by Natalie Ann
She hoped so. The thought of not even being able to have a conversation without worrying someone was listening was enough to make her want to run again. To climb a mountain and find a cave…screaming and cursing the whole time.
This was her life that was on hold. Why? What did she do to this person?
“He’s escalating though, isn’t he?” she asked. “This is the first time there has been something written. Something voiced toward me. Before it was empty envelopes. Blank sheets of paper. Messages on flowers. But nothing that he actually sent. Nothing he penned himself.”
“Something has changed. I’m just not sure what,” he said.
***
Trevor dropped Riley off at Max’s to stay while he, Cole, and Cole’s captain, Roger, swept Riley’s townhouse. His officers were going through the security tapes of the entire development to look for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here,” Roger said. “Nothing looks disturbed.”
“It doesn’t seem that way,” Trevor said, moving a picture away from the wall. They’d already done a sweep for any recording devices and came up empty. So far there weren’t any hidden cameras, either.
“Bugs and cameras don’t seem to jive with everything else,” Cole said.
“No,” Trevor said. “I just can’t get a take on what is happening right now. From the outside it seems innocent enough, but we know these things always escalate. They never have a good ending.”
“I’m not sure how much escalation has occurred,” Roger said. “I know she’s your girlfriend and I know she’s terrified, but we’ve seen no evidence that the person has been here or in this area. We’ve seen no evidence of violence at all. It’s annoying and frustrating and very upsetting. Borderline harassment, but not violent.”
Trevor turned and snarled. “Being my girlfriend has nothing to do with it. You can’t turn your back on something like this.”
“I’m not saying I’m turning my back,” Roger said. “I’m saying we don’t have a lot to go on other than some childlike letters and flowers. Not even a missed or disconnected call now. No voice, nothing to trace.”
Trevor knew this would be brought up eventually. They didn’t even know who or what they were dealing with right now. They couldn’t get a restraining order. They didn’t have a name, let alone a clue as to who was doing this or what they had planned. No pattern, nothing for the most part. Nothing concrete to even get a restraining order if he had a name.
“How would you feel if this were your daughter?” Trevor asked. Roger had a twenty-year-old daughter in college. “Would you just sit back and do nothing?”
“I’m not sitting back doing nothing. We’re here. We’re letting you use our labs and our resources. I’m just bringing up other questions. Other concerns.”
“What about you, Cole? Do you think this is nothing?” Trevor asked.
“I didn’t say it was nothing,” Roger argued.
Trevor ignored him and turned back to Cole.
“I’ll keep looking and working on it. If not while on the clock, then off. Just tell me what you want me to do, Trevor. Whatever you need. I can call in some favors, too.”
Roger shook his head. “No use arguing with you two. Are we done here?”
“Yeah. The place is clean,” Trevor said. “My men just sent over a text that the security tapes show nothing, too. I’ll look them over myself just to make sure.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Cole said, leaving with Roger.
Trevor walked around the house one more time. There were parts of Riley everywhere here. Memories of them together. Things he’d never thought about when he’d been with other women.
He’d never walked around and looked at a piece of furniture and remembered when he held her there while she cried. He’d never looked at a kitchen table and remembered when she smacked his ass playfully. Never felt like he’d lay his life on the line for another person other than family like he did right now.
Never felt like part of his heart was hurting trying to help her. The frustration of getting nowhere on top of it.
He didn’t care if Roger was brushing this off as something pesky. He hoped it was, he really did. But until he knew for sure—until he had all the answers—he couldn’t pretend this was nothing.
Locking the door behind him, he climbed back into his SUV and drove to Max’s to get Riley. He’d bring her back for some clothes, but she wasn’t staying here. Not now, not even with him under the same roof watching over her.
Whoever this person was knew where she lived and thought they could enter her personal domain of contentment. He’d like to see them come to the chief of police’s house.
“You changed,” he said when he walked into Max’s kitchen. “Where did you get the clothes?”
“Max brought me to your house. I showered there and we came back.”
He nodded his head. He wanted to argue but knew it would fall on deaf ears. His house was watched enough by the neighbors. If anyone strange or out of the ordinary was on his property, he’d know.
“Thanks, Max,” he said. “Come on, Riley, let’s go get some more clothes at your house and bring them to mine.”
“Why?” she asked. “Was someone in my house?”
He hated the frightened look on her face. “No. It’s all clear. But I’m not letting you stay there. Even with me. For now, grab what you need and move it into my house.”
“Okay.”
That she didn’t fight with him over this just showed how scared she truly was.
“What’s the next step?” Max asked.
“Everything is being sent to my buddy Logan in New York. I’m going to start at the beginning now.”
“Meaning what?” Riley asked.
“Tonight you’re going to tell me all about your life. Every boyfriend you’ve had. All your coworkers, any enemies, neighbors. Anything you remember, tell me. I’ll decide if it’s irrelevant or not.”
