You and Me: Together duet book number two

by Eve, Melody

“Go back to work?” Her answer is more of a suggestion than an answer.

  “No, we can’t go home. We would just get there and have to come back. Hey, would you mind dropping me off at my bookstore? I wasn’t going to go in today, but I forgot I have a meeting with an editor about a signing in my store.” It’s not totally a lie, I do need to call Brandon about the Pricilla Ward signing.

  “Of course. Then I can go back to work?”

  “If you want. Or you could go shopping until Champ is ready. That sounds like much more fun.” I smile praying she will go along with my plan to keep her in the city. The last thing I need is Roman knowing that I’m gone, and if Ella goes home, she won’t know not to tell him. As it is, he knows I’m upset with him, so he will leave me alone.

  She considers this, and we climb into the car. “I think I will shop for my sister’s birthday gift since I’m in the city. Thank you for the suggestion.”

  “No problem.”

  I point out the way to my bookstore, and she lets me out in front. I make like I’m going inside until I’m sure she’s out of sight. When I see the taillights of the Rover come on, and she turns a corner two blocks away, I cross the street and start toward my apartment.

  People who started working early are already heading out for lunch. The sidewalks are packed with people talking on their phones, hailing cabs, and being typical busy Chicagoans. I keep my head down in case Roman’s guy, Anthony, somehow figured out that I left the estate. He could have my phone tracked. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past him to have GPS trackers sewn into all the clothes he bought for me. His need to know what I’m doing every second of my life is out of control. That’s something we are going to have to discuss. I’m beginning to feel smothered instead of flattered.

  I glance at the street, and with no Mercedes anywhere in sight, I climb the steps and push open the door to my building. It’s quiet. There’s no one in the hall when I slide my key into the locks. Inside, I close the door quickly reactivating the alarm. I can’t believe someone got through the multitude of locks and the alarm system. They must have, though, or that photo wouldn’t have been under my pillow, and my engagement ring wouldn’t be missing.

  Is it really missing, though? I make my way to the bedroom and open my jewelry box on top of my dresser. I open it and find the velvet square I dedicated to it empty. A shiver runs up my spine at the sight. Part of me believed it was a copy, that no one had been in my apartment, and that no one who knows me would do this to me.

  I sigh and slam the box shut. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I try to think how this could have happened. There’s no logical explanation. It can’t be Lynn, she doesn’t have access to my apartment. David is the only person who’s been here since the remodel. Does he want me back bad enough to have figured out my security system? Maybe he hired someone to hack the code number for entrance.

  I prop my elbows on my knees and bury my face in my hands. How did my dull life get turned upside down? I hear a squeak in the apartment, or maybe it’s the floor of the apartment above me? Raising my head, I look around. “Hello? Is anybody there?” I say feeling like one of those dumb blondes in the horror movies who goes looking for the killer instead of running like hell.

  When I don’t hear anything more, I take out my phone and pull up the emergency dial screen just in case and walk back down the hall into the living room. Scanning the room, suddenly I realize how stupid it is for me to be here. If someone got in once, they can do it again and probably will.

  I decide to grab an apple and a bottle of water before I leave when I remember the phone call appointment I had scheduled with Brandon today. I check the time. Crap, I need to call him right now, and I can’t talk shop while walking on the busy street.

  This signing could be huge for my bookstore. Pricilla Ward is on a streak right now hitting the New York Times Best Seller List with every book she releases. I can’t mess up this opportunity.

  I sit at my dining room table and dial his number. He answers on the second ring.

  “Aria, I’m so glad you decided to call. I was starting to think you were going to pass,” Brandon says enthusiastically.

  “Oh no, I’m one hundred percent on board with this signing. I can’t wait to start planning.”

  “Perfect. Well, Pricilla has a new book coming out next month, and we are setting up a tour. We’d like Savage Books to be our Chicago stop. What do you think?”

