Fearless Encounter

Chapter 10

Brooke woke up to silence. It took her a minute to remember where she was. A glance at the clock on the side table told her that Gabriel must have already left for his appointment with Abe. Her thoughts went to the night before, and her heart swelled with emotion. It was increasingly challenging to stay in Gabriel’s home. He’d succeeded in making himself irresistible.

The alarm was just about to go off anyway, so Brooke went to the kitchen for coffee. It didn’t take her long to get ready, and she’d convinced Gabriel that she could call Uber for a ride to work. He didn’t need to arrange her transportation every morning.

At the restaurant, Brooke dived into her tasks. She didn’t feel chatty. Her mind was on Meg and what in the world she could do to help her. Hopefully, Gabriel would come up with something at Capstone. Or possibly Weston would get more definitive information. It was difficult to fathom that a criminal could scoop her friend off a public street and be so damn hard to find.

After opening for lunch, Brooke peeked out to the main dining area to see how busy they were, so she could judge how much dessert to make. Quite a few tables were occupied. Scanning the room, she saw a few regular customers plus new ones. The restaurant was popular with tourists.

Then Brooke froze. She stared longer than she should have, then stepped back to catch her breath. She put her hand to her throat, her heart pounding. “It’s him,” she said, hardly realizing that she spoke out loud.

Lisle glided by then stopped and took a step closer to Brooke. “Him?”

Brooke looked at her friend but couldn’t find her voice.

“Who?” Lisle waited.

“It’s the guy, the one I saw in the alley.”

Lisle’s eyes widened. “The abductor?”

Brooke nodded. He was the same build, tall, muscular. And his expression was intense. Plus, he had come to the restaurant alone, making her suspect his intent.

Lisle stepped toward the swinging doors and slipped her camera out of her pocket. She peeked out and was back in a flash. “I think I got him. The dude who is alone—the one that looks like kinda scary?”

When Lisle showed Brooke the picture, she nodded and felt suddenly dizzy. What if he came through the kitchen doors and saw her? That wouldn’t happen, yet fear overcame her certainty.

“Text that to Gabriel.” Lisle tapped on her phone as Brooke gave her the phone number.

Then Brooke texted an urgent message for Gabriel to come to the restaurant. He would understand.

“Should we call the police?” Lisle said.

Brooke shook her head. “Abe is with him today. I just hope they get here fast.”

Lisle went out to the dining room, pretending to clear a table. She returned quickly. “He’s gone.”

“Damn it,” Brooke said. She was hugely relieved but conflicted. It would have been better for Abe to arrest him.

“I went out to the street,” Lisle said, “but there was no sign of him.”

Noticing the disturbance, Jasper came by. “Is something going on?”

Brooke waved him to his office, and Lisle followed. He needed to know, so she told him more about the incident she’d witnessed then about the man she’d spotted in the dining room.

Jasper looked worried. “It was definitely the same guy?”

“I can’t be sure…I didn’t ask him,” Brooke said, unable to contain her frustration.

Jasper talked to her about the situation, trying to calm her down and decide on a proper course of action.

At that moment, Gabriel stepped into the room. Spotting Brooke, he went over and put his arm around her. She realized that was a giveaway to the others that their relationship was more than professional. But now, she couldn’t care less. Promptly, she brought him up to speed with what little she knew.

“Abe is scoping out the area,” Gabriel said. “He’s called for backup.” Then he looked at Jasper. “I’m taking Brooke home. Until it’s safe, she shouldn’t be here.”

Jasper just nodded.

Gabriel escorted her through the dining room. He stopped to speak to Abe, who assured them he had things under control. With the photo of the guy, he could post an officer to watch for him to return.

“Text if he comes back,” Gabriel said. “He could be getting desperate. It was a bold move to come into the restaurant.”

Brooke knew the meaning of that. The guy wanted to silence her. That would be the only reason that he was looking for her. And he knew where she worked. Walking outside with Gabriel, she felt faint.

“I’m taking you someplace safe,” Gabriel said. “You need a chance to recover. No doubt that was a terrible shock.”

Brooke looked into his deep brown eyes and felt his arm linked through hers. She was glad he was there.

*****

Gabriel took her to a hotel where he knew the security. It was a place he trusted, one that was out of the way. At a corner table near the back of the bar, he reached for her hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Gabriel looked into her eyes. “Liar.”

Brooke laughed and felt better. She’d escaped. Although she had no idea what the guy planned to do. “What next?”

“I’ve taken you out of harm’s way, for the moment. But we need to plan.” Gabriel handed her a bar menu. “What will you have?”

No question she needed a drink. And she had no desire to go to her own condo, because the thought of being alone was terrifying. Anyway, likely Gabriel would encourage her to stay at his place, so he could continue to be her protector. That thought was reassuring.

The bottle of wine arrived, and Gabriel poured. After a few sips, he talked about the interviews at Capstone. Brooke was glad he didn’t ply her with questions. It was better to listen for a bit. But it didn’t take long for her to realize that the employee interviews hadn’t netted any answers.

She took another sip of wine. “So, we’re no further ahead?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Gabriel looked thoughtful. “I can read people pretty well. Something is up with Daniel Fontenot, but I’m not sure what. Maybe he knows something.”

“That’s the same guy that Genevieve saw at the club.”

“Yes, and if he hangs around again, maybe she will gain useful information.” Gabriel raised his glass, but before drinking he said, “I don’t depend on maybes, though. I already texted Weston to check on him. And Amalie will search databases. Plus, Abe can check for a criminal record, in case he has connections that we need to know about.”

“I’m tired of being scared,” Brooke said. “I have to do something. I must help Meg.”

“We’re doing all we can.”

