by Patricia Fry
****
A few days later, Savannah sat on the loveseat in her living room with tears in her eyes as she dialed her phone. "Hi, Craig. This is Savannah."
"Yeah, I know. How are you?"
"Not so good."
"What's wrong, honey?" he asked
"Craig, I'm scared."
"What's happening?"
"Could you come by when you have a chance? I think I'm being stalked."
"What? Who? Listen, I'll be right there."
"Thank you, Craig." She started to end the call and then said into the phone, "Oh Craig, Lily and I are going outside. We'll be on the porch."
Twenty minutes later, Savannah heard Craig drive into their circular driveway. She walked around to the front of the house and met him as he came up the steps.
He frowned when he saw her. "You're shaking." He took her hands, looked into her eyes, and said, "Now tell me, what's going on?"
Savannah pulled away and turned. "Well, I feel kind of silly about calling you, Craig," she said as she led him around to where Lily lay in her swing, "but it has me freaked out." She sat in a cushioned wicker chair, pulled her feet up under her, and motioned for Craig to sit across from her.
Before sitting down, he smiled down at Lily and tickled her tummy. Then he spotted Rags stretched out on the porch. "I see the cat's getting some fresh air."
"Yeah, it's been a while since he's been out. I think he was suffering from cabin fever."
Craig smiled and then looked at Savannah. With concern in his voice, he asked. "So what's going on? Talk to me."
"Well, like I told you on the phone, I think I'm being stalked."
The detective straightened his posture, narrowing his eyes. "What makes you think that?" he asked. "Do you know who it is?"
Savannah bowed her head. "Yes. I know who it is. He keeps calling me. Wants me to have coffee with him. Shows up wherever I go." She raised her voice an octave. "I even saw him in my rearview mirror today when Lily and I were driving back from seeing my horse at my friend Bonnie's stable."
"Who is it?" Craig asked gently.
Savannah took a breath and said, "Lance Grayson."
Craig pressed his lips together in a thin line, slumped a little into the chair, and said, "Well, I'll be…" He focused on Savannah again and lowered is voice. "How long has this been going on?"
She thought for a minute and said, "Three or four days." She choked up. "Auntie told me he wouldn't leave me alone—wouldn't take no for an answer. Boy, was she right."
"Has he approached you?"
She looked across at him. "Well, yeah. He came here once. My aunt was here, but I don't think he knew it because she had walked over—her car wasn't here. Since she was here, I invited him in. He has called me several times since. I don't answer his calls."
"Does he leave messages?"
"Yes." She lowered her head. "He wants to meet for coffee. Just to talk. He's lonely. Doesn't know many people here and feels we're like kindred spirits or something. He's having some problems in his life and believes that just being with me would help him resolve them. He just wants to be friends, nothing more, he says."
"And you say he follows you around?"
"Yes, it seems so. Like I said, I saw him on my way back from Bonnie's today. I run into him at the grocery store. He came into the diner one day when I stopped there to see Iris about something."
"Savannah, have you told Michael about this?"
She let out a sigh. "No. I don't want to worry him. And I'm furious about that. We've never kept anything from each other." She pounded her fists on her thighs. "It just makes me so mad that that…man has put me in this position."
"Savannah, tell your husband what's going on. Don't keep this from him. You have to tell him. I'll bring you a restraining order form and help you go through the process. I don't want him anywhere near you or anyone else I love."
Lily began fussing a little and Savannah picked her up, hugging the baby to her. "Do you think he's dangerous?"
Craig avoided eye contact. He cleared his throat.
"Craig?" she said.
"He could be, Savannah. He's on my priority list to get his DNA. I'll do that today." The detective paused and then said quietly, "He has a history of violence. A couple of random incidents at bars, and there are some cases of domestic violence on the books…all with charges dropped."
Savannah took in a ragged breath. "Oh my gosh." She held Lily tightly.
"What time does Michael get home?" Craig asked.
"Could be anytime."
