Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2)

by Susan Schussler

  “Harsh.”

  “You think? I heard the waiting list is a mile long. I don’t know how I got in, but I wasn’t going to question it. She’s a really good instructor, and I’m always rung out when I leave her class.”

  “Maybe she’s hot for Jonathan.”

  “She doesn’t seem like the type to give a celebrity preferential treatment. Actually, I could see her do just the opposite—not letting you in because you’re a celebrity. She seems to hate actors in particular—jilted by some guy a few years ago. She reminds me a little of you, though—definitely obsessive-compulsive with her germ issues. Which is good. At least I know I won’t catch any nasty diseases from the Pilates equipment.”

  Craig looked up from the tablet for a second and Sarah could tell he was paying attention to her conversation. Maybe he still hated Cami for helping her escape to Caboose Juice that day. If Sarah had known about the stalker, maybe she wouldn’t have been running from his protection. She wasn’t going anywhere today.

  “It turns out she’s really great. She brought me back to the house to give me moral support. I hadn’t grabbed all my stuff when I left the first time, and I figured I’d just sneak in and get the rest before driving back to Minnesota. I thought Jon had left for Europe already, but he was over at the main house. His mom is visiting his dad on location in Toronto for the week, so I didn’t think anyone would be home. I was wrong.”

  Craig picked up the tablet and was fiddling with it.

  “Hold on a sec.” Sarah watched Craig. Pressing her phone to her chest she asked, “Did you see something?”

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

  Sarah let out the breath she had been holding and returned her phone to her ear. “Cami heard Jon and me arguing upstairs and left because she didn’t want to invade our privacy. Most people would have recorded every word and then sold it to the tabloids. At least I don’t have to worry about that with her.”

  “Speaking of selling you to the tabloids, I think Megan is talking to Chase again. She was on the phone with someone yesterday and she wouldn’t admit who it was.”

  “Seriously? I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with her and him anymore. Don’t tell her any of this stuff with Mia, OK? Just in case she gets back with him. You can tell her Jon’s not the father, just not any of the details.”

  “OK. I won’t. So what happened after Cami left?”

  “Jon was pretty mad I believed Mia over him. I hurt him so badly, and I didn’t even have time to make it up to him before he left. I mean we only had an hour. There’s only so much you can do in an hour. He left to catch his flight, and then Craig took me to get my car from the hotel. And this is where it gets freaky. The stalker found me at the hotel and left a note on my car that said, ‘Leave him or you will die.’ Can you believe that?”

  “Wow.”

  “We left my car there in case the brake lines were cut or it was rigged with explosives and now I’m just holed up at the house. The worst part is that Jon is on his way to London.”

  “Are you going to tell him?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I do. I’m sure Craig has already sent a text to Sam. Jon will know by the time his flight lands.”

  “The fact that the stalker found you at the hotel and could pick your car out of all the other cars in the lot, that’s pretty scary.”

  “Yeah, I’m not leaving the house for the next two weeks unless I absolutely have to leave. We’ll have to stay in while you guys are here. Is that OK?”

  “We’re not there to see LA anyway. We’re there to see you…and get the dresses fitted.”

  “Thanks. I can’t wait until you come.” Sarah paused. She hadn’t thought about what would happen if the stalker tried something when her friends were visiting. What if one of them got hurt? She’d never forgive herself for putting them in danger. Maybe that was how Jon felt. Besides not wanting Sarah hurt, he would feel as if he was to blame. She needed to girl-up and not let Jon see how much the stalker affected her. It would only make him feel guilty for something he couldn’t control. Just like the ten other guilt-trips he’s imposed on himself.

  “Hey, Jess. I haven’t slept in days, not since the restaurant incident. I’m exhausted. Can I call you tomorrow?”

  “I’ve got my study class for my nursing boards until four, but we can connect any time after that.”

  “Talk to you then.”

  Sarah turned to Craig and asked, “Would you mind doing a sweep of the upstairs just to appease my nerves?”

