After a moment he recovered. “Maybe another time.”
She was already walking across the lot toward the street where she’d parked her car, and didn’t reply.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Her hands shook on the steering wheel as she drove away. Though she’d played it off like she was confident and sure of herself, inside she’d been quaking. Especially when she’d run into Gary Fuller. Even now, she could feel the weight of his body pressing down on her, the sharp cold metal against her throat, the terrifying sound of his voice as he promised to kill her and those she loved. Hearing that voice again had been shocking—so unexpected. A mile from the car dealership she pulled onto a side street and parked along the curb. Holding her ice-cold hands against her face, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to anchor herself.
“I’m safe,” she whispered. “They didn’t recognize me.”
She opened her eyes and stared at the bright blue sky and the gently swaying branches of the trees that lined the street. A feeling of peace slowly crept over her, replacing the anxiety and fear that she’d been feeling moments before.
After a few more minutes she pulled back into traffic and drove to a local motel. In her room, she took off the blonde wig, and sat on the bed, trying to decide what her next move would be. She needed to figure out if Gary Fuller was really a threat, or if he was just sent to scare her.
She could imagine the conversation between Harrington and Gary Fuller: You don’t have to actually do anything, Gary. Just scare the girl into changing her statement. She’s a woman. She’ll be easy to scare.
And they’d been right. At first. But now she was angry. Angry that they’d taken advantage of her. Angry that they’d so easily screwed up her life. Angry at herself for letting them. Now, she would reverse the mess they’d caused, scare them this time, and see if she could set everything right.
Trying not to think about Kyle and the way he felt about her now, Jessica thought about the things Douglas Harrington and his crew had done to her, and one of their little tricks jumped out at her as something she could use against them.
The text she’d received, warning her to watch her back. Detective Barnes had said the sender had used an app that hid his real phone number. Two could play that game.
She reached into her purse to grab her phone, then remembered that she’d tossed it in her glove box the day before when she’d fled from Kyle. After retrieving it from her car, she settled back on the bed and turned the phone on. There was a voice message, and after a moment’s hesitation, she dialed in to listen to it. When she heard her aunt’s voice, her shoulders slumped.
“Jessica, this is Ellen. I don’t know what’s going on, or why Hudson is here and you’re not, or why you’re not answering your phone, but I’m worried about you.” Ellen sighed. “When I asked Kyle if he’d talked to you, he said he didn’t know where you were, but he refused to tell me anything more. Please let me know that you’re okay. Good-bye.”
Guilt lanced through her. She’d been so busy thinking about herself and her own sorrows, she’d ended up making her aunt worry about her. Not wanting to explain all the terrible things that had happened, but needing her aunt to know she was okay, she called her aunt’s house. Ellen didn’t have a cell phone, just an old-fashioned land line. She even still used an answering machine that sat on the kitchen counter, although she’d moved it to an extension in the sunroom while the kitchen was undergoing renovations.
The phone rang several times, and then finally was picked up by the answering machine. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to actually talk to her aunt, she waited for the beep to sound before speaking.
“Ellen, it’s Jessica. I just listened to your message, so I’m calling to let you know that I’m fine. I’m just trying to fix the mess I made.” She paused. “Thank you for taking care of Hudson. I knew I could count on you.” She paused again, but this time she heard a click and knew that someone had picked up the phone. Then she heard Kyle’s voice.
“Jess? Jess, are you still there?”
Her heart seemed to stop at the sound of his voice, but then it went into a gallop. Pressing her phone against her ear, and her hand against her mouth, she closed her eyes and pictured his face.
“Jess, I want to know what happened.” He sighed. “Why won’t you tell me? I thought you trusted me.”
Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her face, but she was still too uncertain about Gary Fuller to tell Kyle the truth. What if he really was capable of murder? She couldn’t take the chance.
Kyle’s voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “I thought we had something. I guess I was wrong.” Then he hung up, breaking the connection.
Jessica’s phone slid from her fingers and she collapsed on her side as her body was wracked with sobs. She curled into a ball and allowed herself to cry until she ran out of tears.
Half an hour later she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, but not seeing anything. It’s over, she thought. Kyle and I are over. This was our second chance and I blew it. This is completely and utterly my fault.
Chapter Twenty Nine
After allowing herself to stew in self-pity for a while, she pushed herself off of the bed and washed her face in the bathroom, then stared at her reflection in the mirror. Frowning, she pinched her cheeks to try to bring back some of the color, but that did little to help.
“Maybe it’s good I don’t look like myself,” she murmured.
Even though Kyle had basically told her they were done, she still had a duty to fix the mess she’d made, and the first thing she wanted to do was watch Gary Fuller’s reaction when he received the text she would send. So, after putting on the auburn wig, and fixing her make-up, she downloaded the app that would hide her phone number when texting, then drove towards the car dealership.
Directly across the street from Harrington Motors was a strip mall, and she pulled into an empty parking space with her front end facing the dealership. Using a pair of binoculars she’d picked up, she watched the salesmen on the lot. Gary wasn’t in view, but she bided her time, and eventually he came out to chat with some of the other salesmen as they waited for customers.
