Turning of the Stars Ch. 06

"Anna Webster." She took his hand hesitantly, feeling vaguely guilty as if she were doing something treasonous. To her surprise he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them, winking at her as he did so. She quickly pulled her hand back, confused by the mix of emotions she was feeling. She could see where Grant got his charm, it was emanating from the man in front of her in a near-tangible wave and she couldn't help but respond to it on some level.

"Why are you here Mr. Roderick?" she asked, her voice coming out a little more snappish than she meant it to in her attempt to cover up the odd sexual tension she was feeling. Now that she knew who he was, it was bizarre how much he reminded her of Grant when he didn't actually look him at all.

"Please," he said with that same knowing grin, giving her the impression that he knew exactly what he was doing to her. "Call me Don."

"Why are you here, Don?"

"Would you believe me if I said I wanted to meet the girl that I hear has stolen my son's heart?"

"No. I'd be more inclined to wonder how the hell you know who I am."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I can see why he likes you. Other than the obvious, of course," he added, his gaze raking over her again. This time she did cross her arms over her chest and lifted her eyebrow at him, though it just made him smile wider. He had a similar predatory look to Grant, though it was more wolvish and rather than being aroused by it the way she was with Grant, it made her nervous.

She grabbed her phone and slid off the stool, moving backward a few steps. On some level she knew the fear wasn't entirely rational, but the events of a few nights before were still so fresh she couldn't help it. "If you're just here to ogle me, consider it done and go away."

"I apologize. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said, sobering instantly. He straightened and stepped back from the counter with a look of concern. "I'm here because I heard about you through the grapevine, as it were, and I admit I was interested in meeting the young woman Grant was so taken with. But I also came because I thought you might be able to help me."

"Look, I know it might be hard for you to believe, but I care about Grant very much and I'm not going to do anything that would hurt him."

He looked stricken for a split second before a mask of indifference fell down over his features. "I can see that you haven't heard many good things about me. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, but I assure you that it's not hard at all for me to believe that you care about my son. I happen to care about him, too. That's why I'm here. I've been trying to get in touch with him, but he doesn't answer or return my calls which leads me to believe he probably wouldn't hear what I have to say even if I did speak with him. I thought maybe you could get him to listen."

"Listen to what?"

"I've heard some concerning things regarding his business that he needs to know about."

"Could you be a bit more vague?"

He gave her a wry smile and nodded. "I'm sorry, I just don't know how much I should say to you." He looked conflicted for a moment and then shook his head and sighed. "Alright, here's what happened. I was at a party last weekend and ran into a family friend named Celia-"

"Oh yeah, I've met Celia," she said with a sneer.

He gave her an apologetic look. "Then you already understand part of what I'm going to say. She's always been a bit odd, but I'm beginning to suspect she's completely lost her marbles. She was quite drunk at the party and she said some strange things to me. One was that Grant was falling for a gold-digging book store clerk, but now that I've met you I don't believe that's the case."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have a hell of a lot more money than he does and you weren't taking my bait," he said with a grin and another wink. "And I've been exposed to plenty of gold diggers in my day and I've never seen one that looked as low maintenance as you."

"Low maintenance, huh? I guess that's one way to put it," she said looking down at her favorite pair of jeans, torn on one knee, and faded red tank top.

"Believe me sweetheart, I mean that as a compliment. Most of the women I know put great effort into making themselves beautiful. You're gorgeous without even trying."

"So what else did Celia say?" she asked in an attempt to cover her blush. Grant had said the exact same words to her not too long ago.

"Like I said, I think she's lost it. She was ranting about you and about the restaurant and how Grant would regret forcing her out of the club. Then she said something about an investigation involving taxes and liquor sales. I wasn't really following, but I thought it might be important so I've been trying to let him know. I wish I knew more details, but she wasn't really making sense. She was drunk and seemed to think I would find it all very amusing."

"Okay, I'll tell him. Thank you, Don. I'm sure he'll appreciate your help."

"Well, I don't know about that. You might want to tell him what I said before you tell him who said it, if you know what I mean," he said in a weary voice.

