Logan checked the label on the largest box. It was simply addressed to Juliet LaRue, no other information except for her name. The stalker definitely found out she was in Bloomington. She wouldn’t be safe here now that he knew exactly where she was staying. If Detective Hurley couldn’t arrange a safe house, he would need to book her a hotel room.
A siren’s wail cut through the silence. Logan opened the door for the officers and briefed them on the evidence. A crime scene photographer snapped pictures of the boxes and the disturbing contents. Another dusted the plain, brown box for fingerprints. Detective Hurley spoke with Jade, gathering information on the deaths of her agent and assistant.
“Ms. LaRossa, I know you're renting this house for the summer, but it doesn’t have great security. If you'd feel safer going back to California, I could contact the authorities out there and update them on the case.”
Jade shook her head. “I don’t want to leave.”
“Your safety has been compromised. This man has possibly killed three people close to you.”
"He knows where I live in California, too."
“Hurley.”
Logan jerked his head, indicating Detective Hurley should follow. When they were away from Jade, Logan asked, “Any way you can arrange a safe house?”
Hurley grimaced. “Doubtful, with our limited budget." He looked over at Jade. "But I'll see what I can do.”
“In the meantime, I’ll get her out of this house. She definitely isn’t safe here.”
Logan escorted the officers out, thanked Hurley for his assistance and then faced Jade.
She launched herself at him again and he sighed in defeat. She made it hard to keep his distance.
“I won’t go,” she said stubbornly, her face buried against his chest.
“Honey, you aren’t safe here.” Damn. The endearment just slipped out. “If you won’t go home, you need to move to a hotel.”
“I wouldn’t be safe in California -- he definitely knows where I live there.”
“What on earth is going on? Was that a police car I saw leaving?”
Logan and Jade both spun at the unexpected voice.
“Aunt Trudy?”
“Mrs. Edison!” Jade cried at the same time.
Logan watched as the woman who raised him hugged Jade as if they were old friends. She held out her arms for him and he crossed his and glared.
He smelled a rat.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Oh, this was perfect! Her boy surely worked fast. Trudy couldn’t have been happier walking in to find Jade in Logan’s arms. She just knew they were perfect for each other!
If not for the matter of the cops, she would be ecstatic. But something was wrong. Jade looked scared and if Logan clenched his jaw any harder, it would crack.
Ignoring his glare, she wrapped her arms around him. Mr. Tough Guy. Ha. Trudy knew better. He was a big old marshmallow. Sure enough, he squeezed her back.
“Now what was with the police cars?”
“Why don’t you tell me how you know Ms. LaRossa first?”
Always the suspicious one, that Logan.
Trudy smiled and grabbed Jade’s arm, pulling her close. “I’ve known her since her college days.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “You never felt the need to tell me you knew Juliet LaRue, the movie star?”
Logan’s tone was a bit snotty and Trudy caught Jade’s wince from the corner of her eye. Hum.
“You were off being a hero, fighting for our country and then one thing came up after another. I never got the chance to tell you.” She grasped each of their hands and clasped them together. “You know each other now, and that’s all that matters.”
Logan tugged his hand free as if burned and stepped back. Oh dear. This wasn’t good, wasn’t good at all. Something was wrong. How could that be? Her plans never failed…well, almost never.
“You need to tell your friend,” he sneered, “she needs to leave this house.”
“Logan Kenneth Bradley, I raised you better than that. You apologize to Jade right this instant.”
Logan narrowed his eyes at her and ignored her command. “Make her leave. Now.”
He wasn’t usually so defiant, especially when she scolded him. Something must really be wrong. “Whatever for? She still has weeks left to visit. I haven’t even had a chance to catch up with her yet.”
“A deranged fan is stalking her and tracked her here to this house. He's killed three people already and sent threatening notes and gifts. There's a good possibility he's watching the house as we speak, waiting for a chance to make a move.”
Trudy gulped. Logan sure knew how to paint a picture. He was right, Jade couldn’t stay here when her life was in danger. She'd suggest that she move in with Logan but judging from the glower on his face, that would go over about as well as asking him to accompany her to her belly dancing lessons.
There was only one other solution.
“Well, it’s settled, then. Jade will move in with me.”
#
Jade watched Logan and his aunt argue back and forth over her accommodations feeling numb. Seeing Nora’s glasses and Sid’s favorite pocket watch really drove home the situation. She had an honest to goodness stalker. And he was killing everyone close to her.
Thankfully Mrs. Edison was back from her unexpected vacation. She had someone she could talk to, someone to trust, someone to tell her everything would be alright. Mrs. Edison had always been like a second mother to her.
How could she not have known Logan was Mrs. Edison’s nephew? Jade heard all about him over the years but she never put the stories together with the man standing before her. According to Mrs. Edison, he was a bonafide, highly-decorated hero. If she remembered one story correctly, among his numerous feats, he'd once single-handedly saved a dozen school children in Somalia from a deranged terrorist. He'd also rescued his brother from a mother that cared more about herself than her two boys.
