by R. C. Ryan
Grace described Ally’s ashen features after accepting a bottle of water from a male employee and her frantic race to catch him.
“And none of you thought to stop her?”
Grace was indignant. “There was no time, Eugene. She screamed into her cell phone and shouted to us that the man in the smock was the one who’d firebombed her shop. Then she was just gone.” Grace snapped her fingers. “Just like that. Now we have to find her before that awful man has time to hurt her.”
“You ladies stay here. I’ll get that basta—that stalker,” he amended for Grace’s sake. “He can’t get far.” The sheriff dashed around a corner of the building and paused to look both ways.
Seeing neither Ally nor a stranger, he was forced to absorb a sudden prickle of dread. A dangerous stalker had been working under their very noses and now was gone without a trace.
And Ally Shaw with him.
After hearing Grace’s call, he’d already alerted his deputy and had put out a call to the authorities in nearby towns. Now he stepped back into the salon and gathered Gert and Teddy and their employees around the cluster of terrified women.
The sheriff held out a flyer. “This look like the guy working for you?”
Teddy shrugged. “Could be. But his hair is blond, and he has a mustache. And he called himself Gerald Lodge.”
“But this is the guy?”
Teddy looked at his wife for confirmation. After studying the picture for a few moments, they both gave tentative nods.
“Do you know where he’s been staying?”
“Here.” Teddy pointed to a small supply room at the far end of the building. “He said he was homeless, and since we have a cot and washroom in there, we said he could stay until he could save enough to rent a room somewhere.”
“You all stay here. And stay together.” With a look of steely determination, his gun in hand, Eugene started in the direction they’d indicated.
Ally faced her attacker and swallowed back the knot of fear that threatened to choke her. Her life no longer mattered. All her thoughts were centered on Kyle. He was so young. So innocent. He didn’t deserve any of this.
An orphan. The word struck pure terror in her heart. Before his fifth birthday, he was without a father and was now about to lose his mother.
“Don’t do this, Glen.” Her voice grew strong. “It’s evil.”
“You’re the one who’s evil, slut.”
As he grabbed a handful of her hair and was about to plunge the knife, the door was kicked open and Reed stormed across the room, grabbing Glen’s arm and twisting it behind him.
With his other arm around Glen’s neck, Reed looked beyond him to Ally. “You all right?”
She was too overcome to speak. She simply nodded as she began to sink to her knees.
Reed shoved Glen aside to go to her aid.
The door was kicked in again, slamming against the wall with such force the sound reverberated through the entire building, causing it to shudder.
While Reed gathered Ally close, Glen spun around and found himself facing Archer Stone, with fire in his eyes, holding a gun aimed at his head. “Drop the knife, creep.”
When Glen hesitated, Archer’s voice resonated like thunder. “This badge I’m wearing says I have to give you a chance to surrender before I use deadly force. But I’m going to tell you true, you sick bastard. Once my temper’s up, nobody has a chance to cool it. There’s nothing I like better than a good knock-down, drag-out fight with somebody who makes me mad. So I hope to hell you resist.”
When Glen looked around for a chance to escape, Archer holstered his gun and smiled. “You’ve just made my day, you scumbag.”
With all the force of a vicious animal, Archer charged Glen, twisting his wrist until the bones snapped and the knife fell to the floor with a clatter.
Instead of simply subduing Glen, Archer held him upright with one hand while beating a fist into his face again and again.
“The woman you threatened is my kin. And I want you to stay alive long enough for me to beat you senseless, you miserable coward. That’ll teach you to stalk someone in this town. And then I’m hoping you at least raise one of your arms, so I have an excuse to blow your miserable head off.”
Seeing the blaze of unleashed fury in the deputy’s eyes, Glen struggled to back away. The more he struggled, the more Archer’s temper grew, until it was a raging fire sweeping through every fiber of his being, completely taking over his control.
