‘The first thing we need to know is, where are Lucy and Gabe now?’ I asked, keeping my voice quiet and even. I didn’t want to alarm him unnecessarily.
‘They’ll both be at the centre. Why?’ Adam was puzzled by the question.
Without answering, I turned to Kim.
‘Do you know where her centre is? Does she know you well enough to agree to go with you?’
She nodded, responding, ‘Yes,’ to both questions.
‘Can you and Amber take the van and go get them, please. Bring them back here.’
Amber is our secretary. She had been a victim of the same stalker as Kim and had uprooted her life to get away from him. Consequently, when she came back to help with the case she had nothing to come to. With the end of the case, she needed a job and we needed a secretary. There was not a day that went by that we didn’t thank the gods for letting us find her. She was everything we required and had become part of our family as well.
Kim didn’t question my request, we had earned her trust. She just nodded and stood, placing a hand on Adam’s shoulder as she passed. ‘See you soon,’ she murmured as she left the room.
Adam watched Kim leave in stunned silence, then looked at me.
‘Is that really necessary? Wouldn’t it be just as easy for me to go and get them?’
‘If Eliza is escalating, and we think she is, I’d rather be safe than sorry. If she is, by chance, watching Lucy, if you turn up at the centre and leave with your wife and child, she would likely be enraged. We’re not ready for that yet, especially as she’s already told you she believes Lucy is the problem.’ I paused, giving him the chance to take a breath.
‘It’s best we do it this way, Adam. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you’re up to answering Lucy’s questions, and I would think it highly unlikely she would agree to leave with you unless you can give her a full explanation.’
I watched Adam’s face as he realised the truth of what I was saying. Lucy already thought there was something wrong with him and she would want to get him help. A sadness enveloped him.
I touched his arm lightly, letting him know he was no longer alone. Eliza had already taken so much. I hoped we were in time to get it back for him.
‘We need to get Lucy here. She needs to hear the story.’
Adam dropped his head. I realised that he wanted to protect his family, but he needed now to face the truth. The only way to protect his family was to include them.
‘She needs to know, Adam!’ I was firm on this point. ‘I imagine in some ways it will be a relief to Lucy, as it sounds like she’s been worried about you. Sometimes we cause more upset when trying to protect those we love,’ I said softly. I was sure Lucy would be more upset by the fact that Adam had hidden this from her
‘If Eliza is escalating, as we suspect, then Lucy is already in danger. We need to arm her with all the facts. You need to be okay with that. Are you?’
Adam nodded, although he was so drained I doubted he was taking much in.
‘Once we have everybody safe we can work on a plan to extricate you from this quagmire.’ I put my hand on his arm again.
‘For now, I think the best thing you can do is try and get some rest. Go and lie on the sofa, it’s very comfortable,’ I suggested.
‘When Lucy gets here, I think it’d be best to let her listen to the tape first. I can take her through it. It’ll be easier for her to absorb the facts if she’s not distracted by your pain.’ I gave him a moment to understand what I was saying. ‘It’ll also give her a chance to be angry you didn’t tell her without worrying about upsetting you further.’
Adam looked distraught for a moment, but he was too tired to process much now.
‘When she’s ready I’ll bring her to you. We’ll go from there. Sound okay so far?’
‘Sounds okay. I know I should be the one to tell Lucy, but I really can’t face it! I’m so tired I can hardly think straight.’ His eyes blinked slowly, and he rubbed his face. ‘I’m having the devil of a time staying awake, I feel like I’m wading through deep water.’
I smiled and led him to the sofa, pulled a light blanket and pillow from the box underneath and handed them to him.
‘That’s shock and relief. I can promise you’ll feel better after a sleep. As for telling Lucy, you will be telling her, just remotely,’ I smiled.
I left the room, dimming the lights and closed the door softly behind me. When I looked back he was already asleep.
I joined Jethro in his office. ‘Anything yet?’ I asked as I entered and dropped into the chair by his desk.
