Michelle McBride: TheBattery

Sun, 07 Dec 2003 00:13:58 GMT

If you haven’t read Chapter One, it started here.

Chapter Two

Riley considered shooting himself in the foot. Just to spice things up a little.

He returned to Madeline Cooper’s house at six in the morning. While it shouldn’t have, finding the lights on at the house when he arrived surprised Riley.

Madeline had seen him the day before parked across the street from her house. Today, Riley decided to wait down a side street. He had a view of her driveway and the front walk. He'd see her whether she left the house in her SUV or on foot.

The precaution was probably unnecessary. She saw him on her jog, but made no indication his sitting there was out of the ordinary. And she couldn’t have noticed him at the pizza restaurant the night before.

Still, he was far from careful yesterday. She could have very easily questioned him. He’d prepared for those questions, but a woman alone could be unpredictable. She might not have believed his cover story. The possibility she wouldn’t approach him and just call the police remained her most likely reaction. He definitely didn’t want to deal with the Charleston cops right now, although he would have given anything for something to break up the monotony of the morning.

He looked down at the pad on his clipboard.

7:00AM – left in Expedition with children.

7:15AM – arrived at Elk Valley Elementary School.

7:40AM – arrived at Harris Teeter grocery store. Spent approx. forty-five minutes in store.

Riley smiled. He had enjoyed watching Madeline load her groceries into her Expedition. She talked to herself. More specifically, she looked like she scolded herself for something.

Maybe suburbia is getting to her too. “I certainly talk to myself more now than I did.”

He looked back at the clipboard and sighed as he read the last entry.

8:50AM – returned home.

He looked at the clock on his car radio, ten o’clock. “And still no activity,” he said and started a new doodle on his pad.

This can't last. He'd only watched this woman for one day, but Riley knew when someone was up to no good and Madeline wasn’t. His best hope for ending this early would be for Tanner to turn something up on his background search. Riley’s gut told him Tanner wouldn’t find much. But if he were lucky, he’d find something Riley could use to convince Anthony Peretti to back off the woman.

***

Maddie looked for the Acura as she left to take the kids to school. The car wasn’t parked in front of the Hamilton’s and she breathed a sigh of relief. Maddie chided herself. Her imagination ran away with her yesterday. It had been nothing.

“How many more days ‘til we see daddy?” Casey asked from the backseat on the ride to school.

“Two.”

“Two more days, Sarah!”

“Will we see Grandma and Papa Earl?” Sarah asked.

“I’m sure you will.”

“I hope we can go to the zoo,” Sarah said.

“I want to go swimming.”

“I can’t wait to see daddy.”

“Me too.”

She tried to drown out the kids’ excited chatter with her own chant. They deserve to know their father. Tears stung her eyes. She blinked furiously to relieve the burning of the tears and push them down where they wouldn’t be seen. She blocked out the kids’ voices while she fought to regain her control. She refused to allow Sarah and Casey to see her cry.

After leaving the school, she headed to the grocery store. She deserved to indulge and wanted to pick up the ingredients for a chocolate cake.

On the way to her truck, she saw him. It surprised her so much she nearly dropped her eggs, which really pissed her off. How did he follow her without her knowing?

“Why the Hell didn’t I see you sooner? What do you want from me?” She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep, calming breath. She actually talked to herself in the middle of the parking lot.

“At least wait until you’re in the house.”

She sped back home, terribly flustered over the man several cars behind her. What was she going to do? She contemplated her options while she unloaded her groceries.

Kelly’s suggestion to call the police came to mind. It certainly made sense, but the man hadn’t broken any laws. The keystone copes had a very narrow view of what constituted stalking. Her search online showed only a few parking and speeding tickets, but they weren’t outstanding - the fines had been paid. Nothing else, no reason the police would do any more than placate the “hysterical little lady.”

You could walk out there and confront him, she thought, lugging the last bag into the kitchen.

She mulled the idea over. It would let the guy know she was on to him. He might back off. She also could find out the reason he was out there or, at the very least, maybe verify that Robert was behind this. But, it was dangerous to blindly approach someone like that.

Her other option would be to call John, her childhood friend’s brother. She grew up with Kelly Sharpe and her older brother had adopted her as his little sister. Up until he left for the Navy, he’d protected Maddie as fiercely as he had Kelly.

