A Pursued Heart

by Elaine Manders

“That’s great. I’ll call the folks back and let them know. You won’t be barging in. They’ll love to have you—and I will, too.”

  “Tell them to order snow. If I’m going all the way to Michigan, I want to see some.”

  “Let’s hope. So what’s the set-up for cooking for the homeless?”

  “I’ll be serving, and we’d love to have you. We can always use another server. You just dip a serving in the plate as the people come down the line. But be prepared for a shock at who shows up.”

  “Oh, how so?”

  “They’re not derelict alcoholics. Most are women and children. It’s very sad. I’m just saying—I know you have a compassionate heart, and it’s going to get bruised.” Knowing how he’d stepped up to help her, she knew he’d have a hard time.

  “So I’ll want to do more.”

  “Definitely. I always want to do more. Say, have you heard from the police?”

  “No, I assume they’ll contact you. Trouble is, they never think something is as urgent as you think it is.”

  “I suppose so.” She tried to think of something else to say, just to keep him on the line. Acting like a teenager. “I guess I should get off the line so you can call your folks. Tell them thanks for the invite.”

  “Are you okay there by yourself?” Anxiety laced his words.

  “Yes, with the new locks, I feel fairly safe. At least I know no one can climb through the windows—one advantage of living in a high-rise.”

  That brought on that delightful chuckle she enjoyed hearing. “That’s right. The other reason I called I contacted a private detective. This is a friend of my lawyer’s back in Wisconsin. He wants to talk to you at your place. Will you mind if we drop in tonight after work?”

  She brightened. “I’d like that. Come early enough for dinner. Darcy and I are going to make lasagna. Actually, I’m going to follow Darcy’s instructions since she’s the cook.”

  “Sounds good. Wish I could, but Tom has a family, and they expect him for dinner each night. He’s doing me a favor to come out afterward. Will you be alone after eight?”

  She released a deflated sigh. “Yes, that will be fine. Is this detective going to find the creep who’s trying to scare me?”

  “That’s what we hope. He’s a no-nonsense type of guy, and good at tracking down the truth as well as creeps. He’s hired by Atlanta’s top defense lawyers—a real Paul Drake.”

  “Who?”

  Apparently that struck Ben as funny. He laughed again. “You know, Perry Mason’s detective. I thought you were into old TV shows.”

  “No, just old movies, but Perry Mason sounds familiar.” She glanced at the pile of reports screaming for attention while she sat here, chatting with Ben like she had all the time in the world. “Oh, I know now. My mom is a huge detective books fan. Earl Stanley Garner, right? She had two rows of his books, along with Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. She says the books are always better than the TV shows or movies.”

  “That’s the way it usually is. Know why? Your imagination isn’t as limited as the screen writer.”

  She wanted to get into a whole new conversation about that, but she was on company time, so she held back as Ben added, “Your mom and mine will get along great. My mom has a whole row of Mary Higgins Clark.”

  Margaret’s hot button flashed. “I have an incoming call, Ben, but I really want to meet Paul Drake. Bring him on over.”

  “His name is Tom Laster, Rebecca, but you call him Paul Drake. He’ll get a kick out of that.”

  She laughed. “All right, I will. Bye for now, Ben.”

  There wouldn’t be much joking tonight, though. Tom Laster was going to take her case seriously.

  Chapter 12

  Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. -Proverbs 12:25

  I’m blessed to have a friend I can depend on for the truth, even when it’s something I’d rather not hear. -Ben Lucas

  Tom Laster had gone to the same college as Ben, and they’d shared a dorm their freshman year. Blond and muscular, he gave the appearance of a beachboy, more observant of his classmates than the professors, and Ben wasn’t surprised when Tom dropped out in his junior year and teamed up with a former police captain and his son to form the detective agency. Then two years ago, Tom moved to Atlanta and set up his own agency.

  Ben pulled into a parking slot in visitor parking at Rebecca’s apartment building. Up until now, Tom had been telling Ben about his last camping trip along the Altamaha River.

