Vicious Valentine

by Patti Benning

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Sorry, I know you’re working,” Vanessa said through the phone in a hushed voice. “I just wanted to ask – do your outdoor lights normally come on and go off on their own?”

  “The ones along the side of the house and by the front windows are motion sensing lights,” Hannah said. “Why? Have you been having problems with them?”

  “I was sitting in the living room watching television when they went on. At first, I thought it was just because it was getting dark out, and you must have them on a timer or something, but then they went off again a minute later. They just came on again, and it was starting to freak me out. But it’s probably just a raccoon or something.”

  “Probably,” Hannah said. “Look, I’m in the kitchen by myself tonight so I can’t get off work early. You should call Caroline, ask her to come back over.”

  “No, no, I’m fine,” Vanessa said. “It’s probably just a raccoon. I can deal with a raccoon.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m not usually this jumpy. Good luck with work.”

  She hung up before Hannah could say anything else. Hannah frowned at her phone, wondering if she should call her back, but the smell of something burning forced her attention away from the call and back to the stove.

  It was with relief that Hannah tossed the last dirty rag in the laundry bin and shut off the kitchen lights. She could admit to herself that she preferred the days when Brian was there to act as sous chef, even on the nights it wasn’t particularly busy. She was tired to her bones, but she knew her evening wasn’t over yet. Vanessa was still waiting at her house. She would never begrudge the woman for it, but the thought of staying up late for the inevitable conversation they would have made her want to cry. She needed some good sleep, that was all. Then she might actually start to feel like a person again.

  She remembered to take a photo of the schedule before leaving so she could peruse it that evening and tell Ben what day would be a good one for dinner together. Then she did one last walk-through of the building, locked up, and got into her car.

  She hadn’t received any other messages or calls from Vanessa during her shift, so she figured that the other woman had probably survived the impending raccoon apocalypse, or whatever was going on with those lights. That was why, when she neared her house and spotted a silver car tear out of her driveway, she nearly swerved off the road in surprise.

  The car looked vaguely familiar, but she certainly didn’t recognize it as belonging to anyone she was close to. Had Vanessa invited someone over? Hannah thought the other woman would have told her if she did, but she wasn’t sure. Vanessa could be unpredictable.

  She pulled up the driveway and into the garage, waiting for the garage door to close before she let herself into the house. “Vanessa?” she called out.

  “In here,” the other woman said. Hannah followed the voice and found her in the living room. Vanessa’s eyes were red and puffy, and there was a handful of used tissues on the table. Other than that, she looked to be holding up well.

  “Who was here?” Hannah asked as she dropped her purse on the coffee table.

  “What do you mean?” Vanessa asked, sitting up from her reclined position against the arm of the couch.

  “The car I just saw drive away. Who was that? I don’t mind if you had someone over, I’m just curious.”

  “What car?”

  Hannah felt something cold slip into her gut. “I just saw a silver car pull out of the driveway.”

  Vanessa stood up. “Are you serious? Someone was here?”

  “I’m dead serious.”

  Vanessa hurried over to the window and yanked the curtains shut, then began checking the locks on the front door. “That motion sensing light you have outside kept coming on and going off all evening. I really thought there was just something wrong with it or it was some sort of wild animal poking around. But someone was here. They could have been watching me.” She shuddered.

  “Do you know anyone with a silver car?” Hannah asked. “Does Corbin have one?”

  “No,” Vanessa said. “His car is a dark green color. I suppose he could’ve gotten a new one or borrowed one, though. He knows I know what his car looks like.”

  “Do you think this was him?”

  “I’m almost sure of it,” Vanessa said. She cautiously approached the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked out. “I’m certain he’s the one who was stalking me a couple weeks ago, and he must have started up again. I hadn’t seen him since I broke up with him. Running into him and Helena at the restaurant must have set him off again.”

  “How did he even know you were here, though?” Hannah asked.

  “Helena,” Vanessa said with a snarl, yanking the curtain shut and turning to pace to the center of the room. “She called me to ask why I wasn’t coming into work and I told her what happened, including that I was staying with you. I reminded her that she owed me for getting her out of her Valentine’s Day shift, and she agreed. She must’ve told him.”

  “Easy,” Hannah said, trying to soothe her irate friend. “Even if she did, she probably didn’t know that he would do something like this. Let’s call the police in the morning.”

  “Fine.” Vanessa ran a hand through her hair, anger still flashing in her eyes. “I hate them both. I never should have dated him.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Hannah said. “Here, I brought some food from the restaurant. Let’s eat, then we can check the house and go to bed. We’ll figure things out in the morning.”

  Even with the knowledge that Vanessa’s stalker had been around the house earlier that evening, Hannah fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow. That was why she was surprised when she woke up to find it still dark outside, and her alarm hours from going off.

  She sat up in bed and looked toward the window. She could see the faint glow of moonlight coming in through the sheers, but no hint of dawn. She wondered what had woken her up.

