Page 15 of Love on the Run

* * * *

After taking care of the speeder, Jake continued on his rounds. Now that he was past the speck of town that was Hazelton, the blackness of the Montana night surrounded him. Every once in a while, he caught the amber gleam of a light from a house or ranch building.But for long stretches, there was nothing but blackness and stars, and the teasing glow behind the ragged skyline of the mountains. A few signs flashed past his view, the reflective paint making them gleam for an instant before they slipped out of the headlights’ range again.

Then a large, dilapidated billboard loomed into the light. Sunset Mountain.The sign advertised skiing from November to March, but the state of the sign, with its chipped paint and sagging middle, revealed that the place was long closed.Jake sometimes drove through the old property, but rarely at night.He didn’t like the place.Something about the slowly deteriorating buildings and the lonely, ghostly air gave him the creeps. He was glad to put it behind him.

His rounds didn’t take too long that night, and Jake eventually returned to the station, where he planned to explore a few more avenues concerning Calista, then call it a night. He spent about an hour online, but came up with little that helped. Calista Reed was a surprisingly common name. Time to go, he thought. The only thing to do was to talk to her again.

As he was about to leave, the phone rang. He reached across the desk. “Yes?” Jake asked, hoping it was not an emergency.

“Jake? It’s Ty.”The voice sounded both tired and edgy. Jake could sympathize.

“What are you doing up? Shouldn’t you be home?”

“Nah, I’m pulling a long shift today. Too much work, not enough people. You know how it is.”

“So, did you find anything?”

“Yes, and you’ll love it.”

“Go ahead.”

“Your girl, driving Edward Bellamy’s car? It just came through as stolen.”

“Bellamy reported it?”

“Doesn’t say, but I assume it was him.”

“Right. Call my cell if you find anything else.Talk to you soon.” Jake hung up, pondering the new information. So she hadn’t been telling the truth. That put Callie in a new light, one Jake didn’t like at all.

With a new resolution, Jake shut off the office lights and locked the door. After Callie woke up in the morning, they were going to have a long talk. And he was very interested to hear what she would say.

When Jake got back to the house, he let himself in the front door as silently as possible. But Bruiser heard him anyway, and came into the front hall to greet him. Jake patted his head and then walked to the kitchen, planning to get some water before going to bed. The clock on the stove said it was two in the morning. Bruiser didn’t follow him into the kitchen, though. Instead, the dog headed to the living room, which was not like him. Jake glanced into the big room and saw that Bruiser had returned to lie on the floor in front of the couch, where Callie lay sleeping. He stepped closer before he even realized he was doing it. Jake saw that most of her body was tucked under a blanket. Her injured leg was exposed, however, stretched out so that her foot lay propped up on one arm of the sofa. Jake wondered if her leg was causing her pain again. Judging from her expression, she wasn’t enjoying a particularly deep sleep. There was tension in her face, and she tossed a little, as if she were uncomfortable. Jake resisted the urge to reach out and smooth her hair, or adjust the blanket. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, after all. Turning his back on her, Jake made his way to his bedroom and shut the door. But despite the late hour, it took him a long while to get to sleep.

* * * *

Callie woke up with a start, stifling a scream in her throat. As she sat up, Bruiser gave a growl, as if sensing her panic, and looked for the source.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Callie whispered, reaching out to pet the dog. “I just had a nightmare.” Bruiser calmed down at her touch. Callie shook her head. Would she never get a real night’s sleep again? She’d dreamed of the murder, and of Malcolm chasing her. This time he nearly caught her, and she knew that in one more second, he would.

It was early morning, barely after dawn. She thought she heard a sound in the house, but when she listened closely, it seemed all was quiet. Getting back to sleep would be impossible. She glanced around, and realized that she had fallen asleep in the living room. She had meant to go upstairs last night, but she must have nodded off.

“Damn,” she said to herself. The nightmare reminded her that she had to keep moving. Staying here was a mistake. Some small voice warned her that Malcolm was still looking for her. Callie got up and made her way to the loft, where she changed into fresh clothes. She packed the few items she had, and took the bag back down with her. But when she stepped into the kitchen, she jumped in surprise. Jake was there, already up and dressed. He looked at her, then the bag. “You got plans?”

Callie took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. Jake’s sudden appearance put her off balance. “Yes, in fact.” She smiled at him, pretending a cheerfulness she didn’t feel. “You know, I’m in your way. Not that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done, but I should be getting out of your hair now, since I’m feeling better. You don’t want to babysit me, you’ve got a real job to do, after all…”

“Where are you thinking of going?” He broke into her flood of words.

She blinked at the hard tone in his voice. “Well, back home.”

“How?”

“Uh, maybe you could drop me off where you found me? Is my car still there?”

“Your car?” he asked evenly.

Callie swallowed. “Whose else’s?”

“Maybe the guy who reported it stolen?” he retorted, watching her narrowly. She blushed instantly, and Jake knew his hunch was right.

---