Chapter Eleven
The hair on the back of Andrea’s neck stood on end and goose bumps dotted the skin on her arms. “You mean, someone actually tried to kill me?” She stared out the hotel window at the blue sky and wispy clouds in an attempt to calm her heart. Her backbone tightened and her breaths came in short gasps. She would not let them scare her.
“The perpetrator may have thought you were in the house or he may also have known you were not. However, all indications point to arson.” Andrea had left her information with the fire marshal’s office the day before. Brent Morrison phoned early, waking her.
“But…”
“That’s all I can tell you for now, Miss Wilton. I’ll fax my report to the hotel, if you’d like. Your insurance company may need a copy of this.”
“Will you be able to discover who burned my house to the ground or do the police handle that?” Catching this person would not save her house but…Revenge is mine saith the Lord…The Holy Spirit spoke loud and clear. Andrea sighed. Okay Holy Spirit. I’ll submit.
“The police will track down the arsonist although we’ll continue to look for clues to help them out. As for the insurance company, we’ll be happy to give them any details they want. This investigation is just beginning, so they may not want to settle just yet.”
The fire marshal’s fatherly, compassionate voice comforted Andrea. She believed he would do his best for her. “Thank you for calling me so soon. I appreciate this.”
“I just wish we could tell you more. Will your insurance cover your losses?”
“I don’t know.” Andrea exhaled noisily and then took a slow, deep breath. “I guess I’ll find out after I contact my agent. By the way, why don’t you take down my cell number? I won’t be here much longer.” Andrea proceeded to rhyme off the numbers, then said good-bye. She checked her watch. Eight o’clock. Time for a shower.
After a hurried breakfast in the hotel coffee shop, Andrea picked up the fax report from the fire marshal at the front desk and walked out into the sunshine, toward the parking garage entrance. Confident that God would look after finding out who torched her house, she tried to think of all the things she needed to be grateful for this morning. She drank in the beauty of His creation in the trees and plantings lining the driveway to the hotel. She was grateful He had protected her yesterday. As she thanked her Lord, she wondered why she’d not felt appreciation for life before. Something she’d taken for granted. Not anymore.
Taking the keys from her purse, she walked to the driver’s side of her car. Musk. A hand, encased in a scratchy fabric glove, clamped her mouth shut. Another arm surrounded her and roughly pulled her body into a hard embrace.
“Forget the Michners.” The voice sounded male. “You could be next.” He pushed her toward the car. Andrea reached out to catch her balance and heard a loud thump as the man jumped over the barricade to the lower level. By the time she turned around, all she could hear were footsteps running over concrete floors. A scream erupted from her bruised lips but she quickly squelched the urge to call for help. She’d had enough of the police. Besides, what could they do to help her anyway? The guy was gone. She shuddered and her knees felt as if they wanted to buckle beneath her. Holding on to the car for support, she wiped her hand across her mouth. Her face ached from the crushing glove that had almost suffocated her. Andrea brushed the car’s dust from her coat, straightened up and opened the door. She sat down hard and then quickly locked the doors again.
She swiped pesky tears from her eyes and put the car in gear. Andrea planned to visit a travel agent this morning. She’d found one particularly helpful when she’d arranged a trip for her boss so she drove to this agency but in a rather roundabout way to give herself time to gain control of her emotions. Thirty minutes later, she parked in front of a little red brick building that housed two agents well prepared to make dreams come true.
Chimes announced her entrance through the front door. The woman closest to the door smiled a greeting and then invited her to sit in a comfortable chair located to the side of her desk.
“Good morning. I’m Betsy Parker. What can I do for you?” Betsy leaned back in her chair as if preparing to give Andrea her full attention. She smiled, a friendly grin with a business like interest.
“A friend and I want two first class round trip tickets to Haiti. We’d like to use American Airlines if possible.” Andrea fiddled with the clasp on her purse. “The return dates need to be open since we’re not sure how long we’ll stay. We’d like to leave tomorrow.”
