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YESTERDAY'S DREAMS
Chapter Seven
The close of the Durango's lift gate sounded much too final for Katheryn as she stepped up onto the curb. Carlos set her suitcase next to her, heaving a heavy breath as he did so. Kath wished she could hold the smile that it brought to her face a little while longer. But with a glance at her watch she knew she had to hurry to make her flight.
Carlos seemed to linger for a bit until another vehicle pulled to a stop behind them, urging him to move his car with their fiery gaze.
Noticing the impatience around him, Carlos dove in for a kiss. "I guess I'll see you in a few days."
"Yeah," Kath mumbled. "Hey, maybe the next time I get on a plane you'll be with me."
"If you want to."
"Well, I'd hope so. Honeymoons are kinda lonely for one person," Katheryn winked.
Carlos plastered a smile on his face before bringing Kath into his arms for you last hold before he finally let her go. Katheryn hesitantly forced herself away from the curb and into the airport, not allowing herself to acknowledge that Carlos was watching her the whole time. In fact, she didn't turn back even once and kept on walking to the counter. By the time she reached the line and took her place, she looked out the window across the massive room only to feel her heart sink once she realized he had already left.
Once Katheryn was seated at her gate, she reached into her cross-body purse for a mint only to notice a foreign slip of paper wedged between her lip balm and tic-tacs. Reaching for the paper curiously, she read silently: Kath, stay safe. I love you. I hope your trip goes well. Go get em! Carlos.
And the smile that followed was more than enough to last for the rest of her lonesome travels.
With a hotel room not half a mile away from the gorgeous San Francisco beaches, it was not hard for Katheryn to give in to the urge to spend the twilight hour by those majestic Pacific waters. Donning a pair of denim shorts and a baggy t-shirt over her swimsuit, she quickly slipped on her shades framing her casual ponytail and rented a bike for a few hours of recharging in the sands after a long travel day. It was much too late to be calling on anyone at this point. And Kath wanted to be fully rested for the interview and whatever it would uncover.
As she stepped off of the warm sidewalk and into the soft sand beneath her feet, she quickly removed her sandals, carrying them in hand as she continued on her walk. She took a deep breath as she settled her sights on the water's edge as if to say "It's been too long" while a smile crept onto her face. At the edge of the ocean she stopped to let the tide roll in and swish against her ankles. The water was smooth and warm, a welcomed respite from the rather cold autumn Dallas was experiencing at the time.
Bliss swelled to the surface of her heart, Katheryn noted with another deep breath as she observed every harmonious pink outline that exploded into an array of magenta racing across the skies above the ocean waters as it kissed the sinking ball of orange sunlight. If only she could stay to see the massive choir of jewels that would soon dot the entire midnight landscape of the western sky before her.
After a brief walk alongside the water's edge for a length of time Katheryn wished would have lasted for forever, she decided to find a decent spot away from the crowds and spread a blanket down to sit and enjoy the last moments of twilight. For a second she sat observing the entire beach scene on every side of herself. She then drew her legs up, hugging her knees with her chin propped on them like a child in their happy place. Yet with the fading light, she realized she had just enough time to write a quick entry in her journal before hesitantly bringing her relaxing evening to an end far too soon. In the back of her mind somewhere she wished she wasn't alone. But she knew the task she had in front of her and was determined not to let Trent and Carlos down no matter what.
It had been well past midnight before Katheryn was finally able to settle in to sleep the night before. Jet lag was preying on her schedule on a very small note but was there just the same. Two hours can be a lot to someone not used to traveling long distances on a regular basis. The farthest Kath had ever been away from home before was when her family moved to the Caribbean for six months when she was a baby. And God knows she didn't remember what it felt like to span any time zones at such a young age.
That morning though, her alarm clock was the blaring hotel phone and the voice of her best friend on the other end of the line.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I woke you up," Molly apologized, her voice soft and full of regret. "I forgot about the time difference."
"It's okay," Kath assured her through a massive yawn. "If I don't get a move on, I'm gonna miss out on the free breakfast."
"Always the frugal one."
"You know it."
"Well, don't let me keep you…"
"Nonsense! You probably saved my bacon…literally."
With the two girls sharing a laugh as they did, it seemed like old times were back for good.
"Well, I guess since you're doing okay, I should let you know that Carlos won't stop asking if any of us has talked to you. So I promised I'd call you first thing this morning."
"Why couldn't Carlos call?" Kath inquired, concerned about him.
"Oh, he's okay. But he and Trent had to go into the warehouse early this morning. They think they're getting pretty close to busting the thief."
"Cool. Thanks for calling, Mol. I'm pretty sure I could sleep for a whole day if I don't get out of this comfy bed."
"Alright," Molly chuckled. "Stay safe, sis. And have fun if you can. Come home in one piece."
"I intend to do just that," Katheryn assured, dismissing the slight dose of uneasiness within her. Kath pushed the notion away from her mind as simply her solo travel jitters and ended the phone call so she could dress for the day.
