Stalked in the Night

by Carla Cassidy

  As Wayne stepped outside to get Jimmy, Jake put his arm around Eva and pulled her closer against his side. He could feel small tremors shaking her body, and he hated that she was obviously still so afraid.

  “Could you do me a favor?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied.

  “Would you go check in on Andy? He saw me when I was crying, and he noticed I was bleeding. I know he’s probably in there scared to death right now.”

  “I’ll go talk to him.” Jake got up and went down the hallway to Andy’s room. He knocked softly and then opened the door.

  A night-light illuminated the room enough that Jake could see that Andy was wide-awake. “Mr. Jake,” he said and sat up.

  “Hey, buddy, how are you doing?” Jake walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “I’m okay, but is my mom okay? She was bleeding and she got out her gun.”

  “She’s just fine.”

  “I heard Sheriff Black here. What happened to my mom, Mr. Jake?”

  Jake hesitated a moment before replying. He decided the boy deserved the truth instead of some made-up story. “Somebody bad was hiding in the barn and tried to hurt your mom,” Jake explained. “But I’m going to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. Now, what you need to do is get to sleep. You have school tomorrow.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t go to school.” Worry still laced Andy’s voice. “Maybe I should stay home to help protect my mom.”

  Jake smiled at him. “Andy, your job is to go to school, and you need to let the grown-ups take care of your mother. Now everything is fine for the night, so you need to get to sleep.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Jake.” Andy settled back in the bed, and then Jake pulled the sheet up around the boy and leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

  “Stop worrying, Andy. I promise you that everything is going to be just fine.”

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “I’m glad I’m here, too. I’m glad you thought to call me. Now, get to sleep.” Jake got up and left the room.

  He returned to Eva’s side just as Wayne led Jimmy into the house. Jimmy immediately looked at Eva. “Are you all right, Mrs. Eva?”

  “I will be,” she replied.

  “I’m so sorry you got hurt. I wish I’d gotten to you sooner.” He looked at her mournfully.

  “Why were you here at all?” Eva asked.

  “I just thought I’d hang around a little later than usual and keep an eye on things. I know somebody has been causing you bad problems, and I just figured I’d check things out before heading home and going to bed. I was hoping to catch somebody causing trouble for you so it would all stop.”

  “Did you see the perpetrator?” Wayne asked.

  “No. All I saw was Mrs. Eva on the floor. I wish I had seen him. I wish I’d caught him,” Jimmy exclaimed.

  As Wayne continued to question Jimmy, Jake’s mind whirred with a dozen emotions. His heart ached with Eva’s fear. He was afraid for her, too. He was also enraged by what had happened and angry that a nine-year-old boy had the burden of being afraid for his mother’s welfare.

  He was also suspicious of Jimmy’s story. Had the man orchestrated the attack on Eva and then rushed in to be a hero? The young man looked at Eva as if she hung the sun each morning. There was no question he had a crush on Eva. Had he attacked her and then “saved” her?

  Jake spoke those suspicions aloud once Wayne sent Jimmy home. By that time Wayne’s men had arrived to check out the barn.

  “Those same thoughts about Jimmy crossed my mind, too,” Wayne admitted. “At this point everyone is a suspect. It’s too bad Eva didn’t see the perpetrator and Jimmy at the same time.”

  “I just assumed the attacker heard Jimmy’s approach and ran away, and then Jimmy showed up,” Eva replied.

  “But you didn’t see which way he ran, right?” Wayne asked.

  “I didn’t,” she replied.

  “And you didn’t see exactly where Jimmy came from, right?” Wayne said.

  Eva frowned. “I’m pretty sure he came in the main barn entrance. It’s all so jumbled in my head right now.”

  Jake was grateful that the tremors he’d felt in her earlier were finally gone, but she still appeared small and achingly vulnerable. Once again Wayne left to go out and check with his men in the barn.

  As he stepped out of the house, Eva released a weary sigh. “I can’t believe this happened. I feel like I’m in a nightmare, and no matter how hard I try I can’t wake up.”

  Jake tightened his arm around her. “I’m just grateful you weren’t hurt even more. This could have had a tragic ending.”

  “Was Andy okay?” she asked.

  “He was worried about you, but I told him to leave the worrying to the grown-ups and that you were going to be just fine.”

  “Thank you, Jake.” She released a shudder. “The man wanted to kill me. I believe he really wanted to kill me.” She crossed her arms in front of her so she was hugging herself. “I...I didn’t really think it would come to this...that the written threats would become a physical reality.”

  “I had certainly hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” Jake said. “But now we know just how serious the situation is.”

  Eva leaned her head back against his arm and closed her eyes. He gazed at her face and vowed to himself that he would do whatever was necessary to keep her and her son safe.

  He didn’t know how much time passed before Wayne came back into the house. “The deputies are still out there looking for clues, but I came back inside to tell you that it appears somebody was going to set the barn on fire.”

  Eva sat up straighter. “So I did smell gasoline.”

