Stalker

by Dave Dykema

  “I talked to your boss, Laura Danvers, today.”

  “Why?”

  “Just getting some background information,” Cameron said calmly. “She told me that you had a hard time a while back. Care to tell me about it?”

  The question made him fidgety, and he thought about contacting a lawyer, but he wanted to get this over with.

  “There was a train wreck last December that I covered. It was awful. Blood everywhere.”

  “I remember that,” Cameron said.

  “I came upon it by accident. I don’t know if it was because I wasn’t in the frame of mind for work, or because it was so unexpected, or what, but it really bothered me.”

  “And you went into therapy too, didn’t you?”

  Dan was angry. “I really don’t see the point of these questions. Yes, I did see a shrink. His name is Dr. David Phillips. Talk to him if you want to, but let’s get back on track with something of use. What have you done to find the man who tried to kill me?”

  “Ah,” Cameron mused, shifting his weight, uncrossing one leg and crossing the other. “The supposed attacker.”

  “Look at what that bastard did to me!” Dan yelled, pointing at his face.

  Cameron waved a hand. “Oh, I’ve no doubt that what you say is true. I question how you interpret it.”

  “God dammit, we’ve been through this before. Why didn’t he want my money or my watch?”

  “Perhaps he meant to take it after you were unconscious.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Okay, then. Why would Reverend Stone send someone to take you out?”

  “Maybe Melissa and I got too close to something and they want to threaten us to pull the reports.”

  “Have either of you gotten calls regarding that?”

  “No,” Dan answered quietly.

  “So again you’re making huge leaps in logic, jumping to conclusions.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re a creative man, Mr. Freeman. You need that to shoot your stories. I think you’re drawing upon that to explain away the things that have happened to you.”

  “Do you have a better explanation?”

  “I’m more interested to hear about the fight you had with Ms. Evans the afternoon she died. I also understand that a few months ago you came storming over there, pounding hard enough to bring the door down, demanding that she speak with you. This last time you actually threatened to smash it in.”

  Dan’s eyes burned like two hot points into Cameron. He was so furious with the man that he wasn’t very concerned about Mrs. Hardy going to the police. She had to be the one. He remembered she cracked her door open both times. The first time he even borrowed a pen and notepaper from her. He tried to think of what to say. Cameron seemed intent on accusing him. Not wanting to break down in front of the sergeant and babble in what he saw as false-truths, Dan focused his rage and continued staring. He didn’t know what else to do.

  The phone rang. After three rings, Cameron asked, “Aren’t you going to answer that?”

  Dan broke his glare and went over to the phone. As he walked over, Cameron reflected on what had transpired to this point. Freeman obviously had a temper. He didn’t at all enjoy the sensation creeping down his spine when Dan stared at him. He wondered if Dan had a history of schizophrenia or delusions. The man seemed capable of making up all kinds of wild stories and believing them. He jotted notes to that affect next to Dr. Phillips’s name.

  Dan answered the phone with a gruff hello.

  “Dan. I’m glad you’re home.” Melissa was on the other end. She sounded frightened.

  “Melissa? Is something wrong?”

  Cameron perked up. He went through the theatrics of ruffling through his notes, but he was really eavesdropping on their conversation.

  “I feel stupid calling…”

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” He threw a concerned glance toward Cameron. “What’s up?”

  Melissa stood in the darkness of her apartment, parting the curtains delicately and looking out into the street. She had shut the lights off a few minutes ago.

  “It’s probably nothing, but I’m a little scared over some calls I’ve been getting tonight.”

  “What kind of calls?” Dan asked.

  “Hang up calls. My machine picks them up, but nobody leaves a message. I’ve got the feeling someone’s trying to see if I’m home. I’ve had four so far. They keep coming at regular intervals, like someone’s doing it on a schedule.”

  “Stay there. I’ll be right over.” Dan cupped a hand over the mouthpiece and spoke to Cameron. “That is, if I’m excused.”

  “Is that Melissa Van Dyke?” Cameron asked.

  “Yes.”

  “May I speak with her for a moment?”

  Dan hesitated for a second, until he could hear Melissa’s tinny voice asking if he was still there. He raised the phone back to his mouth. “Hold on a second, honey. There’s someone here who wants to talk to you.”

  Melissa kept her vigilance, perplexed, wondering who was at Dan’s. The longer she stayed on the line the more anxious she felt. She didn’t want the caller to call back and get a busy signal. That would show she was home, and what that meant to him she didn’t want to think about.

  “Ms. Van Dyke?” a voice asked.

  “Yes?”

  “My name’s Miles Cameron. I’m a sergeant on the police force. I’m investigating the homicide of Janet Evans.”

  “I know who you are,” Melissa said, trying not to reveal any emotion in her voice.

  “I was wondering if I’d be able to ask you some questions. I understand you met her while you were working on your series that’s going to premiere this weekend.”

  “That’s right,” she said, her mouth dry. This prospect scared her more than the thought of someone in the shadows watching her from across the street. “When do you want to see me?”

  “Anytime tomorrow, whenever it’s convenient for you.”