  A new release and a tour! I can only imagine how much advertising the publishing house would put behind a book tour for their number one author. That can only mean great things for Savage Books.

  “Oh my gosh, Brandon, that’s so exciting.”

  “So, you accept?”

  “Of course, I accept. She can stop at Savage Books ten times if she wants!”

  I hear a scuffle behind me in the kitchen, and when I start to turn to see what it is, a cloth is placed over my face with force. I don’t even think I make a sound before the tunnel vision starts to set in, and my world begins to dull.

  I hear Brandon’s distant voice saying, “Aria, Aria, are you okay? Hello? Aria?” And then my world is dark and still.

  16

  Roman

  Six phone calls and a video conference later, I leave my office with a renewed confidence that we will find this stalker soon. Anthony has guys coming out to check the fences on the property, and he also discovered how someone got that picture of Millie and me out of the house.

  Every week we have a flower delivery. Every week it’s the same people, and they know which flowers to replace and where to put them. I mentioned to him that there were some out of place, and he went back to search the CCTV footage. The deliveries are usually made by two men, one tall and thin and the other average height and lean.

  Last week Mr. Tall and Thin was accompanied by Ms. Short and Curvy, no Mr. Average and Lean in sight. Their uniform is khaki pants and shirt with a matching baseball hat. The hat made it impossible to see the woman’s face. She kept her head down and moved in and out quickly.

  When Anthony checked with the florist, they claim not to have any female delivery people, and I believe them. In five years of using them, it’s always been the same two men delivering our flowers.

  Whoever she is snuck in, set down the flower arrangements in the wrong places, stole the photograph, and left without being noticed. Ella was out that day grocery shopping, and Jack was in the yard helping the gardener. No one was in the house, and Mr. Tall and Thin thought Ms. Short and Curvy was a temp brought in because Mr. Average and Lean was sick.

  Long story short, the stalker is a woman, and my bet is on Aria’s old friend, Lynn. It’s obvious that David is pining after Aria and wants her back. He’s trying everything he can think of to straighten out his life, and it’s all for her. Lynn is most likely feeling discarded and jilted. It’s crazy since Aria should be the one feeling that, not her.

  Lynn is angry that David is choosing Aria, and she decides to mess with Aria to get back at her. It’s simple, so much so that I can’t believe I didn’t consider it sooner.

  What I don’t understand is how she got into Aria’s apartment. The security system I put in there is top of the line. Without the code, there is no way in or out. Lynn must have gotten her hands on the code somehow, and Anthony’s going to find out how today. We are also looking for Lynn to put a tail on her and see where she goes and who she talks to. Before the end of the week, this will be over.

  My thoughts shift to Aria and her irritation this morning. We need to talk, and she’s had plenty of time to cool off by now. I push open the door to my room. “Aria, are you in here?” I call out. No answer. I check the balcony, the closet, and the bathroom but still no luck.

  She must have gone down to the kitchen or maybe her library? Down the hall, I open the door to the library and find it empty too. Anxiety pricks at my soul as I take the stairs two at a time down to the kitchen to look for her. Even the kitchen is empty. Ella must still be at the vet.

&nbs
p; I take my phone from the pocket in my lounge pants and dial her number. The voicemail picks up after four rings. I don’t bother with a message and text her instead.

  Roman: Where are you?

  I don’t even wait a minute before texting her again.

  Roman: I’m very worried. Where are you?

  Something isn’t right. Dread washes over me, and I begin to panic. I see my mother on the patio. Thank God, someone who might know where Aria is.

  Outside, the air is heavy with humidity. Rain is in the forecast for today, and you can tell just by inhaling. My mom is sitting with her coffee reading something on an enormous iPad.

  “Mother, have you seen Aria?” I ask descending the steps in my bare feet.

  “No, dear, I was wondering that myself. I thought you two must have had a late night and decided to sleep in. Come, sit with me and have some breakfast. Have you seen Ella?”