"Is there anything else you want me to pass along?" she asked, trying to suppress the pity she was starting to feel for the man.

"I, ah...I suppose you could tell him that I would like to talk to him if he wants to call me. And I'll be in town for a few days if he wants to get together."

"I'll let him know."

"I appreciate your help. It was lovely to meet you, Anna. I hope we can get to know each other better in the future. From what I've seen so far my son is a very lucky man."

This time his compliment seemed sincere and she returned his warm smile before he turned and walked out of the store. Anna reached for her phone and tried to think how she should tell Grant about what just happened.

...

"So she's doing alright then?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She took a few days off, but I couldn't talk her out of going back to work today."

"Good. Are you alright?"

Grant didn't answer right away, unsure of what to say and uncomfortable with the way Corie was looking at him. Despite the stress of the attack on Anna, the impending audit and the aftermath of the bomb threat, he was doing relatively well. He had to credit Anna with at least part of that. He'd heard her tell him she loved him that night and though she hadn't said it again yet, knowing it was true was enough for now.

"Yeah, I guess I'm alright."

"Are you flagellating yourself?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Flagellating?"

"Yeah, beating yourself up, punishing yourself."

"I know what it means. Is that what you think I do?"

Corie shrugged. "You take the blame for shit you have no control over."

"Do I?"

"Yep, then you apologize over and over and refuse to let yourself be happy until you feel like you've done your time."

"You're full of shit."

"Didn't you tell me once you felt like you kind of deserved to go to jail for what happened to me?"

"I didn't mean-"

"And how many times have you told Anna you're sorry for being at the restaurant the other night?"

"Hell, I don't-"

"Shit happens, Grant. You can't be everywhere. You can't control everything."

"Okay, point taken."

"Good. Now you're not going to go hunt down that guy and kill him are you?"

He snorted at her and turned to grab the fish food.

"Those poor fish are going to pop if you give them any more food. You feed them any time you're trying to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. Now, I wasn't kidding. If you're planning something stupid I want to know."

He froze for a moment, surprised to realize she was right about the fish, then put the lid back on the jar and turned to face her. He opened his mouth to make a smart-ass comment, but the strained look on her face told him it wouldn't be a good idea. "No Corie, I'm not going after anyone. I did my fair share the other night."

"Yeah you did. Thank goodness Brody got there in time because I couldn't get you off him. You're lucky the police were right there and saw the state Anna was in. I'm pretty sure Officer Cooper talked the other cop out of arresting you along with that creep."

Grant heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head, suppressing the urge to turn around and feed his fish again.

"So tell me what happened with Janette."

"Well, she's fired, but the police didn't have enough to charge her with more than minor theft since all the evidence I had was circumstantial. They let her go that night."

"She never said who was paying her off?"

"She never even admitted to getting paid off, though I'm sure she was after the way she reacted when I asked her about it. I've got to figure something out, though. This damn audit is hanging over my head like the fucking sword of Damocles. I've reported all the thefts now, but it'd sure be nice to have some kind of proof that it wasn't me, since that's what they seemed to be insinuating on the phone the other day."

"Did you end up telling Craig what was going on?"

"Yeah, I explained everything to Craig and to the police, but they suggested I keep a lid on it for now with the rest of the staff. I told Eric. He was there when I was questioning Janette so I assumed he probably figured it out on his own. I think he's alright though, he's the one who brought the whole thing to my attention so it's not likely he's involved."

"You knew him before you hired him, right?"

"Yeah. Not real well, he's kind of a hard guy to get to know. But I think he's trustworthy."

"So is he, like, a friend of yours? Where'd he come from?"

"I met him at Asa's shop."

"Really?" Her eyebrows went up in surprise. "He has ink?"

Before he could answer, Grant's phone rang. He glanced at the display and quickly answered it. "Officer Cooper, what's up?" There was a long pause while he listened, his face growing pale. "No, they wouldn't have any reason to know each other as far as I know." He dropped onto the couch looking sick and Corie sat up, concerned. "Is she in danger then?" His head fell into his hand and he exhaled heavily. "I understand. Thanks for calling."

