CHAPTER 4

Karen’s POV

I picked a few of my favorite things and threw them in an overnight bag to take to Danny’s. Iv never slept away from home. It worried me a little especially because I haven’t known him for long. My apartment was not safe at the moment. Everything seems so messed up right now. I found Danny in the living room with his eyes fixed on a photo of Maya that sat on the bookshelf. He was a beautiful man. The grey denim and black jacket he had on made him look breathtakingly handsome. I stood in the doorway for a bit to admire him. His shoulder-length brown hair gave him a boyish look that he tried very hard to hide by constantly frowning. I was so taken by his looks that I had completely forgotten that the picture he is looking at would raise a lot of questions. Questions that I was not ready to answer. I cleared my throat to make my presence known.

“Who is this? “ he asked with a tiny squeak in his voice.

His now pale face glistening under the light of my lamp. God. He was beautiful. How could I think of him in that way at this moment? Snap out of it Karen. I stood still clutching my bag whiles trying to come up with a convincing answer.

“Karen. Who is this woman? “ he snapped.

“That’s uhh... That’s Maya.” I answered walking towards him and taking the picture. I felt a lump in my throat as I looked down at Maya’s beautiful eyes. She was such an amazing woman. Strong and intelligent.

“We need to go. It’s getting late” I picked up my bag and headed for the front door and hoped Danny will drop it.

The drive back to Danny’s was very awkward. The tension in the car could be cut with scissors. He was probably angry at me for refusing to answer his questions. I glanced over at him and he kept his eyes ahead. I felt guilty for keeping things from him. I had already established that he didn’t know much. He had more questions than answers and had no idea where to get those answers from. I sighed loudly and started to think of the mysterious box that was left and then stolen at Danny’s. Who dropped it off? What were they trying to lead us to?

*************

Beautiful musical notes woke me up from a nap I wasn’t aware I was taking. The activities of the day had worn me out, I must have passed out the moment we arrived at Danny’s. My overnight bag sat at the door of the couch with Mittens curled up against it. Danny sat on the front porch and played those beautiful notes. There was a hint of sadness to it. Was he thinking of Stacie? I thought of joining him outside but hesitated. He looked upset and I was sure that it was partly my fault. I headed for the kitchen instead and tried to find something to eat. I settled for microwave pasta and a glass of wine. Pasta was Maya’s favorite. She could make all sorts of dishes. She spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I think it gave her a sense of joy and distracted her from her sorrows.

I looked up to find Danny standing in the doorway watching me.

“When did you get up? “ he asked as he made his way to the fridge.

“About twenty minutes ago. I didn’t want to disturb you. You’re an amazing musician. How long have you been playing for? I was a bit curious about him.

“since I was 13.” he casually answered while eyeing my food.

“would you like to share? “ I offered.

He looked at me and said, “I’m not a pasta person. “

I knew it was a lie because the pasta was in HIS freezer. I smiled and handed him a fork. He looked at it and reluctantly took it from me, his fingers brushing against mine. I felt my cheeks flush and was immediately embarrassed. Danny sat opposite me and we started to eat in silence.

I couldn’t help but look at him once or twice. The aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders spoke of strength.

Why was I thinking of him this way? I couldn’t remember when last I had felt this way about a man. I had to strike a conversation in order to stop my mind from going wild.

“Iv been thinking..” I started to speak and Danny kept his eyes down pretending to not hear me.

“I would like to go to the apartment that you and Stacie shared. If that’s okay with you... I quickly added.

I watched him and waited for an answer. He ate on. His knuckles had turned white from suddenly clutching the fork too hard. I could see that he was uncomfortable and I immediately regretted it.

He finally loosened his grip on the fork and brought his eyes up to meet mine. His beautiful blue eyes seemed sad.

“why? “ he asked.

“I just thought we may find something to help us investigate. Some sort of clues that you may have missed.” Danny wasn’t a man of many words.

“I’ll take you there as soon as you tell me more about Maya. “ he said with a firmness in his voice.

I was not expecting to hear that from him. I opted to rather take the now empty bowls to the sink and wash them. I could feel his eyes fixated on me. I tried to think of a way to get out of it this time around.

“We will have to speak about this at some point. “ his expression changed. Something is going on and I need to know what it is. That picture in your apartment. That woman looked a lot like an older version of Stacie. Who is she? “

I kept my back to him and shut my eyes tightly. My heart was pounding hard. I will have to tell him at some point. I might as well do it now and get it off my back.

“Maya… “ I started and was immediately interrupted by an unfamiliar female voice.

“Danny! Oh there you are I came to… “her voice trailed off when she noticed me. She looked at me for a few seconds with curious eyes.

“Hello, I’m Susan. And you are? “ her friendly personality made me feel at ease.

