by Chiah Wilder
“Too bad. I can swing by and pick you up tomorrow for dinner if you want?”
“That sounds good.”
“I better go—it’s fucking nuts around here. Seven tomorrow.”
“That works. See you then.”
Putting her phone down, Ashley finished putting away the groceries. She and Whitney had become good friends, and she enjoyed their weekly dinners. After Ashley had gone on and on about the yoga classes at the center, Whitney had signed up, and they usually grabbed a coffee after classes. Because of Whitney’s erratic schedule, Ashley usually only saw her at the yoga center a few times a month, but whenever she was there, the two of them had a good time.
After putting the paper bag in the recycle bin, Ashley padded out of the kitchen and into the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. A few minutes later, she was settled on the couch, leafing through a cooking magazine she’d grabbed at the store. Leaning over, she picked up the glass of pinot grigio and took a sip. I wish Smokey was here. One of her favorite things was snuggling against him on the couch. Since they started dating, he’d spent practically every night at her house, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Brrring!
Pushing up from the couch, she groaned. Peeking out the window, she saw Mark’s truck still parked at the curb.
“Why can’t Zach call me on my damn cell phone?” she muttered, trudging into the kitchen.
Brrring!
“I’m coming.” Picking up the white receiver, and answered with, “Zach, why do you keep calling me on the landline?”
A deep chuckle rumbled through the line.
Her senses instantly spiked to high alert.
“Is that you, Zack?” She knew it wasn’t. A sick feeling twisted in the pit of her stomach as she waited for the caller to say something.
Silence.
Slamming the phone down, she scurried over and locked the door, checked the window latches, and activated the security system.
The phone rang again, and she jumped in place, like a cat on hot tar. Trembling, she slowly shuffled back into the kitchen. The rings echoed off the walls, and she put her hands over her ears to block them out.
Brrring! Brrring!
Her heart pounded as she picked up.
“Stop calling.”
“Did you set the alarm after checking that the windows were all locked?”
It was the same voice as before: low, whispering, seductive. This can’t be happening.
“Stop calling me. I know it’s you, AJ, and that Sabrina’s put you up to this. Smokey’s not going to like it when I tell him.”
“AJ’s a stupid fool. He threw pebbles at your house when the biker was there. How fucking stupid is that?”
She caught her breath. If AJ wasn’t on the phone, then who was? Maybe Sabrina found someone else to do her dirty work. But Ashley knew that wasn’t true. The man on the phone was the same one as the last time, and that was before she even knew about AJ.
“I’m watching you. You thought you were safe after that idiot got caught. He was an amateur, but I promise you, I’m not.” His voice was calm, almost hypnotizing. “It’s time we meet, don’t you think?”
The blood in her veins chilled.
“I know everything about you, Ashley. I’ve been watching you for weeks.”
Dread slithered down her spine. “Leave me alone.”
“That’s one thing I can’t do.”
The line went dead, and she banged the receiver down in its cradle. How could this not be over? It has to be AJ. Sabrina must be a real psycho.
Hurrying over to the window, she saw Mark staring at her from his truck, his cell phone in hand. It has to be him. He’s the only one besides Smokey and Zach who knows this number. But why is he doing this? Because he’s a nut. Gripping the cord, she pulled the drapes shut and paced the floor, trying to figure out what to do. She hated to ruin Smokey’s business trip, but he did tell her to call if anything was wrong. On the other hand, she could call the police, and they’d send a patrol car around. She could even ask if the patrol could come by several times that night. But what about tomorrow, and the day after?
Hearing a noise coming from the foyer, Ashley shuffled through the hallway until she reached the entry. She gasped when she saw the doorknob shaking from someone turning it. Jumping away, she dragged a chair from the family room and jammed it under the doorknob.
“Ms. Callahan? I know you’re in there,” Mark called out.
“I’m calling the police!” she shouted.
“I need to fix your doorknob. It’s loose.”
“Go away!” The guy’s a psycho. Running back into the family room, she snatched her cell phone off the couch and dialed 911. “There’s someone trying to get into my house. Hurry.”
Mark kept knocking on the door, but she ignored him. She tiptoed over to the window and the curtains back, just a sliver, so she could look out. Seeing Gage’s face staring back at her, she screamed and jumped back, her heart pounding as if it were a train on the tracks.
Knocking on the window, Gage said, “Open up. What’s wrong?”
This can’t be happening. Where the hell are the police?
Then, she heard the faint wailing sound of police sirens approaching. A wave of relief washed over her. Peering out the window again, she saw that Mark’s truck was gone, and there was no sign of Gage.
Ashley went over to the front door, removed the chair from under the doorknob, and waited for the police to arrive.
“I can’t believe your handymen are trying to hurt you. It’s like something out of a horror film,” Whitney said as she tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil.
“I knew something was screwy with both of them, but I can’t believe they’d try to hurt me. And in broad daylight.” Ashley shuddered. “I called Zach after the cops left and told him if they come back, I’m moving to the Palace Hotel. Being the cheapskate he is, he agreed to let them go.”
“Did the cops arrest them?”
