Chapter 7
Gabriel hit the play button on his answering machine. "Gabriel, it's Sara. I need to talk to you as soon as you get back."
He shook his head. "Only one message. I can't believe it."
"No friends?" Renee asked with a laugh, moving up behind him.
He turned around as she put her arms around his waist. They leaned together and kissed. Pulling away, he said, "If you
were my only friend, I'd be happy."
"What about Sara?" She teased him.
He smiled. "Okay. If you and Sara were my only friends."
"Oh. So now I have competition." She was having fun.
He tickled her sides and she nearly doubled over with laughter. "Sto-stop it," she told him through her giggling. When he
wouldn't, she tried to back away from him, but it didn't work. Finally, she fell to the floor, still giggling. "How many times do
I have to tell you not to do that?" She asked him through the laughter.
"A lot it would seem," he replied with a grin. "Let's go see Sara," he said once she had calmed down.
They walked to Sara's, side by side and hand in hand. They walked waited outside her door for only a small amount of time
before she opened it. When she saw them, she smiled and welcomed them in.
Once they were seated, he asked, "What did you need to talk to me about?"
She handed him a small photograph. Renee looked at it over his shoulder when he let out a gasp of surprise. "His name's
Thomas Logan. He was found dead behind your shop."
"What?" Gabriel was shocked to hear this.
"Friday night. Gabriel, what do you know about this man?"
He shook his head. "Not much, Pez. I first heard from him a couple of weeks ago. Said he was my brother. I told him I
didn't have any brothers, but he insisted. So, I went to my parents," he paused for a moment on this word, then continued. "I
knew I was adopted, but had never bothered to try to find my real parents. They told me their name was Logan. So, I guess
he was my brother."
"I think he is. He looks exactly like you." Renee was still amazed at the similarities.
"Who killed him?"
Now it was Sara's turn to shake her head. "We're still investigating. I'll let you know as soon as we hear anything though.
Gabriel nodded his head. "Thanks."
"Expect a call from my boss in the morning. He'll have some questions for you. Just tell him what you know."
He nodded his head, then said, "We'd better be getting back before it gets too dark."
They walked back to his place in silence. Renee wanted to say something, but didn't know what. When they arrived at his
door, she asked, "Do you want me to go now?"
"No," he said quickly. "Please come in with me."
They walked inside and threw their coats on his bed. Then, he turned toward her and she wrapped her arms around him as
he silently cried.
After a while, he pulled away and tried to dry his tear-stained face with the sleeve of his shirt. She used her hand to wipe
the moistness from his eyes. He smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying. I don't know why I am."
"I do," she replied with gentleness. "You never knew him, but he was your connection to your past. Your only connection.
And now he's gone. You've always been able to find what you're looking for no matter how long it took. But now you don't
even know where to start."
He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "My past is where it's supposed to be. And my future is with you."
They looked into each other's eyes for several minutes, then he closed his mouth over hers. She pulled away and smiled at
him. Then, he pulled her back to him and whispered in her ear, "I need you in my life. Promise me you'll never leave."
"I cross my heart," she whispered before covering his mouth with hers. His hands moved behind her neck and up into her
hair. Moving them to the base of her ponytail, he started to pull it out. When her hair was free, he ran his fingers through it,
untangling it. Her long, brown hair fell into her face. He brushed it back behind her ears and kissed her again.
They fell onto the bed and Renee started to untuck his shirt. She slipped her hands under it and lifted it over his head.
Dropping it to the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He was fighting with the buttons on her shirt. "Why do you wear these shirts?"
She laughed, then kissed him again. His hands started moving faster to get her shirt off. One of the buttons popped off, but
he didn't notice; he almost had it. Finally, she could let it slip off to the floor.
Renee slid her hands over his shoulders and down his back. He pulled her right up against him. The heat from his body
warmed her bare skin.
He grabbed her arms and pulled them in front of him. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him like he
would never let her go. She relaxed in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. Several minutes later, she lifted her head
and looked into his eyes. Tracing the line of his jaw, she tried to think of something to say, but was unable to put her feelings
into words.
He winced as she touched a sore spot on his jaw. He tried to hide the look of pain, but she saw it before he could.
"I'm sorry. I forgot about your face."
He smiled at her. "It's fine. I'm fine."
"You're a lying, stubborn idiot," she said with an affectionate smile. "But I love you for it."
She kissed him again and he wrapped his arms around her. Relaxing in his hold, she was soon asleep and he was close
behind.
Early the next morning, the phone woke them both with a start. Gabriel rolled over sleepily and lifted it from the receiver.
"Hello," he said, still half asleep.
"Gabriel Bowman?"
"Yes."
"This is Captain Stephen Richards. I need to ask you some questions. Can you come down?"
"Yeah. I'll be there in a few minutes."
