by Desiree Holt
“Are you sure you told her everything?” Reid pushed. “How urgent the situation is?”
“Yes I did. But…”
“But what?”
“She said she has a stalker who’s threatened her life. She’s afraid to leave the house until he’s caught.”
“Shit.”
She could hear him grinding his teeth.
“I don’t suppose she told you who it was. That would be too easy.”
“No, she didn’t. But she did say I could call her tomorrow and the situation might have changed.”
Silence.
“Fine. You call me after you talk to her. If she still has a problem, I’ll get my boss involved.” Unexpectedly, his tone softened. “We want to get help for your husband and pull you out of financial deep water, Mrs. Hauser. Somehow or other, we’ll make it happen.”
* * * * *
“God damn it.” Olberman squeezed the unlit cigar in his hands so tightly it broke apart. Disgusted, he tossed it into the wastebasket. “That’s all we fucking need.”
“I didn’t even see this coming.” Reid’s tone was placating. “There was no way to predict something like this.”
“I can’t believe the media hasn’t gotten hold of this. That’s usually the kind of stuff they sniff out.”
“You know how private a person she is,” Reid pointed out. “You know everything about her except whether or not she flosses. And my guess is, also, she probably thinks this guy is doing it for headlines and she doesn’t want to give that to him.”
“We can’t sit around forever and wait for this to resolve itself. I have clients waiting. If Phoenix can’t do anything about it, find the goddamn stalker yourself and get rid of him.”
“Me? What? But I—”
Whatever else he might have said was cut off as Olberman disconnected the call and slammed the cell phone down on his desk. Why did the sweetest project in the world to come his way have to get fucked up like this?
Chapter Eight
“He’s got a car.” Dan read the message on his phone then saved it. “A 2009 Ford SUV. Black.”
“You’re kidding.” Lauren crooked her head to peer at the phone. “For some reason, I had the feeling he didn’t even have a driver’s license.”
“The man’s twenty-seven,” Dan pointed out. “So I can’t see why he wouldn’t.”
“From what I gathered while I was at the Switzers, he’s been institutionalized for most of his life. Driving wasn’t an option.”
“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t figured out how to get one without them knowing it. Or doing a lot of other things.”
Troy made a sound in his throat. “What bothers me is that they know how he feels about you. And you’ve been in the media enough lately. Decency would have had them call you and warn you he was gone.”
Lauren touched his hand. “It makes me angry too, but I have the feeling they’re in complete denial. That they can’t deal with one more episode with him.”
“But this is your life,” Troy insisted. “This isn’t just acting out. I say we give them a call, just to make sure we’re tagging the right person. If he’s back at home then we start at square one again.”
Lauren accessed her contacts list on her cell and rattled off the Switzers’ phone number. “But please be gentle with them,” she cautioned. “This isn’t a pleasant situation for them.”
“Easier than for you,” he bit off, “but I’ll let Dan make the call. He’s smoother than I am anyway.”
It wasn’t hard to tell from Dan’s side of the conversation that the Switzers weren’t too thrilled to hear from him. Nor were they inclined to be helpful.
“They seem to ignore the fact that you saved their daughter’s life.” His voice was edged with anger as he disconnected the call.
Lauren shrugged. “And I can’t regret that. But you’ve heard what Nolan is like, you’ve all listened to the phone calls. They’re probably praying by this time whatever he does it doesn’t come back to them.”
“If he gets to you,” Troy snapped, “harms you in any way, they’ll get more grief than they ever imagined.”
“He’s not going to get to me.” Lauren tried to take the edge off his temper. “Not when I have all of you here to keep him away from me.”
“It’s okay,” Dan assured him. “We’ve got guards front and back and electronic eyes on everything in between. And now at least we’ve got a car to look for.”
Mark, who had joined them a half hour ago, just snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that in a city this big.”
“We don’t have to search at all,” Dan reminded him. “Now we know what kind of vehicle he’s driving, we only have to get him to show up here and I have a feeling he’s about to do that. We’ll give the guards his picture and the info on the car and we’ll be ready for him.”
“But what if he doesn’t?” Troy asked. “What if he keeps up the phone calls, trying to keep her off balance until he’s ready to pounce?”
Dan shook his head. “Mia said from the tone of his calls it sounds like he’s rapidly escalating. I don’t think we’ll have long to wait.”
Lauren leaned forward and looked at each of them. “What if we give him a little nudge?”
Troy scowled. “I don’t think I’ll like what you’re about to say.”
“Just listen to me a minute. I don’t think I can stand waiting much longer for him to act. Or having him stop until the next time. It’s not pleasant knowing he’s out there fixated on me.”
“I hear you,” Dan said, “but—”
Lauren cut him off. “What if we flush him out? Use me to tip him over the edge, so to speak.”
Three male voices chorused a loud “No.”
