| Danger Lurking Chapter 23 |
| “Daddy, are you ‘sleep?” Harvey pulled the sheet over his head and pretended to be asleep when he heard the bedroom door open. “DADDY, WAKE UP.” Jerry crawled onto the bed and plopped down on his Dad’s chest, “DADDY, GET UP! I’M HUNGRY!” Determined little fingers worked to pry open Dad’s closed eyes. “OPEN YOUR EYES!” Harvey growled as he grabbed his son and began to tickle him causing Jerry to scream with delight. “Why don’t we get dressed first and then I’ll fix us some cereal and juice. How does that sound?” Jerry nodded and climbed onto Harvey’s back for a ride to his room. “Giddy up, horse.” Father and son had developed their own morning routine. Jerry would splash about in the tub with his toys while Harvey shaved and dressed. Then came the discussion of WHY Jerry couldn’t stay in the tub longer and WHY he had to go to school. After the inevitable struggle to get the little boy into his clothes, they would make the beds before taking the final piggyback ride to the kitchen. Taking care of a four year old was as tiring as chasing criminals but Harvey loved every minute of it. Harvey poured the cereal into the bowls and carried them to the table. “Come on buddy.” He lifted Jerry onto the chair and tied a towel around his neck. “You need to finish eating before your Mom gets here.” Anna had left Jerry with Harvey for the week while she traveled to Los Angeles. She didn’t offer a reason for making the mysterious trip but Harvey didn’t mind. Having Jerry stay with him for more than two days was a rare treat. Casey had helped out by babysitting Jerry after picking him up from daycare each day. Much to Harvey’s delight, his son and girlfriend had become fast friends. “Anyone home?” “MOMMY!” An excited Jerry slid from the chair and ran to Anna. “Hi Sweetie.” Anna picked him up and gave him a hug and kiss. “I missed you.” “I missed you, too. Guess what? I got a bunch of new toys.” Jerry wiggled out of her arms and climbed back onto the chair to finish his breakfast. “Oh really?” Anna smiled at Harvey. “What did Daddy buy for you?” “No, not Daddy!” Jerry laughed. “Casey bought them. We went to the store and I got to pick out what I wanted.” “I see.” Anna felt the anger rising. How could Harvey go against her wishes and leave their child with yet another strange woman. How many times would they have this conversation? “Finish your breakfast, Jerry. Harvey, can I see you in the other room, please?” “I don’t believe you, Harvey Leek!” Anna realized that she had yelled and fought to control the level of her voice. “How could you leave our son with a complete stranger?” “Anna…Casey’s not a stranger. She’s my friend and Jer really likes her.” “I don’t want Jerry to become attached to your…flavor of the month girlfriend. When she leaves, Jerry will be heartbroken. You and I both know that this “friendship” will be ending soon enough. Why would she stay with a man who won’t commit? “Anna…just stop…don’t say another word.” Harvey didn’t want to argue with her but she had pushed the issue. “For your information, Cassandra is Evan’s sister, she’s a well-respected police officer and she truly cares about our son…and me. As for our relationship, that’s none of your business and I’m not going to discuss it with you. Know this though, that little boy in there is my number one priority. I’m working hard to see that he has a secure, happy future and HE is my lifelong commitment.” Anna staggered and reached for the chair to steady herself. “I don’t want to argue with you, Harvey.” “Anna, are you alright?” Harvey helped her to sit down. “Can I get you something?” “No, I’ll be alright. I’m just tired.” She looked up at Harvey and smiled weakly. “We need to talk about my trip. I went to LA to see…” “Good Morning, Guys!” Casey bound into the living room breathless after an early morning run. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She walked over to Anna and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Casey. You must be Anna. Jerry has told me so much about you.” Anna’s greeting was cordial but Casey could tell that she had indeed interrupted something. “I dropped by to see if I could take Jerry to the park this afternoon after school.” Harvey looked to Anna who nodded in agreement. “Sure, that would be great.” When Casey went into the kitchen to get Jerry, Harvey followed. “I was wondering if you could watch Jerry this afternoon? Anna isn’t feeling well and it’s too late to ask Nash for the afternoon off.” “I’d be happy to help.” Casey noted the troubled look on Harvey’s