Hello, I was having trouble getting everyone to arrive at the same place.
This was the best idea I had and I'm not sure it was a good one but it gets
the job done. Now I just hope they get there on time.
*-*-*-*-*-*
Neville Rutherford zipped in and out from between the cars blocking his way effortlessly. He reached over and picked his cell phone up off the passenger seat. Flicking the lever next to the leather covered steering wheel he signaled his turn. Then reached over and attempted to dial Dylan's phone number. Rutherford had programmed it in before leaving that evening after finding it tucked in the folder that the Chief gave him with information about the angel. It rang three times then her answering machine picked up. "Hi this is Dylan, I can't come to the phone right now." he hung up without listening to the end of the message or leaving one of his own. Maybe he was over-reacting after all Ekaterina Dunayevskaya seemed to be reasonable. So she was out of jail that didn't mean she would try something after all she seemed so concerned about her job and reputation at the museum. No, he didn't think Kate would be one to hurt Dylan but he had met the bodyguard, the one called Christoph on several occasions. The man seemed hard to him, like his soul was cold. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to call the other angels, too make sure Dylan was okay.
He knew the number for the Townsend agency. He had programmed it in his cell phone a year or so ago. Now he couldn't remember why he had. Charlie and he hadn't spoken in years but never the less Rutherford was able to flip past the A's and B's to the one C in the directory which was labeled "Charlie's Angels". He wasn't quite sure why he listed it that way instead of Charlie's name but it didn't matter. He dialed and waited for an answer.
Spike tugged at the leash. He was an impatient dog when he saw a tree that he liked and the one up ahead had just been vacated by a cute puddle so that was where he was headed. Anyone taking in the scene would have thought that the year old German Sheppard was walking his tall blonde owner, not the other way around. "Spike, heel! Heel, Spike!" she called trying to get the dog to slow down. She knew he didn't want to wait any longer and she didn't really expect him to but slowing down so she could enjoy a moment in quiet before Alex's dinner party was all she asked. Too bad Spike spotted a squirrel. He took off running faster with Natalie struggling to keep up and then her phone rang.
Trying to reach into her pocket while yelling for the rambunctious pup to stop she pulled out the chiming phone. "Hello?" she said breathlessly jumping over a bench and hoping the leash didn't get stuck on anything.
"This is Neville Rutherford. Have I called at a bad time?" asked the gentleman on the other end of the line.
Natalie stopped running a bit taken aback by the caller. "Mr. Rutherford?" She forgot that the office phone had been forwarded it her for the evening. With a short yelp the run away puppy came to a stop. The young dog didn't realize his mistress had stopped and the leash had reached its limit. "Spike!" cried Natalie as she jogged over to where Spike sat panting in the grass. "Are you okay baby?"
"Miss Cook, I presume? Is this a bad time?" asked Rutherford feeling confused by the panting he was hearing in the background.
"My God, I'm so sorry. Mr. Rutherford what can I do for you?" Natalie let the leash go slack and Spike wandered over to his original goal, the tree.
"I was wondering if you could put me in contact with Dylan. I've tried to reach her home phone as well as her cellular and well, I'm having a difficult time reaching her."
Natalie was a little surprised that Rutherford was trying to contact Dylan since the Faberge Egg case had come to an end. Normally she wasn't as skeptical as Alex but regardless of the former lord escorting Dylan to the museum gala she was suspicious as to why he was calling. "If you leave a message I can see that she gets it."
"That is the problem Ms. Cook, if I wanted to leave a message I could have. I want to know that she is in good health by talking to her personally."
"He wants to know if she is in good health?" thought Natalie. Something about that statement caused her to worry. "Why wouldn't she be well?" It took her a second to realize that she was holding her breath as she waited for Rutherford's answer. Spike trotted back over to her side and lay in the grass at her feet. She bent down and scratched between his ears.
"You haven't heard?" Rutherford was a bit surprised. He had assumed that someone would have called the angels and let them know. As he drove towards Dylan's he shrugged his shoulders in resignation that he would be the bearer of bad news. Before Natalie could even ask what she was supposed to hear he said, "Ekaterina Dunayevskaya is out of jail."
