Literally Stalked

by Eryn Scott

  Alex grinned as well as possible in his condition.

  “Thank you very much,” Detective Valdez said.

  Before leaving, the doctor performed a few checks and exercises to make sure Alex's condition was still steady. She told us a few signs to watch out for, asked if we needed anything, and then left to finish the rest of her rounds.

  I excused myself, slipping out into the hallway to call Maggie. I walked past a few other officers standing watch in the corridor, and I wondered if they were here because someone had hurt another officer or because of the bags of blood that had gone missing last week.

  After filling Maggie in, I didn’t even have to ask if she’d keep Hamburger until I was done at the hospital. She offered right away, telling me not to worry one bit. Next I called Jess and told her I wouldn’t be there to take over, that she should close up when her shift was over.

  Before calling Liv, I checked the time. She’d left last night for a conference in Seattle, but it had probably gotten out a couple hours ago. I might be interrupting a dinner out with colleagues. Knowing Liv, she’d be more furious with me for not letting her know than pulling her out of a restaurant.

  “Hey, Peps. What’s up?” I must’ve been right about dinner because there were loud voices in the background. Even above all the noise, the worry coating Liv’s question was audible.

  I wouldn’t call while she was away unless it was something terrible.

  “Everyone’s going to be okay,” I said, starting with the most important part. “But Alex was attacked today. I wanted to let you know.”

  “Omigosh.” The sound died away as if she had ducked into a restroom or a side hallway. “Is he... oh, sorry, dumb question. How was he attacked?”

  “Someone hit him on the head with a bat.” I swallowed down another round of tears. “He’s got a concussion, but it seems like he’ll be okay.”

  “You think it was the murderer?”

  I nodded. “It makes sense. They were already threatening him.”

  “Oh, Peps. I’m so sorry. Do you want me to come home and be with you? I can leave right now.”

  “No.” I smiled, bolstered already by Liv’s support. “You stay. We’re okay. Would you call Carson and tell him, though? I’m drained from making the last few phone calls.”

  “Sure thing. Love you. Hang in there, and call if there’s anything Carson or I can do.”

  “Love you.” I rubbed my hand over my face.

  Frank met up with me as I was hanging up, and we reentered Alex’s room together.

  Detective Valdez sat next to his son on the edge of the bed, his arm wrapped tightly around Alex’s shoulders. He’d taken off his long, camel-colored jacket and now seemed more like a dad than a detective. In a simple button up with his hair mussed, it seemed right to call him Mateo—like he’d been trying to get me to do—instead of Detective Valdez like I usually defaulted to. They looked so alike, father and son. I couldn’t help but think how proud Alex’s mom would be, seeing how close they were.

  I, for one, felt incredibly lucky to be accepted by these Valdez men.

  Alex waved in greeting to his partner.

  “I’d better get back to the station,” Frank said, shrugging. “With the two of you here, they’ll need all the help they can get.”

  “Thank you, Frank.” Mateo stood and held out a hand. After shaking, he patted Frank on the back and said, “I’ll keep in touch.”

  Once Frank had gone, Mateo and I settled in. He claimed the big chair next to the hospital bed, while I scooted onto the bed next to Alex after convincing him to lie back for a while.

  He set the ice pack behind his head again and closed his eyes. “I owe you twenty bucks, Dad,” he said.

  The detective grinned, opening a magazine that had been sitting on the bedside table.

  I blinked, confused. I looked from Alex to his father.

  “Dad told me there was no way you would get through this without getting involved,” Alex said, peeking open one of his eyes. “I bet him you wouldn’t.” He smirked. “Foolishly.”

  I chuckled despite being the butt of their bet. At least he didn’t seem angry about my involvement like he was last night.

  “In my defense,” I said. “I couldn’t really sit by while someone was threatening you.” I took Alex’s hand in mine.

  Detective Valdez—sorry, Mateo—clicked his tongue. “That’s what I told him. So, Detective Pepper, what are your thoughts on who did this to my son?”

