by Livia Quinn
“Stalkers are becoming more prevalent, especially with the increase in technology. And the kind of stalker we’re dealing with here, someone who believes she’s in love with you and deluding herself into believing the feeling is mutual, won’t be deterred easily. And now we know for sure she’ll use violence without remorse.”
Luc sat on the office chair, listening to every word, his face strained. “What are we going to do? What should I do?”
Del sat on the edge of her desk. “We’re going over to your house while the guys sweep it for bugs and evidence, not that I expect to find any evidence. She covers her tracks pretty well. The problem is going to be if you have to talk to her again. You’ve got to put your acting hat on, Luc, and pretend a little longer.
“Absolutely everything you do, either positive or negative, will make her think she’s ‘winning’. Try not to react to anything she says.”
A pained expression crossed his face.
“Oh, and change all your passwords, especially the one on your router. She sent that email to the electric company, no doubt. I know this is hard, Luc. The woman is not your typical poor sport when it comes to what she wants. We have to outsmart her.”
“And I thought she wasn’t smart enough to plan even a couple of these—”
“Assaults. She’s brilliant in her own way. Maniacal, even. Hopefully, she didn’t take your leaving in the middle of the shoot as rejection, or we might be on to the next phase by now and everything will go south fast. At that point you’ll no longer be her true soul mate, but one of the ‘enemy’ like me.”
She turned toward her partner. “Jed, if you’ll take care of his Expedition, and see if we have a match on the thread from the jogging suit?”
“I’ll get everyone lined out on the stakeout for the gym tonight while you’re at Luc’s,” Jed said.
“Thanks.” She looked at Luc, “Ready? We’ll meet the guys at your place at noon. Let’s grab a hamburger on the way.”
Luc followed Delilah to her car. He was silent all the way to the drive thru. “Hey.”
He glanced over at her.
“You haven’t touched your hamburger. Is something wrong?”
Luc ran a hand through his hair, bouncing his head off the headrest. “I can’t help but feel I should have seen what kind of person she is. I still feel…” his eyes closed.
“Guilty? Embarrassed? Un-macho? That you couldn’t handle it on your own?”
He nodded. “For the first time, I can imagine how a woman feels to be…” he swallowed, “violated.”
They rode in silence for a few blocks before he added, “Back in January, she left a sticky note on my car asking me to dinner, and then when she didn’t hear from me, showed up at my house with steaks, salad, cheesecake. She was charming, flirtatious, seemed a little stuck on herself but not offensively so.
I let her in and we ate the steaks. She told me all about the success she’d had at her previous job, threw a few big shot names around. Anything I could do to get Ridge to use her for more of the shots would be appreciated. She was good company, and she never made any overt moves on me, though she did brush up against me a few times in the kitchen. Then she gave me a kiss on the cheek and said she looked forward to getting to know me.
“When I mentioned it to Ridge, he said I was single, she was hot and what I did on my time was none of his business.”
“So you think somehow you caused this? That there was something you could have done to prevent it or to end it.”
“Yeah. I told Ridge about an email she sent me. Pretty candid terms about what she wanted to do to me as soon as I was ‘up for it’. He said not to worry about it. She was probably just lonely, or kinky. ‘She hasn’t actually done anything has she?’ he said, and he slapped me on the back like I was being… silly.”
“The former receptionist at her boss’s office told the police that before her hospitalization Myra called the office about twenty time in one day, each time pretending to be someone different. The woman said Myra got drunker and drunker as the day wore on and she expected her to just pass out and not call back. On the last call she took before closing the office Myra spoke calmly and soberly. I quote, ‘I really had you going didn’t I? I can make anyone think anything I want them to think’. The receptionist quit the next day. She was afraid for her life.
“People like Mercy are believable liars, and as you noticed they can be charming, fun, and ‘good company’. They are especially cunning, and brilliant at hiding their dysfunction until you become their victim and you see them for what they are.
