by Kathy Ivan
“Nothing.” Liar.
“Red, do I need to come over?” His words were laced with concern, overshadowing her feeling of dread, and made her realize she’d probably overexaggerated the menace behind the stupid calls.
“Sorry. No, it’s fine. My foolish imagination got away from me for a second.”
“Something scared you?”
“Honestly, Rafe, it’s probably nothing.” She reached up and twined her finger in her hair, curling the ends round and round, a nervous habit she thought she’d broken. Should she tell him? Granted, the caller ID showed the caller was unknown, and it might be kids making crank calls, but…
“Tell me anyway.” His tone brooked no argument, and she had no trouble picturing the scowl he most likely sported. A combination of I’m-not-taking-any-nonsense-from-you and I-only-want-to-help. It was a sign of his strength and caring, and what made him a good sheriff.
“Okay, but it’s really nothing. The last couple of days, I’ve been getting calls. Whenever I pick up, nobody’s there.”
“How often is it happening?”
“One call on the first day, and a couple the next. Today, I threatened to report them to the phone company and the sheriff’s department and hung up. The phone rang again almost immediately, but I didn’t pick up. Afterward, I blocked the number.”
Right then, the phone vibrated in her hand, startling her into almost dropping it.
“Check the caller ID, read it to me.” His deep voice brooked no refusal.
Of course, it was the same ID of unknown caller, with a different number listed. Shoot, if it was teens playing a prank, they were pretty smart to use more than one phone to harass her.
“It’s the same as before, unknown, but it’s a different number,” she told him.
“I’m on my way.”
“Rafe, you don’t have to—”
“Red, let me do my job. I’ll be there in five minutes, ten at the most.”
“Thanks.”
Though she hated to admit it, a small part of her rejoiced Rafe insisted on coming. With the calls becoming more frequent, her already skittish nerves were getting a workout. Coupled with the fact for the last couple of days she’d felt like somebody watched her every move, and she found herself jumping at any little noise.
Before five minutes had elapsed, Rafe pulled into her drive and parked behind her car. His long-legged gait ate up the distance to the door, and she pulled it open before he’d made it to the porch.
She didn’t stop to think, barreling straight into his arms. They wrapped around her like bands of steel, shielding her from the world, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. If only she could get her body to stop shaking, everything would be alright.
“Shh, sugar, I’m here.” A hand stroked down her spine, a soothing caress, and she leaned closer, inhaling his spicy scent. Standing in his arms, in the middle of her front porch where everyone could see them, a feeling of rightness swept through her, along with a feeling she’d finally come home.
With a reluctance she didn’t fully understand, she pulled back, stepping out of his arms. “Sorry about that. I’m not usually such a watering pot.” Turning, she led him into the house.
“I didn’t mind. You can use my shoulder anytime.” The gentleness in his voice matched the sweetness of his smile, making her eyes tear up again. She sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands in her lap, clenched tightly together. Darn it, she needed to stop shaking.
“Tell me about the calls. You said they started a couple of days ago?”
She gave a quick nod. “The first time it happened, I figured it was a wrong number. That happens all the time with cellphones.”
“Yes, it does. But the calls kept happening—like today?”
“Today has been the worst. Every time it rings, I’m afraid to pick it up and see unknown caller on the screen.” She forced a laugh, trying to make light of the situation. “I’m probably blowing everything out of proportion. It could be kids getting their jollies, or even robo-calls that hang up when they connect to another number.”
“The way you’re shaking tells me you don’t really believe it, Tessa. What aren’t you telling me?”
Running her hand through her hair, she raised her gaze to his. “It may be nothing, but before I moved here, I’d had a little trouble with an ex-boyfriend.” She watched the way his eyes flashed, saw the tightening in his hands.
“Define a little trouble.”