Betsy turned to her computer screen. “No availability on American but there are others.” She found a flight that would leave early the next morning.
Andrea had not expected her wishes to be that easily fulfilled. “That’s great, I think.”
“You’ll have to change planes in Miami but the wait between flights is only two hours. Sometimes, we’re unable to get these connections the same day, but you’re in luck.”
“Thanks, we’ll take them.” Andrea began to fill out the forms.
“Haiti is not the usual place for people to vacation. But today, you are the second person to book a flight to Port Au Prince.” Betsy watched her with a look of speculation in her eyes.
“Really? Interesting. Are they on the same flight then?” Andrea wondered who the other people were but she was too busy counting out the cash to consider the implications.
“No, he took the last seat on a flight that went directly there.”
“Lucky him. But I’ve never visited Miami so that should be fun.”
“You won’t have time to do more than explore the airport, I’m afraid.” Betsy reached for the money but then said, “By the way, it probably would be best if you booked a hotel room in Port Au Prince now too.”
“Of course. Let’s do that. Do you have any recommendations?” Betsy led Andrea through a few brochures that listed hotels and hostels for the traveler. The photos displayed a tropical country with palm trees and coconuts with clear blue skies and azure seas. Hotels were numerous with a variety of amenities. Andrea picked the one that seemed to be best suited for Brian and herself. While Betsy added the cost of two rooms for a weeks stay to the voucher, she looked at the other pictures in the brochures. Haiti looked like paradise.
Andrea paid for the trip. One task crossed off her list of things to do today. She tucked the tickets inside her handbag, and then walked out of the building. She looked cautiously in all directions. No one lurked nearby.
Relaxing against the seat cushions of her locked car again, Andrea placed a hasty call to Brian.
“I-I’ve g-got our tickets. We leave tomorrow at 8 a. m.” Andrea tried hard to keep the apprehension from her morning’s experience out of her voice. It wasn’t working.
“Wow. I know we said tomorrow or the next day but…”
“I-I know. It seems hurried but the sooner we go the sooner we…”
“Find the Michners. I know. What’s wrong Andrea?” Brian’s voice softened. “Still bothered about losing your house?”
“N-no but the fire marshal did confirm this morning that it was arson.” Andrea’s voice broke.
“He did. How do they… oh never mind…of course they have ways to find that out. How are you doing?” Andrea could hear a semblance of his protective spirit coming through the phone lines.
“I was fine until some man threatened me in the parking garage at the hotel.” Andrea could hear Brian’s gasp but then spoke before he could say anything. “That scared the daylights out of me for a second or two but…there’s no way they’re going to…”
“Andrea, a man accosted you? Did you call for help?”
“His hand was clamped over my mouth so I couldn’t. He warned me to forget the Michners. I have no intention of forgetting them, not ever.”
“Andrea, you need to carry…”
“No guns. If I’d had a gun, he might have shot me. Besides, do you remember what the pastor said yesterday about askin
g what Jesus would do? I think we should rely on the Lord, not guns.”
“But, Andrea. Those guys mean business.”
“All that thug wanted to do this morning was scare me. If he’d wanted to hurt me, he could have but he didn’t. As far as my house, the fire marshal pointed out that the arsonist may have set the fire knowing I wasn’t at home.”
“Things could get a lot more dangerous once we’re in Haiti. Don’t you think?”
“Maybe. But if we walk with the Lord, He’ll show us how to find Trent and Diane and keep safe too. Won’t He?” Andrea bit her lower lip.
“Of course. You’re right. If this trip is God’s plan then…OK, I won’t mention guns again.”
“Great. How’s your packing coming?”
“I’m almost done. Don’t have anything really summery though. And you?”
