“I don’t know.I’m just thinking….”He smiled just as the front door opened and William strode inside.
“I got him,” Maria said as she came around from behind the desk, approaching William as he headed over.“What can I help you with today?”Maria was great.“Did you like the books you got the last time?”She made it sound like she was interested, and there was no way William could get away from her without being mean.Derek smiled as she led him upstairs to the reference section, though he figured that he’d be back to try to talk to him as soon as Maria left him alone.And that was exactly what he did.
“Trying to pawn me off on others now?”William ground out between his teeth.“Do you really think that will keep me away?I know you and I are supposed to be together, and if you don’t understand that, then you’ll be made to understand… and you’ll regret what you did.”He leaned over the desk.“I’ll make you.”His face was contorted in rage.Derek glanced around him, trying to see if anyone was nearby, but everyone was busy.He couldn’t see Connie at the moment, but he figured he had to go for it and try to provoke some sort of outburst that no one in the library could miss.
“You can’t make me do anything,” Derek told him, meeting his gaze with all the strength he could muster.“My life is my own, and you need to get that through that pea brain of yours.”
William’s gaze narrowed.“I’m not dumb.It was so easy to get someone to break into your house.All I had to do was make it known that the place was empty.I set a fire, I sent you notes, and I even got to the members of the board.I can make any part of your life a living hell at any time.You’re mine and you know it.You can have that idiot giant of yours staying with you.What is he going to do, call for help?”William laughed.“I’ll get him out of the way, and then I can come for you any damned time that I want.”His eyes were wild and bubbles of spit formed around his lips.
Derek wished to hell that someone could hear all this.It was exactly what Harm had been talking about.This was the admission he needed, and here it was coming when no one could hear it.
“Really?You just admitted to everything.It was easy to get the board to dismiss your little poison pen letters.All I had to do was tell them that you’re my crazy idiot stalker.”He forced a smile.“So you got nowhere.Your little tricks amounted to nothing!”
“Nothing?”William raised his voice.“A few more letters and I’ll cost you the promotion you want so badly and maybe even your job.Then what are you going to do?”His hands shook, and Derek knew he was getting to William.His control was going to break and that was going to be the end.
“I could spread it all over the fucking town that your place is empty.It was so damned easy the first time.”Derek heard something move behind him, but he didn’t take his gaze from William.“And maybe next time instead of sending you a message, I’ll just burn the house down.I’ll take away your job, your home, everything and everyone.Then you’ll have no choice but to turn to me.And don’t think I can’t do it, because I can.”Derek’s soul felt the damned cold and he forced himself not to shudder.
“And you don’t think I haven’t learned a lot about you?”he retorted, trying to scare him.“I’m a librarian and I research all the time.You think I don’t know where you live or that you work for the people who pick up the garbage?Or that you still live with your mother?”He made his tone sound derisive.“And you think I’m going to be interested in someone like that?”He shook his head.“You really are delusional on top of crazy.”
William reached across the counter, and Derek jumped back, wondering if he had pushed too far, especially as Willam lunged forward, trying to get hold of him.Derek wasn’t sure he could get away fast enough, when William came to a halt and then grabbed the edge of the desk as he was yanked back.Derek lifted his gaze as Harm pulled William away.
“Did you hear everything?”Derek asked.Harm nodded.“You heard him admit to setting the fire and to instigating the robbery?”Harm nodded again before forcing William to the floor.
“I heard it too,” Connie said from the doorway just down from his chair.“The threats, the admission, all of it.I heard every word.”
“You tried to trick me,” William protested.
Connie leaned over the desk and put her finger to her lips.“Shhhh… you’re in a library.”Then she pulled out her phone and called 911 to alert the police.
“Ask for Carter or Red.They handled some of the other calls.They’ll know what’s going on,” Derek told her as Harm held William down.
“I can sit on him,” Connie offered.
“No.Harm knows what he’s doing.”He leaned over the desk.“Harm knows how to make it hurt without leaving any marks, and the rest of us aren’t going to say a thing.”He glared at William, who finally stilled.
“Yes.The suspect has been subdued and is being held on the floor.No weapons were involved.Just come in the front door and take the trash out for us.We’d appreciate it.”She ended the call and smiled.“I always wanted to say that.”
Derek rolled his eyes.They waited less than five minutes for the police to arrive and take custody of William.“Okay, what happened?”Red asked.
“Well, he was obnoxious in the library, then he admitted to stalking me, setting the fire at my house, and spreading the word that the house was empty so I’d be robbed.He admitted to sending letters to the board in an attempt to get me into trouble.Harm and Connie heard him.”
“That’s hearsay,” William said smugly.
“Actually, it’s not.They heard you say it and can testify to what they heard… directly from you.That isn’t hearsay.But you can deal with that with your lawyer,” Red told him.
“He also threatened Derek, saying that he would ruin his life, burn down his house, and get him fired.So I think that’s plenty of charges to keep his sorry butt in jail.Please add that he’s a threat to the community at large and that he did all of this in the library.”Connie didn’t smile, but Red certainly did.
“Okay.I’ll be sure to do that.”Red made furious notes as William protested, but it wasn’t getting him anywhere.Carter finally got him up off the floor, cuffed, and out to the waiting police cruiser.
“It looks like you got him,” Red said.“How did you do it?”
“I got him to admit what he did.Thankfully, Connie heard all of it.I had to get him angry, but once he started talking, he really wanted me to know how well he thought he could control my life.”Derek shook his head.“I honestly think he’s got something wrong with him.But that’s up to the courts to decide.For now, I’m glad that he’s in custody.And for any bail hearing, can you make sure I’m notified?”
“Yes.That I can try to do, but I’m not always informed.Contact the district attorney’s office.They will prosecute the case, and they’ll probably be quite happy that you’ll work with them.They don’t always get the cooperation they need.”Red asked some more questions and got Connie’s statement as well as Harm’s.Then he left the library.Connie returned to work, and all the excitement of the morning faded away, thank goodness.
“What are you doing here anyway?”Derek asked.
“Work called just after I dropped you off.There are data issues that have delayed the start, and they asked me to come in at ten,” he signed as best he could.Derek got the idea.“So I came in to tell you I was going to have to work late tonight, and I saw him at the desk.I was ready to pull him back when I heard him admitting to stuff, so I listened and stayed quiet.”He grinned, and once again Derek sighed in relief.It was over.This part of the nightmare was over… at least for now.“Are you okay?You did really good.I could tell how nervous you were.”