“For some women, and men, it’s too late. It’s not as common for men to be stalked; I’m not sure what the actual statistics are now because they are growing so fast but it happens to women about four times as much. People, including law enforcement, have only begun to realize the scope of the problem and identify the behavior, because there’s not just one brand of stalker. Some are just inept daters, harmless. Others fall for complete strangers and try to impress them by terrorizing or even killing someone else to impress them like Jodie Foster’s stalker. One of the most common situations are ones that are associated with domestic abuse, the rejected lover or spouse who may or may not have mental conditions in addition to being socially inept.
“I suspect Mercy falls into a whole different category—narcissistic, delusional, psychotic, and maybe even schizophrenic. She really believes you and she are in a committed relationship and no amount of denial on your part is going to convince her. She presents, as you noticed, as charming, charismatic, even laid back.
“In her mind,” Del pointed to her head and held Luc’s gaze, hoping he was getting an understanding of Mercy, “she believes you have been lovers—I know you aren’t,” she said when he started to object. “But this is very important, Luc. Your ‘relationship’ was going along without a hitch, in her mind at least, until you pushed her away that day in the hall when I showed up at the studio. Things started changing for her then, and in her warped, or not so warped, mind because it ended up being true, she links it to me and your ‘changing’ feelings toward her.”
“Damn.” He rubbed his neck and sighed, “How do we stop her?”
“First thing. Until we nail her, you must continue to be neutral around her. This is one of those ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situations. I’m not saying lead her on but allow her to think things are going her way just for right now, that soon it will be different. Don’t reject her. Don’t try to reason with her. It’s a lost cause. Every thought in her head involves her plans for a future with you. She’s liable to be enraged if you don’t react like she wants because she’s spent a lot of time on you.”
“On stalking me, following me, playing games with me.”
“Exactly. Every rejection or person that comes between her and her goal—your relationship—will be met with increased violence. It’s already started.”
Luc shivered. “The slashed tires?”
“That was the second rejection. She didn’t do anything the first time because she blamed it on me. She probably convinced herself that if I hadn’t interrupted you at the studio you’d have made love right there in the hallway. I’m exaggerating but I think you’re seeing the pattern of her behavior.”
Del reached across to lay her hand on his forearm, the muscles like steel under her palm. “Let me just be completely clear, my love. Even if you flirted with her; even if you’d slept with her; even if you’d sent her a ‘don’t-ever-come-near-me-again’ message by registered return receipt—especially then—you would still be an innocent victim. This is all on her.”
The sound of the traffic and the squawk of the two-way radio filled the car. Luc turned toward her. “What did you call me?”
She felt her lips curve up in a smile. “My love.”
He entwined his fingers with hers on the seat and rested his head back on the headrest with a smile.
CHAPTER 38
“That bitch. I’d like to have
my hands around her neck about now.” Luc wanted to slam a hammer down on the set of devices Delilah had tossed onto the side table, but she insisted it was evidence. It was the fourth device the team had found and, they assured him, the last.
The techs said, “The one in the living room picked up visual on that room, and audio in the kitchen. Then there was one in the office, another in the vent in the bathroom.” Delilah was kicking herself for not taking the one from Mercy’s dressing room so they could compare them. It was Luc’s turn to calm her down.
Del said, “I hope she got a real kick out of the show. It will be her last.”
Luc spun around. “You don’t care that she watched us…” He paused, nauseated.
Her lips turned up at the corner and that secretive glimmer brightened her eyes. “…make love?” Her expression softened, “Not a bit.” He shook his head. She was tougher than him.
“Would you take it back? I wouldn’t.” She walked toward him, put her head on his chest and held him until he let go of the tension. He hugged her tight to him until his shoulder protested. Let it. “It was magical,” Del said looking up at him.
He took in a deep breath and let it out. “Well, when you put it that way…”
She pulled back still touching him. “Look, I know how you feel. She’s probably watched everything you’ve done, listened to your conversations, seen you naked in the shower and she’s seen us making love. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t give her any power.”
