Hidden Danger

by Jennifer Pierce

  The words “I'm watching you” were spelled out using magazine clippings. Her hands shook, and she whipped her head up, surveying the parking lot. When she didn't see anyone, she looked at the flier again. “Join us as Whitehaven High School's Drama Club presents Mystery Dinner Theatre ‘Stalked.’” The fear that had been vibrating up and down her spine whooshed away. It was a flier. There was nothing to be afraid of. She was just jumpy from the last twenty-four hours. She wadded up the paper and threw it in the passenger's side floorboard. As she turned to grab her seat belt, a face appeared in the window.

  She let out a squeal at Cody's face staring back at her. She cranked the window down. “Cody, what are you doing, besides giving me a heart attack?”

  “I saw the truck in the parking lot and wanted to check on you.” He was so handsome standing there, blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. His blond hair was slightly longer than he had kept it years ago. She wanted to reach up and run her fingers through it but kept her hands clasped in her lap.

  “I'm fine.” She willed her heart to slow.

  “That’s good. I got the evidence turned in. They’re going to dust them for fingerprints.” He rested his arms on the truck door.

  “Will I get the rings back?” Those were the only two things of her parent’s that she wanted. It symbolized so much of them and their relationship. Those rings stood for what she wanted in her own marriage.

  “It may take a couple of days, but I promise you will get them back. You probably don’t want to hear this, but I still think you should stay somewhere else tonight.”

  “You’re right. I don’t want to hear that. Thank you for the concern. I bought new locks and some alarms for the doors and windows. I even got motion lights. I'm going to call a security company about having a system installed. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some frozen food that I need to get home.” A look she couldn’t interpret crossed his face, but he stepped back without a word. She put the truck in gear and drove out of the parking lot.

  She risked a glance in the rearview mirror. Cody stood rooted in spot, watching her drive away. Her heart clenched a bit. This is what it was like to drive away from someone she loved. And she had loved him once, and maybe she still had those feelings buried deep. She wasn’t sure Cody had really loved her, though.

  She had to make several trips to get everything into the house. As she was grabbing the last bag, tires on gravel alerted her to the arrival of a vehicle. A Dale County Sheriff’s cruiser pulled in. Her heart fluttered momentarily. Had Cody chased after her? Had she wanted him to?

  It only lasted a moment before she reminded herself Cody didn’t want her, and she didn’t need him. She needed to get the house sold and get back to Houston.

  The car stopped, and Deputy Grainger stepped out. “Good afternoon, Ms. Jones. I’m Deputy Michael Grainger, but you can call me Grainger.”

  “Good afternoon. Please call me Maggie.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I was pulling in to check on the property. Any problems?”

  “Not that I’ve noticed. I just got back from town.”

  “Would it be okay if I looked around? Just to make sure?”

  “No problem. Come on in when you’re done, and I’ll get you a glass of tea.”

  “Thank you.”

  She carried the bags to the kitchen and started putting the groceries away until she found the jug of tea she’d purchased.

  “Ma’am?” Grainger’s voice came from the doorway. “I’ve looked around outside. Mind if I come inside? You said you were gone for a spell.”

  “Do you think it’s necessary?” Maybe Cody was right. Maybe she should find somewhere else to stay.

  “No, ma’am. I don’t, but it might make you feel better.”

  “It’s Maggie. I don’t see the harm in it. Go ahead. I’ll have your tea ready when you’re done.”

  He nodded and disappeared down the hall. She filled a cup with ice and poured the tea before finishing putting the groceries up. She was laying the alarms and new locks on the island when Grainger returned.

  “Just as I thought it would be, everything is fine. Would you like some help with those?” He nodded to the items on the island.

  She handed him the glass of tea. “No. Thank you. I think I can manage.”

  “Okay then. I’m going to head back out on patrol. One of us will pull up occasionally. We won’t get out unless we see something suspicious or you call in and ask us. I just started my shift, so it’ll be me the next twelve hours. Why don’t I give you my cell number?”

