“No, weexchangedgifts. That’s all. He indicated he wasn’t interested anymore, and I accepted that.” I didn’t tell her I’d brought his notes and dress with me.
“Rose, you broke the terms of your release. Both Dr. Conti and Blake have reported contact from you, and I think it’s important that we be honest with each other. Which means you have to be honest with yourself.”
What? I hadn’t contacted Blake or Dr. Conti. I didn’t even know where Blake lived, or his new phone number.
“I am being honest. I didn’t contact either of them,” I insisted.
Dr. Warren sighed sadly. “Rose, I think it’s best you stay here for a while. I’m going to review your medication, and it will give me a chance to assess you properly. We all want you to be well again, but we also need to consider your bond. If you refuse to stay, you’ll be sent to a ... a stricter institution." Prison. She meant prison. I’d stay here.
“Your mother is concerned, and she is still your next of kin. She supports you receiving more treatment.”
I nodded. I hadn’t wanted to keep my mother listed as my next of kin but I literally had nobody else and having an emergency contact was a condition of my release. I should just stop thinking. I should just stop hoping. If I had contacted Blake or Dr. Conti, that meant I had blocked it out, that Iwascompletely delusional. But where would I have put the panties, and why? I kept the dress. If crazy me was clearing Kalb out of her life, she’d have tossed everything. Where were my panties?
Chapter 25: The Shadow—Victory is mine
I know where you are at all times now, my Rose. You really should have a better lock on your door. Maybe then people couldn’t break in and steal your sexiest, most personalized pair of panties. It would be a real shame if they were sent to your victim. It would break your conditions of release.
Oh Rose, you really thought you could just go and live your life after you destroyed mine?
Chapter 26: The Hound—The mother load
No one was allowed to visit Rose except for immediate family. I checked, but not because I planned to visit. I just needed to know that her stalker couldn’t get in.
Glenn Maxwell stood before me looking as foul as ever. His hair was messy, and he had a chunk of cheese on his upper lip.
“Why didn’t you call me? I gave you my card and paid you!” I was furious with this moron. He’d waited three days before telling me he’d seen a man at Rose’s door.
“I’ve been busy. Water heater shit itself,” was his casual reply.
“Well, what did he look like? And please don’t tell me he looked like a man in men’s clothing,” I snapped.
“Got a better look this time. Dark hair, kinda tall. Had a cactus tattoo on his right hand.”
Now that I could work with. “Did he say or do anything? Can you tell me anything else? I don’t care how small of a detail it seems to you.”
Glenn scratched his chin, knocking the cheese off his lip with the motion.
“Nah, don’t think so. Huge arms.”
Right. Huge arms, dark hair, men’s clothes, kinda tall, and a cactus tattoo. It would have to do.
By mid-afternoon, I’d spent almost the entire day on Rose’s stalker case. My cop buddy Ethan told me there was no record of that particular tattoo, but that just meant this man hadn’t been arrested at any point.
The worst part of the day was when I was questioned by police. Brett had been highly unimpressed to see two officers enter and ask to speak to me. He gave me an annoyed “I told you so” look and disappeared into his office.
“Has Rose Fennech sent you any gifts?” one of them asked.
“If you’re referring to Rose Myrtle, then yes, she has but I sent her some too. She wasn’t stalking me.” I wasn’t going to get Rose into more trouble, and it was a reciprocal relationship. She shouldn't be punished for that.
I gave them very little information. If Rose was stalking Blake or the doctor, that was on them to sort out, not me. My priority was keeping Rose safe so that she could get well again. They’d been gone about 10 minutes when Ethan texted.
Ethan: Lee Peterson, 28, lives in midtown. Works as bouncer at Club Cupcake. No record but known to deal. Cactus tattoo on right hand.
Now I was getting somewhere. Club Cupcake was a strip joint, a very dodgy one. Looks like I had somewhere to be tonight.
______________
Lee Peterson did have huge arms and dark hair. I sat and drank a whiskey, not wanting to draw attention to myself by entering a strip club and staring at the bouncer. How did he know my Zahra? Why was he stalking her?