  Alex squeezed my hand, but kept his eyes closed. I took the gesture as consent.

  “Well…” I pulled in a deep breath, and then I explained everything I’d learned at Woodcrest.

  17

  If I’d had any lingering doubts Mateo Valdez approved of me as a partner for Alex, they were all blown away in the next couple of hours at that hospital.

  He listened to all my theories—even appearing rather impressed a few times. Then he accepted my offer to stay at the hospital, so he could go home and get some rest. The man looked as dead on his feet as his son. He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed tight, his gaze lingering on Alex’s sleeping form.

  “Let me know if the doctors do another scan.”

  I nodded. “I will.”

  He grabbed his coat and headed out as both of the clock hands ticked over the twelve. Alex had fallen asleep a few minutes before, and while the nurse had told me to make sure to wake him every so often, I wanted him to get a little rest in before I did so.

  Carson and Fiona had both stopped by earlier. Carson had talked with Liv and came by to see if we needed anything, and Fiona had been at the hospital when she heard the news. She’d poked her head in with a mocha for me and get-well wishes for Alex.

  Five more minutes, and then I’ll wake him, I thought as I sat back on the bed, placing my almost finished mocha on the hospital tray next to us. I leaned back next to Alex, putting a hand on his chest, so I could feel the gentle rise and fall.

  My thoughts strayed to Andrea. She hadn’t been in class today. That gave her a perfect opportunity to be the one who’d followed Alex and attacked him.

  “What’s got you scowling like that, Brooks?” Alex asked, one eye peeking open.

  I relaxed my face, smiling up at him. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

  “That’s quite the thinking face.” He stretched his shoulders back, wincing only slightly as he repositioned his head.

  “I can’t get over Andrea being a suspect. She wasn’t in Fergie’s class today. She could’ve done this to you, Alex.”

  He considered that for a moment. “She’s still a suspect, but after today, we’re taking her off the short list. Jenna showed me the video, Peps. I saw it, time stamp and all. She wasn’t anywhere near Cole when he was killed.”

  “And did you ever figure out what it was the two sisters were fighting about?”

  “Yeah.” Alex cringed. “Andrea slept with Jenna’s boyfriend.”

  “Yikes.” I exhaled the word.

  Alex nodded. “Yikes is right. She’d been obsessing over him for a long time, according to Jenna, but she never dreamed Andrea would do anything like that. Andrea followed when he went out with friends to a bar one night when Jenna was busy working and finally got what she wanted. At least, what she thought she wanted. Unfortunately, she ended up destroying any semblance of a relationship with her sister.”

  Without Andrea in the running, my mind returned to Emerson. “So if we’re only looking at Emerson now…” I tapped my fingers on my leg. “I received the first threatening note before going to question him. And I don’t know how he would’ve found out we’re together. But this is a small town…”

  “What about the note yesterday?” Alex perked up a little. “Did you see anyone in the store who’s connected with Cole’s case?”

  I shook my head. “No, and I’m pretty sure my note-leaver keeps dropping them off when I’m not there. They’ve all come on days I took over for Jess without going upstairs first.”
r />   “Maybe it’s time we installed some sort of camera system in the store, just in case.”

  I snorted at Alex’s suggestion. That kind of stuff was for big cities, not small towns like Pine Crest. Even with all the college students we had during the year, theft had never been an issue in my hometown. But as I thought about it, I realized he might not be too far off.

  “Maybe…” I exhaled and lay on his chest.

  He drifted off to sleep. I stayed awake. Even though the nurses were monitoring him, I couldn’t seem to calm down or forget how close I’d been to losing him.

  Between a mostly sleepless night and the not-so-comfy hospital mattress, working a full day at the bookstore was the last thing I wanted to do. But it was Jess’s regular day off, and she had doctor’s appointments to take her kids to, so I was officially it. Well, Maggie had offered to come in for me, but I’d told her it would do me good to have something to take my mind off my worries.

