FanStory.com - Living On The Edge - Chap 5by Begin Again

CHAPTER 5

"Taxi"

Alyssa checked and rechecked the sidewalk behind her as she nervously hailed a cab. The sudden surge of adrenalin had pushed her to run and keep running until she could no longer breathe.

After giving the driver her address, she leaned against the seat, inhaling and exhaling. He looked at her in his mirror before asking, "Are you alright, Miss? Do you need help?"

Unable to talk without stammering, she shook her head. He nodded and pulled his cab away from the curb. Traffic was congested, and the commute was slow. It gave Alyssa time to gather her composure. By the time they neared her destination, she wanted to walk. She paid the driver and apologized, "I'm sorry if I caused you concern. I'm practicing for a marathon and pushed a bit too hard today. I lost my breath. Thank heavens I was able to flag you down. Thank you again."

He smiled, but Alyssa doubted he believed her.

She regretted her lie, but how else could she explain how she'd reacted? The man's face, especially his eyes, had set off major alarms. She didn't remember why at that moment, but something triggered her instinct to run.

In the taxi, she began to unwind. She tried to remember where or when she'd seen those piercing eyes. And why did they have such an impact on her? Her insecurities made her question her ability to be a cop. It happened so fast, rising from a newbie to an undercover cop so quickly. Her life had changed so dramatically since losing her friend, especially since Troy Sinclair's release, that she'd focused on his guilt and not much else.

"Are you doing better, Miss?" His compassionate eyes met hers in the mirror. How could he have known she needed someone to care, even if it was a stranger? She missed her family, especially her sister, Layla. Tomorrow was her birthday. She made a mental note to set aside enough time to call and catch up. Alyssa kept her life a secret, and that was a difficult practice when she wanted to share everything with Layla.

Thoughts of her family reminded her of home. As a young girl, she'd always roamed the fields along the riverbank, skipping stones across the water and breathing in the fresh air. It's how she cleared her head. Breathing in and breathing out.

"Sir, I'd like to get out here, please." Alyssa slid across the seat and moved closer to the door.

"Are you sure? I'll be happy to drop you at your door. It's only a few blocks."

"Thank you, but I think I need to walk."

"Walk? The way you were running when I picked you up." He couldn't help but question her thoughts. "Must be some marathon you're training for."

She smiled and answered, "It is."

The cabbie edged his vehicle out of traffic and pulled next to the curb. She handed him the fare and opened the door.

He said, "Enjoy your day." and moved on to his next fare.

*****

"Two scoops of Andes chocolate mint in a waffle cone, please."

It was a warm day, and the neighborhood ice cream parlor was busy. Normally, she'd have spent a little time chatting with the clerk, but today, she took her cone, paid, and waved goodbye.

A man in a business suit held the door open for her. His smile caught Alyssa's attention instantly, as did his eyes. They were an amber brown, soft and warm, far from the piercing and smoldering eyes she'd faced earlier. She returned his smile and stepped outside.

*****

"Listen, man, our eyes connected. And in a flash, she knew. She recognized me." Antonio wiped his brow.

"You're crazy. You've never met her, have you?"

Antonio thought for a moment, trying to remember. "I saw her with the dead cop once, but that was from a distance."

"Then how could she know you? She was a rookie when Sandra was murdered. Relax. You're making too much out of nothing."

"Yeah, Tommy, I guess so. It just threw me coming face to face with her like that."

"We've got a good thing going. You've got to keep it together, or you're going to blow it."

"Naw, man. I'm good!"

"That's my Antonio. Now, we've got work to do. Can I count on you to do the job right?"

"Have I failed you yet?"

"No, and I don't want there to be a first time. Forget about the girl."

"Forgotten!" Antonio hung up the phone and lit a cigarette, drawing hard. He could feel it reach his lungs like a warm blanket. As he exhaled, he knew he hadn't seen the last of her.

*****

"It's got to be here somewhere."

