Realistic or Modern Someone Wants Me Dead (Sleepy Sleuth, Allybanks00)

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Boston, Massachusetts

Dustin Dearborn sat on a stool with a ripped cushion at the front counter of Mikey's Pup. The air was thick with eye-watering cigarette smoke, the smell of spilled beer, and filthy toilets. The walls were painted concrete. During the day, it was dark as a cave and quiet as a grave as older customers drank without talking. At night, it was crowded, sweaty, and loud. This dive bar had fallen so far it had hit the dregs.

The shaven-headed bartender struggled to fix the broken TV above the bar. The neighborhood drunk muttered to himself in the corner. A depressed housewife played billiards while her toddler sobbed on a nearby chair. A gaggle of sloshed students risked broken fingers every time the waitress passed by their table. The bouncer tossed out a pair of scruffy foreigners, claiming that they always brought trouble. A young woman in a motorcycle jacket stashed cartons of cigarettes in the back room.

Despite the chaos and misery around him, Dustin seemed perfectly content to nurse his breakfast beer and listen to the sports radio.

 

[allybanks00]

Cassandra Bennett wandered inro the pub in Boston. Tonight was her first day here. She needed a drink, or two, or three. She hadn't slept all night, driving. She stopped at one grimy motel before deciding halfway through the night she didn't want to stay anymore and she left.

She was dressed rather simply, in a pair of bootcut jeans, her black hey dude sneakers and a black long sleeve top. She blinked as she stepped in the door slamming behind her.

She strolled over to the bar, eyes still swollen from crying, her makeup covering the bruises on her face, and her long sleeve covering up her bruises as well.

"I'll have a double shot of Tito's" she told the bartender, her thick accent sticking out in the crowd of Boston natives.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

The shaven-headed bartender arched one eyebrow at Cassandra. After a moment's pause, he shrugged and poured her the drink without a word. It was clearly too early in the day for him to care.

Dustin pivoted on his bar stool to look at the newcomer. She was a pretty girl, clearly not from around here, and obviously in distress. The former Marine wanted to do something to help her, but he was not certain if he was the best person to do so. She looked skittish, and he was not a friendly looking guy. He glanced around the room to see if anyone else was going to help. The only one who even registered Cassandra's presence was the young woman in the motorcycle jacket, who just shoved the smuggled cigarette cartons out of sight. Dustin sighed and set down his beer.

"Hello," he said to Cassandra, his voice low and smooth.

 

[allybanks00]

She downed her shot, setting down on the bartop with a soft clink. "One more please." she said to the bartender sliding him some cash.

She had scoped out her surroundings before sitting down, but she hadn't noticed the male immediately. When she felt someone's presence she stiffened slightly. When he spoke to her she just let out a sigh, raising her eyebrow. She wasn't in the mood.

"Hey there." she said curtly. She grazed her fingertips over the fresh glass of vodka. She was an idiot. Who goes to a bar first thing in the morning? And who tries to talk to someone first thing in the morning?! A thing to know about Cassandra was she was no longer a people person, and she didn't appreciate some stranger coming over to her.

She thanked God silently for the dim lights in the bar, with these this male, although attractive- she couldn't mingle with. He wouldn't see her bruises and start asking questions. The woman at the motel had started asking her questions and Cassandra just jutted it out to being a clumsy woman and that was the end of the conversation.. although she wasn't fairly certain that woman had believed her fully.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin nodded and sipped from his beer. It was almost comical for a man built like a powerlifter to be taking small sips from a light beer. He said something in Russian to the bartender, and the shaven-headed man nodded solemnly. The bartender put the bottle of Tito's down on top of Cassandra's cash and walked to the other end of the bar without a word. Dustin refilled Cassandra's shot glass.

"You are in trouble, aren't you?" he said to her. "You've got the look of a hunted fox."

 

[allybanks00]

She looked over at him. "What makes you think I'm in any trouble?" she asked him quizzically.

She almost wanted to make up excuses immediately, but she knew better. She knew that would lead to him finding out almost immediately, and she'd rather not do that with a stranger.

She ran her hand through her hair and nodded her head in a simple thanks as she tilted back the shot glass. It was a kind gesture. Meant more to her than she thought it did, that was for sure.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

"It's the look in your eyes," Dustin replied. "I've seen that look before. You checked the room before you came in. The door slamming shut nearly made you jump out of your skin. Who are you running from?"

The gentle giant made direct eye contact with Cassandra as he spoke. He was not trying to be intimidating. Quite the opposite, in fact. He poured her another drink.

 

[allybanks00]

The woman blinked slowly. She took another shot before finally looking up and looking into his eyes.

"I'm not running from nobody. I needed a break from my small town in Texas and ended up here." she told him simply.

