Page 20 of Barron

Yoanni sped past her desk, picked up her shoulder bag on her way, and kept on going. Despite the late hour, plenty of light illuminated the parking lot thanks to the time change. As she approached her Camry, she noticed a rectangular object, reminded her of an electronic planner, but thicker, sitting on the hood and frowned. What could this thing be?

As she approached, a slow wave of ice descended on her. She got closer, and her heart went on a wild stampede, thudding so hard, her chest ached. Now her hands trembled as painful adrenaline pins and needles rushed through her. Panic invaded her mind. The parking lot tilted. Her legs wobbled, and the odd thought about striking the cement if she fell passed through her mind. Leaning all her weight against her car, she sent mental commands to her lungs to slow down and her system to ease up enough to allow her to seek help inside the station.

“Are you okay, Ms. Sanz?”

She knew the voice. It belonged to Officer Billings. Staring at the ground, she shook her head. “Can you help me? I don’t want to fall.”

“Hold on.” Without delay, Officer Billings scooped her in his arms and carried her back to the station. “Call Captain Weaver to the front. Now,” he shouted to the startled duty officer behind the bulletproof glass divider. Gently, he put her down on a reception chair. “The captain will be right over. Let me get you some water.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling much better now that she was far from the hellish object on her car.

“Yoanni,” Captain Weaver’s deep voice thundered. “Are you hurt?”

“No, sir. But you have to see.”

Kneeling before her, he grabbed her hand. “God, you’re like ice. See what?”

“It’s outside, sitting on the hood of my car. The beige Camry.”

Billings returned with a bottle of water. “She’s pretty pale. Water should help, Captain.”

“I know your car. Billings, you stay with her. I’ll be right back.”

Captain Weaver strode out to the parking lot. The panic subsided, and she sighed with relief as the warmth of circulation returned to her body. He came back several minutes later, a perplexed expression on his face.

“I don’t understand,” he said, holding up the object. “This is what got to you?”

She lifted a trembling finger. “That’s the calculator my father gave me when I started working here.”

He lifted his salt-and-pepper eyebrows. “The one missing from your desk?”

“Yes, sir.” She hated the whimper in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. “My guess is the person who took it decided to give it back.”

“And we’re going to find out who the hell it was,” he growled, then turned to the officer on duty. “Call Sergeant Benson and tell him to meet me in the security camera room. We have to watch the parking lot feed from today. Billings, help Yoanni to the room. If she still can’t walk, carry her. We’re getting to the bottom of this.” He stomped out of reception.

“Of course, sir.” Billings’s trembling voice trailed him.

She felt sympathy for the officer. Captain Weaver could be pretty intense when he wanted. “I think I can walk,” she said with an encouraging smile.

“I have my orders, Ms. Sanz. I’m not leaving your side.” Heoffered his hand to assist her up, then his arm. Leaning on Billings’s arm, she walked out of reception and down the long hallway to the security camera room. Captain Weaver and Sergeant Benson were already there.

“We started watching before you came in to cover our bases. So far, we’ve seen you park and walk to the station without any suspicious activity around you,” the captain said, directing her to an empty chair next to him.

She sat without a word, watching in awe as the camera played back the recorded comings and goings that took place in the station’s parking garage throughout the day. It had been an exceptionally busy day. Of course. Whoever had returned the calculator had chosen the perfect opportunity.

They still had quite a few hours of feed to go through. Sergeant Benson fast-forwarded the video, but not so fast that they would miss something. About thirty minutes went by, and Yoanni started to get antsy. She fidgeted in her chair, and the captain gave her a scowl.

As he turned to face the camera, Sergeant Benson pointed. “There. Let me rewind. I think we got something.”

The Little in her got tickled as people and things moved backward at a quick pace. Yoanni giggled, then squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t have to look to know the captain had glared at her.

“Stop,” the captain said. “Back up. Now go forward slowly.”

Her skin erupted with goose bumps. There was malice in the person approaching her Camry. Whoever it was wore concealing black pants, a hoodie, and gloves, thereby covering the hand’s skin color as the individual placed the calculator on the hood of her car.

“This individual is familiar with our procedures and knows the angle of our cameras,” the captain grumbled. “Check out the movements. The back is turned to the camera at all times.”

“Wanted to scare me,” she whispered. “And it worked.”

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