  Normally, she might have simply laid down and gone back to sleep, but with everything that had been happening lately, she decided to err on the side of caution. She got up, putting her feet into her slippers and padding towards the door, which she opened quietly and slowly before going out into the hall. The house was dark and silent, and she ghosted past Vanessa’s bedroom, only pausing when she noticed the door was cracked open. She pushed the door open a little bit more and saw that her friend’s bed was empty. Frowning, she went downstairs, her feet leading her towards the kitchen automatically. The light was off and for a moment she thought the room was empty, but then she saw Vanessa’s form hunched in her seat on the island. Her shoulders were shaking.

  “Vanessa?”

  Vanessa stiffened, then turned to face her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s okay. I’m not even sure if you did – I don’t remember hearing any noises. I thought I might as well check on everything, since I was up anyway. Are you okay?”

  “No,” her friend admitted in a choked voice. “No, I’m not.”

  “Did something else happen?”

  “It’s Corbin,” Vanessa said. “He’s been attacked.”

  Chapter Seven

  “What happened?” Hannah whispered, sitting down next to Vanessa.

  “His sister called me half an hour ago. He went to the convenience store to pick something up in the middle of the night, and he was found behind it beaten within an inch of his life. The hospital called her as his emergency contact, and she called me, thinking we were still together. I told her we weren’t, but I thanked her anyway. I don’t know what to feel, Hannah. I thought he was behind all of this, but… I’m not so sure now.”

  “Do they know yet if it was a targeted attack, or a random mugging?”

  “I have no idea,” Vanessa said. “But it seems like too much of a coincidence for it to be random. Unless… What if he was trying to cover his tracks? What if he hired someone to hurt him, to throw the police off his trail?”

  “Y
ou’re just going to drive yourself crazy thinking like that,” Hannah said. “What did his sister say about his recovery? Will he be all right?”

  “She said that he’s in pretty serious condition, but the doctors think he will have a full recovery. I don’t know what to do now. Should I visit him? Should I keep my distance? Oh goodness, do I need to tell Helena?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have any answers,” Hannah said helplessly. She hugged her friend. “Maybe Caroline will know what to do.”

  “Maybe,” Vanessa said miserably. She sniffed. “I should swear off men entirely after this. Corbin has been far more trouble than anyone deserves.”

  Hannah stayed up with Vanessa until she seemed calmer, then they both went up to their rooms again. Hannah stayed awake for a little while longer in case Vanessa needed something else, but the house fell silent around her, and eventually she drifted off again, only to be woken up what felt like seconds later by her alarm.

  Vanessa was already up and back in the kitchen by the time she made her way downstairs. She was making eggs, and had a pot of coffee brewing.

  “Did you sleep at all?” Hannah asked.

  Vanessa shrugged. “I think I dozed off for a bit, but I’m not really sure. Caroline and Dean are on their way over. They should be here soon.”

  “Okay. Do you want me to take over breakfast?”

  Vanessa shot her a look. “You might be a fancy chef, but I’m pretty sure I can make decent enough eggs for your refined taste buds.”

  “Okay, okay,” Hannah said, raising her hands in surrender. “I’ll just… sit here, I suppose.”

  “Have some coffee. I know I kept you up half the night.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, though she got up to pour herself a cup anyway. “Any news on Corbin?”

  “No. His sister said she’d let me know if anything changed, so I’m guessing no news is good news.”

  “I hope so. Have you called Helena yet?”

  Vanessa made a face. “I really don’t want to. I’m hoping someone else tells her. I’m still not sure if this means Corbin is innocent or if he is just one step ahead of everyone else. I don’t know what to believe. I hate it. I hate feeling like this. I don’t know if I should visit him and tell him I hope he gets better soon, or be glad that he’s in the hospital where he can’t follow me around day in and day out anymore. If he’s the one who killed Rory…” She trailed off, then said in a firm voice, “Well, in that case, then I wish he’d never even made it to the hospital in the first place.”

  Hannah raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything, a knock sounded on the front door and she got up to let Caroline and Dean in.

  When she opened the door, Caroline gave her a quick hug and then hurried toward the kitchen at Hannah’s gesture. Dean paused in the doorway, looking around as he always did when he came to her house.

  “I swear, this place looks better every time I stop by.”

  “The progress is slow but steady,” Hannah said. “Come on in, Vanessa is making breakfast.”

  There were just enough seats for the four of them at the island. Vanessa plated the eggs and took some toast out of the toaster while Hannah dug around in the refrigerator for jam and butter. Once the meal was ready, she sat down and listened while Vanessa filled Dean in on everything. He had gotten the basics from Caroline, but he still needed the details. When she was done, they were all silent for a few moments.

  “Well, what now?” Caroline asked as she buttered a piece of toast.

  “We were hoping you would have an idea,” Hannah said. “I’m out of my depth here.”

  “We all are,” Vanessa said. “And look, I know it’s going to sound kind of self-centered of me, but I really think that someone is after me. I’m the only common link in all of this. I was about to go on a date with Rory when he was killed, I was here while whoever was in that silver car was poking around the house, and Corbin is my ex. If Corbin isn’t the one behind it, which I’m thinking is less likely now that he’s in the hospital, we have to figure out who is before they come after me.”