“Just at least listen. You keep saying I’m well protected, but he doesn’t know that. Maybe I could answer him the next time he calls. Tell him I’m tired of listening to his garbage. I’m changing my number again so he’ll leave me alone. That will up his level of frustration and I have a sense that he’ll be forced to make a move.”
“We’d have to move the guard and his car from down the street,” Mark said unhappily. “He sticks out like a sore thumb.”
“Which was the original purpose,” Troy pointed out. “At least the three of us will be in here. Unless Switzer’s got eyes on the place all the time, he can’t know whether or not Lauren’s alone.”
They argued as Lauren knew they would but in the end they all had to agree—they couldn’t just sit around waiting for the nutjob to make his move. This way at least they’d be controlling the situation.
Troy turned the ringer back up on the landline and they waited for the call they were sure would come.
* * * * *
Reid figured there were two things he could do. One was to get a pro to set up a tap on Lauren Cahill’s phone line from an outside connection. Two was to cruise the neighborhood as much as he could without calling attention to himself and see who else was keeping an eye on her. Neither option appealed to him. He knew enough about Phoenix to realize they’d be suspicious of a telephone repairman who appeared out of nowhere. And the car parked conspicuously down the street had to be a guard they’d placed there to keep an eye out for trouble.
Swell.
So just how the fuck was he supposed to find one asshole in the middle of this city?
Bonner was not good for much of anything except keeping eyes on the Hauser woman but he didn’t know what good that would do until Lauren Cahill agreed to her request.
Reid had Googled Lauren and found hundreds of links to articles about her abilities as a psychic healer. But fat lot of good that did him. Nothing referred to a stalker or anything remotely related to one. Could it be someone she’d treated who was now unhappy? Someone she hadn’t treated who was even more unhappy?
He needed more information to know how to proceed. Olberman could get Vivian and her computer on it, but he had a feeling calling his boss right now wasn’t a great idea. Next best thing was checking t
he Cahill woman’s house out once a day, at different times so the rent-a-cop watching the house didn’t get suspicious.
And hitting the library to use their LexisNexis database. It provided a searchable databank for more than twenty thousand sources and was much faster than his laptop. Somewhere in all that information, there had to be a clue for him to follow.
And he’d better get on it at once. Getting on Olberman’s bad side could have devastating consequences.
* * * * *
Lauren was doing her best to control her nerves as the hours of the day ticked past. She forced herself to focus on her web business, posting the updates her customers had requested and setting up the basics for two new sites. But it was a struggle to keep her mind focused.
She sensed that Troy was uncertain how to help her. He knew enough not to hover but he also checked on her frequently. He, Mark and Dan were camped out in the kitchen, handling business from their cell phones, but periodically he brought her tea or a snack. Faith called to check on her and Lauren was grateful for the concern but she wasn’t in the mood to chat even with a close friend.
She was focusing on manipulating a graphic when a tap on the doorjamb to her den broke her concentration.
“Getting on toward dinnertime.” Troy smiled. “We’re discussing what kind of takeout to get. Any preferences?”
“My first preference is for that idiot to call so we can get this over with.”
Troy moved to stand behind her, his strong hands massaging the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders.
“We all think that. Strange that he’s been silent all day.”
As if summoned by his words, the phone, which had been silent all day, shrilled into the air. Lauren jerked, startled, then reached for it but her hand hovered tentatively over the receiver. She looked up at Troy.
“Go ahead,” he nodded. “I’m right here.”
As if to reassure her, he rested one hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.
Lauren picked up the receiver, tilting it so Troy could also hear the conversation. “Hello?”
There was a pause on the other end, as if she’d surprised the caller by answering.
“So you finally decided to answer the phone, bitch.” The voice was harsh with pent-up anger. “Did you actually think I’d give up? Stop calling you?”
“I could only hope.” She knew she was baiting him but this was the way they’d decided she should handle him.
“I’m never giving up,” he ranted. “Not until you’re gone from the face of this earth. Not until you stop spreading that black magic everywhere.”
She swallowed and tightened her grip on the receiver. “You keep saying that, every time you get on a kick like this, but you never follow through. It’s been three years now. If you really have a problem with me maybe we should talk about it.”
Another silence. She could almost feel the hatred vibrating through the connection.
“You want to talk to me?”
“Yes.” She leaned back closer to Troy. “I think you have the wrong idea about me. If we could get together maybe you could tell me what’s bothering you and I could answer any questions you have. I—I’m not as bad as you think. Really.”
“Not as bad?” he screamed. “You’re worse. Much worse. You want to talk to me? See me? You think I’m all show and no go? Get ready then, bitch. You’ll see me sooner than you think.”
She flinched as the phone slammed in her ear.
Troy took the receiver from her hand and replaced it in its cradle. Then he cupped Lauren’s face in both hands, bent his head and kissed her with such tenderness it nearly made her cry. She didn’t ever remember anyone caring this much about her. Even her family. She could almost be grateful for the chaos that had brought him into her life.
“We’ll be ready for him, Lauren,” he promised. “We’ve planned this out well. I hate that you have to go through this but at least we’ll be able to end it once and for all.”
