Saving Valentines: Love and the Alpha Male

by Cate Mckoy

  The Lieutenant and the detective that had been quiet returned to her kitchen. Automatically, Chastity added two more cups from the cupboard, lining them up next to hers.

  “Would you gentlemen care for a cup of coffee?” Chastity fussed over a serving tray with condiments on it. She poured coffee in the three cups and placed them on the tray.

  Rick didn’t really want any coffee but since she already poured the cups, he added his yes to Murdock’s. She seemed to need to do something with her hands. Rick was happy to oblige if it would keep her calm. She placed the tray on the table, waving her hand at it, indicating they should help themselves.

  “I will work on your case today with Murdock until his new partner gets here.” Rick explained, adding sugar to his black coffee.

  “That… other detective is gone?” Chastity hadn’t liked Forbes.

  Rick’s mouth tilted at one corner in a slight smile. He could imagine the names she wanted to call him besides ‘other detective’.

  “Yes. You won’t have to put up with him anymore. I have Detective Danica Danes on her way. In the meantime, Murdock and I will check out your closet.”

  “Her closet?” Murdock questioned.

  Chastity looked at him hesitatingly before answering. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you because the other detective wouldn’t let me speak and got combative when I requested his superior. But I found the next rose.”

  Murdock put his coffee cup down. “In your closet?”

  Chastity nodded.

  “Here, in your home?” Murdock was incredulous.

  “Yes, Detective Murdock. She found it in her bedroom.” Rick’s tone held reprimand.

  Murdock looked properly chastised. He said no more as he followed Rick out of the kitchen after Chastity gave him directions to her bedroom.

  Rick walked into the room. It was decorated in high end furnishings but also for comfort. He couldn’t help noticing the differences and similarities to his ex’s bedroom. Like his ex, Chastity had a lavish, expensive vanity table. Unlike his ex, hers had only a few items on its surface, some makeup, hairbrush and comb and an expensive fragrance. His ex’s vanity had been piled high with makeup and tools to apply the makeup. Chastity’s vanity was neat and tidy. His ex’s had been strewn with used cotton balls, facial wipes and tissues.

  Her queen size bed was unmade. Rick could only imagine the terror she must have felt. A terror that had brought her from the comfort of her bed to investigate a closet. Rick looked at the closet standing wide open. The first thing that drew his attention was the big dark red letters that spelled out ‘BE MINE’. The rose taped below the letters was secondary.

  Murdock had walked inside the closet, he was kneeling looking at something. He removed a glove from his pocket and picked something up. He looked up at Rick, holding wrappers from energy bars. “Looks like he was sitting in this closet for a while. There’s an empty bottle of water too.”

  Rick’s mouth grew harsh, his lips a firm line. “Call the forensic team now!”

  Chapter 2

  Danica Danes entered the posh home at twenty-two-oh-eight Cypress Lane without any preconceived ideas of its owner. Danica had learned early that most things could not be judged by their cover or surroundings. She herself was often incorrectly judged. She watched the owner, Chastity Valentines. What a name, Danica thought. Watching her, Danica had to admit the name was fitting. Chastity looked chaste. With her face devoid of makeup of any kind, wearing expensive sweats that were a size too big and braided pigtails, she looked to be in her late teens. From the information she had received, Danica knew that to be false.

  Chastity puttered around the kitchen, scrambling eggs, making toast and a cup of tea for Danica. She hadn’t expected anything when she answered Chastity’s “Coffee, detective?” with “I never drink the stuff”. But Chastity immediately offered tea or orange juice.

  “Sorry, you had to be called so early to my home.” Chastity placed the serving plate of eggs and one of bacon and sausages on a warmer on the long counter.

  “No apology necessary. It’s my job.” Danica smiled while accepting the cup of tea.

  The Lieutenant walked into the kitchen with a state forensics guy and Murdock bringing up the rear. Danica was happy to work with Murdock. He was a good cop. She was relieved it wasn’t Forbes. She and Forbes had had several negative encounters.

