She tried to keep busy the rest of the day. There were errands she needed to run, laundry to be washed and groceries to be put away. There was a dress rehearsal in the evening, a dry run for the performance on Saturday and a chance to make sure her security team was familiar with the venue. She was dreading it, though, and was eager to get the performance over with. David had said he’d be by after work to pick her up and head to the arena. She made herself a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner and opened her email, hoping that there wouldn’t be anything further from her stalker.
But there was. The subject line this time was, “In case you didn’t think I was serious.” When she clicked on it, the message was short, and to the point.
“Cancel the show and I’ll leave you alone. If you don’t, well, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”
Hannah’s headache came rushing back. And also the decision to put an end to this. She hadn’t been smart about keeping her whereabouts secret in Quinn Valley. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Chapter 14
David immediately sensed that something was bothering Hannah when he picked her up to go to the dress rehearsal. They usually chatted and laughed when they drove anywhere and on longer drives, often sang along with the radio. He’d been looking forward to seeing her all day. But Hannah wasn’t singing. She was barely even speaking and when one of her songs came on the radio, she immediately changed the station even while David was humming along with the tune.
“You don’t like that song?” he asked.
“Sometimes you get sick of hearing your own stuff.” She spoke softly, then stared out the window.
“Is everything okay with you? You seem a little annoyed or something. It’s not me, is it?” Her vibe felt so different that he couldn’t help wondering if she was having second thoughts about their relationship. Which would devastate him.
She turned and smiled slightly and rested a hand on his arm for a brief moment, to reassure him. “It’s not you. I’m just not feeling myself today—stress headache.”
“Do you get those often?”
“No, thankfully.” She absentmindedly rubbed her temple and closed her eyes. “I took an Advil right before you came by, so it should ease up soon.”
When they reached the arena, Stacy was still there and came over to greet them. Her eyes were apologetic as she reached Hannah.
“I think maybe I owe you an apology.”
“For what?” Hannah and David spoke at the same time and then everyone laughed, which seemed to lighten the mood a little.
“Well, I’m not sure, but I’m afraid that I might be the ‘inside source’ that is being quoted online everywhere. I got a call a few days ago from someone looking to confirm that you were going to be performing here. They asked if you were starting a new tour and I said that I didn’t know but that the demand was certainly there.” Stacy sounded so worried that she might have been misquoted and caused trouble for Hannah. But Hannah reassured her that wasn’t the case.
“Please don’t worry about it. People write stuff about me all the time that isn’t true. My manager is going to make a statement on the website that nothing has changed and if it does, they’ll be the first to know.”
Hannah saw that her security team had arrived and she introduced them to Stacy, who showed them around so they could make their plan for the show. David left her alone to get ready, and she appreciated the space he was giving her and his concern. She’d been thinking all day, ever since getting the emails and talking to Mary. And she’d made a decision. It wasn’t one that David was going to like and she suspected her family wouldn’t like it much either but she didn’t feel like she had any choice at this point. Her stalker was escalating and since she wasn’t going to cancel the show, she had to do the next best thing, which would be for her to sell David her house and leave Quinn Valley.
She’d go into hiding until this stalker understood that she really had given up touring. And she hadn’t given it up because of the stalker but since that was what the stalker seemed to care about, she could easily comply. And then maybe her life could get back to normal and eventually, maybe she could return to Quinn Valley. But she didn’t see that happening any time soon. And it broke her heart because there was nothing that she’d like more than to stay and to continue this relationship with David. But she couldn’t put the people that she cared for in harms way.
And besides, she knew that David had a reputation for not getting serious. She also knew that she was close to falling fast and if she were to get out now, she could protect her heart too. She didn’t imagine that David would mind all that much, he’d just go on to date someone new. So, it would be for the best, for both of them. She told herself this but instead of feeling better about her decision, she felt worse. Hannah didn’t want to leave Quinn Valley, but she didn’t feel like she really had a choice
David watched the rehearsal from a distance and with concern. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was definitely off with Hannah. She’d forgotten her costume and he knew she’d had it ready to go. He’d seen it in a bag on the kitchen table and assumed that she’d grabbed it when she followed him out. She seemed distracted and the biggest shock was when she forgot the words to her newest song.
That had totally flustered her, and she’d apologized profusely and blamed it on her headache. They started over and she sang it perfectly, but he couldn’t help but worry that the jitters might get to her on the day of the show, too. He wondered if she’d ever forgotten the words during a performance before.
When the rehearsal was over and they were in the car on the way home, Hannah was quieter than usual after apologizing again for missing the words.
“It’s just a rehearsal. I’m not worried. Have you ever forgotten the words in a performance before?”
“No, never. I don’t know what came over me. I really think it was the stress headache. It absolutely won’t happen during the show. I can assure you of that.”
“I’m not worried about it. You’re doing us a huge favor, after all. And if you do, it’s not the end of the world.”
