s just an expression. I don’t know if he’s really hiding out, but no one seems to know where he is since he left rehab. He hasn’t been around school in months.” I shrug. “Besides, he probably knows the police are looking for him. He knows you’re not pressing charges, but maybe someone else is. Right?”

“That’s true. Does Logan know where he is?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Like, I told you before, they had a falling out and he hasn’t heard from him since they were roommates…that was back in December.”

“Oh.” She gazes at me. “I’m sure this must be hard on you both. Logan is probably worried about him even if they aren’t friends anymore. Then you probably worry about Logan. It’s a vicious cycle. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No. I’ll just be glad when the police find him.” I say as another slew of customers enter the store.

“Looks like our break is over for now.” She smiles at me. “Try not to worry too much about it…things have a way of working out.”

I smile back at her and think to myself I hope she’s right.

“Easier said than done, huh?” She gives me one more reassuring smile and then heads to a group of customers in the back corner of the store.

“Definitely.” I say to myself.

I’m at the register, while Rosemary is still preoccupied with the same group of customers, when I instinctively feel someone’s eyes on me. I glance towards the entry of the store and see Seraphina, staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

I swallow and my gaze immediately falls to her hands: no pets, no boiling pots, but she is holding a white business envelope. Well, at least it’s not a gun. God, could this day get any worse?

I quickly look towards Rosemary, but she’s in a deep discussion on surfboards. I’m wondering if we could swap customers when Seraphina slowly approaches me.

I’m frozen and immediately my mind searches for a reason for why she’s here. Did Sebastian send her here? Is she looking for the money? Maybe that’s what the envelope is for…she wants me to put the hundred grand in it.

She smiles, wickedly. Her long black hair matches her head-to-toe black attire. The only skin that shows is her ample cleavage in the skintight, spandex, deep v-neck top, reminding me of Catwoman without the pointy ears and the mask.

She hands me the envelope. “This belongs to Logan.” She says, whispering in an eerie voice.

I take the envelope and stuff it into my back pocket. Then I clear my throat because I refuse to let her get under my skin. “You’re going to end up in jail just like Sebastian, you know?” I say, assuming she’s helping him.

She laughs. “This isn’t about Sebastian.”

My stomach is in knots, but I attempt to look unfazed. “You want to buy a board? It doesn’t look like you need a wetsuit by the looks of what you’re wearing. You do know you’re supposed to only wear them in the water?” I stifle a laugh. She does look ridiculous.

“Ha. Ha.” She leans against the counter so her face is close to mine. “I don’t think you’ll be laughing when you open that.”

“I thought you said it was for Logan.” I spit.

“I said it
belongs
to Logan, but it’s for you. I told you he’s not yours and now maybe you’ll believe me. Besides when he sees that, I know he’ll make the right choice. Trust me.” She arches her brow and I’ve honestly never felt so compelled in my life to slap someone across the face. If only Bryn were here and could actually cunt punt her. Yes, that would make me feel better.

“Al-righty then.” I say. I need to get away from her and I start to move towards the back of the store where Rosemary is.

But just as soon as I head to the back of the store, I glance over my shoulder and see her sashay out the door. I notice I’m holding my breath. I exhale and take another deep breath, trying to relax myself.

Rosemary’s customers carry a board to the register, but she quickly turns to me before she follows them.

“Who was the chick with the big tits?” She asks.

“Seraphina.” I mutter.

“She’s a friend?”

I shake my head. “No…most definitely not a friend. I’m just going to run to the bathroom…do you mind?” I ask, a bit distractedly