Trudie snatched the paper from her hands. “I’d like to see that, if you don’t mind. After all, this is my home, and I will let Mr. De Almeida know who comes and goes around here.”
“Of course, Trudie. But I think he should still search anything being delivered, and get your approval on anyone not on that list.”
Looking over the list, Trudie shook her head. “This list is grossly inaccurate, Noella. Where’s Billy’s name? He’s the grocery delivery boy. Or Betty Sue, my maid, or Fannie, my hair dresser?”
“Well, of course I intended for you to add to the list, honey. The point is that no one, or nothing, gets past Javier.”
Trudie was hating the idea already, but she picked up an ink pen from the counter and wrote in all the names she could think of off the top of her head, including Annie’s. Then she handed it back to Noella.
Noella eyed Annie’s name, but said nothing. She didn’t think Annie would be dumb enough to come around again after the stunt she pulled with the news media. Now that the stalker was most likely after her, Noella was sure she’d never come back here again.
Trudie watched Noella’s face as she read the list, and something told her that she needed to set things straight right off the bat. “Mr. De Almeida, I appreciate your willingness to risk your own safety for mine, but you should know that there is a particularly nasty stalker after me, and he has already killed once. I say that with dispassion because I want you to know what you’re being asked to do.”
“Ms. Rutherford did explain that, and I assure you, I am prepared to protect you at any cost.”
“Thank you,” Trudie said. “Did she also tell you that although she hired you, I write the checks? So if you have something to report, report it directly to me, understand?”
“Understood, ma’am.”
“Okay, well then. There you go,” Noella said, handing the list to Javier. “I’ll call you this afternoon, Trudie, all right?”
“Sure. Thanks, Noella,” Trudie said.
As Noella got on the elevator, Trudie stood at the doorway and watched Javier pull out a fold-up chair and unfolded it. He sat it in the corner directly in front of Trudie’s door. The chair had a Razorback emblem on the back, and a messed cup holder on each arm. He pulled out his water bottle and put it in one cup holder, and set an energy bar in the other. Then he sat an empty bottle on the floor beside the chair.
Trudie started to ask him what the empty bottle was for, when the elevator dinged. She stepped back, ready to slam the door shut, just as Javier jumped in front of her, blocking the door with his mass.
“Identify yourself,” Javier demanded.
“I’m Donny Wilcox, head of the maintenance department for this building,” he responded.
“It’s okay, Javier,” Trudie said, putting her hand on the guard’s shoulder. “He’s a friend, let him in. Oh, and put him on the list, please.”
Javier stepped to the side, and Donny walked past him into the condo. Trudie shut the door behind him, not wishing for Javier to join the conversation she was about to have with her guest.
“Donny, what brings you up here? I didn’t put in a— oh, God, is Annie all right?”
“Yes, she’s fine. She asked me to give you this and for you to keep it a secret.” Donny handed Trudie a brown envelope.
Trudie looked inside the envelope and then back at him. “I have a phone already, why do I need this one?” she asked, pulling out a prepaid cellphone.
Donny shrugged. “I’m not sure, but she said she would explain everything as soon as you called her. Her number is on the phone already.”
“Thank you, I’ll call her right now,” Trudie said with the eagerness of a kid at Christmas.
“She said to make sure that you were alone before you called, so I’ll give you some privacy,” Donny said, opening the door.
She didn’t hear Donny leave as she clicked on the number provided and listened for Annie to answer it.
“Hey, baby. Are you all right?”
Trudie exhaled a sigh of relief. “I’m all right, but are you? What were you thinking, telling that rag that we were practically engaged?”
“It’s okay, I know what I’m doing,” Annie assured her, feeling guilty that she had to lie to her. “Listen, has the stalker contacted you since the news broke?”
“Yes, once before the news came out, and then right after.”
“Tell me about both,” Annie requested.
“I got a bouquet of roses with a cryptic card that said they were glad I sent you away. Oh, Annie. I’m so sorry I had to do that.”
“You did the right thing, Trudie. I knew what you were doing, and I felt the love behind it.”
“It was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do.”
“It’s all right, princess. Your champion understood.”
“God, I love when you talk like that,” Trudie laughed.
“And I love that you love that. Now, what did he say the second time?”
Trudie’s smile vanished, and her voice fell flat. “He called me this morning and said that he had warned me, and that no one can have me but him.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yes, good,” Annie repeated. “If I can scare him enough, he will do something stupid and I can catch him. Listen, first off, I believe that he is a she. Second, I believe that she has hacked your computer and maybe your Skype program. That’s why I sent you the burner phone. Only talk to me on that, okay?”
“Sure, but shouldn’t I get rid of my cellphone and laptop?”
“Not yet. I want your permission to hack into your laptop and look around. If they did hack you, then I want to watch them watching you.”
“Oh, my God!” Trudie exclaimed.
“What? What’s wrong? Trudie?”
“I’m all right. It’s just that, I um, did some things in front of my laptop, um, oh, God, how embarrassing.”