"Okay if I stay until he gets here? I'd like to talk to him." He looked into her eyes. "I want you to talk to him about this, too."
"Okay," she said. She rubbed one of Lily's feet. Kissed her on top of the head.
Craig reached over and tweaked the toes on the baby's other foot. She kicked her foot and smiled.
"Can I get you anything, Craig?" Savannah asked. "Ice water, tea, coffee?"
"Yeah, do you have iced tea or iced coffee? That sounds good."
"I can make some. Want to hold the baby?"
"Sure do," he said. "Come here girlie. Come to Uncle Craig."
Savannah smiled upon hearing Craig begin to recite Little Miss Muffet Sat on a Tuffet. She walked over to Craig and kissed him on the cheek.
He looked up at her. "What was that for?"
"Because you're such a good guy," she said, patting him on the shoulder.
Michael walked into the kitchen just as she finished making a glass of iced coffee. "Is that Craig's car in the driveway?" he asked looking around.
"Oh hi, hon. Yes, he's on the porch," she said as she led the way out the side kitchen door. She handed Craig the iced coffee. "Just the way you like it, I hope—cream, two sugars, and lots of ice."
"Ah, looks delicious and refreshing. Thanks."
The two men greeted one another.
"Want an iced coffee, hon?" Savannah asked.
"Sure. Looks good," he said.
This time when she returned to the porch, she noticed that Michael had a strained look on his face. After setting the drink on the small patio table, Michael took Savannah's hand, pulled her gently down on the porch swing next to him, and said quietly, "Savannah, Craig says someone's been bothering you. What's this all about? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Oh Michael," she said, tears spilling over onto her cheeks, "I thought I could take care of it without bothering you. I'm so sorry. Craig's right. I should have told you when it started." She shook her head. "I didn't know he would keep pursuing me." She began to sob. "I did everything to discourage him."
"Awww, honey," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you. But I am worried. Of course, I'm worried and angry. Who is this guy? Do you know him? Is it someone we know?"
Savannah nodded. "Yeah, we know him. It's Lance Grayson."
Michael pinched his lips together. He looked as if he would explode. He took in a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "The nerve of that jerk," he hissed. "Who does he think he is, trying to get in the middle of our life like that?" He looked at Craig. "So what can you do about it? Can you arrest him?"
Craig shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Michael…at least not at this point." He handed Lily the stuffed kitty she had dropped for the umpteenth time and said, "But, as I told Savannah, I need to do a DNA test on him in the murder case."
Michael lurched forward and looked Craig sternly in the face. "You think he's the killer? A murderer is after my wife? That is not acceptable, Craig. You have to do something!"
Craig put up his hand. "No, he hasn't been accused. There's no evidence indicating that he killed Julie. Cheryl is still on our radar. But we have to cover all our bases. Someone was sleeping with that woman before she was killed and I aim to find out who it was."
Craig tickled Lily's tummy and laughed when she gurgled at him. "Well, as much as I hate to leave the company of such a lovely young lady, Uncle Craig has to go."
&
nbsp; Lily began to fuss and he said, "I know I'm your favorite uncle. I'll come back and play with you another day, okay? Now go drool on your daddy for a while," he said as he handed the baby over to Michael.
"Wait, where's Rags?" Savannah shouted. She quickly stood and began to look around. "Craig, did you see him take off?" she asked.
He shook his head and joined her in the search. As the duo reached the far south side of the large porch, he said, "There he is. Over by those big bushes."
"Rags," Savannah called. "Where do you think you're going?"
Michael caught up with the pair, pointed, and said, "Looks like he's fixing to climb that tree." He chuckled. "Oops, there he goes."
Savannah jogged toward the cat and attempted to grab him before he was out of her reach. "Dang," she said, "I knew I couldn't trust him." She pushed her side bangs off her forehead and said, "He was just lying there so nicely, so I took the leash off. Then I turned my back."
"And Rags took advantage," Michael said.
Craig stood back, an amused grin on his face as he watched Savannah attempt to lure the cat down out of the bushy tree.