“It won’t happen,” she said again.
“Are you hungry? Do you want to stop somewhere and grab a bite?” David just wanted to spend more time with her and to see his happy Hannah return. She was so distant that it was starting to worry him.
“No, I ate before you picked me up. I’m exhausted. I just want to go home and go to bed early.”
“Okay. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow night with Charlie and Maggie? We were going to meet them after work at Quinn’s. Maggie has the night off.”
Hannah was quiet for a long moment. Too long. “I think so. But if I’m still feeling like this tomorrow, with the headache, I might want to just stay in and rest up.”
“Okay. I’ll check in with you tomorrow afternoon.”
He pulled into her driveway and walked her to her door and pulled her in for a quick hug and gentle kiss. “Sleep well, Hannah.”
“Thanks for understanding, David. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Chapter 15
David took a coffee break the next day a little after ten and swung by Quinn’s Pub. As expected, his mother had just arrived and was opening a basket of freshly-baked muffins. He was in the mood for one of his mother’s muffins and for the company of his family.
“Hello, honey. This is a nice surprise. You’ve been so busy with a certain someone lately that we haven’t seen much of you.” His mother pulled him for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I happened to have made your favorite today, blueberry crumb.”
David grabbed one of the muffins, which were still warm. He put it on a small plate and added a hunk of butter that was so big that his mother frowned.
“David Quinn, there’s already a lot of butter in those muffins!”
He laughed. “There’s no such thing as too much butter.”
“I agree,” his brother Ryder said as he added even more butter to his muff
in.
His wife, Bethany, laughed and reached for the butter herself. They were all sitting at the bar drinking coffee while Maggie filled out her bar order to call in to Charlie. Bethany had a small chalkboard and was writing down the lunch specials.
“I have a bit of an announcement to make,” his mother began, and looked around the room to make sure she had everyone’s attention. Everyone was busy eating except for her. His mother made the muffins but very rarely had one herself. She looked pretty excited about whatever it was she was going to tell them.
“What is it, Mom?” Maggie asked as she broke off the top of her muffin and took a bite.
“Well, I’d like you all to join me in church this Sunday. It’s going to be a special day. Harry and I are getting married.” She held up her hand and Maggie and Bethany both gasped. She was wearing an enormous diamond engagement ring.
“Are you sure about this, Mom? You haven’t been dating Harry all that long,” David said. Ryder nodded in agreement.
“It’s not that we don’t like Harry. We do, but David’s right. It feels a little quick.”
Marcia Quinn laughed. “Harry and I have known each other for years, before any of you were born. This is anything but quick. Besides, when you know, you know and there’s no sense in waiting around.”
“Where will you live?” Maggie asked.
David couldn’t picture another man living in the house that he’d grown up in, and that his father had built for them. But if that’s what his mother wanted, he wasn’t going to object.
“I’ve already listed the house with Missy Roring. The first showing is today.”
“You’re going to move into Harry’s house, then?” Ryder asked.
“No, he’s listing his, too. We want to start fresh and buy something together that we both like.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Bethany said.
“So, we’re going to have a quick service, then head to the hotel for a small reception.”
Maggie smiled. “How small?”
“Only about three hundred or so. Just our closest friends and family.”
Maggie almost choked on her muffin and if David’s wasn’t gone, he probably would have done the same.
“How did you manage pull that together so fast?” he asked his mother.
“Well, it turns out there was another wedding scheduled and the bride called it off at the last minute. All the food had already been ordered and the menu sounded pretty good, so it seemed like a sign. Once that was firmed up, I made a few calls and a few more people made calls and seems like most everyone is pretty excited to come on Sunday. It should be fun!”
Ryder shook his head in wonder. “Only you could have pulled that off, Mom. But of course we’ll all be there. Does Ivy know?” His sister would need to fly in.
“She was the first call I made. She’ll be here on Saturday. It’s all coming together quite nicely!”
“Are you doing anything for a honeymoon?” Maggie asked.
“Harry said he has a plan, so I guess I’ll find out on Sunday. But he said to pack my bags for ten days, so we’re off somewhere interesting.”
“I’m happy for you, Mom,” David said.
“Thanks, honey. Be sure to bring Hannah. She’s invited, too.”
“I’ll mention it to her. I’m sure she’ll want to come.” At least he hoped so. He wasn’t so sure of anything anymore with Hannah. He’d seen something in her eyes the day before that had scared him. It was like she was stepping back and shutting him out. He’d wanted to mention it to his mother and get her take on it. He’d counted on her telling him it was nothing to worry about, but he didn’t want to ruin the festive mood now that everyone was so excited about the upcoming wedding. He’d have to figure out the Hannah situation on his own. Hopefully she was just having a bad day.
Chapter 16
At around four, David called Hannah to confirm their plans with Maggie and Charlie. He hoped that she was going to be back to her normal cheery self, but he had a sinking feeling as the phone rang and then went to voicemail. He left a quick message for her to call him back and said he had some good news. A few minutes later, his phone rang and it was Hannah.
