Secrets in a Small Town

by Nicole Stiling

  And just like that, Micki was completely turned on again. Savannah possessed the ability to arouse her as if she carried around a flashing sign with an arrow that read, “Switch located here.”

  “Fancy meeting you here,” a voice called from behind Micki.

  Savannah looked up in surprise. “Cori! What are you doing here?”

  “I’m only in town for a few more days, so I’ve been trying to hit all of the old haunts. Chief, you still haven’t come by my hotel room for that little visit you mentioned. Clock’s ticking,” Cori said, clicking her tongue. She had on skinny jeans and an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt. She winked at Savannah and made the “call me” sign with her index and pinky fingers. Micki hated her a little bit more every time she saw her.

  “God, it’s like old home day in here. The lost loves of Savannah Castillo. What did you ever see in her?” Micki asked. She tried to keep the look of disgust at bay but knew she’d failed.

  “She was what I needed at the time. She was fun and easy, and I didn’t have to put on airs around her. It was a nice defection from my usual routine. Why haven’t you gone to her hotel room?”

  “To be perfectly honest, I don’t really have a reason to. I was, maybe, posturing a little that night in your study. She answered all of my questions, so I don’t really have anything else that won’t make it seem like I’m harassing her. But I have faith in myself; I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”

  “Mature.”

  “No shame in my game.”

  “I have to get to the office,” Savannah said, lifting her laptop bag from the windowsill beside her. “I’ll call you later.”

  “’Kay. I’ll miss you.”

  “Shut up.”

  Micki turned to watch Savannah swagger out of the coffee shop, unable to wipe the smile from her face. As she left the diner, she was glad she wouldn’t have to make small talk with David since the seat where he had been drinking his coffee was now empty.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chloe poked her head into Savannah’s office, invited in by a simple nod. She handed Savannah a manila envelope, once again with no postmark or proper addressing. Savannah looked up when she saw the package.

  “Where did this come from?” she asked, her heart beginning to beat faster.

  “I found it in the lobby. I was just going to ignore it, but I thought that it might contain something that Micki could use to find them. It’s been a while since we’ve had anything show up here.” Chloe fidgeted nervously.

  “Yes, it has been a while,” Savannah muttered, looking the package over. “They seem to have taken a liking to coming directly to my house instead.”

  “I’ll leave you alone.”

  “You don’t have to go. I should probably have a witness, in case I inadvertently inhale anthrax or something similarly fatal,” Savannah said. She tried to smile but was unsuccessful.

  Chloe nodded, sensing her anxiety. She took a seat at Savannah’s desk, watching with anticipation.

  Savannah slid her fingernail underneath the seal, sighing before she poured the contents out onto her desk. An ornate gold mirror spilled out onto her desk, the familiar cherubs holding up a smiling sun on either side. A message, written in red lipstick, was scrawled messily on the otherwise pristine surface.

  don’t take my sunshine away

  She gasped, recognition firing to the surface.

  Chloe raised her eyebrows. “What is it? It looks like the mirror in the office. Do you know what it means?”

  Savannah pushed the mirror off to the side and reached for her cell phone. She met Chloe’s eyes and said simply, “Jamie.”

  That sonofabitch. Savannah fought the urge to smash the mirror which seemed to be mocking her from her desk.

  “The assistant that I replaced?” Chloe asked.

  Savannah nodded. “I’m going to call Micki to tell her about this. Shut my door on your way out, please?”

  Chloe paused but left the office. Savannah stood, grimacing at the offensive object. She wanted to go tear down its larger mate hanging in the lobby but decided she should probably wait until he was caught before doing anything so drastic. She was angry with herself because even though she knew Jamie was a weasel, she couldn’t wrap her head around him doing anything so depraved. She rolled her neck, releasing the fists she’d been making unconsciously at her sides. She had a phone call to make.

  * * *

  Scrolling through the app store on her phone, Micki finally found the SafetyVision app that she needed. She logged in with her credentials and waited for the images to appear on her phone.

