Saving Valentines: Love and the Alpha Male

by Cate Mckoy

  He was angered by her lie. He wished she hadn’t done it. He was on her side. She didn’t need to gild the lily. It made him lean towards accepting her father’s and therapist’s version of events. Their versions also fell in line with what he learned from the lab and coroner reports. He would get to the bottom of it once and for all when he took his shift at Chastity’s.

  He was and wasn’t looking forward to tonight, guarding her. He closed his eyes tired of thinking of the complicated situation. Tonight, he’d have a better handle on things.

  ***

  “So, what is with you bringing in the hottie police man?” Sydney sat behind her desk with what Chastity called her psychiatrist’s brow. She smiled and tossed an orange to Chastity, knowing her affinity for fruit Sydney kept it on hand.

  To avoid Sydney’s all-knowing eyes, she concentrated on peeling the orange and eating the first bite. “I called the police because the stalker was in my house.”

  Sydney’s playful attitude vanished. “A man was in your house? Oh my God, Chastity, are you all right?”

  “Yes, he didn’t wake me up…well he did…but not until after he was gone.” Chastity got out clumsily.

  “Huh?” Sydney got up and went to the sofa Chastity was seated on. “Tell me from the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Chastity told her everything, except about her tryst with Rick. When she finished, she looked at Sydney expecting to see sympathy at the very least. Sydney’s look was assessing, like she was measuring Chastity for a straight jacket.

  Chastity threw up her hands in defeat. “You don’t believe me.”

  “Well, you must admit, your track record for recognizing true danger is a bit of a non-starter.”

  “I hate when your British accent thickens. It makes everything you say sound like fact.” Chastity made a growling sound in the back of throat.

  Sydney laughed. “Well, us Brits like to deal in facts. Besides, I am Indian. I was born in New Delhi.”

  “Yes, but you were raised and educated in the U-K. and you sound so…British.”

  Sydney laughed again and shook her head before her smile slowly disappeared. “Chastity we have to talk about this stalker thing.”

  Chastity looked imploringly in to her best friend’s eyes. “I swear to you, Sydney, he is real.”

  “Chastity, I want you to follow these points with me, okay?” Sydney’s voice was clinical.

  Chastity rolled her eyes but nodded her consent, popping another sliver of orange in her mouth.

  “One, no one has actually seen this stalker and that’s including yourself. Two, there hasn’t been anything dangerous and or threatening done by this individual. Three, you do sometimes overreact and see danger where there is none. Four, things like this never happened when you were on medication.”

  Chastity maintained her calm. This wasn’t fair. She knew that she created this situation herself with all her erroneous shouts of help when she was younger. In all fairness, her family and friends should admit that she hasn’t had that kind of episode in years. She just had a few panic attacks in the past several years.

  “I don’t need drugs. I am fine.” She said with defiance, finishing the orange and tossing the peelings.

  “You’re fine? Why is there a dangerous looking policeman standing outside my door?”

  Sydney had spotted Murdock before Chastity could shut the door when she first arrived.

  “He is protecting me!” She jumped up and rushed to the door.

  Sydney halted her. “Chastity, wait!”

  She turned slowly to face the woman she thought was her closest friend. “What do you want?”

  Sydney went to her and took her hand. “Listen, my friend, you must know that I am always thinking of your best interests and am always on your side. I tell you what I believe to be true. I am not, nor is anyone else, after you or against you.”

  Chastity’s eyes were sad as she shook her head and walked out the door.

  Sydney pulled her cell out of her lab coat and dialed a saved number. The person answered on the second ring.

  “Hello. She’s just left my office.” Sydney listened.

  She continued. “I don’t like doing this behind her back. It’s unethical.” She frowned at the response to her guilt.

  “I am only doing this to help her.” When she was reminded of the money she was receiving, Sydney hung up.

  ***

  Murdock was escorting her to her office when they heard a commotion coming from the ER. On autopilot, Chastity turned to head in that direction. Murdock easily restrained her with a hand on her arm. “No, we’re going to your office.”