She picked up her phone, and after activating the app, she used the cell phone number on Gary’s card to text a message.
I know what you did.
Then she pressed Send.
Dropping the phone into her lap, she put the binoculars to her eyes and watched as Gary looked at his phone. His head jerked up, then swiveled from side to side. Jessica slid down in her seat—just high enough to peer through the binoculars—and watched as he walked a few feet away from the other salesmen. He began typing into his phone, and a moment later her own phone chimed in her lap. Startled, she almost dropped the binoculars, but then she calmly set them on the seat next to her and picked up her phone.
I haven’t done anything. What are you talking about?
Gazing at him through the binoculars again, she thought, If he’s so innocent, why does he look so scared?
She set the binocs down again, then texted a reply.
You can deny it all you want, but you and I both know you’re lying. You could go to prison for what you’ve done.
After she sent it, she watched his reaction. He was nearly facing her and she could see that his eyes were wide as he stared off into the distance. Then they shifted from side to side, as if he was expecting an attack to come at any moment. Finally, he typed something into his phone.
Jessica set the binocs down and waited for the message to arrive. A moment later it did.
If you think I’ve done something, prove it.
She typed a reply.
I don’t have to prove anything. It’s you who would have to prove your innocence, because once I go to the police with what I know, you’ll be arrested. And then you’ll go to prison.
She watched as he read the message. He stared at it for a full minute, then he replied.
Who is this? What do you wa
nt?
A grim smile curved her lips. He was finally getting rattled. Good. And the fact that a few texts could rattle him so much seemed to confirm her suspicion that he was no professional assassin. Instead, he was just a bored used car salesman, doing a favor for his boss. Favors that added up to very serious crimes—witness tampering, assault, breaking and entering, cruelty to animals, vandalism. And those were just the ones she knew about. Yes, he could be in very deep trouble if the police knew about his crimes.
As she considered how to respond, she saw a familiar truck pull into the parking lot of Harrington Motors. She pressed the binoculars to her face and zeroed in on Kyle as he got out of his truck and walked over to a knot of salesmen. One of the salesmen stepped away from the group, and Jessica recognized Trey Harrington.
“Oh no,” she muttered, riveted to the scene playing out across the street from her.
Kyle motioned for Trey to follow him, and the two men walked away from the rest of the group, then stopped about fifty feet from them. She swung the binoculars back to Gary to see what he was doing, and saw him staring at his phone, evidently waiting for her to respond.
Ignoring him for now, she focused on Kyle and Trey. Trey’s back was to her, but she could clearly see Kyle’s face and she could tell that he was livid. His mouth was moving rapidly as he leaned toward Trey, as if he were giving him a piece of his mind. Kyle’s hands gestured wildly, as if to emphasize the points he was making. Finally, he stopped talking and folded his arms across his chest.
From Jessica’s vantage point, it looked like Trey’s back was stiff as he spoke, as if he was defending himself. She wondered what they were talking about, but had an inkling that it had something to do with her changing her story about the day Douglas Harrington attacked her and Kyle.
Trey’s hands finally dropped to his side, and Kyle shook his head, then pointed at Trey in a very aggressive manner. Two of the other salesmen suddenly came into the frame, and Jessica pulled the binoculars away from her face to see everyone in the parking lot starting at Kyle and Trey. She looked at Gary Fuller, and saw that even his attention had been diverted from his cell phone while he watched the spectacle in front of him.
The two salesmen who had joined Kyle and Trey seemed to be trying to calm things down, but Kyle turned his rage on them, and they backed up a couple of steps. Finally, Kyle said something to Trey, glaring at him, then finally turned and stormed back to his truck.
When Kyle drove out of the parking lot with tires squealing, a sense of relief swept over Jessica. All Kyle needed was to do something he’d regret, and get arrested for assault or worse. In light of the claims Jessica had made, that would cause all kinds of problems for him. Fresh guilt pounded through her. She had to fix this.
Turning her attention back to the salesmen on the lot, she saw that they were grouped around Trey—even Gary was there now—probably rehashing the incident with Kyle. She wished she could defend him, but knew the best solution was to fix the problems she had caused.
Chapter Thirty
Gazing at Gary Fuller, Jessica thought about what her next move should be. She felt much more confident that he wasn’t the threat he’d seemed to be when he’d straddled her chest early on the previous morning, but she couldn’t be positive. Maybe if she could get him to leave town, she could go to Barnes and tell him the truth.
She bit her lip as she considered all the consequences that would bring. Would Douglas Harrington just send someone else after her? Did he really know people who would harm her and those she loved? And if he did, how much time would she have before he sent someone after her?
It didn’t matter, she thought. I will stop this. Then she typed a reply to Gary Fuller.
I want you to quit your job and leave town. If you’re gone, I won’t report what I know to the police.
She saw him walk away from the group and read the text. His back was to her, but he was staring at his phone. After a moment, her phone chimed a message.
