Stalked In Conard County (Conard County: The Next Generation Book 41)

by Rachel Lee

  “Haley?” Roger’s drowsy voice reached her. “Are you okay? I felt you stiffen.”

  “Just an unhappy memory and a look at myself.”

  He squeezed her, silent for a few seconds, then said, “I don’t recall when we ate. I think it was early. Anyway, I’m getting hungry. You?”

  She allowed herself to feel something past her internal moment of shock. “A little.”

  “Then let me go heat up leftovers or something. Maude always serves enough to feed an army. And while I’m at it, I’ll rescue clothes from the living room. You don’t have to get dressed. In fact, please don’t dress.”

  That pulled a small laugh from her. “Okay, but I’m not coming out there naked. I think I left the curtains open in the kitchen.”

  “Consider them closed.” He let go of her with a reluctance that warmed her. “Clothes coming up, maybe a little light, and definitely some food.”

  He rolled out of bed and she drew the comforter to her chin, focusing on his scent that still filled the room, along with the aromas of their lovemaking. Then she caught a whiff of Flora, too, from the pillow on which her head was resting.

  “Oh, Grandma,” she whispered. “I miss you so much.”

  She heard Roger padding around in the living room and a glow from a lamp came through the bedroom door, to be followed by his large shape. He was wearing jeans now, she noted. She still hadn’t really seen him nude. Next item on the agenda, she promised herself.

  “Close your eyes,” he suggested. “I want to turn on a lamp for you.”

  Through her closed eyelids she could see the glow from the bedside lamp as he turned it on.

  “Come to the kitchen if you want,” he said. “Or I can bring you a plate of something in here.”

  She sat up, holding the comforter to her breasts, ridiculous though that was at this point. She was greeted by the sight of a magnificent, powerful male chest. Her heart leaped. “You look good enough to eat, Roger.”

  He grinned. “We can look into that later, after real food. So, kitchen or in here?”

  “Flora would hate me eating in bed. I’ll come to the kitchen.”

  “See you in a few.”

  He turned, leaving her alone. Hating having him gone, she hurried out of bed, did a quick wash in the bathroom, and pulled on her terry-cloth robe. She even paused to slip her feet into the matching slippers. No fancy lingerie for her.

  As promised, Roger had closed the kitchen curtains. For the first time, she noticed the wind was still blowing. “Some storm,” she remarked.

  He pulled his head out of the refrigerator long enough to look at her. “Still raining, too, but not heavily. So, meatloaf or meatloaf? Some mashed potatoes left. Have you ever noticed how mashed potatoes seem to be a necessary side dish for meatloaf?”

  “I never thought about it, honestly.”

  “I am, right now. There’s also part of one of the salads left. Shall we do a second dinner or should I hunt for something else?”

  “Second dinner would be great.” She slid into a chair at the dinette and watched him as he moved around pulling out items and readying them for warmup in the microwave. Delightfully, he whistled as he did it.

  A man in worn jeans and nothing else making her a late-night supper. She could get used to this. He made her want to forget everything else in the universe and just drink him in.

  His back rippled with muscles as he buzzed around. Not gym-built muscles, but work-made. Smooth, not bulging. She just wanted to run her hands over them but made herself stay put and not get in the way. Besides, it was nice to admire his narrow hips in those jeans, especially when he bent over.

  Haley spoke. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re scrumptious?”

  He turned his head and smiled, those green eyes of his twinkling. “You know, I think someone just this very evening told me I was good enough to eat.”

  She had to laugh at that. God, she felt so wonderfully relaxed. Since the Peeping Tom, she’d forgotten how that felt.

  And right now she didn’t care about the creep who’d peered in her window. A sicko, probably incapable of doing anything except peering in a woman’s window and getting off on it.

  “You’re scrumptious, too,” he said as he began placing food-filled plates on the table.

  Hardly a snack, she thought, but instead, a perfectly served full meal. “You trying to win brownie points by setting the table like this?”