“Damn. And I wasn’t there. You know, once I hack in, you’re welcome to do some more things in front of your laptop.”
Trudie could hear the playfulness in Annie’s voice and it made her smile. “I think not. If the stalker is watching me, then that only added fuel to his crazy pecker fire. Oh, God.” Trudie shivered. She suddenly needed to take a shower. If only Annie could join her to erase the ugly vision from her mind.
“Trudie, like I said, it could be a woman. They’re the ones who have the closest contact with you. So be wary of them, too, okay? In fact, Noella is my prime suspect.”
“Now you are talking crazy.”
“Think about it. She was around before Leigh and has total control of your life. And when she’s not around, she could be spying on you through your laptop or cellphone.”
“She spoke with the stalker on my cellphone at the same time that I did. So how could that be?”
“Automated playback maybe. I’ll ask Jeff; he’s really good with computers.”
“I don’t believe for one second that Noella is the one, but you do what you need to do. When can I see you again?”
“Not until I catch the stalker. It’s not safe for you.”
“If you can risk your life for me, I can certainly do the same for you.”
“No. You didn’t ask me to do this; it was my idea alone. So I don’t want you risking anything for me, understand?”
“I understand, but I don’t like it one damn bit,” Trudie declared.
“I can understand that, but there’s something you should know about me. Something that I shared with your mother.”
“And what is that?”
“I can sense the future. Seriously. I can tell if it’s right for me. Like the Air Force was right for me, but I can’t visualize myself retiring from it. But I can totally visualize you and me making love on top of a camel in Egypt someday. Uh, that last part I left out when I talked to your mother.”
Trudie laughed so hard she was crying. Not because she thought it was ridiculous, but because she now had the vision of h
umping Annie on the hump of a camel. “God, I love you, Annie.”
“Do you really mean it, Trudie?”
“Yes, I really do, Annie.”
“Thank God, because I really do love you, too. So, do I have your permission to spy on you?”
“As kinky as that sounds, yes, you have my permission.”
“Good. There’s a listening device in the envelope Uncle Donny gave you. It looks like a thumb drive. It is voice activated and will allow me to hear your conversations on your computer. Just plug it into a USB drive, and I’ll be able to hear what’s being said, even when you’re not using the computer.”
“Oh. I guess I’d better watch what I say, then.”
“Not on my account, you don’t. I’d love to know what you say about me when I’m not around.”
“The same thing I’m saying to you now: you’re wonderful.”
***
As soon as the stalker saw Annie and Jeff came out of the building, get into Annie’s Jeep, and drive away, they got out of their car and entered Annie’s apartment building. Trudie must be made to understand what lengths I will go to… again. I got too comfortable hiding behind a monitor, watching her make love to me. Oh, God, that was so good.
Inserting the wrench into the bottom of the key hole, and then sliding in the pick, the stalker rotated the wrench as they moved the pick back and forth until they heard the pins set. It’s amazing what money can buy a person these days. A couple of thousand dollars bought me access to Trudie’s computer. Another thousand bought me the home address of that homewrecker, Annie, and now for the mere price of five hundred dollars, I can pick Annie’s lock.
The living room was dark, lit only by the single window, but that was enough to see that the color of the walls was pale blue, the carpet was a light tan, and the reupholstered furniture was light brown. Not much of a fashion style. On a shelf over the flat screen TV was a framed photo of a man with a little girl. Beside it was a picture of two women, one older. The frame had hearts in each corner. Either that’s Annie and her mother, or Annie’s into much older women. No class at all. The third photo was of all three of the people in the first two, with Annie in uniform, posing in between the man and woman. This should do the trick.
***
Later that evening, after consuming a few beers and eating a large pizza, Jeff accomplished his mission. “We’re in!” he shouted.
“You did it, Davis,” Annie said, slapping Jeff on the shoulder.
“Yeah, and it only took me five hours.”
“Well, it was your first time. I think that’s pretty good for a virgin,” Annie joked.
Sitting on the couch, bent over the laptop, with an empty pizza box on the floor, Annie and her new best friend, Airman Jeff Davis, picked up their beer bottles and clinked them together in a toast.
“Can we tell if the stalker is online, too?” Annie asked, moving closer to the monitor.
“I wrote a program to alert me when the camera is turned on. Like now. See the box in the upper right hand corner? Green means off, red means that someone is on.”
“It’s green. So it doesn’t show us on there?”
“Correct,” Jeff said. “Look. Isn’t that Trudie?”
Trudie walked out of her bedroom in a robe and slippers, her hands tucked deep in the robes pockets. She stopped when the prepaid cellphone she kept in her pocket vibrated.
“Hey, baby.”
“Annie!”
“Are you alone?” Annie asked hurriedly.
“Yes. Just me and the zoo animals,” Trudie joked.
“Good. Listen, don’t use my name when you answer the phone, okay? We don’t want anyone to know who you’re talking to.”
“All right, then what should I call you? Oh, I know, what’s your middle name?”
“I was named after my parents, so don’t blame me, but my middle name is the same as my father’s middle name, it’s Zachary.”
