“What happened?” the shy guy asked looking up at Jiro.

“Do you think you can hand me the information you found on Lu Wei Lian?” asked Jiro.

“I have them right here,” the shy guy opened his drawer and handed Jiro an envelope.

Jiro took it from him and almost walked away but turned back, “I appreciate your help very much. When I get promoted I’ll bring you with me.”

The shy guy smiled shocked, “You…you don’t have to…”

“Be prepared to be my right hand man, will you?” Jiro asked then waved and walked out.

||||||||

“My brother’s not the one. He can’t be…” the words ran through her mind.

She was sitting in a taxi…a girl beside her. Her vision was too blurry so she couldn’t make out the girl’s face. She was familiar, Hebe felt as if she knew her. She pulled Hebe helplessly before Hebe opened the car and ran out. She was running…running…toward a run down house. A hole in the window…a piece of box was used to cover the hole from inside. The curtains also had holes inside them as if it had been there for centuries and the roofs were coming apart. Hebe ran up the stairs toward the door pausing for a bit then opened it. She entered a kitchen with dishes piled over the counters and the tiles on the floor were coming off. Deer antlers hung from the wall somehow seemingly very familiar to her, but dismissing the thought she found a table covered in pink table cloth.

“She won’t find me in here,” Hebe thought and crawled under the table.

Moments later she could hear the girl’s footsteps enter the house and call her name. She sounded so familiar so why couldn’t Hebe recall her voice? She called her name a few times then made her way up the stairs and when Hebe was about to get out from under the table she heard voices. Male voices.

“They’re in here exactly as planned.” a voice said.

Hebe’s heart thumped. They were in trouble, her instincts knew it. The two men continued their conversation and Hebe knew that she knew one of them. Their words slipped from her memory as fast as they entered her ears then one of the men followed the other girl up the stairs.

“Don’t hurt her,” Hebe found herself thinking suddenly recalling something the girl had told her.

“I need you to go to the hospital with me. I’m scared to go by myself…” that was what she’d told her before Hebe suddenly made the decision to come to this place.

Something was going to happen…something Hebe never imagined…the girl upstairs was going to get hurt. Hebe heard a laugh then someone suddenly hit the tablecloth.

“Wake up. I know this is a dream.” Hebe told herself suddenly recalling an earlier dream that was exactly the same. “Wake up. Wake up!” she willed herself.

Hebe jumped awake in her favorite recliner feeling sweat climb all over her. She got to her feet and looked around. She was alone in the house as usual.

“What the heck,” Hebe exclaimed as she wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead off. “I can’t believe I had that dream again.”

Hebe walked into the kitchen and suddenly glanced at the back door. It was locked…what had suddenly made her look at it? Hebe walked toward the doorknob and glanced at it. The doorknob was a brass Schlage Single Cylinder Deadbolt when they had bought the house. It was the kind of doorknob that could be unlocked and locked from the inside, but could only be opened from the outside with a key. She found herself thinking that the person who had stolen into her home a year ago couldn’t have picked the doorknob open so easily without making noises for her to hear, but had to have a key. The couple who had sold them the house had given them the key themselves, so Hebe didn’t want to suspect them. But why was she thinking of this now? Then it came to her…the people who sold the house to the couple…did they have a copy of the key?

She ran her hand over the second lock she’d placed on the door to stop another stranger from breaking into her home. The doorbell suddenly rang causing her to suddenly swerve around ready to do anything if it wasn’t someone she knew. Her heart pounded wildly as she slowly stepped toward the window. Her parents had always taught her to look out the window before opening the door to anyone, but she’d ignored their warnings and only knew better now. Jiro was standing on her doorstep and Hebe took a breath of relief.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Hebe said when she opened the door for him.

Jiro looked her an expression of sudden worry climbing his face, “Did something happen?”

“I had that dream again,” Hebe explained, “and I was thinking about that doorknob out back.”

“You were thinking about the doorknob?” Jiro repeated.

Hebe nodded and watched as Jiro glanced inside her home as if someone were there.

“You’re here for lunch?” Hebe asked.

“Well…yea.”

“Lets go out.” Hebe suggested. “I don’t want to have lunch at home today.”

“You feel suffocated?” Jiro questioned. “Alright lets go. We can talk it over when we’re eating.”

When they were halfway through their meal Hebe suddenly put down her spoon. She couldn’t eat anymore. The fear and feeling of being suffocated was filling up . There was something so wrong that was climbing in her. She could feel it.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Jiro asked. “I’d like to get some fresh air after a tough meeting today.”

Hebe smiled feeling so glad that someone understood her without asking so much questions. Hebe found herself sitting at the park under the trees watching the sun glisten off the lake before them. She could finally breathe, but the fear never left her.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Jiro questioned. “You might feel better if you get it out of your system. Or you could sleep over at Ella’s place tonight. I don’t think it’d be a good idea to stay by yourself in that house.”

Hebe pulled at the bottom of her shirt staring at the ground as Jiro’s words passed through her ears. She knew he was right, his suggestion about staying with Ella sounded warm and assuring, but she didn’t want to leave the house. What if something happened while she was gone?

“Hebe?” Jiro’s voice asked.

Hebe turned to him, “I didn’t realize it. That girl in the dream that was with me. Something was wrong with her.”

Jiro continued to listen intently without interrupting her.

“Ella’s too mature to have problems she can’t solve…so that girl…must have been Selina.” Hebe said. “She was going to get hurt…and I knew we were going to die in my dream. The thought scares me that I’d bring danger upon us. It scares me that I could hurt Aaron again and not just him, but someone innocent. But what makes me scared the most is…I knew one of those two men. I feel like I knew him, Jiro.”

Hebe suddenly felt her face against his chest and comfort dominate her. This warm man, whose parents were no longer there, who was so busy solving crimes, was kind enough to take the time to be with her, to assure her it was ok. Everything would be alright.

“It’s just a dream, Hebe.” Jiro said. “Don’t worry, I’ll help keep an eye out for your friend until this whole thing is over. No one will get hurt.”

||||||||

Selina sneezed before the rain finally started falling down from the dark clouds.

“Lets go in before you get sick,” Aaron said leading her back into her apartment then locked the balcony door behind him. “Maybe I should get back before the weather gets worse.”

Selina watched Aaron lock the balcony door before an insecure feeling filled her up. It wasn’t a feeling of being scared, but a feeling of worry.

“Becareful on your way back,” Selina told.

“Is something wrong?” Aaron asked after slipping his shoes on.

Selina watched Aaron stand in front of the door making sure to capture it into her memory.

“No, nothing,” Selina replied. Her pride was too strong. She didn’t want to show that she was worried or let him know she was worried. However, Aaron made his way back toward her and enveloped her into a warm hug then bid her goodbye before walking out and reminding her to lock the door.

||||||||

“Thanks,” Hebe said as Jiro dropped her off at her house.

The rain was beginning to pour and the clouds did not look too friendly.

“There might be a thunderstorm tonight, are you sure you don’t want to stay at Ella’s?” asked Jiro.

“I’m sure,” Hebe replied then unbuckled her seatbelt then paused. “Oh yea, I forgot. I was thinking about how the intruder had gotten into the house that day. When I was observing the doorknob this afternoon I found that the intruder couldn’t have picked the doorknob without having made some noise for me to hear. Do you think that person used a key?”