face as he stared at his son. “Is there something else?” “She wants to talk. The last time that we had a talk, she limited my visits with Jer to weekends only. I can only imagine what she’s up to now.” Casey wrapped her arms around his waist and stretched up to kiss his cheek. “You worry too much but I love you.” “Daddy?” Harvey felt a tug on his pants and kneeled down. “I love you, too.” His heart melted at the sight of Jerry’s sweet smiling face. “Aw, thanks buddy. I needed to hear that.” * Harvey and Anna sat side by side on the couch as she told him about the specialist she had consulted in Los Angeles. He put his arm around her for support as she continued to talk about the tests that the doctor had performed earlier in the week. The results were positive…cancer. “I can’t believe this.” He said, shaking his head in disbelief. “There’s nothing that the doctor can do?” “The tumor is inoperable, Harvey. I could probably have radiation or chemotherapy but it would only prolong my life by a few months at the most.” “I…I don’t know what to say?” Harvey felt helpless. The mother of his child was telling him that she was dying and he had no idea how to comfort her. “What can I do to help?” “Well, I do have a favor to ask.” Harvey looked intrigued and she continued to explain. “There is an experimental treatment that I am considering but it would mean a five week stay in Chicago.” Anna turned to face Harvey. “I want to take Jerry with me.” “Five weeks?” “Yes, one treatment per week for four weeks and then a final evaluation in the fifth week. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the treatment will work but I have to try, Harvey. For Jerry’s sake.” “And if it doesn’t work?” “If it doesn’t work, Jerry and I come home and you take full custody.” Anna placed her hand on Harvey’s and looked at him with pleading eyes. “What do you say, Harvey. Can I take him with me?” He hated the idea of being separated from his son but how could he deny her request to spend what could be precious little time with their son. On the upside, Jerry would be away from any danger that McNair might pose. “Yes…of course. He should go with you.” His heart was heavy as he gave her a gentle hug. ”I’m so sorry, Anna.” * “Hello Cassandra, how are you today?” Nick Bridges was sitting on a park bench reading a novel when Casey and Jerry joined him. “Mr. Bridges…hello. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Casey knew that Nick suffered from Alzheimer’s and hoped that he had not wandered from home. “Do you remember Jerry? Harvey’s son?” “Sure I do. Hi Jerry.” Nick turned to Casey and smiled. “It’s alright, dear. I know where I am. It’s such a beautiful day, I decided to come here to finish my reading.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.” Casey told him and then motioned to Jerry. “We’re going for ice cream. Would you like to join us?” “Ice cream sounds good.” Casey took Nick’s arm as they strolled behind Jerry to the concessions stand. * The SIU had received a call concerning a disturbance at a high-rise apartment building on Mason Street. Harvey and Antwon arrived on the scene shortly after Officer Ronnie’s crew and were waiting for Ronnie to return from the building manager’s office. Antwon sauntered around the room, checking out the paintings and works of art that someone had left behind. Harvey was distracted by the view of the city and walked out onto the balcony for a better look. The ferry from Sausalito was cutting its way through the icy bay water. The sun would be setting soon and the sky had taken on a golden glow. Such a beautiful sight usually brought a smile to his face but nature’s beauty was wasted on him today. There were so many plans and decisions to be made before Anna’s treatments began. Harvey reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the receipt for the gift that he had bought a week earlier. He noted the engraving instructions that the jeweler had written. In the matter of a few hours, his plans for the future had changed drastically. Sighing deeply, he folded the receipt and slipped it back into his pocket. It was clear that any plans concerning his love life would have to be put on hold indefinitely. “So, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Antwon’s voice interrupted Harvey’s thoughts. “Maybe later, man.” Harvey turned to see that Officer Russell had returned from the manager’s office. “Hey Ronnie. Whatcha got?” “According the manager, no one has lived here in over six months. A woman named Vivian Reece stayed here for about eight months