  Alex’s dad came back first thing in the morning to relieve me. The doctors had done another round of scans, and everything was still looking promising.

  As uncomfortable as the hospital bed and room were, I felt like my heart was being wrenched out of my chest as I left. As if I have a string tied somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in Alex’s chest, I mused as I pushed my way out into the gray winter morning.

  Checking my watch, I saw that I still had some time before I needed to open the store. My pathway back home would take me through campus, right past the English building, so I decided to stop by and let Fergie know why I’d had to run out of class yesterday.

  Cole’s death had impacted her so intensely, and I didn’t want her to worry about me too.

  Even though it was a weekend, Fergie liked to write her lesson plans on Saturday mornings, so I went to her office. The woman was a workaholic, but one who loved what she did.

  The halls were mostly deserted, but as I approached her office, I realized I wasn’t the first student to pay the professor a visit, nor the only one from our masters cohort.

  Andrea stood with her back to the open office door.

  “Anyway, I apologize for missing class,” she was saying.

  “Not a worry, dear. Family comes first in my book.” Fergie reached out and patted Andrea’s hand.

  Family? I wondered if that meant her sister. Had she known she was in town yesterday? I pictured them scheming to use the video message as a fake alibi.

  Fergie, who spotted me standing just outside the door, interrupted my musings. “Oh, Pepper! Another of my absentees. Is everything okay with you? You left in quite the hurry.”

  I stepped forward, eyeing Andrea. “Uh, yeah. I’m sorry. It was Alex; someone attacked him in the alley behind the hardware store.” I watched Andrea as I explained the details. She may have an alibi for Cole’s murder, but she didn’t for Alex’s attack.

  She merely frowned and then dug in her bag.

  Fergie gasped. “Oh goodness. I hope he’s okay.”

  “He will be.” I stole a quick look inside Andrea’s bag as she rooted around.

  My eye caught on something familiar. Cream card stock. Typewritten text. I couldn’t breathe for a moment.

  That was it: her alibi had to be fake.

  “Okay, well I have to get going.” Andrea closed her bag, having located a book in the bottom. “Hope your boyfriend gets better, Pepper.” She smiled in a sad way that would’ve been almost convincing if I hadn’t seen evidence she was the person leaving the threatening notes for me.

  She turned to leave. I waved to Fergie, following Andrea into the hallway.

  “Hey,” I called after her. The word shook with anger, nerves, and a little fear.

  Andrea turned, her eyebrows shot up in surprise to see me following her.

  Before she said anything, I jabbed my finger toward her bag. “How could you?” I didn't know if my question was about Cole, or Alex, or the notes, but it was the first thing I came up with in my surprise.

  Andrea furrowed her forehead. “What?” She looked at her bag, feigning confusion.

  “Your act won’t work anymore. I saw the notes in your bag just now. You’re the one who’s been leaving them in my apartment.”

  Her face paled. “The notes?” Pausing for a moment, she opened her bag and pulled out the small stack I’d seen. “These?”

  I nodded, folding my arms in front of my chest. Alex must be rubbing off on me because I had obviously upped my intimidation game.

  Andrea looked over her shoulder before leaning in closer. “You’ve been getting them too?” Her eyes were wide as they met mine.

  Her question was like a slap in the face. I couldn’t think of what to say for a few seconds as my mind raced to recalibrate.

  Getting them too? “Someone’s threatening you?”

  “Threatening?” Andrea’s forehead furrowed. “I mean they’re a little intense, but…” She held them out toward me.

  A shiver wound down my spine as I took the note cards. They were definitely the same paper. I scanned the typewritten messages, noticing the e was only half there. Like the ones I’d received, Andrea’s also contained lines from Brontë novels.

  But while the quotes I’d received were menacing, meant as a threat, these were the more romantic lines from the novel. They’d also been changed slightly, so they were directed at Andrea.