She couldn't believe it. "That can't be. She was just arrested around noon today. It's only six pm she didn't have a bail hearing until tomorrow." She watched the dog sniff around the bench she was now seated on; the one she had jumped over.
"My dear, trust me. I have very good sources that say that Kate was released this afternoon into the custody of a man by the name of Christoph. I don't know how he did it but I don't think Mr. Christoph will thank our Dylan for the Chief's demise. Christoph was one of the Chief's many body guards."
Natalie glanced across the street where her car was parked. "I'll head over to her place to check on her. Come on Spike," she called knowing that the dog would be disappointed.
"Miss Cook, I'm almost there now." Rutherford turned onto the street and could see Dylan's Mustang in the parking lot. As he pulled in front of the building he looked up and saw no lights or other signs of life.
She wondered how he knew where Dylan lived then remembered what the red- headed angel said about the unexpected visit Rutherford had paid to her during the case. "Is she home?" Rutherford didn't reply but she could hear the car engine shut of and the door open then slam shut. "He must have left the phone in the car," she thought but then a beep from her phone interrupted her thoughts. Call waiting. "Hello?" she asked the caller on the second line.
"Nat, its Alex. On your way could you stop by Food Mart and pick up some paper plates and cups. I don't want to have to do dishes tonight."
"Alex is Dylan with you?"
Alex was surprised at the urgency in which Natalie had asked."No, I dropped her off, we had tea, and then I had to go. Last time I saw her she was planning on taking a shower and the Thi... Sorry, Anthony was on his way up. I passed him in the hall as I was leaving. Why?"
"I have Rutherford on the other line. He says Kate is out and with a bodyguard from the Chief's."
"Kate is out?" asked Alex sounding as surprised as Natalie felt.
"Apparently. He hasn't been able to get a hold of Dylan and called the agency," said Natalie. Looking both ways she led Spike across the street and helped him into the car. "There you go boy," she fastened the doggy seat belt around him and he barked happily. "Sorry, I just took Spike to the park when Rutherford called." The phone beeped in her ear again reminding her of the other caller. "Oh hold on a sec," she said to Alex. "Rutherford?"
"I'm here," he said as he placed the key in the ignition. "I just got done checking. No one is home. Perhaps she went to the movies." The part about the movies came out being more of a question than a statement. He hoped that Natalie would validate his answer.
"Anthony was there earlier."
"His car isn't here," said Rutherford glancing around the row of parking places looking for his black z-4. "At least if he is with her that is a good sign." The relief in his voice was evident.
An idea struck Natalie. Dylan wasn't home, Anthony was there and then he wasn't, "They probably went to his place," she exclaimed excitedly.
"His place?" asked Rutherford. He had known the silent assassin for years yet never had given a thought to where Anthony lived. He imagined it being a large sterile yet fashionable loft in an old converted factory. The address she gave him was in a quaint neighborhood in a small town just north of LA. "Are you sure," he asked thinking she must be mistaken.
"I'm sure. Alex is on the other line. I'll let you know then we will meet you there." With that the phone disconnected. Rutherford started the motor of his Jag and threw it into reverse and looked at the address he had written down. He shrugged again and smiled, "Hi Ho Lady Dylan, I am off to save you."
*-*-*-*-*
Christoph quickly became bored with his game of tearing pages out of the book. It seemed to bother Kate at first, to get a rise out of her but once she had resigned herself to the fact he was doing it he lost all interest. He thought maybe starting on another book but changed his mind when he noticed the stairway leading to the second floor that he had forgotten. He stood, took anther swig from the metal flask, and started towards the stairs.
"Where do you think you are going?" asked Kate looking up from the ancient National Geographic she had been flipping though. The last thing he needed to do was wander the house, who knew what he would destroy.
"I'm going up stairs," he said as he walked through the doorway. Kate jumped up and in her clipped accent said, "I'll have to ask you not to do that."
He turned, one foot on the bottom step and sneered at her. The look on his face was almost feral. "Kate, you don't tell me what to do. Keep in mind I have your life in my hands." Then as his face softened he asked in a slightly kinder voice, "Would you like to go back to jail?"