  He winked at her. “Every single one counts. No, we’ve had a very special evening, and if I knew if Flora kept any candles, I’d serve this by candlelight.” He slid into the chair across from her. “I should put a shirt on. This is rude.”

  “Some might think so. Don’t take away my view. As for candles, I never saw Flora use any and I haven’t run across them anywhere.”

  “Yeah, she’s got some candlesticks on the sideboard in the dining room, but I never saw any candles in them. Maybe she didn’t care for them.”

  “Or was worried about a fire hazard.”

  The meatloaf was still succulent and the potatoes had survived being warmed up. She was just sorry they’d devoured all the broccoli earlier. The salad hadn’t grown soggy, however, and she noted the way he pushed the small bowl toward her. “Eat up, health nut.”

  She flashed him a smile and didn’t argue.

  “So,” he said while they ate, “you want to leave Sunday?”

  “My thinking is to get there the night before her biopsy. I want to spend some time with Casey. This isn’t an easy thing to wait for.”

  “I wouldn’t think so. In fact, I can’t imagine knowing some ugly, deadly thing might be growing in your body and having to wait to find out.”

  “I did once,” she remarked. “Turned out to be nothing—they didn’t even want to do a biopsy after the second scan. But waiting for the second check? Waiting for the radiologist’s report? Being a nurse, I know all about false positives on mammograms. But not knowing for certain is tough.”

  He nodded. “That I can imagine.” He paused for another bite of meatloaf and then asked, “You thinking about flying out of Casper or Laramie?”

  “I’ll check in the morning to see what’s available. If it’s Denver, it’s Denver.”

  “I’ll drive you, you know.”

  She felt anew that wave of warmth he caused in her. “You’re a great guy, Roger. But you’ve been shorting your work because of me—and don’t deny it. I’ll drive myself. I won’t feel like a fraidy cat on the road.”

  “You’re not a fraidy cat,” he said firmly. “Far from it. You’ve got good cause to be concerned. Now, eat up, because I want to take you back to bed.”

  * * *

  Edgar was going nuts with the waiting. If this kept up, he wasn’t going to be able to stay beneath the radar. Classes at the junior college would start up in two weeks, making it all but impossible for him to avoid the daytime streets.

  Damn, Edith had seen him and, at the last second, he’d managed to skitter away as he’d seen Haley begin to turn her head. Close one. He needed to get rid of her, and soon.

  Conviction was strongly growing in him that she would somehow identify him if given enough time. The fact that a five-year-old hadn’t been able to give anyone a useful description of him didn’t mean she’d ever forgotten him, how he moved or the time she’d seen his face briefly. Trauma had probably stamped that indelibly in her brain even if she’d been unable to describe him usefully.

  There was always the chance that she wouldn’t remember him at all, but he wasn’t willing to bet his future on it. Frustrated, agitated, he decided he needed to do something that felt as if he was moving in the right direction.

  Edgar liked the idea of driving her off the road, so he needed to keep a sharp eye out for the first time she headed out of town in her own car, alone. But if she wasn’t alone, he could still t
ake her out, and take that damn Roger McLeod with her.

  Barring that, he needed to figure out another way soon. How could he have guessed that McLeod and the cops would have clamped down so hard when he’d looked in her window and she’d seen him? But he’d had to be sure it was her.

  Well, he was sure of that. Now he needed one additional plan, a plan for anytime she was alone. She’d have to be alone at some point. McLeod had a business to attend to. He couldn’t keep letting his work slide.

  The idea of breaking into Haley’s house had been growing stronger, but McLeod was there again tonight. Were they cementing a relationship? If so, that was merely pushing him into a corner that would force him to act somehow.

  He’d read online that castor beans could make a good poison. So if he could get into her house while no one was there, he could probably find a way to get it into a beverage. He figured he could get castor beans more easily than azalea leaves. Up here, anyway.