but she hasn’t been around lately.” Ronnie handed a folder to Harvey. “This is a copy of the lease.” Harvey grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. It didn’t make sense. Building tenants had reported hearing gunshots and shouting coming from this apartment during the night but there was no evidence to back up their claims. “The neighbors didn’t see anyone entering or leaving, there’s no record of visitors signing in at the security desk and there is no sign of forced entry.” “Maybe this place is haunted by a gun-toting poltergeist.” Antwon quipped as he moved into the kitchen to look around. “No dishes in the sink, no food in the fridge. This is weird.” “Ronnie, no one gets in here except the photographer until CSU does their thing. Tell them to use their finest tooth comb.” Harvey pulled on a pair of gloves as he walked towards the bedroom. “I’m going to have a look around.” He stood in the doorway and studied the room’s layout. A king-sized bed covered with a bright red comforter, a vanity table held a variety of expensive perfume bottles, clothes arranged neatly in the dresser drawers. Harvey pushed open the door to the large closet and moved along the wardrobe that obviously belonged to a woman. “Expensive taste,” he thought as he continued to peruse the clothing. Towards the end of the closet, two men’s suits, a few dress shirts and a pair of shoes were found. The suits were new with the tags still attached. Harvey’s eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw the price listed for one suit. In the bathroom, he found a can of shaving cream, a razor and other men’s toiletries arranged neatly on the top shelf of the medicine cabinet. A few candles, a hairdryer and a stack of hand towels were arranged neatly on the counter. It was apparent from the feminine touches throughout the apartment that a woman had lived here and she had on occasion entertained a male visitor. Harvey returned to the bedroom and continued to search for something, anything that would help solve this mystery. His eyes fell upon the bedside table and in particular, a large white envelope. He tore open the package and took out the contents. “Oh my god!” His heart began to race as he thumbed through the stack of photographs. He shoved the photos into the envelope as he rushed from the room. “Twon, let’s go!” Harvey dashed out of the apartment, passing Ronnie without saying a word. Antwon looked at Ronnie and shrugged before rushing after his partner. Harvey was waiting for him in the SUV and he quickly slid into the driver’s seat. “What’s going on, man? Why the rush?” He started the car and glanced over at Harvey who looked pale and shaken. “Get us the hell out of here, man.” Squealing the tires, Antwon pulled the vehicle into traffic and headed for the SIU. “What happened back there, Harv. Talk to me.” “I…I need to talk to Nash. NOW!” * Roy McNair was making his presence known in a big way. The evidence was spread across Nash Bridges’ desk. Black and white photos of Nick reading, photos of Casey and Jerry playing soccer, photos of Inger shopping and of Lucia playing on the school playground. Clearly, the photographs were planted at the apartment and the reported disturbance was nothing more than a ploy. Harvey began reading from a file. “According to this, the apartment was leased three years ago by a Shamrock Limousine Service, 211 Mountain Springs Road, Las Vegas, Nevada.” He tossed the open file onto the desk. “And the owner is one Roy McNair.” “So he’s in town.” Nash surmised. “It appears so.” Harvey sat down on the edge of the desk and picked up a photo of Jerry. “These photos are clearly a threat, Nash. We have to do something to keep this lunatic away from our families.” “My thoughts exactly, Harv. I have an idea but I don’t want to discuss it here. Why don’t the two of you meet me at my place tomorrow around noon and I’ll fill you in on the details.” Nash put the photos in the file and handed it to Harvey. “In the meantime, I’ll call Katz and find out why the hell he didn’t let me know that McNair was on the move. Harvey, contact our guy in Vegas. See if there’s anything new to report.” “On it.” Harvey grabbed his jacket and beret from his desk and punched out. He couldn’t remember having a more frustrating day. Bad news seemed to be waiting at every turn. He tossed his things into the backseat of the car and took out his cell phone. He punched in the numbers and waited for someone to answer. “Hey, it’s me. Tell me what’s going on.” |
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