Broken Star and Unbreakable Box Set

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Stupid celebrities,” Alexis cursed as she kicked at the sand with the toe of her pointy boots. If there was one thing Alexis despised it was the “all that” attitudes of the celebrity crowd that frequented the expensive beach resorts.

Early on in her career she had dealt with numerous demands from rich divas just like Lynn. They were all the same; dramatic, conceited, and annoyingly beautiful. Rich beauties who pranced around and teased the common folk with their s*x appeal and polished image. Her colleague Colin accused her of being jealous. She certainly did not feel jealous of the celebrities she had encountered. Okay, so maybe with the money they splurged on nonsense items like ten-dollar cups of cappuccino, she could afford to provide her daughter a better life. Perhaps she could even afford to send her to a real college when she was older, but those were just pipe dreams that could never happen because Alexis would never be wealthy. She was not jealous; she just felt that people who wasted money to that extent, didn’t deserve it.

Alexis glanced around the deserted beach one last time, checking for anything that appeared to be out of order. She watched the soaring waves for a brief moment as they crashed into the grainy sand and flooded the area where she stood. Her eyes were tired. Letting out a long sigh, she pulled her jacket tight and walked towards the small house at the end of the stretch. Until the man they had termed the Bikini Killer was apprehended, she had moved into the cheapest available vacant real estate on the beach. It wasn’t her idea; there was no way she had wanted her young daughter anywhere near the area the perverted creep had been stalking. It wasn’t as if she had been given a choice either. Her superior thought she was the best one for the job; so, it was either take the assignment, or get fired.

With raising a six year old on her own, she could not afford to lose her only source of stable income. “Life sucks, and then you die,” she muttered. Cynicism had become like a second skin to her with all the day-to-day disasters she faced at work, and in her personal life, though she preferred not to discuss the subject. Her strong legs carried her up the wooden planked stairs of the rental house and she popped her key into the lock. When she stepped inside, she smiled at her little girl who was plopped in the middle of the living room floor with several of her dolls in a cluttered circle.

“Mommy!” Calista tossed the glittering Barbie on to the floor with a thud and a loud squeal. Jumping up, the bouncing child rushed into her mother’s arms, nearly causing her to lose balance.

“Hey, angel,” Alexis squeezed her daughter tight, planting a warm kiss on the top of her forehead. Her daughter was the one consistent thing in her chaotic life. She was the one person that kept her going when her mundane life got the best of her.

“Nora showed me how to make waffles!” Calista said excitedly when the youthful babysitter stepped up beside her and Alexis.

“She did?” Alexis grinned, lifting her daughter into her arms as she turned towards the smiling, raven-haired young woman whose cheeks were covered with flour. “Thank you so much for coming at such a last minute tonight, Lenora.”

“It’s no problem. I always love spending time with this cutie.” Lenora pinched Calista’s cheeks teasingly. “Do you need me back tomorrow?”

“No, I finally have a day off.” Alexis sat her bouncing daughter down on the carpeted floor and rubbed her palm across the top of her golden hair. Alexis reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet, counting out the money she owed to Lenora.

“Any new leads,” Lenora asked as she crammed the worn wad of cash into her pocket.

“No,” Alexis shook her head sadly. “Be careful out there. I didn’t see any signs of him tonight, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t out there…watching. Do you still have that pepper spray I gave you?”

“Yes, ma’am, sure do.” Lenora smiled, patting the back pocket of her denim jeans. “And I remember the moves you taught me.” Her black hair swished when she slipped her thin jacket over her bare skin. “I’ll be careful. I promise.” Lenora’s arms wrapped around Alexis, “And I’ll call you when I’m safely home.”

“Good girl,” Alexis smiled as she walked Lenora to the door and leaned against it with a long sigh. “I just worry about you out there with that creep still on the loose.”

“Oh, Mom, I’ll be fine,” Lenora teased before giving Alexis one last hug.

Alexis constantly worried about Lenora. She was so young and innocent to the cruelties of the world. To Lenora, everything was a bright new possibility. Her outlook on life was always positive and she hardly ever let anyone or anything bring her down. Ever since the two had met, Alexis had thought of the girl as a sort of surrogate daughter. It filled Alexis’s pessimistic heart with joy when Lenora called her ‘Mom.’ Lenora was only twenty with her entire life beckoning. Instead of behaving like a typical twenty year old, Lenora was dedicated to her grueling college studies. With a major in Forensic Criminology, Alexis had been able to help Lenora with her tedious homework many nights, since she too had taken classes in the field. Lenora’s mother had abandoned her when she was only ten, and in a way, Alexis had become the only maternal figure Lenora ever trusted.

Alexis sighed as she watched Lenora until the young woman was completely out of sight. A small hand tugged at her pants leg. Turning, she looked down to see her wide-eyed daughter smiling up at her. Calista was almost a carbon copy of her mother with deep-set blue eyes and honey colored curls that cascaded over her shoulders. “You, little girl, need a bed!” Alexis scooped her daughter into her arms with a grin, balancing the wiggling girl on her hip. “What are you still doing up this late?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Calista jutted out her lower lip as her big doe eyes filled with sadness. Alexis grinned, reminded of the doe-eyed looks she would flash, even to her co-workers, when she was trying to make them feel sorry for her. She laughed inwardly when she recalled how she had flashed her partner that look more times than she could count. Cuteness, she thought, will succeed in getting what you want every single time. Unfortunately, her daughter had already learned that cuteness was very convincing. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby.” Alexis double checked the locks on the door and flipped the heavy deadbolt as an added precaution. With a killer on the loose, one could never be too careful. After kicking off her boots beside the door, she glanced around the room one final time. Maybe she was being overly paranoid. All of the years of working the Special Victims Unit were slowly starting to take a toll on her mind. She turned off the lights and headed towards the staircase. “I promise tomorrow we’re going to spend some time together. I’m sorry Mommy has had to work such long hours lately.” Alexis’s bare toes squished into the ivory carpet as she rubbed her daughter’s back when she yawned.

“It’s okay, Mommy.” Calista’s tiny arms held tight to Alexis’s slender neck as she cuddled against her mother. “Did you catch any bad guys?”

“Not tonight, sweetie.” Alexis carefully detached her little girl’s fingers and settled her in the feathered bed. After tucking the covers around Calista, Alexis slipped in beside the yawning child and wrapped both arms around her daughter’s tiny waist. Normally Calista slept by herself; however, since the police were no closer to catching the Bikini Killer, she did not feel safe leaving her daughter alone. Alexis softly kissed the little girl’s cheek and said, with a long sigh, “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is all about us, my angel.”

“I love you, Mommy.” Calista snuggled into the warmth of her mother’s embrace; a small smile crept on to her lips.

“I love you too, Jelly Bean.” Alexis closed her eyes, holding her daughter in the safety of her arms, as she waited on Lenora’s call.