Dark Love Read online

  Dark Love

  Five Story Collection

  Dara Girard

  Contents

  About the Collection

  The Reason Why

  The Reason Why

  The Neighbor

  The Neighbor

  Dorcas

  Dorcas

  The One Certainty

  The One Certainty

  Wrong Turn

  Wrong Turn

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Dark Love: Five Story Collection

  Dara Girard

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  Published by ILORI PRESS BOOKS LLC

  www.iloripressbooks.com

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  All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any fashion without the express written consent of the copyright holder.

  About the Collection

  In this five story collection, love--maternal, romantic and familial—comes with a cost.

  Meet a woman who learns the power of fear in “The Reason Why”; another discovers the price of ignoring her heart in “The One Certainty”. A mother’s secret becomes revealed in “Dorcas” and a woman faces her trust issues in “The Neighbor”.

  The collection ends with “Wrong Turn” a story about a woman who discovers the consequences of one mistake.

  Enjoy these stories of friendship, revenge and compassion by national bestselling author Dara Girard.

  The Reason Why

  The Reason Why

  About the story

  Carolyn Thomas only wanted a pack of gum.

  She didn’t want another date with the nice guy who had asked her out or to notice the child in the crowded convenience store.

  A child with frightened eyes. A child who reminded her of herself.

  Carolyn wanted to leave the store and forget them both.

  But Carolyn wouldn’t get what she wanted…

  A short story about the unexpected consequences of one look.

  The Reason Why

  The child looked frightened. But any child might look frightened on that busy night in a crowded gas station convenience store. Carolyn Thomas imagined the child to be about eleven years of age. She couldn’t guess the gender from the unisex jeans, blue jacket (perfect for the light chill of a southern Maryland spring), and black baseball cap the child was wearing. She wouldn’t have taken much notice of the child if not for the eyes. Frightened brown eyes that seemed almost hollow against the child’s honeyed skin tone. But then the child was among what must have seemed like giants—a large fellow near the sodas who smelled like cigarettes and perfume when Carolyn had passed him, two teenagers in thick heeled boots, one confident, the other not; a man in a grey, ill-fitted suit coming or going to work, impatient. He’d looked at his cell phone twice and softly swore at it. The five people who stood in line waiting to pay who she could only identify by the backs of their heads.

  Then there was her. But she didn’t think a petite black woman with short twists could be very frightening to anyone. Carolyn hadn’t grown much since age twelve—to her horror—and at twenty-nine, still got carded when she went for drinks. It was a compliment at times but didn’t help at work where few people took her seriously no matter how she modulated her voice. As an orthodontist, it took referrals to build her business since people, when seeing her, assumed she was a dental assistant or a new graduate. But she managed to put them at ease and her professionalism and skill in her chosen profession finally won her patients over.

  It was from patients, both old and new, that she’d learned to sense fear. She’d known it growing up. She’d been a frightened child. Frightened of separation, crying every time she couldn’t see one of her parents in view; of thunderstorms, burying under the blankets when the thunder roared; of the Boogeyman under the bed; she had her parents use a flashlight to scare it away before they left the room. So perhaps it was just a nervous child she saw and nothing else.

  Carolyn glanced at her date, Malcolm Verland, who stood in front of her in the long line after he’d pumped gas into his freshly vacuumed Lexus. He was another adult she hadn’t included. To a child, Malcolm could appear to be a little scary—he was a black man of average height with dark, short cropped black hair. His silver rimmed glasses softened his angular features a little, but not much. He owned a portrait studio and liked to brag that he never forgot a face. He even mentioned that he could remember thirty names from the site for Missing and Exploited Children. She found that a rather grim, disturbing interest.

  Carolyn sighed wondering why the line felt as if it were moving at a glacial pace. She wouldn’t be waiting here if Malcolm hadn’t decided to stop for gas on a busy interstate connector before heading to some new Thai restaurant he’d heard about. Why he’d insisted on stopping she couldn’t really understand (if fuel had been so urgent couldn’t he have gotten the gas before hand?), but she was sure this would be their final date anyway. She liked him well enough but after six months and several outings together there was no spark.

  If he was interested in staying friends she’d consider it, but nothing more. They really had nothing in common. It had been more curiosity on her part. She assumed that was the reason why she kept saying yes to him whenever he asked her out. They worked in the same office complex. His studio was one level above her. He was very low key and laid back, she liked to plow ahead. On their first date they’d gone rock climbing, her suggestion not his, and somehow he’d ended up breaking his ankle.

  She didn’t think she’d see him socially again, giving him an awkward smile when she saw him riding the elevator using crutches four weeks after the incident. But after a couple of weeks, and out of his cast, he’d called her again to see if he could see her, and she’d agreed, more out of pity this time. She had gotten him injured after all and said the second date would be on her. He didn’t argue. They’d gone to her favorite seafood restaurant where he’d ended up with a rash because he was allergic to shellfish. He said he hadn’t known, she wasn’t sure she believed him.

