Before we left, Lance informed me how the police handling the case from the club, we're informed that drugging was allowed. But of course, by the guy that was arrested. They wanted to interview random members to ask them questions about it. However, he was able to shut that down, stating privacy laws. So they came up with a solution that he could ask members to go down and talk to the police and answer questions about it. Lance's concern was them staking out the club and stopping his members, which could keep members from coming at all. They had already called in the few members that they had taken statements from the night of the incident, but not getting the answers they were looking for wanted to dig deeper.
I knew he didn't have anything to worry about but Lance decided to not accept any new applicants until this was settled. I agreed, offering my help where and whenever he needed it.
Alyssa and David ended up inviting everyone at Lirael's to the wedding party on Saturday, saying the more the merrier, before we headed to Alyssa's to unload the boxes. On top of the lanterns and other lighting, Lirael had given her the table top decorations, the gauzy fabric for draping and tables, six cases of wine and champagne, three of the heavy duty extension cords and two of the heavy duty power strips. Each vehicle was filled to over capacity, so Simon offered to follow us out in his SUV with Amanda and Dass, carrying the last few boxes of items.
After getting the cars unloaded, we said our see you laters', before taking off back to the apartment. We wanted to pack up more of my stuff and take it to Sarina's. Since we were there more often, I grabbed more of my books I used for work and several boxes of my stuff that I've kept over the years. Going through them, I tossed a lot of junk, some of it had Sarina laughing, others she wouldn't let me throw away.
"You kept every fortune cookie fortune you ever got when eating with your brother?" She asked, holding the plastic resealable bag that had them all together.
I shrug, "It was just something weird we did that started young when we got a fortune. We liked to see if they came true and did not stop doing until..." I take the bag from her and toss it in the trash bag, "They're just strips of paper, now. I didn't even remember keeping them until you pulled them out. Come on, let's not get side tracked. We only have a few weeks until the lease is up and still need to move some of the furniture into storage until it sells." I remind her, picking up a box to take out to the car.
She follows behind me shortly with another box and just barely are able to fit them in the back.
"By the way, babe, may I ask what you spoke to Dass about?" I ask curiosity getting the better of me.
"Why do you want to know?" She asks raising a brow.
"Curiosity. You both looked awkward when you came back and avoided each other's gazes."
She blushes, avoiding my eyes, "Um... yeah... uh... I asked her why she seemed to always want to say something to me, like she knew something, but never said anything."
"Okay?" I wait for her to continue and not getting anything I motion for her to go on.
"She..." She turns as red as a strawberry and covers her face, "she has a.... on me."
Her mumbling behind her hands muffles her words.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" I ask.
"She has a crush on me!" Sarina says dropping her hands into fists at her side. As she chews on her bottom lip, looking around annoyed, refusing to meet my eyes.
I bite back a laugh, pressing my lips into my mouth to try and keep from smiling. I have to turn around and clear my throat, struggling to not laugh. "Oh. That makes perfect sense actually."
I can feel her glare on my shaking back, before she huffs and grabs another small box to place in the car.
I join her with the last box for the car, after I've calmed myself a bit.
"Have you told the manager you won't be renewing the lease?" Sarina asks as we go to shut lights off and lock the place up.
"No, we haven't been here much for me to say anything to him. I'll try to remember tomorrow on my lunch." I turn and lock the door as we make our way to the car when an upstairs door shuts and I hear my name being called out.
"Oh! Brian! I'm so glad I caught you!" My upstairs neighbor comes down the stairs. I don't remember her name, but hopefully I won't offend her.
Sarina and I both stop as I raise a brow in question, "Hello, I'm sorry, what can I help you with?"
She smiles warmly at us both before saying, "I thought I should tell you, that I caught some guy looking through your open windows and taking pictures on his phone last week. Middle of the day too! I thought it was really weird, especially since you've not even been here, lately. I called the cops on him, but they just made him leave the premises. I've caught him lurking around once or twice before that too, but I didn't know he was looking in your place. He just seemed like an odd character and a suspicious one. I let the manager know too, but I don't think they informed you by the look on y'all's faces."