Ashley picked up her wineglass. “Not yet. They’re still investigating.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever that means.”
“At least they’re under scrutiny. Under the circumstances, the chances of them hurting you now are slim. I hope the cops have enough to charge them. The bastards.”
“I feel like I’m living in a nightmare that I can’t wake up from. First AJ, and now these two. It’s crazier than fiction.”
“I can’t believe you had two separate people stalking you.”
“I just thought AJ was responsible for all of it.” She took a sip of her drink. “I hope I can nail these guys. Who knows how many times they’ve done this to single women?”
“Have you let Smokey know what’s going on?”
“I don’t want to bother him while he’s on a business trip. If the police weren’t involved, I would. But now, there’s no point in him coming back early.”
“Even so, I think you should tell him.”
“I’ll fill him in when he comes back tomorrow.”
“Spaghetti alla carbonara.” The waitress placed the dish in front of Whitney. “And lasagna.”
“Thanks.” Ashley smiled, moving her hands to the side.
Nodding toward the empty bread basket, the server asked, “Would you like some more bread?”
“No thanks,” the two women replied in unison.
When the waitress walked away, Ashley picked up her fork and cut a piece of lasagna. “I’ll be taking half of this home, for sure.”
Whitney twirled her fork in the pasta. “You can eat it for dinner tonight.”
“Or tomorrow.”
“Thanks again for being flexible. I know I said I wouldn’t go in on my day off, but Eric pleaded with me, and what could I say?”
“No worries. Lunch worked out great, especially since I’m working from home today.”
The time flew, and before Ashley knew it, she was back home in her comfy loungewear pants and oversized top, working on spreadshe
ets for two new clients in Vail. The firm had been garnering more clients in Aspen, Vail, and Grand Junction since she’d moved to Pinewood Springs. She went beyond her normal workaholic self on those clients because she held a sliver of hope that Zach and the other partners would ask her to take over the mountain area accounts, which would mean she could stay in Pinewood Springs, and with Smokey. Ashley had no idea how she and Smokey could continue their relationship when she went back to Denver.
Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she secured it with a blue scrunchie. Time to stop thinking about what-ifs and start working. Bending over, she picked up her large burgundy leather tote and plopped it down next to her on the couch. As she rummaged through it, a tremor of panic shot through her. Frowning, she emptied the contents on the cushion, then checked the inside of the bag again. Where the hell is my MacBook Pro? Ashley stood up and retraced her steps several times, but she couldn’t find her business computer anywhere.
Grabbing her phone off the coffee table, she called the restaurant to see if anyone had found a MacBook. No one did. She then tapped in Whitney’s number.
“What’s up? Whitney answered, concern lacing her tone.
“This is crazy, but I can’t find my work computer. I called the restaurant, but it wasn’t there. I’m wondering if it dropped out of my tote in your car. I’m kind of freaking out here, because all my spreadsheets are on it, and I have an important meeting tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’d be freaking out too. I’ll get someone to cover for me and check.”
“Thanks. I’ll wait for your call.”
Twenty tense minutes later, Whitney called to tell her she’d found it on the backseat floor.
The stress washed away. “That’s great. What a relief.”
“The only problem is, I can’t get away. We’re slammed, and there’s only two of us right now. Can you come and get it?”
“I have a conference call soon, so maybe after that.”
“I can have someone drop it off to you. Eric told me he’s going into town. I can ask him.”
“If he doesn’t mind. When’s he leaving?”
“I’m not sure. If that doesn’t work, I can ask someone else if you’re cool with that.”
“Yeah, sure. It saves me a trip.”
“I’ll make sure it gets to you.”
“Sounds good. I appreciate it.”
Happy that the crisis was resolved, Ashley went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. After the heavy lunch, she’d need a shot of caffeine to get her through the rest of the day.
With cup in hand, she ambled back into the family room, took out the Kenmore folder, and looked it over in preparation for the conference call.
Two and a half hours later, she stood up and stretched, kneading her shoulder muscles with her fingers. After doing a couple of yoga positions, she headed back to the kitchen to get some water. I wonder what’s taking Eric so long. She sighed. I’m going to have to work late tonight, for sure.
She walked over to the window, hoping to see Eric turning onto her street, but instead, she spotted Brady’s car driving past her house. What the hell? Jumping away, she plastered herself against the wall and waited. The pulse in her temple pounded, and her mouth went dry. Why is he on my street? As the seconds ticked away, she gathered her courage and inched closer to the window to peek out. Brady was sitting in his car, looking over at the house. Standing sentry, she watched him for what seemed like an eternity, until he pulled away from the curb and drove away. Taking deep breaths, she closed the curtains and slumped against the wall.
Ashley hadn’t seen Brady since the day he’d come into her office over three weeks ago. After that encounter, she’d gone to the shelter to say goodbye to the kids when she knew Brady wasn’t there, and then she’d left a message on his machine, telling him she would not be returning. Brady never contacted her, and she hadn’t bumped into him, so why was he in front of her house that day? Whitney’s right. I need to call Smokey and tell him what’s going on.