  In the meantime...well, in the meantime, he needed to get a grip before anxiety and impatience made him do something as stupid as kidnapping her in the first place. He needed to feel that he was actually moving toward ridding himself of the threat.

  Hell. No longer able to stay hidden in his own house, desperately needing action, he decided that, as soon as the rain let up, he was going to take Puddles out by the high school to look over the cars awaiting this fall’s shop class.

  He needed one that would be heavy and big enough to drive Haley’s little compact off the road. He could even add sandbags for weight if he managed to get to it before he needed it. And he certainly needed to be sure it was an old enough vehicle to hot-wire because he was positive that if any of those vehicles could still run, there wouldn’t be any keys in them.

  The rain lessened to a drizzle shortly after eleven. He wouldn’t draw suspicion by being out at this hour, unlike well after midnight. He gathered Puddles up in his arms, clipped the leash to her collar, and she expressed her excitement and gratitude by licking his chin.

  Puddles made him feel wanted. Maybe the only being who did. He’d had friends among other oil rig workers over the years, but that wasn’t the same kind of companionship. Dating hadn’t worked well for him, either. Something always went wrong before too long. He often considered himself lucky, however, not to have a wife to please or listen to.

  Puddles was the perfect companion. When he felt like sitting in front of the TV and watching sports with a few beers, she never told him to get off his behind. She never gave him “honey-do” lists or expected him to spend his free time doing what she wanted. Other than walks, and feeding, she was content to lie across his lap or at his feet. No, she wasn’t demanding the way a woman would be.

  So while he occasionally felt there was something missing from his life, he didn’t miss it enough to want to put up with all the hassles of answering to another person. He’d always gotten his fill of that from bosses and coworkers.

  Edgar was careful to select a residential street so that his pickup wouldn’t stand out by being parked on school property. He pulled out the slim jim he carried under the seat of his truck and tucked it up inside his jacket. Then, when he was assured that no one else appeared to be around, he and Puddles went for the walk she awaited so eagerly.

  Another thing about Puddles: if someone questioned him for being out at this hour, she was his answer. In fact, because of her, no one would question him at all.

  The school was surrounded by a fence that hadn’t been there a few years ago, since a crazy bomber had blown up the outside wall of the woodworking shop. These days there was even a gate across the entry of the traffic circle and parking lot, but it wasn’t locked. It was more of a Do Not Trespass warning. Early in the morning, it was always unlocked to allow the school buses in and the student and teacher cars.

  Getting by it was no problem at all. He was even careful to close it behind him. And still, walking around the school parking lot and athletic fields with a dog wouldn’t attract any attention.

  It seemed that walking a small dog made him appear inoffensive. No trouble at all, that man walking that little Yorkie. Ha. If they knew...

  But they didn’t know. He’d been so careful since taking the job at the junior college to follow the straight and narrow. Not a thing to nail him with, not even a joint or too many beers. The upstanding citizen.

  Thinking about it, he almost laughed and nearly forgot himself enough to whistle. He’d built a life that would never draw a suspicion or question. Though he hadn’t realized it before, he now was grateful because he wouldn’t be anyone’s first suspect in anything.

  Two years of good behavior, even in this gossipy town, protected him.

  Puddles had started to run in circles. Apparently she was in the mood to go full throttle, so he quickened his pace. He knew where the cars for the auto shop were stashed. If he didn’t find a useful one there, he could always go to the college since they ran a course, as well, leading toward full certification.

  He’d rather not go there. Too close to him and his job. Out here, he believed he was removed enough from the place to not even draw attention if a car turned up missing.

  Everyone would believe some teen had stolen it for a joy ride, if he took it, and when it got involved in an accident, they’d believe the same thing. No reason to look at a college teacher who had a perfectly good vehicle of his own.

  Yeah, maybe he wasn’t so dumb at all.

  Or maybe he was just wasting his time. Thus far he had no indication whatever that Haley was going to get on a road heading out of town. She seemed to have planted herself, a situation that was becoming as constantly annoying to him as a mosquito bite or a bee sting.