  Wayne nodded. “There was a small stack of hay with several pieces of kindling smothered with fuel. All it was waiting for was a lit match. Maybe it was possible you interrupted him attempting to set a fire and that’s why he came after you.”

  “If he didn’t really want to hurt her, then why attack her at all? If she interrupted him, then why didn’t he just slink away into the night instead of going after her with a pitchfork?” Jake asked. “The barn was dark. No light was on. Hell, he could have hid in a stall until Eva left. So, I repeat, why go after her?”

  None of them had the answer. “Have you had a chance to question Robert Stephenson about owning a Kincaid knife?” Eva asked.

  Jake gazed at her in surprise. “Why would you think of that right now?”

  She told them about Robert and his son joining her and Andy in the ice cream place. “He keeps kind of asking me out, and I keep rejecting him.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know who to trust anymore. I mean, it could be a couple of teenagers led by Griff, or the father of my son’s best friend, or my own ranch hand or somebody else not even on our radar.” She seemed to get smaller and smaller with each word.

  “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, Eva,” Wayne said. “I’ve already taken your pitchfork into evidence. Hopefully we’ll be able to pull up some prints. My men are going through the barn with fine-tooth combs looking for any evidence. Maybe he dropped something or left something behind that will help us along.”

  “There won’t be any fingerprints,” Eva replied, her voice sounding hollow. “And you won’t find any evidence, either. Whoever is behind all this is really smart.”

  “They aren’t that smart,” Wayne protested. “They left a knife for us to use to identify them.”

  “A knife made by a man who sells lots of knives,” Eva replied. She reached up and once again rubbed her temple. “I’m sorry. I’m tired and scared, and I just want this person to be caught.”

  Jake got to his feet and looked at Wayne. “Can you stay here with Eva until I get back?”

  “Sure, but where are you going?” he asked.

  “I’m going home to pack a few bags, and th
en I’m moving in here.” He didn’t give Eva a chance to protest. As quickly as the words left his mouth, he was out her front door.

  He drove quickly. He hoped Eva didn’t fight him on this. If she didn’t agree to him moving in with her, then he would sleep in his truck outside her front door. He would camp out in her front yard so that whoever was after her wouldn’t get another chance to hurt her.

  When he reached the house, he was about to go up the stairs to get his things when David stepped into the hallway and stopped him. “Hey, man, what’s happening? You’ve been like a ghost around here.”

  Stephanie stepped up behind David. “We were just having a glass of wine before bed. Why don’t you join us, Jake? We’ve scarcely seen you since you’ve been home.”

  “No, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go,” Jake replied.

  “Go where?” David asked. “Can’t you sit and visit with us for just a few minutes?”

  “I can’t. There’s been some trouble at Eva’s place. I’m packing some bags and moving in there,” Jake explained.

  “Oh Jake,” Stephanie said softly.

  “What are you doing? Jake, don’t you remember what happened the last time you had anything to do with her?” David said. “She broke you, man. She totally destroyed you.”

  “She needs me right now,” Jake replied. “She’s all alone in that place with her son, and bad things have been happening to her.”

  “Let the sheriff protect her,” David replied with obvious frustration. “Jake, I don’t want to see you hurt by her again. The last time she hurt you, I lost my brother for ten years.”

  “David, I need to do this, and if I get hurt in the process, so be it. I’m a big boy. Now, I’ve got to get moving.” He didn’t wait for his brother to say anything more, instead he thundered up the stairs to his suite.

  It was true that when Jake had gone to Italy, his relationship with his younger brother had suffered tremendously. Although they had spoken on the phone and video chatted whenever possible, it hadn’t been the same as spending life together on a day-to-day basis.

  A half an hour later, he was again in his truck and headed back to Eva’s. He understood his brother not wanting him to be involved with Eva again, but there was no way Jake was walking away from her, especially now. No matter what happened between them in the future, he would be there for her right now.

  He wanted to protect her from any and all danger. Aside from that, he was hoping they could reclaim the love he believed they’d once had for each other.

  This was either going to end with him planning a future with the woman he loved, or he’d suffer the second greatest heartache he’d ever had in his life.

  Chapter Nine

  The minute Jake got back to the house and dropped two duffel bags inside the front door, there was a part of Eva that wanted him to immediately pick the bags up and go back to his house. However, there was a bigger part of her that was still shaken and frightened and didn’t want to be alone.

  She figured she’d let him stay with her for the remainder of the night, and then she’d ask him to leave first thing in the morning. There was no real reason for him to move in here permanently.

  “I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket so you’ll be more comfortable,” she said to Jake once Wayne and his men were finally gone. “You can sleep out here on the sofa.” She steeled herself for him to say something about wanting to sleep with her.

  Instead he merely nodded. “That works for me. But I’d like your bedroom door and Andy’s door open for the rest of the night. Just in case there is any more trouble. I need to be able to hear you if either of you cry out.”

