Intersection (47 page)

Cassidy nearly bounced her way off the train and to her car. She was anxious to get home and to wait for her mother and Dylan to arrive so that she could call Alex. The teacher was curious if her lover had opened her luggage yet and found the note and picture she had enclosed. Cassidy smiled as she turned on the car radio and a familiar tune began to play; one she had heard the agent singing to on their way home from Connecticut. She loved it when Alex would sing to the radio, but then she seemed to love almost everything about the agent. The teacher laughed at that thought. Even when Alex frustrated her there was no way for Cassidy to deny that she was head over heels in love with Alex Toles. This would be the first night since Cassidy said ‘I love you’ to the agent that she would sleep alone. Funny, she thought to herself now. For nearly the entire last year of her marriage she slept alone every
night. She’d grown used to that and even comfortable with it. Now, the thought of not feeling Alex beside her was almost unimaginable. Turning onto Cherry Circle the teacher sighed. She thought perhaps she would ask her mother to spend the night. They hadn’t talked much in days and Cassidy was ready for some time with Rose. There was so much she wanted to share and so much she just wanted to say out loud. Alex had actually alluded to them getting married some day and the teacher was almost embarrassed to admit she found herself thinking about cakes and dresses a couple of times during the day. It was insane if she stopped to think about it. Cassidy had decided days ago that thinking was pointless when it came to her feelings for Alex. She could daydream and she did, often. There were two things that the teacher was certain of as she pulled into her driveway; she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Alexis Toles and she was going to.

Cassidy turned off the car and reached for her bag. She smiled and closed the car door and headed for the house. She opened the front door and got the faint hint of coffee wafting in the air. Could it really be, she wondered? Did Alex come right home? She would be the only person to make coffee in the afternoon. The teacher’s heart skipped as she made her way toward the kitchen, her smile growing by the second. “What are you doing home,” she started to say as she walked through the door. Her bag fell from her hand as she turned. “Oh my God…” she barely whispered.

“Christ, Fallon…give me a minute…I just left you for God’s….” Alex stopped mid thought as she opened the door.

“Agent Toles,” the man greeted her.

Alex’s jaw tightened. “What the hell do you want?” She asked the man standing before her on two crutches.

“I’d like to talk to you,” Congressman Christopher O’Brien answered.

“I’m not interested.”

“It’s about Cassidy,” he said.

“Like I said…”

“Agent…please…it’s about Carl Fisher and Cassidy,” he implored.

“News slow down here or what?” Alex asked. “Fisher is dead.”

“I’m not so sure,” he said. The agent froze. Alex Toles made her life at reading people and the congressman’s expression was transparent. He was afraid. Alex nodded and he gingerly made his way through the door. She led the congressman to a chair and gestured for him to sit. “Thank you,” he said cordially.

Alex nodded. “Why would you think Fisher is alive? I saw the apartment.”

Christopher O’Brien placed his crutches at the side of his chair. “Do you have some water or…”

The agent sighed heavily. “You want coffee?” She asked taking a moment to remind herself that this was Dylan’s dad.

“Sure…just black.”

The agent made her way to the kitchen and called back to him. “So….”

The congressman looked around a bit and began, “Krause is worried…about what Cassidy might have told you…what she might know…without,” he paused as he noticed the picture on the table and swallowed hard. It was true. He shook his head and continued. “About what she might say without realizing it mattered.”

Alex entered the room again and saw the congressman’s stare was focused on the picture. He looked at the agent and she could see that there was genuine pain and worry in his eyes. She poked her cheek with her tongue and handed him his coffee. “What could Cassidy possibly say that would matter to Jonathan Krause?”

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“That still doesn’t explain Fisher,” Alex said. She studied the man before her, her skepticism evident.

“Agent Toles…Look, I hated coming here as much as you hate me being here….There is no one else I can trust.”

Alex raised her eyebrows. “You trust me?”

“I think you care about my wife and I think she is in danger.”

The agent had been ready to pounce on the congressman for referring to Cassidy as his ‘wife’ but the last part of his statement stopped her in her tracks. “What do you mean she’s in danger?”

“Look, Agent Toles,” he looked briefly at the picture again. “I don’t know as much as you think I do. I do know Jonathan Krause and I know a threat when I hear it….If they think she might know anything…Well, let’s just say they’ll find a way to…”

Alex felt her stomach burning. Fisher’s suicide never set right with her. She stared at the congressman for a moment and then picked up her cell phone. She looked at the time. Cassidy would be home now. She dialed the number and waited.

“Welcome home,” a hoarse voice greeted the teacher.

