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"Marcie is in town! She's at the airport!" I said as I gave him a big hug.
"That's amazing! Why didn't you tell me?" Guy asked, looking a little hurt.
"It was supposed to be a surprise... but Mom ruined it. She didn't know our address."
Upon hearing the news, Guy's initial confused smile transformed into an ear-to-ear grin. "If everyone will kindly gather in the family room," he began excitedly, "I have something very important to share."
As I held my arms out to take my son from his Auntie Meagan, we exchanged glances as Meagan wondered aloud, "What's he talking about?"
After everyone had gathered around, Guy beckoned for me to join him. "I've got an announcement," he said as he pulled some folded papers from his pocket. "As most of you know, I named this place my Casa Palacious after the villa in Spain. At first, I was awestruck by the architecture, landscape, and... the whole package. But after a few weeks.... or days, really... I was… lonely. I understood living here was necessary for security purposes. And it still is since not much progress has been made to uncover who is behind the murders and Meagan's kidnapping. But... things have changed for the better in my life. So..." Guy turned to me. "Wife, if you will, please place your signature on this document. My Casa Palacious will be our Casa Palacious… for real!"
"What... What? Guy, this is a deed!"
"It sure is. I just bought this place!"
Everyone clapped and yelled as the doorbell rang. Mom rushed to the door to welcome Marcie. When I saw her, I burst into tears, and Guy picked her up and swung her around. "How did you know?" I asked Marcie.
"You're Mom got my number from Guy..."
Mom patted her hair dramatically, then walked over to take the baby. "Let me take my grandson. It's time for his nap."
"Not before I get to hold him. Oh, he is so adorable," Marcie squealed, lifting Jonathan from Mom's arms.
"So, you knew about this?" I asked my mother.
"Maybe!" Mom grinned from ear to ear, dabbing some bubbles from little Jonathan's lips.
Guy pulled me into a kiss and then dipped me so low I almost lost my balance... "I love you, girl!"
"A family of three is not going to fill up this place," I muttered around our kiss.
"Exactly. We have the rest of our lives to figure it out!"
Chase
The Nightmare Continues
As my friends celebrated Jonathan's birth and Guy's new purchase, I stepped outside to check my phone. An unknown number had sent me a text, and out of curiosity, I wanted to find out who it was. The text turned out to be from Canada. Although I couldn't think of anyone off the top of my head, I hoped it was a new client. The urgency in the text seemed odd for a client, though...
Chase, we need to talk. Meet me at your apartment in an hour!
I was already exhausted from working on the project for the state. So this message was the perfect opportunity to scoot out of Guy and Ariel's party early — I'd tell them I had some business that needed my attention.
On second thought, the text lacked professionalism, so I knew it wasn't a client. Why were they being so mysterious? What did this person want?
I sent Guy a text about my departure, even though I knew he wouldn't read it for a while because he and Ariel were busy visiting with everyone. Guy was so proud of his son. I didn't want to interrupt him with something trivial like this. Even so, the security personnel stationed around us constantly reminded me that none of us would be safe if we strayed from our bubble. So when I got chilled walking to my Escalade, I shivered involuntarily. On the drive home, several theories came to mind about who had sent the text and why, but none made sense.
When I got to my apartment building, I nodded to Bruce, my security detail, before taking the private elevator to my apartment. When I got close to my door, I noticed it was cracked open. Grabbing my phone, I sent Bruce a voice message:
"Bruce! Get up here! We have a problem.!"
With his weapon drawn, Bruce quickly checked inside. After what seemed forever, he finally yelled, "All clear!"
We immediately checked the security video, but it showed nothing. Then I went to my bedroom and got my gun from the nightstand. Together we did a complete sweep of the entire apartment, making sure all the windows and doors were locked. Once we were satisfied my man cave was secure, I put my gun away, and Bruce returned to his post in the lobby to wait to see who would arrive. It had already been an hour since the text was sent...
When I saw that I still hadn't received a text, even though I had checked my phone multiple times, I shrugged and said, "Maybe it was a joke.... or a hoax." Then, I took off my clothes and turned on the shower. Letting the heat seep into my tight muscles, I tried to relax. Yet my mind kept going over the details of the past few years' sporadic attacks from kidnappers and murders.
And now this mysterious text.
