Finding Carrie (25 page)

When she looked up, she saw a man standing in the living room. He had his back toward her. He was very tall with wide, broad shoulders, and he was wearing all black. She couldn’t move, stood there frozen. His head suddenly turned and he glanced at her from over his shoulder. She saw a smile curve on his face as he turned his full body to face her. He had a cup of coffee in his hand.

“
Karolina
,” he said with his teeth flashing at her. “
Laslovaya moya
; I have missed you.” He spoke in a language that she didn’t understand, but he seemed to know her. She should have known this man, but she didn’t. “
Karo
, what is wrong?” he asked as he took a step toward her. She stepped backward, holding up her hands to ward him off. She kept walking backward until she hit the doorframe to the kitchen.

“Isaac! Isaac!” she yelled as she turned around to burrow into the wall. Isaac came running out of the hall.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he saw the man in the room. The man was at least a foot taller than him, but he knew the man quite well. This tall, wide-shouldered man was Aleksander Ivanov. He was Carrie’s personal bodyguard. “Oh, hello, Sasha,” Isaac said. Carrie pushed back to look up at him. She was shaken, but now she was confused.

“You know him?” she asked, her eyes glittering with tears.

“Yes, of course I do. I told you about him,” he said then remembered that he hadn’t told her he was coming. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. He is coming to the house with us.”

“Who is he?” she asked.

“This is Aleksander Ivanov. He is your bodyguard, and you call him Sasha,” Isaac said, looking up at Sasha.

“Why do I need a bodyguard? I have you,” she said, turning her face away.

“Yes, but I needed him for help. I’m not taking any more chances with your safety, Carrie. I won’t,” Isaac said, framing her face with his hands. “Sasha is only here to help me keep you safe, nothing more.” He kissed her, not caring that they had company.

“I am sorry to have startled
Karo
, but I haven’t seen you in a while, and I was worried. I wish you would let me guard you more often than you do,” Sasha said and watched Carrie’s expression change in her eyes. Isaac stepped back from her and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“I have to finish packing. Would you talk with Sasha and tell him what the man looks like, as it is only you have seen him?” She nodded to his request and turned to face Sasha. She studied him for a while and decided that if Isaac was okay with him, then she should be too.

“It is okay. Sasha, I was attacked in my home last night; Isaac has probably already told you,” she said with her head bowed.

“Yes
, Karolina
, why don’t we sit down and talk. I need to know what I am looking for when we go to the airport,” Sasha said, gesturing to the couch for her to sit. She looked up abruptly and snapped her teeth together.

“Airport? What do you mean airport? We are going to my house. That is what Isaac said,” she said then turned, left the room, and went to the bedroom, where Isaac was coming out. They faced each other in the hall, Isaac with a confused look, and Carrie with an angry one.

“What is it? What is wrong?” Isaac asked, stepping closer to her.

“Airport,” she said. “Where are we going, Isaac? Sasha said we were going to the airport,” Carrie said with her arms crossed. “You told me that we were going to our home.” He smiled and laughed softly. He loved that she was getting angry. He missed her spitfire temper. It was one of the things he loved about her; her love was the other.

“Yes,
koibito
. The house is six or so hours away. It would take us all day by car. It would take about an hour or so by plane. Please calm down. It will be all right,” Isaac pleaded.

“All right, but no more surprises, okay?” Carrie said, looking into his eyes.

“Good,” Isaac said. They turned to return to the living room, where Sasha was waiting. She turned abruptly, stopped, and Isaac bumped into her.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“When?” He looked confused.

“In the hall you said
koibit
…what did you say?”

“Okay, yeah, I said
koibito
. It means ‘sweetheart’ in Japanese,” Isaac explained.

“Oh,” she said and walked into the living room. “I’m sorry, Sasha, for running out of the room. Isaac is being secretive with me today.” She glanced at Isaac.

“Not secretive, my love, forgetful. I had a long night last night, and the night before. I didn’t get much sleep,” he said. She turned to look at him full on and ran her hand down his arm.

“I know,” she said and touched her own face, and then she looked back up to Sasha.

“It will be all right,
Karo
,” Sasha said. “Isaac, do we have time to talk before we have to go? I want to know about this man that Karolina has been seeing.”

“Yes, we have a few minutes. Carrie, tell him what the man looks like.” Carrie went over to the couch. As she sat down, she looked at the spot where the coffee table was and remembered the feeling of going through it.

“
Karo
, the police didn’t find any fingerprints anywhere, but I believe he was here. Isaac told me about the bruises on your back,” Sasha said, looking up as Isaac perched himself on the arm of the couch behind Carrie.

“He was here. I didn’t throw myself through the coffee table.” She was shaking her head as Isaac laid his hand on her shoulder for reassurance. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.”

“It’s the medicine Chrissie gave you last night. She said you would be edgy,” Isaac told her. She looked up to his face and began describing the man to Sasha.

“He was tall with dark-black, oily hair.” She turned to look at Sasha. “He smelled awful. It made me want to throw up. He had a scar that ran across his face from his left side of his forehead to the right side of his chin.” She gestured with her thumb to show him where the scar went on her own face. She tilted her head as a thought came to her mind. “Do you think that he was the one who attacked me at the hospital?” She turned and placed her hands on Isaac’s lap. “Do you think he is the one who kidnapped your mother?” He placed his hand over hers.

“I don’t know, but it is possible. I have never seen him, Sasha. She saw him yesterday at the recital,” Isaac told Sasha.

