Page 4 of Enkindling

I snapped back to the present and could see the policeman again; his expression was serious but unthreatening as he waited patiently.

“Yes,” I managed hoarsely at last. “Yes, I – I know Will Carter.”

God, this isn’t happening… This can’t be real… What even is this conversation?

“I don’t get the feeling that he poses a danger to you,” the officer said with a frown. “And yet this seems quite the complex scenario.”

Oh, sir, you don’t even begin to comprehend how euphemistic your statement is, I thought heavily. The longer this conversation was going on, the more incredible it seemed and the more I seriously questioned my ability to have it. Was I even sane right now? This couldn’t be real. Itcouldn’t.

“Is he… Gone?” was what I ended up asking in response.Did he… Return? Am I not dreaming?

The policeman motioned with his hand to indicate that he was behind us.

I could feel my body breaking into a cold sweat. My hand found its way to my lips of its own accord, and I bit down on my knuckle. I blinked quickly as the prickle of tears menaced my eyes all over again and the swell of something akin to fright swept me up and carried me along in its wake.

“Professor, I need to know if that man is a danger to you,” stated Officer Reynolds. It was clear that he suspected something amiss now. There was, I thought miserably, but of an entirely different sort.

“If there is something we need to know, please tell us,” Officer Reynolds urged. “There are other officers with him as we speak. It would be a simple matter to bring him in for questioning or whatever else the situation would require.”

I almost smiled at the thought of Will being subdued by a bunch of policemen and brought into jail. The idea was absurd to me on two levels. Firstly, the Will I had once known was a hard man, but he was not a criminal – just the opposite. Secondly, the Will I had known could not be subdued by any ordinary group of officers unless he wanted to be. My mind flitted back to the encounter with the thief earlier. If anything, it would seem Will had not changed at all on that front. Nevertheless, I had to quell whatever this situation was becoming.

“No, no, officer,” I answered quickly. “I assure you I’m in no danger with that man. He’s…” I balked at the ridiculousness of what I would say next, but I pressed on regardless. “He’s an old friend. I thought he—” I crashed at the prospect of actually sayingthatand thought better of it. “I thought I would never see him again.”There, I thought.That was an acceptable substitute.

While I could tell I hadn’t quite laid his doubts to rest, Officer Reynolds did seem to relax, if only a little.

“Well, he did seem rather keen on seeing to your safety,” he commented, brows furrowed. “I’m told he put himself between you and an armed robber. He also insisted on seeing you home safely as well as replacing your belongings…”

I blinked. “He what?”

“It’s true,” Officer Reynolds assured me. “In fact, he was quite cooperative. We had our suspicions, you understand, so we couldn’t simply leave you in the hands of a stranger, but he agreed to submit to questioning and whatever else we might deem necessary so long as he was able to see to your safety personally. And we have questions for him, and for you, as well. Concerning him, of course,” he added quickly when he saw my confusion at that last statement. “I’m sure you’ll forgive us, ma’am, because we don’t mean to pry, but we simply can’t take someone’s word for it. Stalking, kidnappings, and even rape are real concerns at this point. Many of the would-be perpetrators operate under the guise of being family or friends or simply charitable citizens.”

“I see,” I said and glanced out through the window. We were pulling up toward my house, and in a few short moments, I would be face to face once more with – A dream? A nightmare? I couldn’t tell.

“We’ll be keeping an eye out on your behalf, professor. I hope you won’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I murmured absently, staring at the trees gliding past without seeing them. “But I did mean what I said. That man is no threat to me.”

“I hope you are right, ma’am.”

Soon I was standing outside my door with Officer Reynolds standing beside me. Now that I could look at him properly, he was quite the handsome figure. He had pleasant features and he seemed young – quite younger than me, I would guess – but he had the air of a professional about him. He was tall and athletic, and he clearly took pride in his appearance, or at least in his office. His uniform and everything else about him was remarkably neat and tidy for one in the middle of a workday, and he maintained a posture that indicated disciplined confidence. One hand rested idly upon the hilt of the rapier that hung from his waist. I couldn’t know for sure how well he could use it, but he at least gave off the air of competence.

I began rummaging around in my purse to pay the cabby who was patting his horse down, but he shook his head.

“Please, ma’am,” he said with a wide grin. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already been paid handsomely for my service.”

Puzzled, I looked from him to Officer Reynolds.

Officer Reynolds shook his head and pointed down the road. “Your gentleman, Mr. Carter, ma’am. I did mention that he insisted on taking care of a few things.”

Mygentleman? My heart should not have hammered at that, but it did. I swallowed and turned in silence to look down the road. I could see it in the distance, an approaching cab. Was that them? Was that him?

My cabby, meanwhile, had made no attempt to leave. When I asked about this, I was told he was waiting to make a return trip he’d been hired in advance for. Officer Reynolds was watching the approaching cab in silence.

The seconds ticked past particularly slow, giving my anxiety ample time to build itself up into an agonizing roar. I did my best to tamp it down, but I couldn’t help fidgeting a bit as the cab took its sweet time edging ever closer. I felt self-conscious, and by the time it finally started trundling up the path, I was soundly convinced that I had just experienced an eternity in a matter of mere minutes.

But, sure enough, the cab arrived and came to a stop a few feet from where I was standing. With the blood pounding out a rapid and suspenseful rhythm in my ear, I watched as the door swung open. The foot that stepped out into the open was booted. Those that followed were in uniform. Officer Reynold’s colleague stepped into the sunlight and waited. The pressure inside me ebbed away only a little. The second person made his appearance – another officer, who immediately took his place beside his comrade. The sight of the third pair of legs exiting the carriage set me trembling. When the owner stepped out into the sun, there could be no doubt.

It was him. I was looking at Will Carter.

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