“I’ll be ready when it’s time to leave tomorrow. Right now I’m on my way to the insurance company. I need to get them started on replacing my house.” Andrea assured Brian that whatever he needed in the way of clothing could be purchased in Haiti. “Besides, I’m sure that in Port Au Prince you’ll be able to find all the nice flowery, tropical print shirts you’ll need.” She giggled for the first time all morning as she pictured Brian in flowers. She quickly hung up before he could comment.
Andrea started the ignition and drove the short distance to her insurance agent. With the fire marshal’s faxed report in tow, she convinced them to release a settlement into her bank account directly. Since she was not at fault, they were happy to settle for the insured amount of her house and its contents.
Next, Andrea went to a Century 21 real estate office. The agent had been very helpful in the selection of a home for Andrea when she’d moved to the area.
“I want a three bedroom home this time, with about 1 acre of land in the country but not too far from the city.” Andrea began to enjoy the idea of a new home, one not restricted by budget. “I’d like a fenced yard for my dogs, but that’s something I can add if the rest of the house is what I want.
“How soon would you like to visit some of the homes we have listed?” The real estate agent eagerly anticipated another sale that month.
“I will be away for the next two or three weeks, but I will get in touch by phone a few times while I’m gone. Can you just go ahead and find something for me. You already know my taste since we spent so much time looking the last time.”
“I could. I also have done some by videotape so you can review your choices long distance. Would that help?”
“Not really. Just have several ready for me to see when I get back.” Andrea picked up her purse, ready to leave. The agent said she would get to work finding just the right place for her.
Her last stop for the day was the police station. A quick visit with Lieutenant Kurshner revealed that nothing new had happened. “We only have so many people that we can place on a missing person detail,” he said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
Andrea drove back to her hotel with mixed feelings. She felt disgusted with the slow pace of the investigation but not surprised since Max had warned her that they could be involved. Her lack of trust cemented her resolve to leave the next morning and do the legwork herself.
She parked her car, outside the garage this time, and entered the plush lobby. The clerk at the front desk smiled a greeting as she made her way toward the elevator. The door slowly opened. Andrea stepped in but just as the door was about to close, a man, large in stature and wearing musk cologne entered. Andrea moved as far back into the elevator as she could. The man pressed a button for the 12th floor and stood facing the door. Andrea let out a sigh of relief. She got out on her floor, hurried to her door and then stopped. She looked toward the elevator. It had continued on its way.
She ducked inside her room and locked her door, adding the night latch for extra security. Throwing her suitcases on the bed, Andrea began to remove items from her closet and drawers, folding them neatly as she placed each item into the bags. New wardrobe, new luggage. Sometimes new is not all it’s cracked up to be. She missed the familiar. Photos. Memorabilia from her life. She felt like a person transplanted from another era, with no connections to the past.
At a little before seven that evening, Andrea met Brian for a hasty bite in the little coffee shop.
“This is nice.” Brian spoke as soon as he sat down across from Andrea.
“Yes, the food is great here too. I had breakfast here this morning. Are you all ready for tomorrow? Do you want me to pick you up, or shall we meet at the airport?” Andrea spoke in a nervous tone, tickled with the thought that her heart beat a little faster when she saw him.
“Why don’t I pick you up since your hotel is between my place and the airport?” His dimples peeked out the side of his cheeks.
“Sounds good to me.” Long spurts of silence allowed each to concentrate on their food.
“Will the dogs be okay until you can return. I’m sure they miss seeing you every day.”
“I have been visiting them as often as I can, but while we are away, they will miss me. It’s funny how attached we become to pets isn’t it? I wonder if God had pets in mind when he commissioned man to govern the earth?”
“I don’t know the answer to that, but they certainly are a comfort when we’re lonely, aren’t they? I used to have a dog. Since moving here I’ve not gotten myself another one. I felt so bad when that bus hit Barney that I just never had the heart to replace him.”
“Oh, that would be hard. I can’t imagine what I would do without Patches and Pokey. My house in flames scared me. Not for my stuff as much as the dogs.” Andrea yawned as they made their way through the lobby toward the front door. “I’ll see you here at six then, okay?”
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