  “They could need extra hands. I do take my turn as an on-call NP for the ER.”

  “Are you on-call for the ER today?”

  “No.”

  “Then we’re going to your office.” Murdock was succinct.

  Chastity was curious as she accepted the change in direction. “Why not help? I mean, if you weren’t here, I’d have gone to see how I can help.”

  “As long as this guy can get into your house and has access to your car, anything that would distract you off your main course of action can be seen as a setup for some sort of action against you.”

  Chastity didn’t agree with the reasoning but followed the detective’s directions. They came off the elevator and made a right to go down the hall to her office. Chastity looked up in time to see a figure dressed in scrubs and a concealing dark green hoodie closing her office door.

  Chastity froze. She had locked her office. No one should be able to open it. She patted her lab coat pockets. Her keys were still there. The figure didn’t turn towards them. He went in the direction of the stairs.

  “Hey, hey, you!” Chastity shouted. The figure paused for half a second, without turning towards her and Murdock, then took off running.

  Murdock took off after him, shouting to Chastity over his shoulder. “Stay!”

  The figure disappeared through the stairwell door. Murdock had just passed her office when Erica came from the stairwell, looking over her shoulder. “Hey, asshole, I think the words you’re looking for are excuse me!”

  Murdock was coming even with the stairwell door, him and Erica did a little dance of getting in each other’s way. “Whoa, there buddy. Watch it.” Erica was irate.

  Murdock gripped her shoulders, put her away from him and dashed down the stairs.

  Erica looked up shaking her head. She spotted Chastity. “Hey, there. I was just coming to see you and nearly got ran over. Twice!”

  “Erica, who was that?” Chastity felt her panic starting in the pit of her stomach.

  “Which one?” Erica asked and then shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t know either of those rude fuckers.”

  Chastity leaned against the wall and started her focusing exercises. She felt herself slipping. The walls were closing in on her. Whiteness edged her vision. She tried to center herself while focusing on the fire extinguisher across from her.

  “My name is Chastity Hope Valentines. I live at twenty-two-oh-eight Cypress Lane. I am a board-certified Nurse Practitioner. I work at St. Mary’s College as an adjunct professor and Bayside Memorial Hospital where I supervisor the nursing staff and do rounds.”

  “Chastity?” Erica stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the fire extinguisher.

  Chastity began to scream and hug herself. “Move! Move! Move!”

  “Hey, Chastity!”

  “Move! Move! Move!”

  Murdock stepped up and pulled Erica from in front Chastity.

  Immediately, Chastity calmed and resumed her pinpointed stare at the fire extinguisher. And began to recite her words again. “My name is Chastity Hope Valentines. I live at twenty-two-oh-eight Cypress Lane. I am a board-certified Nurse Practitioner. I work at St. Mary’s College as an adjunct professor and Bayside Memorial Hospital where I supervisor the nursing staff and do rounds.”

  Murdock took out his phone.

 
; ***

  Rick’s eyes shot open immediately on the first ring of his cell. He listened to Murdock and got dressed. It took him ten minutes to get to the hospital…with sirens. He got to the hallway that led to Chastity’s office and was brought up short by the tableau that greeted him.

  Chastity sat on the floor, hugging herself, staring at the wall across from her, rocking slowly. She was mumbling some words. Murdock and Danes stood sentry on either side of her.

  Rick took in her agitated state and his heart broke for her. Something had scared her into hiding. This wasn’t the beautiful Chastity he knew. Her face was beautiful but again it had a youthful, innocent air about it, a frightened air.

  Slowly he approached her.

  Danes and Murdock spoke at once.

  “Sir, are you sure you want—"

  “Her screams—”

  “Yes, I know. Screams, chills, got it.” Rick carefully sat on the floor Indian style directly in front of her. She didn’t scream. She merely stopped rocking and continued her litany of words.

  Rick picked up her address before he leaned in and spoke softly. “Chastity? It’s Rick.”

