“I don’t have a lecture, Amy. Just my support.” Elaine stepped over to the bed and sat down while studying her friend. “I think that we, mainly you, need to let go of what you’re really feeling.”
“Seriously? And how do you think that I’m feeling? A very close friend died because he must’ve been getting too close to what is really happening. Maybe he figured out who was sending the letters? Maybe, I’m scared enough to want to drop this altogether.”
“I thought that Randy was more than a friend.”
Amy sighed and stared at her sketch pad. “About that. . .” Amy heard the knocking from the door and stood. “I guess we should get this interview over with.”
Elaine looked at Amy puzzled after she stood to follow her, but didn’t push her to talk.
Chapter 16
Amy closed her eyes tightly after Randy’s death had been confirmed by the police officer that was standing in the kitchen and grew angry after Kyle had placed on arm over her shoulder to offer comfort. She jerked away from him and stepped out of his reach. “How?”
“We think that the cause of death was strangulation.” Officer Marquez turned the volume down on his radio and looked around the room. “There were some documents found in his possession. A list of names and a picture. The picture looks a lot like you, Miss. . .”
“Amy,” Amy sighed, knowing that she was going to have to tell the officer her story. “And it’s my life that has been threatened. The list consisted of people that may or may not be watching me. He didn’t want to involve the cops. I’m trying to understand why he killed Randy.”
“You say that he’s watching you?”
Elaine watched Amy. “Maybe the rest of us can fill you in.” They all took turns explaining about the letters and phone calls.
“You said he left the calls as messages?”
Elaine nodded and pointed to where the answering machine was. “He’s only left two.”
Amy stood and walked towards the sliding door, stepped out and looked around her. Shivering, she wondered if she was being watched now. If whoever was watching was ill because the police were in her apartment, if. . . her thoughts froze when she felt Kyle watching her. Shrugging, she leaned against a wall and wrapped her arms around her. “I don’t want you here, Kyle.” She mumbled after he stepped outside.
“Stop trying to push me away, Amy.” Kyle responded. “Do you think that you’re the only one being affected by what’s happening in your life? Nate is worried to death; Elaine doesn’t know what she can do for you. And me, I’m at my wit’s end because you won’t see how much I care. You’re running, and I can’t keep up.”
“I don’t want you to keep up, and I’ve never asked for you to care!” Amy snapped at him. “I was serious. I want you to go away.”
“Is that really what you want?” Kyle asked, looking dumbfounded. “It’s not the vibe I’m getting.”
“I don’t send out vibes.”
“Amy, I don’t want to argue with you.” Kyle informed her.
“Then you only have one option. Leave.” Amy closed her eyes after Kyle stepped back into the apartment.
She waited until everybody had left except for Elaine before walking back into the apartment. Walking in a trance, she stepped into her room and closed the door. When she went into the office, she’d hold the interview with the agency without Randy and hope that she’ll get the information that she needed to obtain. Tomorrow everything will be better.
Amy stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes only to be haunted by the voice over the phone and the letters. Quickly sitting up, Amy placed her hands over her eyes and sobbed from grief and fear.
Elaine was standing in the hall when she heard her and stepped to the closed door, rapping lightly on the door before entering and walking towards the bed. “Hey,” she sat down and pushed the hair from Amy’s face. “I was wondering when you’d break.”
“Randy was a great guy.” Amy moved her hands and stared at the wall, “Really nice.”
“Yes, I got that impression the few times that I’ve seen him.”
“Why him? Why not just finish up what he has against me?” Amy spoke with broken sobs.
Elaine didn’t know how to answer and sat in silence.
“Everything is so screwed up.” Amy moved away from Elaine. “You know I thought that I could push everything bad away. I thought that I could deal with it as long as I kept it to myself, but between Nate and dad, they wouldn’t drop it. I didn’t want to remember, Elaine.”
“Amy, you had to talk about it.”
“No, I didn’t. Randy lied about one thing; we both did.” Amy stood and started pacing the floor. “We tried, but I kept backing away. It wasn’t anything that he did. . .”
“What are you talking about, Amy?” Elaine asked, feeling very confused.
“Randy and I never,” Amy blinked, paused while trying to figure out a way to say what was thinking, “God, I can’t even go there.”
“Where?”
“Remember when I told you that the sex was great?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Randy and I agreed that we’d tell people that because the thought freaked me out. I tried to move forward, but I. . .I kept seeing Nash.” Amy turned towards Elaine. “And with everything that is going on now, I can’t deal with Kyle.”
“You can’t deal with Kyle how?”
“I can’t deal with wanting. . .”
“You’re afraid that you’ll see Nash again. That you might put up the same barriers that you did with Randy. There’s one thing that’s different, Amy. You’ve talked about what happened that one time. . .” Elaine watched Amy and narrowed her eyes. “More than once?”
Amy bit her lip and turned away with tears in her eyes. “Elaine, don’t ask me to go back there.”
“I’m not asking, Amy. You need to talk about this. Now.”
Amy closed her eyes, remembering. “Granny was hardly ever there, Elaine. Nate was busy with his football and you. That left me alone.”