  As Ben walked around the car, Tom was taking his measure of the place. “There isn’t many visitor parking slots available. Must be hard to find a place during business hours.”

  “Near impossible.”

  “Where is the resident parking? How many decks?”

  “No decks. It’s all underground,” Ben replied, wondering how that was significant.

  They showed their credentials at the security desk. “I’m thinking of getting a place here. Do you know if security extends to the parking garage?” Tom asked the bored guard. Ben turned away to keep from showing a grin. When did Tom learn to lie so convincingly?

  “The entrance from the garage is controlled by card key.”

  “Thank you,” Tom said.

  “What was that all about?” Ben asked as they rode up in the elevator.

  “Just getting the lay of the land. Impossible to know who left the plastic spider on her car. Probably impossible to know who left the spiders on her desk at work.” They exited the elevator. “Even if the police can trace that text, it’s unlikely they’ll tell us.”

  Ben gestured toward the left. “But whoever left those spiders in her bathroom had to have gotten in this building.”

  “Exactly, and I’ve found building security is a lot more forthcoming than the police. They’d notice any strangers. But that won’t help if the culprit is a resident.”

  Rebecca opened the door immediately. Dressed in ivory silk shirt and navy pants, her hair held up with a silver clip, she was stunning. After introductions, she and Tom shook hands. Ben was grateful Tom was a happily married man, since he was a handsome man and had that aura of mystic women loved.

  “Would you gentlemen like a drink? I have several brands of soft drink and coffee. Nothing stronger. Sorry.”

  “No thank you, Ms. Atkins,” Tom said.

  “Please, call me Rebecca. I’d feel more comfortable if we kept it informal. We can sit over here.” She moved toward the sofa in front of the tall window wall, the Atlanta skyline lit up behind it.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to look around first.” Tom sent a sweeping glance around the apartment.

  “Not at all.” She sent a relaxed smile to Ben and they sat while Tom went first to her bedroom, then to the bath.

  After a couple of minutes, he stuck his head out the door. “Rebecca, would you come here?”

  Ben tagged along.

  Tom held a gum wrapper. “Do you chew this brand of gum?”

  “I don’t chew gum at all.”

  “I found this stuck to the inside of your waste basket. Strange thing is, the sticky substance that held it was only present at that particular place. Kind of like someone glued the paper there.” He showed them the wrapper, actually only a part of it. “Looks like someone tried to tear it off, but it was stuck fast. Did you empty the basket between the time you saw the spiders and now?”

  “No, but my cleaning lady did. She comes in once a week. Except last week. I’d changed my locks and forgot to give her a key.”

  “Anyone been in your apartment except her?”

  “Ben, of course, and Darcy, my downstairs friend.”

  “Don’t forget the super who sprayed for spiders.”

  “That’s right. Jimmy Leavy. It could have been his wrapper, though I’ve never seen him chewing gum. Besides, Jimmy is the sweetest thing and a bit mentally challenged. I couldn’t believe he’d have anything to do with it.”

  Tom had been jotting note
s on a small pad as she answered.

  “Do you know anyone of your acquaintance who chews gum? Someone from work, perhaps.”

  Rebecca threw back her head giving them a lovely view of the slope of her neck. “No, not that I’ve noticed. I don’t know a lot of them well, though.” A startled look came into those dark blue eyes. “Wait. I remember I was at the concession stand of the lobby café getting a Danish the other day when Mr. Gammon came up. He mentioned he was buying some mint gum for Mr. Moran.”

  Quiet pressed in, disturbed only by the scratching of Tom’s pen as he wrote. He snapped the pad closed. “I’m ready to sit and discuss your suspects now.”

  Rebecca and Ben sat together on the sofa, while Tom took the adjacent chair. There would be no small talk. No joking. That wasn’t Tom’s style. “Why do you think Lyle Moran might be stalking you?”