“That could take days,” she said.
“It has to be done,” he said. “We aren’t getting anywhere with what we’ve got, so we’ll look deeper.”
Different Worlds
Riley was feeling a little raw at the moment. She’d listed all her boyfriends since college, how long she was in each relationship, and how it ended. “Do you need to know high school, too? I’m sure I’ve missed a few as it is. I don’t remember every person I’ve ever been on a date with.” Yep, there was sarcasm there.
Trevor didn’t take the bait. “I know this is tedious, but every little bit helps.”
That was a good word for it. Along with, annoying, frustrating, and aggravating.
“I just don’t see how this is going to help anything. I couldn’t even tell you where to find half of these people. Most of them probably wouldn’t remember me.”
He smiled and winked at her. “You’re pretty memorable.”
“Gee, thanks. Really, Trevor, shouldn’t we focus on the last year or so? When this all started, rather than going back ten years?”
“We’ll do that, too. I just want the boyfriends. In most cases, situations like this are from a previous relationship. Someone that was rejected.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I should list all the guys I turned down for a date.”
He flipped over a piece of paper. “Okay, start.”
Seriously?! “I was joking,” she said, standing up and walking around his living room. “I need a drink. Do you have any wine in the house?”
“You know I don’t.”
“Chocolate. I need chocolate. Tell me you have some.”
He looked up at her and shook his head. “You haven’t had chocolate in weeks. Why now?”
“I’m giving you my life’s story. You need to ask that? Chocolate?” she asked again, her arms crossed, her bare toes tapping on his scarred hardwood floor.
“Ice cream in the fridge.”
She walked in the kitchen and opened the freezer d
oor. There were two separate containers of ice cream. Triple chocolate fudge and chocolate peanut butter cup. She put a scoop of each in a bowl.
“I love you,” she said walking in, then sitting next to him on the couch, giving him a smooch, then taking a big bite of chocolate.
“Why’s that?” he asked.
“Because this wasn’t there before. I know it. When did you buy it?”
“Before I picked you up at Max’s, I ran to the store and put it in there.”
“There is no need to get all embarrassed. It’s very sweet and thoughtful.” She shoved another spoonful in her mouth. “I’m going to eat this whole bowl, too. Not just a bite and be done.”
“I didn’t want you drinking tonight. We need a clear head.”
She held her spoon out to him. “Want some?”
He opened his mouth and took it. “It doesn’t work on me like it does you,” he said, smirking.
“That’s because it seems your feathers never get ruffled. But it still tastes good, admit it.”
He didn’t. “Are we done with exes now?”
“I think so. Now who?”
“Tell me all your coworkers at your last job. You were there a few years, right? This all started around a year or so ago, right? Or when you suspected it might have started?”
“Yeah. I thought everyone was looked into already.” She gave her bosses’ names before, along with her colleagues.
“Most were. Those you had contact with. They all cleared.”
“Then why do you need to know again?” she asked, trying to put a pout on her face, but he wasn’t buying any of it. She could tell when he laughed at her.
“I know their names; just tell me more about them. Your relationship with them.”
“What aren’t you saying, Trevor? What did Logan find out? What was said about me?”
He put the pen down. “Nothing to be concerned about.”
“Obviously there is. Tell me.” She put her almost empty bowl of ice cream down, her appetite officially gone. “I thought we agreed to tell each other everything. You can’t withhold things from me.”
He leaned back on the couch. “Fine. There were mixed reactions. Two of the dentists, the two owners, had opposite opinions.”
“Meaning what? One liked me and one didn’t?” That was news to her. She thought she got along with everyone there, even if she did keep to herself.
“They both praised your skill level. That wasn’t in doubt. Dr. Hanson was ticked off with the way you left. Felt it was very unprofessional and that he wished he’d known what was going on and had some type of notice to fill your absence. He was willing to cooperate and answer any questions, but there was underlying anger. Nothing that could be tied back to what is going on now, though. It seems whatever his thoughts or feelings are now is a result of your sudden exit.”
Hanson had always been a condescending prick in her mind, but he knew his job well and the patients loved him. He thought all women dentists were below him. She knew what she did was wrong and if any of her employees did it, she’d be annoyed too, but she wasn’t concerned about that months ago when she left.
“I doubt he could be bothered to give me much thought after working hours.”
“Logan said the same thing. Dr. Colvin, on the other hand, had a lot of sympathy for your situation.”
“He would. His daughter works at the practice, too. He’d want to know if it was a patient doing this. He’d be thinking of her and the other employees. He and Hanson didn’t always get along much either, but they both inherited the practice from their fathers. Neither wanted to buy the other out.”
“Dr. Colvin did mention that you were closer to his daughter than any of the other employees. He said that he wished he’d known what was going on with you, that he would have tried to help. His daughter gave us more insight into the office dynamics too. But the general consensus was that you left town over your breakup with Jason.”