  “Tomorrow’s Saturday. It’s the only day off I get this week since I have to be on the set Sunday night to introduce my piece. Can we make it Monday, or is it urgent?”

  Cameron narrowed his eyes to slits and gazed thoughtfully at Dan. This wasn’t a closed case yet.

  “I think it can wait until then. I’m looking forward to meeting you. I’m a big fan. Enjoy your day off.”

  He handed the phone back to Dan. Dan took it and said a quick goodbye to Melissa. Then he turned to Cameron.

  “How can you have the gall to tell her to enjoy her day off? She’s scared out of her wits! Some creep’s been calling her all night. She thinks it’s one of Stone’s people trying to find out if she’s home.”

  “Have her contact the police if it keeps up.”

  “Look,” Dan exploded, “I don’t care if you believe me. Arrest me right now if you want, but make sure that girl has protection. If they came after me, they’re likely to try for her too. And so help me, if something happens to her, I’ll have your head!”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Cameron said, smiling condescendingly. “You’d better get going. I’ve taken enough of your time.”

  Dan balled his hands into fists. It was all he could do to control his anger. Cameron had treated him like a child. No—more like the boy who cried wolf. He felt that the officer didn’t believe a word he said, and he knew he was being scrutinized during their whole conversation. He realized that he could have come across better, but it was too late for that now. He showed Cameron the door.

  A few minutes later he left for Melissa’s, hoping he wasn’t too late.

  “New Religions” Premieres

  *1*

  Dan arrived at Melissa’s and the two of them sat in the dark. They didn’t think they were being watched, otherwise Stone’s people would have had the perfect chance to make some kind of move when Dan showed up. Still, they didn’t dare turn on the TV for fear of someone seeing the blue glow from outside.

  T
he calls kept coming every fifteen minutes until they finally stopped around 2 a.m. Dan asked how Stone might have gotten her number.

  “They had me fill out some forms when I applied for membership, but I never put down my real number. But it still wouldn’t be too hard for him to get it. He’s got people from all walks of life in his group. One of them would have access to city directories.”

  The first call woke them sharply at eight the next morning. They had fallen asleep on her living room floor. Once again the machine picked up, only to record a hang up. By the time the second call came fifteen minutes later, Dan proclaimed enough was enough and pulled the phone cord out of the wall. He moved Melissa out of her apartment and into a Holiday Inn a few miles away.

  *2*

  Stone knew something was wrong when Bill Cambridge called and informed him that he wasn’t getting the answering machine anymore—the phone only rang on and on. He had Cambridge stop calling Melissa’s apartment soon after. That thrilled Cambridge because he was sick of driving to a different pay phone each time, even though he had a cellular phone, for fear of phone taps. He didn’t know he had nothing to worry about since Dan didn’t follow through on Cameron’s suggestion to contact the police should the calls continue.

  Stone pounded his fist on his desk in anger. Someone had been there to disconnect the answering machine, but where were they now? His plans were fouling up, and he felt more and more desperate: afraid of what that bitch Van Dyke might say on the air.

  Although now he could only speculate and guess, one thing was sure: he had a date with his television set come Sunday night at 11 p.m.

  *3*

  Saturday concluded without incident.

  Melissa stayed holed up in her room at the motel with Dan, not wanting to go outside lest she be recognized. They spent most of the time watching HBO and playing gin rummy. She tried to avoid the topic of Stone altogether. She resented him for driving her from her home. The longer she remained in the cramped space the angrier she became.

  Of course it was impossible to avoid the topic completely, but each time it came up they reached the same conclusion: they really had no next move.

  Stone, on the other hand, spent the remainder of the day planning all of his next moves.

  Sunday, it all came to a head.

  *4*

  Melissa prepped in the newsroom, getting ready to go on the air. Dan stood by her side.

  “What are you going to say?” he asked.

  “I suppose I won’t really know until the red light comes on.”

  Dan took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t say anything stupid.”

  She squeezed him back, smiled, and walked off to the set, nervous and sweaty.

  Dan plopped down in a chair, amused to find that the desk he had gravitated to was Jerry’s old one. In a way, it made sense. Time and again he came to Jerry when he had a problem.

  This was the second time in recent days he had thought of Jerry. Just before he left to go to Melissa’s apartment after his interrogation by Cameron, for some reason his gaze was drawn to the paperweight he had lifted from Jerry’s desktop. It was hidden away on a shelf, barely in view, something he forgot he even had. As he stared at the church buried in snow, he felt comforted, but also sorrowful.

  He wished Jerry were around to help him out.

  *5*

  Earlier in the day Jerry huddled under a blanket on the couch, grading papers. Occasionally he peered over a dull article to look out the window and watch the random flakes of snow drifting down.

  He was reading the work of one of his more promising students when the phone rang. Irritated at being interrupted during the only good paper he had read all day, he tossed the blanket off and shuffled to the phone in his slippers.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Jerry Stevens?”

  The man’s tone sounded serious. It was not a student as he had expected. A bit cautiously, he confirmed that he was.

  “This is Sergeant Miles Cameron. I’m calling regarding a friend of yours: Dan Freeman.”