“Not long after my parents died, Trevor’s actions began changing. He started getting a little more…I guess you’d call it demanding. Almost possessive. Wanting to always know where I was. Who was I with. He started showing up without notice at my job. Or at the restaurant, when I went to lunch with Beth. I have to admit, at first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. It was flattering to be the center of attention.”
She saw the moment he understood. He was a good cop, and easily read between the lines. “We’re talking a jealous ex.”
“Yeah. He didn’t want me seeing any of my friends. He’d make plans for us, yet didn’t include people I knew, and he’d get mad if I even wanted to spend an evening with my sister. At first, I admit I ate up the attention because I’d been devastated by my parents’ deaths, functioning on autopilot most of the time, and Trevor helped me pick up the pieces.”
“You mean he took advantage of you when you were at your lowest point.”
She hated how weak and pathetic that made her sound, even if it was the truth. She shrugged. “About four months ago, I worked up the nerve to break things off. I thought it was a clean break. He seemed to take the news well. He even left me alone for a few weeks. Then he’d show up at my place. Or call. Text. Acted like we were still a couple, like nothing had changed. Even my brother-in-law, Evan, talked to him, told him to back off. Nothing worked.”
“Did you contact the police? Get a restraining order against him?”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying something she’d regret. “I may be foolish, Rafe, but I’m not stupid. When he didn’t give up, I went to the police. They sent an officer to talk to Trevor, and told him he needed to stay away. Once the police talked to him, he finally got the message and stopped calling and coming around. That’s why I don’t think he’s doing this.”
“Did you change your number when you moved to Shiloh Springs?”
“No, it’s the same.”
He reached across the space dividing them, and clasped both her hands within his. “I’m going to look into this, see what I can find out. I’ll add your ex to the list—” He broke off when she shook her head vehemently. “Tessa, I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t investigate all possibilities, and that includes your former boyfriend.”
“Honestly, I think Trevor has moved on, but do what you have to.” She gave him a tentative smile. “You’re the sheriff.”
“And don’t you forget it.” At his exaggerated wink, she giggled.
Giggling? What am I, twelve?
“You okay now, sweetheart? I can stay if you need me.”
“Thanks, Rafe. I’m probably blowing this all out of proportion. Maybe it’s somebody dialing the wrong number, and I’m making too big a deal out of it.”
“I’m gonna check it out anyway.” He slipped on his cowboy hat, the brim shadowing his face. She’d never thought she’d fall for the kind of man who spoke with a slow drawl, wore a Stetson and boots, but she admitted, if only to herself, this particular cowboy made her heartbeat go pitter-pat.
Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him, and his arms slid around her, pulling her close. Again, she breathed in deep, branding his scent into her memory.
“Lock your doors to be on the safe side until we figure this out. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”
“Thanks again, Rafe.”
With a final look over his shoulder, he was gone, and she closed the door, sliding the bolt home. Leaning her back against the cool wood, she sighed befor
e heading to the bedroom office.
She hoped he found out something soon, because she refused to live her life in fear.
Rafe leaned back in his office chair, and propped his booted feet onto the desk, holding the phone to his ear. Acid burned in his gut as he considered the eerie phone calls Tessa had gotten. Maybe it was kids playing a practical joke on the new teacher, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“Hey bro, got a favor to ask.”
“What, no hello, how’ve you been? Straight to asking for something.” His brother, Antonio, chuckled. “Good to hear from you too, Rafe. What’s up?”
“Need to know if you’ve got an expert who can trace incoming calls to a cell phone. The number shows up as unknown caller. Once it’s blocked, the caller uses a different number. Is there any way to determine who’s making the calls, or where they’re coming from?”
The first person he’d thought to call with Tessa’s problem? His brother, Antonio, who worked with the FBI office in Dallas. He had sources Rafe didn’t have in the much smaller Shiloh Springs. And Rafe didn’t mind exploiting his brother’s connections if it meant protecting Tessa.
“What’s going on?”
