Sky Queen Read online

  Neal’s grin widened like a hound dog with a steak bone. “Hey, I saw you at the Playboy press party a couple of weeks ago. First, it seemed like a Mafioso guy had you in a locked embrace, and then a mysterious knight in shining armor rescued you from a tumble. And then there was Bunny Katherine. You made the most incredible vision.” Neal chuckled.

  Katherine’s face turned red. She cleared her throat. “I did that to help me write my article covering the Mansion and the party.”

  “Yeah, Charlotte said you’d be taking notes or mingling for your ‘fake’ article.”

  Katherine slammed her notebook on the table. Charlotte’s unread letter flew out and touched Neal’s elbow. “She didn’t even need to bring it up. I’m not a journalism student; I’m majoring in anthropology with a focus on archeology. She only told the Playboy party coordinator that I was a student who wanted to write an article as a ruse to get me an invitation. As far I know, the publicity lady never asked to see any fake story. I forgot about it since I didn’t have to write anything. It did help me get away from that gangster guy.”

  Neal sat back and picked up Charlotte’s note. “Jungle Gardenia,” he said. “Charlotte’s trademark. Is this for me?” He paused and laughed. “Is this a Dear John letter?”

  Katherine snatched the note from Neal’s clutched hand. “It’s a letter from Charlotte to me. I couldn’t bring myself to read it, but now that I know what happened with you and her last night in the lobby, I bet she wrote and asked me to tell you to stay away from her.”

  Neal laughed. “You look like a hit squad recruit. You did hang out with that gangster.”

  “Yeah. I’m on the payroll as a spy or mole,” Katherine shot back.

  Neal smiled. “You’re interesting. And I thought you were another fly girl, a step above a Playboy Bunny.”

  Katherine glanced at Charlotte’s note but didn’t read it. She closed her notebook and did everything possible not to look at Neal. This sort of thing didn’t happen to her. It did to Emma Jean, but not to her. She wondered if he’d come on to Charlotte the same way. Her body temperature surged. He’s just another scoundrel. He’s just another hunk who wants every chick who crosses his path. “Well, when I see Charlotte, I’ll tell her I had coffee with you.”

  Neal leaned forward and pulled Katherine across the table toward his face. He leaned in and whispered in Katherine’s ear. “Stay calm. I noticed a creepy guy at the back table. His eyes have stayed glued on us the whole time. I know a stalker when I see one. Play it cool. Give me a kiss and hold my hand.”

  Katherine’s muscles tightened. Her heart thumped. Was this a trick? No, she remembered that creep who had followed her on the street last night and had her keys. She gave him a smile that melted into his warm kiss. She felt safe with him and thought. Wow. Is this how bodyguards do their job?

  Neal rested his elbows on the table and looked into Katherine’s eyes. His eyes shined with concern for her. He didn’t act like a guy who’d made another conquest. “Katherine, are you and that gangster guy an item?”

  Katherine swallowed in an attempt to calm her stomach. She wanted to scream but took control of her emotions. “No. I barely know him!”

  Neal grabbed Katherine’s notebook for a piece of paper. He grabbed Katherine’s pen and wrote: Then why is that guy tailing you? He may have other accomplices also checking us. If you want to talk more, we should leave this joint. Let’s go over to the zoo. We can speak in private.”

  Katherine read it and nodded. In a rush, she gathered up her notebook and purse, and Charlotte’s letter dropped to the floor. A cold sweat surged over her when she picked up the note. When her sweating hands grabbed Charlotte’s note she spied the stranger glaring at her. Yikes, that’s the snake, the one on the bus, the one who followed me on the street, and the one from the library. What does he want with me?

  “Darlin’ Katherine!” Emma Jean squealed, rushing up to them outside Third Coast. She hugged Katherine and waved her hand through the air to reach out for Neal’s hand. “Are you two going somewhere or can you come back in and have a cup of espresso with lil ol’ me?”

  Katherine sensed Emma Jean itching to pull her away to get the details on this handsome man, but the thought of the stalker made her feel queasy. “I’ll have to call you later. Neal and I have an appointment.”