Jade had witnessed him in action, saving two teenagers from drowning, watched how he handled a daughter he didn’t even know a few months ago with love and patience, and how he'd taken over when she needed him most.
She looked up at him, his face set in stone as he argued with his aunt, and her heart broke so cleanly, she had trouble catching her breath. She'd lied to him and he would never forgive her.
Now Mrs. Edison was offering for Jade to stay with her. It would be equal parts pleasure and pain. Pleasure because she truly enjoyed the woman’s company; pain because she would undoubtedly have dozens of stories and pictures of Logan to share.
“She's not staying with you, Aunt Trudy. I don’t want you in danger.”
“Pish tosh,” Mrs. Edison scoffed. “She's coming home with me and that’s final. Pack your things Jade.”
“Aunt Trudy,” his tone held a note of warning.
“You will take care of us, Logan dear. Of that I have no doubt.”
Jade watched, detached from the argument. While they bickered back and forth, she slipped away to pack. She was definitely staying somewhere else tonight, either at Mrs. Edison’s or a hotel.
Jade wasn’t a wimp. She could handle Kyle’s death, even Sid and Nora’s on top of that, but the added knowledge that someone out there targeted her proved to be too much to bear. She wanted someone to lean on, someone to take charge…like Logan was doing against his will. He hadn’t said so, but she could tell.
She opened the door to her bedroom and screamed.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Jade!”
Logan bolted for the stairs, Jade’s scream scaring the life out of him. Some bodyguard he was, he didn’t even know she left the room.
He found her standing in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth. “What happened?”
She pointed in the room and he stepped in front of her to investigate. A long white wedding dress dangled from the ceiling fan in the middle of the room.
He moved closer to read the note pinned to the bodice of the gown.
Darling Juliet — Didn’t I tell you this dress would be perfect for you? I know you will look beautiful in it as we say our vows and pledge our undying love. The time is rapidly approaching and I am counting the minutes until you are my lawfully wedded wife. I can’t wait to see you soon, my darling Juliet, my love.
The stalker had been in the room. He could still be here somewhere, waiting, watching.
Logan spun around and urged Jade and Trudy down the stairs while he dialed Detective Hurley. He withdrew his gun and kept his eyes peeled for any movement. The safest place would be to take them to his house but he didn’t want to risk going outside. He led them to the downstairs bathroom. It didn’t have a window, so they should be safe. He rummaged beneath the sink and found a can of Lysol. “Stay in here and lock the door until I come get you. If someone tries to get in, spray this in his eyes and aim a knee for the family jewels.”
He left them locked inside and made a quick sweep of the lower level. He didn’t want to be too far away so he waited until the police showed up to check upstairs.
A squad car quickly arrived with Hurley close behind. They scoured the upstairs, finding nothing.
Once the house had been cleared, he rapped once on the bathroom door and called out, “It’s Logan.” Jade swung the door wide and both women launched themselves at him. Thankfully, he prepared for the assault and braced his feet shoulder-width apart. Once he assured them the house was empty, he led them to Jade’s room to pack, the wedding gown having been removed and bagged as evidence.
“How did he find me?”
Logan had given this some thought. “Didn’t you say your assistant was the only person who knew where you were staying?” She nodded. “If he killed her, he could have gotten it from her either before or after she died.”
“Her palm pilot,” Jade murmured. “She never went anywhere without it.”
That was the most likely scenario. The killer had to have access to both Jade’s assistant and her agent for him to have swiped the glasses and watch. The palm pilot would have been an easy grab as well.
Jade sucked in a gasping breath. “I may know who is doing this.”
“Who?”
“Nora hired a new chauffeur. I'd already received a couple of notes before I met him, which if I recall was right after I appeared on the Frank Talcott show.”
“Frankly Speaking,” Mrs. Edison spat. “I remember that appearance.” Her nose wrinkled with distaste. “That man was a monster. I hated him for what he put you through, Jade. The way he treated people, I’m not surprised someone killed him.”
Logan’s head jerked up. “Are you telling me this man was a jerk to you on national television and now he's dead?”
Jade nodded. “Killed in a drive-by shooting two days after my appearance, while investigating a story…what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Don’t you find it a bit odd that he was a jerk to you and he ends up dead?”
“No, I didn’t think it was odd…until now.” Jade dropped to the sofa. “He killed Frank Talcott, too.”
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions.” Although he already had.
Jade inhaled sharply. "I fought with both Sid and Nora, fired them both before they died."
It was too much of a coincidence that people Jade fought with were dead. “I’ll talk to the authorities in California and see what I can find out about the cases.” He pulled out a small notepad and pen. “Do you remember the name of the car service your assistant used?”
“Triple T, or Tinsel Town Transportation.” Jade recited the dates that she remembered the man working while he scribbled notes on his pad.
“Okay, here’s the plan.”
#
Once all her bags were packed, Logan set his plan into motion. In case someone was watching the house, he didn’t want that person seeing her leave with his aunt. He decided Trudy would leave separately for her house and Logan would drive Jade’s rental, keeping watch for any tails. When he was sure he wasn’t being followed, he would take her to Trudy’s house and then return her rental car.