"Here," Michael said, handing Lily to the detective. He walked over to where Savannah stood and looked up at the cat, who was all but hidden by the thick foliage. "Rags, come down from there, will you?"
"Maybe he'll go in the house if we open that upstairs window," Savannah suggested. "I haven't ordered a new screen since the other one was damaged when Julie…"
"I just hope he doesn't hang himself with that harness," he said. "Savannah, why did you take the leash off? You know you can't trust him." He didn't notice his wife stifling tears. He was too intent on getting his hands on the cat. "Where's the ladder?" he asked.
Savannah took in a ragged breath and said, "I'll get it."
"No, just tell me where it is," he said. "It's heavy."
"Out by the corral, I think—behind the tack room."
"I'll be right back," he said. "Keep an eye on the cat, will ya?"
Savannah nodded, still near tears. She glanced at Craig, who was staring up toward the cat. "Savannah," he said, walking closer to the thick, brushy tree, "is that something stuck up there in the tree?" He peered up into the limbs. "What is that?"
"What?" she asked, moving toward him.
"That red thing just above the cat, there."
"I don't' know," she said.
"Do you see it?"
"Yes, I can see a little bit of red. I can't tell what it is, though. Rags seems to be interested in it."
"Okay, move back," Michael ordered when he returned with the ladder.
"Michael," Savannah said, "there's something in the tree. See if you can tell what it is."
"I'm not on a treasure hunt, Savannah. I just want to get the cat out of there before he hurts himself."
Savannah and Craig looked at one another and rolled their eyes. "Testy, isn't he?" she whispered.
"He's under a lot of pressure right now," Craig explained.
Savannah lowered her eyes. "Yeah, I know."
"Well, I'll be," Michael said.
"What?" Savannah asked eagerly.
"It's Adam's fire engine."
Savannah scrunched up her face. "In the tree? Well, that's odd. Can you get it?"
"Maybe," he said.
"Wait!" Craig shouted.
Both Savannah and Michael looked in the detective's direction.
"It could be a clue," Craig explained. "We need to treat it as evidence. Let me get it so we don't compromise any prints."
"What?" Michael said. "Evidence? Heck, Craig, Adam probably knocked it off the window sill without knowing it or tossed it out the window for some reason. It's just a toy."
"That's not right," Savannah said. "There's always a screen on that window. He would never take the screen off and toss his fire engine out."
Michael scratched his head. "Well, okay then. Let me get the cat down and you can go up and get the…evidence," he said. "Come on Rags. Looks like you've uncovered another clue."
A few minutes later, Craig lowered himself down the ladder, Adam's fire engine under one arm wrapped in a towel Savannah had given him. He looked down at Rags, who was now attached to a leash and under Michael's control. "So, your cat has done it again…or so it seems," he said. "It'll be interesting to see what secrets this toy holds, if any." He looked up into the tree and said, "Right under our noses—we just couldn't see it for the thick branches."
"So what can you do to offer protection for my wife?" Michael asked as he walked with Craig toward his car.
"I'll have a talk with Grayson and we'll start the process to prepare a restraining order."
"What good does a restraining order do?" Michael asked.
"If Savannah sees him anywhere near where she is, she can call the police and have him arrested." Craig leaned toward Michael. "Technically, there will be a distance written into the document—100 yards or something. But I figure if Savannah can see him and he's not walking away from her, he's violating the order."
Michael scowled. "I'd like to violate his space with my fist," he said.
"Take it easy, Michael," Craig said. "I'm pretty sure I can take care of this for you."
Michael watched the detective drive out the driveway and then he joined Savannah at the front door. He wrapped both arms around her and held her in a bear hug for a few minutes before saying, "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just that…" his voice cracked.
"I know hon." She kissed him. "What do you say we have some dinner?"