He hung up the phone and swung his feet to the floor. Standing up, he walked over to his dresser, chose a clean shirt, and
slipped it on over his head.
When he turned around, Renee was sitting on the bed, buttoning up her shirt. She came to one of the middle buttons and
realized it was missing. Gabriel realized what had happened, smiled, and pulled another shirt from the drawer. He threw it to
her and she slipped it on once she had hers off again. It was a little big, but it would do.
She started to put her shoes on when he stopped her. "Where are you going?"
"With you," she told him firmly, letting him know there was no room for argument.
He nodded his head, then walked into the bathroom to run a comb through his hair. She followed him and combed the
tangles from hers. They picked their jackets from the floor, where they had fallen from the bed the night before. He closed
the door behind them and they walked to the police station.
Walking inside, they met Richards and walked with him into his office. "I take it you've all ready talked to detective
Pezzeni."
Gabriel nodded his head. "Yes, sir."
"I thought so. Then you know what I want to know. So, what do you know about this Thomas Logan?"
Gabriel told him everything he had told Sara. At the end of it, Richards asked, "And you were gone from Friday until last
night?"
"Yes, sir. We left Friday morning."
He nodded his head. "Thanks. I'll let you know if we uncover anything new."
"Thank you, sir."
They stood up and shook his hand, then turned to leave. Richards was sure he was telling the truth. Sara must have been
right, he wouldn't have done it.
When they were walking outside, they saw Sara coming toward them. She smiled and said, "Richards called early I see."
"Yeah. He seems better than the last one."
"Yeah, he is. What are the two of you going to do now?"
They looked at each other, then Gabriel replied, "Breakfast. Then, I think we'll go home."
They smiled at each other. Sara looked at them and smiled to herself. "Well, have a good time. I'd better get to work."
They nodded and then turned and walked down the street. An hour later, they had finished eating and were leaving the
restaurant. As they were walking back to his place, Renee asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were adopted?"
He shook his head. "I didn't know until just a couple of years ago. And it didn't really make any difference to me. My
parents are the ones who raised me."
She squeezed his hand and he smiled at her. Just then, his cell phone rang. He dug it out of his coat pocket and answered,
"Hello."
"It's Sara. I just received some more information. I thought you'd like to know."
"Of course. We'll be right there."
He hung up and turned to Renee. "We've got to go talk to Sara. She has some more information."
They turned around and walked back to the precinct. When they arrived, Sara was waiting for them. The three of them
walked to her office before saying anything. Once the door was closed, Gabriel asked, "What did you find out?"
"A witness came forward. We got a composite drawing." She pushed a paper across the desk to him. "Does he look
familiar to you?"
Gabriel looked at the drawing for a long time before nodding his head. "He came to me a few weeks ago wanting to sell
something to me. I wouldn't buy it. No one would have bought it from me. There was no way they would have believed the
story he told me. I told him that and he stormed out of my shop, threatening that I would change my mind soon or wish that
I could."
"Why did he kill him though?"
"In the darkness, some things are hidden." Danny was standing behind Renee and Gabriel.
"What?"
"I didn't say anything." Gabriel was confused.
Sara was trying to figure out what Danny meant. "Never mind," she said off hand.
"Well, he couldn't have known he was my brother. No one else did."
A thought was forming in Sara's mind. "Maybe he thought it was you. He did look a lot like you and it was dark. Can you
remember what this guy's name is?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I never even asked him for it. Didn't think I'd ever see him again." He hesitated for a second, then
asked, "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to find this guy and then bring him in if I can."
He nodded his head. "Thanks. Call me as soon as you do. No matter what time it is."
"I will, Gabriel. I promise."
They got up and left, heading back to his place one more time. Before they reached it, Renee stopped and turned to him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" He asked, even though he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"You never told me he threatened you. You just told me someone told you some crazy story and you told him to get lost.
Why didn't you tell me?" She repeated her question.
He looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes. He mumbled something, but she couldn't understand him.
"Gabriel, look at me and tell me," she demanded.
He lifted his eyes and they were filled with sadness. "I didn't want you to worry. And I never thought I'd even see him
again. I just thought he was some crazy person. I didn't want you to worry about me when there was no need for it. I love
you, Renee."
She took his face in her hands and said, "I will worry about you whenever I please. And I will decide when there is need for
it. Because I love you, Gabriel Bowman."
They leaned together and kissed. When they pulled apart, Renee smiled at him. Then, she slipped her arm around his back
and they walked to his apartment. When they arrived, there was a message on his answering machine. Thinking it was from
Sara, he nearly sprinted to it and hit the play button. "It seems I went after the wrong guy. Just a case of mistaken identity. It
won't happen again. When I'm through with you, you'll wish you had taken me serious."
Renee's feet were rooted to the spot where she stood or she would have run over to Gabriel. The message wasn't over yet
though.
"I've seen that girlfriend of yours. Maybe I'll have some fun with her before I kill you."