“That left you alone.” Elaine repeated, starting to feel sick on her stomach. “Finish it, Amy.”
“Nash visited a lot. I tried to lock him out, but he had a spare key. I even went to your house and started spending days after school just to stay away from the house. I was told that I got what I deserved. That I wasn’t a good girl. I couldn’t fight him, Elaine. The day he took me for that driving lesson, I hadn’t wanted to go, but he said that Granny didn’t have the time to teach me, and when I called him a liar, he whipped me with his belt. I never knew he had the knife until I decided that enough was enough, and that I didn’t deserve what he was doing. That I was better than that. I was tired of feeling dirty.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Elaine stood. “When did it start?”
“Almost as soon as dad dropped us off to live with Granny.” Amy stated before biting her lip. “When I tried to be normal with Randy, I failed. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Do you think that if you told Kyle what you told me that his feelings would change? I can’t see it.”
“I can’t have. . .” Amy hit her head. “I don’t know why I’m even worried about it, I told him to leave. He did.”
“What Kyle feels for you is from the heart so you take it one day at a time. Explain to him what happened between you and Randy, and he might understand.” Elaine stepped to the door. Standing in the door way, she turned. “If you’re really worried about it, you could talk to a shrink.”
“Don’t tell Nate.”
Elaine stared at her, shook her head. “Amy, I might have a lot of regrets in my life, but your brother isn’t one of them. I still talk to him, so I’m going to say this. You either tell him what really happened or I will. The secrets that you kept from us end now. And I’m not saying this to be mean;” Elaine sighed, “I’m saying it because I care about you. You’ve always been the kid sister that I never had. I hope you can understand that.”
Amy nodded and glanced at h
er clock. “I guess I should get ready for work.”
“Kyle will be sitting in on that meeting.” Elaine narrowed her eyes when she saw the shock in Amy’s eyes. “I guess he should’ve told you.”
“He has nothing to do with it.”
“That’s between you and him.” Elaine left the room, walked into her room, grabbed her cell phone and sent a text to Nate.
≠
Amy glanced at the sheet she held that Randy had written during the meeting they had held just the day before and fought herself not to cry in front of the owners of the dating service. They had been enthralled with the campaign she had created with them, but the triumph was a fleeting victory while thoughts of Randy entered into her thoughts, and Kyle walked into her office unannounced.
Closing her eyes after watching one of the owners flirting with him, Amy blew out her breath and slammed the paper on the table. “Your site had been hacked, but a lot of us were unaware.” She stared at the woman that was flirting, hard, hoping that she would stop hitting on Kyle. “How is that possible if you say that your site was secure?”
“We didn’t want to cause a panic.” Melody Gray glanced at her partner and shrugged. “As far as we know, nobody’s information has been stolen.”
“The guy I met from your site was murdered early this morning because somebody gathered all of my information. Now, I’m not sure if this is really because of your site, but this was,” she placed a copy of the page that Randy had received in his mail on the table in front of them. “That’s me. Not the page I created and not the alias I used. It is, however, a picture that I didn’t submit, my real address and phone number, and it was sent to his real address. That’s what your profile pages look like. That’s your insignia, your work address on the top. Randy was a great guy.”
Melody glanced at her partner and frowned. “I think it is more serious than I thought, Sarah. Okay. How do you suggest that we fix this?”
“Fix it,” Amy mumbled the words while she leaned on the table. “Fix it?! You can’t snap your fingers and make this right. You can’t breathe life back into Randy so that he can live his life. You can’t fix it, but you can help us protect the others that are on your site. We need the name of the company in charge of your internet security. The name of the man that was in your office on the day I came in for that meeting. We also need the names, if possible, of the men that I ignored that might harbor some sick demented grudge.”
Sarah narrowed her eyes before placing a hand on the profile page and pulling it towards her. “The security company isn’t a problem; it’s Compusecure. The name of the man that was in our office is Robert Gray, Melody’s brother. The men you ignored might take us some time.”
“I don’t have that kind of time.” Amy muttered after writing down the names on the paper. “Don’t you understand that this guy, whoever it is, is after me?”
Sarah nodded while studying the bold letters written across the page. “Yes, I think that we do. We’ll do whatever we can to help.” She watched Melody write her phone number on a piece of paper, fold it, and push it towards Kyle before bending to show cleavage. “Melody, I think that it’s time that we go.”
Amy glanced at Kyle. “You can leave now, too. I didn’t ask you to attend. I wish you luck with Melody.”
“Melody?”
“She gave you her number, Kyle, and that was after flirting with you.”
“I think I understand what you’re doing, Amy. I can’t say that I agree with it.” Kyle stood, shoving the number into his pocket.
“It’s not for you to agree or disagree. Thank you for your help, but I had it handled. You didn’t say one word.” Amy walked over to her desk wondering what she was going to do with the information that she held in her hand. She couldn’t understand why she was irritated after watching Kyle keep the number instead of tossing it in the trash. “I’m sure that you’re needed at your restaurant by now. You’ve been away for some time.”
“Why do you insist on doing this?” Kyle snapped.
“Doing what?”
“Never mind, Amy. I’ll go. I guess you’d like for me to stay gone while I’m at it.”