  It seemed that even though she had scared Paul half to death, he’d done an okay job installing the cameras. She could see Savannah’s backyard, though the images were grainier than she would have liked. She’d need to contact them about that. For the price of those things, the images should have been in 3D. Everything was still and serene.

  Micki pulled out the pamphlets she’d brought in from Savannah’s house, detailing all of the things the app could do. She rewound the time to eight p.m. the previous evening, but everything still looked the same. Just darker.

  She yawned as she slowly dragged her pointer finger along the bottom of her screen, the minutes ticking by. An adorable little raccoon waddled through the yard into the woods behind her house. A couple of leaves skirted by, floating like feathers. And then at two a.m., there he was.

  Micki’s mouth dropped open, and she gasped in surprise. He stood there, looking into the camera, brazen and unflinching. Micki could now comfortably rule out Cori as a suspect. She couldn’t make out much with the Stalker 101 outfit of dark pants and a bulky black hoodie, but the broad shoulders, wide stance, and straight frame were clearly male.

  The face was covered almost completely by the hood drawn forward, and shadows created gray splotches where any distinguishing features might be. This person knew he was being filmed or, at the very least, appearing on a live camera. And he just stood there, unmoving. Daring someone to confront him. Micki felt a light sweat prickle on her forehead. Her office phone lit up alongside its shrill ring, and she quite literally jumped out of her seat.

  “Hello?” Micki answered, clearing her throat. “Blake speaking.”

  “It’s me. Something else came, and it’s from Jamie.”

  “Whoa, slow down. How do you know?” Micki asked, pausing the screen on the man in the hoodie.

  “It’s a replica of a gift he gave me when he was working for me. If that doesn’t send a message, I don’t know what does. I guess he grew tired of hiding in the shadows.”

  “Okay. Bring it over. I have the guy on tape, too.” Micki pulled up Jamie’s Facebook profile and scrolled through his pictures. It could have been him, but she couldn’t conclude anything from the photos.

  “What? Oh my God. Okay, I’m coming.”

  Micki stood and made another call, the ancient beige phone cord wrapped around her waist as she paced. She saw Savannah walk through the door and motioned her over. “Middletown Police Department,” she mouthed to Savannah. “Thanks, Sargent. Yes. Of course. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Sure, I’m available on my cell at any time. Thanks again.”

  Savannah listened as Micki hung up the phone and wrote furiously on her notepad, untangling herself from the cord before the receiver crashed to the ground.

  “They’re going over to his house now,” she told Savannah without looking up from her notes. “If he’s home, they’ll find him. The Middletown PD is actually very helpful.”

  “Good,” Savannah said. She sat uncomfortably in a hard wooden chair. “I don’t understand why he would do this. It’s been a long time. But at least we know.”

  Micki leafed through her notebook, shaking her head. “His alibi wasn’t airtight by any means, but based on my intel, he’s only been here sporadically over the last few weeks. Presumably to visit his mother, who I’ve heard has been sick. Makes me wonder if he’s staying here while he’s visiting her
or if he’s making the two-hour drive every day. Seems like four hours in the car would infringe on his stalking abilities.” She frowned. “I’m not sure what his endgame was either. Maybe to scare you into submission, but he can’t possibly think it would have driven you to him. You two weren’t even in a relationship. Unless you were in one in his head. I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”

  Officer Billy poked his head over the top of his cubicle. “Are you guys talking about Jamie Gagnon?”

  “Yes, why?” Micki asked.

  “He’s here.”

  “Here? Where?” Savannah said, looking around the police station.

  “Not here, here. Like here, in town. I saw him this morning sitting in traffic on Main. I think his mom is still down with pneumonia.”

  “Are you sure it was him?” Micki started to pull her jacket off the back of her chair.

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Why didn’t you call me? I could have arrested the fucker!”

  “On what grounds?”

