As always, the hymn lifted her spirits. Nothing seemed quite so unmanageable or threatening as it had before.
The congregants faced away from them. Only a few people appeared to notice their arrival, although she could already see them whispering to their neighbors.
When she pointed out two seats in a nearby pew, Jack gave a jerk of the head, indicating that she should sit. He, however, clearly intended to stand in the back where he could view the proceedings.
Although she’d have liked to stay with him, Casey couldn’t stand for the whole service. She slid into place and picked up a prayer book.
Once the song finished, more heads turned. Her friend Bonnie smiled, her interest obviously perking when she caught sight of Jack. Royce studied the new arrival with something less than enthusiasm.
Casey remembered Jack’s suspicions about him. She had to admit her ex-boyfriend didn’t even try to disguise his mistrust of the newcomer, but she couldn’t imagine him sneaking around the Pine Woods. And if he’d wanted to harm Jack, as a mechanic he could have done something far more deadly and hard to spot than scratching the paint.
The possibilities that came to mind alarmed her. Thank goodness Royce was no criminal.
Casey forced herself to look to the pulpit, even though her mind continued to buzz. Usually she enjoyed the service and tried to apply the sermon to her personal life. Today, she kept glancing around, wondering if one of these folks had become her enemy.
Not everybody in town attended, of course. Enid was the only one of the tenants in view, which didn’t surprise her, since she knew the others liked to sleep late. There were also some people she didn’t immediately recognize from this angle, including a woman in a scarf who sat with the Rawlinses.
Nearly an hour later, when the service ended, Casey rose stiffly. She’d never noticed how hard the pews were until she began carrying a baby.
Her friend Mimi approached. “I’ll teach your class, honey,” she volunteered. “You’d better keep your eye on that sexy guy of yours or somebody’s likely to make off with him.”
“Thanks.” Casey had to chuckle at Mimi’s cheerful manner. “That would help a lot.”
“Did you see who’s here?” Bonnie arrived with her younger sister, Angie, in tow. “They say a bad penny always turns up. I’m willing to give a person a second chance, but this one’s got enough attitude to fill a barn.”
“Who?” As she spoke, Casey noticed that the woman in the scarf was frowning in her direction. Good heavens, it was Sandra, her old friend, but much gaunter than the last time they’d met. She wore dark glasses, which seemed like an affectation even if she had been living in California, and had some kind of mark on her cheek. “What happened to her?”
“I heard she was in a car crash high on drugs,” Angie said. “Rumor has it she’s on probation.”
Her older sister made a face. “If you heard all that, how come you didn’t tell me? We could have told Casey last night.”
“I heard it this morning. I think she just got back to town yesterday.”
The young women stopped chattering as Jack approached. After greeting them briefly, he asked Casey, “Who’s that man?”
She followed his gaze. “Al Rawlins.” She explained about her connection to his daughter Sandra. “Why do you ask?” ago.
“From the way he glared at you, I got the impression you’re not one of his favorite people.”
“I know. He blames me for Sandra’s problems.” Casey had familiarized him with her friend’s situation long
“Is something wrong?” Mimi asked. “The way Jack inspected the crowd, I figured we must have at least an FBI’s Most Wanted hanging around.”
“Somebody bashed his car last night,” Casey explained. “We’re trying to figure out who might have had a motive.”
“That stinks,” Mimi said. “It’s not much of a welcome, is it? Well, I’d like to stay but I’d better go teach that class.”
Casey thanked her again. Bonnie and Angie excused themselves also.
As soon as they were gone, Jack queried Casey about some of the other attendees. She identified Royce and Larry Malloy, the rookie cop who’d investigated Friday night’s assault.
“I don’t think either of them is the possessive type, and I’ve certainly given them no reason to be,” she added.
“Men who fixate on women aren’t necessarily connected to reality,” he told her. “They invent scenarios in which the woman plays hard to get but secretly loves them. They can be very difficult to dissuade.”