  They talked for the next fifteen minutes.

  When Cameron hung up the phone a gratifying smile formed on his lips. Jerry Stevens had provided some interesting new information.

  *6*

  “In part two of my series we’ll look deeper into some of the New Age practices, including some interesting revelations from Reverend Stone as my interview with him continues.”

  “That bitch!”

  Kim didn’t see what Stone was so paranoid about.

  They were lying naked in his bed, the lights out except for the cool glow from the television. It was hard to see his face, but she could guess what it might look like: twisted and furrowed. When he finally did turn toward her, the dark cerulean splash from the TV filled his contours with a foreboding countenance.

  “That cunt is history,” he said under his breath.

  Unknowingly, Kim crossed her legs and shrank her sex away from him. When he was mad she was afraid of him. He could be rough when he was mad. And violent.

  She chose not to say anything.

  *7*

  Dan came up and gave Melissa a quick hug.

  “You did a really good job. I’m proud of you,” he whispered in her ear. He wanted to kiss her on the cheek, but this being the workplace, he didn’t think that was a good idea.

  “I held back, you know. Everyone’s walking around saying what a great segment it was, and they don’t know the half of it,” Melissa said, looking around the newsroom, almost despairing. “If only they could have…”

  “But you didn’t. And it was the smart thing to do. No one would’ve believed you anyway without solid proof.”

  “Probably not, but maybe another Janet wouldn’t have to die.”

  Dan held her close. “I have a feeling Janet knew what she was getting into. All Stone’s people do.”

  “Soon I’m gonna nail that bastard,” she said grimly.

  Dan became concerned. For Melissa, this was becoming a crusade. He loved her for what she was doing, but he wanted to protect her from it. He knew he never could fully. She was too independent, too strong, like Sigourney Weaver in Aliens. Whatever he said, she would strike out on her own if she felt it was right. Now, he thought she needed rest.

  “Let’s go back to the motel,” he suggested.

  “That sounds great,” she said. “I’m craving sleep.”

  They got their coats and headed toward the door. On the set, the meteorologist was describing a cold front coming in from Canada. In Michigan, record snowfall amounts had occurred. They ducked out of the station without anyone seeing them.

  Melissa sharply inhaled air so cold it hurt.

  “Did you see that?” she whispered.

  “See what?”

  Melissa squinted her eyes to mere slits. “I thought I saw someone watching us in that car.” She pointed to a maroon Cadillac. “When I looked over, he ducked down in the seat.”

  Dan looked, but saw nothing.

  “Are you sure?”

  Melissa took a good hard look before answering. She didn’t want to sound paranoid. Behind the windshield there were only two bucket seats. With the headrest, they looked like the shape of a person with wide shoulders. She supposed she could have been fooled. Still…

  “It looked like it. Now I’m not so sure.”

  Dan gave her the keys to his car. “I’ll go check it out. If something happens, get in the car, lock the doors, and drive away as fast as you can.”

  *8*

  Stone reached over Kim and grabbed the phone from a bedside table. He didn’t excuse himself, or ask her to hand it to him—it was as though she wasn’t there. The cord draped across her breasts. She wriggled out from beneath it. In his mood, she didn’t like being pinned by it. He was pissed. He pounded in Cambridge’s cell phone number.

  As the phone rang, he finally acknowledged Kim. She wasn’t sure whether she liked that or not.

  “You saw what she said about
me. How could she get away with that?”

  Kim shrugged her shoulders and wished that Bill would get off his butt and answer the damn phone. There was no answering Stone’s question, because she thought Melissa’s piece was harmless.

  “She hinted at things,” Stone continued, and Kim felt relieved when she realized his statement was rhetorical. He just liked to listen to the sound of his own voice, she concluded. “She didn’t come right out and say anything, but she will. Oh, yes…”

  Kim thought it best to just nod. It was because of her that Melissa first entered the hallowed halls of Reverend Stone’s cathedral. Every time she went back there, she felt the eyes of the others on her back. She sometimes wondered if she would share Janet’s fate. If things got fucked up enough, Kim knew she probably would. Seeing Melissa die would give her no remorse.

  Bill answered his phone finally. Stone barked out the order.

  “Kill them. Tonight.”

  It was as easy as that.

  With the word out, Stone rolled over Kim and slammed down the phone. As he hovered over, she looked into his eyes. He breathed out his hot breath on her cheek. “It is done,” he said, kicking her legs apart and descending upon her.

  She screamed. She saw madness in his eyes.

  *9*

  Mel grabbed his arm.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m just going to circle around and look in the windows. If someone’s hunched over, I’ll see ’em.”

  “And then what are you going to do? What if they’ve got a knife or a gun?” She looked at his face and the still healing wounds. “Remember what happened to you before.”

  He rubbed his knuckles where the skin had been split open. There was no worrying that he would forget.

  “Go to the car,” he said sternly, and took a few tentative steps toward the Cadillac.

  She watched him move cautiously, but made no movements of her own. The idea of retreating to the car while he faced possible danger out here alone was repugnant to her.