  “That would be great.” The fear she’d had when he’d asked to look around had started to dissipate. Having his number helped. This way, if something else were to happen, she could call for help but still bypass Cody completely.

  She pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed his number into her contacts. Then she sent him a text. His phone beeped from his pocket. “Now you’ll have my number.”

  He smiled and drained his glass. “Thanks again for the tea. I’ll see myself out. Call or text if you need anything.”

  “I will.” She gave him a little wave and went back to the alarms and locks on display. She was going to start by changing the lock and alarming the front door. She grabbed the boxes and tools she needed and set to work.

  Chapter Six

  Cody stirred the vegetables on the stovetop as his thoughts bounced back and forth between Iris’s case and Maggie’s. In both situations the stalker used notes, but Maggie’s stalker started off with threats whereas Iris’s had almost seemed like a secret admirer. He didn’t know if they were related or not. If they were, he’d have to consider pulling Grainger off the case. He was one of the department’s best deputies, but his sister’s case and subsequent death were fresh for the department and even more so for Grainger.

  Then there was Maggie. She’d seemed more receptive to him at the grocery store. Her words had remained just as distant, but something in her expression had softened when she’d first recognized him. He knew it had only been a couple hours since he’d seen her, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to see her again.

  Now she was alone out there at the Jones' house. Maybe he should call to check on her. He doubted she would stay on the phone long. He could drive over there, but what would he say? I was just in the neighborhood… twenty minutes outside of town. That would probably go over about as well as a phone call, but he had to know she was okay. If he could get her on the phone for a few minutes and hear her voice, he could ease his worry.

  He stirred the vegetables once more and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed the home number and waited while it rang. Five rings and it went to the answering machine.

  “Maggie, this is—”

  “Hello, are you there? I'm here. Sorry, I left the phone in another room.” She panted, like she’d been running.

  “I was calling to check on you.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff. I'm fine at this moment. I got the locks changed and all of the alarms installed.”

  He was glad to hear that she was taking steps to protect herself, even if they weren’t the steps he wanted her to take.

  “The security company will be coming to set up a more sophisticated system in a couple of days. I've also noticed a cruiser pull up into the drive occasionally. I met Deputy Grainger when he came to check on me. Thank you for that.” Her breathing slowed to normal. She was cordial, but it was still obvious that she hadn't been kidding when she told him that he was the Sheriff and she would be treating him as such.

  “That’s good. Deputy Grainger is one of my best deputies.” Knowing that Grainger had made contact with her and was taking his job seriously helped ease the worry.

  “Did you need anything else?”

  “Magpie, don't do this.”

  “Don’t call me Magpie. And This? This is something you created six years ago. This is your fault. This is me protecting my already shattered heart. You said you loved me. You were the silver lining in the dark clouds that
invaded my life that summer. Then out of nowhere you ended it. So, no, I don’t want to talk to you. Now, if you have no official business, I'm going to hang up. I have lots of work to do.” Her voice quaked as she spoke.

  Her words weren’t angry, but full of hurt, and it tore at his heart.

  “I’m sorry Maggie. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that. It—”

  “Business?”

  “Okay. We checked the beanbag, toolbox, key, and box for fingerprints. There weren't any. A deputy will continue to check your property occasionally. If anything weird happens, or if you need someone, please call it in, okay?”

  “Thank you. I will call if I need anything. Goodnight.”

  With that, she hung up. He stood there staring at the screen of his cell phone. He'd really messed things up back then. He had loved her, but after the conversation with Jake that night, he knew he would be holding her back.

  BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. The fire alarm went off. He hadn't stirred the vegetables and now they were burning in the pan. It was just as well. The hurt in her voice had chased away his appetite. He turned the burner off and set the pan on the stovetop.