  “Not a problem, ma’am.”

  She followed him upstairs and listened as he opened the closet door in the music room. Then she tailed behind him as he entered her bedroom. She watched anxiously as he checked the closet and the bath and got down on his hands and knees to look under the bed. He stood up and met her near the door. With a slight grin on his face, he said, “All clear.”

  She didn’t care that he thought she was being paranoid. She had a right to be. It wasn’t every day someone threatened her life.

  “Do you think Jon will come home because of the stalker’s note?” Even though she didn’t want Jon to shrug his obligations, she didn’t want to be alone for two weeks.

  “It’s hard to know, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you let stalkers manipulate you, then it empowers them. Most are narcissists who crave to be in charge, in control, and want others to see them as influential. If you let them gain that advantage over you, then it may escalate the stalking, bringing it to a more dangerous level. It’s best to be smart, careful, and not let them know they have power over you or your actions.”

  Sarah let his words sink in. She nodded slowly, trying to convince herself that she believed what she was about to say. “Then he should finish his tour. I’ll be fine here. We can’t let the stalker know that he has power.”

  “It’s a she, ma’am. The stalker is female. That’s what the FBI said.”

  “Then she is not going to have control over me.” She walked deeper into the room and Craig exited, closing the door behind him.

  ***

  It was 5:00 a.m. when the text came in. He would have just stepped off the plane in London and was likely being swept off to the premiere right away. She knew he would freak out.

  Jon: Are you awake?

  Sarah: Yes.

  A minute later, her phone vibrated with a call. She was in bed, but she hadn’t slept all night.

  “I’m sorry, Sarah.” His voice was soft and dripping with remorse.

  “What do you have to be sorry about? This is not your fault.” She was a bit frustrated that he always blamed himself for all the problems in the world.

  “Are you all right? Craig said you were pretty upset.”

  “He’s exaggerating. I’m fine.” Stupid Craig. Why did he have to tell Jon that?

  “I can come home if you need me, but the FBI said we shouldn’t cancel major happenings or the stalker will feel empowered.”

  Crap! He wasn’t coming home.

  “I heard. Besides, you need to do the tour. People are counting on you.” She wanted him home, and she hoped he could see right through her words.

  “Whoever this stalker is, we’ll find her. I can’t imagine any woman that I’ve pissed off enough that she would threaten you.”

  “If she wants me to leave or die, then she just wants you for herself. See, you didn’t do anything wrong. She just wants what I have.”

  “Well, she’s never going to get me. You’re stuck with me until death do us…” He paused as he realized what he was saying. “You’re just stuck with me. Forever. Are you sure you’re OK?”

  “I’m fine. Just go back to work. The girls will be down next weekend and Cami is around.”

  “How do we know Cami’s not the stalker?”

  “She’s not. She owns a Pilates studio. She has a life. She doesn’t need to obsess about ours. I think it’s Mia. She wants me out of the picture so she can get you back.”

  He laughed, making it clear t
hat wouldn’t happen. “You better get some sleep, beautiful. I’ll talk to you after the premiere. I love you and stay safe.”

  “You too.” When the line went dead, she clutched the phone to her chest as if it were Jon and took a deep breath. Two weeks was a long time, but she would have to make it through without him.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Sarah

  AS SARAH AND RAUL drove out the front gate to meet the wedding planner, and Sarah’s favorite hair and makeup stylist at the designer’s studio for the dress fitting, Sarah looked a little closer at the vehicles parked on the street. Just a beat-up car and the white van. Could the stalker be on the street in front of the house? She had never really thought of that before.

  This morning after Jon’s premiere finished, she and Jon had a lengthy phone conversation about the insight the FBI provided about the stalker. He wanted her to know all the facts. They said it was a woman because of the words chosen on the letters.

  “But maybe the stalker intentionally made himself sound like a woman to throw them off,” Sarah questioned.