  The third and fourth dates hadn’t been a disaster (thankfully) but not thrilling either. She didn’t really know why she kept saying yes. The third date had been another pity yes. The fourth, probably boredom. A free meal with a nice guy was better than trying to find something to eat at home. But this would have to be the last. She didn’t want to waste his time or hers.

  Carolyn glanced at the child again. Something about the child’s expression bothered her. It didn’t just look frightened, but lost. She made a move to walk over to the child then saw the young man next to the child (an older brother perhaps?) nudge the child forward. He had a scruffy look, but didn’t stand out. He wore a similar dark cap, his brown hair reaching his shoulders. So the child wasn’t alone. Someone was with it. Carolyn sighed, annoyed with herself. She was imagining the Boogeyman under the bed again. It was none of her business.

  “Ma’am?”

  Carolyn turned to the sound of the impatient accented voice. The man behind the counter reminded her of her Uncle Tayo with his rotund figure and bushy mustache, except he was two shades lighter and wore a turban. Uncle Tayo was unlike the other adults in her life. He wasn’t like the ones who used to tease her for being frightened of so many things or the ones who used to scold her for having what they thought of as a silly feminine weakness. No, Uncle Tayo used to tell her that being frightened was sometimes good. That she should trust it. She never believed him.

  She believed him even less now, embarrassed that she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the line had reached her. “I’m sorry,” Carolyn mumbled then stepped out of line and motioned the woman behind her to go ahead.

  Malcolm frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  She bli
nked. “Nothing. Why?”

  “I thought you wanted to get gum.”

  Carolyn looked down at the packet in her hand as if it had miraculously appeared there on its own. “I did.”

  He pulled her over to the side near a display of magazines. His tone sharpened. “What’s going on?”

  She stared up at him, surprised by the seriousness of his voice. She’d never heard that tone before. She bit her lip. It was nothing. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. The child and the man would leave soon. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you look upset.” He sighed. “I know I should have gotten gas before I picked you up. Is that what this is about?”

  Carolyn shook her head, vaguely surprised she wasn’t as irritated as she had been earlier. “It’s not that…it’s just...never mind.” She chewed her lip, resisting the urge to look at the child again. “You said you had a reservation, right?”

  Malcolm touched her arm, his voice patient. “What is it?”

  She’d tell him. No matter how foolish it sounded. He would reassure her that it was nothing. Then they’d leave. They’d enjoy a nice meal then she’d stop seeing him. It was all so simple. “I just saw a child who looked frightened, but it’s with its brother, uncle or guardian so I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  That was also something about him that she knew didn’t bode well for a carefree relationship. He was too serious at times. He tended to probe deeper instead of letting things alone. “It’s nothing really. Probably just my imagination.”

  “Where’s the child?”

  Carolyn turned, half expecting the child to be gone. It seemed like so much time had gone by, she thought the child would disappear (quietly leave the store unnoticed, as if it had never existed). But no…there it was. Still. The presence of the black cap and brown eyes, forcing Carolyn to face her apprehension.

  Malcolm replaced Carolyn’s pack of gum on the nearest shelf and grabbed a bag of nuts. His movements appeared casual, but when he spoke it was clear he wasn’t. “I see her. You’re right, something’s off.”

  She didn’t want to hear that. “What do we do?”

  He swore.

  “What?”

  Malcolm looked worried. “If I distract the guy do you think you can convince her to go with you?”

  Carolyn swallowed. She sensed his urgency and didn’t want to ask questions, although her mind was spinning with a series of them. How do you know it’s a “her”? Why did you swear when you saw her? Why are you so certain she’s in trouble? She wanted to say, “I don’t know if I can take her,” but somehow ended up nodding her head and saying, “Yes.”

  It was a bold move. What if they were wrong? What if…?

  Malcolm handed her his car keys. “If I’m not out in two minutes, you leave without me and take her to the nearest police station.” His eyes held hers. “Promise.”

  Again she nodded. Too scared to speak.

  He began to turn. “Good.”

  She reached for him, but stopped short of touching the back of his jacket. “Be careful.”

  He met her gaze and slightly shook his head as if to say, Don’t worry about me. Worry about the child.

  Carolyn swallowed and lifted her chin ready to do what was necessary.

  She watched him bump into the young man then pick up two ten dollars bills off the ground. “Sorry, man. Did you drop this?”

  “Uh…yeah…” the young man said. “I think so.”

  Carolyn felt a little relieved at the young man’s greed, it would make things easier. She waited for Malcolm to block the man’s view of the child. Carolyn pretended to look at a row of beef jerky as she reached for the girl’s hand. What if she screamed? What if she resisted? But soon she felt the child’s cold fingers wrap around hers and knew the next step was to escape.

