“God sent you there, huh?”

  “Yep, God.”

  “That is the first time I’ve ever been an instrument of God. According to my ex, I have been an instrument of many things, but God was never one she mentioned.”

  Elizabeth grabbed his hand and held tightly, sending an intense look at him with her eyes, “Thank you.”

  He waved her away then walked toward the front door. “Don’t forget now. You promised you would call Bruce.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  After Cole left, Elizabeth tried to get off the couch, but it was no use. She couldn’t move yet. Her muscles had been tense for so long that now they wouldn’t work. Elizabeth needed to call Bruce right away, but she didn’t know what to say.

  Hi, I’m okay. I took the wrong bus because I was thinking about you and got distracted. And that led me to the bad part of town, which led me to lose my shoes, which in turn put me on the subway and made me get a haircut I never wanted. And I ruined my blouse. But mostly I was just terrified of losing my life.

  Elizabeth picked up the phone and dialed the number, and it was busy. Maybe Cole had called him. Cole hadn’t asked if she had wanted to file a report. He had probably figured it was pointless. The people who had attacked her were almost certainly homeless, and they would never be found or prosecuted. She was lucky to have her life. After the call came through busy, she decided she needed to soak her feet. Holes had worn through her stockings, and red, raw areas dotted her skin. She wouldn’t be wearing high heels for some time after this.

  Elizabeth tried the office one more time before leaving her couch, and this time, no one answered. She decided to take the phone with her as she struggled up the stairs. It felt like it was taking forever just to make it to the bedroom. She picked out soft clothes and headed to the bathroom. She ran the water as warm as she could stand it, added her favorite bubbles and stepped into the water, sighing with relief. She didn’t keep up with how long she lay there. She closed her eyes and began to relive what had happened in the subway.

  What had those men been talking about? What case could they possibly mean?

  ****

  Wesley cringed as Elizabeth was placed into the patrol car and driven away. He should have stepped in and rescued her. What was he thinking? How could he have put Elizabeth in this position? He was doing everything he could to stop this madness, but it appeared to be escalating.

  Sighing heavily, he climbed into his own vehicle and headed to the office. Hopefully no one would notice how late he was in arriving. The last thing he needed was more questions.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bruce had paced. Why hadn’t she called him? The longer he waited to hear from her the more nervous he’d become. Finally he could stand it no longer and he had called her. When Elizabeth had answered her dreamy sounding voice floated across the telephone wire. “Hello.”

  “Elizabeth? Were you asleep?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you all right? What are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. I was just resting my eyes while soaking in the tub. So other than the phone waking me and causing me to splash water everywhere, I’m fine. Bruce, I did try to call but it was busy and then no one answered and…”

  Before she could continue, he interrupted her, “That’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

  “I guess I am.”

  He fell down into a seat, his head resting in his free hand, he asked, “What happened?”

  There was a pause before she said, “It’s a long story.”

  “I have time.”

  Elizabeth told him what happened on the bus and the subway. He knew she was leaving out some of the more horrifying parts. Cole had told him how she’d looked when she’d miraculously stumbled upon his partner. Bruce had been beyond angry.

  When Elizabeth finished talking, he offered to come over, but she’d refused. That had been yesterday.

  Now it was Saturday, and Bruce paced the floors in his townhouse once more. He’d gone for a run this morning, hoping to see Elizabeth in the park doing the same, but no luck. After the run, he’d sat on the park bench in front of her townhouse waiting for her to come out and feed the birds, or talk to her neighbors, or just stare at the water, except she never came. He felt like such a jerk for how he’d left things. After they’d kissed on Thursday night in the storage closet, everything had gone back to business as usual.

  They’d worked into the wee hours of the night on the files. Accidentally, they would touch. Fingers brushing one another, arms touching. Still, they didn’t talk about the kiss.

  After reviewing all the files, she’d grabbed her coat and rode down the elevator with him. Bruce had taken her home, without a word spoken. When they arrived in front of their row of townhouses, he’d gotten out and rushed to the passenger side door but she was already halfway up her steps before he could reach her. Leaning back against his car, Bruce watched as Elizabeth went inside. From where he stood, he could hear the tumblers turn as she locked her door.

  Bruce had been tempted to leave his car where it sat and walk to his own home. There had been no time to tell her they were neighbors. What would Elizabeth think if she looked out her window and found his vehicle sitting in front of her home?

  Rather than concern Elizabeth needlessly, Bruce drove around the block. He found a parking spot a few places down. Going inside his own home, he’d spent half the night pacing and trying to decide what he was going to do. Truthfully, what did he want from her? What did they have? Nothing. That was what they had. They hadn’t even known each other for two weeks.

  It was just pure infatuation, right? Bruce was interested in her because she was a damsel in distress. There was this overwhelming urge within him to shield her from harm, though at the moment there didn’t seem to be anything to protect her from. Besides the fact that she wasn’t making it easy for him to garner her attention, she appeared to be playing hard to get. Surely, that was it. She was the only one in the office that hadn’t asked him out. The only one that wasn’t falling all over him. That had to be the real reason.

