I'm hoping this is in the right category, my thanks as always go to my editor Hale1. His been brilliant as always, I tried something a little different with this one. I hope you enjoy your read and as always, any faults in the story are mine.
*******
I had a pounding headache when I woke and it still hung around an hour later. So going to the park wasn't on my list of things to do, but fresh air sometimes helped, taking my sketch pad and pencils with me happened only because I hadn't bothered taking them out of the car from the last time I was at the park.
The day was beautiful and it did seem to ease the throbbing behind my eyes, I wouldn't go so far as to say I had a particular spot, although I would say that the park bench I had just sat on was the closest too it. The tree behind it added to the shade when the afternoon sun was at its fiercest, but was far enough away from the bench so as not to get a surprise drop on me from the birds that inhabited it.
About forty feet from the bench, the path was used by idle walkers and joggers alike, it was good material for my sketching and most of the time I was far enough away from the path that the sources of my inspiration wouldn't bother to walk over and see what I was doing. I did get a visit from Thomas once though. Or Officer Connor to give him his official title, he was one of the Parks Police force.
A bulk of a man, in the two hundred pound area and yet his smile always belayed any thought you were in trouble when he approached you. The hint of an Irish accent seemed to add to his character. Only his eyes gave away that 'seen it all' look that let you know he was a street cop long before he settled into being a Park officer.
He sat and we chatted, he even asked to see my sketch pad and I handed it over. He looked at every drawing and commented on a few but mostly he just thumbed through them.
"Stick to adults, no children unless one or both parents ask you too ok?"
I nodded and that began the odd relationship I had with Thomas. It even came in handy once when I quickly sketched the face of a man running towards the footbridge over the river. Never seen a guy running with a handbag before and figured it may come in handy. Thomas came by a half hour later and sat next to me again; I flipped back a couple of pages and pulled a sheet out of my pad. He smiled and thanked me before heading back to his cruiser.
The paper the next morning had a picture of Officer Conner and the story of how good detective work had helped in the arrest of a bag snatcher in the park. From then on the other Park Police Officer's would nod or nod and wave but left me alone when they saw me.
Spring was always my favorite time. Young love and the gateway to summer. Although I had developed a sixth sense about certain people, helped by my friend Officer Conner of course. These people screamed put your pencil down when they passed by. I'd seen her from time to time but never put pencil to paper, she was always a solo jogger and I simply respected her privacy.
*******
So the calming tranquility of the park did a lot to help my headache; I did a few quick sketches but nothing groundbreaking. She snuck up on me, it wasn't until I noticed the shadow behind me and my watch started to vibrate that I felt her presents.
"Officer Conner says you're harmless. He says your happy to give any picture you do to the person on the paper, is that true?"
I closed my pad and placed it next to me. She came around the bench and sat, her hand went to my pad and pulled it onto her lap. She went through it twice before she put it back more firmly onto her lap again.
"You date every picture and this pad has two months worth of drawings. I've jogged past you twelve times in those two months and yet you have no pictures of me, why?"
It was difficult to remain neutral when my watch kept vibrating on my wrist.
"You give off a 'don't come near me' vibe. So I leave you alone."
She laughed and then her hand moved, forcing me to accept my pad again.
"Doesn't everyone who jogs in a park give off that sort of vibe?"
This woman wasn't impressed when I shook my head, I sensed anger but she hid it real well.
"So draw me now."
I have to admit that for the briefest of moments I was real tempted, but my damn watch just wouldn't stop vibrating. When it dawned, even on her that I wasn't going to comply she stood and started jogging towards the footbridge over the river. The vibrations my watch was giving off subsided as the distance increased between us.
The birds started there song and I was left once again with the peace of the park. A peace that couldn't ease my now troubled mind, I did a slow and calculated scan of the park and other than a dark sedan that moved away from the curbside of the road some four hundred yards away, nothing moved. Easing my pad once again onto my lap I drew her face from memory.
*******
I made it to work around mid-day, good thing I owned the company when things like that happened. Even Toni raised an eyebrow as I passed her desk, I called her in a few minutes later and unfolded the drawing in front of her.
"Run a facial recognition on her. I want her name and whatever you can find in an hour, I'll read what else you can find tomorrow."
Toni held the drawing but didn't look at it until she held the office door open, then she stopped, turned and looked at me.
"Amanda Browning, age thirty-six. The youngest ever editor of Fashionet Magazine. Born in California but moved here to go to college and never left. Did a few years with the local papers before Fashionet found her."
I guess it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
"What? You may have dragged me out of the Corp screaming and kicking but even Corp girls read fashion magazines."
"Yeah right. You married my corporal and raped the poor boy every chance you could get."
Toni got that dreamy eyed look and smiled.