“Could you?” Amy asked, staring down at the paper after sitting behind her desk. “I was serious last night, but I don’t want any hard feelings.”
“Sure, Amy.” Kyle shrugged before pivoting and walking out of her office. He didn’t look back to see Amy had placed her head down on her desk and sobbed.
Della stepped into the office and studied Amy before clearing her throat. “If that boy of Sonny’s has done something to you. . .”
Amy lifted her head and wiped her eyes. “Kyle hasn’t done anything. I lost a friend last night. I guess that I’m just not done grieving, and I’m supposed to meet his parents at the airport.” Amy stood and walked to the window. “Do I have anything else for today?”
“You did, but I’ll reschedule them. Amy, you need to get some rest.”
Amy tried to smile, shaking her head. “I have to take care of this first, Della. I’m fine.”
“Bull. Sonny can have a car meet your friend’s parents.”
“I promised them that I would be there. They think that Randy and I were getting married. Something he told them to keep from getting set up on dates that he didn’t want. I’d rather them not find out that he was fibbing.” Amy took the ring box from the desk, opened the lid, and stared at it. “A secret that I’ll keep for him.”
“Why?”
“His father is a minister; his mother is a youth leader. They had no idea that what Randy wanted for his life. That’s all there is to it. Nate didn’t know.”
“Evidently nobody did,” Della watched Amy slide the ring on her finger and sighed. “What kind of person was Randy?”
“He wasn’t a bad person, Della. I know what a bad person is.” Amy shrugged and walked towards the door without saying anything else.
Della held the message in her hand and stared down at it still in shock before hearing Amy’s cell phone ring from where she kept it inside her desk drawer while she worked. Hoping to catch up with Amy, she walked hastily to the drawer, grabbed the phone, and dashed to the parking lot, stopping when she watched the Mustang pull out onto the street.
She walked back inside the office and sat at her desk, calling Kyle because she didn’t know any other number to call.
≠
Kyle stood in his office, staring at the envelope that had been delivered to him by Stephanie. He debated whether or not to open it, dreading that it might be from the person responsible for writing the letters to Amy.
He placed it on his desk and answered the phone after recognizing his stepfather’s work number. “Pop?”
“Sorry, kiddo. Not Pop. It’s Della- Amy’s receptionist. She left her phone here, and it’s been ringing constantly. She went to meet her late fiancé’s parents.”
“Excuse me? Her late fiancé’s?”
“I didn’t think that you knew. All I know is that she’s worn out and is on her way to the airport. I can tell when the girl is troubled. She’s there.”
“She hasn’t slept in two nights.”
“And she’s in mourning. Look, I don’t even pretend to know what you’ve gotten yourself in, but that girl needs somebody to. . .”
“To what?” Kyle snapped. “I won’t believe that she was engaged.”
“Only that guy’s parents are supposed to think that she was. Something about not disappointing his parents. That’s all I know, but it doesn’t feel right, Kyle. She could fall asleep behind the wheel or. . .”
Kyle ignored the envelope he had tossed down on his desk and grabbed his car keys. “I don’t know what I can do, but I’m on my way to the office to pick up her phone. No, wait. Have Pop bring it. I need to talk to him anyway.”
Throwing his keys back on his desk, he picked up the envelope and slit it open. Blinking, before he unfolded it to see a copy of Amy’s profile page with a message scribbled out in red sharpie. Sitting
down, he could feel his heart quicken before he noticed Stephanie standing in his office. He looked at her with shock in his eyes. “Stephanie, I think that I need to talk to someone.”
“Sure, but I thought that I should tell you that we’re having a bit of trouble with a table who wants to ignore their ticket.” Stephanie glanced down at the desk and exhaled a deep breath. “That’s a little more important.”
“She’s been getting threats for at least five months, Stephie. I’m trying to help, but she keeps pushing me away. I don’t understand her at all.” Kyle ran a hand through his hair and frowned. “I love her.”
Stephanie raised her eyes. “Well, she’s a great person. Maybe if you dress her in a potato sack, you could get men to stop looking at her.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Why aren’t you with her if you’re so worried?”
“I told you. She’s pushed me out of her life. Doesn’t want to see me anymore.” Kyle fumed. “What?!”
“What you’re saying is that you let her push you away. If you really loved her, it wouldn’t have worked.”
“I know what I feel.”
“Then let me tell you something. You get your ass out of here and go find her. Stop letting her push you away. What are you waiting on?”
“Your father,” Kyle snapped, glancing down at the letter again. “Amy left her phone at work, and Della has passed a message on to Pop for me. Stephanie, her ex received a letter like this yesterday, and he’s dead now.”
Stephanie leaned against the wall. “Dead?”
“Murdered, because of his involvement with her. I’m not scared. Don’t even think that. I jus want her to come to grips with what she feels.”
“It sounds to me like you’re having a pity party. Now, since we’ve talked about your personal problems, can we take care of that table?”
Kyle glanced at the page again and stood. “Yes, we can. I’m in the mood for a little scuffle.” He followed Stephanie out of the office and noticed the person sitting at the table. “Oh, I know that he didn’t come here again.”
Amy Page 15