Problem was John subscribed to the BFI method of dealing with problems. Brute force and ignorance. If this guy did work for Robert she’d be better off handling him with finesse than with John.

She finished with the groceries and headed for her study. She glanced at the paperwork piled on her desk. She should sit down and work. The case was so close to breaking wide open. Instead she moved to the windows. No sign of the car on her street.

“Where are you?”

She headed upstairs, grabbing a stack of newly folded clothes on her way. First she looked through the windows in Sarah’s bedroom. It was directly above her office and had the advantage of the bay-style windows around a curved, turret style wall. From this room she had a better view of the side road. Finally she spotted the object of her quest.

What to do with it? The question rang in her head and she pushed her fingers through her long hair. She would get nothing done until she found out as much as she could.

She left through the back of the house. She’d take the long route and perhaps keep the element of surprise on her side. If she could keep him off balance she just might get something of use to figure out what’s going on.

Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:55:06 GMT

Below is the conclusion of Chapter One. If you haven’t read the beginning of Chapter One, it started here .

The sounds surrounded her. The air conditioner hummed lightly. Ice cubes in the freezer dropped followed by the whirring of the trays filling with water again. The relative silence was broken by the ringing of the phone like a textbook dropping on the marble floor of a library. Maddie jumped, but held in the scream that had snaked to the back of her throat.

She answered the phone with a breathy, “Hello.”

“Maddie, you ok?” her best friend, Kelly, asked.

“Busy weirding myself out,” she said walking into the study.

“What about?”

Maddie hesitated. She peered through the window, searching for the Acura, but couldn’t see it whether from the darkness or it’s absence, she couldn’t be sure. “I’ve got someone following me.”

“What?”

“I saw an Acura parked around the corner from the house this morning. He followed us when we went to get pizza and back home.”

“Did you call the police?”

“What do you think the keystone cops will do?”

“Just because they were bunglers with me doesn’t mean you would get the same thing. Did you run a check on him? Maybe he has a warrant out or something.”

“No already checked.”

“I could send John over to have a talk with him.”

“I’m not sure BFI is the right approach for this.”

Kelly’s older brother is a former Navy SEAL and not afraid to use his training or brawn. When Kelly had a stalker several years ago, they were forced to use his brute-force-and-ignorance approach.

“Any idea who the guy is? Did you recognize his name?”

“None. My neighbors offer more to steal than I do. I’m not really the type to attract a stalker.”

“And what type is that?”

“You know what I mean.”

“A hermit doesn’t attract the creepy?”

“Something like that.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I called. I wanted to let you know I have your room all set.”

Maddie smiled. “Your idea or John’s.”

“Both. There’s no reason for you to spend three weeks there by yourself.”

Last year, Kelly and John insisted she stay with them during the kids’ visit to Kansas City. Her mother had died just a few months before and Maddie had been grateful for the offer and company.

“I appreciate the offer, but I have a case I need to finish up here.”

“Paper isn’t portable anymore?”

“Smart ass.”

“If you change your mind, the room is here. We’ve blocked it out from reservations, so it’ll be open. And if you change your mind about BFI, give us a call.”

“Thanks. I think I should find out who this is first.”

“Set your alarm.”

“Always do.”

“Call me when you get back from dropping the kids off at the airport.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

The phone beeped and Maddie pushed the off button. She sat at here desk and stared at the papers taunting her with numbers and figures. She leaned back in the chair and slapped her feet on the desk. She’d get no work done until she wrapped her fists around a reason for her tail.

She took a long drink from the bottle and closed her eyes, picturing the man she’d seen earlier in her mind’s eye. He had black hair that softened a strong profile. He was orderly, well kept and neat. His shoulder and upper arm were muscular. He was fit, not flabby.

Maddie tried to place the man. Had she seen him before? He wasn’t anyone she’d put away. She knew each of those faces, and his wasn’t one of them.

Stalker? She snorted at that thought and drank more from the bottle. I’d have a stalker right after the pope has his bar mitzvah!

She led a boring life. She spent most of her time in this room studying numbers and reports. The rest of her time she spent with the kids. She rarely went out. She certainly hadn’t gone anywhere that would bring about a stalker.

Robert. His name reverberated in her head. Robert.