As she watched him continue climbing the stairs looking at the various pictures that lined the walls, looking at pictures of her family from the late nineteenth century to the present, she began to wonder if jail didn't have its appeal. She wanted Anthony. She wanted Anthony desperately but she was starting to doubt that Christoph was the means to get what she wanted. Of course with Dylan out of the way her goal of the assassin would be easier.
As he approached the top landing Kate snapped out of her thoughts and darted up the stairs behind him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch anything," she said as she saw him peer into each of the rooms; bathroom, the room that her late uncle had occupied, her room and then Anthony's.
"So this is where you boy toy sleeps huh?" asked Christoph turning the light on and stepping inside. "Not very cozy looking. Then again why does and assassin need a cozy bed here when he has the little angel to curl up with at night?" He gave her a quick look and picked up the silver box that was on top of the dresser.
"I don't think you should touch that," she said anxiously. She knew that was where he kept the lock of Dylan's hair. That was something she couldn't understand, how he could so easily throw her hair away and yet keep the angel's. "On second thought, do what you want." A plan was formulating in her own mind one that might help her win her heart's desire after all.
The sound of a car engine on the quiet street caught the attention of the former body guard. He stepped over to the window and peeked out from behind the drab beige drapery. A car had pulled up and parked on the other side of the street. "What are you looking at?" Kate asked.
"Sshhh," he hissed and waved his hand for her to turn off the light. She obliged. "It's about time. Turn off the light Ekaterina then hurry downstairs and do the same. Showtime!"
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan's eyes scanned the outside of the house, focusing on whether she could detect any movement inside. Everything seems so still almost eerily calm. Glancing at the man at her side she smiled. "I don't think anyone is here. Let's go in." She felt the muscles in his arm relax a bit but the tension was still there. He didn't move from where he was standing his eyes remained fixed on the house. He knew someone was there. The living room light had been on moments before. So many times he had come back late and found Dimitri asleep in the old olive colored armchair, a book across his chest. He knew every shadow that the lamp on the doily cover table threw both inside the house and outside in the yard.
"I'll go in first," he said.
Dylan knew that he was just trying to protect her but he needed to learn that she didn't need his protection and he should have known that by now, "We go in together or we don't go in." In the limited light that the yard of the house received from the street lamp she could see his pale blue eyes. She could tell that he wanted to argue with her about it and watched him try to decide whether it was worth arguing about or not. In the end not arguing won out.
"Fine," he said then kissed her on top of the head, "but be careful." He knew that he was bringing her into danger. It was a sixth sense of his knowing when something wasn't quite right. As he walked towards the porch Dylan jogged to catch up to his side. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the house key, inserted into the lock and opened the door. They stepped into the darkened foyer and he held his hand out for her to stay where she was. He could see her head bob in the darkness showing that she agreed.
He walked down the hallway, sword drawn ready to take on whoever was there. He looked into the living room and saw nothing until someone in the house across the street turned on one of the upstairs lights which gave the living room a little more illumination. At first he couldn't tell what the pile was on the floor, as he stepped closer he could see that it was pages from a book. Picking up the book on the couch he looked at the gold embossed binding and saw that it was "Crime and Punishment". He opened the cover and saw the bare fibers that once held the ivory linen like paper in place. A floor board creaked but by the time he turned to face who ever was in the house everything went black.
Dylan waited patiently by the front door. He had been gone what felt like an eternity. She reached for the switch on the wall hidden by the hanging jackets when she heard a crash and a dull thud. It was all she could do not to call out Anthony's name. Then the living room light came on. Slowly she walked down the hall. "Come on Dylan, you can do this," she told herself. "Oh yeah, then why do I feel like there are people yelling 'don't go in there he has a knife'," she answered back. Just as she was about to step into the doorway of the living room she heard a familiar masculine voice say, "Come in Dylan, don't be frightened." Stepping inside she saw the owner of the voice. In the old olive armchair sat a young man wearing an eye patch. It took her a moment to place him. It was Christoph and he .33 aimed at her heart. She looked and saw Anthony tied on the floor a broken vase next to his bleeding head.