After the couple shared a chicken Caesar salad, Savannah filled the dishwasher and then went looking for Michael and Lily. "There you two are," she said, when she stepped into the nursery and saw Michael rocking the baby. Rags stood on Lily's dresser staring down at them and Buffy was curled up at Michael's feet. Savannah put her finger up to her lips and whispered, "Shhhh. She's asleep."
Before Michael laid Lily gently in the crib, Savannah kissed her and picked up the baby monitor. "Night-night, Buffy," she said as the couple walked out of the room. "Rags, you come with us." She watched as he leaped from the dresser and chased down the hallway into the living room.
"You're brooding," Savannah said once they were settled on the loveseat.
"Am I?" he asked.
"I hate it when you brood."
"I hate it when you keep something important from me."
She took in a ragged breath. "I know, honey. I'm so sorry."
Michael squeezed Savannah's hand. "It's okay." She turned around so she was facing him and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and cradled her. No words were spoken until he said into her hair, "Savannah, he didn't…try to…touch you, did he?"
She pulled away. "No!" she almost shouted. "If he had, I would have…"
Michael looked at her as if he was amused. "You would have what?" he asked with a sideways smile.
"I would have hit him where it hurts and…"
He took on a more serious demeanor. "Savannah, maybe you should carry pepper spray." He straightened his posture. "You know, they teach that self-defense class at the recreation center. Seriously, I'd like to see you take that."
"What, you want a jock for a wife?"
He shook his head. "No, what I want is to be with you and Lily every minute of every day so I'm sure that you're always safe. That's what I want," he said holding her hard against him.
The silence that followed was interrupted when Michael's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. "It's Glenda Cathcart," he said.
After ending the call, he said, his voice full of excitement, "Well, it looks as if Damon and I have a job."
"Oh, you're going to unveil that secret room? What do you think you'll find?"
"Probably dirt, grime, and black widows. I'm glad we're not on the cleaning committee. That's going to be a job."
"When will you start?" Savannah asked.
"Not sure. There are things to work out before the contract is issued."
****
The following day, Michael used his key to unlock the front door of the house. "I'm home," he called out.
"In here," Savannah shouted.
"Where?" he asked.
"Kitchen," she said as she peered at him from the doorway, stirring spoon in hand. "I'm making a new mac and cheese recipe with crab and I'm at the stirring stage," she said as he entered.
He walked up behind her at the stove and kissed her on the neck. "Everything okay today?" he asked into her ear.
"Yeah," she said as if relieved. "Everything today is good. Lily and I didn't even leave the house. Had a lazy day at home." She turned toward him. "I really enjoyed it." Looking at their baby in the cradle swing, she said, "I think she did, too."
Michael walked over and picked up Lily, sat down with her, and began talking to her about her day at home with Mommy and the animals.
"Tell us about your day," Savannah prompted.
"Well," he said to Lily in a sing-song fashion, "a big brown dog with a hurt leg visited Daddy this morning. I had to put a biiiiig cast on his leg. A little while later," he said with animation, "I got to go outside and give a big horsey a shot. Then," he said with flair, "a couple of baaaaby kitties came to see me. I weighed them, I petted them, I looked in their mouths…"
By then Savannah was laughing out loud at his attempt to make the mundane story appealing to their daughter and the fact that Lily was absolutely mesmerized. "She is really into your story, there. Maybe she will be a veterinarian."
Michael continued telling the story to the baby and then looked up at Savannah, "Hey, where's the paper? I heard there was a story in there about the secret room at the library."
"Oh yes, there's an old picture taken in that room when it was open and a story about how the board has hired contractors to restore it for library use."
"Contractors, huh?"
"Yeah, how are they getting around using a licensed contractor, Michael? My aunt was asking me that today."
"It's not that big of a job, actually. And someone on the board has arranged for us to work under his license. It's all on the up-and-up for a small town, you know."
"So you're starting this weekend?"
"Was that in the story, too? Yeah, I talked to Damon and I think we're going to start the demolition Sunday. They want us to work after hours and on Sunday, which works out well for us." Michael became quiet for a moment. Finally, he asked, "Savannah, he didn't come around today did he?"
