Death and Deceit (7 page)

Jessie grinned at him and raised a delicate brow. “I never had a weight problem, Kent. Yeah, I like the toned muscles, but there are other benefits of aerobics.”

“Psychological benefits?”

She grinned again. “That’s right. Aerobics helps reduce depression and anxiety.
It decreases tension and helps me sleep.”

“And you had a problem with those things?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“I suppose, in the long run. That’s what I like about karate. I’ve always had a mean temper. Got it from my dad, my mom used to say. Anyway I didn’t like it and sought out a means of control.”

“And what does karate do for you, Kent?”

“Helps me relax. Helps me focus. My karate, Chito Ryu is based on human physiology. It trains the body
and
the mind.”

“So all those kicks and punches make you feel powerful?”

She was grinning at him again and he had the feeling she was making fun of him.
But he realized she just didn’t understand. “There’s more than kicks and punches, Jessie.
It requires total concentration and focus to maintain balance and control. We’re taught proper breathing and do lots of warm ups, just like you do before an aerobic class. In a nutshell it helps prepare us for life outside the dojo.”

“The what?”

“Dojo. The wayplace, where we learn and practice.”

“Like my dance floor?”

“Exactly.” He leaned into her and kissed her gently. “So you see, Jessie, we have
a lot in common.”

His eyes gave her that warm feeling again and she agreed. “I think we do.”

They settled back on the blanket and let the night breeze caress their bodies. Later
when the stars were bright and the moon was just rising, Jessie asked to go home. As much as she wanted to stay with him in that way, she knew tomorrow was another workday. And they both had to be rested and alert. At her apartment she pulled from his arms promising to meet him at noon the following day.

For the next two days they lunched together, dined together, and each night their
kisses grew more passionate. Friday night when they finally pulled from each other’s embrace and Kent left via the elevator, Jessie called Liz. She hadn’t heard from her since Tuesday, when Liz had pranced out of the restaurant. Jessie had to know if they were still friends. She got her on the second ring.

“Hi, Liz. It’s me, Jessie.”

Liz answered in a low drawl. “Jessie, I was in bed.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Why are you calling? It’s late.”

“I...was thinking about you...about Tuesday. Are you mad at me?”

There was a silence while Jessie’s toes curled, then Liz replied. “No. I’m not mad at you, silly. Remember,
May the best woman win?
We toasted on it, didn’t we?”

Jessie relaxed somewhat. She breathed a long sigh. “Okay, Liz. I won’t keep
you. I’m sorry I disturbed you. You coming to class on Monday?”

“Of course. Can’t get out of shape, can I?”

Jessie detected an icy covering over Liz’s trying-to-be-friendly voice, but she
ignored it. “See you Monday then.”

“Hey, wait.” Liz paused a second then asked. “You been seeing Kent?”

“Every day...and night,” Jessie replied.

“Oh.” There was a silence, then, “Sounds serious.”

“Oh, Liz, I think he’s the one.” Jessie knew Liz wasn’t the one to tell that to, but it had been impulsive and she had to tell someone. She was bursting. There was a click on the line and Jessie called out. “Liz...Liz, are you there?”

A dial tone answered her.

Saturday was a hectic day at the spa, with a special promotion going on including
the media. Jessie smiled and talked so much, her face felt numb. Usually she walked the four blocks to her apartment, but fatigue forced her to hail a cab. It was the first night since meeting Kent that she wouldn’t spend with him. He had told her he had something personal to do.

Jessie took off her shoes and poured a glass of wine. She relaxed in the dimly-lit
living room and thought of Kent. It was hard to believe that just a week ago she had been so lonely she’d almost taken a chance on a total stranger online. Creepy people could lurk there, she thought. She sipped the wine and let the smooth liquid ease down her throat. What a difference a week could make. She and Kent had been almost inseparable. She wondered what personal thing he was taking care of. Was he saying goodbye to an old love? Or maybe he had a karate class. He hadn’t said he’d see her Sunday, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t stay away from her for long. In fact she felt so good she decided to e mail her brother in hopes of a reconciliation with him.

With the message carefully completed, short but friendly, she clicked on the Send/Receive. When her
sending mail
clicked off, a
receiving mail
message appeared.
She’d only signed on the Internet a little over a week earlier, and her only message had been to her brother tonight. Who could be writing to her?
She blanched when she read the eerie message on the screen. A malicious out
pouring of angry, sick words, written with an underlying bitter resentment emerged.
The hair on Jessie’s neck bristled, sending out waves of tiny shivers. A blood-curdling coldness enveloped her being, when she realized the seriousness of the threat.

CHAPTER THREE

I thought you were a fellow, but you’re a delusive friend. You’ve deluded me and
now you will pay. Hark! I await the time of your demise. So watch over your shoulder, wherever you go, whatever you do...I’ll not be far away. I see you! I am so close to you my bonny friend. Where you think you have a friend, you may well have an enemy...a lover?....or a JUDAS.

Jessie clicked on delete and the screen cleared. But the message was embedded like hot coals in her mind. Terror seized her body. She turned off the computer and backed away from it. Impulsively she called Liz’s number. When Liz’s friendly voice greeted her, Jessie freaked.

“My God, Liz, you’ve gotta get over here. Someone’s trying to kill me.”

“What?”

“I mean, I just had a horrible message on my e mail. Someone is after me.”

“What are you talking about, Jessie?” Liz asked in a calm tone. “What message?”

“It said, ‘I await your demise. Watch over your shoulder.’ Something about a friend
being an enemy or a Judas...oh, it was awful...please come over, I’m scared.”

