“The Double Sided Coin”

There is only so much a woman can take. At a certain point, she has to take measures to preserve her sanity.

Kayla Knox knocked on the office door of Edward Tompkins, Private Investigator.  A slender man appearing to be in his forties soon opened the door, peering at her through his too small bi-focals, which made him look at least ten years older.

“Can I help you, Miss…”

“Knox. Kayla,” she quickly stated as she hurried inside. Once inside the door she turned and looked directly at him “I think some crazy person is following me,” she whispered urgently.

Tompkins closed the office door with one motion and escorted the visibly frazzled woman to a well-worn leather chair in front of his desk.  Seated on the other side, he took a long look at her; she was black, in her mid-twenties, clad in multicolored floral scrubs and white loafers.  Her raven hair was in a conservative bun that crowned her head.  Tompkins could tell she was reserved, caring, and singularly stubborn. He took a deep breath, looked at the clock, and reached into his desk for a pen and pad of paper.  It was the yellow kind of paper, one that always reminded him of his father’s office back at the law firm.

“So, Ms. Knox, what can you tell me about the person who’s harassing you?”

“Well, not much.”  She sighed.  “His face is always covered.  He wears a black hooded jacket, dark shades, and a surgical mask.”  She paused. “I’m a pediatric nurse, and he always seems to be hanging around the hospital.  At first I thought he was another employee but since I work varying hours, it seemed strange that he’s always there when my shift is over. ”

He looked up from his notes.  “I assume you’ve already spoken with the police?”

Kayla sighed and rolled her eyes.  “Yeah.  And they didn’t do anything.  They say they can’t until I have a clear description of the assailant.  By the time I have that; I figure I’ll be dinner for the fish down in the river.”

Tompkins was amused by her irate tone.  He knew how frustrated she must feel. He also knew that, without a description, the police really couldn’t help her.  “Well just to be safe, I’m going to start by doing some checking on your co-workers.”  He put his pad and pen away, cleared his throat and stood up.  “In the meantime, Ms. Knox I’ll have to ask you to remain vigilant; be very aware of your surroundings.”

“Thank you.” Kayla said, standing.  “You’ve already been much more helpful than the police in this town.  Just curious though…how much is this going to cost?” She asked in a shy tone, looking at the floor for a brief second.

“Well, I charge thirty dollars an hour for research, and fifty dollars an hour for reconnaissance.”

“That’s fine.”  She turned and headed for the office door.  “I’d rather pay you than end up decapitated at the bottom of a dumpster.” She laughed nervously.  “Thanks for your help, Mr. Tompkins.”

“Please,” he said, approaching her and shaking her hand, “call me Eddy.  Would you like for me to take you home?”

“No, that won’t be necessary; it’s just a few blocks down the street.”

“Well, at least let me follow you in my car, to make sure you get home safely.  After all,  I was just about to check on my mother on the other side of town, so I need to get out.”

Kayla relented.  She let him follow her home, his old blue Cadillac trailing her green Toyota Corola with the burnt out tail light. She was a little embarrassed since she wanted him to take her seriously, but she had to admit, her car was a little silly looking. He waited for her to unlock the front door of her modest one story house, complete with a fence around the perimeter. As she turned and waved from the porch, he drove away.

The very same evening, as Kayla lay on her sofa reading a romance novel, a shadow was stationed behind the bushes just outside her living room window.  As he watched her, he moved closer to the glass.  Yes, Kayla Joy Knox would be his perfect handmaiden.  She would enjoy the privilege of taking care of his every whim.  He stepped back a little and worked out the final details in his mind.

Before long, Kayla started to take notice of the prying eyes.  Making her way to window, she flicked off the lamp and peered out into the darkness.  Seeing no one, she quickly closed the blinds, making sure they lined up completely with the edge of the window. After checking that every door and window in the house was securely locked…twice, she finally headed to her bedroom to retire for the evening.

Within the week, Kayla finally received a call from Edward Tompkins.

“I don’t have any reason to believe this guy is a coworker of yours,” he told her. “The next step is to start looking at old boyfriends.”