  Like before, her eyes switched to his with a penetrating gaze. She stopped speaking only stared. Rick didn’t get the feeling she was with him fully. He tried again. “Chastity, it’s Rick. Remember me, Rick Racuanelli?”

  Her eyes remained sharp on him as she spoke. “You’re the intense lieutenant with the pretty eyes that smells really good. You made the mean detective go away.”

  Murdock and Danes chuckled. Rick smiled. “Yes, that’s right.” He took her small hand in his.

  “Rick…you smell good and taste really good too. You make me wet and my nipples hard.” Her delivery of the words was in the same vain as the others she had spoken, same inflection, same pitch, same everything.

  Danes gasped and Murdock just out right laughed. Rick gave him a murderous glare before switching his attention back to Chastity. He leaned in close. He watched her pupils.

  “Chastity, sweetheart, did you take something, drugs?”

  “No.”

  Danes knelt next to them. “What is it boss?”

  “I think she’s drugged.” Rick took a hard look at her. It had been harder the first time for him to detect something off with her because he hadn’t known her well enough. Christ, he thought, had it only been three days? The time of their acquaintance was neither here nor there. Rick knew there was something off. This was not the Chastity, he spoke with, kissed and made love with. This was not the Chastity that had fought with him and told him emphatically that she was not a liar. Something was altering her behavior. He could chalk some of it up to her anxieties and panic attacks, but certainly not this total change could be contributed to her condition.

  Danes snapped her fingers next to Chastity’s ear. Chastity looked at Danes for a few seconds and returned her concentration to Rick. “I think you’re right.”

  Murdock shook his head. “I’ve been with her all day. Except for bathroom breaks, I didn’t leave her alone. She didn’t take anything in my sight.”

  Danes stood and flashed her badge to a couple of hospital employees. “Please, turn around, police emergency. I need to keep this hall clear.”

  The employees tried to look curiously over Danes’ shoulder. She pointed a finger down the hall, and they hurried off.

  Rick tightened his hold on her hand. “What do you say we get out of here, sweetness?”

  She didn’t say a word this time, only squeezed his hand. Rick took it as consent.

  “You weren’t able to catch the guy, but you said you had something?” Rick walked a nice even pace to Chastity’s office, holding her hand, directing his question at Murdock.

  “Yes, this.” He held up a green hoodie Rick hadn’t noticed until now. “Found it on the third level staircase below. He took it off.”

  “Did you get a good look at him?” Rick’s frustration with this case was mounting.

  “No, barely a glimpse. Just saw the back of him retreating. An employee, a friend of Ms. Valentines was closer. He apparently almost knocked her down when they collided in the stairwell. She said she barely got a glimpse. All she could say was that it was a white guy.” Murdock sounded just as frustrated as Rick.

  “You said this guy was trying to get in her office?”

  “He was coming out of it. It’s what made Ms. Valentines freak.”

  “I want every inch of this office searched, inner and outer.”

  Chapter 5

  Rick helped Chastity gather her things, while Danes and Murdock searched both offices for any changes or damage. Chastity was docile as a kitten as Rick helped her on with her coat.

  Danes walked up to them. “There is nothing here, no changes.”

  “I gotta agree. There is nothing I can see that’s different.” Murdock said. “To really know if something is missing, we’d need to ask Ms. Valentines.” They all looked at Chastity and knew that wasn’t happening at this moment.

  Rick looked around the office, his eyes scanning every detail. There was absolutely nothing missing, moved, or damaged. “What the fuck did he do in here?”

  “Who is he?”

  Rick froze at the familiar voice coming from the doorway. His eyes found hers and they took each other’s measure. He had to admit she was still gorgeous. “Hello, Chels.”

  She walked into the room. “Hello, Rick. What the hell are you doing here?”

  Her tone reminded him of the reasons they were no longer a couple. Her superior attitude was in every syllable she spoke. “I’m here to see a friend home.”

  Her bright blue eyes narrowed. She looked from him to Chastity with knowledge. “Don’t give me your PR bullshit. I am one of many lawyers for this facility. Anything untoward occurring on the premises is something I need to know.”