  He reached the back lot where the shop cars were parked, and immediately spied the one he’d like to use. An old Suburban, probably a relic from the sheriff’s office to judge by the brown splotches of paint on its sides and hood. He only needed to know if it was still able to run. He didn’t need much out of the vehicle, just a few miles.

  He pulled on a glove as he approached it, thinking he couldn’t have asked for a better choice. The damn thing was heavy, built more like a truck than a car. When he reached it and pulled on the door handle, he had his answer. It was locked, which meant they didn’t want anyone to steal it. So, it ran.

  Well, that had been easy, he thought. Pulling the slim jim from under his jacket, he jimmied the driver’s-side window. Yup. He could get in. So, bring a couple of gallons of gas, hot-wire it, and he’d be ready to go. He just needed a heads-up. Then he could steal this damn thing in the dead of night, park it somewhere out of sight. He doubted anyone would notice it was missing for a few days. The school had no full-time security of its own, but depended on sheriff’s patrols to keep an eye out.

  Nope, they wouldn’t notice the Suburban was gone, not immediately.

  Satisfied, he locked and closed the door. Then he took Puddles back the way they had come. She seemed to want to explore more, but he couldn’t let her. He didn’t want to be spotted out here by some patrol that might remember him when things started to happen.

  Puddles had different ideas, of course. He imagined this place was full of new and interesting aromas. When he tugged on her leash, however, she came along obediently.

  Back in his truck, he started the engine and turned toward home. Yeah, he needed to get those castor beans. From what he understood of them, if he managed to get a powder or liquid into her house, it could be quickly fatal.

  But he didn’t much care about fatal. What he wanted was her to be gone from this place, and he’d do whatever it took to cause Haley to leave.

  He glanced over at Puddles and knew that nothing would make him give her up. This had become about more than just preserving his new life and living without fear. It had also become about the dog he loved so much. The threat must be removed, one way or another.

  Thinki
ng about it, he knew just where to get those beans. A neighbor on the next street over had the plants because she liked to fill display jars with them. She thought they were pretty. So he’d take a handful from the plants in her garden.

  The next steps weren’t out of his reach, but the scary part was that he could poison himself.

  Hell, there was no guaranteed way, but scaring the life out of Haley would be good enough for him. Car or poison. He guessed he’d need to take a look into her mud porch when she wasn’t around and hope he found useful bottles in there. In a liquid, he could put enough poison to kill her, and he wasn’t about to screw around with making it into a powder if he could avoid it.

  That could be dangerous to both him and Puddles. Nope, he wouldn’t do that. But the liquid? Oh, yeah.

  * * *

  In the morning, after a delightful breakfast with Roger, who ran out to get doughnuts from the bakery, Haley got on her phone to see what she could do about flights to Baltimore at this late date.

  All she cared about was getting in no later than Sunday evening so she could spend time with Casey. Otherwise, she had no reason not to be flexible.

  She kept getting distracted, however, by thoughts of the night just past. Roger had taken her so far and fast that she still felt ripples running through her entire body. Her search of various travel sites kept falling victim to delightful memories of last night.

  She hated to think she had to go away, even for a few days. That was dangerous thinking, however. Roger hadn’t promised a single thing, or even hinted at a longer relationship. She needed to make any decisions about whether to return here or to Baltimore free of thoughts of Roger.

  Not that that was likely to happen, she mused ruefully as once again her thoughts drifted and the travel app on her phone logged her out. When she caught it, she sighed. Damn, girl, just pay attention. It’s not that hard to make a plane reservation.

  Eventually she concentrated enough to finish. No convenient flights available from Casper, except into Denver. From Denver, she could fly directly to BWI. The question was whether she wanted the longer drive or the extra flight. The other question was whether she would get a return ticket. Overall, that would be cheaper, but what if she didn’t want to come back? At least not right away, because she was certainly going to have to finish up with this house.