  Some day he would sit Maggie down and explain to her. It wouldn't be anytime soon, though. He needed to keep his full attention on the present situation.

  He went to his home office and grabbed the laptop. Taking it to the kitchen, he turned it on and let it boot up while he made himself a glass of iced tea. He needed to figure out who was terrorizing Maggie. Someone obviously wanted to scare her away, but why? Maggie hadn’t seemed to think that the motivation was a personal vendetta. From her account, she lived a quiet life. Maybe it had something to do with her father’s property. Mr. Jones had owned several hundred acres on the outskirts of town near the border to Mexico. Cody supposed that terrorizing Maggie could possibly make her want to stay away from the area, or even convince Jake that they should sell the land.

  He dismissed that idea as quickly as it had come to him. Mr. Jones hadn’t reported any problems to him or Maggie for that matter. The smashed mailbox and vandalized house didn’t necessarily mean anything, but coupled with the message on the answering machine and the rings, it pointed to someone with a personal grudge against Maggie. It was more like Iris’s case.

  Whitehaven was a quiet town. It had its share of drunks, juvenile delinquents, and vandals but no serious criminals. Iris's case was the most serious one they'd had in Whitehaven in as long as he could remember. He had been a deputy with the Sheriff's department for four years prior to being elected Sheriff. Not only had Iris been Grainger’s sister, but she’d been an emergency dispatcher, so Cody had been fairly well acquainted with her. It had made her case all the more upsetting.

  Her stalker had started with seemingly nonthreatening gifts. She had received several anonymous flower deliveries and candies. She had chalked it up to either a secret admirer or the family member of someone she had helped when they’d called 911. But the gifts had turned more sinister—black roses and even a dead rat. Not long after that, she’d been physically attacked.

  Were they dealing with a serial stalker? If so, he couldn't limit his search to Whitehaven and Dale County. He’d have to expand his search parameters. He pulled up his email to instruct Deputy Grainger to start searching for any similar incidents in the surrounding counties and possibly branch out to the whole state.

  The notes Maggie received had a familiar ring to them. After sending the email, he pulled up the internet browser and typed in “one for sorrow.” There was a plethora of results ranging from music to books, but an old nursery rhyme caught his eye. It not only contained “one for sorrow” but also “two for joy.” That's why it was so familiar, he had probably heard some version of the rhyme growing up.

  How could this be connected to Maggie? He clicked a link, and his pulse kicked up a notch. The nursery rhyme was about the Magpie bird. Magpie. It was no secret that he and Jake called Maggie Magpie. No one else ever called her that. This was definitely personal.

  He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jake's cell number. It was a long shot that Jake would even have his personal cell phone with him. The call went straight to voicemail.

  “Jake. This is Cody. Give me a call as soon as you can.” He would try the security company Jake worked for in the morning.

  Knowing Maggie wasn't just a victim picked at random, Cody felt compelled to make sure she was safe. She didn't answer the home phone and when he tried her cell phone, it went straight to voicemail. Unease crept up. He couldn’t sit and do nothing. He closed the laptop, grabbed his keys, and locked up the house. He was going to go see Maggie. Perhaps with this new information, she’d consider finding another place to stay.

  Chapter Seven

  She'd spent the afternoon changing the locks and installing the alarms on all the windows and doors. After managing to get some cleaning and sorting done in her bedroom, her stomach growled. It was a good time for a break. She placed a frozen dinner in the microwave and went to get the newest novel she’d been reading. Reading about lost love and eating the banana pudding that was setting in the refrigerator would be a good way to finish the evening.

  She sighed deeply. Being here dredged up all the old feelings of pain and rejection, surprisingly strong and fresh in her heart. She had loved once, then he was gone, and he’d taken her heart with him. After that, she’d never gone looking for love again. The rejection was just too painful to go through again. Cody had deemed her unworthy. There had been some flaw that she hadn’t seen, nor had she been able to find. So now, she found love in her books and poured herself into her job, tutoring children, and writing when her schedule would allow.