Seeing it, Ally caught Reed’s arm. “You have to stop Archer. Please stop him. He’s going to kill him.”
Hearing her, Archer’s eyes narrowed. “It’s what scum like this deserves. Or are you forgetting? Minutes ago he was going to kill you.”
“But Reed is here now. And you’re here. You’ve both saved me. Please, Archer, don’t do this. You’re a man of the law.”
“Yes, I am. And the law says I can use reasonable force if a lawbreaker is resisting.” He landed a punch in Glen’s midsection that sent him bouncing backward against the wall.
As Glen pushed himself forward, Archer hit him again, driving him backward with such force he fell facedown on the floor.
Archer hauled him to his feet, and Glen screamed an obscenity before trying to butt his head into Archer’s midsection.
Archer reached for his gun. “That’s more like it. Looks like you’re resisting arrest, scumbag.”
Reed caught Archer’s arm, twisting it viciously. “Stop now, Archer. You’re out of control.”
At that very moment Sheriff Graystoke came running into the room and skidded to a halt.
“All right, you two.” For long moments he studied the scene before he strode forward, stepping between his deputy and Reed.
To Reed he ordered, “Back off.”
Reed did as he asked. When he turned to Ally, the look of horror on her face had him reaching for her, but she sidestepped away.
Eugene studied the bloodied, battered man in Archer’s grasp. “Now, Archer, you back off, too.”
“He’s resisting arrest.” Archer’s finger hovered over the trigger.
“I said back off. I want him alive.” In the silence that followed, Eugene’s voice was firm. “I know your blood’s hot and your temper’s on a short leash right now, but you need to get control of it or it’ll get you into big trouble. You can’t afford to lose control, Archer. I’m telling you to holster your weapon and stand down. Now.”
Archer was breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, nearly blinding him. His free hand fisted and unfisted at his side as he fought to control the fury still racing through his system.
When at last he released his hold, Glen wobbled and slid to the floor, where he lay limp and bloody.
After several minutes, Archer holstered his gun before stepping around the sheriff. With a snarl of rage he twisted a fist in the front of Glen’s shirt, hauling him to his feet. With as much force as possible he twisted Glen’s hands behind his back and cuffed him.
Eugene took in the scene of carnage, noting the blood streaming down Glen’s battered face, and then at Ally, whose rigid pose was in sharp contrast to the look of absolute horror on her face.
Despite the sheriff’s warning, the women burst into the room and formed a protective circle around Ally, whose ashen features said more than any words.
“Ally…?” Before Grace could ask more, Ally put up a hand to stop her.
Her T-shirt was torn, and blood spilled from the knife wound to her arm. But it was the look in her eyes that had them worried.
Her voice was little more than a whisper. “I’m alive. We’re both alive. And that’s enough.”
The women surged forward and surrounded her in a group hug, while Archer announced, “This sniveling little coward was holding a knife and telling her he was going to make her son an orphan.”
Again, Ally flinched at the word.
Seeing it, Dr. Anita Cross stepped forward while Grace gathered her close and held her. “Sheriff, woul
d it be all right if we took Ally to the clinic?”
Eugene nodded. “I’m grateful you’re here, Dr. Cross. See to her.”
Anita calmly took one of Ally’s arms and began steering her toward the door.
Ally pushed free of the helping hand to turn back and say to the sheriff, “I have no doubt Glen intended to kill me. I could see the madness in his eyes and hear it in his voice. If Reed hadn’t arrived in time…”
She swallowed and tried again. “And then my uncle. If not for the two of them, I would be dead now.”
Archer stood a little taller. Reed watched Ally with a look of grave concern.
“But…” Ally struggled to find the words. The brutality of the encounter between her uncle and Glen had left her shaken to her core. Still, it was Archer’s job. She had no doubt that, except for the timely arrival of Reed and Archer, she would have died at Glen’s hand.
“But?” Eugene pushed her to continue.
