to Maggie with a look of
determination.
“Don’t wait up for me. I’m going to stake out her place.”
“What if Fred calls?”
“Tell him I went to Jackie’s. That should keep him off my back for a
while?”
“And what if Jackie calls?”
“Trust me, that’s the last person who’ll be looking for me tonight.”
Don walked over to Maggie and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
Maggie just pointed a finger at him as he walked out of the room. “You
be careful,” she said.
Don waved his right hand as he walked out the door and didn’t say
another word. It was still fairly early. What Maggie said made sense. He only
hoped he wasn’t wasting his efforts. Time would tell, and if nothing happened
by midnight he could always head for home and still catch some shut-eye. But at
least he would have made the effort to put an end to this.
Chapter 14
It took a good hour’s drive to get to Raven’s house in Falls Church.
The neighborhood was basically shut down for the night. There were only a few
houses who had a light on in a back room. Don guessed there were a few diehard
late-night news junkies. He pulled up to Raven’s house, but didn’t pull into
her driveway. Instead he pulled up to the house next door, careful to turn off
his lights first so as not to wake anyone up. The full moon was an asset for
him, as it was easy to make his way across the lawn back to Raven’s house.
Once he got to her porch he lifted up the mat and was thankful he’d
put the key back before the crime lab came in to dust the place. As he opened
the front door he didn’t have to turn on any of the lights as moonbeams seemed
to dance across the floor from the tree outside the front window. The dog
barking in the distance didn’t trouble him at first as he settled into the
living room and stared up at the portrait above the mantel. Even in the dark of
night he could make out her silhouette and the lines of her face. He knew she
was watching him even in the dark of night. He didn’t know if it was truly the
case that drew him to this house or being able to look at the portrait once
more.
When Don heard movement on the front porch he was brought back to the
here and now. The hair on the back of his neck bristled when the noise appeared
to get close and his cop instinct kicked into high gear. Don got goose bumps on
his arms as he quickly knelt down off the couch, unholstering his gun in one
swift motion.
Once he got his bearings and listened for what seemed like an eternity
he heard the key in the front door turn. Quickly, he tiptoed to the front hall
and stood directly behind the front door. With the peephole window he couldn’t
look out without alerting the person on the other side.
Slowly the door opened, as the person entered the hall, Don snapped
the door shut and had the person spread-eagled on the opposite wall. The scent
of Jasmine filled his nostrils as he brushed up against her hair.
“What the f---,” the woman yelled as Don quickly flipped her around,
and as he did he caught his breath as he came face-to-face with Raven VanBuren.
In that swift movement the air was sucked out of his lungs. It took him a
moment to regain his composure.
“Who in the hell are you?” Raven snapped as she struggled to free
herself from Don’s grip, but he held her firmly.
“Me first. Where have you been, and who was that in your car?” Don
asked, staring into Raven’s eyes.
Raven struggled to free herself, and when Don finally loosened his
grip on her arm, she rubbed it to make the pain less noticeable. Then she
turned to Don.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snapped.
“Oh yes, you do. Your father must have told you by now.”
Raven stared at Don for the longest time before speaking. “Leave him
out of it.”
“Then start leveling with me. Otherwise, the whole lot of you are
going to be hauled in for obstructing justice.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Oh yes I can!” Don snapped as he
determination.
“Don’t wait up for me. I’m going to stake out her place.”
“What if Fred calls?”
“Tell him I went to Jackie’s. That should keep him off my back for a
while?”
“And what if Jackie calls?”
“Trust me, that’s the last person who’ll be looking for me tonight.”
Don walked over to Maggie and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
Maggie just pointed a finger at him as he walked out of the room. “You
be careful,” she said.
Don waved his right hand as he walked out the door and didn’t say
another word. It was still fairly early. What Maggie said made sense. He only
hoped he wasn’t wasting his efforts. Time would tell, and if nothing happened
by midnight he could always head for home and still catch some shut-eye. But at
least he would have made the effort to put an end to this.
Chapter 14
It took a good hour’s drive to get to Raven’s house in Falls Church.
The neighborhood was basically shut down for the night. There were only a few
houses who had a light on in a back room. Don guessed there were a few diehard
late-night news junkies. He pulled up to Raven’s house, but didn’t pull into
her driveway. Instead he pulled up to the house next door, careful to turn off
his lights first so as not to wake anyone up. The full moon was an asset for
him, as it was easy to make his way across the lawn back to Raven’s house.
Once he got to her porch he lifted up the mat and was thankful he’d
put the key back before the crime lab came in to dust the place. As he opened
the front door he didn’t have to turn on any of the lights as moonbeams seemed
to dance across the floor from the tree outside the front window. The dog
barking in the distance didn’t trouble him at first as he settled into the
living room and stared up at the portrait above the mantel. Even in the dark of
night he could make out her silhouette and the lines of her face. He knew she
was watching him even in the dark of night. He didn’t know if it was truly the
case that drew him to this house or being able to look at the portrait once
more.
When Don heard movement on the front porch he was brought back to the
here and now. The hair on the back of his neck bristled when the noise appeared
to get close and his cop instinct kicked into high gear. Don got goose bumps on
his arms as he quickly knelt down off the couch, unholstering his gun in one
swift motion.
Once he got his bearings and listened for what seemed like an eternity
he heard the key in the front door turn. Quickly, he tiptoed to the front hall
and stood directly behind the front door. With the peephole window he couldn’t
look out without alerting the person on the other side.
Slowly the door opened, as the person entered the hall, Don snapped
the door shut and had the person spread-eagled on the opposite wall. The scent
of Jasmine filled his nostrils as he brushed up against her hair.
“What the f---,” the woman yelled as Don quickly flipped her around,
and as he did he caught his breath as he came face-to-face with Raven VanBuren.
In that swift movement the air was sucked out of his lungs. It took him a
moment to regain his composure.
“Who in the hell are you?” Raven snapped as she struggled to free
herself from Don’s grip, but he held her firmly.
“Me first. Where have you been, and who was that in your car?” Don
asked, staring into Raven’s eyes.
Raven struggled to free herself, and when Don finally loosened his
grip on her arm, she rubbed it to make the pain less noticeable. Then she
turned to Don.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snapped.
“Oh yes, you do. Your father must have told you by now.”
Raven stared at Don for the longest time before speaking. “Leave him
out of it.”
“Then start leveling with me. Otherwise, the whole lot of you are
going to be hauled in for obstructing justice.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Oh yes I can!” Don snapped as he
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