‘Not much, just started. She has an impressive CV and history, but something about it doesn’t ring quite true. Give me some time,’ he said, glancing at me before resuming his search.
‘I’ve found her previous boss but can’t yet find what happened to make her leave. It does look as if it was voluntary, but you know that doesn’t mean it was. I’ll keep digging. If I can’t find anything online, I’ll try talking to him.’
He continued to tap on his keyboard, going through sites and pulling together information.
‘That’s interesting!’ he paused, making a note and went back to tapping.
‘Share, don’t leave me hanging!’ I leaned forward in my chair.
‘First crack. She claims to have got an associated degree from Crawford.’ He paused for effect. Waiting for me to prompt him.
I obliged. ‘Go on!’
‘It wasn’t offered there during the period she says she studied,’ he grinned, ‘and her story starts to fall apart—’
His phone rang, he looked at it. ‘Kim,’ he told me as he picked it up.
‘Problem?’ he asked. Listened for a moment. ‘Okay, see you then,’ and hung up.
‘Lucy has agreed to come, but they have to wait for someone to come in and relieve her. Should be here within the hour.’
‘Hopefully Adam will sleep for a while then, he certainly needs it. I’ll go sort some stuff out. Give me a yell when they’re on the way, I’m sure Kim will let you know.’ I laughed at his scowl.
‘Let me know if you find anything exciting,’ I threw back as I walked out the door.
Chapter Four
It was nearly an hour and a half later that Jethro tapped on my office door, letting me know they were on their way in.
‘I’ll get Kim to bring Lucy in here, shall I? We can take the boy to my office, keep him busy there. Oh and I just checked, Adam’s still asleep.’
I nodded. ‘That’d be good.’ This was a part of any case that worried me. You never really knew how a spouse would act.
‘I hope we read him right, and that she’ll support him. I think he’s close to breaking and taking the law into his own hands, which would dismantle his life anyway.’
‘My thoughts, too,’ he replied. ‘We may have our work cut out on this one!
‘So far. I’ve established several lies on her resumé. Seems no one ever checked too closely, she must be good.’
‘But you know we’re better,’ I chuckled.
‘Damn right,’ he grinned, then sobered and continued, ‘Can’t find anything about what happened with her previous boss. My intuition tells me there’s something amiss though. Looks like I’ll have to pay him a visit after all.’
Kim appeared behind Jethro, touching his back gently. He gave her such a sweet smile, which she returned, then stepped aside to let her into my office.
Following her was a woman of average height, just a bit shorter than Kim. She had gorgeous emerald eyes that were currently flashing green fire, and chestnut hair tumbling in waves around her shoulders. Not traditionally pretty but with an arresting face. She carried herself with an air of confidence despite the worry etched on her face.
Amber brought up the rear, holding the hand of a boy looking older than the five years I knew him to be. He was tall with hair and eyes like his mother.
Kim stepped forward. ‘JB, this is Lucy and Gabe,’ she indicated. ‘Lucy, JB Wilco
x.’
I stood and came around my desk. The fact that they all (except Gabe and that wouldn’t be long) dwarfed me always helped.
I held out my hand to Lucy. ‘Good to meet you. If you would like to take a seat,’ I indicated to the easy chairs to the side of my desk.
I went on quickly, not giving her a chance to speak. ‘If it’s okay with you, Kim will take Gabe while we talk.’
Lucy looked at Kim and nodded.
‘Adam’s currently asleep in the lounge. He was exhausted. So again, if it’s okay with you, I would like to talk to you before we wake him. I can fill you in, then we can join Adam, and go from there.’
She looked at me for a moment, then turned to Kim. ‘You trust them, right?’
Kim smiled and said, ‘With my life! Literally!’
Lucy turned back to me. ‘Okay, I’ll hear you out, but then I need to see Adam!’ She went and sat in one of the chairs.
I turned to the others and saw them out, closing the door softly behind them.