  Danica watched Chastity get flustered while looking at the Lieutenant. She offered all the men something to eat and seats, but her eyes kept returning to the Lieutenant. She served him first, asking after his preferences. The men sat at the table each acknowledging her presence with a quick nod or wave.

  “Glad to see you made good time, Detective Danes.” The Lieutenant spoke while buttering toast.

  Chastity finally took a seat, next to the Lieutenant, Danica noted. “Did you see that awful message?”

  Rick looked at Chastity and tried to hide the worry he felt for her. “Yes, and you were right in contacting us. Murdock and Danes will be with you for the next few days. They’re going to follow you to see if they can pick out a tail. Danes will be here inside the house also at the hospital when you’re on duty. You’re a NP?”

  “Yes, I supervise the nursing staff three days a week. I also am an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College two days a week and I volunteer at the woman’s shelter and the free clinic on the weekends.”

  Chastity wasn’t paying attention to the others as she ate. Danica took note of the men. They all had paused in their eating as Chastity listed all the work she did. Danica took note of Lieutenant Racuanelli’s stare. His was looking at Chastity as though she were a new species.

  “Wow! I thought my girlfriend was busy.” Murdock laughed. “That’s quite a lot you got going on there Ms. Valentines.”

  “Please call me Chastity.” She offered while shaking her head. “It’s not a lot if I manage my time properly.”

  Danica disagreed. It was probably due to her busy schedule that someone was able to stalk her so easily without being captured. Although, having a detective that is actually working on her case will go a long way in resolving this issue. Danica knew, now that she had something to say about it, this stalker wasn’t getting any closer to Ms. Valentines.

  “It’s blood, right?” Chastity’s voice held fear. She could have been speaking to any of the men at the table, her eyes were directed at Rick.

  Rick put his fork down to cover the hand Chastity had on the table. “We can’t say without the lab results. But yes, it looks very much like blood.”

  “Smells like it too.” Chastity whispered.

  Danica noticed Rick squeezed her hand in comfort.

  “Chastity, I am sorry for not picking up on your trouble sooner. I can guarantee you I am fully alert, and we will get him.” Murdock was adamant.

  “I promise you my team will get this guy.” Rick added his vow.

  Danica nodded adding her silent agreement.

  ***

  Rick took this moment alone with Chastity to apologize for her unfair treatment thus far. “I am sorry that we dropped the ball in your case.”

  Chastity looked him directly in the eyes. Rick liked that, her genuineness was easy to see and a refreshing change. “I am just glad I was able to convince you that something is going on here.”

  “Oh, you’ve done more than convince me.” Rick pulled out one of his business cards. He wrote his cell number on the back. “Here is my official number and my private one is written on the back. I want you to call me if you find yourself in trouble and my people are unavailable for whatever reason. Because your schedule is so extensive, I will be taking a shift with you on the weekends.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant Racuanelli.” She smiled her gratitude.

  “Thanks are unnecessary. It’s my job to ensure your safety. And, please call me Rick.”

  She nodded with an incredible smile in place. “Rick.”

  Rick’s heart thumped a little harder. Her tone had caressed
his name. He liked it. He was finding he liked a lot about Ms. Valentines.

  She walked him to the door as if they were at some sort of social gathering and she was thanking him for coming and seeing him out.

  “Thank you for coming in the middle of the night.”

  Rick didn’t know if it were the lack of sleep, lack of oxygen from taking in her beauty, but he spoke without thinking. “I told you, no thanks are needed. Though, it’s a new thing for me to get out of bed for a beautiful woman.”

  Rick immediately stopped talking. He watched to see if she would take offense. Her eyes widened and she smiled in humor. Rick was relieved. He pointed to his card in her hand and smiled. “Call if you need to.”