Damn, would Robert really send someone to spy on her? Sure he would, you idiot. He cheated on you, lied to you, tried to steal from you. Why wouldn’t he spy on you?

“But why?” she whispered, jumping as her voice broke the silence.

She returned to the kitchen and dropped her empty bottle in the recycle bin. She set the security alarm, turned out the lights and went to her bedroom.

What would Robert have to gain from spying on me?

If that private investigator cost close to what she charged clients, Robert had to believe he had a good reason. He didn’t spend that kind of money without a firm conviction he would gain greatly from it. But what?

“Oh dear God,” she gasped.

She slowly sank to the floor, leaning against the wall for support. Her eyes went to the ceiling. Her hand covered her mouth, muffling a heart-rending groan that crept its way out of her throat. Tears rushed to her eyes.

The kids!

He hired a private investigator to gain something against her to get custody of Sarah and Casey. Why would he do that? He barely wanted them for the three weeks he did get them.

She wiped the tears from her eyes as the realization struck. The money. He hated paying his child support, but would he go through a custody battle just to keep from paying it?

An empty laugh left her lips. He’d wasted his money, simple as that. That poor man out there had to be bored to tears.

Robert would find himself in one helluva fight if he tried to take her children. Her confidence in winning such a battle hadn’t helped to loosen the knot in her stomach at the thought of losing her babies.

“Oh no, I’ll gut that bastard and stuff his colon down his throat before I let him get his hands on my children.”

Sat, 22 Nov 2003 14:20:29 GMT

Here is the third installment of Chapter One. This is a little later than I’d planned, but I got busy at the end of the week. If you haven’t read the beginning of Chapter One, it started here .

The dark blue Expedition pulled out of Madeline Cooper’s driveway. He started the car, but waited until she turned the corner before following. The large SUV drove leisurely, looming high over the other cars on the road, making it easy for Riley to keep her in his sights.

Madeline Cooper pulled into the parking lot of Gopher Gus’ pizza. He drove past and circled around, parking across the street in time to see Madeline ushering her two children through the door. He rolled his eyes and smacked his head against the head rest.

“Shoot me now!”

The snap-fizz from the opening of yet another can of Coke was followed by a cool breeze through the open windows. He sighed. At least the breeze had kicked up so he wouldn’t have to run the car’s air conditioning as he had all afternoon.

Surveillance. The very worst part of his job. He could barely handle the boredom of a stake out, let alone the frustration. His approach almost always worked better than the idiocy of silently watching someone. In this position he couldn’t work the mark, he had no control over the situation or it’s direction. He didn’t like that feeling.

This whole assignment was one big curveball. He’d worked and maneuvered Don Anthony Peretti for years, but this hadn’t been the result he’d expected.

“Eric, I need you to do this job for me,” Peretti has said in a thick Italian accent mixed with a southern drawl, making for an unexpected voice from the older man.

Riley has chosen his words carefully. “I agree, Don. This should be taken care of, but surely you have someone-“

“No,” Peretti interrupted. “I want my best on this and you, Eri,c are the best I have.”

What could he say to that? For over two years, Riley worked this man, controlled every situation to get to this point. To gain Peretti’s trust. He was in, what else could he do?

He was trapped, for now. He’d finish this up and move on to his main purpose in Don Peretti’s family.

He resigned himself to suffering through the boredom and wait. A notepad laid on the passenger seat. His notes for Tanner were scrawled on the top page, but reamin unfinished. He snatched it up and tore the top page off. His check-in notes would have to wait. Time to come up with a way to take control of this situation and bring it to a close.

“Time to go guys,” Maddie said before the next play of air hockey could start.

The score was tied up offering a narrow window for a peaceful drive home. Maddie shouldn’t have even allowed the games to start, it was late for a school night. After they finished eating she thought of the packing she had to do for their three week trip to visit their dad and couldn’t bring herself to ending the evening.

“But, mom, the game’s not over,” Sarah whined.

“But, Sarah, I said it was time to go,” she whined back.

The kids threw their cups away and led the way to the door. Maddie held Sarah and Casey’s hands across the parking lot. About half the spaces were filled with cars, but the area was quiet.