I grabbed the recorder from my desk and sat in the chair opposite Lucy, placing the recorder on the table between us. She looked at it and raised her brows in question but said nothing.
‘Before we go any further, I should explain. Jethro and I are partners, in a firm that helps people who are being stalked.’
‘What does that have to do with us?’ Lucy was puzzled.
‘Adam is being stalked.’ I smiled to soften my words and continued, ‘He thought he could protect you, and handle things himself, but it’s proved too much for him. He’s asked us for help.’ I picked up the jug, pouring water into both glasses, before I continued.
‘In the first interview with a client, I always use the recorder to make sure I get all the facts right. It also means I can give the client my full attention.’ I paused and picked up the recorder.
‘After listening to Adam this morning, I thought his own words may be the best way to fill you in. He agreed it’s okay for me to play it for you.
‘Please listen to the whole recording, if you can, then you can ask me any questions you like. It is hard to listen to in parts so we can stop any time you need to. But I think it explains everything better than I can.’ I paused, then asked, ‘Are you ready?’
Lucy nodded so I switched on the recorder and placed it back on the table. The room filled with Adam’s voice as he told his story.
Lucy sat in silence as she listened to Adam’s voice. By halfway through she had tears running down her face. I got the tissues and placed them silently in front of her. I was watching her closely, ready to stop the tape if I thought it was getting too much for her, but she was made of strong stuff, which augured well for her being able to support Adam. I also needed to know if she would be a help, or a hindrance in this case.
The tape finished and neither of us spoke immediately. I knew she needed time to collect herself. She took a deep breath and said, ‘Why didn’t he tell me?’ She didn’t want an answer yet, she was just thinking aloud. I didn’t respond. She shook her head and looked up. ‘Is there a bathroom I can use?’ I pointed to the door in the side wall. She headed that way.
When she came back into the room she had cleaned up and composed herself. She sat back down and looked at me.
‘Why didn’t he tell me?’ her face reflected her despair. Adam had been suffering, and she had not realised the depth. She had not been able to help or share it. She felt she had failed him.
She would be a help in this case. There was no question that she believed Adam and would fully support him.
‘I suspect he had myriad reasons. From the sound of it, he discussed her behaviour with you in the beginning. Right?’ Lucy nodded.
‘Between the two of you he seems to have concluded he was just unsettled, and that he was perhaps looking for things that weren’t there. He started to question his own thoughts, believing he was imagining thing. Then, in having her moved, he thought he’d found his solution.
‘Then he thought if he ignored the situation it would go away. He knew you were worried about him and didn’t want to add to that. He felt it was his duty to protect you. When no one else seemed to believe him, he may have worried you wouldn’t either.
‘But mostly, I think he expected her to get bored if he didn’t react, and leave him alone.’ Of course, Jethro and I could have told him that’s very rarely the case.
Lucy nodded, her face sad as she studied me for a moment before speaking. ‘I’m hurt and angry that he didn’t tell me! He should have known he could trust me!’
She took a deep breath to clear her head. ‘I’m angry that she could do this, and I didn’t know!’
She raised her head and looked straight in my eyes. ‘I want to hug him and kick his butt at the same time.’
Her eyes filled with tears, that she refused to let fall. ‘And I’m mad that he brought this into our lives, even though I know, logically, this wasn’t his fault.’
I got up and moved to the chair next to her, laid my hand on her arm.
‘All of that’s normal,’ I told her softly. ‘This situation is beyond most people’s understanding, and a lot of them make the mistake of thinking the victim somehow brought it on themselves, particularly if the victim is a man! Adam is such a big, capable-looking guy, and Eliza so little, and pretty, surely she couldn’t be to blame.’
I paused and waited for Lucy to look at me. When she raised her eyes to meet mine, I continued.
‘You need to be very clear. This is NOT Adam’s fault! The only thing he may have done wrong in all this, is not share it with you. But I think that’s maybe understandable, don’t you?’