  Rick wasn’t going to spend too much time on Chelsea Forthworth. He was no longer obligated to do so. “You now know. I am picking up a friend from work and taking her home.”

  “And, you need two of your detectives to escort a friend home, why?” She gave him a sultry look and added. “As I recall, you never needed help with anything concerning a woman.”

  Murdock murmured. “Apparently, nothing’s changed.”

  Rick ignored Murdock’s comment and Chelsea’s question. “We were just leaving. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.”

  Chelsea locked eyes with Rick. After a silent moment, Chelsea turned to leave, saying, “You still have a box at my place. You should drop by and get it sometime.” She turned back, giving him a look filled with invitation.

  ***

  Forbes hadn’t thought anything would come of his watching Valentines’ house and watching her car wherever it was parked during the day, because, frankly, he assumed she was her own stalker and she was faking it to get attention. So, it had thrown him for a loop when he actually saw someone. He had spotted the suspect lurking outside Valentines’ home the first morning his colleagues had watched over her. Forbes himself had been about to leave when he spotted the figure dressed in a dark green hoodie and black pants. It caught his attention because he knew that no one was home. He had watched from a distance Ms. Valentines leave and Murdock and Danes follow discretely behind. He watched the stalker go to the backyard. Forbes waited about a minute before Valentines’ stalker reappeared and got in a car. Forbes hadn’t seen him up close because of the cloaking hoodie. Forbes followed him to the Bayside Memorial staff parking lot. He had parked the car next to three identical cars. Before Forbes could park, the guy had disappeared inside the hospital. Forbes had gone inside to security and flashed his badge to inquired about the car. It turned out the man had been using a Bayside Memorial Car that their in-house lab techs used. The lab staff used the car to draw blood of outpatients for doctor ordered tests. Employees in the lab, some doctors, security and some nurses had access. Forbes requested a list of all employees that had immediate access and he wanted to know who had just turned
it in.

  Forbes’ aggravation soared when the person told him, that car hadn’t been used in a few days. When Forbes told the annoying woman that he had just watched it being parked, all the woman did was show him a sign-out sheet that indicated, indeed, that the car had not been used in several days. The woman had taken keys off a peg on the wall and held them aloft to prove her point. “See, the keys are right here.”

  Regardless of said proof, Forbes looked around the car, searched the inside. There wasn’t anything suspicious about it, except the GPS history had been wiped clean.

  Now, he sat in the hospital’s underground parking garage watching Valentines’ car. He had just glanced at his watch when the lurking figure in scrubs and a dark green hoodie started snooping around Valentines car. Forbes watched him jimmy the lock on the car and open the driver’s door and disarm the car alarm.

  Forbes moved silently. His stealth was perfect. The stalker hadn’t noticed him. Forbes was able to get upon the intruder sitting on the driver’s seat, one leg outside the car. Forbes couldn’t make out what the person was doing but he unsnapped his weapon and said in a demanding tone, “Police! Stop whatever it is your doing and show me your hands nice and slow.”

  The figure froze. And then started to move very slowly into a standing position, facing away from Forbes.

  “Okay, keeping it nice and slow, turn around, hands in the air.” Forbes put his hand on his weapon when the stalker turned slowly but didn’t raise their hands. “I said hands in the air, right fucking now!”

  The stalker turned and Forbes took in a shocked breath of air, totally astounded. “You?!”

  Not over his shock because of the stalker’s identity, Forbes never saw the blade until it was in his body.

  ***

  Their small group was on the elevator headed to the underground parking where Chastity had left her car. Rick had called ahead to have a tech meet them at Chastity’s house. He wanted her tested for drugs. There was something else going on besides her anxiety condition. The elevator chimed and he, Chastity, Murdock and Danes all piled out. The police officials, flanking Chastity.

  “Murdock you go ahead and check out Ms. Valentines’ place, if everything is okay, I will see you in the morning. Danes, get that hoodie to the forensics lab. I want to know everything there is to know about that hoodie.”