Virgil’s face grew red, and he shook his head. “I don’t care what you think you have, it wasn’t me. If you don’t believe me, search me and see if you find any money on me.”
Before they could respond, he jumped to his feet and emptied his pockets onto Bill’s desk. When he’d finished, he pulled the lining out to show there was nothing left inside. He looked up at them with a smug smile. “See. Nothing.”
Ben and Luke glanced at each other, and Ben grinned. “Don’t play games with me, Adkins. I’ve been a lawman a long time. You’re a petty crook who’s stolen before, and you took three hundred dollars tonight from Bill’s desk. It’s in your best interest to cooperate with us before it gets worse.”
Virgil folded his arms across his chest. “I ain’t saying nothing.”
Ben shrugged. “Have it your way.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Luke went to open it. Another deputy from their office stood in the hallway with an envelope in his hand. He looked past Luke to Ben as he handed the envelope to Luke. “Here’s what you asked for, Ben. Do you need any more help?”
Ben shook his head. “No, Murphy. You can continue with your patrol. Luke and I have this.”
The deputy touched the brim of his hat and tipped it before he turned and left. Luke walked back to Ben and gave him the envelope. Virgil stared as Ben opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper.
“What’s that?”
Ben cocked an eyebrow at Virgil and shook his head. “Just a court order. A judge signed saying that we can search your apartment, your locker and anything else of your personal property. Any chance you want to change your story now?”
Virgil blinked, and for a moment Luke thought he detected a look of fear in his eyes. Then he took a deep breath. “No. I’m not changing anything.”
“Have it your way,” Ben said as he and Luke each took him by the arm and guided him out of the room.
Bill and Trace stood outside in the hall, along with Cheyenne. Ben nodded to Bill. “Do you have the combination to Virgil’s locker?”
“I do.”
“Then let’s go open it.” Bill led the way down the hallway and into a room that was lined with lockers. Bill walked to one on the far side and stopped in front of it. “We give each of our employees a locker to keep their coats and personal articles in.”
Luke frowned. “Did Cheyenne not have one? I remember the night she performed I had to get her coat from your office.”
“That was an oversight. I’d meant to assign her one, but somehow it didn’t get done. I told her to leave her things in my office that night, and we’d get her one the next day.”
Luke inclined his head toward the one in front of Bill. “But this is Virgil’s locker?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s open it.”
Virgil fidgeted beside Luke as Bill began to dial the combination. After a few seconds it clicked, and Bill pulled the door open. Luke stepped forward and stared inside. There was nothing inside that he could see except for Virgil’s jacket, which was folded and lay on a shelf at the top.
As he pulled out the jacket, it suddenly unfolded in his hands and he heard a thump at his feet. He stared down at the small canvas bag that had hit the floor. Virgil stiffened and tried to take a step back, but Ben held on to him.
Luke picked up the bag, unzipped it and gave a soft whistle at what he saw inside. He glanced at Ben and then at Virgil as he pulled out a wad of bills and held them up. “How much money do you think this could be? Maybe three hundred dollars?”
Virgil clamped his mouth shut and glared at Luke.
“Put your hands behind your back,” Ben ordered. “You’re under arrest for theft. It’ll be up to Mr. Johnson whether or not he wants to press charges, but with your record a judge might not look too favorably on this.”
“Wait a minute,” Luke said. “There’s more.”
Ben snapped the handcuffs in place on Virgil and looked up. “What?”
“This,” Luke said as he pulled the other item he’d seen inside the bag, a music box that looked very similar to the one he’d seen in the video that Cheyenne received.
He walked to the door and opened it. She still stood outside with Trace. “Cheyenne, could you come here a minute?”
She cast a quizzical glance in his direction and nodded before she followed him into the room. “What is it?”
Luke held out the music box. “Can you identify this?”
Her gaze dropped to his hand, and her face went pale. Her body began to tremble “That’s my music box,” she said, “the one that was stolen from my room when it was ransacked.”
Virgil took a step toward Luke, but Ben grabbed him by the arm. “I ain’t never seen that box in my life,” he yelled.
“Then what’s it doing in your locker with the money you stole from Bill’s office?” Luke asked.
The veins in Virgil’s neck were standing out, and he tried once again to move toward Luke. “That’s close enough,” Ben growled, but Virgil continued to glare at Luke.
Luke turned back to Ben and arched his eyebrows. Ben gave a slight nod, tightened his hold on Virgil and guided him toward the door. “Virgil Adkins,” he said, “you are under arrest for stalking, theft and for the attempted murders of Cheyenne Cassidy and Luke Conrad. You have the right to an attorney and the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used in a court of law. Do you understand your rights?”
Virgil just grunted and cast one last angry glance toward Luke and Cheyenne before Ben forced him into the hall. “I ain’t sayin’ another word until I get a lawyer.”
Luke watched them go for a moment before he looked back at Cheyenne. She looked as if she was in shock. Her eyes were wide, and her body was rigid. She was so still he wondered if she was even breathing.