“I love it. Okay, Zach, have you called to tuck me in?”
“Yes, but first I wanted to let you know that I can see you, looking so beautiful in that bathrobe and bunny slippers.”
Trudie looked down at her slippers. “I’m not wearing bunny— wait, you can see me?”
“Yes, Davis was able to hack into your computer,” Annie explained.
Trudie walked into the office and sat down. “But why can’t I see you?”
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Annie said, touching her fingertips to the screen. “Uh, you can’t see me for the same reason you can’t see the stalker. We hacked into your camera, not your Skype program. Anything you do on the computer, we can see. But don’t worry, the stalker isn’t online right now, and if they come online, I’ll text you to let you know, okay?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’m going to catch the bastard.”
“Oh, Ann— I mean, Zachary, this is so unfair. I’m so in love with you, and I haven’t even kissed you yet. Do you know how frustrating that is?”
“Trust me, I’m saving a ton of money taking cold showers these days,” Annie sympathized. “But think of how amazing it will be when this is over and we’re together. Baby, I’m on fire just thinking about it.”
“Uh, Nichols, I think you could use a cold shower right now,” Jeff said.
“Is someone with you?” Trudie asked incredulously.
“It’s just my buddy, Davis. He helped me get into your computer. But don’t worry, he’s a good guy. You met him at the book signing.”
“Um, well, nice to meet you again, Davis. In my pajamas. Talking private thoughts with my girlfriend.”
Jeff blushed. “You can call me Jeff, ma’am.”
“I wish you could see him, baby. He’s beet red,” Annie teased.
Jeff stood up and looked at Annie. “I’ve got to take a leak… or something. I’ll give you the room.”
Annie nodded. “Thanks, man.”
“Thanks, Jeff,” Trudie said.
“No need to thank me, ma’am,” Jeff assured her. “My girlfriend was very grateful for your note on her book. I mean very grateful.”
“All right, stop rubbing it in,” Annie insisted.
Jeff was laughing as he left the room.
“Okay, we’re alone now, baby. And as much as I could get off on having phone sex with you, I need you to promise me something first.”
“Don’t worry, honey, I promise to be gentle,” Trudie tantalized.
“Too bad, I like it rough,” Annie boasted.
“If only you were in this room right now…”
“I know exactly how you feel. But I still need you to promise me, on the love in your heart, that if something happens to me, you will not mourn your life away again. It would break my heart.”
“Damn it, Annie. You can’t ask me to make that promise. You’re the reason I have hope again... want to love again. The reason I masturbated in front of a peeping Tom, for God’s sake!”
“Yeah, but you didn’t know it at the time,” Annie inserted.
Trudie’s frustration escalated into anger. “Look, Zachary. It was your damn idea to go after the fucking murderer, not mine, so you damn sure better come out of this alive or I will never forgive you. So you promise me!”
“Okay. Okay.” Annie held up her hands in surrender. “I promise you that nothing will happen to either of us.” Please, God, don’t let anything happen to her.
“That’s more like it,” Trudie said calmly.
“Yep, I can see who’s going to wear the pants in this relationship,” Annie said, not so jokingly.
Trudie laughed whole heartedly, and then, even though she couldn’t see Annie, she leaned in and kissed the monitor screen.
But Annie could see Trudie’s lips, made larger by the monitor, and she kissed the screen, also, leaving a little moisture where her tongue caressed the glass. Damn, this is fucking hard. “Okay, baby. You get a good night’s rest, and remember, even if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, I’ll be watch
ing you. Oh, uh, I didn’t mean that in a creepy way.”
“Coming from you, it sounded heavenly,” Trudie replied. “Do we have to hang up? I’m not tired at all.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, but I have to go to work in a few minutes.”
“At this hour?”
“Yes, remember, I work security at night for extra money.”
Trudie nodded. “I remember, but I thought that—”
“That since you payed off my mother’s medical bills I wouldn’t have to work anymore? Didn’t you get my IOU?”
“Yes, but I didn’t pay it off so that you’d owe me. I paid it off so that you wouldn’t have to work maintenance here anymore. So that you would be safe.”
“The debt just changed hands, baby, but I still have to pay it off, so it doesn’t matter where I work. And I certainly will not owe that kind of money to the woman I love.”
“But the woman you love, loves you too much to expect it to be paid back.”
“Are we having our first argument?” Annie asked playfully, but then became more serious. “Because I will not back down on this, Trudie, so you’d best accept it now, okay?”
“Okay,” Trudie said. For now. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodnight, my princess.”
Chapter Eighteen
One o’clock Tuesday morning and Annie was making her rounds at the grocery store where she worked as security. It wasn’t a bad job, but it gave her too much time to think. Too much time to worry.
“Excuse me. Do you know where the ketchup is?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t. I work security,” Annie explained to the wayward shopper.
“Oh, yes. How foolish of me. I see the gun now,” the woman said, taking a step back.
Annie nodded and stuck her thumbs in her belt. “You can check at the front desk; they can help you.”
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