“You’re right,” he said. “It might take therapy, or the love of a strong intelligent beautiful cop, but I’ll get over it.” Other victims had.
“What I’d like to know is where she saw you for the first time, and when. She’s been tapping into your house for longer than she’s had the job at KPI. Think about it.”
“There were those blocked texts after the incident on FB. Maybe she found me there. So what now?” Del was quiet for a few minutes, thinking about everything that had happened to Luc and their discoveries in the last couple of days.
“Luc, think about everything I’ve told you. She’s seen us make love in your shower, in your bed, on your recliner in the living room. That’s three times you’ve cheated on her. And I’d bet my badge she’s been monitoring more of our activity than that, and still she doesn’t blame you.
“She’s sitting in front of her little monitor right now realizing that we’ve found her videos and the GPS under your bumper. I told you how cunning these stalkers are. They are brilliant strategists. They know the law as it applies to them. We can’t track the surveillance items back to her—yet. She knows that. We have a lot of evidence though that will come together in a nice tight little noose with one piece of luck.”
Luc admired the way Del leapt over the privacy issues and went straight to analyzing. She was a hell of a cop. She paced back and forth in front of him. “She thinks she’s all powerful—uncatchable—smarter than us. So what is her next move?”
He watched her mind work, the blonde mane floating around her shoulders as she worked through the possibilities, muttering, “She won’t go back to the studio today.”
“No, she told Ridge, if I could just leave in the middle of a shoot, she’d come back when I did.”
“Then we’ve got to make sure she knows you’ll be there in the morning.”
“What about the cam in the dressing room?” he asked.
“It’ll be gone—covering her trail. You’ll play the game. Act as if none of this has happened even though she knows you know about the videos. She’s not mad at you.”
The kick in his gut sent terror streaking through him. Delilah. In Mercy’s mind, she was the only thing standing in the way of their being together. If she didn’t blame him, then her target had to be Delilah.
“She wants you.” Luc said, terror making him shiver. “Del—”
“And you’re going to help her get what she wants,” she said, as if inspiration had struck.
Luc’s watch buzzed. “Time to get to the gym. With everything that’s been going on, I’d almost forgotten we have a game tonight.” Please don’t ask me to do this…
“Let’s go. I’ll follow you over there then I’ll go home and change. I’ll be in street clothes but Jed’s setting up a surveil on the roof just in case she returns. Call Ridge on your way. Tell him to call Mercy and act aggravated with her for shutting down the shoots. Tell her he ordered you to be on set by 8:30 in the morning.
“Maybe she’ll think he’s on the periphery and not involved in any plot against her. Tell him to say ‘I’ve seen the way Luc looks at you. You just need to give it some time. He’ll come around.’ Maybe we can still play to her ego and steer her in our direction.”
Luc made the call on the way to the gym. Ridge said he’d take care of it right away, but as Luc locked his SUV at the gym his headset announced an ‘unknown’ caller. Three torturous seconds later he accepted the call.
“I see you found my play pretties. Now, I won’t be able to see your perfect body, water and bubbles streaming down that powerful chest, down to your ‘weapon-like spear’, so long and hard.” It took every ounce of control Luc had not to react.
“… until we make love again. You act like you don’t remember it.” She proceeded to ‘remind him’ about their lovemaking, in detail. God, she was crazy. He rubbed his eyes, then wondering if she was watching him, scanned the street, the roof. What should he say to that? Be neutral, Del had said.
Her voice grated ominously. “…but when you took that whore to your bed and screwed her… let’s just say, sweet Luc, that you should be careful about cheating on me—it might cause harm some people you care about.” She laughed and the sound was so evil he felt the chill seep into his bones.
He opened his mouth to respond but she’d already ended the call. He thought about the kids, the planned stakeout. Dialing Del’s number, he hurried inside. He’d make sure Monette, Mia and the rest of the kids stayed inside the gym. No one would go anywhere alone.