“Meaning she told you that some of the office staff were petty. Some were trying to climb the ladder any way they could, compromising their moral values and throwing other people under the bus. Starting rumors and badmouthing others to take the attention off themselves?”
It always happened. There was always someone that wanted to sleep their way to the top. Some office worker that wanted to start trouble. Someone that thrived in that environment. Took enjoyment in it.
“Yes. But everyone said the same thing. That you steered clear of it all. That you never went out and had drinks with them in a group, and very rarely had any personal communication outside of working hours. Logan is good at keeping people on track and sifting fact from fiction.”
“So they’re all telling the truth then.”
If she learned one thing from her father, it was to keep work separate from her personal life. She was glad she did. Max, on the other hand, didn’t follow those rules. At least he didn’t here. When he was in New York, he did. But here, it seemed the whole office was close. Even with her office now, she was trying to follow the rules that were so ingrained in her, but it was hard.
In the past few weeks, there had been birthdays and cakes and lunches for her staff. She’d wanted to excuse herself from them, thinking they wouldn’t feel comfortable with the boss hanging around, but they always pulled her in. Made her feel like one of the team, not just the leader.
“Why were you like that there? It doesn’t seem that way here.”
“Different worlds, there and here. I tried to be that way here, but no one is letting me.”
“I would think not.”
Another twenty minutes went by while she told him everything she could remember about the office staff and other dentists, but it wasn’t much. She really didn’t know much about them at all outside of work.
“Now tell me about where you’ve lived the past few years.”
“I’ve only lived in two places besides my parents’ home since I graduated.”
“I’ve got the address to your last place. What’s the other one?”
She wrote it down for him. “I wasn’t there long. It was my first apartment and I jumped on it, but then realized it was too noisy for me.”
“How so?”
“There were a lot of people my age there. I thought that was what I wanted, but it was distracting. Parties, people coming and going. The walls were thin. I stayed for my one-year lease and then moved to my last place.”
“What was that like?”
“More upscale, I guess. My age and older, but working. Not out partying all the time. I was on the third floor. Either no one talked to you in the elevator because all their faces were in their phones, or they wanted to gossip about who was sleeping with whom on what floor. Neither of which I took part in much.”
“What about the employees? Logan talked to the manager of the building and the doorman. Any issues there?”
“No. Nothing. There was a doorman that hailed cabs for us, brought in packages and such. Nothing more than that. Nice guy, older, been there for years. I think his name was Vince.”
“Vincent,” Trevor said. “Logan talked to him. He remembered you. Said you were quiet and a big tipper. He didn’t have much good to say about Jason, though.”
She laughed. “Yeah, Jason was snobby with no reason to be. He never tipped, either. Still, nothing there really stands out. The manager was a nice guy. Widower, in his sixties maybe. Frank. His daughter lived with him. I think she was disabled, or had some mental illness, maybe both. I didn’t ask a lot of questions, but I’d see her around. She was always friendly with everyone though. Always said hi to me when I walked by her. It was a nice place to live. I never had any reason to be fearful there, until…”
“Until this all started and seemed to follow you home?” he said, finishing for her. “Logan wanted to get into your old apartment. The manager said he couldn’t without permission from the new tenants and they wouldn’t give it.”
“I don’t know that they’d find anything th
ere anyway.”
“Probably not at this point. A cleaning service goes in when someone leaves, we were told. There was no indication of anything there that Logan could find. That’s the problem, Riley. We’re having a hard time pinpointing this anywhere.”
“You think I’m making it up, don’t you?”
It would kill her if he thought that. After he said he believed her. If he was there for her all this time and then decided it couldn’t be true.
“I know you aren’t making it up, Riley. I know it’s happening. We just have to figure out where and how and who. And we will. Don’t worry about it. Leave it up to us. But to do that, we need to dissect your life. Your past. We need to find a pattern.”
She wrapped her arms around him and held on. “I just want to forget. Can you make me forget, please? Can we be done for the night? I’ve got to work tomorrow and so do you.”
“Yeah. We can be done for now. Let’s go to bed.”
“Tomorrow is another day.” She put her hand on her necklace that Trevor had given her earlier in the day. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Tonight is for us.”
More Heat
Thirty-six days later, Riley was going nuts. There’d been nothing. No empty envelopes. No cryptic three-word messages. No flowers. Nothing to get them any closer to finding answers. To finding a solution. To doing anything other than losing her mind.
Instead they were in a holding pattern.
One thing Riley hated was not being able to move forward.
This place she was in right now—the floor of it was littered with eggshells. And every time she stepped on one, it wasn’t a little crunch she heard, but a loud screech like those ugly nasty long curly record-breaking fingernails running over the world’s largest chalkboard. She wanted to put her hands over her ears and scream.
“Do you mind not doing that in here?” she asked Trevor.
He looked at her from where he was standing over the garbage can in the kitchen, clipping his nails. At least they weren’t record breaking.