She gave a shake of her head. “It’s nothing. I guess I’m too emotional to think clearly.” She held out a hand to Reed, and he took it, twining his fingers with hers.
Eugene Graystoke cleared his throat. “Well, now. I guess you’re the hero of the hour, Archer. How did you get here so fast?”
The deputy kept a firm grasp on his prisoner. “I got your call about the stalker at the spa. I wasn’t sure, but just as I was pulling up I thought I saw someone dash into this room, so I just followed my instincts and, sure enough, there he was, that scumbag.”
Eugene gave a nod of approval. “Go ahead and take him over to the jail. I’ll be along when I finish here.”
Everyone fell silent as the deputy hauled Glen Lloyd from the building. As he and Archer brushed past Ally, she remained as still as a statue, refusing to show any emotion.
Ally felt her limbs go weak and fought to remain standing. She was feeling suddenly light-headed. “You were right, Sheriff. He was hiding in plain sight. And able to know exactly what I was doing and when. Would you like me to make a statement?”
Eugene shot a knowing look at Reed. “I think for a little while, you need to feel quiet and safe.” He glanced at Grace. At her nod of approval, he added, “After you’re checked out by Dr. Cross at the clinic, why don’t you go home and let the Malloy family feed you and let you rest? Then later this evening, if you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to come by and we’ll have ourselves a little talk.”
Ally nodded, too overwhelmed to do more than allow Reed and the women to lead her out to Reed’s truck.
From the windows of the nearby businesses, faces peered out, watching the parade of women with interest.
Once they settled her inside the vehicle, Reed drove to the clinic.
Once there, he and the women waited while Anita disinfected the knife wound and carefully stitched it. After applying a dressing, she handed Ally two pills.
At Ally’s questioning look, she said, “Something to quiet your nerves and help you sleep.”
Ally set them aside with a shake of her head. “Thank you, Anita. I really appreciate all you’ve done. But I need to be clear-headed when I see Kyle.”
“Then take them later. At bedtime.”
“All right.” Ally forced a thin smile. “Thank you.”
The two women walked together along the spotless hallway of the clinic until they joined the others in the waiting room. There, after bidding good-bye, Ally allowed herself to be led to Reed’s truck for the drive home.
Along the way, Ally fell silent.
The silence was broken only by the quiet hum of the truck’s engine, which managed to weave a kind of magic. Or maybe it was the magic of Reed’s tender care that brought Ally such a sense of calm.
By the time they arrived at the ranch, Ally felt her fears beginning to evaporate, knowing the man who wanted to bring harm to her and her son was now safely behind bars.
As she stepped from the truck, the women parked behind and gathered around her.
She took in a deep, calming breath. “I didn’t realize how tense I’ve been since all this began. It’s only now, feeling this amazing sense of freedom, that I see how deeply all this has affected me. I was in a prison of sorts. Never knowing when my stalker would strike again. But now…” A tentative smile started, then spread. “Thank you all for being here for me.”
Reed draped an arm around her shoulders as they moved together toward the porch.
The door opened and Lily and Kyle burst onto the top step, their smiles brighter than the sun, their eyes wide with excitement.
Kyle dashed up to his mother and flung his arms around her waist. “We baked cookies. Wait till you see them. Yancy showed us how to make shapes. Puppies and horses and kittens. And…”
Out of breath, he paused while Lily finished for him. “And we got to make colored frosting, too. Kyle made a brown puppy, and I made a pink kitten.”
“Oh, and we made yellow chicks,” Kyle added.
Ally knelt down and gathered her son into her arms, pressing her face to his hair, breathing him in. For several minutes she remained that way, fighting the rush of tears that threatened. Finally, after several deep breaths, she stood, her smile firmly in place. “I’m so glad you had such a special day with Yancy.”
“Did you have a special day, too, Mama?”
She bent to brush a kiss over her son’s upturned face. “A very special day, my sweet boy.” She caught his hand. “Let’s go inside. I want to hear everything you did.”