“I'm Karen... “ I leaned forward offering my hand for a handshake. She grabbed it firmly and smiled. Her hand was a tad rough for a woman.

“just Karen or Karen Danny’s girlfriend? “ she joked and I immediately could feel my face turning hot.

“that’s enough Susan. “ Danny cut in. “Why are you here? “

“I am here to remind you that you need to be there at dinner tomorrow. And you can bring Karen. It’s a semi-formal dinner, Danny. Do try to not wear jeans” she waved goodbye to me and headed out.

“you didn’t tell me that you had a sister,” I said to Danny as he started to walk towards his bedroom.

He ignored me and shut the door behind him.

**********************************8

The evening air was crisp and warm. I sat on the front porch with Mittens on my lap. He had suddenly started to like me. I wondered how long Danny was going to be in his room. I was brought out of my thoughts by a mysterious van that had driven down the road for the fourth time since I sat here. I suddenly felt uneasy and chills went down my spine. I kept my gaze on the van as it drove away and did not return. I looked around me and decided to get inside, locking the door behind me.

I had to think of other ways to speed up my investigation. Danny was not making it easy for me to access his apartment. I wondered if Josh could help. I shook my head and placed It in my hands and decided against it. Not Josh.

I’m in need of a shower. A hot shower and some good sleep will do me good.

I stood under the water and thought of everything that had transpired so far and tried to make sense of it all. Stacie was killed to cover up something sinister that she had discovered during her investigation. CAA was involved in this. Were they running a human trafficking syndicate? I knew the babies being adopted through CAA were not given up willingly by their birth mothers. My brain felt woozy and I opted to get some rest and deal with it all tomorrow.

************

I was woken up by the sound of plates and cutlery clinging in the kitchen. I looked over from my sleeping spot on the couch and Danny was making breakfast. His messy hair made him look so Godly. I admired him for a bit more and then decided to speak up.

“So you’re a pancake guy? “ he ignored me and continued with his task. I walked over to him and dipped my finger in the batter.

“hmmm, it needs more sugar. “ Danny lifted his eyes to meet mine and held my gaze for a bit. I wish I knew what he was thinking.

“I’m going over to my sister’s today. Don’t wait up. “ he mumbled as he continued to make pancakes.

“Don’t wait up? I’m coming with you. “ I replied as I picked up a pancake and started to munch on it.

Susan was a pretty woman. She had a bit of a tomboy tendency but in a cool and subtle way. She welcomed me into her home warmly and offered me a drink.. She led me to the kitchen where another woman who looked much like her was busy with a bowl of salad.

“Amanda.. Meet Karen. She’s Danny’s friend “ I picked up a bit of naughtiness in her tone as she said this.

“it’s good to meet you Karen. Thank you for joining us today. “ Amanda smiled as she said this, not moving away from her salad bowl.

“it’s a pleasure. Thank you for having me. Your home is absolutely beautiful. “ I replied politely.

Amanda chuckled and said... “how long have you and Danny been together? “

Her question very much took me by surprise and caused me to chock on my drink.

“uhmm, I.. I.. Hm... Danny and I are not together. He’s just a friend. “ I stuttered as I tried to find an excuse to leave the kitchen. “where’s the bathroom? “ I asked.

“Down the hall to your right” replied Amanda with a little laugh. She really did have a beautiful home. How Danny is so different from his sisters is beyond me. They’re warm and welcoming and he on the other hand is... Stubborn and aloof. I didn’t actually have to use the bathroom. I just needed an escape. I stood there and looked out the bathroom window that overlooked the garden. I spotted Danny on the garden bench deep in conversation with Amanda’s husband. I couldn’t take my eyes off Danny. For a few seconds, my mind wandered in a direction that it shouldn’t have. My deep and wild thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door followed by “dinner time. “

**************

I had a pleasant time with Danny’s family. For a few hours, I had actually forgotten my problems. The drive home was quiet as usual. We arrived at Danny’s and he immediately tensed up. I looked over at him and he had his gaze on the house. “the door’s open. “ said Danny in a panicky voice. “ stay in the car and call the police. “he ordered and started to make his way towards the house.

“Wait. You can’t go in there. What if someone is inside? Wait in the car with me Danny. “ I was speaking to myself as he already was halfway to the door and I disobeyed his orders and followed him.

I hid behind the porch chairs and watched through the window as Danny stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. The living room was dark and I wasn’t sure what Danny was planning on doing with the baseball bat that he was nervously clutching. I felt a chill go down my spine. Fear had taken over my body. I had a lump in my throat. The sound of my heart pounding loudly was interrupted by a scuffle Inside the house. Something crashed to the floor and there was a struggle. I immediately rose to my feet and dashed for the door as I came face to face with the intruder.

I knew this face.

"You!" i mumbled in fear as he pushed past me and disappeared into the dark.