by Faith Starr
When I lifted my head, I realized a small crowd was gathering around us, some with phones. I couldn’t do this here, highly unfair to Drew. I didn’t give a fuck if the people recorded me, but Drew didn’t deserve to be put in that position, especially in her frantic mood.
“Can we go back to my place and discuss this somewhere private? This is only going to get worse.” I gestured to the group of students assembling around us, their numbers increasing by the minute.
“Why don’t we go to the station?” the cop suggested.
“I’d rather go to my house, so I can show you the letters I received.”
“Very well. A few of our officers will remain here to check for fingerprints and any other information they can gather from Ms. Sanders’ vehicle. My partner and I will follow you to your home. A tow truck is en route to remove Ms. Sanders’ car from the lot.”
Drew got into my car. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. I shot Camilla a quick text, informing her of the situation and asked her to forward me the e-mails she had received from the fan, so I could show them to the officers as well. I set the phone on the console.
“I’m so sorry, babe. I wanted to tell you. None of the letters said anything about physical threats or danger.” I rubbed Drew’s leg.
“If this person mentioned me, I had a right to know about it.”
“You’re right. I apologize. Do you want me to call your folks and fill them in on what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “No, not yet. I can’t deal with them right now.” She paused. “Actually, maybe I should contact them, so they can wait with the car until the tow truck arrives.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“This is crazy. I can’t believe someone broke the windows of my car.”
“I can’t say how sorry I am that whoever this person is got you involved. I’ll pay for the damage.” I squeezed her hand.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure insurance will cover it.”
“Still, I don’t want a dime coming out of your pocket for something that happened because of me.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Can you tell me about the letters?”
“I’ll one up that. I’ll show them to you.”
“I wonder if it’s the same weirdo who’s come into the clinic twice with her dog. Today she told me the two of you had sex.”
Say what?
I clenched my jaw and steadied the car after almost swerving off the road. Luckily, there were no cars to my left, or we would’ve crashed. A feeling of gratitude swept through me that the cops behind us didn’t give me a ticket for reckless driving.
“Come again?”
“She said you had sex with her after a show one night. She referred to me as your fuck buddy. She also ranted on about the entertainment story, which aired this weekend with footage from your video shoot. You know the one where you made out with Jessica Hauser and practically felt her up? And when asked about it, you said it’s all part of your job, somebody has to do it. Yeah, I happened to watch the show too.” She shifted her body toward the passenger window. She also slipped her hand out of mine.
Point taken.
“You knew I had a video shoot with an actress. I already told you it didn’t mean anything.”
She shrugged, not looking in my direction.
“Drew, do you honestly think I did something with that woman?”
“I don’t know what to think right now, Logan. All I know is your world has a lot of crazy in it, and I’m not sure I can or want to be involved in it.”
“Fuck. When are you going to trust me? I’m trying to move forward, but the past keeps getting in the way.”
She finally gave me a visual of her teary-eyed face. “You want me to trust you, when you received correspondence from a fan who stated she’d met me without even telling me about it. Regarding the video, you mentioned shooting one with an actress, not a supermodel, and more importantly, you left out the part about you kissing and touching her. Why didn’t you at least give me a heads-up, so I could prepare myself instead of having to see it firsthand on TV along with the rest of the world? There are already too many secrets for my comfort level.”
“I wanted to tell you but didn’t know how. I didn’t realize the story would air so quickly. And just so you know, Jessica did come on to me. She asked if we could take the party back to my room, but I told her no. I’ve never told a woman no. It doesn’t make me feel proud to admit it, but it’s the truth. I don’t want to be with anybody else, and the last thing I’d ever do is repeat a mistake I still can’t forgive myself for making. For the record, I left you a few messages. You didn’t return any of my calls.”
She sniffled. I handed her a tissue. I kept them stashed in the middle console.
“You’re right. You did call, but I was too upset about the entertainment story to speak to you. I wanted to talk about my feelings with you in person. I’m sorry for jumping at you about that. I shouldn’t have. And I appreciate you sharing all this with me. I guess seeing the video and then having that whack-job intentionally rub it in my face hurt me. The sad part is I know this isn’t a one-time occurrence. This insanity probably happens to you nonstop. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
“If you don’t trust me, this thing between us will never work.”
She sat upright and exhaled. “I know. It’s not something that will happen overnight, though.”
“I get it, and I’m trying to prove things are different. I wish you would’ve spoken to me after you saw the report on TV.”
“I felt too angry. The reporter spun the story to portray—how can I say this politely? It doesn’t matter. She portrayed you as an asshole. I think she wanted the viewers to think something went on between you and Jessica Hauser.”
“Nothing went on between us that you didn’t see. I can assure you of that. As soon as we wrapped up shooting, I went to sleep. The following morning the guys and I visited a children’s hospital. Later that day Joey and I had dinner and shot pool. I couldn’t wait to get home to see you.”