  He gave an impatient nod. “Yes, we’re late now. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Emma Jean eyeballed the couple and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, my. I don’t want you to miss an appointment.” She turned to Katherine and gave her a look that sent thrills through Katherine’s veins. “Call me when you have time.”

  She watched her best friend disappear into the Third Coast restaurant. Katherine sensed time and events moving her on to new things. Katherine wiped her brow and lifted her head with the support of a quote from W. Somerset Maugham from Of Human Bondage, “The secret of life is meaningless unless you discover it.”

  Neal turned and touched her shoulder. “Hey, I don’t want to interfere with you and your friend. I’d say go after her, but you have something threatening in your life right now.”

  Katherine twisted her love beads and frowned. “Yeah. I honestly don’t know why.”

  Neal smiled at her and grabbed her hand. “The polar bears are waiting for us. They’ll have an answer for you.”

  Katherine nodded. “I sure hope so. I’m on a ship that’s lost its rudder.”

  Neal’s eyes swept around Dearborn Street. He shrugged. “Sure appears like the same street I’ve walked thousands of time. I can’t see a lick of water.”

  Katherine wondered why Neal was here. And she wondered how to share things with him. He was Charlotte’s friend, almost a stranger. Right then, she wanted her happy, carefree self to return, but a frightened, weepy person had taken her place. She turned away and wiped a tear from her eye.

  Neal put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. “Hey. I might be wrong, and that guy isn’t stalking you. Maybe I made it up, so I could kiss you. And it worked.”

  She tucked her hand under his arm and motioned toward Lincoln Park. When she needed a place to connect with nature and quiet herself, Lincoln Park and the zoo gave her strength. The park took the place of her Wisconsin meadows and became her secret sanctuary.

  Abraham Lincoln’s statue towered at the entrance to Chicago’s landmark park. Katherine turned to Neal. “Good Ol’ Abraham. This statue is one of my favorite places in the park. When I want inspiration, I walk over and visit Abe and walk over to the Chicago Historical Museum.”

  “Abe is my hero, and I’m a history buff too,” Neal said. “He inspired me to become a lawyer.”

  Katherine smiled. “My father’s a lawyer. He keeps a statue of Abe on his desk to guide him.”

  Neal raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

  Katherine wanted to run up to Abe and give him a hug.

  A soft place in her heart told her she could tell Neal everything, and he’d understand. Yep. Abe’s his hero too.

  22

  THE SUMMER SUN’S GLOW moved toward the west as Katherine bounded through the lobby of her building, head held high and a twinkle in her eyes. “Greetings, Fred. Isn’t this a super day?”

  “Your shining personality makes it a super day. Did something special happen to you? You have a grin that won’t stop. Did you find that strange man? Is that problem solved?”

  While the mysterious, sinister man was still a stalker, Neal made her fear manageable. For the first time, another person was giving her strength.

  “That menacing evil man … I may have a solution for him after all,” she said before going up to her apartment.

  When she’d left in the morning for breakfast, she’d wanted to be alone, but Neal had appeared like someone from the mist. Doors open, doors close, and then a magic haze floated around me. I didn’t even tighten my seat belt for the magic carpet ride with Neal. I drifted with ease. Katherine and Neal had never made it to the zoo since Abe Linco
ln’s statue had beckoned them to pause on their walk. Sitting at the base of Abe Lincoln’s statue, they’d talked and talked. Katherine breathed in the sense of peace and calm. Everything seemed aligned in its right place.

  After her few hours with Neal, she’d realized that she’d faked her liberation. She depended on Charlotte for security and comfort, and she relied on Emma Jean for the lighter side of life. She’d never thought on her own. She’d told Neal every detail of her past two weeks. When she talked with him, it was like talking to herself. Before Neal, she’d needed Charlotte and Emma Jean to give support. Neal filled her world. Now she wanted Neal. She wondered how one person could give out so much confidence. Is Neal a passing fling? His magic mist is there to give me the push I need to grow. Katherine laughed. And he will help keep me safe from my evil stalker.

  The phone interrupted her reflections.

  “Hello, Katherine,” Angelos said. “How about a dinner in Greek Town tonight?”

  Katherine put her hands on her face. He is my good deed. I have to keep my good intentions. Maybe I can find another way. “Oh, Angelos. I have plans. Another time?”