  He made sure she locked the door after he exited. Hearing the lock slide home, he went to his car parked on the once crowded driveway. Before getting in the car he spied Murdock up the street watching the house. Danes was on the inside. Rick felt better about the situation. His department could have seriously fucked up this case. There obviously was a stalker. And, he meant business. Something was going to happen on February fourteenth. His malicious countdown was both frightening and a warning. Rick took blatant warnings written in blood very seriously. He had downplayed the letters being written in blood. He hadn’t wanted to scare her any more than she already was. It had been for naught. Chastity was a Nurse Practitioner and had probably smelled blood as often as Rick did, if not more. There was no one at that table that hadn’t known that the threatening letters had been written in blood.

  What scared Rick the most for Chastity is the stalker had been in her home, in her bedroom, standing over her. He could have done anything to her. He was flexing his muscle, showing that he could get to her any time he wanted. It was enough to paralyze one with fear. Rick was glad Chastity seemed to be holding on. He found himself admiring another one of Chastity’s traits. Her ability to deal with this situation while getting no help from police was admirable. Now that he and Danes were on the case and Murdock was on board, he was reassured that the stalker would be captured. Another worry of Rick’s was, would the stalker’s capture come before or after his plans for Ms. Chastity Valentines was carried out?

  ***

  “Dad, it’s not necessary.” Chastity sat in her office at Bayside Memorial Hospital.

  Sterling Valentines III paced in front of her desk to the water station and back to the filing cabinet, unable to hide his disapproval of his surroundings. He was a tall, distinguished, middle-aged black man. He looked like what he was, someone of monetary wealth and outstanding education. His tailored-to-perfection business suit was a charcoal gray. His white business shirt contrasted nicely with his dark complexion. The only color in his clothing was the bright red silk tie. Chastity knew it was her mother’s nod to the upcoming holiday. Her mother chose her father’s ties according to their social calendar and holidays.

  “If it will get you to come to your mother’s party, I will buy out all the tickets to your little gala event.”

  “Dad, it’s a charity dinner dance for the battered women’s shelter. It’s not a gala.”

  “It’s black tie with cocktails?” Her father insisted. At her nod he continued. “Then it’s a gala. I will buy out the remaining tickets and you can attend your mother’s dinner party for her garden club social set.”

  “Dad, I’m sorry. I can’t. I am an organizer of the dinner. My attendance is expected.”

  “But, not mandatory?” Her dad jumped on her choice of word.

  “No, but I have invested a lot of time and energy in this dinner and I want to attend. The thousand dollars a plate will go a long way in helping the women and their children at the shelter.”

  “I can buy out the remaining tickets.” He stopped his pacing to give her his signature Valentines’ disapproval look. “Your mother wants you there.”

  Chastity knew that she would have to decline several more times before the event, so she chose to change the topic. “How is mother doing? Is she feeling better after her cold?”

  Her father quirked a knowing eyebrow but allowed the subject change. “You know her. She’s feeling much better. So, that means full speed ahead. That woman wouldn’t know how to slow down if someone gave her a sedative.”

  Chastity’s eyebrows rose as she smiled. “Wonder where she gets those workaholic tendencies from?”

  “Don’t you get smart with me young lady. You’re a fine one to talk. I nearly had to employ NASA technology to get in contact with you.”

  “I am sorry, Dad. I am very bus—”

  “Busy.” Her dad interrupted, finishing her sentence. “Yes. I know.”

  Chastity really was busy, but she took satisfaction in her father getting a taste of his own medicine. It had been his tagline when she was growing up and he had missed her games, plays, concerts and award ceremonies.

  “Tell mom that I will do her very next dinner event. I promise.”

  Her father seemed to hesitate in speaking his next words. Chastity went on alert. Her father was not a hesitating type of man. He was a captain of industry. He made billion-dollar decisions every day. His business reflex was phenomenal and known throughout the business world. He was a founder, president, CEO and CFO all rolled into one for Valentines Industries. He simply did not hesitate.

  “The police came by the house. Your mother said you reported some trouble.” Her father watched her intently.

  “Y-yes. I think someone is following me.” Chastity waited for her father’s disbelieving frown. He didn’t disappoint.