  “They know how to spot that. The FBI also said the stalker has been in the guesthouse before, because she mentioned specifics about the soundproof walls in the master bedroom and how no one in the rest of the house would hear the screams.”

  “What? Is that even true?” Sarah asked.

  “I didn’t want to mention it before because it sounds sleazy. I didn’t have it put in. Jack did. The guesthouse wasn’t remodeled until I was a freshman in high school. My parents didn’t want to deal with the expense if they weren’t going to use it, but they changed their minds by the time Jack was seventeen. He was practically living in the guesthouse by then, so they decided on a remodel in hopes of keeping him under their roof a little longer. Jack put up his own money to have the bedrooms upstairs upgraded to acoustic-grade insulation. That’s why the music room is so great. If the door is closed, no one can hear me play.”

  “So the stalker knows more about our house than I do?”

  “No, Sarah. She just knows the bedrooms are soundproof. I don’t remember who I’ve told about the acoustics, but that little bit of information narrows the search and will help us find her.”

  “That means the stalker is probably an ex or a hookup that you told about the soundproof qualities of our bedroom so you could have loud, sleazy sex with her.”

  He groaned at her words, then said, “Please don’t go there. You know I have a past and I am far from perfect. You make me want to be a better person, beautiful. You are my present and my future, and no one else matters. Besides, the only person I ever want to have loud, sleazy sex with is you. And we won’t get to do that until after the wedding. You realize that, right?”

  “What are you talking about? You’ll be home in thirteen days.” As the words passed her lips, the dates clicked into place. “You don’t get home until after our month of celibacy starts. Great! Just great.” She paused, shaking her head. He could have reminded her before he left. “We don’t have to do it. It’s just something I read in Cosmo.”

  “No, we’re doing it. I think that not having sex for the month before the wedding will make the honeymoon that much sweeter. And I’m committed to making our honeymoon as sweet as possible. And pleasurable. And…”

  By the time she got off the phone, Sarah was feeling a little more relaxed. Jon had reassured her that Craig and Raul’s experience dealing with insurgents in Afghanistan had trained them better than anyone to deal with a stalker. Spotting the note on Sarah’s car was just an example of how aware they really are. Sarah had to agree. She was amazed that Craig saw the note at all. She would have thought that it was a flyer for a band or a club and probably wouldn’t have even looked at it.

  Raul smiled his easy smile as they pulled into the private underground parking lot. He was a little quieter than usual this morning. Building security monitored who entered and exited the parking garage, so Sarah knew the stalker wouldn’t be able to tamper with the car today. They still hadn’t gotten her car back yet. Craig had arranged for it to be towed to a garage where a mechanic could take a look at it and a bomb-sniffing dog would be employed as well. Sarah wasn’t going to be driving it anytime soon, so it didn’t matter how long the inspection took.

  Four hours later Sarah was on her bed in her soundproof room looking at the pictures on her phone. The fitting had gone well. The shoes Nicole had ordered were perfect with their pearled-sequins straps and heels that were just the right height. And best of all, Deidra was able to work up an intricate updo that dreamily complemented the veil and then captured them in pictures on Sarah’s phone so it could be recreated on the big day. Sarah stared at them now, wondering how every detail was going to magically fall into place. The fitting had definitely kicked up her nerves about the wedding and pushed her thoughts about the stalker into the background.

  As she clicked back through the pictures for the twentieth time, her phone buzzed with a call. She checked the ID hoping it was Jon, but she knew he was either sleeping or on another flight by now.

  “Hey, Sarah. Are you ready for a night on the town?”

  “Cami. I don’t really feel like going out tonight. Could we take a rain check?”

  “No way. We are going out and you are going to tell me what happened with that jackoff of a man you live with.”

  “He didn’t lie to me. We kissed and made up. End of story.”

  “How do you know he didn’t lie to you? Did Mia Thompson admit it wasn’t his baby?”

  “No. I trust him.”

