She hesitates but doesn’t turn around.
Then she keeps walking.
Great.
I feel completely helpless as the woman of my dreams stalks off down the street, totally upset with me.
Did I fuck this up or what?
I’ve just gotten back to my hotel when Samantha Barrow’s name flashes on the screen of my phone.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
“Hey, Mrs. Barrow.”
“You read her diary?!”
“What did you think I was going to do?” I demand. “Watch her for a few hours, immediately find the stalker, beat him up, and call to tell you everything’s okay? Do you understand how a stalker works? If she even has one.”
“If…” She hesitates. “What do you mean?”
“Well, so far all I’ve discovered is that Shannon decorates with a lot of bright colors and doesn’t think she’ll ever get married again. Essentially, there isn’t any evidence pointing to a stalker.”
She sighs.
“If you truly believe there’s something going on, I’ll stick around a little longer, but now that she knows I’m here and is pissed at me, I don’t know how effective I can be. I wish you’d told me she got a nanny cam.”
“She just did it last night. I didn’t know.”
“Well, what do you want me to do?”
“Shannon isn’t crazy. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know she’s not making things up or having hallucinations. She showed me the pictures of her teakettle in the morning and then in a different place when she got home. Short of doing it herself, what else could this be? She has money, a job she swears she loves, and friends she travels and hangs out with. There’s no reason for her to make something like this up. Please, Ace, don’t give up yet. I know she’s being difficult, but it’s only because…”
“Because?” I press her when she lets her voice trail yet again.
“Her divorce hurt and losing her father gutted her. She’s had a rough couple of years and even though you did what you had to do, I’m sure breaking into her apartment feels like a betrayal of some kind.”
Now I’m the one who sighs. “I should have spoken to her before I did that.”
“Well, what’s done is done. Give her a couple of days to calm down and see if you notice anything else amiss. If there’s still no sign of a stalker, I’ll let it go.”
“All right. A few more days.” I hang up and put the phone down. This went sideways in ways I couldn’t explain. I didn’t anticipate the nanny cam, didn’t even consider it since there wasn’t one in my initial visit to the apartment. I took for granted she was still a sweet, naïve woman who isn’t very worldly and I was very wrong.
Now I have no idea how to fix it, and worse, if she really does have a stalker, I’m not in a great position to help her.
I’ve just dozed off when my phone rings. I grab it and blink at the unfamiliar number. It’s local, which is confusing, so I answer cautiously. “Ace Ross.”
“Ace, it’s me.” She’s whispering, but I somehow recognize Shannon’s voice.
“Shannon? What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone in my apartment.”
I jump out of bed, grabbing my jeans as I speak. “Are you safe? Where are you?”
“I’m at a bar. I was going to delete the app for the stupid nanny cam and when I pulled it up, there was someone there that’s not you.”
“Tell me where you are and do not leave the bar!” I jam my feet into my shoes, grab my coat and run out the door as she tells me the name of the neighborhood pub she’s calling from.