“What does it take to convince them she’s serious?”
“Getting a restraining order or marrying someone else usually does the trick. Unfortunately, it may also flip the guy off the deep end. That’s when stalkers become most dangerous.”
As he spoke, Jack made notes on a small pad. Compiling a list of suspects, Casey supposed.
It troubled her to view old acquaintances as potential predators. Many of them were folks she wouldn’t hesitate to call on if she needed help. Yet someone had knocked her down with a hose and scraped Jack’s car.
“You said body language might give him away,” she recalled. “What kind of behavior are you looking for?”
“People avoiding my gaze,” he replied promptly. “Inappropriate or contradictory actions that indicate the person’s putting on a pretense of normalcy. Restlessness, such as an adult who can’t stop wiggling.”
“I figure an adult who can’t stop wiggling during a church service probably needs to use the bathroom.” Casey had to admit that, as a pregnant woman, she had a rather biased perspective in that regard.
Jack didn’t crack a smile. He’d gone into his no-nonsense security-agent mode. “Are any of your neighbors here?” he asked. “I don’t mean tenants, but anyone who lives on an adjacent property?”
She pointed out Owen and Jean Godwin, Mimi’s parents. In their sixties, they owned a nearby farm and rented some fields from her. Usually they sat with their good friends the Lanihans—Rafe, the town’s mayor, and his wife, Louise. Today, however, the couples sat far apart, and she noticed Louise and Jean exchanging rueful glances.
“Would they have any reason to hold a grudge against you? Any family quarrels or disputes?”
She hadn’t thought in those terms. “No, not really. The Godwins wanted to buy the Lone Pine before my parents acquired it but they couldn’t work out a deal with the former owners. Still, that’s hardly what I’d call a dispute. Plus there’s no reason to hold it against me.”
“They never asked you to sell to them?”
“Owen mentioned that if I ever considered selling, he hoped I’d give them first crack, and I said I would,” she said.
“When was that?”
“Soon after Mom died.”
“Any other neighbors?” Jack asked.
“The land to the west of me has an absentee owner. I’ve never met him, and I wish he’d sell the place, because sometimes people camp there until the police send them packing.”
Chief Roundtree and his wife, Gladys, moved past them. Although the chief seemed preoccupied, Gladys examined Jack as if trying to memorize every detail of his appearance.
“What was that about?” he queried as the Roundtrees vanished into the foyer.
Casey explained who they were. “Gladys is a terrible gossip. I’ve heard she even questioned whether I was really married, as if my parents had been lying all these years!”
“Why would she think that?”
“Because she’s bored and needs to feel important. She’s been wanting to move to Virginia to live near their daughter.” Casey had heard that from Enid.
“She’s a bit portly to go wandering around your property at night,” Jack conceded. “It doesn’t seem like her style, either. She strikes me as more the arsenic-and-old-lace type.”
How could he think that way about a harmless if annoying old lady? “You’re getting the wrong impression of Richfield Crossing,” she said. “These people aren
’t harboring hatred and malice. Sure, we don’t always get along, but even if they dislike somebody, they don’t turn to violence.”
“Somebody did,” he said doggedly. “I just haven’t figured out who yet.”
The sanctuary had nearly emptied except for the Rawlinses, who’d stopped to talk to the pastor. “Look, I don’t have to teach the class after all, and I’m not in the mood for Bible study,” Casey said. “We can leave now if you want. That’ll give you plenty of time to make your flight.”
“I’m not so sure I’m ready to go. After what we found this morning, I’m worried the prowler may be upping the stakes.”
She was about to reply that the man might back off after Jack left, when she saw Sandra heading toward them. The changes in her friend were startling.
A deep gash marred what had once been a flawless complexion. The wisps of blond hair straggling from beneath the scarf had lost their luster, and the sunglasses couldn’t completely obscure the dark circles beneath her eyes.
Sandra halted in front of her. “Go ahead, gloat,” she said. “You knew I’d turn out like this, didn’t you?”
