Phantom Lessons, Book #2
Copyright© 2023 by Lynn Donovan
Chapter 9
Scraping and jiggling at Sam’s front door woke her. She listened before she opened her eyes. Was Paul having trouble with the key? She sat up. Vertigo held her down to the couch.
“Just a minute!” she called out while closing her eyes. This feeling needed to pass before she could stand. Her door knob rattled again. “Give me just a minute.”
Suddenly a loud thud hit the door and Tyler Adcock came crashing through, size eleven boot first. Sam stared at him as he stumbled in with the momentum. The swooning sensation in her head forced her to fall back against the couch. “What’re you—”
“Shut up, Samantha!” Tyler barked. “Just listen.”
She stared at him from the bottom of her peripheral. The swooning slowly dissipated into an intense headache in her temple. She squeezed the one eye closed and tried to will the pain away.
Tyler prowled back and forth in front of her like a caged cougar. “I-you’re Vi’s friend, right?”
Sam followed his pacing but didn’t respond to his question.
“And, she listens to you. Right?”
Sam turned her head. “Tyler, I—”
“Shut up! Just listen.”
Sam pursed her lips. Then stop asking me questions.
“Look. All I want is a chance. You know? I made a huge mistake. I admit that. Nobody’s perfect!” He talked with his hands emphasizing every word he said. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. He’d look up at her and then continue the erratic pacing. There was a twitch in his right hand.
“Have you talked to her?” Sam licked her dry lips. Vi called her in the hospital. She had obviously talked to Tyler, but she was very upset about something. Was this what Vi was trying to tell her? God, what a terrible friend Sam had been lately.
He stopped dead center to her. “Of course I’ve tried. She’s unreasonable!” Spit flew from his mouth. He scraped his teeth across his bottom lip.
She glared at him a moment. “I’ve never known Vi to be ... unreasonable.”
“You calling me a liar?” Tyler took a step toward her.
She hated it that her knee-jerk reaction was to cringe. “No. I’m just saying, if you talked to her like you’re talking to me now, I can see why she doesn’t want to be reasonable.”
Sam anticipated his next move. She slowly put her hand beside her and found her phone. “Tyler, I’m going to call nine-one-one if you don’t leave my house. Right now!” She thumbed her phone to life.
Tyler looked at the phone and then her. “I just want your help.” He sounded like Tyson whining.
Sam stared at him. “My help?”
“Yeah.” The twitching hand rose to his face. He picked at the hair in his brow as if it irritated him. “Tell Vi to forgive and forget. Let me back in.” His volume cranked up a notch. “I want to see my son!” His voice grew louder. “He’s MY SON!” He screamed.
“Okay.” Sam said as calmly as she could. “I get it.”
Tyler staggered in the spot where he now stood. He squinted one eye and tilted his head slightly, considering her statement. “So, you’ll help me?”
“Yes, I’ll help you.” She lifted her phone. “Look, I’m calling Vi, now.” She thumbed a number and smiled at Tyler as she put the phone to her ear.
“Yeah, Hi. It’s me. Listen, Tyler Adcock’s here ... uh huh ... and he is really sincere about wanting to get back with you, Violet. Yes, really sincere. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe he would do anything to make that happen ... Yes. He’s here, at my apartment, right now ... Uh huh ... Okay ... Well, hurry every chance you get, okay? Yes, I’m fine. He’s pretty sincere, though so don’t delay, okay. All right. I’ll talk to you soon.” Sam touched her phone to disconnect and held it in her lap.
Tyler stepped toward her and then, as if he realized he was in her personal space, or she was in his, he backed up. “So ... she’s coming here?” He smiled, but crazy still sparkled in his eyes. “And-and she’s bringing Tyson, right?”
Sam pursed her lips and swallowed. She had to say something. “Sure.”
----
Paul Hourton ran to his SUV while calling Police Chief Trent Gibson. “Yeah, man. I need your help.” He panted as he jumped into his truck, started the engine, and slipped on his seat belt. “One of my guys has gone rogue ... You know where Samantha Gladstone lives? Okay, meet you there. Huh? Armed? God, I hope not.”
Paul tossed the phone into the passenger’s seat and took the steering wheel with both hands. If Tyler did anything to hurt Sam, he’d kill him. Police Chief or no Police Chief. He broke the speed limit on the residential streets, but he didn’t care. Sam was in trouble.
Paul slid into the curb like a stunt driver, and leapt from his truck, leaving it running. The company van Tyler had driven was two cars ahead of Paul’s SUV. He sprinted to Sam’s apartment. The door facing was splintered and the door stood open. “Sam?” He took long strides to enter her apartment. “Sam!”
“We’re here.” She said too calmly. Paul’s eyes darted toward her voice. She stood next to her four-chair black dining table. Her hand rested on Tyler Adcock’s shoulder. He sat in the chair, face down over crossed arms, sobbing. Paul’s Irish temper hummed. “Tyler, what are you doing here?”
Tyler raised a tear soaked face. “I’m sorry boss. I tried everything. Vi won’t talk to me. I wanted to see if Samantha could talk some sense into her.”
Paul’s eyes flicked from Tyler to Sam.
“Sam called her and she’s coming here any minute—wait. How’d you know I was—” Tyler stood up so fast, his chair toppled over behind him. “You didn’t call Vi, you called him.”
Sam backed away from Tyler with her hands up in surrender. She didn’t utter a word.