Elena’s vehicle lurched forward then stalled. I shook my head and barely got it started before a truck appeared around the curve behind me.Guess I know what to get her for her birthday. Wait, when is her birthday?Apparently, in all our hours of conversation, I’d never gotten around to asking that important question.
Oh well. There would be time for that after I dealt with Oscar and flew Elena back here.
On my way, I called up Jack. “Seen anything tonight?” I asked, glancing down at the dashboard to check the gas gauge.Smart gal… Elena’s not one of those women who always drives on fumes.
“No, it’s been quiet,” Jack told me. “Haven’t seen hide nor hair of the perp. You’re clear. Need help with anything?”
“Roger that. Nope, I can handle my stuff… no problem.”
I hung up, drove for a few more minutes, and pulled up to the house. I had been here so many times with Elena that I remembered exactly how she liked to park her car and parked it the same way. Any missed detail could throw off Oscar, and I couldn’t let that happen. I might only have one shot at this. If something felt off to him or if I messed this up, he might not come back, and Elena would have to live with constant worry in the knowledge that he was out there somewhere. In an even worst-case scenario, Oscar might decide to start haunting her at work or show up at Bree’s daycare.
I would absolutely not allow either of those things to happen. That was why it had to be me out here tonight, not one of my employees. Elena’s safety was my responsibility now, and Oscar was about to find out how seriously I took that challenge.
With the car parked perfectly, I let myself inside the house and flipped the switches on the living room and kitchen lights. After propping open the wooden front door, the salty scent of the ocean breeze flowed into the house.This place is really unique. No wonder Elena loves it so much…
As the sun was setting into the ocean behind the house, I headed back outside. A few of Bree’s toys were lying on the back porch, so I placed them in the front yard under a tree, piling up a few small stones and arranging a sort of nature tea set for believability. When I went back inside, I closed the screen door but left it unlocked. The interior door was still wide open, allowing a stream of light to escape.
This was my reasoning. If Oscar decided to come tonight and just spotted an open door, he might suspect something was up. But if he saw the toys out front, he might assume Elena and Bree had been enjoying the cool evening breeze for a while before it got dark.
If Oscar didn’t show within a reasonable amount of time, I would pick up the toys, turn out the lights, and leave the front door ajar a bit like Elena had accidentally not closed it all the way because she was busy with Bree. That would be believable too.
What would I be doing during this time? I would be sitting in the guest bedroom in a chair in a dark corner, watching my phone’s Sunset Security app, and keeping an eye on the feeds from the cameras. If Oscar showed his face anywhere on the property, I would know about it and be able to prepare accordingly.
Everything was ready. So, I sat down and settled in to keep my vigil. This wasn’t my first rodeo. I had come prepared with all the necessities – energy drinks, granola bars, and headphones to listen to music while I watched the cameras and waited. The only thing missing now was Oscar.
After an hour and a half, I judged that it was too late to leave the toys out any longer. I headed back outside to collect them, switched off all the lights, and sat in the guest room in total darkness except for the camera feed on my phone. If Oscar didn’t show within about two more hours, he almost certainly wouldn’t come here tonight.
Two hours passed. Nothing.Oh well,I told myself, downplaying my disappointment. I couldn’t reasonably expect the trap to work on the very first night.
I locked the front door and headed back to the guest room, this time to sleep. I was already here, so I might as well stay on the off-chance that Oscar would watch for Elena’s car to come and go somewhere down the road.
Jack promptly answered when I gave him a call. “Nothing down here. Did you see anything?”
“No. No one except you, boss.”
“Keep it up,” I told him, knowing his shift would be over in a few hours, and he could go home to sleep. “We’ll try again tomorrow.” I wasn’t sure if Jack knew how personal this particular job was to me, but his reply was instant and his mood, positive.
“We’ll get him. He can’t stay away. He’s obsessed with your friend.”
A bit thrown off by Jack’s supportiveness, I made a sound of agreement and hung up. At first, I was taken aback. His remarks bordered on being unprofessional. Then, I reconsidered. Sitting in his van and watching Elena and I arrive here together every weekend had probably caused Jack to root for us. So, I smiled to myself and was grateful for his attitude, especially after I had been so hard on him a few weeks before.
I figured Elena was asleep by now – it was three AM – so I just sent her a quick text.Hey, nothing to report here. Going to bed now.I put a heart after the message, sent it, and lay down to get some rest before tomorrow’s second take.
Light flooded my eyelids. I sat up and hit the green button to answer Elena’s call. “Hey,” I said, surprised. “Thought you would be asleep.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “I was worried about you. How’d it go?” Elena’s voice sounded small and distant over the phone. I would give anything to have her here with me right now.
“It didn’t. Oscar didn’t show. That’s okay, though. We couldn’t really expect the plan to work on the very first night,” I reminded her and me both when she made a sound that encompassed both of our disappointment.
“I know, that would be too easy and Oscar doesn’t like to make things easy. Promise me you’ll get lots of sleep, okay? There’s still some food in the house, mostly canned food. Stuff that wouldn’t go bad while I’m in the city, you know. But I think there is some meat in the freezer-”
“Elena. I’ll be fine.” All I need is a beautiful woman whose name is Elena to hold, right now. “Really. It’s not like I can’t leave the house and get food.”
“I know, just…be careful. Please?”
Since I would do anything to make Elena feel better, I promised again that I would watch my back. When we ended the call, I put the phone on the nightstand and turned over, laying on my shoulder and relishing the feel of Elena’s warm blankets against my bare chest.
I needed that call from Elena, although I hadn’t realized it. Even after a few hours, I already missed her, and being in this house made it so much worse. This place smelled like her, screamed of her style, and memories of us together occupied every nook and cranny.