“How the hell did you…”

“Get in here? Oh… that was easy…Know you like coffee… sit down,” he said.

“Carl…what do you want?” Cassidy asked fighting to keep her composure and hide the fear that was racking every inch of her.

He poured a cup of coffee and retrieved the milk from the refrigerator. “I know…just milk,” he smiled. Cassidy watched him carefully. “You’re pretty calm for seeing a ghost,” he said. He leaned into her ear, “BOO!” The teacher’s body shuddered. “Mmmm….” He sniffed her hair. “Oh, thought we could talk
for a few minutes…Now that the bitch is gone…and that idiot politician.”

“Talk about what?” The teacher asked determined to remain in control.

“Well…We could talk about why you never liked me, or we could talk about why you did like my friend Johnny so much.”

“What?”

“Oh….Cassidy….Krause and I go WAY back….you liked him….or was it just France that made him interesting?” Cassidy closed her eyes as he moved within inches of her lips. His breath reeked of whiskey and she felt a powerful wave of nausea begin to overtake her. “Mmm.” He moaned again beginning to get excited about his time alone with the blonde. “So….Johnny or France?”

Cassidy felt her breath growing shallower. She tried to picture Alex; tried to hear the agent’s voice in her mind. “Neither,” she managed.

“Really? Poor Johnny… don’t like him either…. Mmm guess we’re not really your TYPE.” He licked his lips and then ran his nose up Cassidy’s neck before sitting next to her. Her bag was buzzing on the floor and her eyes moved to it, desperately wanting to answer. Rose would be home soon with Dylan. How would she warn them? “Leave it,” he commanded. She jumped and his hands grabbed hold of both of her arms tightly. “My turn,” he whispered to her.

“She’s not answering,” Alex said. She looked at the time again. “Call Rose,” she said to the congressman.

“What?” He asked.

“Call her and tell her to take Dylan home with her until I call… Just do it.” The congressman pulled out his cell phone and followed the agent’s direction. Alex was already making another call. “Ferro?”

“Agent Toles?”

“I need you to do something,” she said.

“What?”

“Find out the dentist on those records for Fisher.”

“Agent…”

“Detective, please… I don’t have time… Call me back… It’s Cassidy,” she hung up without giving him a chance to answer and took a deep breath. “God, I hope you are wrong,” she looked at the congressman. She dialed another number. “Fallon?”

“Alex?”

“Is Brackett still there?”

Brian Fallon walked a short distance down the hallway and glanced to his right. “Yeah…why?”

“I think Fisher is alive.”

“Toles…”

“I think he might be at the house.”

“Why? Wait don’t tell me, a feeling. What do you want me to do?” Fallon asked.

“Get her out of the building… Find out what she knows about Fisher. If he’s alive….I swear to God, if anything…”

“Toles… I got it…I’ll call you.”

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and looked at the congressman. “What the hell are you into O’Brien?” She shook her head and looked at the picture on the table. She exhaled with force and dialed another number.

Carl Fisher circled Cassidy breathing in the scent of her hair and smiling. “You should have given me a chance,” he nearly cooed. The teacher bit her bottom lip attempting to quell her increasing fear. What if Dylan came home? Her heart was racing and she was struggling to keep hold of any rational
thought. “You’re afraid,” he whispered. “Hummm…. I can smell it.” Fisher moved into the blonde’s face and placed a kiss on her lips. He was ready to continue when the sound of the house phone blared from behind him. “Fuck…. Answer it,” he ordered. Cassidy stood and reached for the phone across the counter when the man grabbed her wrist with great force. “I’m listening… so be careful.” She started to lift it and he whispered, “And I speak French.”

Cassidy’s body shook as she pressed the button and held the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Cass?” Alex’s tone was nearly frantic and Cassidy knew immediately that her lover suspected something.

“Yeah… how was your trip?” Cassidy tried to stay calm as she felt the heat of Carl Fisher’s stare on her.

“Cass…is Speed Racer there?” Alex knew the answer but wanted to give Cassidy some time to think if Fisher was there. She wanted to gauge the teacher’s reactions. It was obvious something was wrong. Now the agent wanted to assess how much time she might have to put a plan in place.

“No. He’s not home yet.” Cassidy tried to listen to Alex’s voice to steady her emotions. She needed to let Alex know Fisher was there, that something was wrong. “Did you get my present?’

“Yes, I’m looking at it right now and missing you.” Christopher O’Brien noted the tension and emotion in the agent’s voice as she spoke to Cassidy.

“Did you read my card?” Cassidy asked. She wanted Alex to know that she loved the agent and whatever might happen; that would always be true. The teacher fought her tears. “I meant it.”