  “Well, that’s your mistake right there.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “I know who the real father is. It’s not Jon.”

  “Is he an actor, too? Because they’re professional liars, all of them.”

  “You used to be an actor.”

  “But I’m not anymore. I’m picking you up at ten. Wear something skimpy. We’re going clubbing.”

  Cami ended the call, leaving Sarah shaking her head. There was no way she was going anywhere without Jon in something skimpy. The press would be all over it. The fact that she and Jon hadn’t been spotted out publically together since the restaurant incident already had the tabloids believing she and Jon had called it quits. She didn’t want to feed the frenzy by showing up at a club without him. Besides, she didn’t want to leave the house—there was a stalker leaving death threats on her car.

  She sent a total of four texts to Cami over the next few hours telling her she was staying home. When she didn’t get a single response, she assumed Cami had gotten the message. She didn’t expect her to show up at the gate at 10:00 p.m. exactly. Raul called her cell to notify her, and she almost told him not to let her in. Instead she met her by the door in her yoga pants and tank top.

  “You’re not going out in that. That’s social suicide.” Cami smiled. “I’m kidding. I got your message. What do you have against going out?” She reached into the backseat and pulled out a basket with alcohol and mixers.

  “Where should I start?” Sarah answered as she opened the door and held it for Cami to pass through. She followed Cami into the kitchen and watched as she started unpacking the flavored vodka and two kinds of diet soda.

  “I hope you ate dinner, because I didn’t bring any food with me.”

  “I have food.” Sarah pointed to the refrigerator. “Are you hungry?”

  Cami shook her head as she reached into the cupboard and pulled down two glasses. “Tell me what’s going on with you. Jonathan just left? After he tortured you, making you think he fathered Mia’s baby, he just left? What a douche.”

  “It was my fault. He tried to tell me it wasn’t his, but I didn’t listen. And he had to go on this tour.”

  “Anybody with his status in Hollywood doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want.”

  “It’s not that simple.” Sarah blew out a breath. “The promotion is for a movie that won a bunch of awards at Cannes. Jon skipped out on the awards ceremony. He wanted to spe
nd time with me alone. And the media blew up at him, saying he only supported big box office films that made him money and that he thought he was too good for an indie film. The fans and the filmmakers were upset because they thought he was going to be there to accept the awards and he wasn’t. He could just ignore the press, but that’s not really a good career move in this climate. I can’t expect him to skip the tour just because of a misunderstanding. Besides, he can’t change his plans because that’s what the stalker wants him to do.”

  “What do you mean? Did you get another note?”

  “The stalker left a note on my car.”

  “Oh my god! Did you freak out?”

  “Yes. Wouldn’t you? I completely lost it. My car was at the hotel. I haven’t even gotten it back yet. How did the stalker know it was mine?”

  “What did Jonathan say when you told him about it? I mean, he was gone by the time you went to get your car.”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t tell him. One of the security guys did.” Sarah still wasn’t sure if it was Craig or Sam who broke the news to Jon.

  “Knowing how protective he is of you, I would imagine he was completely devastated.” Cami handed Sarah a mixed drink, smiling as if she was enjoying their conversation. “I can’t believe he didn’t turn the plane around and come home to guard you himself.”

  Sarah had thought that’s what he would do too. “We’re not supposed to make any changes to our scheduled activity. The FBI says that it just empowers the stalker. It makes her feel as if she has control over us.” Sarah wasn’t sure if it was the FBI or just Craig that came up with that theory, but it was easier to defend if it was the government.

  “You didn’t tell me the FBI was involved. I didn’t think they got involved unless there is cyberstalking or the stalker used the US mail.”

  “Maybe Sam knows someone, or maybe it’s just that Jon is a high-profile figure. I don’t know how they got involved.” Sarah took a sip of her drink and tried to motion Cami to join her outside in the courtyard.

  “Can we just sit in here?” Cami asked, veering into the living room.