She gave me a faint smile. “I think I better call my parents. We’re almost at your place.”
Her fingers drummed nervously on her lap during her conversation with her father. I lowered the volume on the radio. I couldn’t hear what he said but could tell he blamed me for what went down based on her replies to him.
She began using hand gestures, arguing that I had nothing to do with it. I remained silent until she finished the call. When she did, she tossed her phone in her purse. “What a crock of shit.”
“What did he say?”
“He’s not happy I left the car. He said I should’ve waited until the tow truck arrived. I’m sure you heard me tell him we’re meeting with the police at your place because a crowd gathered around, wanting to see you. He and my mom are heading to the university now. I’m so tired of them.” She grunted her frustration.
“You’re more than welcome to stay at my house whenever you want. Just say the word.”
“That’s nice of you to offer, but it wouldn’t be much fun staying at your place without you there, since you’re leaving soon to go back on tour.”
Not having a response to give her, I sighed. I didn’t want to leave her behind. I prayed Camilla would work her magic with some of the music execs and get Drew’s song heard. If others heard the potential I did, Drew wouldn’t have to worry about her financial status anymore. Songwriters made a shitload of cash when their songs hit the charts. I felt confident hers had the potential to do that. Not that I wouldn’t help her out financially if things didn’t turn out as I hoped.
We pulled into my driveway with the cop car in tow. We went inside the house, and I showed everyone to a seat in the living room. I went into my office to collect the cards I’d received in the mail from the fan as well as printed out the e-mails Camilla forwarded to me. I clipped all the papers together and brought them to the living room, handing them to the officer with the musta
che. I believe Fields was his name. I couldn’t see the print on his name tag.
He scanned through them. “We have no proof that the person who sent these letters is the same person who damaged Ms. Sanders’ vehicle this evening.”
“I do. The one e-mail she sent me states she met Drew. And Drew informed me that a woman came into the vet clinic where she works and told her she’s a fan. I think it’s the same girl.”
“We have no proof of that, Mr. Trimble. We’ll see if the university has surveillance cameras on campus. In addition, Ms. Sanders, can you please provide me with the name of the patient whom you had the interactions with at work? We can do a background check and see what we find,” the other officer requested.
“I can get you the information right now. All I need is a computer with Internet access, and I can log into the office network.”
“That would be great,” the second cop replied.
I led Drew to my office, so she could use my computer. Her hands trembled as she typed on the keyboard. I rubbed her shoulders.
She logged into her office system and printed out the patient’s demographics. I took a gander at the woman’s name but had no recollection of it. We brought the info to the living room, where the officers sat waiting for us. Drew handed one of them the paper.
“My parents are headed to the university now. The car’s registered under my father’s name. Can you please let the remaining officers at the scene know he and my mother will be arriving shortly?”
“Will do,” Fields replied. I saw his name tag clearly now. He promptly made the call.
“How do I know this woman isn’t going to try to hurt me?” Drew sat huddled on the couch.
I sat next to her and put my arm around her. She leaned into me, a bundle of nerves. I couldn’t blame her. I felt her anguish.
“There have been no physical threats as of yet. There has been a written warning, which we will investigate and see what we come up with. The woman sounds like a love-obsessed stalker.”
That was the same terminology Camilla had used to describe the fan over the phone.
“This type of stalker becomes obsessed with another person, usually someone he or she has had no relationship with. In this case—according to the stalker’s letter, Mr. Logan—it appears you have somewhat of a past with the woman involved, however minimal.” The second police officer directed his attention toward me.
Drew sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
“These types of stalkers usually expect the victim, in this instance you, Mr. Trimble, to have reciprocal feelings, even though it’s all a fantasy inside his or her mind. Your fan is reaching out via e-mail and letters to make her awareness known to you. But you should understand that this situation could easily escalate to physical and verbal threats, which Ms. Sanders received earlier with the vandalization of her car. That is, if we are speaking about the same woman. We have no proof or conclusive evidence to support that at this point in time.”
Drew twisted her fingers on her lap. I took her hand in mine and caressed her knuckles, trying to calm her. Sadly, nothing I did to try and soothe her pacified or helped her relax. She bobbed her foot nervously on the floor.
“Unfortunately, we aren’t able to provide you with round-the-clock protection. I have no idea what plan of action this fan has in mind. All I can guarantee is that we will do our best to see what information we can gather with the evidence we have so far.”
“And what if this lady knows where I live? She already knows where I work and go to school. I’m scared.” Drew sniffled.
“For now, my suggestion is to keep a running log of the stalker’s attempts at contacting either one of you, whether through e-mail, telephone, letters, anything. You might consider hiring personal security protection unless you already have security personnel, Mr. Trimble. Please be alert of any unusual packages or envelopes you receive. You might also consider changing your telephone number and keeping it unlisted as well as informing neighbors, friends, and coworkers about the situation, so they too can keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Ms. Sanders, I strongly urge you to have someone escort you to the university, since this person clearly knows when you attend class. You should also park in well-lit areas, and check your vehicle whenever you enter or leave it unattended. Make sure to lock all the doors, and keep your car in a garage, if possible. If you notice somebody following you, drive to the nearest law-enforcement agency. Do not take the person on a wild-goose chase.”