As soon as he hung up he hit a button on speed dial, tapping his foot impatiently while it rang. When Anna's voice mail picked up he hung up and started rushing around his office, gathering his keys and wallet.

"What's going on?"

"I have to go. I need to find Anna."

"Hold on, tell me what's going on."

"The guy who drugged her was in booking when they brought Janette through to release her that night. She freaked out when she saw him; it was obvious they knew each other."

"So that means-"

"What happened to Anna wasn't just a random attack. Whoever is trying to fuck me over is out to get her. Cooper said someone bailed the guy out this morning so he thought I'd want to keep an eye on her. And now she's not answering her phone."

"Try the bookstore's number, maybe she's just busy."

Grant nodded and dialed the bookstore. Claudia answered and told him that Anna asked her to come in so she could take the afternoon off. She hadn't told Claudia what was going on, just that she was heading to the club to see to Grant.

He hung up the phone and looked at Corie with fear in his eyes. "She should have been here by now. I'm gonna go look for her. Call me if she shows up here." Grant tore out the backdoor and down the alley, nearly running headlong into a man in the parking lot. The man caught him by the shoulders and looked at him in surprise.

"I was just looking for you."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Grant asked, dumbfounded. "Actually, don't answer that. I don't have time to deal with you right now." He pushed his father to the side and moved around him to unlock his car.

"Please listen, your girlfriend may be in danger."

Grant froze. When he turned around the expression on his face must have been fierce, because his dad took several steps backward and held his hands up as if to ward off a blow. "What have you done? If you've hurt her-"

"Jesus Christ, Grant! What have I ever done to make you think I would hurt anyone, let alone someone you care about?"

"Stop fucking around and tell me where she is!" The words exploded out of him as he stepped forward and came face to face with his father.

"I don't know where she is, but I know who might. I went and spoke with Anna earlier today trying to get a message to you, since you weren't answering my calls. I told her that I thought Celia was trying to sabotage your business; that she wanted to get back at you for buying her out. What I didn't tell her is that Celia seemed to be...obsessed. She went on and on about you; insulting Anna and ranting about your relationship with her."

Grant stared blankly at his father, trying to absorb all this new information.

"I didn't want to frighten Anna with all of that and at the time I didn't think there was any immediate concern. But after I talked to her I realized how little I actually knew about what Celia was planning. I tried to call her to see if I could get any more information from her, but she wasn't home. Brad told me she was here in town checking on some investments. I went back to the bookstore to warn Anna, but she was already gone. I thought she might have come to see you, so-"

"Fuck!" Grant slammed his fist down on his car, denting the hood. "She was on her way here, but she never showed up. Celia wouldn't hurt her, would she?" He looked at his father hoping for reassurance, but didn't get it.

"I don't know, son. I wouldn't have thought so, but the way she was talking the other night...I don't think she's stable."

"Jesus Christ." The realization that Celia must have had something to do with Anna being attacked hit him like a ton of bricks. She'd already hurt her once, he had to assume she would do it again. Grant rubbed both hands over his face and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself so he could think past the knot tightening in his stomach. It wasn't working. He dropped his hands and looked at man in front of him. "I don't know what to do, Dad."

"Stay calm. We don't know that anything has happened to her. What does she drive? We could go by the bookstore and see if her car is in the parking lot or by her house and see if she's there."

"She rides the bus. We could go by the bus stop."

"I'll drive you."

Grant nodded, mildly relieved to have some semblance of a plan. His dad was renting a brand new Porche and it was a testament to Grant's agitated state of mind that he didn't even notice, let alone roll his eyes at the opulence as he sunk into the luxurious leather seats. They rode in silence and pulled up at the empty bus stop a few minutes later. Grant was about to tell his Dad to drive by her apartment when Don stopped the car and got out. He picked something up off the ground and got back in the car, tossing a book on Grant's lap.

"Their Eyes Were Watching God," Don said. "She was reading that this morning."

"Oh, fuck."

"I think you need to call the police."