Casey opened the back door and waited for Sarah to scooch across to her side before climbing in behind her. When he pulled the door shut, the black acura parked across the street came into view. A bolt of fear shot through her. It passed through her as quickly as a bolt of lightning into the ground. The fizzle of anger was all that remained.

She slid behind the wheel and stared briefly at the car. He hadn’t moved, looked bored and needed to get his ass kicked. Before starting the engine, Maddie leaned over and unlocked her glove box. She pulled out a Beretta and slid it in the console between the front seats.

Ready to head home, the SUV slid out of the parking lot. Testing his determina tion, she took the scenic route home. She stayed back and hid in the traffic. Had she not known he was there, she probably wouldn’t notice him, like on the trip to Gopher Gus. She’d had no idea he followed them, but couldn’t be sure that’s what had her so pissed off. Why would he follow her? She suppressed a growl not wanting to show her aggravation to the kids.

He would fall out of sight from time to time on the drive, but he was there.

She reached the house and backed into the garage. She wouldn’t see him again. He’d park down the road as he had earlier today.

“Can I shut the garage door?” Casey asked.

With a twist of her hand, she turned off the engine and handed him the remote. “Go ahead, buddy.” She waited until the door was all the way down before unlocking the doors and climbing out.

She was being cautious, perhaps even paranoid. Why was he following her?

The question set up camp in her mind, not releasing it while she hustled the kids upstairs to dress for bed. She read them a story in Sarah’s room then tucked them both in with hugs and kisses.

Back downstairs in the kitchen a Smirnoff Ice called her from the refrigerator. She took a long drink and shut her eyes against the rambling of answers careening through her mind. He spied on her, stalked her, prepared to rob her, kill her. She stood in the middle of here kitchen, silent, listening. The only lights were behind her over the sink, casting shadows that danced over the counter before her. The family room was in darkness.

Thu, 13 Nov 2003 16:57:07 GMT

P-W-S-7-1-8. Maddie chanted the license plate on the car as she walked off her jog. She struggled as her mind crept back to the man sitting in the car rather than committing the plate to memory. Scruffy dark hair and strong jaw was about all she caught from the glimpse of his profile. Don’t look over there.

The cheerful song of several robins in the large oak tree in her front yard serenaded her. The air was still and muggy adding to her difficulty in catching her breath. If she lived closer to the water and the wonderful ocean breezes that cooled much of Charleston, the humidity wouldn’t be as stifling, but she’d lose the quiet she enjoyed out here.

She glanced at her watch. Still had some time before the kids would get home. Before she climbed the steps to the porch, she stared back toward the man sitting in the black Acura. I’ll find out who you are soon enough.

When she opened the door, she heard the phone ringing. She hurried into the family room and answered, “Hello.”

She scooped the kids’ shirts off the back of the couch and headed to her bedroom.

“Maddie, its Andy.”

“How did you get my number?” She asked dropping the t-shirts in the dirty clothes hamper.

“I chased it down. Listen, I have to tell you something.”

My number is unlisted, how did you get it? She let that go for now wondering what was so important. “Okay.”

“Somehow, Clara found out we met at the coffee shop.” He fell silent.

“We didn’t meet, we ran into each other.” Why would he say it like that? Why did she care?

“I don’t know how she found out, but she’s gone ballistic.”

“Try telling me what’s going on.” She cradled the phone against her shoulder so she could open her drawers. She tossed clean clothes onto her bed for after her shower.

“She threw lots of accusations around. Look, she said...well...this is hard to say...”

“Just spit it out.”

“She accused me of having an affair. That is, an affair with you.”

“That’s ridiculous. We haven’t seen each other for years. I’m surprised she’d even know who I was, let alone jump to that kind of conclusion.”

“I don’t really know what to say, Maddie. She asked me who you were and how I knew you. I told her about you and she just started in on the accusations.”

The hair on the back of her neck prickled. He lied. About what she wasn’t sure, but he at least held back the full truth of the matter. She’d interviewed employees suspected of stealing from her clients and instinctively knew when they lied or told only half truths. Normally she could see it in their eyes, but the tone of voice could give it away too.

With Andy, she couldn’t be sure if her reaction was from lies or the absurdity of the situation.

“This is ludicrous. You set her straight didn’t you?”

“I tried, but she didn’t seem to be listening.”