She shifted the topic "So now you know why i'm here, why are you in a bar this early in the morning?" she questioned him folding her arms across her chest.

She felt the heat flush in her cheeks, she didn't drink often, and she hadn't eaten today.. or yesterday for that matter. Those three shots did more for her than she thought they had.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

"I am listening to the soccer game on the radio," Dustin answered with a surprisingly warm smile. "It's the World Cup qualifiers. America is playing against France."

He slid the old radio closer to Cassandra so she could listen to it without needing to turn up the volume. Mikey's Pup was the only place in Boston which still bothered to keep a sports radio on hand. Everywhere else just had televisions. He had spent so much time without a TV that he no longer had a taste for them.

 

[allybanks00]

She cocked an eyebrow up a little. "And why is it that you're in a bar instead of wherever you live with some TV?" she questioned him.

Maybe she was asking to many questions, but maybe that was the shots talking. She had sworn she wouldn't talk to anyone else.

She had to sit here until she sobered up, she needed to find a place to stay tonight. Boston had plenty of hotels, and she wasn't all that picky so she'd settle for something as long as it had a nice shower for her to wash her hair in.

She glanced down at her hands momentarily and fiddled with the rings on her hands, she debated telling him her name.

"Cassandra, by the way." she said to him. "My name." she clarified.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin nodded along as Cassandra spoke. He smiled at her slight jab about the television. He did not seem to mind. After all, he had heard far worse overseas. This girl was mild compared to what he was used to. He poured her another shot, just in case she wanted it, before he drained the last of his own beer.

"Call me Dustin," the ex-Marine replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Cassandra. I hope that more people believe you than your namesake."

 

[allybanks00]

She gave him a quick nod. "Nice to meet you too, Dustin." she said to him.

"Any decent hotels around here?" she asked him curiously as she downed another shot. Part of her thought he was trying to get her drunk, another part of her itched to believe there was still good in the world, and he was just being a nice guy.

She ran her fingers through her hair again. "Again, not from around here.. so I dunno where to really go." she said honestly. When she got tipsy the words started to flow out. "I don't have any family out here or nothin." she said to him with a shrug of her shoulders.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Seeing the alcohol start to hit Cassandra, Dustin slid the bottle of Tito's politely out of her reach. He felt a certain level of obligation to make sure she did not get herself hurt. A small part of him regretted pouring her the fourth shot.

"There are three nearby," Dustin answered. "There's a tourist hotel just down the block; expensive but comfortable. There's a family-owned hotel a few blocks over; one of those cash only places. And then there's the place I'm staying at; it's more of a terrace house than anything else, but I like it."

 

[allybanks00]

She looked at him. "Alright, I've got some cash on me- should last me long enough til I figure out what i'm doin" she told him with another shrug.

She wiped her eyes slightly and revealed some of the bruising that lined her eye and cheek.

She looked down and sighed again. "Where you from if you're staying somewhere that's not home?" she questioned.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin's expression hardened when he noticed the bruising on Cassandra's cheek. The sight of it angered him, though it would have been difficult to tell by looking at him. His was a cold anger. He never lost control.

He ignored her question as he wetted a bar napkin. Without any preamble, he dabbed at her bruised cheek with the wet napkin.

"Who hit you?" he asked solemnly.

 

[allybanks00]

She winced slightly when he moved towards her.

"No one hit me." she said to him. Her green eyes beginning to well with tears. "I fell. I'm clumsy." she said to him.

She grit her teeth slightly and pulled away from him, just a touch. "So that hotel, tourist hotel..Quick drive from here?" she asked him. She needed to get out, she felt like a deer trapped in headlights. This is why she didn't talk to people.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin lowered the wet napkin when Cassandra pulled away from him. He needed to be cautious. To be patient. He did not want to spook her. If she ran now, he might never find her again. He nodded his head when she said she fell, though it was obvious he did not believe her.

"Yes, the Macallistar Hotel," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "It's not too far from here. Would you like me to give you a ride?"

 

[allybanks00]

"I've got my car, I'll be alright." she told him truthfully. She reached for her bag and went to stand up but she stumbled some. She was drunk. Son of a bitch.

"I'll only let you drive me over there if you let me grab my bag out of my car and promise me you're not some serial killer." she said partially with a laugh, although there was some truth in that statement. Her way of rebounding quickly was how she kept the abuse hidden for so long, even people who knew her didn't know about it.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin moved without thought to catch Cassandra when she stumbled. He was fast for all that muscle. He gently helped to steady her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on her lower back. He wanted to be ready if he had to grab her by the belt in case she fell.

"I promise I'm not a murderer," he replied as he guided her toward the door. "Now let's go get your bag, Cassandra."