  You made me love you without looking at me.

  You are more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, yours and mine are the same.

  Anyone else couldn’t love you as much in eighty years as I do in a day.

  My love for you resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.

  I shook my head as I read through, noticing that the first one was actually taken from Jane Eyre instead of Wuthering Heights as the others had been.

  My thoughts buzzed. So Andrea was getting these love notes the whole time I was receiving the threatening ones.

  “When did these start?” I asked her, looking up from the stack.

  She bit her lip. “Close to the beginning of fall quarter.” She shrugged. “A few weeks in.”

  I narrowed my eyes. She’d been receiving these way before I’d started getting mine. “And when did the last one come?”

  “Yesterday.” She swallowed slowly, sadly. There must've been a moment when she had hoped they were coming from Cole. Getting one yesterday would’ve been hard proof it wasn’t him.

  “This same person is threatening you?” she asked, looking up.

  “Very much. And they might be the one who attacked Alex and possibly even the person who killed Cole.”

  Andrea sucked in a shallow breath. “Seriously?”

  “I mean, I don’t know for sure, but the evidence points in that direction.” I handed the cards back to her. “These aren’t threats, but whoever sent you these isn’t a stable person, Andrea. You should be careful.”

  She let out a dry laugh. “Great. The one time a person shows me attention first, and they turn out to be crazy.”

  “You should show those to the police,” I added, not having time to commiserate with her about her love life.

  “Okay, sure.” She shook her head dejectedly as she shoved them back in her bag. “See you in class.”

  I left for the bookstore, noticing I was going to be cutting it close if I didn’t get moving. As I walked, I pondered what I’d learned.

  With the new notes, I had to admit that it was becoming more and more likely that Andrea wasn’t the killer. And that someone who was obsessed with her was.

  Had this person gotten jealous enough of her feelings for Cole that they took him out of the picture? The threatening notes toward Alex and me sure made sense now. If they thought Andrea was our main suspect, they would definitely want us to look elsewhere.

  Winter wind stung at my face and my hands as I exited the English building and headed home. I zipped my jacket all the way up and pulled on a hat
I’d stored in my bag, then I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. I still had a few spare minutes to go pick up Hammy from Maggie’s and maybe even grab a coffee from Bittersweet.

  After that, I had phone calls to make. Detective Valdez definitely needed to hear about Andrea’s notes. And I needed to figure out if there was any way Emerson knew Andrea.

  18

  Hammy and I made it back to the bookstore with a few minutes to spare. Before any customers came in, I sprinted upstairs to brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair.

  I unlocked my apartment door and pushed it open, not even surprised when I found another note slipped inside. I hadn’t been home since yesterday morning.

  Clenching my jaw in my anger, I opened it, walking into the bathroom as I read.

  Take care you don’t rouse my hate instead.

  A shiver wriggled up my spine as I read the words. I put the note down as I brushed my teeth, typing the words into my phone’s search engine, even though I was quite sure it was from Wuthering Heights again.

  The search results pulled up, causing me to cough in surprise. The line was actually from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

  I ran a brush through my hair, missing the ability to pull it back into a ponytail. For sleeping in the hospital, though, it didn’t look too terrible.

  I brought the note downstairs with me as Hammy and I descended the stairs into the store. Flipping the sign to open and unlocking the front door, I pulled out my phone and called Alex.

  “Hi, Pepper. It’s Mateo. He’s still sleeping.” The detective answered on the second ring.

  “I was hoping it would be you. I didn’t want to bother Alex, but I had an eye-opening conversation.” While my register computer started, I explained Andrea’s notes to him.

  “That is interesting. Does she have any connection with the brother?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I wouldn't have thought so, but she was stalking his brother, so it’s possible. Do you think Emerson could’ve fallen in love with Andrea?”

  “Brothers fighting over the same woman isn’t unheard of,” the detective said. “I’ll look into it.”