I crept back to the door and looked out the peephole again. He was still standing there, looking indecisive. His eyes suddenly met my gaze, and he smiled, as if he could see me watching him. It gave me the chills.
“Honestly, I’m a good guy, Sophia. Please, just give me a chance. I promise… you won’t regret it.”
“Go away or I’m calling the cops.”
His smile fell. “Why can’t you just give me a chance? I know we’d be perfect together. It said so in the cards.”
Cards?
“I contacted a psychic this morning,” he explained. “She said that the stars had aligned and that you and I would definitely have a significant future together.”
I shuddered. “Brian, you and I are definitely not having anything together. Now, I’m going to give you to the count of three before I call the police.”
“Sophia—”
“One.”
He groaned in frustration.
“Two.”
“Fine. I’ll leave. Just think about it, okay? I want to see you again and I think if you’ll give us a chance, you’ll see how great we can be together.” He set the flowers and chocolates on the porch.
“Take those with you. I don’t want them,” I said angrily.
“Nonsense. You love truffles. Those are superior quality, too. Only the best for you, Sophia.”
I backed away from the doorway again.
How in the hell did he know I loved truffles? And Moscato wine?
I suddenly remembered taking a photo of a giant truffle I’d purchased during a cruise with Marcy. I’d posted it to Instagram. I’d also posted a bottle of Moscato wine one day while trying to win something on Facebook. The guy was literally stalking me everywhere.
“If you ever come back here, I’ll call the police,” I blurted out loud. “If you ever follow me, or approach me in any way, I’ll have you arrested.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said softly. “I just… I just can’t seem to get you out of my head.”
“Go away!”
“Fine!” He slammed his palm against the doorway, making me jump. “I’m leaving! Your loss, you cunty bitch!”
Trembling, I heard the wood creak loudly as he barreled off of the porch in a huff.
Releasing a shaky breath, I moved to the peephole again and watched as he stormed over to his car. To my relief, he got inside and took off.
Relieved, I turned around, leaned back against the door, and closed my eyes. I wanted to believe that this was the last I’d see of Brian, but something told me otherwise.
5
SOPHIA
STILL SHAKEN, I thought about calling Mitch, but changed my mind. I barely knew the guy and it didn’t seem fair for me to drag him into my problems. I dialed Marcy instead and told her what had happened. She became furious after I told her everything.
“Should I have called the police?” I asked, staring out the window at the driveway, half expecting Brian’s BMW to return.
“Oh, hell yes. Do it now. See if you can get a restraining order against him.”
I bit the side of my nail nervously, a habit I thought I’d kicked a long time ago. “But, maybe he’s finally gotten the hint?”
“Look, you told him three times you’re not interested and that didn’t stop him. For God’s sake, he thinks you two are meant to be; he’s not going to give up easily. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find both of your faces on the news. He’s obviously off his rocker and… hell, he might even go as far as to kidnap you.”
I felt sick to my stomach. That thought hadn’t even occurred to me. “I don’t think I can get a restraining order, since he hasn’t actually threatened me with violence.”
She sighed. “Maybe not, but you can, at the very least, call the police and see if they’d be willing to have a nice little talk with the asshole. Otherwise, he’ll be back. I just know it.”
She was right. It was better than just waiting around for him to pop up again. “Okay. That’s a good idea.”
“In the meantime, I’m coming over. You shouldn’t be alone right now. I’ll bring an overnight bag. Do you have to work in the morning?”
“No. I work tomorrow night. But, you don’t have to stay over,” I replied, although I had to admit that the offer made me feel much better. “I’ll be fine.”
“Right,” she said dryly. “I know you. I bet you’re still shaking like a leaf. That guy did a number on you.”
I stared at my hand. She knew me well. It was still trembling.
“Look, I’m coming over and there’s nothing you can say about it. I’ll pick up something to eat, too. Are you hungry?”
I let out a ragged sigh. “Not at all. I lost my appetite.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“I had a bagel and cream cheese before I worked out.”
“Okay. Well, I’m still picking up some Taco Bell. I’m starving. What would you like?”
I had to admit, hungry or not, I could never resist the Bell. “You know what I like.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you. You’re such a great friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You wouldn’t have that creepy guy bothering you. I shouldn’t have made you sign up for the dating site.”
“It’s not your fault. It worked awesome for you.”
She sighed. “Yeah. But, there’s always a risk. Anyway, I’ll be over soon. Call the police. Now.”
“I will.”
“See you soon.”
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, Deputy Jack Billings showed up at my doorstep. I explained what had happened and afterward, he gave me a funny smile.
“So, Brian Gunderson, huh? As in, the dentist?”
I nodded.
He scratched the side of his head. “I have to say, I’m a little shocked to hear it was him.”
I raised my eyebrow. “You know the guy?”
“He’s our family dentist. I always thought he was gay, so this is quite surprising.”
That caught me off guard. “Well, if he is, he’s at least bi-sexual from the way he carried on. He kept telling me that we were meant to be together. And the crazy thing is, we just met. So that really creeped the hell out of me.”