  “Helena,” Hannah said, the word escaping as soon as she made the connection. “Do you think it could be her? No offense, but you don’t exactly seem to have the best relationship with her. She might have managed to overhear something about your date with Rory, and you told her that you were staying here, so she would have known where to find you yesterday evening. She would have had easy access to Corbin, too.”

  Vanessa frowned and prodded her eggs. “Maybe. You’re right, we don’t exactly get along. We talk, sometimes, but she’s more of a frenemy than a friend. We tend to clash whenever we are in the same room. And of course, things did come to a head on Valentine’s Day when I found out that she was lying about why she needed time off work and saw her with Corbin.”

  “Could one woman really be behind all of this?” Dean asked. When all three of the women there looked at him sharply, he raised his hands. “I’m not saying anything against women, I know you’re all perfectly capable of doing anything you want to. I just mean, well, Vanessa said that Corbin was beaten pretty badly. I’ve never met the guy, but most men outweigh women and are stronger than them. Wouldn’t it be difficult for a woman to beat a man that badly? Rory was stabbed, so that’s another physical attack. It just seems like something a man would do more than a woman, if you ask me.”

  “You don’t know Helena,” Vanessa said. “I’ve thought for a long time that she is off her rocker. There’s no telling what she could do if she really set her mind to it.”

  “That’s fair. I take it you’re going to the police with all of this?”

  “I’m going to call them after breakfast,” Vanessa said. “But I don’t know if that will be enough. Maybe I should confront Helena, see if she will admit anything to me.”

  “That wouldn’t be safe for you,” Caroline said.

  “I guess I’ll need your help, then, won’t I?”

  They spent hours plotting and planning, with Hannah even calling Ben to bring him in on it. At last, they had something resembling a solid plan – which they put the finishing touches on right before Hannah had to go to work.

  “Feel free to stay here, just lock up when you leave,” she told her friends as she prepared to go. “Call me if anything else happens or if you need me. You know where I’ll be.”

  Chapter Eight

  It was rare for her to feel a true desire to skip a shift, but she felt that today as she drove into town. She wished she could call Brian and ask him to take over for her, but he was already scheduled for the morning shift tomorrow, and he had gone so above and beyond what was expected from him during her date with Ben that she would have felt bad calling him in on a day off.

  Besides, she told herself, Caroline and Dean can handle it. Vanessa will be fine. Even if someone is after her, they wouldn’t dare to attack her with all three of them in the house.

  She was the first one at the restaurant, as was normal on the days that she opened, and was feeling a bit better as the clock edged toward eleven, when they would open. She checked the schedule to see who she would be working with and frowned when she saw that Audrey had scratched out Shayne’s name for the morning shift and had replaced him with Nadia instead, with the note that he had called in sick again. She wondered if something was truly wrong with him, or if he was simply using an illness as an excuse to get out of work like Helena had.

  The thought of Helena made her press her lips together, bringing back all the worry she felt for Vanessa. Their plan wasn’t foolproof by any means, and she doubted that Helena would admit to anything even if she was behind what had been happening to the people Vanessa knew, but at least they would be doing something. She only had to wait a few more hours until it was time to put the plan into motion.

  The hours went by, and Hannah sank into the rhythms of the kitchen. It took Audrey two tries to get her attention, but eventually at the sound of her name, Hannah looked over. “This to-go or
der has been sitting out for a while,” the hostess said. “I tried calling the woman who ordered it, but she didn’t answer. I don’t want to leave it sitting out for much longer.”

  “When was it supposed to be picked up?”

  “Nearly an hour ago, now”

  Hannah glanced at the clock. It was almost three. The time had started passing quickly when she stopped dwelling on her personal issues and focused on the job. “All right, give me the order slip and I’ll give her another call. We can put the order in the fridge and if it isn’t picked up by the end of the day, one of you can take it home.”

  “Right. Here you go.”

  Audrey placed the to-go bag on the counter, and handed the pink slip to Hannah, who looked down and froze at the sight of Vanessa’s name and number.

  She checked her phone and spotted a message from Caroline. I’m heading home. Vanessa is going to the police station to tell them about the car you saw at your house and Corbin. See you tonight.

  The message was from an hour and a half ago. Vanessa must have made the order on her way to the police station. The thought made her worry less than she might have otherwise. Most likely, Vanessa’s discussion with the police had just taken longer than she expected. Still, she ought to make sure everything was okay, just in case.

  Vanessa didn’t answer her call, so she left a text message and made a mental note to check again in half an hour. She put the to-go bag in the fridge and turned her attention back to the kitchen, though she couldn’t regain the focus she’d had before. Some part of her brain was still thinking about Vanessa and how she really should have been done talking to the police by now.

  Once Hannah’s self-imposed limit of half an hour had passed and Vanessa still hadn’t answered, she finally gave in and called Caroline, trying to juggle being on the phone while caramelizing a pan of onions at the same time.