“I was hoping you could help me answer that,” he replied.
“I can’t imagine. Everyone at the café loves her. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s also a hard worker and very pleasant to be around.”
“So, you haven’t heard anyone speak ill about her?”
“Nobody.” Lana laughed. “Hell, all the men want to date her and all the women want to be her.” She sobered. “Honestly, Hunter, other than the skirmish she had with that drunk Ben Wilkins, she hasn’t had any trouble with anyone.”
“Do you know anyone who might be capable of doing these kinds of things to a vulnerable woman? Be honest, Lana. You’ve been around this town for a long time.”
“I have, but I swear I don’t know who is capable of this kind of crap. Slitting a rat’s throat? That takes a particular kind of sick mind.” Lana shook her head. “Is she in danger?”
“Let’s hope not,” Hunter replied even as a burn of anxiety lit his stomach on fire. He got up, and Lana walked with him to her door.
“I wish I could have been helpful, but honestly I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about Ainsley. I care about that girl. I think she’s a real sweetheart.”
“Yeah, I kind of like her myself,” Hunter replied with a small smile.
“I’ll keep my ears to the ground for you,” Lana said.
“I appreciate it, Lana.”
As he drove away from Lana’s place, her words echoed in his head. All the men wanted to date Ainsley, and all the women wanted to be her.
He’d just assumed the perp he was looking for was a man. But Lana’s words made him wonder if it was possible it was a woman behind everything that was happening to Ainsley?
Maybe somebody who was jealous that she was gorgeous and friendly and had stirred up all the single men in town? God, it was bad to think there was a man who could do these horrible things, but somehow it was even worse to believe it was a woman.
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING Ainsley and her daughter went into the café for breakfast. While they ate she became aware of Big Ed sounding angry as he called out orders.
“What’s up with the boss?” she asked Lana when she stopped to top off Ainsley’s coffee.
“Ted didn’t show up last night to do the cleaning,” Lana said.
“That’s a first. He’s always been so reliable,” Ainsley replied.
“Ed called his house this morning, and his wife said he’d left to meet a friend after dinner last night and she’d just assumed he’d gone ahead and come in to work after that. When she woke up this morning and he wasn’t home, I guess she called the sheriff.”
Ainsley shook her head. “I wonder what happened to him.”
“Hopefully, Sheriff Black will be able to figure it out,” Lana replied.
Ainsley found herself thinking about the missing janitor once Melinda had left for school and Ainsley was back in her apartment.
Even though she hadn’t had much contact with him, she’d always found Ted to be an affable man. She hoped nothing bad had happened to him. However, even her concern about Ted couldn’t halt the simmer of fear that had been her companion for what felt like forever.
Last night after Hunter had left, taking the horrendous “present” with him, she’d remained awake long into the night. There was no window in Melinda’s room, but there was one in the kitchen and one in Ainsley’s bedroom.
She’d spent half the night going back and forth between the two windows, peering out to see if anyone was lurking outside in the shadows of night. She saw nobody, but even when she got into bed, sleep continued to elude her.
She found herself going over everyone she had spoken to, all the people she had served since the moment she had landed in town and started working as a waitress.
There had to be somebody she had offended, somebody who now felt the right to torment and frighten her. Despite her need to identify somebody, she couldn’t.
She hadn’t spoken to Hunter yet today, although she knew they were still on to get pizza that evening. He’d been so sure in asserting to her that he was going to get to the bottom of this madness. But even though she believed he was a great deputy, he was only human, and if there were no clues to follow then how could anybody find the person responsible?
She tried to empty all that from her mind as she cleaned the apartment. Once she’d finished with her chores, it was just after noon. She made herself a tuna sandwich for lunch and then sank down on the sofa and tried to read a book.
No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the words on the page, her thoughts kept going back to the dead rat that had been delivered to her doorstep.
What did it mean? Was it a warning to her? A warning about what? Aside from the horror of getting something like that was the confusion of wondering what, exactly, it meant in the long run?
Hunter called at two to make sure the plans for the evening were still a go. He also told her that they’d been able to pull fingerprints that they believed to be hers but had been unable to find any others.
Whoever the creep was, apparently he was smart enough not to leave a clue to his identity behind. Who in the heck was it? Her head hurt from trying to figure it all out.
By the time Melinda got home from school, Ainsley had her happy face on. The last thing she wanted was for Melinda to know things were happening that frightened her mother.
“Are you ready to go out with Hunter for pizza?” she asked her daughter. Melinda looked so sweet in a blue sweater that matched the pretty blue of her eyes and a pair of jeans. Her hair was in pigtails with blue ribbons streaming down the lengths.
“Sure.” Melinda sank down on the sofa and smiled at her mother. “And I promise I’ll behave.”
“That’s nice. I’m hoping you’ll get to know Hunter better, because he’s somebody important in my life and I’d like to think that he might become somebody important in your life.”
“Like a stepdaddy,” Melinda said. “Lisa at school has a stepdaddy and she likes him okay, but she still loves her real daddy.”