...

Anna was sitting at the bus stop reading when the shiny red BMW pulled up and honked. She glanced up, but the window was tinted and she couldn't see inside. She looked back down at her book, pretending to ignore the car while staying alert. It honked again. Finally she looked up and squinted at the window in an attempt to see inside. Then she smelled it. That cologne.

The blood drained from her face and she stood to run, but he was standing right behind her holding his jacket open so she could see the gun tucked in his waistband. It had to be the same guy, his face was covered in yellowing bruises and there was an ugly scab across his bottom lip that made his sneer look all the more menacing. She heard the whine of the car window lowering behind her, but her eyes were fixed on the man in front of her.

"Anna, so nice to see you again." Celia's voice sounded syrupy sweet, but Anna hardly heard her over the pounding of her heart. "Go on and hop in the back seat, honey. We're gonna go for a little ride."

She shook her head and tried to move away, but the blonde man grabbed her arm and spun her toward the car. Celia reached back and opened the door and the man pushed her in roughly before sliding in next to her.

"Wouldn't want you to try anything stupid back here alone, would we?" he asked, a malicious grin on his face. "Besides, you and I have some unfinished business."

"Peter, keep your hands off her. You had your shot at her the other night and you fucked it up. Just concentrate on keeping her under control. Let's see if you can do your job this time."

The man sneered at the back of Celia's head and then turned his sullen glare on Anna. She backed as far away from him as she could, pressing herself against the door on the opposite side. Her mind was racing as she tried to put the pieces together and figure out what was going on.

"So you two know each other, huh? That's...interesting." She was sure her voice would be shaky, but anger made it come out strong and hearing it made her feel slightly better. "What do you want from me, Celia?"

"We've got a little surprise party planned for your boyfriend." The last word was said with such scornful malice it sent a shiver down Anna's spine and when she recognized that they were heading toward the club her panic kicked up a notch. She couldn't let them hurt Grant.

"He's not there. He's not at the club today," she lied.

"Oh, that's okay. He'll come running soon enough." Celia met her eyes in the rearview mirror and winked, then turned her attention back to the road, humming a happy little tune. It was then Anna knew there would be no reasoning with her. She could see in Celia's eyes that she wasn't all there.

Her heart dropped to her feet when she saw Grant's car in the parking lot and fell another notch when she realized Corie was here too. The idea of involving anyone else in whatever was going on terrified her...though maybe between the three of them they'd be able to overpower these two. Half-formed plans had begun to materialize in her brain when Celia pulled into the alley entrance and the blond man, Peter, pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"Don't try to pull anything stupid. Believe me, I will not hesitate to shoot you. I figure you'll stay warm long enough for me to get what I want out of you." His hot breath blew across her face as he laughed and she retched, as much from the overpowering scent of him as his words. He backed quickly away.

"If you puke on me again I swear to God-"

Celia opened the door, cutting off his angry tirade. "Oh goody, Grant's already here. Let's get this party started." Celia smiled excitedly at Anna as Peter pulled her to her feet. Celia tucked Anna's arm in the crook of her elbow and towed her into the alley with a cheerful expression on her face. To look at her you'd think they were about to have a friendly lunch together.

"You're going to knock on the door, smile at the camera, and wave. That's all. If you try to run or give any sign there's anything wrong Peter will shoot you."

Anna stumbled down the alley toward the back door of the club. It was a bright, sunny day, but she felt cold to her bones and she couldn't stop shaking. No doubt that was a normal reaction to being snatched from the sidewalk at gunpoint, but somehow that didn't make her feel any better. Celia and Peter arranged themselves on either side of the door and Anna knocked. She looked up at the camera and waved, hoping no one was watching the monitor behind the bar.

After a minute or two Anna started to breathe easier. Maybe they weren't in there. Maybe they were at the restaurant. Maybe this would ruin Celia's plans and she'd just leave. The door opened, cutting off her thoughts.

"Damn, I am glad to see you," Corie said as she opened the door. "Grant's gone to-" She trailed off as Celia and Peter stepped into view.