“Someone’s been making harassing calls to Tessa, and I’m trying to figure out where they’re coming from. She can tell somebody’s on the other end because she hears them breathing.”
“Tessa? You mean the new teacher?”
“Yeah. She moved here from North Carolina, and doesn’t have a clue who would be calling her from an unknown number. She’s got in her head it’s probably kids playing pranks, but I’m not so sure.” He could almost hear the wheels spinning in Antonio’s head at his answers, and knew his brother probably had a million questions of his own.
“Give me the cell number that’s receiving the calls, and I’ll have a buddy look into it. Not sure how much information he can get, unless we put a tracker on her phone. But will do what we can.” There was a long pause, before Antonio spoke again. “Could this be somebody from her past…maybe somebody from North Carolina?”
Rafe didn’t want to consider there might be somebody back in North Carolina from Tessa’s past who’d want to hurt her—or worse. But it was a distinct possibility, especially after their conversation earlier. Somebody she’d cared about—or even loved. But Rafe was a cop. He couldn’t afford to look at this from a personal aspect, even if it made his head ache. It also meant he’d have to do a little digging into Tessa’s past.
“How much information do you think you can obtain from cell phone calls showing an unknown caller?”
“Depends. There are a lot of factors to figuring out where a call came from, whether a landline or cellphone, trying to track the towers and where the call generated, but…”
“But it’s a long shot, right?”
Antonio sighed. “Yeah, you haven’t given me a lot to go on here, and it’s going to be almost impossible to trace, but we’ll give it our best shot. I know a guy who’s one of the best at cellphone data, locating the towers where a call pinged, and maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Rafe ran a hand through his hair, frustration eating at him. There had to be more he could do. He hadn’t made any promises to Tessa, but he knew worry would eat at her. As much as she tried to hide it, she didn’t have a poker face, and her fear had coated his skin, thick and pungent.
“I appreciate it, bro.”
“This Tessa, she’s special?”
“I don’t know, Antonio, there’s something about her that calls to me in a way I’ve never felt before. I’m not sure I can put into words exactly why I’m so drawn to her, but there it is.”
“Wish I could have been at the Big House when you brought her over. I know Momma raved about her the last time I called. I get the feeling she’d approve if you’re thinking about getting serious.”
“One thing at a time, bro. First, let’s find out who’s harassing Tessa and why.”
Antonio’s chuckle rang in his ears, and Rafe’s shoulders relaxed. Not that it mattered, but he knew his brother would like Tessa. Heck, the whole family had welcomed her with open arms from the moment she’d landed in Shiloh Springs. He couldn’t blame them; he’d been fascinated too.
“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything. You find out anything else on your end, shoot me a text.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
After hanging up, Rafe headed for the door. Time to do his last drive through town, make sure things were quiet for the night. A habit ingrained from his predecessor, he took a half hour or forty-five minutes at the end of his shift, meandering through the back streets of Shiloh Springs. Sometimes he found trouble and stopped it before it took hold. Other times, trouble found him.
And on the way home, he’d mosey past Tessa’s house, and take a quick look around.
Nothing stirred his cop’s instincts while he patrolled, so he radioed dispatch and signed off for the night. Within minutes, he parked across the street from Tessa’s place, and turned off the engine. Pulling his hat low across his eyes, he hunkered down in his seat.
He’d gone without sleep before—what was one more night?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next two weeks passed faster than he could blink. Sitting behind his desk at the sheriff’s department, Rafe worked on the endless reams of paperwork which never seemed to grow smaller. This was the part of the job he disliked. He wouldn’t call it hate, but it came awfully close. Give him a bad guy to chase down, or corralling a drunk to sleep it off, great. Paperwork? He shuddered.
Being the sheriff of a county the size of Shiloh Springs wasn’t the same as working in the big city, which he’d done for a few years, once he’d graduated from Texas A&M. He’d contemplated going into the Army, intent of becoming a Green Beret, but when a fellow classmate joined the Dallas Police Academy, he convinced Rafe there was a better way he could serve his country closer to home. He’d graduated with honors at the top of his class, and never regretted the decision to become a cop.