“And you can still love your real dad,” Ainsley said.
The conversation then turned to everything that had happened at school that day. They were still seated on the sofa when Hunter arrived for their evening out.
“Are you two ready for some pizza?” he asked. “Melinda...cheese pizza, right?”
“Right,” she replied. “And I promised I’d be nicer to you tonight.”
“I appreciate that.” He smiled at Melinda.
Ainsley was grateful that he was keeping things light, although when he looked at her she saw his concern for her in the depths of his eyes.
Minutes later they were in his truck and headed to the pizza place. “I had to chase Ben Wilkins away from the café dumpster,” he said softly.
She looked at him in surprise. “What was he doing back there?” Had she been wrong about Ben? Was it possible the drunk was behind all the things that had been going on?
“He was drunk and dumpster diving for food. He told me the café threw out better food than they sold. Apparently whenever he gets hungry he goes to the dumpster.”
“Do you think that was all he was doing there?” she asked.
“Yeah, I do. I honestly don’t think Ben is the person we’re looking for.” He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled. “How are you doing back there, Melinda?”
“I’m good,” she replied.
Ainsley just hoped Melinda stayed good for the duration of the date night. “I heard about Ted going missing. Did you all manage to find him today?” she asked Hunter.
He grimaced and shook his head. “No. We aren’t even sure who he was meeting before going into work last night. His wife had no clue, and so far Ted is still missing. I feel like lately law enforcement is striking out all over the place.”
“Hopefully, Ted will show up
safe and sound,” she said.
“And we’ll figure out what’s going on with you. That would be a big win-win.”
He pulled up in front of the pizza parlor, and they all got out. They went inside and settled in one of the empty booths. Melinda sat next to her mother, and they both faced Hunter.
Facing him, Ainsley once again noticed what a handsome man he was. He could probably have his pick of any of the single women in Dusty Gulch, but he’d chosen her.
It just made the pressure to tell him the truth about herself all the harder to bear. She’d decided she would wait until they figured out who was behind the things that had been happening to her. Once they had that answer, then she would come clean to him about her past. She only prayed he would understand and forgive her for lying to him.
They ordered their pizza, and while they waited the conversation was light and easy. She was pleased by how easily Hunter included Melinda, asking her questions in an obvious effort to get to know her better.
The pizza arrived, and Melinda remained on her best behavior. Hunter even managed to make her giggle several times. They finished their meal and then got back into Hunter’s vehicle.
“I’m feeling like a little ice cream for dessert,” he said as he started the engine. “Does anyone else in this car like ice cream as much as me?”
“I do,” Melinda replied eagerly.
“Not me. I’m way too full of pizza to eat ice cream,” Ainsley said.
Hunter laughed. “There’s always room for ice cream, right, Melinda?”
“Right. Mr. Hunter, we could still go to the ice cream parlor and Mom doesn’t have to get anything but you and I could get something.”
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” he replied. For the next five minutes, he and Melinda argued good-naturedly about what was the best kind of ice cream.
As Ainsley listened to the two of them—the two most important people in her world—laugh and tease each other, a sense of rightness swept through her.
This was what she wanted for her future. The man she’d escaped had been a monster...a nightmare, but Hunter was her dream man and she could only hope that when everything was said and done, they would share a bright and future together.
“WHAT’S IN THAT bedroom where you spend so much of your time?” Sheila asked Peter.
The two of them were in the living room. He was in a chair and she was half sprawled on the sofa, on her way to drinking herself into oblivion. She held a tall glass of gin in her hand, and her voice was already slurred.
Pig, Peter thought to himself. She was a waste of air and space and he was sick of her. But he still needed her here. “It’s my work,” Peter replied and forced a smile to his face. “It’s what keeps you enjoying all the goodies that you like.”
She laughed and raised the glass to her lips. “I do like my goodies.”
“Maybe it’s time you call it a night,” he suggested. The last thing he wanted to do was sit and talk to the woman. He’d much rather be alone with his thoughts of Colette.
“Just let me finish this glass,” Sheila said and took another deep swallow.
Peter waited patiently. Once she’d drained the glass, she was toasted. He helped her to the bedroom, where she collapsed on the bed and within minutes was snoring.
Peter returned to the living room and his chair. It had been a good week. Twice he’d sat in the café eating while Colette had been serving tables on the other side of the room. She’d even looked at him several times, but no recognition had widened her eyes.
Then watching her reaction when she’d opened the present he’d left for her had been priceless. Her fear, her utter horror, had fed his very soul.
But he was tiring of the games. He’d already taken care of one loose end. It had been pathetically easy for him to lure Ted Johnson out here with the promise of more money. Ted had arrived and Peter had invited him into the kitchen. Thankfully, Sheila had been in one of her dope-enhanced nod outs and had no clue that they’d had a visitor.
He and Ted had shared a few drinks, and then when good old Ted was feeling nice and mellow, Peter had stabbed him. He’d slid the big, sharp knife in just under Ted’s armpit and then had ripped it downward.