  “I don’t personally know of anything. I’m assuming he would blame me for his firing.” She released a heavy breath. “There are rumors, supposedly put out by Mr. Moran, that I was hired because I’m Dr. Breckenridge’s…girlfriend.”

  “Dr. Breckenridge is the CEO?”

  “That’s right.”

  “And your immediate supervisor?” When she nodded, he asked another question. “Who told you these rumors?”

  She moved her head from one side to the other, sliding Ben a glance. “I don’t remember who mentioned it first. It was just water cooler talk that I wasn’t supposed to hear.”

  “Is Dr. Breckenridge aware of these rumors?”

  She released a short laugh. “I doubt it. No one would have dared mention something like that to him.”

  “But for all you know, someone did. Maybe someone told Mrs. Breckenridge. I assume he’s married.”

  Color drained from her face. “Surely no one would have done that.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Dr. Breckenridge about this—and the sooner, the better.”

  Ben took her hand. “That would be embarrassing for Rebecca, and might stir up trouble.”

  Tom nodded. “Sometimes you have to stir up trouble to flush out the guilty.” He tapped his pen against the pad. “I don’t know how you handle it, Ms. Atkins, but you’ll have to explain to Breckenridge what’s been happening. If for no other reason, he needs to know if someone in his company may be unhinged.”

  “A mad scientist?” Rebecca tried to laugh that off.

  “A jealous person, whether a scientist or not, we can’t tell yet.”

  “Then you don’t think it’s Jason? He knew about her spider phobia, as far as we know.”

  “The ex-boyfriend? Not likely from what I’ve gathered. It’s typical to flaunt a new girlfriend in front of Ms. Atkins, but he didn’t have access to her apartment.”

  “Yes, he did,” Rebecca said. “When we were dating, I let him have a key to feed my goldfish while I was on a business trip. I forgot to get it back.”

  “A good thing you’ve had your keys changed now,” Ben said.

  “Except security didn’t find him entering the building. I’m still going to check the camera at the entrance from the garage.”

  Ben didn’t think he was giving Jason enough suspicion. Then he recalled his new girlfriend. “And speaking of jealousy. Cindy Wasselman tried to tell me those nasty rumors about you while we were at the carnival.” Ben hadn’t meant to mention that, knowing it would upset Rebecca, but both she and Tom needed to know.

  “And she was at the site when we were fixing Mr. Simmons’s house,” Rebecca added.

  Tom took another several minutes to record notes before getting to his feet. Rebecca and Ben followed him to the door. “It’ll take a few days to check this out. In the meantime, stay alert. And it’s imperative that you confide in Dr. Breckenridge.”

  “You think Rebecca is in real danger?”

  “For certain. Whoever this is took a great deal of trouble to terrorize her with the spiders. Now he, or she, has changed tactics. It could be he’s tired of playing games and ready to attack.”

  Chapter 13

  So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. -Esther 5:2

  Queen Esther was not the last woman believed to receive favors in the court because of her looks. -Rebecca Atkins

  Tom Laster left Rebecca more on edge than ever. Until now, she’d tried to dismiss everything as Ben’s overreaction. The detective’s assessment of the situation scared her. Now, she’d be looking over her shoulder at every turn.

  Ben had left with Tom, and she’d wanted to cling to him as tightly as a mountain climber clings to a crevice in the rock, afraid to go any further, but having to. He could sense it too. At the door, he’d brushed her hair back and kissed her—not a passionate kiss. One meant to reassure.

  She found everyone going through the normal routine at work the next morning. No surprise packages. A full calendar awaited her, but there was one appointment she’d have to work in. After Margaret had brought her coffee, following up with the usual rundown of the day, she said, “Will you see when Dr. Breckenridge can see me? There’s a matter of importance I have to discuss with him.”

  Margaret looked surprised. Rebecca had never asked for an appointment before, although she’d been called into Dr. Breckenridge’s office several times since taking her new position.

