The Possession of Tyra Dove

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

With a cup of El Gavilan nestled in her lap and her Mac Book Air open on the low wooden table in front of her, Laurie Bass gazed out of the window of the coffee bar as the rain lashed down onto Commonwealth Avenue.

She was thinking about Tyra and the time they had first met. Tyra had been something of a celebrity even then, and Laurie – who had been an attendee at Tyra’s presentation to the campus’ Smart Woman’s Society – had been struck by the dignity and self-confidence of the young journalist.

After the speech, Laurie had sidled up to the group surrounding the Springfield College Girl, and up close she had detected a simmering sensuality beneath that tough exterior. She had suspected that Tyra might once have been a shy and sensitive girl like herself, and maybe that was the reason that they had connected so naturally.

Laurie was inspired by Tyra’s passion for women’s rights, and when she had offered her services as a researcher, Tyra had given Laurie her business card. A few weeks later, Laurie had called her with a tip-off about an address in East Boston where young Latina girls were being kept illegally. The resulting arrests and accompanying story had helped catapult Tyra’s career into the spotlight, and since then Laurie had continued to use her research skills and network of contacts to keep Tyra a step ahead of her peers.

Although most of their communications were via phone or e-mail, Laurie would occasionally uncover letters or documents which Tyra didn’t want to risk losing in the mail, and they would hook up for lunch. Tyra had always conducted their business in a friendly but professional manner, and Laurie was pretty sure that even after having known each other for over a year, Tyra was unaware of Laurie’s deeper feelings for her. Actually, Laurie herself wasn’t entirely sure how she felt. Before meeting Tyra, she had never suspected that she might have lesbian tendencies – indeed she had dated quite a few boys through high school and college – and she had never consciously looked at another woman that way before. Yet here she was, a dull throbbing in the pit of her stomach, wondering what Tyra was doing right now, and hoping that she was going to be alright.

The reason for Laurie’s apprehension was that a disturbing pattern was beginning to emerge from her research. It turned out that Paige Arquette and Sadie Finch were not the only young women to have dropped off the radar in the vicinity of Saddle Hill in recent months. Just over a year ago, a nurse called Julie Davies had been reported missing by her family after she had failed to return to her Boston home after a vacation. She had been traveling on I-90 and according to witnesses, had last been seen in Chicopee where she had stopped for gas.

Six months later, Madeline Costello, a waitress, had been hitchhiking to meet her boyfriend in Worcester. She didn’t get there – last heard from in the Westfield area on I-90. And finally, three months ago, Bethany Jackson, a student at Quincy, was on her way to a summer job interview in Lattingdon, but didn’t make the appointment. The most unsettling factor however, was that so far, Laurie hadn’t been able to uncover one missing person’s case in that locale prior to Valentine Vang’s purchase of Booker Hall on Saddle Hill. Coincidence? Laurie didn’t think so.

She was interrupted from her musings when a man entered the coffee shop – and Laurie’s concerns over Tyra’s safety were momentarily forgotten. He had finely chiseled features – a straight prominent nose, a strong chin, twinkling blue eyes, and slicked back dark hair. It was a face that Laurie was sure could melt any woman’s heart – and unlock her bedroom door.

She secretly observed him as he hung up his wet raincoat and found a table at the rear of the coffee shop. There was a confident swagger in his stride and Laurie suspected that a well-honed body resided under his cotton shirt and tweed pants. Here was a man who liked to take care of himself, and Laurie detected a certain air of vanity about him.

Unaware that she was staring, Laurie suddenly found herself looking directly into his eyes. She blushed and looked away, but was instantly drawn back to him again. He was still looking at her, and now Laurie felt the heat spreading from her face down inside her sweater to her chest. Finally, he smiled at her and gave a little nod before returning to his work.

Laurie too, heart aflutter, turned her attention back to her screen, but now she was unable to concentrate. She glanced up again but this time the handsome stranger paid her no attention.

Trying to regain her focus, Laurie returned to the blog she was reading. When she reached for her coffee cup, a shadow fell across the table and she looked up to see the man standing above her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” the man smiled and offered his hand. “My name’s Alex. I couldn’t help wondering, but have we met before?”