“I hope.”
He urged her up from her chair, pulled her against his body and dipped his head for another kiss. As tender as the previous one had been, this one was hot and demanding. He teased her tongue with his, shifting her head this way and that to give him a better angle. A deeper one. When he ended the kiss they were both breathless.
Troy brushed a stray bit of hair back from her face.
“When this is finished tonight we’ll celebrate. That kiss is only a taste of what’s to come.”
And just like that, everything settled inside her. “I can’t wait.”
“Come on.” He took her hand. “We’ll have to make do with sandwiches or whatever. I don’t want to order anything and have the delivery guy show up at the wrong time. Besides, we have to put our plan into place.”
And then it will be over. Finally.
* * * * *
Nolan Switzer gripped his head with both hands. He was finally going to see her. Finally get all this out of his system. Lay it all out for her, how she ruined lives instead of saving them. How he was actually doing people a service by getting rid of her. Maybe then he’d finally have some peace.
He swallowed four acetaminophen, then rolled the glass against his forehead. Once he rid society of the she-devil, his headaches would disappear. He just knew it. For three years, he’d waged war against her, each time hoping he’d frightened her enough to stop. Now he had to end it.
He was sure she had a security system, but he’d figured out a way around that. His eyes glanced at the small box lying on the kitchen table, a pricey piece of electronics that had been worth every penny. Besides, hadn’t she invited him to come to her house?
There was always the chance that man was still there with her, but he had a remedy for that too. The gun he’d purchased at a pawnshop where no one asked questions would take care of whoever this guy was.
Then it would be just the two of them, and he’d be rid of her at last.
He just needed to wait until it was dark.
* * * * *
Reid was edgy about driving past the house yet again, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. His eyes ached from the strain of skimming all the info he’d pulled up on LexisNexis, but at least he was marginally better off. The information about Lauren Cahill was very sketchy. She obviously worked hard to control her anonymity and protect her privacy. After too many hours of searching, he’d finally managed to find a few tiny news items about some requests she’d turned down. Angry families had written letters to various newspapers condemning her but the story apparently wasn’t hot enough for anyone to give it more than a Letter to the Editor space. He’d finally narrowed the list down to the six most likely candidates, families with a grudge against her because she’d turned them down.
But he wasn’t sure if he’d have time to contact all of them. What would he say anyway? Is someone in your family stalking Lauren Cahill? Shit, what a fucking mess this was turning out to be.
Tomorrow, he’d try sitting down with the Hauser woman again. Getting her to press harder for the healer to come to the hospital. Remind her how steadily her husband was failing and this was his last chance. Maybe he could convince her to go right to the woman’s house and plead with her in person.
Dark came early in the fall, so there was no foot traffic on the sidewalks in Lauren Cahill’s neighborhood. And very few cars on the road. Mostly people getting home late from work, he assumed.
When he turned the corner onto her block he was surprised to see the car that had been parked down the street for the last few days was gone. Of course so were the media so maybe Lauren and her friends had called off the dogs. That would be a big plus. Now all he had to do was make sure the Hauser woman contacted the healer again and Olberman would be happy.
Thank god.
But as he reached the end of the block he saw another car come up behind him, driving as slowly as he was. He sped up slightly to see what the other car would do and when he passed the next cross street, his shadow turned right on i
t. Reid quickly squared the block and discovered the other car had parked in the shadow of towering oak trees.
What the hell?
Another car was parked farther down the street, but he ignored it as insignificant. Reid coasted to the end of the block, turned off his lights and positioned himself around the corner so he could keep watch. He thought about leaving, but the funny tickle at the back of his neck made him stay where he was. Maybe this was nothing, but what if the stalker was finally making his move?
Reid slid down in his seat, eyes glued to the other car. Watching. Waiting.
* * * * *
Nolan put the car in park and sat quietly, watching the street around him. Another car had driven down the street and he could have sworn it doubled back to check him out. Then it turned the corner and turned out its lights so he dismissed it, chalking it up to paranoia. There was another car parked farther down, but he chalked it up as belonging to one of the homeowners or a guest. Nothing to do with him. Who would be following him anyway? In the three years he’d been calling and sending notes to the Cahill woman, no one had identified him. Why would it be any different now?
He laughed silently at the thought the bitch actually thought he might walk up to her front door and introduce himself. What a joke. Did she really think he was that stupid? He told her he was coming for her, but he’d control the situation.
Still, he waited fifteen minutes before unscrewing the dome light and slipping from the car, carrying the small canvas bag with the tools he’d need tonight. The house directly behind the she-devil’s was a two-story similar to his home. And like his, it was surrounded by high shrubbery that allowed him to sneak past it successfully. He moved in a running crouch until he reached the shrubbery border that ran across the back property line.
Light shone from the upstairs windows of the Cahill house but downstairs it was completely dark. Maybe the witch was waiting for him in the blackness, but he was ready for her.