“I only have two ex-boyfriends…but both from high school.” Kayla was rifling through her closet, looking for her apron.  “Both relationships were equally disastrous, but that was quite awhile ago.”

“Well, I’ll start with your exes, and we’ll go from there.  Be safe, Ms. Knox. This investigation could take a few more weeks, or even months, but I’m working as hard as I can. Don’t hesitate to call me.”

Kayla plopped down on her sofa.  “You know, my mother’s been trying her best to get me to stay with her.  But I’m not letting this nut job disrupt my life more than he already has.”

Edward chuckled. “You’re a real pistol.  Well, I’ve got to get back to work.  Have a good day, Ms. Knox.”

Replacing the cordless phone in the receiver, Kayla went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, digging around for some food.  As she decided what to make for dinner, she thought she heard a thud come from the dining room.  Quietly closing the fridge, she slid toward the patio door.  To her horror, she saw that the sliding glass door was ajar. Closing and locking it quickly, she glanced around to see if anyone had entered the house.  Grabbing a heavy wooden dowel she kept in the hall closet, she marched from room to room, looking under furniture, behind doors and drapes, and in all the closets.  When she was satisfied, she sauntered back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

As she strolled off the beige carpet and onto the green-checkered linoleum, Kayla’s eyes suddenly focused on the black hooded jacket and jeans, the surgical mask, and the dark shades perched on the edge of one of her stools. Enraged by his nonchalance, she lashed out, swinging the heavy dowel at his head, intending to crack it open like a honeydew melon.

But this was not the case.  She was shocked when he grabbed the dowel in midair and tossed it aside like a toy. 

“Now, Kayla. That’s no way to treat a guest. Where’s your hospitality?”  His voice was filled with condescendence.

Suddenly overcome with rage she flew roaring towards him, swinging her fists blindly. He restrained her with relative ease, forcing her mouth closed with a gloved hand.

“Look, gal, it’s no use fighting me.  You’re going to come home with me, and be my companion. You’ll see to my…all of my needs…” he trailed his free hand over her hip.  When Kayla recoiled in disgust, he grew angry and pushed her to the floor where she lay, temporarily unconcious.  “And you are also going to take good care of my mamma.  She’s sick, and she needs somebody like you.”

Kayla gathered her strength and struggled to her feet, backing slowly into the living room,  “So hire somebody.  What kind of bizarre…”

He cut her off in mid sentence; slapping her so hard she fell back against the sofa table, shattering the glass top and she landed upon.  “Shut up.”  He knelt before her, squeezing her chin between his two large hands. “This arrangement is non-negotiable.”

He closed his eyes and began to lean in, as if planning to kiss her.  Kayla used the opportunity to grab the lamp resting on the sofa table behind her.  The colored glass shattered into a million pieces as it made contact with his skull; he slumped into a heap on the floor.

Pushing him off of her and to the side, Kayla rose.  And as she broke out of her house she heard the intruder call her “some pistol.”  Deciding to waste no time over the comment, she continued to sprint to her neighbor’s house.

Within ten minutes, her yard and house were bustling with activity.  The paramedics were bringing out the barely conscious man on a stretcher, a young paramedic was holding the IV bag high above his head and they rushed him out.  Kayla was standing idly on the porch, stunned, when they wheeled him by; she followed them to the ambulance.

“Oh my God,” she said, as a police officer removed the shades and surgical mask. The bleeding man who she’d just pummeled was none other than Edward Tompkins. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

            Mr. Tompkins had been tracking Kayla for sometime.  He had slowly developed an indescribably intense desire to have her as a possession.   He plotted and schemed, finally choosing to lure her into a trap.  He used his occupation as a detective to his advantage.  Fortunately for Kayla, she had proven to be rather strong and unwilling to surrender.

Kayla decided that if she continued to live in her house, she’d need to be heavily medicated.  So she took her mother up on the offer, and went to live with her, lest her own mental state be jeopardized. One question remained on her mind for months to come.

Who’s going to replace my damn lamp?