He took a step toward her. “Cheyenne?”
Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Is it over? Is it really over at last?”
Behind her Trace Johnson walked into the room. He reached out and touched her arm. “Cheyenne, you’re safe now.”
It didn’t appear like she heard him or was even aware of his presence. All she could do was stare at Luke. Then with a cry she pushed off on one foot and launched herself at him. He caught her and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his neck.
Her warm tears ran onto his skin, and he tightened his arms around her as her body shook with sobs. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “Everything’s going to be all right now. I promise you.”
Her only answer was to snuggle closer to him, and in that moment he realized how much she had come to mean to him. He’d known that God must have a woman for him, but after Jasmine he’d begun to give up hope. Then Cheyenne had run out in front of his car, and he knew that had to be the best day of his life.
God had sent him the one he needed, a woman who was nothing like his ex. A woman he’d come to love.
TWELVE
Cheyenne couldn’t believe how peaceful it had been for the past week since Virgil Adkins had been arrested. The texts, emails and calls had stopped, indicating that he was indeed her stalker.
But she was hesitant to accept that her ordeal was over. If Virgil Adkins hadn’t stolen that money, they wouldn’t have caught him. She just couldn’t believe that someone who’d tormented her for so long would be so careless.
They also hadn’t been able to link his computer or his cell phone to her. Luke told her to be patient, that solving a case was just a matter of following the trail the perpetrator left, and the police felt sure Virgil had slipped up somewhere. She just appreciated their dedication to the task. And with each passing day her hope that her torture had truly come to an end increased.
“Penny for your thoughts.” Gwen’s voice shattered
her preoccupation.
Cheyenne gave a startled gasp as she looked down at the spatula she held. Minutes ago she had been icing the cake that would be served at Christmas dinner tomorrow. Now the gooey frosting was dripping on the table.
She laid down the spatula and grabbed a kitchen towel as she began to mop up the mess. “I’m so sorry, Gwen. I let my mind wander for a few minutes.”
Her friend just chuckled. “I thought for a moment you might be going to sleep. Then I wondered if you were thinking about a certain someone we all know.”
Cheyenne shook her head, and glanced back down at the cake. “No, I was trying to convince myself that my ordeal is over and that Virgil Adkins will be punished for what he did to me.”
A small frown puckered Gwen’s forehead as she dried her hands on her apron. “Cheyenne, I know it’s been difficult, but you’re safe now. Tomorrow is Christmas, and we’re going to have a wonderful day.”
Tears pooled in her eyes as she thought of how different it was going to be this year. “I’m so glad I’m here and so thankful you and Dean want me to share the holiday with you. I don’t know what I’d do if you hadn’t come into my life.”
Gwen walked over, put her arm around Cheyenne’s waist and gave her a hug. “We’re thankful you’re here. Ever since you walked through the door to rent a room from us, I knew that we were going to have a special bond. Now you’re family, and you always will be.”
Cheyenne bit down on her lip and blinked back her tears. “It’s so good to have family again. Especially at Christmas.” She rubbed the palm of her hand across her eyes, sniffed and then straightened her back. “I’m looking forward to spending tomorrow with all of you, but I’m really excited about seeing Maggie open her presents in the morning.”
Gwen’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, it may take a while for her to do that. I haven’t been able to stop Dean from buying ‘just one more thing,’ as he kept saying. Now there’s a stack of gifts as high as a mountain.” She stopped speaking, and a wistful expression covered her face. “Of course I don’t mind. He wants to make up for all the Christmases he missed with her.”
Cheyenne didn’t say anything, just nodded. She knew Dean and Gwen’s story and how they had divorced without Gwen telling Dean she was expecting a baby. He hadn’t known about Maggie’s existence until she was about five years old, but now they were reunited in the home Dean had inherited from his grandfather. It was the most welcoming place Cheyenne had ever experienced. Dean and Gwen deserved this, and she was so glad they were letting her be a part of it.
“So,” Gwen continued as she turned back to the sink and the dishes stacked there, “is Luke going to be able to join us for dinner tomorrow?”
Cheyenne directed her attention back to the cake and didn’t look at Gwen as she answered. “Yes. Ben has scheduled him for an early morning shift, so he should be off in time for dinner.”
Gwen loaded several pans into the dishwasher before she straightened and put her hands on her hips. “You’ve been seeing a lot of Luke for the past few weeks. I can tell he likes you.”
Cheyenne concentrated on the cake in front of her. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “I’m sure he’s just being nice.”
Cheyenne looked up when Gwen didn’t say anything. She was standing with her arms crossed and her eyebrows arched. “Nice, huh? Cheyenne, the man more than likes you. I can tell.”
Her heartbeat quickened, but she didn’t know what to say. She knew Luke liked her, and she liked him. She just didn’t know if it was enough or not. After all, she hadn’t been honest with him, and she’d been the reason his life had been in danger. It was better not to wish for something that might never come to be.
Cheyenne shook her head and swiped the spatula across the top of the cake. “You’re just imagining things.”