  “She took Champ to the vet. Mom, I think Aria is gone, and I also think I know who’s been stalking her.”

  “Who’s Champ? And what do you mean gone?”

  “I can’t find her. Champ is a dog Ella and I found this morning in the rose garden. Is Leeza awake? Has she been down here?”

  “I didn’t check on her on my way down. She’s probably still sleeping. What’s going on?”

  “Aria was upset with me this morning. I don’t know why, but she went upstairs saying she needed some time alone. I did some work in my office, and when I went to look in on her, she was gone.”

  “Wasn’t she going to work today?”

  “No, she was worried about the stalker. She decided to stay home today.”

  “And what is going on with the dog you mentioned?”

  “She received multiple text messages last night saying she isn’t good enough for him and stay away. Then this morning, Ella sees a dog running around in the rose garden. I went out to investigate and found a dog with a collar. When I brought him inside, Aria came down and found an engraving on the back of the ID tag. It said, fake just like his love.”

  “Who’s love?”

  “David’s. He stole her ring and replaced the diamond with a CZ so he could buy a condo in Georgia. I think the stalker is Aria’s ex-best friend who was sleeping with her fiancé. She’s probably pissed that David is still hung up on Aria, and she’s trying to ruin her life.”

  “How horrible. Does Aria know yet?”

  “No, I went to talk to her about it, and she’s gone.”

  “Maybe she went with Ella into the city?”

  “She must have. She’s not answering. I’ll try Ella.” I pull up Ella’s number and press dial. When she answers, it sounds like she’s in a crowd, multiple voices buzzing in the background. “Ella?”

  “Yes, Mr. Forrest.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m in the city. We dropped the dog off at the vet, and I’m buying my sister a birthday present. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t want to drive all the way back just to turn around and come back.” There’s worry in her voice, but I don’t have time to comfort her.

  “Did Aria go with you?”

  “Yes, I dropped her off at her bookstore. She said she had some work to do.”

  “Shit. Did you have plans to pick her up?”

  She hesitates. “I guess we didn’t. I just thought she would call if she needed a ride back home. Is something wrong?”

  Just a crazy stalker woman out there who would love nothing more than to have Aria gone. “I think I know who’s stalking her, and I want her to be on the lookout. She could be in danger. Anthony isn’t tailing her because I thought she was here with me.”

  “I can go back and pick her up right now if you want.”

  “Yes, do that. I’m going to call the bookstore and have Monica see why she’s not answering her phone.”

  “Okay,” she says and hangs up.

  “Did you find her?” Mom asks just as Leeza joins us.

  “Find who?” she says plopping down next to mom.

  “Aria’s missing. I’m going upstairs to get dressed.”

  “Missing?” I hear Leeza ask as I walk away. Mom will fill her in, I don’t have time. I want to find Aria and get her home where she is safe until we find Lynn. I find the bookstore’s number in my contact list and call it.

  It rings five times before a breathless Monica picks up. “Good afternoon, Savage Books, how can I help you?”

  “Monica, this is Roman. Can you go and see why Aria isn’t picking up her phone?”

  “Aria didn’t come in today. That’s why it took me so long to answer the phone. We’re swamped, and I’m all alone.”

  I stop on the stairs halfway up, and my blood runs cold. “She never came in?”

  “No, I haven’t seen her yet today.”

  “Listen, Monica. It is imperative that you have her call me immediately if she shows up. She’s being stalked, and I think I know who it is. She could be in danger.”

  “Oh my gosh, okay. Yes, I’ll have her phone you right away if I see her.”

  “Thanks.” I hang up and dial her number again only to listen to her damn message telling me to leave her a quick message, and she’ll get right back to me. I decide to go ahead and leave a message this time just in case.