“Then you need to make her listen.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll straighten this all out. I just wanted to warn you.”

“I hope things work out for you.”

“Me too. Thanks. Bye.”

“Bye.” She pressed the off button on the phone and tossed it on the bed.

She turned the water on in the shower. She noticed her notepad on counter. Tough to keep up with a to-do list when it’s left in the bathroom all day. She read the top sheet.

Update Mr. Barnsworth on case status

Wash and pack kids’ clothes

Tears rushed to her eyes. Her hands gripped the counter and breathed deeply.

She used a hand towel to dry her hair while she waited for her computer search to finish. A beep and flick of the screen later, she had what she was looking for.

A 2002 black Acura RL was registered to Eric Russo of Charleston. She made a few clicks and accessed more of his driving record. Three speeding tickets were listed over the past year, but nothing else. Eric Russo’s address, birth date, height and weight were also listed in the file.

“Mmmm, the rest of you should look as good as the few parts I saw.”

What did he want? She could still feel his eyes boring into the back of her neck after she passed his car on the way back to the house. He stared at her and with an intensity that made her think he could see right through her.

She shook her head. Her mind ran away with her imagination. The guy was probably harmless. For all she knew he could be a security guard hired by one of her neighbors.

Right now, she couldn’t worry about it. The kids would be hopping off the bus anytime. She slipped on her sneakers and headed out the door.

***

Maddie was at the corner just two houses down when the bus drove up. The bus door folded open to show the heavy-set driver, Anice. Her smile was in its typical place – ear to ear. She waited for Casey and Sarah to climb off the bus, then hugged them both close when they came up on the sidewalk.

“The children were a joy again today, Miss Cooper,” Anice said.

“Thank you, Anice. They were read a pretty good riot act after the last time. It’ll be awhile before they cause any new problems.”

“Those angels don’t cause problems, just sweet diversions.”

Maddie laughed. “Your memory is short.”

“In this seat, it has to be. You have a good one, Miss Cooper.”

“You too, Anice. See you tomorrow.”

The bus lumbered down the road. Maddie took the twins’ hands and listened to them tell her all about their day at the same time.

***

“Mommy?”

Casey stood in the doorway to her office. He was tall for six, easily the tallest in his class and a good six inches over his sister. His hair remained a light brown, but grew darker every year. She still marveled at his eyes, though. They were big and round and blue. Sarah’s eyes had changed a couple years ago to match her hazel eyes, but Casey’s were a clear, crystal blue.

“Yeah, honey, what’s up?”

Casey walked across the room and leaned his elbow on her desk. He glanced at the papers strewn in front of her, then turned his expressive eyes to her and said, “Have you found your numbers yet?”

Maddie smiled. Casey looked so big and grown up. Time for her to discover how to stop her children’s growth. “No, I haven’t found my numbers yet, but I’m getting close.”

Casey just nodded at her and crossed his arms over his chest. “What number are you looking for? I can help you find them.”

“It’s not just one number, sweetie, but lots of numbers put together.” She paused and stared at her six-year-old son. “What do you say we go get some pizza? I’m done with work for now.”

“Gopher Gus?”

“Gopher Gus. Now go get your sister, so we can get going.”

Casey spun around and raced out of the room yelling “Sarah!” as he went.

Maddie returned to the windows. She found the black Acura in the same place it’d been all day. He hadn’t moved.

“What are you looking for, Mr. Russo?”

Sat, 08 Nov 2003 17:29:50 GMT

Chapter One

3-4-8-6 point 0-3

2-5-5-9 point 2-7

6-9-2-4 point 3-3

The calculator churned out the total, whirring and feeding the skinny strip of paper out of the top.

12,969.63

Well, hell. Maddie flung her glasses onto the papers strewn across her desk. This little creep hid his dirty little deeds deep in the bowels of computer reports and financial records, but she’d be damned if she let him win.

She would find his trail and stalk him until she squeezed out every last drop of evidence available. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. The thick aroma of Buttercream filled her senses taking her back to the old bakeries of her childhood. The image the memory conjured calmed Maddie. She exhaled, releasing some of her frustration on the air from her lungs.

Her fingers massaged the bridge of her nose. She gave the guy she was after too much credit. He was good, but she wouldn’t struggle so much if she could focus her mind on the case. There it was, she admitted it. Her mind wouldn’t quit churning about the mysterious car she caught sight of this morning after dropping her twins off at school.

