Sanctuary (Part 2)

After much procrastination, I ended up totally forgetting that I needed to finish the story that I once started. A friend and a fan of the story reminded me the other day that I was keeping her waiting. Anyhow, I initially wrote the first part of the second part a while ago but I couldn't really decide on how the story should end. It was easier than I thought it'd be the second time around as things seemed to fall into place. I re-posted the first part here as well in case some of you forgot how it went. So, after much anticipation, here is second and final part to Sanctuary. Hope you guys enjoy the ending.

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The door to the apartment building looked like it could use a new coat of paint; but then again, working in a parish does not pay much. He was not due home until 6pm, she’ll wait for him. Oh yes she will, she had all the time in the world it seemed.

It wouldn’t be that hard to dispose of a priest, she thought. Even more so of a fake one. Nunez knew the cops were after him, trying to put him behind bars. After all, he was the biggest crime lord in the neighborhood. What better place to hide an undercover agent than the Church, right smack middle in his territory. The Iglesia de la Madre Santa de Cristo was where many religious criminals paid their respects and made their confessions to the resident priest.

Father Armando Cristobal or better known as Eddie Rodriguez, undercover detective had been working at the parish for over a year before he was finally discovered by Nunez. No one could tie Nunez to the hit, especially not when he’s been away in Argentina on supposed business. The death of a non-existent priest would put the cops in a difficult position. They can’t possibly blow their cover, not after staking out at that parish for so long.

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He reached Apartment 3-G. The familiar smell of books and stale coffee hit him as he stepped into his home. He shut the door behind him and turned on the lights. The harsh fluorescence of the light blinded him for a second before his eyes adjusted to the well-known surroundings.

Humming softly to himself, he crossed the living room into the small kitchen to prepare dinner. He set the paper bag of groceries on the kitchen counter before turning to grab a glass of water from the sink.

“Hello Eddie, it’s been awhile…”

He whipped around and saw her sitting in the corner, in the shadows. A small pang of fear gripped his heart; he could feel his chest muscles tighten. She looked as beautiful as ever but older perhaps since the last time he saw her. The look of innocence on her face was no longer there. In its place was a slightly cynical and knowing smile, a look that did not make him feel any better.

“I didn’t expect you…how did you get in?” he asked her. “You’re looking well, its been three years hasn’t it?”

“Yes it has. Time flies when you’re busy. It seemed like yesterday when I woke up in the cellar at the parish.”

Her smile was so disconcerting in its sweetness but yet, there was something behind that look that he could not quite grasp. It took him a while to realize that she was waiting for him to speak; he had been staring at her for quite some time.

“You’re looking well. Why are you here? Are you in trouble again?” his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her in the face.

“I wish you had not asked me, I never did want it to come to this. I didn’t want it to end this way.”

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She kept it clean, like Nunez asked. To make things difficult for the cops, she blew up the place where he lived; making use of what was there; a gas leak. No one would suspect foul play. It was a cooking accident. No different from any other gas leak incident.

Nunez had paid her straight up in cash, just like she asked. All at once, she felt sad but strangely relieved at the same time. It would be some time before she heard from her boss again.

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She turned the corner, one hand holding a shopping bag and another, a newspaper. Her dark hair was now a shade of flame red, cropped to a spiky do.

The dog pulled on the leash, refusing to climb up the stairs.

“Come on now!” she said impatiently, before deciding to carry her Pekinese up the stairs to the building of her second floor apartment. Before she walked up the stairs, she checked her mailbox.

It was the usual junk mail and bills. Then something caught her eye. It was a plain white envelope addressed to Melian. It has been 6 years since someone called her by that name. She looked at the back of the envelope for the return address but there was none. Feeling slightly nervous, she clutched the pepper spray on her set of keys tighter and climbed to the second storey.

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Her eyes were on the alert for anything out of the ordinary. Having had to change her name, face and move to a new country, she hoped her past wasn’t catching up with her again. She couldn’t have done it without Raoul’s help. What had been forgotten suddenly came back and her body automatically adjusted to the extra adrenalin pumping through her veins.

After making sure that no one else was at the stairwell, she quickly opened the apartment door.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” she called out into the semi-dark space. Alex whined softly. No one answered.

She still kept a gun in the shoe cupboard and now, after putting Alex down, she slowly took the gun out. Crouching in the dark, she checked every room only to be met with shadows of all her worldly possessions.