*-*-*-*-*-*
Neville Rutherford zipped in and out from between the cars blocking his way effortlessly. He reached over and picked his cell phone up off the passenger seat. Flicking the lever next to the leather covered steering wheel he signaled his turn. Then reached over and attempted to dial Dylan's phone number. Rutherford had programmed it in before leaving that evening after finding it tucked in the folder that the Chief gave him with information about the angel. It rang three times then her answering machine picked up. "Hi this is Dylan, I can't come to the phone right now." he hung up without listening to the end of the message or leaving one of his own. Maybe he was over-reacting after all Ekaterina Dunayevskaya seemed to be reasonable. So she was out of jail that didn't mean she would try something after all she seemed so concerned about her job and reputation at the museum. No, he didn't think Kate would be one to hurt Dylan but he had met the bodyguard, the one called Christoph on several occasions. The man seemed hard to him, like his soul was cold. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to call the other angels, too make sure Dylan was okay.
He knew the number for the Townsend agency. He had programmed it in his cell phone a year or so ago. Now he couldn't remember why he had. Charlie and he hadn't spoken in years but never the less Rutherford was able to flip past the A's and B's to the one C in the directory which was labeled "Charlie's Angels". He wasn't quite sure why he listed it that way instead of Charlie's name but it didn't matter. He dialed and waited for an answer.
Spike tugged at the leash. He was an impatient dog when he saw a tree that he liked and the one up ahead had just been vacated by a cute puddle so that was where he was headed. Anyone taking in the scene would have thought that the year old German Sheppard was walking his tall blonde owner, not the other way around. "Spike, heel! Heel, Spike!" she called trying to get the dog to slow down. She knew he didn't want to wait any longer and she didn't really expect him to but slowing down so she could enjoy a moment in quiet before Alex's dinner party was all she asked. Too bad Spike spotted a squirrel. He took off running faster with Natalie struggling to keep up and then her phone rang.
Trying to reach into her pocket while yelling for the rambunctious pup to stop she pulled out the chiming phone. "Hello?" she said breathlessly jumping over a bench and hoping the leash didn't get stuck on anything.
"This is Neville Rutherford. Have I called at a bad time?" asked the gentleman on the other end of the line.
Natalie stopped running a bit taken aback by the caller. "Mr. Rutherford?" She forgot that the office phone had been forwarded it her for the evening. With a short yelp the run away puppy came to a stop. The young dog didn't realize his mistress had stopped and the leash had reached its limit. "Spike!" cried Natalie as she jogged over to where Spike sat panting in the grass. "Are you okay baby?"
"Miss Cook, I presume? Is this a bad time?" asked Rutherford feeling confused by the panting he was hearing in the background.
"My God, I'm so sorry. Mr. Rutherford what can I do for you?" Natalie let the leash go slack and Spike wandered over to his original goal, the tree.
"I was wondering if you could put me in contact with Dylan. I've tried to reach her home phone as well as her cellular and well, I'm having a difficult time reaching her."
Natalie was a little surprised that Rutherford was trying to contact Dylan since the Faberge Egg case had come to an end. Normally she wasn't as skeptical as Alex but regardless of the former lord escorting Dylan to the museum gala she was suspicious as to why he was calling. "If you leave a message I can see that she gets it."
"That is the problem Ms. Cook, if I wanted to leave a message I could have. I want to know that she is in good health by talking to her personally."
"He wants to know if she is in good health?" thought Natalie. Something about that statement caused her to worry. "Why wouldn't she be well?" It took her a second to realize that she was holding her breath as she waited for Rutherford's answer. Spike trotted back over to her side and lay in the grass at her feet. She bent down and scratched between his ears.
"You haven't heard?" Rutherford was a bit surprised. He had assumed that someone would have called the angels and let them know. As he drove towards Dylan's he shrugged his shoulders in resignation that he would be the bearer of bad news. Before Natalie could even ask what she was supposed to hear he said, "Ekaterina Dunayevskaya is out of jail."
