“I’m leaving, Harmony.” Wendy said. Concern lined her Mother’s face but she was respectfully refusing to talk about Lyric. “Will you be okay?”
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine.”
“If you need anything, just call.”
Harmony nodded and stood to hug her mother. When the house was perfectly quiet, Harmony proceeded to make some breakfast and turn on cable news. There were still no reports about a possible murder or a missing child. They continued to report on the missing young woman though.
The day was rather uneventful and she hadn’t received a call from the police station by the time dinner rolled around. Nobody from work had checked in on her and she was starting to run out of things to keep her busy. She sent a text to her mom letting her know she was taking Rufus for a walk.
Night had already fallen as she walked around the gated community. The LED street lamps provided more than enough light for her to feel safe and she knew for a fact the majority of the people in this neighborhood were middle-aged or older.
When she had made her way halfway around the block, she noticed a heavily wooded area at the end of the stretch of sidewalk. She hadn’t remembered this being a dead end. She had been under the impression that the whole neighborhood was one big circle. Rufus’s curiosity sparked and he trotted towards the dark.
“Hey, buddy, we need to head back home.” Harmony pulled gently on his leash. Normally he was obedient, but as she pulled he began to bark at the darkness beyond. “No squirrels today, Rufus.” She laughed but her laugh was cut short by her surprise to see something emerging from the woods.
All the noise seemed to quiet and dirty fog curled behind the figure that approached. She had blond dreadlocks down to her waist with beads woven throughout. Her eyes were rimmed in thick black eyeliner and her lips were painted crimson with a cigarette hanging from them. A faded tattoo crept up her neck and she was wearing all black. Harmony could not speak. She simply stared. Despite some of the woman’s harshness, there was an ethereal quality to her as if she was not truly part of this world.
Harmony held up a hand in greeting but the woman did not respond. She simply stared. Her eyes were ambiguous and her posture closed off. She looked like she did not want to be bothered.
“Are you okay?” Harmony asked.
After a few more seconds, the woman took a couple of puffs on her cigarette and turned around to walk back into the fog. It looked as though she had disappeared in the smoke she created. Harmony realized she had been holding her breath, so she sucked in a sharp breath making her head spin. Crickets chimed in after the women disappeared and in the distance, she could hear cars driving on the highway. She shivered and wondered why the woman seemed so familiar.
CHAPTER FIVE
PAT WOKE IN the dirt patch in front of the portal. The muggy heaviness inside the conservatory pressed in on him which didn’t help calm his nerves. Carefully, he wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth with one hand and tousled his hair with the other. As he stood, he could see that his decent outfit was now covered in patches of dust and leaves.
Robotically, he made his way back to his house and went through his normal morning routine. Silently, he watched as the dirt flecks ran down the shower drain. Silently, he fried an egg in a skillet and sweetened a cup of coffee. Silently, he watched the news as they covered a story about a missing girl.
Pat was taking all this in but refusing to be bothered by it. All fear, anxiety, and depression surrounding last night was gone. Janice was simply a stepping stone to where he wanted to be and unfortunately, she paid the ultimate price. Even if he hadn’t led her to her own demise, she was destined to be lost like his mother. Even as a baby, he must have been unbearable to be around for her to take her own life. Janice would have learned the same lesson sooner or later.
Once his morning routine was complete, he loaded up his car and began backing out of the garage. As he was driving away from his house, he happened to glance over and see somebody unfamiliar standing at his front door. During the split-second pause it took for him to evaluate who the person was, they caught him staring and began to run down the sidewalk to stop him. He then saw the news van parked next to the curb.
Slamming his foot into the gas pedal he screeched down the driveway and nearly missed a pickup truck as he careened onto the highway. He didn’t dare look back, but he knew the reporter must have already corrected their course and made a beeline for their vehicle.
Pat’s heart rate sped up as he flew around curves and through yellow lights like he was late for work. When he reached the office, he saw a heavy crowd by the front entrance. Several security guards had taken their posts out front to form a human barricade and just then, Theresa was calling Pat’s phone.
“Are you here yet?” She asked in a desperate whisper. No greeting.
“I’m parking now. What’s going on?”
“The police are here to speak with you.”
Pat didn’t respond. The car continued to move forward as he neared his usual spot. When he was fully parked he said, “I’m parked. Be right up.”
Unlike the day before, he didn’t make his usual stops at each department. He ignored anybody who approached and headed straight for the elevators.
“Mr. Sherwood!” Came a shout from his right shoulder. “Mr. Sherwood. Do you have anything to say about Janice May? You were the last one to see her before she disappeared.”
Without missing a beat, Pat turned away from the elevator and rushed to the stairwell instead. With his long legs, he took the stairs two at a time until he reached the 3rd floor breathless and alone. He took a few calming breaths, then marched to his office where he was confronted by one police officer and Theresa.
“Mr. Sherwood.” The officer inclined his head towards Pat.
“Who are you?” Pat asked. “Why was there a reporter at my house this morning? Why are people crawling all over my company?”
“I’m Officer Greenwald. I’m investigating Janice May’s disappearance. An eyewitness testified to you being the last one to see her.”
“I have a right to a lawyer, correct?”
“Yes, but if you’re innocent I don’t think you need one. Let’s just talk man to man.”
Pat tilted his head to the right and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. “I can’t do that. I need to have my lawyer present.”
As much as Officer Greenwald tried to remain emotionless, it was easy to see the exasperation on his face. Pat knew that having a lawyer present would be much more difficult for law enforcement than just chatting.
“It is your prerogative.” Officer Greenwald said finally. “Don’t leave town.”
They exchanged contact information and then the officer left the room. Pat could feel Theresa’s judgmental gaze boring holes through the back of his head.
“You had dinner with one of our pharmaceutical reps?”
Pat did not respond but instead began to set up his workspace and start his computer. He then picked up the telephone went to the entry for his lawyer’s office number and made a quick call. Once that was done, Theresa was still standing before him with her arms crossed.
“I’m taking care of it.”
“What am I supposed to do with all the reporters, Pat?”
“Give them your best evil face and they’ll go away.” For effect, Pat snarled and squinted his eyes.