Guilt riddled her. Brooke had been in that alley the moment Meg had been taken. She’d had an opportunity to help her, albeit a slight one. Yet fear had held her back. She wouldn’t let that happen again.

Halfway through the wine, Gabriel suggested dinner and requested a table in the dining room. Brooke needed to eat, although she was still rattled by the earlier incident. But she’d resolved to stop being a victim. Meg was the real victim, and Brooke needed to be strong and save her—that was what best friends did.

Eating had been a good idea. Brooke needed that. It occurred to her how intuitive Gabriel was. He noticed things, and he cared. Under different circumstances, she could envision being with him intimately. But it wasn’t good to imagine things. Clearly, he liked her—given the kiss from the night before—and ensured her safety. Yet he didn’t owe her more than that.

Still, Brooke was spending an evening with him, and not for the first time. It would be easy to feel that she belonged, that she meant something to him. Yet once the danger passed, he might lose interest. He was handsome, along with his other great qualities. He could have his pick of women, so surely he would want a younger one.

“You look lost in thought,” Gabriel said.

Brooke dabbed her napkin over her lips, hiding her feelings. “Sorry…I’m here.”

“I realize that Meg is on your mind, no matter how I try to distract you,” Gabriel said. “It would help to know more about her. What can you tell me about how you met and your friendship? Understanding her better may provide clues.”

“We’ve been friends since high school.” Once Brooke began, details about Meg and her friendship flooded out. “She stood up for me once, when it really mattered. I was shy in school, but Meg was outgoing. There was a group of boys that started bullying me. And it threatened to get physical.”

“What did Meg do?”

Brooke smiled. “She was into coding, even back then. The short story is that the boys were cheating on exams, too lazy to study. And Meg knew it.”

“How did she know?”

“It seems so simple now,” Brooke said. “But at that age, it was different. The boys thought they were so clever because they used a code to trade answers back and forth.”

Gabriel appeared interested.

“Meg spotted that. I wouldn’t have known what I was looking at, even if I had read one of their notes.” She took the last sip of her wine. “But they got caught, because Meg intercepted enough of their notes to provide evidence of their dishonesty.”

Brooke thought back to the event. She had admired Meg, as she still did. “Anyway, the boys weren’t as smart as they thought. The code they used was a grid code, and it was no problem for Meg to break it. She showed me later how it worked.”

“So, it was a grid with letters A-E along the left-hand side and the numbers 1-5 on the top?” Gabriel smiled. “The code that kids use?”

“Yes, the grid is filled with the letters of the alphabet. A sentence is written by giving the coordinates,” Brooke said. “Meg showed me how to do it. At the time, I thought it was so cool. Remember, I was only fourteen.”

Gabriel chuckled. “The bully’s unbreakable code.”

“With evidence in hand, Meg turned them in to the principal,” Brooke said. “Then she went to their ringleader and poked a finger at him—told him to leave me alone or she would cause them real trouble.”

“I’m guessing your days of being bullied ended.”

“I was safe from then on, at least from those boys,” Brooke said. “We’ve been friends ever since.”

*****

Gabriel enjoyed listening to Brooke. He wanted to know more to help with the case, but he also wanted to know her better. During dinner, she told him more about Meg, but also about her family and how she got started in pastry. He was intrigued. Brooke was an interesting person, enjoyable to be with, and lovely.

Watching her, Gabriel realized—and not for the first time—that he was attracted to her. He glanced at her lips as she spoke, remembering the sensual kisses from the night before. It seemed so long since he’d sought intimacy. After losing Margot, he hadn’t opened his heart—until he met Brooke.

“Now you seem to be the one lost in thought,” Brooke said, with a smile.

“Quite the opposite.” Gabriel touched her hand. “I’m listening to every word. I like getting to know you.” He could swear that she blushed. “I was thinking about doing something after dinner…instead of just going home.”

“I’d like that.” Brooke looked into his eyes, then glanced away. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’m open to suggestions,” he said. “A movie, maybe?”

“That sounds great.”

Gabriel took her to the movie playing at the theater down the street. He didn’t really care what was playing, as long as it was okay with her. All he really wanted to do was sit with her in the dark and hold hands. And that was exactly what he did. Brooke didn’t object. She leaned against his shoulder and squeezed his hand a few times.

On the way home, Gabriel put his hand on her knee and was rewarded with a smile. He felt close to Brooke and wanted to be alone. Dare he hope for true intimacy, or should he? But he was smitten. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. The loss of his wife had been devastating, and she would always be in his heart. But he was ready for love, and hoped that Brooke was too.

At his house, Gabriel took her hand to walk her inside. In the semidarkness, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Brooke responded, igniting passion between them. Digging his hands into her hair, Gabriel pressed deeper into the kiss. His tongue dipped into her hot mouth, and he groaned with pleasure. Brooke arched against him.

Thankfully, they had the entire night to be together. Gabriel felt the soft curve of her hips, and she put her palms against his chest.

In his pocket, the phone vibrated, and he cursed silently. He should ignore it, but what if it was Abe? It could be urgent.

Brooke gave him a coy smile and lowered her hands, so Gabriel answered the call. “Abe, it’s late. What’s up?” He barely heard the words but got the idea quickly. “We’ll meet you there.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“Jasper’s was just about to close,” Gabriel said, already taking Brooke’s hand to rush back to the car. “It’s Genevieve. She told Abe that she came by after a show, figuring you’d be there.”

“I normally work late on Wednesdays.”

“Before she entered the restaurant, a man attacked her.”

Brooke gasped. “Oh my God.”

“She appears to be okay. The officer on site rescued her. Abe figures the attacker was the guy from earlier. He returned—and he was after you .”