The Christmas Stalking

by Lillian Duncan

  Robby frowned. “That is not a good idea.”

  “Why? I was so careful when I left Nashville. I can’t believe anybody could follow me. “

  “You’re safe with me.” He picked up her luggage.

  She’d tossed a few things in a bag. Tomorrow she’d come out and get the rest.

  “But you can’t stay with me twenty-four-seven. Sooner or later, he’s going to keep his promise.” She pointed at the message. “He’s going to kill me.”

  “He’s not. I won’t let that happen. Trust me.”

  “Do you think I should call my security team?”

  “If you call them in, there’s a good chance the media will find out. And then, it will become a frenzied nightmare. I have an idea, but it will have to wait until morning.”

  She stared at him, wanting to believe he could fix it. “What’s that?”

  “Do you remember Leonard Massey?”

  She searched her memory banks, but shook her head. It had been almost twenty years since she’d been here.

  “He was the nerdy one. He always got picked last for the softball games—even after me.”

  A picture of a skinny boy with glasses popped in her mind. “Oh, yeah. I think I remember him.”

  “Well, Leonard couldn’t play softball that well, but he sure knows computers. He’s got a degree from MIT, and if anyone can figure out where those e-mails came from, he can.”

  “Why do we have to wait until morning?”

  “Because it would be rude to wake him up this late.” He tapped his watch. “He’ll think better after a good night’s sleep.”

  “Makes sense.” She could use one of those herself, not that she expected to sleep that night. She took a deep breath. “OK, where are you taking me?”

  “To the hotel.”

  “Will that be safe?”

  “It will be with me outside your door all night.”

  “I can’t—”

  He held up a hand. “You can’t stop me, ma’am. I’m the sheriff in this here cowpoke town and it’s my job to keep you safe,” he said in a mediocre John Wayne imitation. He tipped an imaginary hat. “And that’s just what I aim to do.”

  Her heart melted and surprisingly, so did her fear.

  6

  At 7:00 AM, someone knocked on Holly’s hotel door. Dressed and ready to face the day, she called, “Who is it?”

  “It’s Robb.”

  She opened the door.

  Robby was dressed in uniform and looked well rested in spite of the fact that he had spent most of the night outside her door. His curly black locks were still damp.

  She gave him a bright smile. “Good morning.”

  “You sound awfully chipper.”

  “What can I say? I’m a morning person.”

  Robby turned to the other officer still sitting in the chair. “OK, thanks for spelling me so I could get a shower, Hank. See you later.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” The officer stood and walked away.

  Robby turned back to her. “I guess you are. You didn’t look so good last night.”

  “I admit I fell apart last night, but there’s not much that a good night’s sleep can’t fix. Except maybe a stalker.”

  “True, but Leonard’s going to take care of that. I called him and explained the whole stalking situation to him. He’s expecting us.”

  “I believe you’re right, Chief Trenton. I can feel it in my bones. This is going to be a good day.”

  “Wow. You really are a morning person, aren’t you?”

  “I am.” She smiled—not quite ready to talk about her time with God. It was too special to talk about, even with Robby.

  “Want to go to the diner for some breakfast first?”

  “Not really.”

  He held up a finger, turned, and walked out the door. In the next moment, he was back with a brown paper bag in his hands. “I didn’t think you would, but you still need to eat, so I took the liberty of having some food delivered.”

  “You are too sweet, Robby Trenton. Certainly not the bully I remember.” She lowered her lashes, fluttered them, and gave him a smile.

  “Me, the bully. I think not. If I recall, you were the one who started the fights.”

  “If I’d known you were going to turn out so handsome and so nice, I might have returned sooner.”

  He winked. “Well, you’re here now and that’s all that matters. After we fix this mess, I want to get to know Miss Holly Stone a bit better.”

  She opened her mouth to speak. To tell him Holly Stone wasn’t all that interesting. Instead, she smiled. “I’d like that.” She stepped closer and his arms went around her. It felt so nice, so real, so safe. His desire to know her—Holly Stone and not Destiny—overwhelmed; her eyes filled with tears.

  He cupped her chin and lifted her face.

  Their lips met.

  She savored the warmth and the promise in them. With great reluctance, she stepped away. “Later. We’ve got a stalker to catch.”

  His fingers caressed her cheek, and then he winked. “Yes, ma’am we do.”

  John Wayne had returned.

  ****

  They drove down a back road. More of the white stuff had fallen during the night.

  Robby handled the car with ease, nudging it gently when the wheels slipped on the unplowed road. He looked over with a smile. “Len’s a little eccentric, but you’ll like him. He’s on the payroll of some New York City business, but works from home most of the time. He goes into the city for a week or so every few months. He’s happy as a clam.”

  “That’s nice. Not everybody can say that about their jobs.”

  “What about you? You like being a famous singer?”

  “Most of the time. Except when some crazy stalker comes along. Or when the paparazzi make my life miserable.”

  “Yeah, that would be bad. But all that fame—all that money.”