The machine beeped, signaling the end of the message. Gabriel's face was white with fear and anger. He turned and
practically ran out the door. Renee tried to stop him, but by the time she could form any words, he was gone.
She ran over to the phone and tore it from the receiver. When Sara picked up on the other end, she hurriedly explained
about the message they had just finished listening to. "Then, he ran out of here. I'm afraid he went after him. What am I
going to do?" She had started to cry by this time.
"First, calm down. When he left, did he take a gun?"
"No. He just ran out of here."
"Okay. Does he even know where to find this guy?"
"I don't think so." She had started to cry again.
"Then he's probably just out there wandering around. I'll find him. You stay there."
"Okay," she replied. After she had hung up the phone, she walked over and sank onto the couch. She sat there motionless
for a minute, then curled up with her chin on her knees while the tears flooded unheeded down her cheeks.
Finally, she stood up and walked into the bathroom. She washed the tears from her face then went back out and stood in the
middle of the living room, feeling helpless.
She made a decision. Walking out of the building, she started across the street. Renee had no idea where to even begin to
look for him, but she knew she couldn't just sit around while he could be getting himself killed. Before she knew it, she was
in front of Gabriel's shop. The door was slightly open. A chill of fear ran down her spine, but she walked forward. She
pushed the door open and walked in. She had only taken a few steps when she stopped. There was a man with unruly blond
hair and unnaturally blue eyes standing in the middle of the room waiting for her. Gabriel was laying on the floor behind him.
She started to run over to him, but this man stopped her with his raised gun. "He's still alive. He'll just have a headache when
he wakes up."
"Why?" She didn't know what else to say.
"Oh, because I hit him over the head with this gun."
She shook her head. "Why are you doing this?"
He laughed, but it had an insane sound to it. "He didn't take me seriously. No one ever has, but he called me crazy. No one
ever does that to me."
"And for that you'd kill him?"
"Oh, I'm not gonna just kill him. First, I'm gonna make him regret his scorn of me."
Gabriel groaned and started to open his eyes. He closed them again when the bright lights started flashing in his head. He
slowly opened them again and this time waited for the light show to pass. Once it had, he rolled over and got on his hands
and knees. He started to rise, but a boot to his stomach stopped that.
He looked around and saw Renee standing in the middle of the room, looking helpless. Then, he saw that this man was
holding a gun on her. The anger in him started to rise and he lunged to his feet. There was a burning pain where he had been
kicked and his head felt like it was spinning out of control. He started toward the man, each step a challenge.
Seeing Gabriel coming at him, he took Renee by the arm and pulled her in front of him. He had the barrel of the gun
pointed at her head. "I suggest staying where you are. Unless you want to see your girlfriend laying on the floor."
Gabriel stopped where he was. The room before him was moving in and out of focus. Renee's mind was racing trying to
think of a way out of this. When she felt the cold metal pressed against her temple, her survival instinct took over. She lifted
her foot and brought it down on the top of his. He pulled it back and let go of her arm. She brought her hand up and raked
his face with her nails. One of them broke, but she didn't have time to notice. He screamed in pain and brought his hand up to
the bleeding cuts on his face.
Renee started to run over to Gabriel, but the man grabbed her arm and jerked her back to him. Her mouth opened to
scream out in pain, but she closed it before any noise could come out. He pushed her to the floor and she cried out in pain as
her shoulder struck the hard floor. Gabriel started forward, but his knees gave out on him. The man let out another insane
laugh, then walked over to him. He brought his left foot back to kick him in the stomach again. Before he could deliver the
blow, Gabriel grabbed his right foot and pulled. Off balance, he crashed to the floor. His breath was knocked from him.
When his hand hit the floor, his grip on the gun loosened and it went sliding across the floor.
Thinking quickly, Renee stood up, ran over, and grabbed it. She lifted her right arm, but the pain was too much for her to
ignore. She switched the gun to her left hand and kept it trained on him.
A couple of minutes later, Renee heard the door creak open. She didn't dare take her eyes away from this man to look, but
she saw the look of relief that flooded over Gabriel's face. She heard a voice behind her. "Looks like I got here too late. I
thought I told you, Renee, to stay where you were." She walked over to the man on the floor and muttered, "Kids these
days, they never listen."
Gabriel and Renee smiled at each other and she walked over to him and helped him to his feet. "Twice in two days. Must be
a record, even for you," she said with a grin.
Sara had the man handcuffed and was reading him his rights. They headed out the door before her and waited for her to
come out.
"I'm gonna take him home before he gets himself into trouble again," Renee told her.
"Probably a good idea. Good luck."
Gabriel grinned, realizing they were teasing him. It hurt his face, which was still sore from the beating he took the day
before. His head hurt from the blow he took just half an hour before. Renee had her arm wrapped around his shoulders and
helped him walk home.
THE END