  “Valid point. I’ll go pay his mother a little visit and see if he’s over there. Where’s the mirror?” Micki asked, zipping up her black soft shell jacket.

  Savannah sighed and handed over the mirror and the packaging. Micki examined it carefully as though she were looking for an explanation to jump out at her. She handed it over to Billy. “Send this for prints, please.”

  “Can I see the video?” Savannah clicked her nails on the desk nervously.

  Micki nodded. She placed the mirror down gingerly, pulled up the app and forwarded to the appropriate time. “There he is,” she said, handing her the phone.

  “Ugh, that gives me chills. He’s just so…bold. Jamie’s always been more sneaky than audacious. I suppose I don’t know him as well as I thought.”

  “Can you tell if it’s him?”

  “Not really. I guess it could be. It could really be anyone though. The picture isn’t clear enough.”

  “I know, I put a call into SafetyVision. Tell me about this. How do you know it’s definitely from Jamie?”

  Savannah pointed to the mirror. “This is an almost exact replica of the mirror I have hanging in my office. I think I told you about it? He bought it for me shortly after he started working for me. At the time, I thought it odd, but I knew he was always trying to solidify his place in the office. That was before I knew his…intentions.” Savannah shrugged. “It’s a lovely piece, so I decided to leave it.”

  “Yeah,” Micki said, staring at the lipstick message. “Something must have triggered him, or he’s just been keeping it bottled up all this time, waiting for the right time to strike.”

  Savannah looked down at the ground. “Shouldn’t I feel some sort of relief?”

  Micki walked around the desk and gave Savannah’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Yes. I should, too. I’m sure once they find him, or once we find him and lock him up, we’ll calm down. At least now we know who we’re looking for.”

  Nodding, Savannah put her hand over Micki’s. “Eliana has that birthday party sleepover tonight at Amelia’s house. Are you coming over right from work?”

  “I have to send some files over to the Middletown PD, but I should be home shortly after that. Do you want to just stay here with me until it’s time to go?”

  “No, I’ll head home first. Don’t worry, I’ll set the motion sensor and double-check the windows and doors,” Savannah told her, smiling. “I feel a little more in control knowing who is doing this. The little weasel’s too afraid to show his face.”

  “Don’t get complacent. He’s obviously not playing with a full deck, so we can’t underestimate him. We need to be ready.”

  “And we will be. Do you think it’s okay to let Eliana go tonight?”

  Micki nodded. “I do. I know Amelia’s parents. They volunteered at the bullying awareness seminar we held last year. Very nice people. And all the threats are to do with you. He never mentions El at all.”

  “Okay. Do you want to pick up the Early Bird for dinner when you’re done? I’m not in the mood to cook tonight.”

  “I could cook for you? An old family dish. I call it SpaghettiOs Surprise,” Micki said. She looked at Savannah expectantly.

  Savannah swallowed hard. “Sure. That sounds…interesting. Thank you.”

  “Aww. That was probably the sweetest and most selfless thing you’ve ever done in your life. Subjecting yourself to a canned dinner. I was joking. I’ll pick something up from the Bird.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes as she pulled her camel coat tightly around her waist. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Light rain tapped against Savannah’s windshield. She sat in the parking lot of the police station, listening to the hum of her engine. Her fear had diminished, somewhat, and while she now knew what Jamie was capable of, she had a difficult time seeing him as a threat. He was always so submissive. None of it made any sense.

  Fury built up inside Savannah as she replayed the events of the last few weeks, from the flowers to the jack-in-the-box to the intrusion into her home. She would do everything she could to ensure that Jamie didn’t get off with some piddly one-year prison sentence for causing the terror that he’d put her and her daughter through.

  Savannah closed her eyes and took a breath. She shifted into reverse, trying to get past Jamie’s possible motives without shuddering in disgust. Micki was going to come over later, and that put a smile on her face. There was so much wild emotion coursing through her that she decided to focus on just that one, that period of the present, and she’d deal with the rest later.