*
Luc and Del kept a close eye on everyone in the gym. Del brought Tommy up to speed on what had taken place. Tommy’s look of concern told her he understood exactly how someone like Mercy might react.
“Jed’s outside?”
“We’ve got two men in the adjacent buildings and Jed on the roof. After everything that’s happened today and the phone call Mercy made to Luc, I’m pretty sure she won’t show. But Luc is worried about the kids. I don’t think she’ll show at the studio tomorrow either now. She still believes she’s in control, but she may pull back for a while; at the very least she’ll change tactics.”
Tommy said, “You two have a minute? I need to tell you about a conversation I had with Monette a little while ago.”
“Sure.” Luc slid his arm around Del’s waist, both of them leaning forward to hear Thomas above the din in the gym. “What happened?”
Thomas said, “This wasn’t in confidence or in the confessional. I think Monette was just embarrassed to talk to either of you; she wasn’t sure what to believe.”
“Tommy—”
“I’m getting to it. Mercy found Monette outside the gym—”
“When was this?”
“Last week sometime. She told Monette, Luc was her fiancée and that she shouldn’t be getting too chummy with him.” He looked at Luc. “Monette said, ‘As if! I mean Mr. Luc is hunky but he’s ancient.”
Luc’s mouth quirked, “She is only fifteen, even if she does carry that novel around to blackmail me.” The smile faded as he looked at Del.
“Yeah, the fact that Mercy would come out in the open to approach a girl so young…”
Tommy said, “She didn’t just approach Monette. She threatened her. She hasn’t been back to the gym since.”
Luc frowned and he looked at the ceiling, obviously blaming himself for not noticing.
“Luc, you’ve had a lot going on.” She rubbed his biceps and squeezed. Turning to Tommy she said, “That’s who Angel was trying to pr
otect.” She thought about Angel’s reaction when they’d talked at St. Teresa’s.
“Yes. He was with her when she came to me. I assured them that this woman was no one to mess with, and told Monette to stick close to an adult if Angel was at practice or a game.”
“Where is Monette tonight?”
“At Mom and Dad’s,” Tommy said and winked. “I dropped her off before coming over here. Be careful, Sis. This woman is certifiable,” he said before rolling back to the sideline.
“He’s got that right,” Luc muttered.
Luc’s phone chirped and he looked at the display sliding his thumb across the screen. “Hey, Mom.”
Very quickly his face went white and fear replaced his look of pleasure. “I’m on my way.” He replied, “Del’s here. She’ll come with me.” He ended the call and said, “It’s Samantha.” His breath hitched as he inhaled. “That bitch tried to blind her with acid. She’s at Sacred Heart.”
He jogged over to Tommy and asked him to take over, reminding him to make sure no one left alone, then followed Del out the door to her cruiser.
“Mom said Samantha was getting in her car. She’s still trying to get her new office open. The staff was already gone. A hooded figure came running toward her and she threw up her arm as she reached with her right hand to shut the door. She felt the burning through her sleeve but she apparently escaped serious harm.
She said she couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman but ‘he’ stood outside her window staring like some kind of demon while she started the engine. He didn’t beat on the door or try to bash the window in, though that’s what she expected. She told Mom she could feel him looking at her even though she couldn’t see his eyes because of the hood.”
“It’s Mercy. She’s trying to send a message to you.”
“Well, I’m getting it. If she gives me the chance I’ll send that demon straight to hell.”
“And I’ll help you.”
Luc was glad to feel anger instead of helplessness, because according to Del’s profile, that’s what Mercy wanted. The sirens wailed and Luc felt as if he could see the workings of Del’s brain as it sifted through the events and the direction Mercy had taken. “From here out, I want everyone Mercy even thinks you care about to travel in twos. We don’t give her any more openings. She’s reached that next level of violence. Go ahead and call Ridge and warn him and Buffy.”