Drew rose from the couch and paced in front of it.
“I’m sorry there’s nothing more we can offer you at this time. Here’s my card.”
Officer Fields handed me and Drew cards.
“If you think of anything else that might help assist us with this case, please contact me or Officer Edwards. We’ll be in touch as soon as we have more information to provide you with.”
Officer Edwards now handed us his card.
“Thank you.” I led both men to the door and escorted them out.
34
Drew
Why won’t my hands stop shaking?
Did I really have to ask myself that question? PS, the rest of me trembled as well, from head to toe.
My throat felt so dry, I could barely swallow. I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
Logan spotted me sitting on a stool at the kitchen island. He spoke on the phone, talking to someone about private security.
What the hell had happened? My life had turned completely upside down in the course of a few short weeks.
“That was my manager on the phone. The band hasn’t required extra security, but that’s about to change. Our guy, Tomas, will be contacting me in the next hour with the name of someone who does personal security. I don’t want you going anywhere alone until we catch this woman.”
“I can’t walk around with a bodyguard twenty-four/seven, yet I feel afraid not to. I’m scared to walk outside your front door. What if she’s out there right now? I fear for my parents’ safety at the clinic. This person knows who we are. What if she follows my family? Or worse, tries to hurt them?” I rambled off questions as quickly as they came to mind.
“It’s a lot of what-ifs, babe. We don’t have any idea how far this lunatic is willing to go, but we’re not going to take any chances to find out. We’ll have to stay one step ahead of her.”
My cell rang. I checked the caller ID and answered.
“Hi, Dad.”
“We’re getting ready to leave the university. Your car’s about to get towed. Is there anything you want me to grab from it before we leave?”
“Please check my trunk. I should have everything, but just look around in case I left a jacket or books for school in there. I’m having trouble thinking straight right now. Did the police give you any information?”
“No. They took pictures and inspected the interior of your car to make sure nothing was tampered with. They also checked under the hood. Your mother and I aren’t happy about this situation, as I’m sure you can imagine. Please ask Logan to bring you home. You mother and I want to have a serious talk with you. We don’t need Logan’s celebrity lifestyle affecting the safety of our family. The man has been nothing but trouble to us, both in the past and now.”
“Dad, this isn’t Logan’s fault, so don’t even go there. Trust me, he’s doing everything in his power to keep me safe. As a matter of fact, he’s waiting for a call now from someone on his security team.”
“That’s great. But we don’t have his kind of money to pay for bodyguards.”
It pissed me off how my father kept bringing up Logan’s money.
“The security’s for both of us,” I enunciated with anger.
He sighed heavily into the phone. “I’m not pleased with the changes taking place in you either. But we’ll speak about it later. Please meet me and your mother at home.”
After disconnecting the call, I cried again. I couldn’t seem to stop blubbering.
Logan wrapped his arms
around me. I swiveled my stool around, so I could bury my face in his chest.
“My parents want me to go home. They’re upset about this situation. I can’t blame them.”
He released me but held on to my arms. “We all are.”
“Maybe you should take me home. I’ve caused my parents enough grief for one night.”
“Do you hear yourself? You’re blaming yourself for something that has nothing to do with you. Letting your parents guilt you into thinking so is absurd. This is a serious situation. I don’t think they realize just how much. Please wait until we hear from Tomas before leaving the house.”
“This girl could be anyone. How in the world are the cops supposed to find her? And the woman who came to my father’s clinic might not even be the guilty party, though she did give me the creeps. She could simply be another whacko on the prowl.”
He sighed, and began pacing back and forth in front of me. “You don’t think I’m upset about this? It’s tearing me up inside.”
He went to the fridge for a bottle of water. He’d seen mine, so he didn’t offer me one.
I nervously picked at my nails. I had been so consumed with my own worry I hadn’t given a thought about Logan’s feelings.
His cell rang and he promptly answered it. I continued to pick at my cuticles while he spoke to who I assumed to be his security manager. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, so I could clean up and take a mental timeout, not that the change of scenery gave me one. My thoughts followed me wherever I went.
When I exited, I retrieved my phone from my purse. I checked my Facebook page to make sure my settings were private. Nothing struck me as out of the ordinary. I checked my e-mail inbox, nothing. I shot Eric a quick text to let him know the story. I then checked for any missed texts. Nothing.
Suddenly, a reminder alert signaled. How odd. I didn’t recall setting any reminders to go off.
“What?” I gasped when I saw the unexpected message.
My phone fell out of my hands and onto the floor in front of me.