“Hey, David, I’m sorry I missed your call. I was just getting out of the shower.” That was encouraging. He hoped it meant that she was getting ready to go out.
“No problem. How are you feeling today? Are you up for coming out still?”
Hannah was silent for an awkward long moment and then sighed.
“I’m sorry, David but I really don’t think that I’m up to being social tonight.”
“I could reschedule with them and just come by. We could have a quiet night if you’d rather?” He didn’t care what they did, he just wanted to spend time with her.
“No, I don’t want you to cancel on them. I just—I’m really not up for any company tonight. I just took a shower hoping it might help with my headache but it’s still there and I didn’t sleep well last night. I think I just need a quiet evening in and a good night’s sleep.”
“Okay. Well, I have some good news to share. My mother is getting married on Sunday and she said to be sure to let you know that you’re invited.”
“She is? That’s wonderful news. Please tell her I said congratulations.”
“You can tell her yourself if you come to the wedding with me. What do you say?” David felt like he was pushing, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. It felt like Hannah was slipping away from him.
“I’ll go with you on Sunday.”
He relaxed a little. “Okay, great. Rest up and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Thanks. Tell Maggie and Charlie I’m really sorry and I’ll see them soon.”
“I will.”
David hung up the phone and tried to turn his attention back to work. At least Hannah had agreed to come to the wedding. That was something. He pulled up his emails and tackled the highest priority ones first until there were just a few remaining and one looked a bit odd. The subject line didn’t seem like his other emails which were mostly related to customer food orders. This one simply said, “Open now or regret later.”
He clicked on the email and read the short message several times, trying to make sense of it. It was from a promoter in Nashville and mentioned the show on Saturday.
“Just in case something happens with Hannah Keane and she continues her streak of unreliability and cancels on you, one our top performers, Ruby Shaw, is available on short notice. Fans of Hannah would enjoy Ruby’s performance.”
David didn’t quite know what to make of the email. The name Ruby Shaw was vaguely familiar to him. She was a lesser known country artist. David couldn’t think of a single song of hers but her name was memorable. He didn’t want to mention it to Hannah, especially the bit about being unreliable. After her forgetting her own lyrics, he didn’t want to put anything into her head that would make her worry about doing it again. Something about the message didn’t sit right with him.
When he arrived at Quinn’s, Charlie was sitting at the bar and Maggie was taking off her apron. They decided to go to the Irish pub that was a short walk from Quinn’s.
Once they were settled at a table and had ordered a round of beers and a pizza to share, David told them about the strange email that he’d received. And also about Hannah’s stress headache and missing the words to her song.
Maggie and Charlie exchanged glances before Charlie spoke. “I’ve never known Hannah to miss even a single word. She must have been really rattled.”
“Do you think?” Maggie asked him and he nodded.
“There’s something we should probably fill you in on. It’s really Hannah’s business to share, but it sounds like maybe things have escalated, given your email. So, I’m making the decision to tell you.” Charlie told him about Hannah’s stalker and the emails she’d received.
“I suspect you might be right. She was like a different person at dress rehearsal last night. Do you think my email might b
e connected to whoever is hassling her?”
Charlie nodded. “It’s possible. Likely, even. Your email might give the police something to go on. The stalker may be somehow related to this Ruby person. Her name sounds really familiar but I can’t think of her music.”
“I thought the same thing. Do you know Hannah’s assistant? If I forward the email to you to get it to her, maybe she can forward to the police. I assume they’re already investigating this?”
“They met with Mary, her assistant. But they haven’t had much to go on. This might help.”
When David got home, instead of being tired and full and ready for bed, he was wired and wide awake. He’d only had one beer and then switched to coffee. He couldn’t get his mind off the email he’d received. He sat at his kitchen table, opened his laptop and began googling, looking for everything he could find on Ruby Shaw.
It took him a little over an hour before he connected the first dot. Ruby had been one of Hannah’s backup singers during her first big tour. So, they knew each other. He saw that she’d been a backup singer for two other well-known female country singers, too. In each instance it had been for one tour, which was unusual because his searching also told him that Hannah’s other two backup singers were with her for every tour. Why had Ruby left? And why did she leave the other two artists as well?
He didn’t have enough to go on, but his gut told him that Hannah’s stalker was either Ruby herself or her manager, the promoter that had emailed him. A quick search also interestingly showed him that the promoter, Jeff Stevens, also managed one of the other artists. He wasn’t sure if that was relevant or not but he jotted everything down. And then he emailed Ken Pearson, a private investigator he’d used several years ago when there was an issue at his company. An employee had been skimming from the warehouse. He’d known that but couldn’t figure out who. Ken had discreetly investigated and discovered that one of his employees was in serious financial debt. A little more digging discovered an email trail.
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