As soon as she picked up the phone, the doorbell rang. Is that Brady? No, she saw him drive away. It was probably Eric dropping off her MacBook.
Looking out the small window at the top of the door, she turned off the alarm, then turned the lock and opened the door. Jared was standing there, holding her computer.
“Hi,” she said, unlatching the screen door. “I thought Eric was coming.”
“Someone called off again, so he stayed to cover. I just finished my shift, so he asked me to drop off your computer.” Holding it out, he handed it to her.
“Thanks a lot. It was nice of you to come out of your way.”
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I was going this way.”
“Whitney said you guys are having to pick up a lot of extra shifts.”
Nodding, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “That’s the way it is in the restaurant and bar business.” He looked over at the street, then back at her. “How’s your friend Nicole?”
Ashley smiled. So Jared can be personable when he wants to be. “She’s good. She and another friend of mine are planning to come here in a couple of weeks.”
“Make sure you come by the bar.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s high up on her list.”
Suddenly, Jared started coughing and gagging.
“Are you all right?”
Holding his throat, he shook his head no. He continued to cough, gasping for air, making raspy noises.
Stepping back, she held the screen door open wide. “Come inside. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
As he stepped inside, she motioned for him to follow her. She dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filled it with tap water, and then rushed back into the family room.
Handing him the glass, she said breathlessly, “Here.”
Taking it from her hand, he brought it to his lips, took a small sip, and set it down on the coffee table.
“You’re all better,” she said. “It’s amazing what a sip of water can do.”
The features on his face turned hard as granite. “You’re such a sarcastic bitch.” His tone was sharp as a knife.
Confusion quickly morphed into fear when Ashley saw the madness and evil in Jared’s eyes.
“Why so speechless, Ashley?”
A smart retort burned on her lips, but she gritted her teeth and held it back.
“You think you’re morally superior to everyone, but you’re not. You’re nothing but a pathetic fucking snitch.”
Her mind was racing, trying to figure out how to get away from him. “I don’t even know you. I’m not sure why you have a problem with me, but I’m sorry if I’ve ever offended you. If I did, it was unintentional.”
“But you do know me. How soon you forgot,” he whispered in a calm, seductive voice.
Sharp, icy-cold shivers ran up and down her spine. He’s the caller. Holy shit. I have to get away from him.
“Did I meet you in Denver?” she asked, calculating how long it would take her to reach the back door and run out before he stopped her.
Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke. “You used to act so fucking nice to me, to my sister—hell, to all of us. But you were nothing but a fucking backstabber. My mother thought you were so sweet, but you tricked us all. You destroyed my family, you cunt!”
Holy shit! He’s Jeffrey’s son, Tanner. The realization was a real jolt, like fireworks exploding in her brain. But he looks different … His name is Jared.
“Tanner,” she said quietly.
“Should I be flattered that you remember me?” His lips twisted into a ghoulish snarl.
“I didn’t want to testify against your dad, but I didn’t have a choice. You don’t know how much I wish I never stayed late all those nights. I really liked your father. I didn’t mean to hurt him or his family.” Her voice hitched. “I was subpoenaed.”
“That’s not good enough. Do you think that’s going to erase the destruction of my family? My mother lost her
reputation! She had to get a fucking job as a sales clerk and wait on her former friends. Do you know how humiliating that was? It broke her.”
I have to diffuse his anger. He’s getting out of control.
“Why are you doing this now? The trial was over years ago. Your father is out, and I heard he has a job. I’m glad—”
“He’s starting at the bottom. He’s making no more than a low-level fucking employee right out of college. You broke him too. After my dad was convicted, the money was gone—all of it. Bryan had to drop out of school, and Erin lost all her friends. She tried to kill herself. Do you even give a fuck?”
“Yes, I care. I don’t know what to say. I was compelled to testify.”
“And I’m compelled to give you what you deserve. My dad lived in fear every fucking day he was in prison. You destroyed five lives.”
“Please, Tanner, think rationally. If you hurt me, you’ll go to prison. You’ll bring more shame to your family. You don’t want to do something you’ll regret.”
He lunged forward and grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully. “I’ve regretted not killing you after you testified. My dad isn’t the same man he was before he went to prison. He came out defeated and lifeless. He’s like a fucking zombie, and it’s all your fault.” Tanner’s face was so close to hers, she could smell his sour breath, and see the sheen of perspiration on his flushed face.
Desperate, she blurted out, “Smokey’s going to be here any minute.”
“Liar. He’s out of town. I told you I was watching you.” His laugh made her blood run cold.
He’s insane. He’s going to kill me.
Ashley kicked his shin, but instead of fazing him, it only enraged him more. Raising his hand, he slapped her hard across the face. She threw up her free arm to protect herself, but it was useless against his blow. A white light flashed behind her eyes, snapping her head to one side. Pain seared down her spine from the base of her skull.
Spittle formed in the corners of his mouth as he yelled, “I hate you!”
Ashley knew she was at his mercy, and she also knew she had to get something to defend herself.
Tanner then grabbed her by the hair, twisting it tightly around his hand. Pulling her head back, he let go of her arm and pounded his fist into her face.