“I’m not. Why are you reluctant to believe it?”
She quit what she was doing and stared at Gwen. “I told him my whole story. He knows how I met my stalker in a chat room and how I kept that information from the police. I’m not proud of that. In fact I’m very ashamed and feel guilty about my parents’ deaths. I don’t think I’m the kind of person he would ever trust, and especially not one he would want a relationship with.”
Gwen shook her head. “You’re wrong about that. I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
Cheyenne shook her head. “No, I’ve thought about this a lot since Virgil was caught, and I think if Luke has any interest in me, it will start to wane now that I’m out of trouble. I’ve tried to get past my guilt, but I can’t. I’ve asked God to forgive me, and I feel that He has. The problem is that I can’t forgive myself.”
A sad look entered Gwen’s eyes, and she took a step toward Cheyenne. “You have to quit thinking like that.”
Cheyenne put the last of the icing on the cake and put the spatula back in the bowl. Then she jerked off the apron she was wearing and placed the bowl in the sink. She grasped the edge of the sink with both hands for a moment and stood with her head bowed and her eyes closed. Then she took a deep breath and turned toward the door. “I can’t talk about this anymore. I’m going to the barn. I’ll be back later.”
Before Gwen could respond, Cheyenne bolted out the back door and headed down to the barn. What she needed was to spend time with Patches. That always calmed her down so she could think straight. And one thing she needed to put in perspective was Luke Conrad. He’d been kind to her, and she had feelings for him.
Although the thought pierced her heart, she knew what she should do. She needed to start easing away from their relationship so he could find someone who was much more suitable for him than she was. However, tomorrow was Christmas, and she wanted him to be at Dean and Gwen’s house with her. After Christmas would be the best time.
Shaking thoughts of Luke from her head, she entered the stall where Patches had been resting since the night of their fall. The horse was always glad to see her, and he let out a loud whinny when he caught sight of her. She stopped beside him and began to stroke his neck as she spoke softly to him. How she’d missed riding him, but if he kept progressing like he was, they should be able to resume training maybe in the early spring.
“Ready for some cold compresses, boy?” she whispered in his ear, and she smiled when his tail swished. “Good. We’ll get this over with, then I’ll take you outside for a walk.”
Thirty minutes later she led Patches from the barn into the corral next to it. This had been a routine since the fall, and Patches seemed to know what was expected. He followed along docilely as they entered the corral and began to circle the area.
They were on their third lap when she heard a truck drive up and stop. A grin pulled at her mouth when Luke climbed out and walked toward the corral. She led Patches over to the side and waited for him to join them. He stopped just on the other side of the wooden slats that made up the sides of the corral and grinned.
“How do you like my new truck?” he asked.
Cheyenne studied the shiny black vehicle for a moment before she smiled and nodded. “I like it a lot. When did you get it?”
He pushed the cowboy hat he wore back on his head and looked over his shoulder at it again. “This morning. My car was totaled, so this time I decided to go back to a truck. What do you think?”
“I really like it, and it looks like it would be good for hauling stuff. Are you planning on using it for that?”
He shrugged. “Maybe,” he said.
When he didn’t say anything else, Cheyenne spoke. “Did you come out for something other than to show me your new truck?”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to talk to you. Do you think you could put Patches in the barn and go to the house with me?”
The tone of his voice and the look on his face made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. He sounded as if he needed to
tell her something important, and she could only guess what it was. He’d come to let her know that since her stalker had been caught, it was time for them to move on with their lives.
She could just imagine how the conversation would go. He would explain that he had enjoyed getting to know her and that he would always be her friend, but they needed to explore other options. The meaning would be clear. He wanted to find someone else more suitable for him. Someone he could trust.
She should feel relieved. After all that’s what she’d felt was going to happen. Somehow, though, now all it did was make her sad. She didn’t want to end whatever was between them.
But she’d faced worse in her life so she put on a brave face, forced a smile and nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
When her horse was safely back in his stall, she walked outside, where Luke was still waiting for her. He fell into step beside her as they headed back to the house, but neither one of them spoke. As they entered the house, she led him to the den, where they’d enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree together. The lights burned on it, and Cheyenne remembered what a good time they’d had.
She’d almost reached the sofa when she realized Luke wasn’t behind her. He had stopped and was closing the door. Then he turned around and walked slowly to where she stood. A small smile pulled at his lips. “I love Maggie, but I wanted some private time without her interrupting us.”
Cheyenne felt as if her heart had stopped, but she tried not to let it show. “You never can tell where Maggie is these days. She’s taken to eavesdropping on all of us to try and find out Christmas secrets. I even found her hidden in the hall closet the other day.”
“Maggie is very special to me, but I don’t need her as an audience for what I have to say.”
The serious look on his face and his words made Cheyenne’s knees tremble, and she sank to the couch. Earlier she’d thought she was prepared to see the end of their relationship, but now that she knew he was about to do it, she wished with all her heart it didn’t have to be.
Stalking Season Page 13