“Wha...” The single syllable had fallen from Ted’s lips, and his eyes had widened. Before the man could say anything more, Peter carried him out to the porch and threw him into the pigpen.
It was true. Pigs could dispose of a human body in a very short time. He’d stood on his porch and listened to the pigs’ frenzy. They squealed and fought each other to get a piece of the meat, and the sound of bones crunching filled the air.
When it was all over, there was nothing much left of Ted. Peter had then driven Ted’s truck to an old shed on the property and parked it inside. And that was the end of Ted.
He was ready for his ultimate revenge. He was ready to make Colette learn the price for leaving him and shattering his world.
By listening in on her, he’d heard her make plans to go out with some girlfriends tomorrow night. Melinda was spending the night with a friend, and Deputy Do-Right was working. It would be a perfect night for a reunion.
And the pigs were still hungry.
Chapter Ten
Although Ainsley would much rather be spending her Friday evening with Hunter, he had to work, and so when Lana had approached her about several of the waitresses going out for drinks and to chill out, Ainsley had agreed to go with them.
Melinda had already made plans to spend the night with Bonnie, and in truth a little downtime with friends sounded good. It fact, it sounded wonderful. She hoped for just a little while she’d be able to get out of her own head and leave all the drama that had become her life at home.
Thursday night pizza had been a huge success. She believed real strides had been made between Hunter and Melinda. At the end of the night there had been no new “present” waiting for her, making the evening a real success in her book.
She now stood in her bathroom, putting on her makeup for the evening out. She had noticed there were two bars in the small town. The one on the edge of town, the Wrecking Ball, was supposed to be a nasty dive.
The other one, just off Main Street, was called Barney’s Place and was supposed to be a nice place to get a drink, relax or do a little moving on the dance floor. Ainsley certainly didn’t intend to do any dancing unless it was with Hunter, and since he wasn’t going to be there, she’d be cooling her heels in a booth and visiting with Lana and the two other waitresses who were going.
She didn’t intend to make it a late night. She had to open the café as usual the next morning, and she knew Lana wouldn’t want a late night, either. They were all supposed to meet at eight, and she figured she’d probably be home by around ten.
At seven forty-five she walked out of her apartment and headed to her car. Already the shadows of night were beginning to fall. As she got inside her vehicle, she looked at the dumpster, but thankfully she didn’t see anyone lurking around.
It was sad to think that Ben Wilkins lived on food out of the dumpster. Apparently he had nobody in his life who cared for him. He needed help, but there was nothing Ainsley could do about it.
Barney’s Place was a fairly large bar with plenty of parking in front. Already the parking lot was filled with pickup trucks and cars, indicating that the bar was a popular place on a Friday night.
She scanned the area for Lana’s car. The two had agreed to meet in the parking lot and enter the bar together. She finally spied her friend’s car and pulled into the parking space next to it.
Lana got out of her car, looking like a woman on a mission to find her next husband—her purple pants hugged her legs, and her purple-and-white blouse displayed her full breasts.
“Wow,” Ainsley said when she got out of her car. “You look hot.”
Lana laughed. “I might be old, but
I’m not dead.”
“Have you seen Betsey and Abby yet?” Ainsley asked. The two women worked the same shifts as Ainsley and Lana.
“They came together about ten minutes ago. I told them to go on in and get us a booth or a table,” Lana replied. “Let’s head inside and find them.”
Ainsley had never been in the bar before, and as they walked into the dim interior her nose was assailed by the odors of bar food, beer and various colognes and perfumes battling for dominance.
There was a long counter where people either sat on the stools or leaned in to order drinks. Booths were against both walls, and tables and chairs surrounded a decent-size dance floor. A live band was on a small stage just off the dance floor, playing a rousing country music song.
They found their friends in one of the booths, both with drinks already in front of them. “Hey, ladies,” Betsey said in greeting.
Ainsley slid in next to Betsey, and Lana sat across from her and next to Abby. Almost as soon as they were seated, a waitress appeared to take Lana and Ainsley’s orders.
Lana ordered a beer and Ainsley ordered a margarita, and within minutes the drinks were before them as the four chattered about work-related events from over the past week.
“I still can’t believe Ted is missing,” Betsey said. She twirled a strand of her long blond hair as her blue eyes widened. “I mean, it’s like a real mystery.”
“Yeah, he just seemed to vanish into thin air,” Abby said. Abby was a favorite among the café diners. She was a short, cute redhead who always wore a smile. “Has Hunter told you anything about it?”
“No, we don’t generally talk about his work,” Ainsley replied.
“You’ve got your own mysteries going on,” Lana said to Ainsley.
“I don’t even want to think about all that tonight,” Ainsley replied. “Tonight I’m on a mental vacation and all I want to do is relax and not think too much.”
“Then we won’t bring any of that up tonight,” Lana assured her. “Tonight is for fun. We’ll all worry about real-life stuff tomorrow.”
Stalker In the Shadows Page 11