  “Okay. I’ll call next week.”

  “Thanks for understanding. Bye.”

  Katherine’s shoulders tightened. Neal had mentioned Angelos when they sat at Abe Lincoln’s feet. She remembered his words.

  “Hey,” he said, “remember that Greek guy I saw helping you at the Playboy party?”

  “Yes. Angelos. Do you know him?”

  “No, but I ran into a couple of Playboy Bunnies at Mr. Kelly’s a few nights ago, and they mentioned him. I asked about life at the Playboy Mansion, and they brought him up. Half the Bunnies at the mansion have a crush on him. They told me fascinating tales about Bunnies fighting over him with knockout battles and hair pulling. Did he hit on you?”

  I didn’t lie to Neal. Angelos didn’t hit on me. We shared an interest in each other’s culture. Katherine grabbed her stomach to stop the pain. Neal might agree with Emma Jean that I like to save puppies. But is Angelos a lost puppy? No, he’s not lost. He’s not a lost foreigner in a new land. What was I thinking? Then she thought of Charlotte’s note. Maybe Charlotte’s correspondence has new roommate news for me.

  Katherine dug through her purse for the note and reclined on the long green sofa. Golly, Charlotte’s letter. I guess I should read it. That’s the reality, but with all the changes it might as well be years. Katherine held the letter in her hand like it was an old discovery from a lost treasure chest. Katherine sighed and wiped a solitary tear from her cheek.

  My dear friend,

  When you read this, I’ll be in my new home. Here are a few things you need to know.

  First: Anita will not be able to be your new roommate. She got married, and her supervisor made her quit flying last week. She called from her honeymoon in Cancun. She’s pretty nervous to leave you with an empty apartment. She did say she’d try to find someone to take her place. You’ll find a message from her in your mailbox at the airport with more information. You’re okay with the rent for the rest of this month. Then, you’re stuck. I’d move back, but I can’t. I’ll ask the Bunnies at the mansion. Maybe someone here would like a change from the mansion to an apartment. Second: Neal has a thing for you. I’ll give you the details when I see you. Third: You’re cool with your supervisor. I told her you got kidnapped. I saved your neck and your job. When I told her you got kidnapped, she gasped, and she cried for you. Fourth: Now, you have to save my job and make that fake article about the Playboy party a real story. Our PR coordinator keeps asking me about it. I fibbed again and told her that the airlines sent you to work for two months in Hawaii. That’s it. You have to get something done before two months, my friend.

  Got to run now. Sorry, we missed each other. I still love you. Char XO, XO

  Katherine laid the paper aside. A single black crow feather floated and stalled mid-air in her living room before it drifted down to land on the letter. Katherine leaned back on the sofa and wrapped her hands behind her head. She picked up the feather and held it close to her chest. Everything will be fine. Something will change, so I won’t need to write that silly Playboy party article. After all, I’m going to be a great scholar writing about ancient civilizations, not this wild sexual revolution.

  23

  GETTING READY FOR HER overnight layover in Portland, Katherine tossed her suitcase on the bed. A haunting echo bounced around the room when the bag hit the bed. Katherine sighed. Slumping onto her bed, Katherine picked up the picture of her and Charlotte and smiled with misty eyes. Char, I’ll miss you, but we both have new paths to take. I apologize for my reaction to you and Adam. You both care for me, and I overreacted. Our friendship is like an evergreen tree. It weathers storms and keeps growing greener. She placed the photo on the nightstand and glanced around the room. She felt like she’d already left this place. Her only company was her memories. She smiled and took in a deep breath. Okay, girl, it’s time for an adventure in Portland, the City of Roses, and a trip with Emma Jean. Should be fun!

  After tossing in her civilian clothes, her regulation flight manual, and her serving smock, she checked her toiletry bag. Dang, toothpaste tube empty, no deodorant! Well, I have time to walk to Big Apple; I’ll need some groceries for when I get home.

  Strolling down North State Parkway to her apartment with her small bag of groceries, Katherine pondered. I wish I could stay home today, and that Neal would call. But maybe I’ll never hear from him again. Did he feel the same connection as I did yesterday?