“Yeah. I’m sure you were pretty upset and frightened. I’ll take a drive to Brian’s cabin and have a little talk with him. Afterward, I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“In the meantime, keep your doors locked. Just in case.”
“I will. I do have a friend coming over.”
He nodded. “Good.”
6
SOPHIA
THE DEPUTY RETURNED an hour later, looking a little bewildered. By that time, Marcy was over and we’d just finished eating our Taco Bell.
“Would you mind if I came inside?” he asked, standing on the porch.
I could tell by the look on his face that his interview with Brian hadn’t gone as expected. “Of course.”
I let him in, introduced him to Marcy, and asked if he’d like some coffee.
“That would be great. Thank you.”
I asked him how he liked it and then began making him a cup on my Keurig.
“So, what happened with Mr. Wacko?” Marcy asked.
“I honestly don’t know what’s going on. Apparently, Brian is in Hawaii. On his honeymoon. He was married last week to his longtime partner, Jerod Gates.”
Marcy gasped and my jaw dropped.
“You’re kidding?” I said, stunned.
“Afraid not. I spoke with the cleaning lady. She claimed that he’s been gone for the last week. He won’t be returning until next weekend.”
“But, that doesn’t make any sense,” Marcy said, looking as confused as me. “He told her that he was Brian Gunderson. The dentist. The one who lives here in Summit Lake. I highly doubt there are two of them.”
An idea came to me. One that made the situation much more frightening. “Unless, the g
uy I went out with stole Brian’s identity…”
“That’s what I’m wondering,” Deputy Billings replied. “Do you have a photo of the person you went out with?”
“No. I can show you what he looks like on the dating site, though. Let me grab my laptop.” I left the kitchen and grabbed it from my bedroom.
“This doesn’t make any sense. The dating site is supposed to screen their clients,” I heard Marcy say.
“If he stole Brian’s identity without him knowing about it, then there might not be any red flags,” he replied.
When I returned, I logged into my account and then pulled up Brian’s information. Unfortunately, his account showed that he was no longer a member. His photo and personal information had also been deleted.
“It’s like he knew we’d be looking for him,” Marcy said breathlessly.
“I’m sure we can contact the dating site and they’ll be able to pull up his old information,” Deputy Billings replied.
“Hey, pull up his dental practice,” Marcy suggested.
I brought up the website and clicked on “Meet Our Dentists.. When it went to the page, the photo of Brian Gunderson definitely wasn’t the same guy I’d gone on a date with.
“Is that him?” Marcy asked.
I felt dizzy. Who was this crazy lunatic? “No. That’s not the guy I went out with.”
Deputy Billings sighed. “I guess that confirms what we suspected. The question is, why would he steal someone’s ID just to sign up for a dating site?”
“For foul play,” Marcy said angrily. “Obviously.”
“Are there any other Brian Gundersons in Summit Lake?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, no. I already checked,” the cop replied.
My eyes lit up. “Wait, I still have his phone number. I think he’s following me on Instagram, too.”
Deputy Billings pulled out his notepad. “What’s his number?”
I grabbed my phone and told him about the nude photo he’d sent me. “Unfortunately, I deleted it.”
Deputy Billings frowned. “That’s fine. I doubt it would have helped us find the guy. Unless there was some kind of abnormality…”
I grimaced. “Seriously, I barely glanced at it, I was so disgusted.”
“You should call and tell the weirdo to come over,” Marcy said. “So Officer Billings can arrest the scumbag.”
“Considering he might be committing a felony, I think that’s a very good idea. I do advise meeting him somewhere else, though. I don’t recommend drawing him back to the cabin. You want him to understand that he’s not welcome here.”
I agreed and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll text him. Where should I tell him to meet me?”
Deputy Billings rubbed at the lines on his forehead. “Let’s see… how about Turtle Park? That’s not too far from here.”
“He’s going to bolt if he sees your squad car,” Marcy said.
He nodded. “Yeah, but then we’ll know for sure that he’s up to no good. See if he’ll meet you in an hour at Turtle Park. I’ll call for backup.”
“What should I say?” I asked.
“Just tell him you’d like to meet and talk things over,” he replied.
I nodded and began typing.
7
SOPHIA
FIFTY MINUTES LATER, Marcy and I sat at one of the picnic tables at the park, waiting for Brian. He’d been elated when I’d texted and had jumped at the chance to meet up again. From his replies, he assumed that all was well and I was giving him another chance.
Marcy rubbed her hands together and then slipped them into the pockets of her hoodie. It was just after seven and the temperature had dropped dramatically. The sun had just started to settle and the air was so crisp, you could see our breath.
“You okay? We should have dressed warmer,” I said, shivering. It was the end of September, where the days were still hot but the nights were chilly.
“I’m fine.” She sighed. “You don’t think I’m going to scare him off, do you? I mean, he’s just expecting you.”
“I don’t think so.” I glanced at Marcy, who was only five-two and about as threatening as a Chihuahua. I had to admit that she was fierce at times, especially when her friends needed her to be. Tonight was one of those times and I just hoped nothing bad happened. If she got hurt, I’d never forgive myself for bringing her into this.
