Her Eyes

Chapter 27: PARTIES

It was the night of the big Arcanum Club bash. Alex hated going to these things, but he needed to talk to some people and it would look bad if he wasn't there. He threw on his tie in front of the mirror; he hated getting all dressed up for these things. He grabbed in his keys and headed over to the club. The sound of the party filled the air as he pulled through the gate and around the house. He walked into the main building and sat down to have a drink. After talking to some people, he headed outside. He didn't like anyone there—they weren't his friends. He wasn't exactly having a good time. He was in the middle of talking to a city council member, when a shadow appeared in the moonlight. It wasn't just a regular shadow...it was somebody sneaking around in the dark. "I'll see you around," he mumbled, not caring that the man was in midsentence. He climbed down the steps of the porch and he followed the shadow behind the pool house. And there she stood...crouching beneath the windowsill...looking in on the 'activities'. He couldn't believe it. "Norma?" he whispered. It was her—no one else was stupid enough to show up like that uninvited. "Norma!" He trudged closer to her as she whipped around.

            "Oh my god." He could hear the embarrassment in her voice as she pressed her back into the wall.

            He looked around to make sure no one had seen her. If someone found her, god knows what they'd do to her. "Get out of here right now," he demanded.

            She looked at him with criticism. "What are you doing here?"

            He furrowed his brow. "What am I doing here? I was pressing the flesh with some council members and I see a figure sneaking along in the shadows and I follow it and here you are. I don't know why." He gave her a look that told her the criticism went both ways. She was always getting herself in a mess and he just happened to be there to clean it up. It was his job to protect her. "You need to get outta here."

            She ignored his comment and moved back to the window, peering inside. "Do you know what's going on inside there?" It was cute how clueless she was. "Do you what kind of people there are?" She looked back at him with fear in her eyes.

            He grabbed her by the arm and roughly dragged her from the window. "They're incredibly wealthy people doing whatever the hell they can. What does this have to do you with you, Norma?" The usual pain formed when she looked at him.

            She was scared. "There's a young woman—she's a guest at my motel, she's been missing for two nights. She hasn't been back. She hasn't slept in the bed. Her belongings are still there." She cringed a bit at the confession. "She had an invitation to this party. She's a—I think she's working." Alex sighed knowing what was coming. "I'm really worried about her. Could you please just go in and see if you can see her in there?" He couldn't believe what she was asking him to do. That was the last thing he ever wanted to do. But he'd do anything for her. "She's about 5'8", blonde—she's a really lovely girl." Her eyes locked with his. "I'm just afraid that she might be dead."

            He kept his eyes on hers for a moment. He hated that this was usually how their conversations went. He was never off duty with her. "When'd you see her last?"

            She bit her lip. "Norman was the last person who saw her. He drove into town with her and I...haven't seen her since." He knew she was more worried about her son than the missing girl, but he still couldn't fight the urge to help her—to hold her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and take her home with him.

            The best he could do was protect her. "Okay. You need to go now. This is not a good place for you to be," he warned.

            She gave him a look. "Then why are you here?"

            He knew what she was implying—he didn't like it. He didn't want her to think he was involved with these people...that he was like these other men. If she only knew that he'd never look at a woman that way.  If she only knew that the only woman that meant anything to him these days...was her. "I'm not here for that." He watched as she rolled her eyes. She obviously didn't believe him, but it didn't matter. He needed to get her outta there. "There's a gate all the way in the back, sneak right under it and get out before anyone sees you."

            She wasn't leaving. "Okay, but—"

            The tolerance he had for her was sinking. "Just go. It's dangerous." He didn't want anyone to find her and kill her. He didn't want to lose her because she's an idiot who doesn't listen to him.

            Still she pressed on, she'd never give up. "Okay, but her name is Annika Johnson. If you could just—"

            "Go," he shouted over top of her. He watched as she turned and ran off, sighing deeply once she disappeared. He wasn't going in there. He didn't need people thinking he was that kinda guy, so he stood outside the door and asked the guard for Annika Johnson.

            The guard went inside and came back soon after. "There's no Annika Johnson," he stated, shutting the door.

            "All right. Thanks." Alex sighed and walked back to his SUV...he needed to go home.