She nodded, her eyes still locked on mine.
‘The problem is with Eliza!’ I stated firmly. ‘For reasons known only to herself, she has decided that Adam belongs to her. It seems she’s prepared to do anything to make this happen.
‘She’s now decided that the only reason he’s not with her is YOU. That’s why we had to move quickly today! We suspect she may try to harm you. To get you out of the way.
‘I think that’s what changed for Adam today. His desperation and his need to protect you overwhelmed him.’
‘So, what do we do now?’ Lucy asked, with her head high, watching me. I was right in my assessment. This woman was strong and would fight for her husband. Good, that made our job easier.
‘I’ll take you to Adam, you guys need to talk. I’ll discuss things with Jethro while you do that. Then we’ll all get together and make our plans.’
Lucy nodded and started to stand. ‘Do you think we can end this?’ she asked quietly.
‘Absolutely!’ I stated firmly.
I led her down the corridor and opened the door to the lounge. Adam was awake, sitting with his head in his hands. He raised his head at the sound of the door.
He looked marginally better than he had earlier. I stepped back and let Lucy move past me. He stood as she approached and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said.
Lucy put her hands to his face and said softly, ‘Hush, we’ll work this out together.’
I allowed myself a brief smile as I closed the door softly and headed for Jethro’s office.
Chapter Five
Jethro was sitting in front of his desk watching Kim, on the floor drawing with Gabe. Gabe was chatting nineteen to the dozen, seemingly unfazed by the change in situation or being left with Kim.
I smiled as I sat next to Jethro.
‘Lucy’s in, talking to Adam now,’ I said softly. ‘We need to make some plans.’ I looked over to Kim. ‘Would you mind taking Gabe into the kitchen for a while?’
Kim looked up, ‘Not at all,’ she grinned. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get down on the floor and play. I’m having fun.’
She stood and held her hand out to Gabe. ‘Let’s go see what we can find to eat, I’m starving. How about you?’
Gabe jumped to his feet. ‘Yeah, me too,’ he yelled, dragging Kim ou
t the door.
Jethro watched her go with a soft look on his face. ‘Careful, buddy, your emotion is showing,’ I laughed at him.
He turned to me with a rueful grin. ‘I can’t help it,’ he said, then turned to fully face me. ‘So how was it?’
‘She loves him, and she’s strong. She’ll be an asset. Even just keeping Adam grounded will make things a lot easier. He’ll handle things much better with Lucy beside him.’
Jethro nodded. We both knew the importance of good support in these cases.
‘So how do you want to proceed?’ he asked, handing me the driving seat.
‘First, we need to take Lucy out of the line of fire. If Adam’s not worried about Lucy and Gabe, he’ll be more able to relax, and so more able to help himself.’
I paused and looked at Jethro. He would have an idea of what I was planning. He knew how my mind worked: it was also an obvious solution.
‘So, you’re thinking we might give Adam another little friend,’ he stated.
‘Yep! I thought that might be the best way to remove Lucy as a threat.’
‘Have Lucy visit him at work and catch him in flagrante delicto? With whom? Kate?’
‘Yep. I figure this is right up her alley. She might even get to have a bit of fun.’
Kate is my alter ego. We bring her out for any situation that calls for someone sexy but soft. She can be naïve or tough, depending on what we need, and she loves to party and have fun. Her appearance changes with each case, also depending on what we need.
‘I think this time she needs to be more worldly and tough. She’ll need to have long hair, and we’ll leave her short, but sexy. What do you think? She has to make Eliza believe she’s more of a threat than Lucy.’
‘Sounds like we could make it work. You and Adam will need to be wired. Perhaps even Lucy. We need to catch her on tape, in any case.’
‘Not a problem for me, and I don’t think Adam will have a problem with it either. I think he’ll do anything to end this hell.’
I paused for a moment as a thought occurred to me.
Stalker, Stalker Page 8