  But what of the kiss? Bruce hadn’t imagined the kiss. It had been sweet. Delectably sweet. What was holding her back? Was it because he was her boss? That was a good reason, right? She had every call to be concerned. She’d already lost one position at the firm. Losing another one, or being transferred again, wouldn’t look good on a future job application.

  When Elizabeth hadn’t shown up for work on Friday, he’d immediately called Cole. Working outwards from her home, Cole had traced the way Elizabeth should have gone and accidentally found her.

  Now after sitting on this bench and worrying about Elizabeth for hours, Bruce was giving up. He was going to ring her bell and check on her. All he needed was to make sure she was okay. The simplest way to find the answer to a question was to ask the source.

  Bruce headed up her steps when a little old lady that lived next door yelled out, “She ain’t home.”

  Bruce looked over and stared at the woman. She was sitting on her front porch in an old timey chair, rocking back and forth. She held knitting needles, and as she rocked, they clacked.

  “Do you know where she went?”

  “Nope. Didn’t ask no questions. I do know she left in a taxi. She never uses a taxi.”

  That didn’t sound good. Bruce ran his hand through his sweat-drenched hair. Should he sit on her steps and wait for her to return? Maybe if he went and cleaned up, she would arrive by the time he finished. Thanking the old lady, and heading down Elizabeth’s steps and to his own home, he went inside and showered quickly, not wishing to miss her. Just as he was putting on his shoes to walk out the door, his phone rang.

  Bruce groaned aloud when he read the caller ID. It was his mother. Lily Malone was a great mother. Raising three children with a disinterested husband, she’d flourished in and out of the spotlight. By nature she was a social butterfly. When she hadn’t been taking care of her children, she was furthering Jeffery Malone’s career with her grace and wit. When she’d started to age, Bruce’s father, Jeffery had looked around and decided there were younger fish in the sea. He’d divorced Lily Malone without a second thought.

  At the age of fifty-six, Lily Malone had new goals. All her kids would be happily married to good Catholics and begin to reproduce grandchildren. She’d been vastly disappointed with Cole’s decision to marry Julie, a non-practicing Catholic. Cole was forgiven only after Austin’s birth. When Cole divorced, Lily had been the first to say ”I told you so”.

  Haley, Bruce’s sister, was another disappointment. She was married. And she’d chosen wisely in the religious department, at least according to his mother. The one slight against Haley was she had yet to produce grandchildren. Haley was a diva. Her only goal—to be center stage. Her husband’s political career allowed her such a privilege. Haley wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to usurp her place. And definitely not a baby.

  Since all her other children had failed her, Bruce was Lily’s only hope. Yet to be married or to find a suitable companion, Lily took it upon herself to assist him. This was no doubt her weekly call to remind him he was still alone. Or to let him know she’d found ”the perfect woman for him”.

  Bruce took a deep breath before answering the phone. He sat next to the front window so he could watch for Elizabeth’s arrival. If he could just see her, then he would know she was safe. That’s all he needed. At least that is what he told himself.

  Phone in hand, he said, “Hello, Mother.”

  The familiar voice of his mother drifted over the line. “Hello, Bruce. How are you, dear?”

  “I’m doing well.”

  “You sound ill. Do I need to come over and take care of you?”

  “No, Mother, I’m not ill.”

  “Are you working too hard?”

  “No mother, I’m not working too hard.”

  “Are you hungry? You know you don’t eat well when you’re ill.”

  Sighing, he said, “Mom, what can I do for you?”

  “Now Bruce darling, why do you think I need you to do something for me?”

  “Good. If you don’t need anything I need to call you back later because I’ve something I need to do.”

  “Does it involve your young lady friend?”

  Bruce didn’t respond. If he said ”What lady friend?” was he lying? But to say yes wasn’t entirely accurate either. Although technically she was a lady and she was a friend. Why was he over-thinking this? Why was this getting so complicated? They’d shared one kiss.

  Leaning his head back in the chair, and scooting down into a slouched position, he massaged his aching temples and said, “Mother, go ahead and tell me what you know, and then ask me what you want to know. I don’t feel like playing your head games.”

  A stern voice answered, “Now Bruce Malone, you will not talk to your mother in that tone of voice.”

  Knowing they would never get to the point if he didn’t apologize, he said, “Sorry, Mother. But please. I do have a lot of things to do this afternoon. Could you proceed with your inquiry?”

  Lily was oddly quiet. He sensed she was becoming upset. He didn’t back down. If she wanted to know, then she would have to ask.

  In his mind’s eye, Bruce could see her stiffen her spine before she spoke. “If you’re done talking to me like I’m on the witness stand, I’ll proceed with my questioning.” He heard her clear her throat, before she continued, “Cole told your father, who told me, that he came to your office and there was a girl there. And he said you were mooning over her.”

  Bruce rolled his eyes. Cole and his big mouth. Bruce avoided Lily’s question by asking one of his own. “So you’re talking to Father again?”

  “Bruce, don’t change the subject. You know very well your father and I speak when it suits our purposes. And for the moment, since he doesn’t have the guts to ask you these questions himself, I am relegated to doing it. So tell me about the girl. So I can tell your father and we can be done with the matter. I told them she meant nothing to you. That you’re just infatuated with her because you see her at the office. Once you date her and she’s out of your system, then you’ll be finished with her.”

