Kyla’s Secret

Kyla had been both stunned and horrified by Corrine’s outburst. She tried to calm her down and assured her that what she did online was her own business, but that hadn’t worked very well. The officer acted as if she’d deliberately set out to catch her in some act she wasn’t supposed to be committing. After several minutes, Corrine relented and went on a damage-control mission. She apologized profusely for her outburst. “Like I said, Corrine, what you do on your time is up to you. I don’t care if you spy on people. Hell, I’ve spied on people—just not with webcams or cameras of any kind.” She hadn’t really. Not nearly to the degree that Corrine had. She had never invaded people’s privacy within the sanctity of their own homes, for God’s sake. But she wanted to get Corrine off her ass and was determined to say whatever it took to accomplish just that. Once Corrine had finally calmed down and fallen asleep, Kyla remained awake, her mind racing. Despite her assurances that what Corrine did on her own time was her business, Corrine’s fetish for hacking into people’s webcams and spying on them changed the way she saw the woman. Not that she herself was any better—after all, she’d killed a girl and failed to report it. But Corrine was a woman of the law, and she was breaking the very law she’d sworn to uphold. Kyla decided that night she would leave California as soon as she could. What worried her most was how long the kidnapping and murder trial could possibly last. That wasn’t something usually resolved in just a few days—or even a few weeks. Corrine was just as apologetic in the morning, and Kyla was just as nosy while Corrine was at work as she had been the day before. This time, she searched Corrine’s name online but found nothing. It was all she could do to keep from snooping around Corrine’s computer, but she thought better of it, knowing Corrine would probably know if anyone but herself had used it. She dared a glance in the direction of Corrine’s computer and wondered if the desktop’s webcam was on at that very moment, recording her every move. She had just finished lunch when she caught a streak of movement outside the bottom edge of the kitchen window. Her heart jackhammered inside her chest. Oh no. Just oh fucking no. She was in the middle of nowhere! Reason pulled her out of her frozen fear, and she ran to the master bedroom, pulling the gun from the bottom dresser drawer. She had no idea how to use it—much less if it was even loaded—but it was better than nothing. She strained to hear any suspicious sounds, but her ragged breathing drowned out everything else. Now what? she wondered, paralyzed by fear and indecision. Another blur of movement appeared just beyond the white, opaque curtains. Kyla wasn’t sure what to do. Run out the door? Stay put? Hide in the closet? She opted for the closet. With no car parked outside, maybe whoever it was would assume no one was home and leave. Or maybe they’d break in, and the closet would be one of the first places they checked for valuables. Well, if it is, thought Kyla, clutching the gun with both hands, they’re going to be facing a very nasty surprise. When she heard the front door opening, she thought she’d pass out from fear before she could surprise anyone with anything. Footsteps pounded down the hallway. Frantic voices called out. One of them belonged to Corrine. Relief flooded her at breakneck speed. “In—in here,” she stammered, trying to get control of herself. Footsteps approached, and the closet door slid open. Corrine looked down at Kyla. “Oh, thank God! Thank God you’re here,” Kyla breathed with relief, despite her recent change in feelings toward the officer. “I never thought I’d be happier to see you.” Corrine’s eyes dropped to the gun. “Yeah, I’ll bet. Where’d you get the gun?” Oh shit. Now she had to come up with a story for how she got hold of a gun she wasn’t even supposed to know about. Come on, you’re a writer, she urged herself. But all she could come up with was: “I—I’m sorry. I saw movement in the kitchen window and had to find a weapon as fast as I could.” Corrine eyed her with clear skepticism. “Yeah?” Kyla nodded. “I figured there was a good chance you’d have something hidden away.” Corrine turned to glance at both dressers. Kyla realized what was going through her mind—why would anyone in a hurry bother to close the drawers after desperately searching for a weapon? Dammit! Kyla thought. Then again, Corrine might very well have cameras set up in every room. She might already know Kyla had been snooping the day before. “I’m so sorry, Corrine. I had to do something.” “It’s okay. We’ll worry about this later.” Corrine bent down, picked up the gun with one hand, and helped Kyla to her feet with the other. Kyla was still so shaken she thought she’d collapse before standing fully upright. “What the hell is going on, anyway?” “One of the guys escaped.” “What!” Kyla asked incredulously. “It happens sometimes,” Corrine said flatly. “What the hell is the matter with you people!” Kyla screamed, her voice shaking with frustration and fear. “Can’t you do your jobs? If both these assholes had been caught and properly detained, I might be back home by now!” “Hey, look,” Corrine shouted back. “I’m sorry you’ve been through so much shit and that you’ve been put out in such a big way, but we’re doing the best we can.” Regretting her outburst, Kyla said, “I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault. This whole thing is just so damn frustrating at times—not to mention terrifying.” The other officer who had come with Corrine stepped into the room. He’d been polite enough to give them space at first. “Everything okay now?” asked the tall, wiry officer. “It’s fine,” Corrine answered. “She’s just a bit shaken up.” The officer left, and Kyla and Corrine followed after Corrine quickly checked the gun and tucked it into her waistband. “I’ve never even held a gun before, much less shot one. I was so sure it was a burglar. I just wanted to bluff them rather than face them empty-handed.” “It’s okay,” Corrine said, placing a gentle hand on Kyla’s shoulder. But despite Corrine’s reassuring words, her eyes said it wasn’t okay at all. After the other officer left, Kyla tried to lighten the mood—and dig for information. “I can’t stay here anymore, can I?” “Why do you say that?” “Well, why did you guys come racing back here and scare the shit out of me like you did? Wasn’t it because the bastard who got away supposedly knew where I was and was on his way here?” “No, it was a precautionary measure. But I am very sorry you were scared in the process. I should’ve come inside before Officer Guerez went roaming around the grounds.” “Yeah, but I’m okay now.” Corrine continued to study her in a way Kyla couldn’t read. Was it doubt? Suspicion? Mistrust? Something else? “So, do you want to stay here?” Corrine asked. “Sure, why not?” Kyla replied, though she wasn’t sure she meant it. She had no way of knowing how deep Corrine’s hacking fetish went—or if it meant she was guilty of other things. Police corruption was a growing problem everywhere, and sometimes they were just as bad, if not worse, than the civilians they were supposed to protect. Kyla felt that Corrine sensed her doubts, so she quickly tried to reassure her. “I’d like to stay. I just worry you’re mad at me or something.” “No, I’m not mad. Just a little disappointed, maybe.” Kyla wanted to snap back about how disappointed she was to learn the officer she’d trusted and admired was a webcam hacker with who-knew-what evil in mind. But she didn’t want to start an argument—not without knowing the full facts of what Corrine was up to. Maybe it was part of her police work, though spying on sexy young women hardly seemed official. Either way, what she’d said was true: it was up to Corrine how she spent her free time. And hopefully, Kyla wouldn’t be in California much longer for it to matter anyway.