  “I’m not complaining. I know I’m blessed. So many wonderfully talented singers never make it.”

  He sang an off-key version of one of her songs. “What do you think? Have I got what it takes?”

  She grimaced. “I’d stick with your day job if I were you.”

  “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  “And one of the good things is that I can live anywhere and still make music.” Her cheeks warmed as he gave her a sidelong glance. She wanted him to know she didn’t have to live in Nashville.

  His hand topped hers. “That’s good to hear.” He pulled into a driveway.

  A white farmhouse was at the end of the lane. A barn and several other outbuildings were scattered behind it.

  “Leonard lives on a farm?”

  “Not just any farm. Don’t you recognize it? It’s my old house. I sold it to him a few years ago after my parents died.”

  “Oh, Robby. Both of them?”

  “Yes.” His voice held a thread of old pain. “A car accident. Anyway, as the chief of police, I needed to live closer to town. And Len liked the idea of living on a farm so it worked out for both of us.”

  “So, that means my cabin is through those woods.” She pointed at the trees beyond the farmhouse.

  “Good sense of direction.”

  “A computer genius and a farmer?”

  “Not really. He rents his fields out to another farmer. He has a few horses and maybe a chicken or two, but mostly cats. Everyone drops them off here, and he takes care of them.”

  “Is he married?”

  “He’d have to date a woman before he could get married. He’s not very good with women.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. Len’s a great guy and any woman would be lucky to have him. He’s just so focused on what he does, he forgets work isn’t everything.”

  “That makes sense. I’m the same way. Especially when it’s time to record. I eat, sleep, and drink my music. And truthfully, I’m not all that much fun to be around.”

  “I find that hard to believe, Holly.” He w
inked at her.

  Warmth blossomed in her heart like a flower bud in the spring. Coming to Serenity might be the best thing she’d done in a long time.

  Robby opened her car door and held out a hand.

  Clasping his fingers with her gloved hand, she walked towards the white farmhouse.

  7

  Holly stared at her breath as they walked up the steps. She longed for the heat and green grass of Nashville. This place was too cold for her southern bones. She stood beside Robby as he rapped on the door.

  Footfalls on wooden floors pounded and the door opened.

  Leonard stepped onto the porch. His gaze settled on their clasped hands, but he made no comment.

  Holly pulled her hand away from Robby’s.

  Leonard’s gazed traveled upward. “Holly Stone. It’s been a long time.”

  Leonard hadn’t changed much since the last time she’d seen him—eighteen years ago. Still skinny and wearing glasses, but taller. She smiled at the man who might be able to save her. “It’s been a long time, Leonard.”

  He smiled. “It has been. Come on in. It’s freezing out there.”

  “See, he knows it’s cold.” She pointed at Robby with her gloved hand. “Your friend here seems to love the winter weather.”

  “Well, he can enjoy it.” Leonard motioned them in. “I’ll stay where it’s nice and warm.”

  She walked inside.

  Leonard wasn’t kidding.

  The room was stifling hot.

  She pulled off her purple stocking hat and then the gloves.

  “It’s like an oven in here,” Robby complained. “That can’t be good for the computers.”

  “Don’t care. I might live in upstate New York, but I don’t have to freeze while I’m doing it.”

  The scent of cinnamon and apples made her forget she’d already eaten breakfast. “It smells good in here.”

  “Just made some apple fritters. From my own apple trees. Want one?”

  “Sure.”

  “Follow me.” He glanced back and gave her a shy smile. “I love to cook and bake. It helps me relax.”

  “That’s nice.”

  He led the way to the kitchen. Picking up a plate, he held it out to her.

  Choosing the smallest of the huge icing-covered apple fritters, she smiled. “If it tastes as good as it looks, I could be in trouble.”

  “It does, but you could eat a ton of them. You’re in great shape. I mean you have a great bod—well, you don’t have to worry about your weight.” His cheeks flamed red.

  Holly hid her smile.

  Leonard handed the plate to Robby. “Here have one. I’ll get some milk. Then we can talk.”

  They sat around the kitchen table.

  “Robb tells me you have a problem. It’s hard to believe the police can’t figure out the source of the e-mails.” Leonard looked at her.

  “It surprised me, too. But Mark—that’s my manager—said each time they get close, the guy shuts down the e-mail address and disappears.”

  “Computers are like people. They always leave trace evidence. You just have to know how to follow it. Let’s see what I can find out.”

  “I don’t have my laptop with me.”

  “That’s OK. I don’t need it.”

  “Really?”

  “As long as I have your e-mail address and passwords, that will get us started.”

  “Great.”

  “OK, then. I’ve got work to do, but I’ll come back out in a few hours to see what’s going on,” Robby said. “Holly, are you staying or going?”

  “I don’t know.” She glanced at Leonard. “Do you want me to stay?”

  His cheeks flushed red, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Robby was right about him being shy with women. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. But I might need more information.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I can always call you, but...if you want to stay that would be nice, Destiny.”

  “Then I’ll stay. And you can call me Holly. “

  “Then it’s settled. I’ll see you later. Hopefully, you’ll find out who this creep is by the time I get back.” Robby left.