“I was at the recital, and by the way, Sabrina was wonderful. She’s a real natural on that guitar of hers,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yes, she is,” Isaac agreed. Carrie smiled up at both men.

“I didn’t see a man with a scar on his face, though. I wouldn’t have overlooked something like that,” Sasha said, the grin fading from his face. Isaac nodded.

“Neither would I. She saw him, though, and she was going to run if I hadn’t been in her way,” Isaac said, looking down at the top of Carrie’s head.

“I saw him from the back of the auditorium. He was staring right at me. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I just felt like I had to get out of there.” Carrie explained. Isaac looked at his watch.

“We must get going if we are going to make it through security in time for the flight.” All three of them stood. Isaac grabbed all the bags he had packed. Carrie tilted her head to look at him as if he thought that she was so fragile that she couldn’t grab a bag to help. He smirked and handed her, her purse. “You will be safe with this one.” She snatched it out of his hand and headed for the door. Sasha had it wide open for her to leave. He had a bag in his hand; she noticed, and he was smirking as well. She glared at him as she stepped out.

Carrie and Sasha stood side by side as they watched Isaac struggle through security. Carrie covered her mouth with her hand, trying to cover up her laughing as she watched her husband get patted down by a big security man. When the man let him go through, he came right up to her and stood there for a moment. “Do you think that is funny, little girl?” he asked, trying not to laugh.

“I think it is really funny,” she replied and glancing up to Sasha, who was smiling to himself. Isaac leaned down and bit her gently on the ear, making her jump. She still laughed.

“Do you think that is funny?” She nodded and turned to walk to the gate. The three of them walked up to the gate and sat in front of the window. “I’ll be right back,” Isaac announced as he put his bag down next to Carrie’s leg. She watched him leave before turning to talk to Sasha.

“Sasha, what is it that you call me?” Carrie asked, looking at the side of him.

“I call you
Karolina
; I have always called you that,” he explained.

“What is this
Karo
? You say sometimes?” she asked.

“
Karo
is just a nickname for
Karolina
.”

“What are you? Um, I mean you not American are you?” she asked, ashamed to have to ask. “I should know, but I don’t.”

“It’s okay. I was born in Moscow, Russia. So that would make me Russian,” he explained.

“Oh, so what was it that you said to me when you first saw me?” she asked.

“Hmm, I think I said
laslovaya moya
.” He looked at her, and she nodded. “It means ‘my affectionate one.’”

“Why would you call me that, Sasha? I’m married and I very much in love with him,” Carrie said, looking around for Isaac, who was coming back. “I think.” She said as she looked back at Sasha.

“I know, but I have known you far longer than that man of yours. I just use that term for a meaning of friend. Although Russians don’t usually call anyone friend, I just use that term,” he explained when Isaac sat down next to Carrie, handing Sasha a cup of coffee. “
Spasibo
,” he said as he took that cup.

“You’re welcome,” Isaac said. Carrie looked up at Isaac and back to Sasha.

“How many languages are there? First Isaac speaks Japanese, then I was in a French restaurant. Then you speak Russian. Are there anymore languages that I might or am supposed to know?” The men laughed at her, and she scowled at them both.

“Honey, you know a lot of different languages; it is part of your job,” Isaac said. Carrie ducked her head into her hands and shook her head. She took a deep breath and let it out. Then she looked up at Sasha.

“Would you tell me why I even have a bodyguard in the first place? I know that I’m a famous writer and everything. I don’t get bothered much by people except for at the hospital and the hotel, but I don’t understand why I need one,” she said.

“Well, about five years ago, you were coming out of one of your book signings. As you came out of the bookstore with your agent, you were shot at. I’m not quite sure of the details, but your agent wanted you to have a bodyguard. As your fame got stronger, you got two more. I have been with you since then,” Sasha explained. Carrie tilted her head and regarded him through wide eyes.

“I was shot at?” she asked with a grasp. “Why—why would anyone want to shot at me?”

“I don’t really think they were shooting at you,
Karo
. I just think they were shooting. It hasn’t happened since, but you keep us around for your events,” Sasha said.

“Oh well, I guess,” she said, almost satisfied. They announced for them to board the plane, and the three of them went for the gate. Carrie was recognized by a few of the passengers in line. Isaac explained the cuts on her face in a casual way, and she signed a couple of autographs, hoping that it was the same as she always wrote her name. They boarded the plane together.

While in the sky, Isaac took out his phone and put it on the tray in front of him. Carrie snatched it up and looked at it. She was laying over him with his arm around her. Sasha was sitting on the other side of her, reading a magazine that was in another language. “Would you like to look at pictures?” Isaac asked, taking the phone back. He brought up the picture file and showed her how to go through them.

“When were these taken?” she asked.

“A few weeks ago. I love this one.” He showed her one of her smiling. “I use this one as my picture ID for you when you call me from your phone.”

“Oh,” she said, reaching down to pick up her purse. She dug in her purse for her phone. “Do I have pictures?” She found it and held it up for him.

“Yes, let me show you,” he said as he took the phone. He brought up the picture file on her phone. She took the phone and went through the pictures. As with his phone, there were a lot of pictures of Isaac on her phone with pictures of the girls as well.

“Wow, are we in love with each other or what.” It was a statement more than anything, but he nodded. “Do I have a favorite picture of you?”

“Yes,” he took the phone, brought up the contacts, and showed her the picture ID for him.

“Oh wow, that is a good picture of you!” She sighed and looked up. “I like the picture of you in that program thing from the play.” He looked up, trying to figure out what she was talking about.