  “Aria, I don’t know where you are or why you’re not answering the phone, but I want you to call me right away, it’s very important. I know you’re upset, but we need to talk.” I pause realizing that I sound sharp and rude. She will ignore the call altogether unless I tone it down. “I love you. Please, beautiful, call me as soon as soon as you get this message,” I say softening my tone, and then I hang up.

  Next, I call Ella again. “Ella, Monica at Savage Books says Aria never came in today. Are you sure you dropped her off there?”

  “Yes, she walked toward the front doors, but a car was behind me so I had to keep moving. What should I do?”

  Dammit, the only person I have in the city is a sixty-year-old housekeeper, not exactly the person I want to go check out Aria’s apartment. “Come home after you get the dog. I’m going to track her down.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble.”

  “You didn’t cause me trouble, don’t apologize. I just want to find her as soon as possible. I don’t like not having eyes on her. Come on home. I’ll see you soon.”

  “All right, goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Ella.”

  I take a deep breath and blow it out. Damn that woman is going to be the death of me. Why would she go into the city and give Ella the slip? The only place I can think of that she’d go is her apartment, but for what? She knows it’s not safe, and as far as I know, she doesn’t need anything from there. Why would she go back there?

  I shower and think and think and dress. When I’m slipping on a pair of loafers, it occurs to me that maybe she left me because she’s angry. Something I said this morning in the kitchen really bothered her. I could see her face change right before my eyes, but why?

  I think back. We discussed the ring, David selling it, me invading her privacy, and the text messages. Could she be that pissed about me hacking into her phone? I did it for her own good, her own safety, or was it more selfish than that?

  Am I being ridiculously overprotective for my own reasons? Am I trying so hard not to let history repeat itself that, in my efforts, I’m driving Aria away? Maybe.

  If that is, indeed, the case, she’s going to stay hidden until she decides to resurface. Do I let her be, give her time and space?

  Hell no. Not when someone is stalking her. I need to find her, and her apartment is the only place I can think of that she would be. She can lock others out with that fancy security system, but not me.

  17

  Roman

  I’ve been in the car for twenty minutes when my phone rings. It’s not a number I recognize, but with Aria missing, I press answer on the dash in case she’s calling me from somewhere other than her cell phone.

  “Hello.”


  “Hello, Roman Forrest?” a man’s voice asks.

  “Yes, who’s calling?”

  “My name is Brandon, and I used to work with Aria at Savage Books several years ago. You don’t know me, but she mentioned you when we bumped into each other in Mexico. She said the two of you were dating, and I’m hoping you can help me with something.”

  Brandon, yes, I remember him. The handsome ex-employee who went off to college and became an editor. What the hell does he want from me?

  “What might that be?” I ask.

  “I was talking to Aria on the phone a little while ago, and, maybe it was just a dropped call or a bad connection, but…”

  “What time did you talk to her?” I snap.

  “Uh, it’s been about twenty minutes.”

  “She’s missing, do you know where she was when you spoke?”

  “No, she didn’t say, but now I’m even more concerned.”

  “About?”

  “When we were talking, she just suddenly stopped speaking. I called out for her, but all I could hear was some rustling around, and then the call went dead. I’ve tried to call her back several times, but she’s not answering.”

  “She’s not answering me either. Are you in the city?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m on my way there, but I’m still half an hour away. I need you to go to her apartment and make sure she’s okay. She’s being stalked, and I’m afraid something has happened to her.”

  “Okay, does she still live a couple of blocks from the bookstore?”

  “Yes.” I don’t like that he knows her address. Just how close were those two anyway?

  “I’m only five minutes from there at work. I’ll go right over and call you when I arrive.”

  “Good. There is a security system. If you try to break in, it will go off. Do it, break down the door if you have to. I’ll pay for the damage. Just get inside and make sure she’s okay.”

  “Okay.”

  I disconnect the call, and I feel a tiny bit better knowing someone is close to her that can throw a punch or two if needed. For all I know, she’s just pissed and went home to punish me for being overprotective. I hope that’s all it is.