  Leonard led Holly into the living room.

  One wall had a huge computer desk with two different computers. There were several printers and a few other machines Holly couldn’t identify.

  A huge flat screen TV hung on another wall with two recliners facing it. A stereo system was under the television. A wood-burning stove rounded out the room.

  “Interesting décor, Leonard.”

  “Call me Len. Everybody does, Destiny.”

  “OK, call me Holly. Destiny is my stage name.”

  “If it’s all the same, I’ll call you Destiny. I love your music, by the way.”

  “Really?”

  He went to the stereo system and held up a CD case. “Only music I buy. The rest I listen to on satellite radio or an mp3, but I always buy your CDs.”

  The apple fritter she’d eaten was heavy on her stomach. Robby hadn’t known who she was, but Len did? That didn’t make sense. Robby said they were good friends. Surely, they would have discussed her at some point. “So, you knew I was Destiny?”

  He sat down at the computer and hit some buttons on the keyboard. “Time to get to work. Let’s find that stalker of yours so you can get back to making beautiful music.”

  “Len, you didn’t answer my question.”

  He looked up from the monitor. “What question?”

  “I asked if you knew I was Destiny before today.”

  “Does it matter?”

  A chill went down her spine. “Just curious.”

  “Of course, I knew. It took me a little while to figure it out, but once I learned your real name was Holly, it didn’t take long to figure out Destiny was Holly Stone. No big deal.”

  “You’re right, no big deal. So Robby knew I was Destiny?”

  Len nodded, but looked confused. “Well, he didn’t know until I told him and even then he argued until I proved it to him.”

  Disappointment coursed through her. Robby had lied—pretending not to know she was Destiny. Maybe she couldn’t trust him. She bit her lip and put the CD back where it belonged.

  “You can watch TV while I work if you want.”

  “It won’t bother you?”

  “Not at all. I usually keep it on—or I listen to your CDs.” He’d already returned his focus to the keyboard.

  She grabbed the remote and sat on the recliner. She turned the TV to some rerun but couldn’t keep her mind on the plot.

  Robby lied. The question was, why?

  She’d believed she could trust him—but now she wasn’t so sure.

  The emotional part of her wanted to react. The logical sane part told her not to jump to conclusions, but to wait and ask him about it. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation…maybe Robby hadn’t lied.

  Another cold spike ran down her back.

  8

  Holly sat in the recliner pretending to watch TV. In reality, for the past two hours she watched Len as he worked. He was intent on what he was doing. Every so often he would sigh or mutter. He didn’t seem to be having much success.

  Len looked up. “This guy is good. Every time I get close, the lead fizzles. “

  Another dead end. Why couldn’t anyone find the stalker? Somehow, the person had found her in spite of all her precautions. Maybe she should let Destiny disappear forever?

  “So, I guess that’s the end of that?” she asked. “Thanks for trying.”

  “Not yet. I’m not going to give up until I find him. It’s the only way you’ll feel safe.”

  What a sweet guy.

  “Robby tells me you work for a New York business.”

  He nodded, but didn’t look up. “I do. I go to New York, sometimes. Maybe the next time you’re there, we can...uh...you know get together. For dinner.”

  “That would be nice. I’m surprised you wouldn’t choose to live in the big city.”

  “Nah, I
like it here with all the people I grew up with. It’s comfortable being here, going to the church I’ve always gone to. Speaking of church, Destiny. We’re having a Christmas Eve service.”

  “I know. Robby invited me to go.”

  He chuckled. “Of course, he did. He always goes after the pretty girls.”

  She smiled.

  “You know what would be a great idea? You could sing at the Christmas Eve service. I know Renee—the choir director—would love that. What do you think?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Len. I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

  “But everyone would love it. With your voice, you’d sound like an angel. It would be a great surprise, don’t you think?”

  She realized he was sincere in his invitation. “Probably not. Maybe another time, though.”

  He looked disappointed, but nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. So, what’s it like? Being rich and famous?”

  She patted his shoulder, feeling bad about not accepting his invitation. “It’s actually hard work most of the time. But there’s still time for some fun, too.”

  She wandered to his stereo system, checking out the music. All her CDs were there—even the early ones.

  “Yeah, I saw you on the Country Music Awards a while back. That looked like fun.”

  “It was, but it still involved work. Had to rehearse and study my lines. And dress up. You can’t imagine what’s involved in looking like this.” She picked up her latest CD and pointed to the glamorous picture on the cover. “It’s not all fun and games.”

  “That’s one of my favorite covers. You look so beautiful.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Robb should be back any minute.”

  “How do you know—?”

  A loud knock sounded on the door.

  Len grinned. “I have secret powers.”

  “So I see.”

  He held up a cell phone. “The power of texting. Come on in, Chief,” he called out.

  Robby had a grim look on his face. “Did you find anything?”

  Her emotions had calmed during the past two hours. However, Robby needed to explain some things. But it could wait until they were alone.