  At the entrance to her apartment lobby, Katherine looked around for Fred, the doorman, but he’d stepped away. She wanted to let him know that she’d be without a roommate for a while. Mom and Dad were going to worry. It would help if she could tell them that Fred was watching out for her.

  Katherine stopped at her mailbox before heading to the elevator and sensed another person standing near her. She turned around, expecting to see another tenant waiting to get to their mailbox, but the person was nowhere in sight. She shrugged.

  Katherine pushed the elevator button while she flipped through her mail. When the elevator opened, Katherine kept reading a letter from her mother. She didn’t notice the man slip in behind her.

  The odor of sweat and tobacco filled the small elevator box. Katherine’s nose twitched, and her fear antenna rose. He’s breathing down my back. I’ve got two more floors to go then I’ll run, rush into my apartment, and lock the door.

  When the elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor, Katherine jumped out.

  The man coughed and mumbled “Hello, Katherine.”

  His raspy voice startled Katherine. She froze. She hadn’t looked at her elevator partner on the trip up to the fifteenth floor. She turned and screamed. It was the stalker from the library, the CTA bus, and the Third Coast Coffee House. Her finger shook as she pointed at him. Her voice quaked. “You, you’ve been following me.” Her shoulders tightened, and her breathing rushed in and out like a rapidly firing rifle.

  He glared at her and walked closer to her. “Yes, I need to talk with you. You have something that doesn’t belong to you.”

  “I don’t have anything that doesn’t belong to me. If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll call the cops.” Katherine kept talking and moving backward toward her apartment.

  “Go ahead and call the police. Those lawmen will agree with me that you’re a thief. You know. You stole that eagle feather in the library. And I’m here to recover it.”

  “Eagle feather?”

  Katherine’s heart pounded, and her mind rushed with conflicting thoughts. Should I talk with him? If he knows about the eagle feather, he may want to sell it on the black market. He looks like a crook. Do I run? Yes.

  Katherine reached in the grocery bag and grabbed a couple of tomatoes. Wham. The first tomato slammed into his right eye. The second hit his nose to create a red clown look. He shouted. “Shit! Woman.”

  Katherine ran to her apartment door. She s
truggled to unzip her purse to retrieve her key. Before she could open her purse, the stalker charged up behind her.

  He grabbed her arm. “Look, you’re making this difficult. I have a job to do, and you better comply with me.”

  What do I do? He might molest me if we stay out here. What do I do? A flash of inspiration charged her into action. She had her best protection waiting for her in her bedroom. I can take care of myself. “Okay. Come in.”

  He smiled. “Great. Once you give me the eagle feather, you won’t be on the Fed’s wanted list.”

  Katherine unlocked the door. Right inside the door in the hallway, she motioned for the man to wait there. To keep him calm and give her time. She smiled and whispered. “I need to pee. Give me a second and I’ll be right back with the feather.”

  Katherine held her breath. At least he won’t follow me to the john. Thank goodness I loaded my Crow Bow for my practice at the archery range.

  Katherine’s Crow Bow stood in the ready position. It almost jumped into Katherine’s hand when she flew into her bedroom.

  An adrenaline rush fortified her. She rubbed her Thunderbird necklace. She grabbed the Crow Bow. A blessing of courage filled her with power as she dashed down her hall with the Crow Bow in hand. Four feet from the man, she faced him at a 45-degree angle. Holding the bow gently, Katherine stood with both feet pointing toward him. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll be forced to defend myself.”

  Drops of sweat flowed from his forehead. His hands shook as he raised them over his head. “Hey, I don’t want to harm you. I only want you to give me the eagle feather. It’s a federal offense to keep eagle feathers.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out identification. “I’m an undercover agent for the federal government. I was a thief just like you. The Feds hired me after I did my time for stealing and fencing artwork. Now they hired me to return eagle feathers to Native Americans. When the library security officer called the Fish and Wildlife Office, my contact at the federal office called me. I rushed over and started to track you down. Since you’re a stewardess, it made sense that you planned to sell the eagle feather. I figured that you would fly out of town and sell the feather in some distant place. I wanted to catch you before you ran off to Timbuktu with the feather.”