“We petted the horses. And Yancy allowed me to sit in the saddle. And Reed, he said he’ll have me riding like a cowboy in no time. And…”
As the others trailed Ally and Kyle up the steps, they shared knowing glances. Despite the terror of this day, Ally was able to smile and interact with her son. How could they do any less?
Chapter Nineteen
Eugene Graystoke wiped his boots on a mat and hung his hat on a peg by the back door before stepping into the Malloy kitchen.
An inviting carafe of coffee and mugs sat atop the counter, along with cream and sugar and a plate of cookies. All trace of the earlier meal had been removed from the spotless kitchen.
Reed greeted him. “Ally will be down soon. She went upstairs with Kyle. She said she wanted to read to him and just lie with him awhile.”
The sheriff nodded. “I expect that will do them both good.”
He looked over when Ally stepped through the doorway. She’d showered and changed into clean denims and a yellow cotton shirt.
“Sheriff. I’m sorry you had to make the long drive out here tonight.”
“I didn’t mind, Ms. Shaw. It’s my job.”
“Well, I appreciate it. And please. Call me Ally.”
He smiled. “You look better than you did this afternoon, Ally.”
“I feel much better.”
He indicated the kitchen chairs. “Why don’t we sit, and you can fill in some of the details I may have missed.”
She nodded.
Reed discreetly left the room. From the great room came the hum of quiet conversation. Both Ally and Eugene knew the others had gathered there in order to give them both their privacy.
The sheriff took out his ever-present notebook. “Why don’t you begin at the beginning, from the time you first met Glen Lloyd.”
She did as he asked, explaining how the office was set up, how each security expert was assigned a partner, and how easily she and Glen had fallen into a rhythm of work.
“It must be easy in such a close environment to get to know each other in a more personal way.”
She nodded. “I’m sure for most of the teams, that’s so. And they often socialize after work, which only adds to that personal bond. But in my case, because I had a son spending all his waking hours in day care, I never went along on any of the after-hours activities.”
“Did Glen mention it?”
“Often. He resented the fact that I was always too busy to socialize.”
“He took it personally?”
“He did. But once I explained about my son, and Kyle’s father doing another tour in Afghanistan, he seemed to back off. But then, when I received the news that Rick had been killed, he became”—she shrugged—“a little too concerned about me. I found myself becoming abrupt with him in an effort to hold him at arm’s length.”
“Did he express anger?”
“Some. But it was guarded anger. More like concern that he cloaked in questions about my finances, my family. I considered them too personal to reveal. And then, when I decided to leave and try to reconnect with my mother’s family here in Montana, I deliberately kept that news from anyone at work.” She gave a deep sigh. “It never occurred to me that Glen would go into my personnel file.”
The sheriff paused in his writing to look up. “Did he admit to anything when he confronted you today?”
Ally gave him a tremulous smile. “Glen admitted that he’d carefully planned most of what happened, from breaking into my file, to finding me in Glacier Ridge. Once here, after he realized I still wasn’t interested, the stalking became more intense. Before asking Gert and Teddy for a job, he broke into their storage room to assure himself that it offered him a clear view of my shop. That night he broke the display window happened when he flew into a rage after seeing—” She flushed before saying, “After seeing me kiss Reed.”
“So you and Reed were romantically involved by then?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t know what we were. Maybe I still don’t know what we are. Attracted, of course. But we haven’t taken it beyond that. And right after that incident with the smashed window, Reed went up in the hills to oversee his herd. Glen thought he’d frightened me enough to send Reed away, and that made him think he could win me over with those emails I showed you.”
The sheriff nodded. “Emails that gradually changed from declarations of love, to demanding your submission, to downright fury.”
Ally sighed. “Then Reed returned, and Glen saw us…” Again she paused and swallowed before forcing herself to go on. “Glen saw the two of us in a passionate embrace. That seemed to push him over the edge, and he decided that he had to kill me.”