“Okay, okay. But calm down. I know it scared the hell out of you, but it’s probably
just a prank. Still, I’ll come right over and I’ll stay with you, okay?”

Jessie dropped the receiver and stood staring at the phone. It was almost as if she
didn’t dare look away. As if while she held a connection with the phone, she was safe. But dare she gaze across at the computer, something horrible would happen. Like right now, there could be another creepy message festering away inside the box, ready to explode in her face should she turn the computer on.

It was less than ten minutes when Liz entered the apartment. Jessie had sat by the
phone until she heard Liz’s voice outside the apartment door. Liz hugged Jessie to her then pulled back and looked her in the eye.

“It’ll be all right,” she said sternly. “It’s some sick prank, that’s all.”

When Jessie couldn’t stop trembling, Liz got her a glass of warm milk and convinced her
to get some rest. Later, stretched out on Jessie’s sofa, Liz was amazed at the reaction of her friend over the message. She had never imagined Jessie would freak so and wondered if she really knew her as well as she had thought she did.

Liz caught the phone on the second ring hoping not to disturb Jessie’s sleep. The
sun streamed through the living room window and had awakened her with its mid-morning heat, even before the phone had.

“That you, Jessie?”

“No, it’s Liz. Who’s this?”

“Sandra Norton. I’m a friend of Jessie’s mother. Is Jessie there? I do have the
right number, don’t I?”

“Yes. Yes, you do. Jessie’s...sleeping. May I take a message?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll need to speak to Jessie.”

The woman’s voice was crisp and loud. Liz figured she’d better wake Jessie for
this one.

Jessie’s red hair stood on end from a night of twisting in bed. She took the receiver
from Liz and smiled mechanically.
“Hello, Sandra. Anything wrong?”

“It’s your mother, Jessie,” the woman said. “She called me in the night with chest
pains. I took her to emergency but they admitted her.”

“Chest pains. Did she have a heart attack?”

“No, they think it was anxiety. But you need to be here. They won’t tell me much. Should
I call Alan?”

“No. I’ll do it. Thanks Sandra. Oh. I don’t know when I can get there. Will you
stay with her?”

“Of course I will,” Sandra’s booming voice reassured Jessie. “As soon as I have a
bite to eat, I’m planning to spend the afternoon with her.”

“Tell her I’ll see her soon,” Jessie finished and hung up the phone.
“My mother’s in the hospital. Anxiety attack.”

Jessie’s voice was strange and Liz reached out to her. She patted Jessie’s back and spoke in a hushed tone. “One thing after another for you, isn’t it? I hope it’s not bad.”

Jessie pulled away and ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. She
made herself busy boiling water for tea and shaking cereal into a bowl. After she’d popped two slices of toast down, she turned to Liz who was now folding up bedding from the sofa.

“Mom’s only forty-five. She’s been different though these past few years since Dad died. So quiet and sad. I guess the grief got her.”

“Yeah. It will do that. Grief...and stress are not friendly body companions,” Liz remarked.

Jessie buttered her toast and took her breakfast to the coffee table. Liz took her
place at the kitchen counter and poured a dish of cereal then splashed milk on it. “Are you going home today?”

“No. I can’t. I’ll have to work tomorrow and hope I can find someone to take my
classes for Tuesday.”

“You shouldn’t have to do that,” Liz said taking her breakfast over to join Jessie. “I’ll take a sick day and fill in for you.”

Jessie looked across at Liz. Was there nothing this friend wouldn’t do for her?
Guilty pangs filled her mind when she thought of how she’d dated Kent, even after Liz made it obvious how much she liked him.

“No, Liz. Thanks, but I’m sure one of the other instructors or a couple of them can fill in for me, as soon as we can arrange a schedule. I’ll go home on Tuesday, if Mom stays the same. And I’ll see how things are then.”

“Yeah, you’re right. They probably wouldn’t let me take the classes anyway,” Liz said.

“Really? I’m sure they would. You’re good. I’ll mention it anyway, just in case I
need you in the future. That is if you’re sure you really want to do it.”

“No problem. I’d love to do it.”

Jessie picked up her dishes and headed for the counter. “I have to call Alan and tell him. I dread it.”

“Why, Jessie?” Liz put her dishes in the sink and started the hot water to wash them up.

“We...ah, aren’t on the best of terms,” Jessie said. “But this is important.” She picked up the phone and called Alan.
“Hi, Alan. It’s me, Jessie.”

“So? What do you want?”

Jessie didn’t want to startled or frighten him so she refrained from telling him about their mother at first.

“I e mailed you. Didn’t you get it?”

“Of course I did. I check my mail.”

“Why didn’t you answer?”

“I would have...in time.”

“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry, Alan? I can’t go back and date that
guy. And your girlfriend was not very faithful anyway, if she could walk off on you just like that. You’re well rid of her.”

Jessie knew she’d said too much too soon, and she decided to dive in to the real
reason she’d called before Alan got madder and hung up on her.
“But I’m not calling for all that, Alan. Sandra called me. Mom is in the hospital.
She’s had an anxiety attack.”

“Well, Mom always was a worrier.”

Jessie thought he didn’t seem upset. “She’s had a lot to deal with, Alan. For God’s sake, don’t
you even care?”

“Don’t be stupid. You know I do. But Mom’s been asking for trouble. I wanted
her to shut down the house and come back with me. I even told her I’d find her an apartment if that was what she wanted. But she would rather hang around there and mope over Dad with only garish Sandra for company.”

“That’s awful, Alan. Sandra is her constant companion. She spends more time with Mom than we do.”