When the donut was gone and the coffee mug was being refilled by Calvin, she asked, “Any news?”
He nodded. “They put out an APB on the guy and found out he’d been staying at a hotel two blocks away from here.”
Bella shivered and sipped her coffee to warm up. “Did they get him?”
“No, he gave the officers the slip. Left all his things in the room, though, and they impounded his parents’ car, which he drove out here. They also have the gun he used to shoot his parents, Fredrick, Kenny, and Michael.” Calvin smiled. “They think it’s the only gun he had.” He sobered. “There’s video from Michael’s place of the murder. It confirms that it was Eddie.” Calvin put his head in his hands. “I can’t believe I hired the psychopath.”
Bella touched his face until he looked up at her. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I should have.” He closed his eyes.
“The man is a psychopath. What’s the thing everyone says about them? No one who knew them knew the darkness hidden beneath?” She shook her head. “Sure, the guy creeped me out, but I would have never guessed he was capable of cold-blooded murder.”
“Right.” He nodded. “We’re on a flight heading home this evening. Think you can pack?”
She glanced around. “What about…”
“Maggie’s going to stay here and make sure everything else of yours gets shipped off. They’ll keep the police detail here to watch her until they catch Eddie.” He leaned closer and whispered. “I think Maggie and officer Tom there have a thing going.” He chuckled.
Bella glanced over and nodded as the couple whispered something to each other. “I think you’re right.” She smiled. “It would be nice to have something good come out of this mess.”
He held onto her. “I’ve already got something pretty damn good.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “What do you say we go pack?”
It was surprisingly easy to pack up her things, despite knowing that she would never return to the apartment.
Maggie helped her toss the rest of her personal things in the empty boxes that would be shipped with the rest of her stuff. She stuffed her suitcases with items that she would be taking home on the plane.
Calvin’s suitcase sat filled by the door already. He spent his time out with the police, trying to get any information he could to them about Eddie.
When her room was bare, she glanced around and thought about all the good times she’d had here. Most of the ones that came to her included Calvin.
“I’m going to miss you,” Maggie said as she hugged her. “I’ve arranged for your interviews to be rescheduled at a studio closer to you in New York for next week. I also got you booked to play on a little show. You may have heard of it. Saturday Night Live?” She smiled.
Bella squealed and then hugged Maggie again. “I could just kiss you,” she said with a smile.
Maggie laughed and held up her hands. “Oh no, I don’t go for skinny white girls.” Her eyes darted towards the door.
“No.” Bella smiled. “I think you like tall, handsome, blue-eyed cops.”
Maggie glared at her. “Girl, that man has some lips I’d like to…” She shook her head and smiled. “His body’s not too bad either.” She laughed and hugged her again.
“Well, you’ll have plenty of time with him. Calvin’s out there arranging to make sure he’s on your security detail.”
Maggie chuckled. “I knew I liked your man for a reason.” Then she turned towards her. “Be happy.”
“I am.” Bella smiled.
“I hate that you’re going to be so far away from me, but we can make this work. I promise you.”
“I know you can do it.” She smiled. “I hired the best of the best.”
Maggie laughed. “Suck up.”
“I learned from the best.” She hugged her friend again.
She tried not to cry as they pulled away from her apartment complex for the last time. But tears rolled down her cheeks when she glanced back as they rolled towards the airport.
Then she turned to Calvin and wiped them away.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Better than okay.” She smiled. “I’m going home.” She took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was the best thing Bella could have said to him. He’d been worried for so long that she wouldn’t want to return with him. Part of him kept telling himself that he didn’t deserve her, while other parts kept screaming at him to take what pleasures he could while he could.
When the cab pulled into the airport parking lot, he helped unload all Bella’s luggage to the curb. She’d packed as much as she had because it would be two weeks before her stuff would be shipped out to them.
He didn’t mind the extra bags he’d put in the back of the cab for her, since they were all being checked in at the curb at the airport.
“I’m going to go check-in.” She motioned to the kiosk stations just inside the door while he waited for the baggage claim employee to finish checking in all her luggage.
“Why don’t you wait for me?” he suggested, not wanting her to stray too far from him.
“Calvin, it’s just a few feet away.” She smiled up at him. “We’re in a crowded airport,” she reminded him. “This way, we can have a little extra time before our flight to get a glass of wine and maybe some dinner.”
“Fine.” He sighed as he brushed his lips across hers once more. “Stay within sight,” he murmured.
“Yes, sir.” She stood back and saluted him with a laugh.
“I love you,” he said and kissed her again.
She stopped and her smile slipped slightly as she looked into his eyes. “I love you too.”
He felt his heart skip and then she moved away, and he was called to move up in line as the employee helped him start to shuffle their bags onto the conveyer belt.
The man had just handed him the last baggage claim ticket when he heard a commotion as people screamed and ran out of the doors less than five feet from him.
“He has a gun!” someone screamed, causing everyone around him to run in the opposite direction or to crouch to the ground.
He froze as his eyes scanned the area that he’d last seen Bella. As he rushed through the doors, he saw Eddie twist Bella’s left arm behind her back.
As he rushed towards them, he watched in horror as she fought to escape Eddie’s grip on her.
He was less than ten feet from them when Bella finally broke free. But instead of running away, she jerked her body back and flung it at the skinny man, sending them both flying to the ground.
He heard the gun go off just before it was knocked free of Eddie’s hold, and it slid across the ground towards him.
He took a second to kick it further away from the man’s reach before he gripped the guy’s shirt. Pulling him up to his feet, he plowed his fist into the man’s face, knocking him to the ground again. Calvin rushed to him again and picked him up a second time.
Eddie fought to get free of Calvin’s hold as a string of curse words echoed in the now almost empty airport lobby. Calvin was working on pure adrenaline as they fell to the ground. His fists continued to plow into the man’s face until he felt a hand on his shoulder.