  Still, something felt off. She didn’t know what she expected, but she thought she’d feel a mountain fall away from her shoulders. Maybe once he was under arrest, she’d feel better. Savannah pulled out onto the wet road, the streetlights casting hazy halos above her.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Micki locked the station door behind her, slipping the keys into her front pocket. She was happy that the case was finally wrapping up, but Jamie’s motive niggled at her. She had to have missed something about him, but she couldn’t figure out exactly what.

  She pulled up to 47 Oak Street, a cute little blue house with a black chain-link fence surrounding it. It was small and could have used a paint job, but the yard was neat, and it looked as if the owners did the best they could with what they had. A pink flag attached to the house with tiny birds welcoming spring waved lazily in the early evening breeze. A black sign with bright orange letters warning trespassers to Beware of Dog was attached to the gate.

  Micki lifted the latch and entered the yard before freezing immediately. She heard the tinkle of a metal collar get closer and closer. She turned quickly to find a Yorkshire terrier making a beeline for her. The dog was probably a good four pounds after a long soak in the bathtub.

  “Hi,” Micki said in her best baby voice. The dog sniffed her boot and flopped over on its belly. Micki gave it scratches while she read the tag attached to the collar. Bess.

  “Well, hello, Bess. Is your mom home?” Micki scooped her up, and Bess licked the underside of her chin. Micki rang the doorbell with Bess perched under her arm.

  “Yes?” a woman asked, opening the door. “Did Bess get out?”

  “No, not at all. She came up to greet me. Mrs. Gagnon, can I talk to you for a minute? Is your son here?”

  “Patrick?”

  “No, Jamie.”

  “No, he’s not. He left this morning. Come in,” she said, standing to the side of the door to allow Micki inside.

  Micki put Bess down on the floor, and she ran happily over to her water bowl. Mrs. Gagnon led them into the kitchen where she sat gingerly on one of the wooden chairs. “Is something wrong with Jamie?”

  “He’s fine, as far I know. I just wanted to ask him a few questions about an issue involving his former employer.”

  Mrs. Gagnon took a deep breath. “Can’t seem to shake this pneumonia,” she said, pulling an inhaler out of her housecoat. “Jamie came to see me last night
after I asked him to come. I just wasn’t feeling right, so I wanted someone close by. He went back to Connecticut this morning. He called me from his work line when he arrived. My son Patrick is on his way here now. He doesn’t live far, but it’s harder for him to steal away since he has a wife and three sons.”

  Micki nodded. So, Jamie came to visit his sick mother, and while he was at it, decided to hang around Savannah’s backyard and then leave her a replica of the mirror he’d given her with a threatening message on it. Micki couldn’t make it fit together. Something was off.

  “When was the last time Jamie came to see you? And did he stay in the house with you?”

  Mrs. Gagnon went to answer but doubled over in a coughing fit. Micki rubbed her back and handed her a glass of water. If Jamie was the stalker, and he was using his sick mother as a reason to come to town, she hoped he resisted arrest when they caught up with him.

  “It’s been a few weeks. I thought I was getting better. But he stayed like he always does.” She finally got the words out after taking a long drink of water.

  “Did Jamie go out anywhere last night? Leave the house for anything?” Micki asked.

  “I don’t believe so. We watched that millionaire show after dinner, and then I went to bed. He said he was going to as well.”

  “Does he ever mention his old boss to you? Savannah Castillo?”

  Mrs. Gagnon pursed her lips. “Not much. He asks once in a while about the town hall office, things of that nature.” She coughed. “But he works for a congresswoman down in Connecticut now, so he’s got his hands full with the campaign. Is there a problem with Castillo? Is Jamie in trouble?”

  “Nothing you need to worry about. We just think your son might have some information that could help us with an issue we’re having. I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you so much for speaking with me,” Micki said. She handed her a business card. “Please, give me a call, or have Jamie call me if he shows up unexpectedly. If you’re really not feeling well, Urgent Care is open for another hour. Would you like to go?”