A simple pair of jeans coupled with her favorite mahogany summer blouse with a splash of color in her red tear-drop earrings completed her ensemble as she took a deep breath and rushed downstairs for a succulent breakfast to begin her investigative day.
Hailing a cab by the busy hotel curb became Kath's greatest weakness. But she managed to find one after a few failed attempts, blamed her country upbringing silently, and gave the driver the address that Mr. Klinger had given them.
"You sure about this, Miss?" the driver asked, confusing his passenger.
With a furrowed brow, Kath gave a half-smile. "Yes, sir. I'm sure. Why? Is there a problem?"
"No. No problem at all. It's just this address you gave me is a vacant parking lot on the other side of town."
"What?" Kath chuckled. "I don't understand. This is supposed to be someone's home."
"It was. I know that neighborhood. They tore it down last year to build a mall."
Hundreds of thoughts rushed through her mind. Did Cy Young lie to them? Who would try or had any reason to deceive them?
She tried to hurry along her thoughts as she sensed the driver becoming agitated with her and finally blurted out, "Just go there anyways. Thanks."
"Sure," the driver rolled his eyes and drove out of the hotel entrance.
When they arrived to the address, it was just like the cab driver had said. As Katheryn stepped out of the cab and onto the curb, she paid the driver and watched the cab leave. Her eyes drifted up to the street sign on the corner and then to the nearest building across the street where a number on the stucco siding told her she was in the correct location. Sure enough, a massive parking lot was where a house was supposed to be.
It didn't make any sense. Katheryn knew they could have been lied to. But even if they had been, why would Mr. Klinger want to say such things? It didn't seem like he had much of a motive to send them on a rabbit trail like this. Yet having learned to follow her instincts, Katheryn couldn't shake the feeling that she had to keep searching for another answer where she stood. With this in mind, Katheryn began her trek down the street's sidewalk hoping to find the answer she was looking for.
Once Katheryn had walked for nearly a half mile, she was ready to give up after discovering mostly a shopping center and a few restaurants. There was nothing there to indicate that the address she was looking for even existed.
Katheryn pulled her cell phone out of her cross-body to call for a cab. Yet she tried fighting off every urge to throw the device across the street once she realized she had forgotten to charge the device. She wouldn't be calling anyone, and no soul seemed to present themselves as worthy help.
Oblivious to most of her surroundings as Kath sat down on the side of the curb, the door to the laundromat across the street eased open and a man hurried across the barren street to retrieve the cell phone that Kath had finally sent flying across the street. He checked it over, putting the cover back onto the back of the phone to cover the battery before continuing across the street.
The man's shadow covered Katheryn as he extended his hand with the cell phone. "I believe this belongs to you."
Katheryn though startled wouldn't admit it as she gently raised her head, squinting against the sunlight that darkened the features of the man standing over her. But from what she could tell, the man was probably in his mid-thirties. He had a scruffy palate of dirty blonde hair. His green eyes twinkled and framed the baby face of the man who was probably much younger with the aid of a fresh razor. But mostly he was very handsome.
"Yes." Katheryn seized the phone and turned away. "Thanks."
"Boy, you're in a sour mood," he teased. "Say, it's much cooler inside. Why don't you come sit for a minute and gather yourself? There's some snacks in here too. I think I have some spare sodas in fact. You look like you could use a break from…whatever it is you're doing out here."
Katheryn finally let him see a small smile as she stood to meet his full height. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not this irritable. It's just I'm new in town, and things haven't been going my way."
"I see." The gentleman began walking with Kath across the street to the laundromat. "Well, it's great to meet a newbie. You sure picked a rough part of town to vacation in."
"Oh, I'm not on vacation," Katheryn corrected. "Business. Strictly business. Although I did get a chance to enjoy the beach when I got in last night."
"That's wonderful. But you don't strike me as the executive type. Besides, those types of goonies don't come around this area of town at all. They used to. Before it was a shopping mall district. Now there's mostly businesses and street gangs. It used to be a booming neighborhood back in my mom's day."
Once inside the laundromat, the young man hurried to the back of the facility and hollered through a doorway, "Hey, grab a soda or two for me, Gid. Thanks!" He returned to Katheryn a moment later. "Uh, feel free to have a seat. I have a customer to tend to. But if you'd like to chat I'm free in five. Just don't go far."
"Okay," Katheryn agreed hesitantly. He seemed like a nice enough man. Too nice if she had any smarts to listen to her instincts. But so far it was more of a lead than she had all morning. If anything perhaps he'd know what was going on here. He seemed to know a lot about the neighborhood he called home. Surely it was better than nothing.
The man brought her soda back a moment later with a wink before he hurried back to his job and left Kath to her own devices. While she waited, she picked up a pamphlet from the table next to her. Suddenly a big smile shot across her face as she read the full name of the laundromat she was sitting in: Hunnicutt Laundry Services. Perhaps she was on the right trail after all.