  “Chastity, we’ve been through this before. I think you should go on medication again.”

  “Dad, thank you for your medical input on my condition. But, if it’s alright with you and mom, I’ll decide whether or not I need drugs since I am the only one in the family authorized to administer drugs.” She trembled, hurt, that her father didn’t believe her.

  “Sweetheart, don’t get upset.” Her father’s placating tone only succeeded in increasing her upset. “You know you still suffer from the anxiety—”

  “Daddy!” Chastity shook her head and rushed to her feet and ran to the en suite bathroom.

  Inside the bathroom, Chastity splashed her face with cool water, rinsing away her tears. Her family would never believe her cry for help now. And, Chastity was annoyed because she knew it was a situation of her own making. They had experienced her false cries of distress many times.

  When she had been seven years old, on a rare occasion, she was with her father for the day. He had taken her to a carnival. They had been in line for tickets. The line had been long. She asked her dad if she could go look at the clown making balloon animals. Her dad allowed her to go since all he had to do was turn his head and she’d be in his sight. She was in a crowd of several children and adults watching the clown be silly and produce farm animals in seconds out of skinny balloons. The clown gave the completed animals to kids in the crowd. Chastity waited in excitement as the clown went down the line of kids giving them their surprise after doing some silly feat. Chastity accepted her giraffe with a wide smile and laughter.

  She didn’t think anything of it when she felt her hand engulfed by another and steered away from the crowd. She kept looking over her shoulder at the clown. The clown waved and she waved back with a big smile. As they started to leave the area Chastity had turned to tell her dad about the clown. Only it wasn’t her dad that had her hand. It was a strange man. Even though Chastity was taller than the man at only seven years old, she knew he was a grown man. His dark eyes, mustache and tell-tale lines in his face bespoke of an age at least equal to her dad’s, if not older.

  Chastity had begun to pull against the hand that held hers and refused to let hers go. He pulled her along. He pulled her body tight to his and moved faster. Chastity began to struggle. She shouted. “Daddy! Daddy!”

  The people all around them were too busy with their own activity. They didn’t pay her or the unusually short man any attention. He had pulled her off the
main fairway and was heading towards a parking lot.

  Chastity was about to scream for her dad again when a feeling came over her and she started to instinctively yell. “Sterling Valentines! Sterling Valentines! Sterling Valentines!”

  Like a superhero she read about in the comics, her dad had come out of nowhere, jumping a blockade and pulling her hand free of the stranger’s before pummeling the man into the dirt. Her dad turned to her and picked her up, holding her to his chest. Chastity hadn’t known who was shaking more, her or him. He held her, running a soothing hand up and down her back. “Daddy’s got you baby girl. Daddy’s got you.”

  It was later revealed that the midget, Harold LeShaw was a level three sex offender. There weren’t any charges brought against her father. Her father had saved her from a grim fate.

  Even though she had been spared the worse, Chastity’s nightmares started that night. Sometimes she wet the bed. Other times, she woke up screaming and crying, resulting in her mother or father or both coming in her bedroom and staying with her until she could fall asleep again. As she got older her nightmares decreased but her anxiety increased. She saw bad men around every corner. The new unknown mailman was a home invader. A man walking behind her was following her. A lost Uber driver was kidnapping her. There had been so many incidents in which her parents had responded to with full faith in her, only to have it be a false alarm. Her parents had finally gotten tired of her overreactions and anxiety. They put her in therapy and requested she be put on anti-anxiety meds.

  Chastity had been disheartened by her parents’ total exhaustion with her crying wolf. They were done with the entire situation. She hadn’t meant to cry wolf so many times. She had genuinely thought she had been in trouble. She didn’t want it to be like when she was that little girl at the fair. She hadn’t known she was in trouble until it was almost too late. Chastity endured the drugs and the therapy. When she turned eighteen and could override her parents, she put a stop to it all. She stopped the drugs entirely. She reduced the therapy from three days a week to two times a month.