She chewed on her lower lip. “What if he saw Deputy Billings’ car at your place earlier?”
“I doubt he’d agree to meet with me if he thought I was going to try and have him arrested.”
“You don’t know that for sure. The guy is so crazy, he might be capable of anything.”
“True.”
Sighing, she looked over at the parking lot where two squads sat. “I just hope they don’t scare him off. I want this guy caught.”
“They’ll chase him down if he flees. I gave him a description of the vehicle.”
“Yeah. I heard. I just wonder who in the hell this guy really is and whether he’s pulled this on anyone else.”
“I know, right? This is just crazy. Maybe he already has a record and that’s why he didn’t use his real name?”
Her eyes grew big. “Good God. Maybe he’s even a rapist? You did send an email to Casual Meets about him, right?”
“Yeah.”
Right after texting with Brian, I sent them a message telling them everything that had transpired. Considering that his account was now shut down, it was always possible that they’d had other complaints about the guy.
Marcy craned her neck forward and nodded toward the parking lot. “Hey, here comes a car.” She squinted. “Didn’t you say he drove a silver BMW?”
“Yeah.” A blue Encore had pulled into the parking lot. “That’s definitely not him.”
We watched as the driver parked and then got out of the car. It was a young man, maybe a teenager. He jogged over to where we were sitting.
“Are either of you Sophia Jordan?” he asked.
I raised my hand slightly. “I am.”
“I’m supposed to give this to you.” He handed me a greeting card in a white envelope.
“Who gave this to you?” Marcy asked.
“Some guy. He paid me fifty bucks to deliver it to you. See ya.” He started jogging away.
“Wait, don’t leave!” Marcy hollered.
The kid stopped and headed back over. He looked frustrated and antsy to leave. “Why? I was just supposed to give you the envelope and leave. I have to be to work in thirty minutes.”
I tore open the envelope and pulled out the card while they talked. On the cover was an illustrated couple, dancing under the moonlight. Inside the card was a handwritten note. It read: Our song has just begun. There wasn’t a signature, but it was obvious as to whom it was from. I immediately dropped the card onto the picnic table, a wave of doom washing over me.
Our song has just begun.
The psycho wasn’t through with me…
“What did it say?” Marcy asked.
I told her.
She rolled her eyes and looked at the kid. “How did this guy get in touch with you?”
“He approached me about ten minutes ago, at Floyd’s Gas Station. I was filling up my tank and he was on the other side, filling up his. He asked me to deliver this card for cash. At first I told him ‘no’, but then changed my mind when he mentioned the money.”
“It’s weird he handed you fifty dollars and trusted you’d deliver it. Not that you would scam him. But, why trust a total stranger?” Marcy asked, frowning.
“He threatened to have me arrested if I didn’t. Said he knew the sheriff and he’d tell him I stole the money,” the kid replied.
She snorted.
I let out a shaky breath. “What else did he say?”
“Nothing. That was it. He handed me a fifty-dollar bill. The card. Then he took off.”
“Was he driving a silver BMW?” I asked.
The kid nodded
Marcy loo
ked at me. “He must have been spying on the house when the cop showed up.”
I nodded.
Deputy Billings approached us, frightening the teenager.
The kid raised his hands in the air. “Am I in trouble? All I did was deliver a card for someone. I didn’t commit any crime…”
I sighed. “Don’t worry. You’re not in any trouble.”
“So, who do we have here?” the deputy asked, staring at the teen. “What’s your name son?”
“Jordan Bloomquist.”
Deputy Billings looked at me. “What’s going on?”
I told him what had happened.
Deputy Billings pulled out some plastic gloves and picked up the card. He read it and frowned. “Well, looks like you haven’t heard the last of him.”
My eyes scanned the park, which was surrounded by trees. I felt like Brian was out there somewhere, watching us. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
“I knew he was psycho, but this is getting creepier by the moment,” I muttered.
Marcy nodded. “No, shit.”
Suddenly, my phone rang. I looked at the screen.
“It’s him,” I said, my heart leaping into my throat. “What should I do?”
“Answer it,” Deputy Billings instructed. “And put him on speaker.”
I cleared my throat and did what he asked. “Hello?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Brian said on the other end, a smile in his voice. “I’m very disappointed in you, Sophia. Getting the police involved in our business. That was a little extreme, wasn’t it?”
His mocking tone made me angry. “Would you just stop?” I snapped, despising the guy and his stupid games. “I know you’re not who you said you are. You’ve been lying from the start. Who in the hell are you, anyway?”
It took him several seconds before he answered. “Call me Patrick.”
“Is that even your real name?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Say it again.”
I frowned. “What? Patrick?”
He sighed dreamily. “I love the way it sounds coming from your lips. I bet I could have you screaming that name in ecstasy if you’d give me the chance. Maybe I should send you another picture, so you can see what you’re missing out on?”
Can't Forget You (Psychological Suspense Thriller) Summit Lake Series Page 3