Alyssa was knee-deep in boxes in a dimly lit storage area, with only a tiny window providing a flicker of light. The boxes contained various items, including old books and clothes, kitchen utensils, and childhood memories.

As she rummaged through the boxes, she scolded herself for not being able to keep her things organized. But she couldn't stop now; she had to find that box. Dust and sweat formed on her forehead and cheeks, and her hands were sore from the constant lifting and moving of boxes.

She scolded herself. "You need to purge, Allie. You don't need all this stuff." She grabbed another box and ripped it open. "I need to find the box Penny gave me with Sandra's files. Maybe Mom was right. I don't know how to organize."

Her head snapped away from the boxes toward the male voice behind her.

"Allie, what the heck are you doing down here? It looks like a tornado ripped through this basement." Junior, the building's custodian, surveyed the mess, shaking his head. "Did you lose something?"

"I did, but I may have just found it." She looked at her watch. "Man, I didn't realize what time it was. I've got to get ready for work." She set Sandra's box aside and carried the other boxes into the unit.

"Listen, Allie, I'll put these boxes back for you. You go and get cleaned up."

"That would be awesome, Junior. Are you sure? I made the mess."

"It's fine. I'm trying to avoid Mrs. Temple on the second floor anyways. She wants me to talk to her parrot."

"Her parrot?"

Junior shrugged. "I think she just wants the company, but after three days of entertaining a bird, I've run out of conversation."

Alyssa laughed. "I appreciate it, Junior." She retrieved Sandra's box and headed for the stairs. "Thanks, Junior. I owe you one. Gotta run."

*****

Back in her apartment, Alyssa lifted the lid from the box. A chill coursed through her body. Those piercing eyes, his eyes, were staring at her. A photo lay on top. Now she remembered. She turned the picture over and read Sandra's notes — Antonio Frisella — Dangerous Suspect connected to red-light murders.

Laying it aside, she dug deeper into the box. A bridal magazine brought a tear to Alyssa's eye. She remembered how excited Sandra had been talking about her future wedding. She'd made a folder with all the flower arrangements and, especially, the dress she would wear. Sighing, Allie tossed the magazine aside. Sandra's dreams were gone, never to be.

After shuffling through a stack of paperwork, she found a manilla envelope stuffed with old newspaper clippings and pictures. Before she could study them, her phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hey, babe. It's me."

"What could you have to say that couldn't wait till tonight? You must be bored."

"Right! Actually, you could wear something less showy tonight. Maybe those leather pants and the yummy peasant blouse."

"You mean the blouse that exposes the girls and the pants I can barely breathe in. For your information, that's showy, my friend."

Tommy laughed. "Well, you've got me there."

"Since when do you pick my wardrobe, anyway?"

"It's just that we could grab a bite to eat before we hit the bars. We need to talk. Chief thinks you're pushing this Troy thing a bit too hard.

"So, he's asking my partner to put on the brakes instead of him doing it himself. I've a mind to —"

"Slow down. I wasn't trying to fire you up. Just some friendly conversation and those juicy burgers and fries you love."

"Hmmm — I am hungry, and I suppose an evening dress would be suspicious in Hazel's Greasy Spoon." Alyssa checked her watch. "Okay, meet you in an hour. But I'm telling you, you aren't going to change my mind about Sinclair. I owe it to Sandra. That whole case got swept under the rug, and I plan on finding out why."

"Okay, understood. I was her friend too, remember?"

"See you soon." Alyssa hung up and gathered the papers she'd spread across the floor. She stared at the envelope. It was an essential piece of evidence, and she knew she needed to put it somewhere safe, not tossed in a storage unit. But where?

A large picture of New York City skyscrapers hung on the wall. Alyssa remembered it had been a gift from Layla to remind her of who and what she'd left behind.

She found some tape in a kitchen drawer, removed the picture from the wall, and carefully taped the envelope to the back. As she returned it to the wall, she smiled, "Sis, I love the picture, but I could never forget you and New York. Happy early birthday! I'll call you tomorrow."