They waited a few minutes after Trudy drove away before leaving. Trudy lived close enough to walk, but Logan took an indirect path, darting up and down random streets to lose any possible tail. When he was sure they weren’t being followed, he circled back to Trudy’s house in an exclusive tree-lined subdivision.
“It’s beautiful,” she said as he angled into the driveway.
Logan grunted.
“Did you grow up here?” Though they had never discussed his childhood, Trudy had told her all about her nephews coming to live with her when Logan was ten and Dan two.
“Yeah.”
Jade sighed. She wasn’t going to get much more out of him.
He hit a button and Trudy’s garage door opened. He parked next to her Mercedes and Trudy opened the door to greet them. Logan insisted on carrying her belongings and he glared at his aunt when she directed him to put Jade’s things in his old room.
“She can stay in the guest bedroom,” he argued.
“Yours was the biggest room after mine and has the nicest bathroom.” Logan glared at Trudy, his nostrils flaring, but he did as she asked and carried her things upstairs. When he returned, he spoke in hushed tones with his aunt and then they both joined her in the living room.
“Here's how this is going to work. Trudy has hired COBRA Securities to provide protection for you until the stalker is caught.”
Ouch. It couldn’t have hurt more if he'd actually slapped her. He made sure she knew he was being paid to watch out for her well-being.
He pinned her with a fierce scowl. “You are not to leave this house without an escort.” He held up a hand at Trudy. “Before you say it, no, you are not an acceptable escort.”
She crossed her arms and “humph-ed”.
He refocused on Jade. “If it is absolutely necessary that you go out, one of my men will be with you at all times.” He faced Trudy again. “I’m going to have Dan move in here just to keep an eye on things.”
“You'll do no such thing,” Trudy barked. “I’m footing the bill. You'll see to Jade’s protection yourself. Not that Danny wouldn’t do a perfectly wonderful job,” she whispered to Jade.
“We'll do this my way, Aunt Trudy, or not at all,” he insisted.
“Don’t give me that tone, Logan Kenneth Bradley.”
“I can’t stay. I’ve got Bella.”
“So? She has her own room here, bring her along. She loves staying with her Gammy,” Trudy beamed with pride.
Logan rubbed his forehead. Jade figured he had a killer headache brewing. He sighed and leaned back on the couch.
“I'll check out the chauffeur, but I also need a list of anyone who has shown an interest in you, anyone who may have a grudge against you, an axe to grind, someone who thinks you might've done them wrong. I want to know anyone you think could be behind this. And you are not to use your cell phone.”
“Why not?”
“They can be traced.”
He wiped a hand over his eyes and exhaled. When he spoke both his tone and his voice were compellingly serious. “I need you to listen to me and do as I say. You need to understand that stalkers are predators and they're mentally ill.
“There are several types of mental illness, but I believe what we are dealing with is someone suffering from a delusional disorder, someone who appears psychologically stable but holds an unsupportable belief about himself or others.”
“You mean he thinks he’s superman or something?” Trudy asked, only half joking.
“That could be the case in some instances, but not this one. Your stalker fits the profile of someone suffering from Erotomanic Delusional Disorder.”
Trudy winked at Jade and spoke behind her hand. “My Logan is so smart! This is all off the top of his head.”
Logan heard, narrowed his eyes and ignored her comment. “Someone with this type of disorder believes that another person, often someone impo
rtant or famous who is far more powerful or socially prestigious, is in love with him or her. The delusion often concerns idealized romantic love and spiritual union rather than sexual attraction. They believe that theirs is a perfect match, even though usually they've never met.”
He rubbed his chin. “The tricky thing here is that the person often is a complete stranger.”
“So you mean I could pass him on the street and never even know it?”
Logan nodded. “He could walk right up to you and you wouldn’t see the threat coming.”
Jade shivered.
“These people can interpret different signs to mean love, like you smiling in a movie would tell him that you love him, and it's common for them to try to contact the object of their delusion through telephone calls, letters, gifts, visits or even surveillance.”
“Well, he's tried the calls, letters, gifts and apparently surveillance,” Jade murmured.
Logan continued with his explanation. “Some individuals with this subtype, particularly males, come into conflict with the law in their efforts to pursue the object of their delusion or in a misguided effort to "rescue" him or her from some imagined danger.
“My guess is that this person felt that somehow Kyle was a danger to you and that by killing him, he was doing you a favor.”
“Sid and Nora, too,” she whispered. “I had just fired them both.”
A troubled look passed between Logan and his aunt and Jade felt cold wash down her spine.
“And Frank Talcott,” Trudy added. “He humiliated you on national television.”
“People with delusional disorders often continue to socialize and function normally and do not tend to show any odd or bizarre behavior except as a direct result of the delusional belief,” Logan said. “In some cases, however, they might become so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted.”
“How will you know who to look for?” Trudy asked.
“It will be tough,” Logan admitted. “Sometimes you have to wait until he makes a move, hope you get lucky.”
“Great. The man standing over my dead body will be the guy,” Jade deadpanned.
The Fan Page 19