  Assuming he was even in today, it was unlikely he’d give her an appointment until later in the day, so Rebecca sipped her coffee as she went through the mail. Margaret surprised her by popping back in immediately.

  “Dr. Breckenridge can see you now.”

  Her pulse kicked up. She’d expected to have more time to gather her thoughts. How did one tell her boss they were an item of gossip? But one didn’t keep Dr. Breckenridge waiting. “Thank you, Margaret. I’m on my way.”

  The executive office took up the entire suite above the main floor, complete with all the amenities you’d expect of the company’s CEO. She’d been in here often enough to get the lay of the place, though it had scared her silly during that first initial interview.

  Dr. Breckenridge’s secretary ushered her directly into his private office.

  He stood in front of the window and turned as she entered. “Good morning, Rebecca, please have a seat. Have you had your coffee?”

  “Yes, sir, thank you.” She sank into the plush butter leather chair offered. “I won’t take up much of your time.”

  Dr. Breckenridge took his chair behind his massive desk. A tall, imposing man with graying temples, he smiled affably. He was still handsome, though he must be at least sixty. “How is the R-35 project going?”

  The problem at hand occupied her thoughts so completely, she had to think a moment to remember what the R-35 project was. She relaxed. “Very well. I had to reassign Jenkins and Thames. They were at loggerheads over the test schedule.”

  “I heard that. A very good move. Both are fine chemists, but stubborn.”

  “That they are.”

  “So what can I help you with this morning?”

  She stared at her hands, fidgeting in her lap, and drew in a fortifying breath. “Dr. Breckenridge, this is difficult for me to say, but I feel I must because you have a right to know.”

  He leaned forward, propping his elbows on his desk. “Sounds serious.”

  “It might be. I knew when you placed me in this job it would raise eyebrows since I’m young without a lengthy resume, but the rumor circulating took me by surprise.”

  “There are always those who feel they could have made a better decision than me.”

  She met his gaze and found him smiling, no doubt to encourage her to spit it out. “They are saying you gave me this job because…because we were…romantically involved.”

  Dr. Breckenridge chuckled. “That might have surprised you, Rebecca, but not me. Every time I hire an attractive young woman, those rumors spring up.”

  “But what if your
wife should hear about it?”

  He dropped his hands on the desk and threaded his fingers. “Caroline and I have the type of relationship that’s built on complete trust, and neither of us have ever been betrayed. Don’t get married before you find someone like that, Rebecca.”

  A vision of Ben flashed through her mind. He was the first man she felt she could trust like that. She smiled. “Don’t worry about that. I wouldn’t. I shouldn’t have even brought it up, but…well…I didn’t want it to cause problems.”

  “No problem at all. Just ignore such things, and they’ll die a natural death, sooner than you think. I’m not going to deny that you will have trouble gaining the respect of some of our people, but I have no doubt you will.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Breckenridge. I’d better get back to work.”

  “Not at all. Anytime—my office is open.”

  She strode to the door and rested her hand on the knob when curiosity made her stop. Dr. Breckenridge was so easy to talk to, why not ask what really bothered her. “May I ask one question before I leave?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Why did you hire me when there were candidates so much more qualified?”

  His smile died. “What makes you think they were more qualified?”

  “I mean on paper, at least. I’ve looked over the resumes, and Derek Gammon for example, went to better colleges and has several more years of experience than I do.”

  He gestured for her to return. “You would agree scientists are a different breed of employee?”

  “Definitely.”

  “For the most part, they are atheists. I say for the most part because I don’t think anyone can really deny the existence of God. But they are trained to think that way and conditioned to think that’s smart.”

  “Sort of like Pavlov’s dog.”

  He laughed, a jolly rolling laugh. “They wouldn’t appreciate the analogy, but yes, exactly like that. If they give the answer they think their colleagues expect of an intelligent person, they think they’ll be rewarded. If not, they’ll be ridiculed. Yes, exactly like Pavlov’s dog.”