  She hurried to the car under a darkening sky, her nostrils assaulted by the scent of diesel fuel from a passing truck, and put the child in the backseat before she sat in the passenger seat. The girl was trembling and still looked frightened. Carolyn took off her light wrap and put it around the girl’s small shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you to your parents.”

  The girl gripped the wrapper but didn’t respond.

  Carolyn looked towards the convenience store and saw Malcolm in the large window still talking. What was he doing? What was taking him so long? Was she really going to have to leave without him? She glanced at her watch. He had thirty seconds left. She looked at the driver’s seat. He was taller than she was; it would take another few seconds to adjust the seat to fit her. But she’d drive standing up if she had to. She had to keep the child safe.

  Carolyn started to slide into the driver’s seat when the driver’s side door abruptly opened. She let out a scream of alarm.

  “It’s just me,” Malcolm said, settling into the seat. His tone was grim. “I don’t think I fooled him enough.”

  Carolyn glanced in the rearview mirror where she saw the young man racing out of the store with another customer pointing at their car.

  “He knows.”

  “That’s okay.” A ruthless grin touched his mouth that gave Carolyn a slight shiver of excitement and unease. “Let him try to catch me.” Malcolm put his foot on the gas and sped out of the station, slipping into the rushing traffic with an ease that surprised her.

  They didn’t get caught and it took a few miles to realize they weren’t being followed. Carolyn felt her pulse return to normal and started to breath normally again. She turned to the backseat. The child’s eyes were still wide. She wasn’t sure what emotion shone there—fear? hope?

  She softened her tone. “What’s your name, honey?”

  “She doesn’t speak,” Malcolm said.

  Carolyn looked at him. “How do you know that?”

  “That’s what the alert said. She’s been missing for a week. I saw her face in a story I read online.”

  His grim hobby had a purpose. I never forget a face. Yes, he’d told her that and it had appeared to be true. The pieces came together: Why he’d sworn when he saw the child; why he’d known what gender she was and that she was in trouble.

  It was nearly a week later that they learned how much trouble Lauren Hollis had been in. They’d spotted her in the busy convenience store just in time. The security cameras outside the store got the perpetrator’s license plate and the police were able to track him down eventually.

  He was a young man named Greg Jeffers who was on his way to drop the twelve year old girl off in a series of hotels on his way to meet with another man in Arlington, Virginia. He’d come from Delaware to Maryland and had passed, with Laruen in the passenger seat, through two police encounters—both for seemingly harmless traffic violations—but was let go when the well-meaning officers didn’t notice the $5,000 in cash, stack of prepaid phone cards and large boxes of condoms as a possible sign of sex trafficking.

  Carolyn and Malcolm tried, unsuccessfully, to stay out of the press. But the story of their rescue hit the news—the media amazed by what Carolyn and Malcolm had managed to do, making the incident sound more daring and heroic than it actually was. Carolyn understood the media’s interest. It was rare to get a missing kid story to end well, although she knew there would be a lot of healing for Lauren Hollis and for her family.

  They didn’t make it to dinner at that new Thai restaurant that night. Instead they stopped by a late night diner and shared a large double fudge brownie with lots of whipped cream. They didn’t say much but not much needed to be said. Carolyn inhaled the sweet scent of chocolate and watched Malcolm as he glanced out at the few cars sitting in the brightly lit parking lot and realized she wasn’t with him because she was lonely or bored or hungry.

  “You’re amazing,” she said.

  Malcolm turned to her startled.

  “What you did was amazing,” she clarified.

  He shook his head looking a little embarrassed. “No, this is all
thanks to you. I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t pointed her out to me.” He fell silent a moment, then said, “That’s why I like you. You push me to try things.”

  She smiled. She’d never thought of herself that way. But with him she had tried things she wouldn’t have with others. Because with him she didn’t feel afraid.

  She liked him too. It was a comfortable, settled feeling without sparks, but she didn’t need that. Not anymore at least. In a world that could be frightening, she found that something steady, warm and familiar could be wonderful. Malcolm was more than a nice guy who took pictures of families (his specialty being children)—he was kind, compassionate, a thinker, a doer. He’d taken the broken ankle and skin rash better than most. For too long she’d focused on all that he wasn’t instead of what he was.

  Her fear had made him come into focus.

  Fear.

  The one thing her uncle had taught her could be good sometimes. Now she believed him. Fear had helped her see the child, helped Malcolm to know something was wrong, and helped her to see him completely.

  So when Malcolm asked her if she wanted to go out again, Carolyn didn’t hesitate. She said yes and this time she knew the reason why.

  The Neighbor

  The Neighbor

  About the story

  After a long day, Anita Cross just wants to enjoy a hot latte in her favorite coffee shop.