A black Acura sat parked just around the corner in front of her neighbors house. The Hamilton’s were on vacation in the Keys and she couldn’t recall them mentioning they had someone staying at the house. But sure enough, this morning a car was parked in front of it under the large live oak tree, affording him shade from the hot Charleston sun.

She walked across the room to stare out the front window. A trip she’d made countless times this morning. Too many times. She couldn’t see the car from here, the trees blocked her view, but somehow she knew it was there.

Sighing, she turned back to the papers for her current case. Somewhere in those pages lay the evidence she needed to help her client lock up the thieving little slimeball they employ. She would find the evidence and the money he stole. That is if that car would quit messing with her head.

First things first. She needed to get more information.

***

The binoculars zoomed in on the Victorian style house across the street and down the block from where he waited in his car. The neighborhood quieted down once the school traffic had cleared out. He’d seen Madeline Cooper’s SUV pull into the driveway shortly after he’d arrived, but hadn’t seen her again.

He dropped the binoculars to hang around his neck and went back to the papers in his lap. The information before him jumbled into a mass of letters and numbers, undecipherable to the layman’s eye. The information meant something to someone, just not him.

He shouldn’t even be here. He hadn’t worked for so long to sit and watch a woman sit in her house. He hadn’t seen this one coming.

The chiming of his cell phone broke the silence of the car. A breeze wafted through the windows, making him sigh as he answered the call. “Yep.”

“It’s me. What’s happening?”

“I need some information.”

“I deal in information. What kind?”

“A complete background on Madeline Cooper.”

“Do you have a social?”

“Nope, just an address. 5-3-2-6 Mulberry Lane.”

“Got it. Do I get a clue on what I’m looking for?”

“I’m sitting on her. Peretti’s daughter thinks she’s sleeping with her husband.”

“How did you get roped into this?”

“Hell if I know.” He pushed his fingers through his hair and glanced back toward the house. “Shit! Gotta go.”

He snapped the cell shut and whipped the binoculars to his eyes. Madeline Cooper was jogging down her road, straight toward him. How had he missed her coming out of the house? There wasn’t much he could do now without being obvious.

She turned at the corner and headed past him. She didn’t hesitate or even look in his direction.

He watched her bounce away from him in the side and rear view mirrors. Her ponytail swayed with each step. Her arms pumped with controlled movements. The muscles in her legs constricted showing off their shape and contours. He pulled out a Coke from a cooler on the floor behind him. Before opening it, he put it against the back of his neck to cool himself off.

Focus. Legs. FOCUS!

He did not have the time to sit here and watch Madam Legs in Suburbia Hell. The quiet was unnerving. It was also only a matter of time before someone approached him. Before that could happen he needed to have control of it.

He’d managed to maneuver Anthony Peretti into a position offering him the trust and access he needed to finish his job. If he’d done it once with a mafia boss, he could do it again with a suburban housewife.

Patience was key here. The background information Tanner pulled together for him could give the insight necessary to get the information he needed. Problem was patience and time were two things he didn’t have. The time he spent here chasing after Madeline Cooper took away from the time he should spend working Peretti in the direction he wanted him to go.

Her steps pounded on the pavement pulling his eyes to the mirrors. She ran back the way she’d left. She breathed heavier now than earlier. Her shirt was wet from sweat. Her face was calm, relaxed, comfortable.

She wouldn’t stop and question him. No woman with any amount of sense would walk up and confront a man. He banked his expectations on the assumption that Ms. Cooper has some sense and used it on a regular basis. Just in case she didn’t, he was prepared with a story. Whether it was for her or the police, it wouldn’t matter.

Once again, he was proven right. She ran right passed his car and crossed the road at the intersection of Mulberry Lane. She slowed to a walk at the edge of her yard. He pulled the binoculars up to watch her more closely. Her chest heaved with each deep breath as she walked circles in her yard. She bent over from time to time to yank a weed from the flowerbeds lining her porch. He’d be a jackass to admit he enjoyed that last part. Damn, he was a jackass!

He pushed his fingers through his hair and sighed. This case was too dangerous for him to be so easily distracted. Madeline Cooper was definitely a distraction.