*****

"Tommy, could you ease up just a little? I've heard enough about what the Chief wants." They'd just started to eat, and she was already irritated.

"I'm telling you, harping about Sinclair won't get you anywhere." He took a huge bite out of the burger, thoroughly enjoying it. He wiped the juice from his chin and took another bite.

As he munched away, Alyssa weighed her options. She could continue to listen to her partner carry on about the Chief and Sinclair, or she could share some actual police business with him. She didn't think anyone knew about Sandra's findings; if they did, it had been kept a secret. Otherwise, why hadn't it been used as evidence in the trial?

"A penny for your thoughts, partner?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Guess I was daydreaming again?"

"Again? Do that a lot lately, do you?"

"Maybe. Tommy, I found some information in Sandra's files and since we're partners, I want to share it with you. It could have been crucial to the investigation, but with Sandra dead, no one saw it. Then, maybe they did, but I don't think so."

Tommy watched Alyssa over the rim of his glass, calculating what he should say. He decided to go slow. "What kind of information? I doubt it could be too important or Sandra would have passed it on to the department?"

"I don't know. Maybe she didn't have a chance. What if someone murdered her because they were looking for the evidence?"

"Possible. Murder's a big step, though. It must be pretty damning."

"I think it is, but before I tell you, you've got to promise this doesn't go any further than you and me until I've — we've had a chance to check into it. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I promise. We're a team." Tommy continued to drink his soda, but his juicy burger was forgotten. "So, give. What's the evidence."

"Well, I didn't get a chance to examine everything, but Sandra had copies of newspaper clippings of murdered prostitutes, for one. Isn't that why we're out here, trying to find the guy or guys responsible for these killings? I think Sandra was on to something big."

Tommy's interest heightened as he listened. "What makes you say that?"

Alyssa's eyes scanned the patio, checking if anyone could overhear their conversation. Satisfied, she added, "A picture."

"A picture? Probably some old mug shot that was lying around her desk. What makes you think it has anything to do with this case?"

"It does! I know it does. Sandra told me. She wrote on the back of it. It says —" Today's meeting flashed through her mind. She inhaled sharply and slowly let the air escape, trying to calm her nerves. She blurted it out. "Tommy, she wrote Antonio Frisella — Dangerous Suspect connected to red-light murders." She swallowed hard. "Tommy, that's us — the case we're working on right now."

"Whoa! If it's real, that's some evidence. But how do we know this guy is still hanging around? Couldn't he have skipped town, afraid Sandra had given someone else the evidence?"

Alyssa hissed, "But he didn't!"

A bit cocky, Tommy answered, "How do you know that? She give you his last known address?" He laughed and shook his head.

Alyssa leaned across the table. "Better than that! We met face to face today." Satisfied, Alyssa grinned. "Now, do you believe me?"

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "You met this guy! Today? How?"

"I didn't know it when it happened. I bumped into him, and our eyes met. I couldn't explain it, but I was terrified. I hate to admit it, but I ran away."

Tommy chuckled. "Some cop you are, running away."

"Stop it! I hadn't put two and two together. That happened later. I remembered the picture I'd seen in Sandra's stuff. I didn't give it much attention at the time, except for his creepy eyes. I'd know them anywhere."

Tommy stood and tossed his half-finished burger in the trash. His stomach was churning. "You've had a busy day. I need time to digest all this, but unfortunately, we need to get to work. You're right, though. Until we know more about this guy, we need to keep it between us."

"Agreed."

*****

In the early morning hours, Antonio Frisella's phone rang. His fingers fumbled across the nightstand, searching.

Once he located the phone, he grumbled, "Yah."

On the other end of the line, the man's words were short and to the point. "Do what you have to do. She knows!"

The line went dead.

Antonio dropped his phone as his head sank into the pillow. He pulled a .38 Special out from under the other bed pillow. His smile was sinister as he caressed the barrel. His lips brushed against the metal. "Guess we've got a job to do."

In the darkness, he pointed the gun and mouthed, "Bang."