  “Don’t even tempt fate to bring more trouble here tonight,” she replied wearily. “I’m too tired to deal with anything else. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared down the hallway to get the things for him.

  She returned to the living room with a bed pillow and a throw blanket. “Does Andy know about gun safety?” he asked as he took the items from her. He gestured toward his gun, which was now on the coffee table. “I’d like to keep this here for easy access in the night.”

  “Andy knows his gun safety, and you don’t have to worry about him touching your gun,” she replied.

  “That’s good to know. Do you want to go straight to bed, or would you like to talk for a little while? Maybe try to decompress a little bit?” he asked.

  “I think I’m ready to go to bed.” She released another weary sigh. “I just want to fall asleep and try to forget what happened tonight.” Even though she said the words, she knew she couldn’t sleep long enough or hard enough to forget the horrifying events of the night.

  “How is your leg?”

  “It hurts, but not too bad. I did a stupid thing by going to the barn, and I just still feel a little overwhelmed by everything that happened tonight. I’m sure I’ll feel much better in the morning.”

  “I hope so, and I hope you sleep well,” he said.

  “Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned and walked down the hallway. When she got to Andy’s room, she opened the door and was grateful to see that he was sleeping.

  She hated that he’d seen her weeping and so scared. She hated that he’d been so frightened he had called Jake. However, she had to admit she’d sleep easier tonight knowing Jake was in the house.

  Once she was in her own bedroom, she stripped off her jeans and threw them into the corner. Tomorrow they would make their way into the trash. Even if they hadn’t been ruined by the pitchfork, she would have thrown them away anyway.

  She then finished undressing and pulled on a cool, short, sleeveless blue nightgown. She peeked out of her room and, not seeing Jake lurking nearby, she hurried into the bathroom, where she washed her face and brushed her teeth.

  For several long moments, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. What had she done to warrant the kind of vitriol, the kind of killing rage that somebody had for her? Who was behind these attacks on her? The mirror had no answers to her questions.

  Minutes later she was in her bed. She curled up on her side facing the open doorway as the events of the night played and replayed through her mind.

  There was no question that with everything that had been going on, she’d been incredibly brainless in going to the barn all alone after dark. But who could have guessed that a man with a pitchfork would come after her?

  As her mind filled with a vision of the dark figure with a pitchfork, she shivered despite the warmth of the room. There was a well of iciness inside her that no amount of blankets could warm. It was a cold deep in her soul created from the knowledge that somebody wanted her dead. And that somebody had nearly succeeded tonight.

  It had been difficult to explain to Wayne the utter hatred she’d felt emanating from her attacker. It was hard to make the lawman understand that there had been no question in her mind that the attacker wanted to kill her. He hadn’t merely been trying to scare her out of the barn. She’d been running away when he’d attacked and used that pitchfork like a weapon to kill.

  She finally fell asleep and into fitful dreams of being chased by a masked figure through the night. They were horrid nightmares of near death. It was with relief that she awakened as the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.

  As she dressed, the scent of fresh coffee wafted from the kitchen, letting her know that Jake was already up. She was far more clearheaded this morning than she’d been the night before.

  While she had appreciated his presence in the house last night, she felt confident in sending him home this morning. She was now forewarned that somebody wanted to do her physical harm. She would make sure she didn’t make any more stupid mistakes that might put her at risk. But the last thing she needed was Jake in her personal space.

  She entered the kitchen and found him seated at the table. He looked far too appealing with his sleep-tossed hair
, his bare feet and clad in a white T-shirt and jeans.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. I made some coffee.”

  “Mind?” She smiled at him. “I thank you.” She walked over to the pot and poured herself a cup and then joined him at the table.

  “How did you sleep?” he asked.

  “Actually, I had a few nightmares,” she admitted after a moment’s hesitation. “I was glad to wake up and escape from them.”

  “I’m sorry,” he replied, his dark eyes expressing the sentiment. “How does your leg feel?”

  “A little sore, but it’s okay. How did you sleep?” she asked.

  “With one eye open,” he replied with an easy grin. “Actually, I found your sofa pretty comfortable.”

  “That’s good.” She figured she’d tell him he didn’t need to spend another night here after she made breakfast and got Andy off to school. That way if he argued with her, they wouldn’t be having the argument in front of her son.

  “What do you have on tap for today?” he asked.

  “The usual—chores, and I need to go into town for some groceries,” she replied. “I refuse to give this person all my power. My daily life certainly can’t stop because of all of this going on.”

  “Of course it can’t,” he agreed easily. “We all just have to be smarter going forward.”

  She released a small laugh. “Oh, trust me. I’m well aware of that.” She took a couple more sips of her coffee and then got up. “Bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast?”

  “Sounds good to me,” he replied.

  “I’m going to start the bacon, and then I’ll get Andy up for school.” She pulled a pound of bacon out of the fridge and began to place the slices into a skillet.

  “I’d better go clean up before Andy is up,” Jake said. “Do you mind if I take a quick shower?”

  “Go ahead. Towels are under the sink.”