Casey had no idea where this anger sprang from. “I hear you were in an accident. I’m sorry.”
Her response did nothing to appease the other woman. “I suppose I should congratulate you on your impending motherhood. Sorry I forgot to bake an apple pie.”
Casey refused to rise to the bait. “I didn’t know you were in town. I’d have contacted you sooner.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be around for a while.” Sandra’s voice hadn’t lost the throaty quality that had won her voiceover acting jobs in L.A. “Terms of my probation.”
Realizing she and Jack hadn’t met, Casey made a quick introduction. Her friend unbent as far as to shake hands. Then her parents joined them.
“So this is your husband,” Al said. “Funny thing about the two of you girls having been best friends for so many years. It kind of surprised me when you didn’t even invite her to your wedding. I guess when you turn your back on someone, you go all the way.”
Casey felt as if he’d slapped her. Al had never been so outspoken before, and she hadn’t suspected the depths of his resentment. Sandra’s truculence was bad enough, but she knew it would pass. Her father’s attitude seemed more threatening.
“Dad,” Sandra warned, “I can handle this.”
Jack caught Casey’s arm. “You look pale.”
“I’m fine.” Despite her words, she realized her head was swimming. Pregnancy made her highly sensitive to emotional vibrations, and Al’s hostility had caught her off guard. So had Sandra’s.
“I didn’t really mean—” Sandra began.
Mary Rawlins, her expression sour, spoke for the first time. “You don’t need to apologize for anything.”
“That’s the truth,” Al said.
The way they closed ranks made Casey suddenly and painfully aware of her own lack of family. Friends couldn’t replace parents who put you first and stuck by you no matter what.
Jack’s hand tightened on her elbow. “Well, there’s nothing like reminiscing with old friends to brighten your day,” he quipped. “I’m sure Casey would love to stay and chat, but she’ll just have to tear herself away. Nice meeting you all.”
She wanted to hug him. As soon as they reached the parking lot, she said, “Thank you. It felt good to have somebody on my side.”
He cast an irritated glance back at the church. “From what you’ve told me about Sandra, she brought her problems on herself. If you hadn’t moved out, she’d have dragged you down with her.”
“She’s obviously having a hard time.” Casey couldn’t help sympathizing.
“And taking it out on a pregnant woman? Her parents ought to be ashamed.” Jack paused next to their cars. “I don’t think you should drive. You still look under the weather.”
“I’m feeling better.” The sunshine restored some of her energy.
“I’ll follow you home and make sure you’re all right.” He folded his arms. “Then I’m going to stay for a few more days till we figure out who’s doing this. I don’t necessarily think it’s the Rawlinses. However, I’m adding them to my list.”
Casey suspected she ought to protest, but the truth was, that moment of vulnerability had made her face a truth she’d been avoiding: no matter how self-sufficient she might be, the prowler had struck at the one time in her life when she was least able to defend herself.
If ever a woman needed a bodyguard, she did. And so did her baby.
Still, she didn’t want to be selfish. Jack had other responsibilities. “What about your partner?”
“I’ll deal with him,” he said firmly. “There’s no way I’m forcing my presence on you, Casey, but I think I should stick around.”
“I’d appreciate that,” she heard herself reply. A surge of relief confirmed that she’d made the right decision.
He helped her into her car. “Nobody’s going to push you around while I’m here,” he said.
“I’m sure the Rawlinses got the message loud and clear.”
So had she, Casey reflected. It felt good to have Jack watching over her, even though she knew it couldn’t last.
CHAPTER SIX
Dark bitterness had surfaced in Jack when the Rawlins family arrayed themselves against Casey. He’d flashed back to a time in junior high school when he’d thrashed the class bully in a fair fight after school.
The next day in the principal’s office, the bully’s self-righteous parents had presented a united front, defending their jerk offspring despite the testimony of other students. Somehow they’d found out Jack’s father was in prison, and they twisted this information to portray him as a criminal in the making.