She couldn't believe it. "That can't be. She was just arrested around noon today. It's only six pm she didn't have a bail hearing until tomorrow." She watched the dog sniff around the bench she was now seated on; the one she had jumped over.
"My dear, trust me. I have very good sources that say that Kate was released this afternoon into the custody of a man by the name of Christoph. I don't know how he did it but I don't think Mr. Christoph will thank our Dylan for the Chief's demise. Christoph was one of the Chief's many body guards."
Natalie glanced across the street where her car was parked. "I'll head over to her place to check on her. Come on Spike," she called knowing that the dog would be disappointed.
"Miss Cook, I'm almost there now." Rutherford turned onto the street and could see Dylan's Mustang in the parking lot. As he pulled in front of the building he looked up and saw no lights or other signs of life.
She wondered how he knew where Dylan lived then remembered what the red- headed angel said about the unexpected visit Rutherford had paid to her during the case. "Is she home?" Rutherford didn't reply but she could hear the car engine shut of and the door open then slam shut. "He must have left the phone in the car," she thought but then a beep from her phone interrupted her thoughts. Call waiting. "Hello?" she asked the caller on the second line.
"Nat, its Alex. On your way could you stop by Food Mart and pick up some paper plates and cups. I don't want to have to do dishes tonight."
"Alex is Dylan with you?"
Alex was surprised at the urgency in which Natalie had asked."No, I dropped her off, we had tea, and then I had to go. Last time I saw her she was planning on taking a shower and the Thi... Sorry, Anthony was on his way up. I passed him in the hall as I was leaving. Why?"
"I have Rutherford on the other line. He says Kate is out and with a bodyguard from the Chief's."
"Kate is out?" asked Alex sounding as surprised as Natalie felt.
"Apparently. He hasn't been able to get a hold of Dylan and called the agency," said Natalie. Looking both ways she led Spike across the street and helped him into the car. "There you go boy," she fastened the doggy seat belt around him and he barked happily. "Sorry, I just took Spike to the park when Rutherford called." The phone beeped in her ear again reminding her of the other caller. "Oh hold on a sec," she said to Alex. "Rutherford?"
"I'm here," he said as he placed the key in the ignition. "I just got done checking. No one is home. Perhaps she went to the movies." The part about the movies came out being more of a question than a statement. He hoped that Natalie would validate his answer.
"Anthony was there earlier."
"His car isn't here," said Rutherford glancing around the row of parking places looking for his black z-4. "At least if he is with her that is a good sign." The relief in his voice was evident.
An idea struck Natalie. Dylan wasn't home, Anthony was there and then he wasn't, "They probably went to his place," she exclaimed excitedly.
"His place?" asked Rutherford. He had known the silent assassin for years yet never had given a thought to where Anthony lived. He imagined it being a large sterile yet fashionable loft in an old converted factory. The address she gave him was in a quaint neighborhood in a small town just north of LA. "Are you sure," he asked thinking she must be mistaken.
"I'm sure. Alex is on the other line. I'll let you know then we will meet you there." With that the phone disconnected. Rutherford started the motor of his Jag and threw it into reverse and looked at the address he had written down. He shrugged again and smiled, "Hi Ho Lady Dylan, I am off to save you."
*-*-*-*-*
Christoph quickly became bored with his game of tearing pages out of the book. It seemed to bother Kate at first, to get a rise out of her but once she had resigned herself to the fact he was doing it he lost all interest. He thought maybe starting on another book but changed his mind when he noticed the stairway leading to the second floor that he had forgotten. He stood, took anther swig from the metal flask, and started towards the stairs.
"Where do you think you are going?" asked Kate looking up from the ancient National Geographic she had been flipping though. The last thing he needed to do was wander the house, who knew what he would destroy.
"I'm going up stairs," he said as he walked through the doorway. Kate jumped up and in her clipped accent said, "I'll have to ask you not to do that."
He turned, one foot on the bottom step and sneered at her. The look on his face was almost feral. "Kate, you don't tell me what to do. Keep in mind I have your life in my hands." Then as his face softened he asked in a slightly kinder voice, "Would you like to go back to jail?"