  The microwave beeped. She grabbed the cardboard container, a fork, and a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went to make herself comfortable on the old, worn out couch in the living room.

  Her cell phone flashed a notification light. She had missed a call. She swiped the screen and saw that the call had been from Cody. He was probably calling to check on her. She’d call him back after she ate.

  No sooner had she opened her book and put the first bite of noodles in her mouth, there was a knock on the door. She found herself wishing she hadn't put her father's gun away. Who was she kidding? Bad guys didn’t typically knock, right? She stood to answer the door and there was another knock, followed by the unmistakable baritone voice of the sheriff himself.

  “Magpie? I know you're in there. I can smell burnt cardboard. You're sitting on the couch, reading a book, aren’t you?”

  She settled herself back down on to the couch and forked in another mouthful of noodles. She was predictable. He knew it. She knew it. So, what? “What do you want?” she yelled around the food in her mouth.

  “You didn’t answer the phone.”

  “Sorry. I was cleaning upstairs.”

  “Can I come in?” His question was slightly muffled by the big wooden door.

  “No!” She reached for her book and flipped to the page that was marked with her favorite bookmark.

  “Come on, Maggie. I want to talk.”

  He wants to talk. What can he possibly want to talk about? She couldn't stand the thought of listening to whatever he had to say.

  “So, talk,” she said in the direction of the door.

  “I am not going to talk to you through the door.”

  “Well, I'm not letting you in, so we are at an impasse.”

  “You have always been so stubborn.” His heavy footsteps descended the porch.

  Finally. She smirked in victory, stuffed another bite into her mouth, and got lost in her book. A few minutes passed and movement across the room startled her. Gasping, she stood, knocking everything to the floor. Cody stepped into the room, cocking an eyebrow at the mess.

  “What in the world are you doing?” she yelled at him while picking up the closest thing she could find to throw at him.

  He smiled and caught the pillow before it could hit him in the face. “I came to check on you.” He
threw the pillow back at her.

  She knocked the pillow to the floor and stared at him. If looks could kill, he'd be a dead man.

  “So, you decided that since I wouldn't let you in you would break in? Newsflash, Sheriff, that is illegal.”

  “I wouldn't classify it as breaking in really. I just used an alternative entrance.” He chuckled at his own joke.

  Her heart rate was finally slowing to normal.

  “What alternative entrance? Did you bring the spare key back with you?”

  “Nope. The same one Jake and I used to sneak in and out of the house.”

  She'd forgotten he had spent so much time at the house and knew all the nooks and crannies just like she and Jacob did. Apparently, he’d climbed the old tree and jiggled Jacob's bedroom window until the lock flew open. She made a mental note to put something above the window to keep it from opening until the security company came.

  She bent down and cleaned up the noodles that had spilled onto the floor. She set the bowl on the coffee table and sat on the sofa.

  “You ruined my meal, so thanks for that,” she grumbled.

  “I am sorry I startled you. But we do need to talk. It’s important.”

  “I guess you’re not going to leave until you say whatever it is you came to say.” She gestured for him to take the chair diagonal to the couch. Cody sat and turned to her.

  “I did a quick internet search on the phrases from the two notes you received. One for sorrow and two for joy. Those are lines from an old nursery rhyme.”

  She’d thought she had heard them before but hadn't been able to place the origin.

  “There are several different versions of the rhyme, anywhere from six to fourteen lines long. It’s in reference to a bird, and the superstitions connected to the amount of birds one sees.”

  “Okay. What does a bird or group of birds have to do with me?”

  “Maggie, it’s not just any bird. It’s the Magpie bird.”

  She felt sick. Only Jacob and Cody had ever called her that. The situation no longer seemed like just a frightening prank, but a deeply personal violation of her life. Cody leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees, an earnest expression on his face. She had a hard time focusing on him.