 

[allybanks00]

She looked at him and for whatever reason she didn't shy away. "Cass, you can call me Cass." she said to him.

She didn't let many people call her that, her ex kind of ruined it for her- but he seemed different.

She walked to her car and pulled out a big black duffel bag. She'd have to buy clothes eventually, but she had about three weeks of clothes stuffed in the stupid bag.

She grabbed a small carry on suitcase too, that had the rest of her shoes and makeup, all her body care and hair care stuff.

"Ready." she said to him.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin politely but firmly took the big duffel bag from Cassandra and slung it over his shoulder. It was big and bulky, but it was not very heavy. He led her to his own vehicle, a black SUV with tinted windows. He opened the passenger door for her, then lugged the duffel bag over to the back hatch. While she was not looking, he unzipped the bag just far enough to slip a fifty-dollar bill inside. It was the only cash he had with him. He hoped it would help.

Once his small bit of subterfuge was complete, he hopped in the driver's seat of the SUV and drove a few blocks down the road to the Macallistar Hotel. From the outside, the 19th century facade promised Old World charm. Inside, it could have been anywhere, all fake marble, glass, and potted ferns. Corporate travelers tried to remember which country they were in; all airports and hotels looked alike, and the artificial light made the place strangely timeless. It could have been two in the afternoon or two in the morning, and it would have been impossible to guess which.

 

[allybanks00]

She didn't say much when he took her bag, but she allowed him to do so. She got into his car, and put the seatbelt around her. She stepped out of the car, slightly wobbly- but the drive had sobered her up. The two hadn't talked much during the drive, but it was a comfortable silence.

When she got to the hotel she nodded slightly, this would be a good place for her. She was used to small town life, but this is something she needed- a big change, and a big shower- and she knew for a fact that she'd get both here. "Thank you for driving me here." she told him as she went to take her bag from him. "I think I can handle it from here.." she said slightly more awkward this time.

She debated asking him for his phone number, or to give hers to him, but she didn't know if she should, so she'd wait and see if he asked. If he did, she'd give him the number, if he didn't- no harm no foul, it's not like he should get wrapped up in her shit show of a life as it is. He was just being a kind stranger.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

"If you can't handle it, give me a call," Dustin said.

He handed Cassandra a business card with both his work and his cell phone numbers. A touch antiquated, perhaps, but that did not bother him in the least. If anything, he preferred things that were a little older, things that had proven their worth. The business card also revealed that he was a parole officer with the Boston Department of Corrections.

 

[allybanks00]

She nodded her head. "Thank you." she said to him, but her words had more meaning around them. Simple kindness from a stranger had meant so much to her in this trying time, even though she had sworn that she wouldn't have talked to anyone when she got there.

"Hi, I need a room." Cassandra said.

"Name?" the woman said behind the counter. "Cassandra Bennet" she said.
"Cash or card and how long is your stay here with us?" the woman smiled at her warmly.

"Uh card- and it'll be about two weeks." Cass said. She charged her credit card a whopping almost four thousand dollars before the woman took her to her room.

"You have all the emenities here, anything you need just call down to the service desk 24/7" the woman said.

Cassandra nodded. "Thank ya" she said politely before shutting the door. She sat down on the bed and put her face in her hands.He was going to find her, she knew he would. It was only a matter of time.

 

[Sleepy Sleuth]

Dustin was not the sort of man to sit idle when he had a hunch. He knew Cassandra was running away from someone, but what? An ex-lover was the most likely reason, though a controlling parent was not out of the question either. Perhaps something more sinister? No, he could not afford to assume more outlandish theories without good cause.

He pulled his black SUV into the hotel parking lot and waited. He only had half an idea what he was even waiting for. Someone who did not look like they were travelling normally. Someone aggressive. Perhaps, he thought, someone like him. Eventually, he got out of his SUV and went to the hotel bar. It was the perfect place for a stakeout. They had tall booths for quiet-but-public meetings, conversations, and exchanges.

Receptionists and porters shuffled about the hotel. Well-off tourists moved in packs. Business travelers shared corporate gossip or tapped at expensive laptops. Nobody caught his eye. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was wasting his time. He should be back at the pub catching the end of the soccer game, not lurking in a hotel bar waiting to catch a strange girl's phantom abuser.

Just as Dustin was getting ready to leave, he saw someone who fit the profile he had already built in his head. The man was in his mid-thirties, intense, wore luxury casual clothing and sunglasses, had a forgettable appearance save for his gray eyes, and was clearly fit. The man flashed a picture on his phone to the receptionist. Dustin could not see what it was, but he had a knot of nerves in his gut as the intense man headed for the elevator.