  His mother had some interesting theories. But on several accounts his mother was wrong. Bruce didn’t just like Elizabeth because he saw her every day. Although that was an added plus. And there was no way he would get Elizabeth out of his system. She wasn’t like a toy or a dog, which he just wanted to play with for a little while.

  Sighing deeply, Bruce realized if he ever wanted any peace he would have to try and explain his feelings for Elizabeth to his mother. Perhaps in the process he might figure out some things for himself. “Mother, here’s the thing. Elizabeth is my new secretary. We ate dinner at the bistro once. And we work together. She’s a nice girl. She’s a beautiful woman. Beyond that, I’m not sure how I feel.”

  There he’d said it. As the words had left his mouth, he knew they were all true. He didn’t know the true extent of his feelings for Elizabeth. The more he thought on it, the more he realized he needed to dwell on it more.

  “Is she Catholic?” Lily asked.

  “I don’t know,” Bruce answered honestly.

  For a moment Bruce thought the line had gone dead. The silence on the other end was earth-shattering. Finally his mother got her wits about her and replied, “You can’t ever see her again.”

  Bruce didn’t want to argue with his mother, but he knew he would have to see Elizabeth again. She was his secretary, after all. “Mother you do realize that is quite impossible.”

  “And why are you saying this to me? I’m making a simple request.”

  “Mother, even if I didn’t like her as a person, which I do; and even if she wasn’t my neighbor, which she is; then I would still see her at work because she’s my personal assistant.”

  “So get another one.”

  “Another assistant?”

  “Of course. Just tell the boss she’s a flirt and she is coming onto you and you don’t need that kind of problem from a girl that isn’t even Catholic.”

  Bruce was becoming very upset with his mother. Here she was divorced, and she had the audacity to tell him he couldn’t see a girl for no other reason than she might not be Catholic! There was no way he was asking for another personal assistant because his mother had a problem with Elizabeth’s religious affiliation. “Mother, I mean no disrespect to you, but I’m not going to do that.”

  At that moment through his window, he saw someone get out of taxi and walk up the sidewalk to Elizabeth’s door. He gasped in surprise. Even though Elizabeth had been very pretty before, now she was absolutely gorgeous.

  His mother was making noises on the other end of the line. She wasn’t happy with what he’d said, obviously, but he didn’t have time to talk to her about it. “Mother, I have to go.”

  “Bruce Malone, you will not end this conversation until I am ready to stop talking.”

  “Mother, I’m sorry, but there is something I have to do. I’ll call you later.” And with that, Bruce placed the phone down.

  Bruce’s first desire to was to rush over to Elizabeth and find out where she’d been all day. If he could just look at her and ensure himself she was okay, then he knew he’d feel better. Pulling his shoes close, he glanced at the strings. He didn’t put them on but instead placed them in his lap. He made an X, crossing the threads together.

  When the strings crossed, thoughts of his brother came to his mind. At one time Cole had been deeply in tune with the family faith. Like the two strings held together in his hand, he and his brother and been linked to their faith. As they grew, their religion no longer held the same appeal. His brother fell away from the church, and in a way, so had he.

  Continuing to tie the shoes, he looked up at, his gaze falling on the table in front of him. There on the top rested a large black book. His mother had given him the Bible when he graduated from college. Gilded letters spelled out his name on the front, announcing to all that the book belonged to him. He reached out and traced the signature. How might things have been different for him and his brother had they listened to their mother’s advice? Would things have been better or worse?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Elizabeth let herself into her townhouse and went straight to the answering machine. The light was blinking in rapid succession. She pushed the play button as she went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. The first voice was her mother’s, requesting a call back. Elizabeth twisted the cap off the water, took a swig, added her favorite grape flavoring to the water, replaced the lid, and shook the bottle as the next message began.

  “Hey, this is Cole, remember me? Bruce’s brother. I was wondering if you ever have a free evening, if we might be able to go out some time. My number should be on your caller ID, but don’t worry if it isn’t. I’ll call back.”

  At the sound of the request, Elizabeth came close to spitting her water across the room. She would be saying no, of course. He probably wouldn’t take it well. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy that got turned down often. The next message was from her Sunday school teacher. The class was curious as to how she was faring with her new job, and they hoped to see her tomorrow.

  Sitting down on her beige plush couch, Elizabeth tucked her feet up under her, and laid her head back against the cushions. Fortunately none of the messages were from people she had to call back immediately.

  Elizabeth had seen herself only once. She’d avoided mirrors and even shiny glass all the way home. Her hair hadn’t been this short for as long as she could remember. Hopefully it would grow out a tad more before she went home for a visit. Her family wouldn’t know what to think. Truthfully, she didn’t know what to think either.

  The morning had dawned bright and clear. And as Elizabeth struggled into a pair of sweats, socks, and an old pair of tennis shoes she got the wild idea to give herself a haircut. Tonight was George Hampton’s engagement party. There was no way she could go to the party with this huge section cut out of the back of her hair. Besides, she wanted to look stunning.