As she watched him continue climbing the stairs looking at the various pictures that lined the walls, looking at pictures of her family from the late nineteenth century to the present, she began to wonder if jail didn't have its appeal. She wanted Anthony. She wanted Anthony desperately but she was starting to doubt that Christoph was the means to get what she wanted. Of course with Dylan out of the way her goal of the assassin would be easier.
As he approached the top landing Kate snapped out of her thoughts and darted up the stairs behind him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch anything," she said as she saw him peer into each of the rooms; bathroom, the room that her late uncle had occupied, her room and then Anthony's.
"So this is where you boy toy sleeps huh?" asked Christoph turning the light on and stepping inside. "Not very cozy looking. Then again why does and assassin need a cozy bed here when he has the little angel to curl up with at night?" He gave her a quick look and picked up the silver box that was on top of the dresser.
"I don't think you should touch that," she said anxiously. She knew that was where he kept the lock of Dylan's hair. That was something she couldn't understand, how he could so easily throw her hair away and yet keep the angel's. "On second thought, do what you want." A plan was formulating in her own mind one that might help her win her heart's desire after all.
The sound of a car engine on the quiet street caught the attention of the former body guard. He stepped over to the window and peeked out from behind the drab beige drapery. A car had pulled up and parked on the other side of the street. "What are you looking at?" Kate asked.
"Sshhh," he hissed and waved his hand for her to turn off the light. She obliged. "It's about time. Turn off the light Ekaterina then hurry downstairs and do the same. Showtime!"
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan's eyes scanned the outside of the house, focusing on whether she could detect any movement inside. Everything seems so still almost eerily calm. Glancing at the man at her side she smiled. "I don't think anyone is here. Let's go in." She felt the muscles in his arm relax a bit but the tension was still there. He didn't move from where he was standing his eyes remained fixed on the house. He knew someone was there. The living room light had been on moments before. So many times he had come back late and found Dimitri asleep in the old olive colored armchair, a book across his chest. He knew every shadow that the lamp on the doily cover table threw both inside the house and outside in the yard.
"I'll go in first," he said.
Dylan knew that he was just trying to protect her but he needed to learn that she didn't need his protection and he should have known that by now, "We go in together or we don't go in." In the limited light that the yard of the house received from the street lamp she could see his pale blue eyes. She could tell that he wanted to argue with her about it and watched him try to decide whether it was worth arguing about or not. In the end not arguing won out.
"Fine," he said then kissed her on top of the head, "but be careful." He knew that he was bringing her into danger. It was a sixth sense of his knowing when something wasn't quite right. As he walked towards the porch Dylan jogged to catch up to his side. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the house key, inserted into the lock and opened the door. They stepped into the darkened foyer and he held his hand out for her to stay where she was. He could see her head bob in the darkness showing that she agreed.
He walked down the hallway, sword drawn ready to take on whoever was there. He looked into the living room and saw nothing until someone in the house across the street turned on one of the upstairs lights which gave the living room a little more illumination. At first he couldn't tell what the pile was on the floor, as he stepped closer he could see that it was pages from a book. Picking up the book on the couch he looked at the gold embossed binding and saw that it was "Crime and Punishment". He opened the cover and saw the bare fibers that once held the ivory linen like paper in place. A floor board creaked but by the time he turned to face who ever was in the house everything went black.
Dylan waited patiently by the front door. He had been gone what felt like an eternity. She reached for the switch on the wall hidden by the hanging jackets when she heard a crash and a dull thud. It was all she could do not to call out Anthony's name. Then the living room light came on. Slowly she walked down the hall. "Come on Dylan, you can do this," she told herself. "Oh yeah, then why do I feel like there are people yelling 'don't go in there he has a knife'," she answered back. Just as she was about to step into the doorway of the living room she heard a familiar masculine voice say, "Come in Dylan, don't be frightened." Stepping inside she saw the owner of the voice. In the old olive armchair sat a young man wearing an eye patch. It took her a moment to place him. It was Christoph and he .33 aimed at her heart. She looked and saw Anthony tied on the floor a broken vase next to his bleeding head.