The only problem was living and working in the big city wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. More and more, he’d found himself thinking about Douglas and Ms. Patti, and Shiloh Springs. It might be cliché to say home is where the heart is, but it didn’t make it any less true. Moving back and joining the sheriff’s department as a deputy sheriff felt like sliding into a comfortable pair of boots. Two years later, he’d advanced to lead deputy sheriff, and when Sheriff Lassiter retired, he’d been named the new chief.
Glancing up, he spotted Dusty Sinclair leaning on the doorjamb, a piece of paper in his hand. “Boss, Jeb Grady called again. Looks like, and I quote, ‘hooligans done trespassed onto my property again, and spray painted graffiti stuff all over the side of the henhouse, and you’d better damned well get off your lazy backside and get over here double quick’.”
Rafe scrubbed a hand through his hair, giving a weary sigh. Why couldn’t the boys from the high school pick another target, and leave Grady alone? Seemed like at least once a month, he’d get called out to handle some foolishness. Last month, some kids took potshots at his barn. The month before, they’d knocked down his mailbox. Would it ever end?
“Have dispatch give him a call, tell him I’ll be out there this afternoon.”
“Want me to take it? You’ve had your hands full…”
“Appreciate the offer, Dusty, but I’ve got it. I’m headed out anyway, so I’ll swing by Grady’s place.”
“If you’re sure,” Dusty crossed his arms, his posture relaxed, though his expression was anything but. “Boss, I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but I’m gonna say this anyway. You have got to learn to delegate. You work too hard as it is. We all see it. Let me or one of the others deal with this.”
Rafe studied the tall man, who’d been working there for almost two years. Dusty Sinclair had moved to Shiloh Springs, relocating from Houston, wanting to be part of smaller town life and a slower pace. Maybe Dusty was right, and he’d been
too blind to see it.
“You’re right. But, since I’m already heading out, I’ll handle Grady this time. Why don’t you check with Brody over at the fire station? See if they’re any closer to figuring out how the fire started last week.”
Dusty straightened and gave him a mock salute. “I’m on it. If there aren’t any important calls, why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? You’ve earned it.”
Standing, Rafe stretched, feeling the stiff muscles in his back protest the movement. He’d sat too long, dealing with the paperwork. Glancing at his watch, he smiled. If he hurried, maybe he could take Tessa to lunch before he headed south of town.
“Good idea, Dusty. I think I’ll do that. Call me if anything needs my attention, otherwise, once I’ve dealt with Grady’s problem, I’m done for the day. I’ll let dispatch know on my way out.”
Dusty grinned and walked away. Rafe slapped on his hat, and followed behind him, stopping beside the dispatcher’s desk to let her know about the change in plans. Shiloh Springs wasn’t a tiny town, but they were small enough one dispatcher per shift normally handled the incoming calls, as well as notifying the officers on duty when a situation arose.
Within minutes, he’d driven to the elementary school, and spotted Tessa’s car in the faculty parking lot, along with a couple others he recognized. He saw Tessa exiting the school, arms loaded with a cardboard box overflowing with papers. Grinning, he sprinted toward her, quickly closing the distance between them.
“Here, let me help you.” Against her protest, he took the box from her hands.
“Rafe, what are you doing here?” He nearly chuckled at the surprise on her face. It had been several days since he’d seen her, though he’d called to check and make sure she was doing okay. That’s what neighbors did, right?
“Thought I’d drop by, see if I could take our newest teacher to lunch.”
“Lunch? Is it that late already?”
“Yep. I have one quick stop, then I thought we might head over to Juanita’s Café for some Tex-Mex. Sound good?” Opening his car’s rear door, he slid the box onto the back seat and straightened, waiting for her answer.