Stunned and confused, I thank her, "Thanks for telling me. I wonder what the hell that could be about?"
"You should be careful since you've not been home, he might have been scoping out your place to rob you. I would get your valuables out of there if I were you." She waves and heads back up to her apartment, leaving me scratching my head.
"Give me about fifteen minutes, Sarina. You can wait in the car if you want. I'm just going to put stuff in the windows and set up a few things so I can see if someone's breaking in and how they might be doing it."
She nods, but doesn't head to the car, "You don't want me to help you?"
Shaking my head, I let her know why, "I need to see how these things are left behind, so there's no questioning how it was possibly left. Something doesn't seem right about what she just said. I've had some acquaintance's who've had people stalk them and break into their houses with out their knowledge for weeks before. She said it was a man, but you never know." I rub the back of my head in thought and add, "Lock the doors while you're in the car too."
She nods and heads to the car while I go back inside. I check all the window locks before we go again and close my blinds all the way. I place items in the windows to make sure they stay closed. I close up every door in the house, placing a push pin on the hinges so if they are opened, I'll see them on the ground. Lastly, I sprinkle cornstarch just under the windows and then on the spot right in front of the door after I've stepped outside, setting the container on the ground just inside the door.
Locking everything back up, I head to the car and Sarina opens the door and I drive back to her place, but make sure I go in a round about way, checking for any possible cars following us in the rearview mirror. The sun was almost down, so it made hard to be positive. But even after pulling into a parking lot, and quickly turning the car off. It didn't seem like anyone was following us. I waited for about five minutes, before turning the car on to head to Sarina's.
The whole time, Sarina was quiet, just looking at me with analytical eyes. When we got into the house and unloaded the boxes, she finally spoke up.
"It wasn't just an acquaintance that has had a stalker issue, has it?"
I grimace, before releasing a heavy breath, "No, it was not. That Lucy chick is absolutely nuts, even though I think you've already figured that out before."
Sarina chews on her bottom lip, "Lucy was your stalker?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest as she rolls her eyes and heads to the bedroom, "Of course it would be that crazy ass whore."
I follow her into the bedroom and catch her arm as she's making her way into the bathroom.
"I need a minute, please." Sarina informs me quickly, so I release her with a sigh.
I'm not sure if she's angry at me, for me doing the exact same thing I got upset with her about just two days ago or if it's just because it was Lucy that was involved. I take a seat on the edge of the bed and take my shoes and tie off before taking my watch and belt to put them up in my top drawer in the closet. When I come out of the closet, Sarina's grabbing her sleepwear and some clean underwear out of her wardrobe drawers by the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a shower, care to join me?" Sarina asks, closing the wardrobe up.
"That sounds wonderful." I feel my shoulders relax some, as we make our way into the shower.
"So any ideas for Sunday's dinner?" I probe after we are done and drying off.
"No not really. Mainly cause I'm not sure how we both will be feeling with the wedding slash party Saturday, of which he'll be at. I guess maybe a roast? That way the meat and vegetables can be cooked together and we can make a salad to go with it?" She stares off into space, thinking out loud as she continued, "A beef roast... He'll want a red wine..." She trails off, drying her hair and grabs her phone and adds a note in her reminders.
"Do you think he's going to cause problems?" I ask her, recalling what she mentioned to me about their morning coffee meeting.
"When? At the party or at dinner?" She hangs her towel up and starts rubbing lotion into her body.
"Either."
"It's possible. I would hope he'd have the decency to not do it on Saturday though." She finishes applying lotion to her legs and moves to her arms.
"Here, let me apply some to your back." I tell her, taking some lotion and rubbing it into her skin. "So it's still possible. I'll do my best to make sure nothing happens on my end at least for your brother."
She looks over her shoulder at me and gives me a soft smile, murmuring, "Thank you."