His foster mother had objected, but she didn’t know him well enough to match their passionate attack. The other boy got a few days’ suspension, more of a holiday than a punishment. Jack was forced to transfer to another school. Away from his friends, with a blot on his record.
He knew the Rawlinses didn’t have that kind of power over Casey, but seeing her harassed until she turned white had infuriated him. He’d barely held onto his temper and hadn’t even tried to rein in his sarcasm.
When he called his partner, Mike must have heard the emotion underlying his tone, because he agreed immediately to postpone the meeting with their potential partner. “I’ll ask if he can stay in L.A. until Tuesday. I think I can make it back by then,” Mike said.
“Thanks.” Jack paced around Casey’s office, where he’d retreated to use her land-based phone. As she’d warned, the cellular reception had proved inadequate. “Things around here are trickier than I expected.”
“I’m glad to cut you some slack when I can.” He could picture Mike running his hand through his short blond hair. A Marine before he’d become a cop, he had a build like a wrestler and a Semper Fi tattoo on one bicep. “I know you’ll keep your priorities straight.”
“You got that right,” Jack said.
No need to go into detail. They both liked being their own bosses, building a company where they didn’t have to suck up to anybody or worry about getting called on the carpet if they offended someone’s delicate sensibilities. The flip side, of course, was working long hours, putting up with unpredictable clients and taking physical and financial risks.
“We’ve got another prospect next weekend.” Mike named a Greek company for which they’d done some consulting in the past. “They’re trying to put together a meeting in Athens with representatives from companies in Scandinavia and Vietnam to arrange a multinational manufacturing and trade agreement.”
“Surely they’ve been planning this for quite a while!” Jack hated when clients added security as an afterthought. It made their job that much tougher.
“Apparently they weren’t sure of the timing. Also, I think they’re worried about the news leaking out to people who fear their jobs may be exported,” Mike explained. “With it being so last-minute, we can’t do our
usual prepping. They don’t even know which hotel they’re going to use or, if they do, they’re not telling us.”
“That ought to be fun,” Jack said ironically. “Especially in Greece.” Its location close to the Middle East made its facilities difficult to secure.
“This conference may not happen at all,” Mike assured him. “Or it may be postponed. I’ve got Nicos—” a European associate they sometimes worked with “—putting together a flexible preliminary plan and finding out what local guards are available, but if it comes together, we’ll need to have someone from Men At Arms on site.”
“I should be clear by then.” Jack doubted Casey’s patience with him would stretch more than a few days.
“Great.”
Knowing he might have a deadline increased the pressure to catch the prowler. As soon as they hung up, he reviewed his short list of suspects.
Jack didn’t believe the Rawlinses had sprayed Casey or vandalized his car, but he wasn’t ready to clear them, either. The Godwins’ desire to buy some of her land seemed like a better motive, but it had been the former owner who’d turned them down, not Casey. The auto mechanic seemed a better bet. He’d take a closer look at him later, along with the tenants.
The locals might not appreciate having an outsider stick his nose into their business. Still, he meant to serve warning. Anyone who messed with Casey had better be prepared to deal with him, now or in the future, as long as she or their child needed him.
The ring of the bell and the click of the door opening snapped Jack from his thoughts. He emerged to find Casey talking to a tall woman with salt-and-pepper hair whom he remembered meeting last night. She set a square case atop the coffee table.
“Gail’s teaching me baby care and preparation for childbirth,” Casey explained. “She’s an obstetrical nurse.”
He remembered that she was the tenant who believed the prowler might be her ex-husband. He needed to talk to her, but he didn’t want to interfere with something so important. “Don’t let me stop you.”
“You’re welcome to participate.” The woman retrieved a life-size baby doll from the case, along with a diaper. Her movements had the calm efficiency of long experience “This is a rather informal way of teaching, but we don’t have enough pregnant women right now to hold a formal childbirth class.”
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