Satisfied, she locked the front door and turned on all the lights before settling down to read the letter.

She slit the envelope open. On a single white sheet of ordinary paper, was the following written in that familiar script.

“I know it has been a while since you’ve heard from me. Sorry it took so long but I couldn’t risk being found out after all you’ve done for me. It took me the better part of the last two years to track you down and believe me, it was no easy task. I’m staying at Riley’s Bed and Breakfast downtown, room number 16. I will be here until Wednesday.”

She looked at her watch, it was Monday. She continued reading.

“I can’t risk going out too much and especially to meet up with you. I heard that you’ve been working with Nunez again. He’s not the right kind of person to be around with, especially after what you’ve done. Remember, I love you. Ed R.”

She tossed the letter aside. Alex trotted up with her favorite squeaky ball, begging Melian to play catch with her. Melian threw the ball across the room and soon went into the kitchen to make dinner.

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She drove to the office the next morning in her black Mini.

“I must remember to schedule a visit to the vet for Alex. She needs another shot.” , she thought.

On the way home, she stopped by the grocer to pick up some things for dinner. Asim, her Bangladeshi grocer had a thing from her since the very beginning. Although it bothered and amused her slightly that he was always flirting with her, she never stopped shopping there as his produce was always fresher than the ones at the supermarket.

“What can I get for you today, beautiful?”, said Asim in his Bangladeshi accented English. She smiled at him.

“Just a couple of potatoes, some spinach…and have you got those strawberries for me?” she asked as she choose a few bunches of fresh herbs from the basket at the counter.

“Anything for you”, Asim replied as he packed up everything in a single brown paper bag.

“That would be $4.75 please.”

She picked up the bag with one arm and put a $5 bill on the counter.

“Keep the change. Bye Asim, see you soon.”

She had to get back home soon. Luke was coming over for dinner and she had to get the roast into the oven as soon as possible. It’s a good thing dishes like that could be prepared a day or two ahead.

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The potatoes were almost done when the doorbell rang and Alex barked.

“It must be Luke”, she thought and went to open the door.

They’ve been seeing each other for 5 months but before that, they were co-workers for over a year. One time, he confessed that it took him months before he could summon enough courage to ask her out. She laughed when he told her that; she’d never been happier.

There he was, standing at the door with a bunch of African daisies in his hand; her favorite. He rushed all the way here, she could tell by his disheveled hair. She smiled and pecked him on the cheek.

The roast was too much for the both of them and it was the smallest one she could find at the butchers. Looks like it would be roast beef sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, she thought as she washed up the dishes before heading off to bed. Luke had already left for home as he had some last minute work to finish on his annual report.

“Goodnight Alex!”, she said as she kissed her dog before switching off the lights to go to bed.

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The phone by the bedside rang. It was Luke.

“Hey, I’m on the way to the office but I decided to stop by and grab a bite for breakfast. Do you want anything?”

After promising that he would get her some bagels and a cappuccino, she hung up, got out of bed and hit the showers before dressing for work.

“Here, Alex”, she called before scooping up her dog under one arm and picking up her bag with the other one.

“You’re going to the vet today” she cooed to the dog and unlocked the front door. Stooping down, she picked up the morning paper on her doormat before tucking it into her bag and turning around to lock the apartment door.

After strapping Alex into the front seat, she walked over to the driver’s side and got in. She had to hurry to office before the mad rush to work starts.

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Luke met her at the cubicle and handed over what was to be her breakfast.

“Thanks dear”, she said before she put Alex down on the floor and sat down to have breakfast with Luke.

“Have you read the paper yet?”, Luke asked with a mouthful of croissant.

“Not yet, after I eat this”, she said through sips of cappuccino.

“You know Riley’s downtown? We’ve passed it so many times on the way to Vincenzo’s?”

“Hmm…I don’t think so. What is that place?”

“You know the Bed & Breakfast place one block away from Alex’s vet?”

“Oh yeah, that place. What about it?”

“Apparently, the manager found this guy murdered yesterday. He was trying to collect the rent for the room but no one answered so he opened the door. The police have no idea who did it as the guy was from out of town. They think it was a robbery as his wallet was found missing….”

She let his voice trail off and concentrated on trying not to burn her tongue with the hot cappuccino. Alex tried jumping onto her lap. She broke off a piece of bagel and offered it to her.

Luke was still talking…

THE END