I’ll think about it.
No, she thought. I want you gone for good. Now. I want my life back. I want Kyle back. I want to feel safe again.
Anger fueled her reply.
If you’re not gone by morning, I’ll go to the police.
His reply was almost immediate.
You’d better hope I don’t figure out who this is.
Fear jolted through her. Now that she’d gotten under his skin, would he hurt her if he discovered she was behind the texts? She watched him through the binoculars, and frowned when he tucked his phone into his pocket and walked toward his colleagues, a confident smile on his face, as if he’d been texting a friend the whole time.
Not sure what to do, she watched him for a while longer, but when he stepped away from the group to help a customer, she pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive back to the motel. On her way there, she passed a sporting goods store, and on impulse, she stopped in to see if they sold pepper spray. She knew it couldn’t do much against a knife, but if she was prepared to at least incapacitate her attacker, that would give her a chance. And maybe that’s all she needed. Just a chance to get away, if it came to that.
A few minutes later she walked out of the store with a pink canister of the stuff tucked securely in her purse. Back at the motel, she read the instructions on the packaging, then used her laptop to go online and learn about the proper way to use it. To give her self-confidence a boost, she practiced what she would do if she had to use it, then put it back in her purse.
Next, she removed the wig and scrubbed off her make-up, then pondered whether she should go to Barnes and tell him what she knew. As the afternoon wore on, she still didn’t know what she should do. In the back of her mind, she feared that Gary really would hurt her and those she loved, but then she argued with herself that if she told Barnes about Gary and what he’d done, Barnes could protect her.
After going back and forth, back and forth, she finally decided that the only course of action that made sense was to contact Barnes and tell him what had been happening over the last two days. Once her decision had been made, relief washed over her. Yes, she thought, it’s the right thing to do.
Brimming with optimism, she put her purse over her shoulder and pulled open the motel room door. Gary Fuller filled the door frame, glowering at her. She gasped in stunned surprise, then fell back two steps.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” he said, his face filled with rage. “You sent me those texts today.”
Her mouth went dry. The man was huge and menacing, and she suddenly wondered if her assumption that he was just a used car salesman was correct. Shaking her head violently from side to side, she managed to whisper, “No.”
He walked into the room, then shut and locked the door behind him. “I think you’re lying.”
She moved backwards until the backs of her legs hit the bed, but she managed to remain standing.
He walked forward until he stood right in front of her, and then he glared at her. “You know what I did, huh? You want me to quit my job and leave town, huh? Is that what you want?”
Jessica’s mind flew in a million directions. He figured out it was me. He found me. What’s he going to do to me? Then she remembered her most recent purchase, and knew it could be her salvation. Trying to distract him so that she could reach into her purse and pull out the pink canister, she asked, “How did you find me?”
His eyes never left her face. “This isn’t a very big town, Jessica, and when I drove past the motel parking lot and saw a car that looked just like yours—you know, just like the one that was at your apartment—I checked the plates, and wouldn’t you know it? It was yours.” A nasty grin filled his face. “I guess today’s my lucky day.”
Her purse hung against her right hip, and carefully, oh so carefully, she slid her hand toward the opening. “I did what you asked. I changed my statement.”
His smile grew as he nodded. “Yes. That was good. Mr. Harrington is very pleased.”
“Then leave
me alone.” Tears of terror filled her eyes as her hand reached the top of her purse. “I did what you told me to. Leave me and my family alone.”
“I would have, but then you decided to complicate things today.” He leaned closer, and his onion breath filled the air between them. “So you only have yourself to blame.”
Her hand slipped inside her purse and she frantically rooted around the large bag for the smooth cylinder. “What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” A look of contempt gleamed in his eyes. “I’d like to kill you, but I work for Mr. Harrington and I need to see if he’s okay with that.”
Her heart beat erratically in her chest. She’d been wrong. He was dangerous. Her fingers brushed against the pepper spray, and a burst of hope bloomed inside her.
“So for now,” he said, “I guess I’ll just have to tie you up while I wait to hear my instructions.”
She wrapped her hand around the canister and made sure her fingers were positioned as she’d practiced, then slowly, so Gary wouldn’t notice, she lifted the canister out of her purse. She knew she needed to have a little distance between them when she sprayed him, otherwise she risked getting it in her own eyes and mouth, which would make it difficult to escape.
With her hand at her side, and the canister ready to use, she inched toward the foot of the bed. If she could get there, she could move backwards and put enough space between her and Gary so that she could use the pepper spray. But she had to do it before he tried to tie her up. And she had to do it without him noticing.
Chapter Thirty One
Twelve inches. That’s how far she had to move to clear the foot of the bed. But at the pace she was moving, it could very well take too long, and she knew she needed a distraction. Lifting her purse from her right shoulder with her left hand, and keeping the canister in her right hand concealed, she said, “I didn’t send you any texts.” She held out her purse with her left hand. “My phone’s inside. You can look for yourself.”
Second Chances (sequel to Over You) Page 21