Cactus Island, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 8

by William Manchee

CHAPTER 24

  THE TRAP

  Stan and Rebekah's offer to stay with Cheryl was much appreciated as I was so tired and upset over the events of the day. When Alex and I got back to my car, I told him I'd take him back to the office where his car was parked.

  He thought for a moment."Well, actually I don't have a car back at the office. A buddy dropped me off this morning. Would you mind taking me to my apartment?"

  I sighed, a little perturbed that I couldn't go straight home."I guess. Just tell me how to get there."

  While we were driving to his place near White Rock Lake, he told me now much he'd enjoyed working with me and how much he admired me as a defense counsel. When he said he had heard how beautiful I was, I started to get nervous. When we got to his apartment he said, "Hey, you must be exhausted. I've got an extra bedroom. Why don't you come up and crash here tonight?"

  I gave him a hard look. I was tired, there was no doubt about that, but I knew what was on his mind. "No, thanks. I should get back to my place. Bart might call."

  "Come on. It will take you an hour to get back to your condo. What if you fall asleep at the wheel and get into an accident? I'd feel terrible."

  It had been a long day and there was a certain logic in his pleas, but I knew I had to say no. Then he leaned over and took my hand. My heart quickened as I felt the warmth of his grasp. He gave me a boyish smile and my resolve crumbled. "Please," he said, "I can't let anything happen to you. I'm your bodyguard, remember. . . . And what a body!"

  That was it. Before I knew it, I was scampering up the stairs to his apartment with the excitement of a high school cheerleader escaping to a sleazy motel with the varsity quarterback. Alex opened the door and yanked me inside. We embraced and kissed passionately. The route to Alex's bedroom was strewn with clothing before we finally fell hard onto his bed. The exhaustion we had felt just moments before evaporated as we launched into in a sexual frenzy that lasted for hours. When it was over, I looked at the digital numbers on the clock radio and saw it was 3:03 a.m.

  As I lie awake, a strange feeling suddenly came over me. It was one I'd never felt before or, at least, not in a long time. Before I met Bart, I had been a free and independent woman. I had casual sex with men whenever I felt like it with no regrets. Now suddenly, I regretted having sex with Alex even though it had been by far the best night of carnal delight I'd had in months. A shroud of guilt was choking me and I didn't like it.

  I got up, slipped on my clothes, and made my escape. What had I done? I was a married woman in the public eye and I'd just slept with my bodyguard. Not only was he an employee but he was ten years younger than me. And, then suddenly I remembered the reason for hiring Alex in the first place. I was being followed. Now the person watching me knew what I had done. Oh, Jesus. How could I have been so stupid? I looked around nervously. Maybe they'd taken the night off. They had to sleep. They couldn't watch me 24 hours a day—unless there were more than one of them.

  My car was parked on the street outside Alex's apartment—another mistake. As I pulled out of my parking space, I heard another engine turn over. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw two ominous headlights behind me. It was dark along the lake, and clouds concealed a full moon. I accelerated, hoping to distance myself from my stalker, but the car remained a hundred yards behind me. When I got to Northwest Highway, I was relieved to see there was a little traffic. I nestled myself between two cars and stayed between them all the way to Central Expressway. Once on the freeway, I drove fast, hoping I'd be pulled over by a state trooper, but no such luck. Those menacing lights were still directly behind me. When I got back to my condo, I hit the remote control for the gate into the development. The door slowly opened. I waited so I could dash through just as it was starting to close so my stalker wouldn't be able to follow. It worked. The door closed behind me and the two headlights were locked outside the gate. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued on to my condo. After I parked in the garage, I went inside and fell onto the sofa exhausted.

  I woke up after eight, my body sore from lying on the couch all night. I groaned as I got up, put on a pot of coffee, and started the water for a shower. As I was taking off my clothes, I heard a noise in the bedroom. My stalker! Had he come onto the property by foot or slipped in behind someone who came in after me? I looked around for something to use as a weapon but the best I could come up with was a heavy marble pot full of flowers. I picked up the pot and edged toward the doorway.

  Suddenly the door sprang open and I raised the pot over my head to crush the skull of the intruder. As I started to swing with all my might, I realized the intruder was Bart. "Oh, shit! What are you doing home?" I pulled the pot back and held it meekly at my side.

   Bart gave me a sour look. "The defendant decided to take the deal we were offering, so I got to come home early. Where the hell have you been?"

  "Oh, . . . well. I've been at the hospital. Did you hear about Cheryl?"

  "No, what about her?"

  "Uh . . . her children were kidnapped. She was in really bad shape so they took her to the hospital. We stayed with her."

  "We?"

  "Alex and I. You know. . . .The bodyguard. You insisted I have one at all times."

  Bart gave me a hard look. "Right, the bodyguard."

  "After Stan and Rebekah relieved us, I took him home and then came straight here. Along the way, I noticed a car following me. It stayed on my ass all the way up to the outside gate. Luckily it didn't get in. When I heard you, I thought whoever had been following me had broken in."

  Bart looked at his watch. "But it's almost eight-thirty! When did you leave the hospital?"

  "I don't know. It was after midnight. I was so tired I crashed on the sofa just as soon as I made it inside. If I'd have known you were home, I'd have made an extra effort to make it all the way to the bedroom."

   Bart seemed to be buying my story. I gave him my most seductive look. He frowned. "Why in the hell did you have to take your bodyguard home? He should have followed you home and made sure you got in safely."

  "Oh, honey. Don't be too hard on him. His car was in the shop or something. A friend brought him to work. I'm sure it will never happen again."

  "I don't care. In the security business mistakes like that can get people killed. We're going to have to replace him."

  I felt a little sorry for Alex, but he must have understood sleeping with me could jeopardize his job. I was just relieved Bart hadn't discovered my little indiscretion. My only worry now was my stalker. He knew what I'd done and he was sure to find a way to use it against me.