Every Move She Makes

by Jannine Gallant

  Ivy nodded. “The man had on sunglasses, and he was wearing a baseball cap.”

  “His shirt was navy blue with a zipper.”

  “I don’t think it was a shirt. I think it was a jacket.” Ivy corrected her friend. “It was made out of that slick material.”

  “A nylon windbreaker?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes!” Ivy’s fear seemed to have disappeared in the excitement of having several adults hang on her every word.

  Melissa nudged her. “He had a moustache. It was dark brown and bushy. I couldn’t see what color his hair was.”

  “The ball cap covered his hair. It was blue with a little thingy in front.”

  “An emblem?” Kane asked.

  “Yeah, like the SF on the Giants’ caps, only this one was different. I can’t remember what it was, but I think it was either orange or red.”

  Kane looked at Melissa.

  She shook her head. “I don’t remember either.”

  “Did you recognize the man, Ivy? Could he have been someone you’ve met before?”

  “I don’t know anyone with a moustache like that.”

  “Think about what he would have looked like without the moustache. Was his nose big or little?”

  “Just normal. I couldn’t see his face very well. He had his hand over his chin, and he kind of mumbled. Mom, we’d better leave for my swimming lesson, or we’ll be late.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to miss it today, honey. The sheriff will need to talk to you girls.”

  “But, Mom, if I don’t go today, I won’t graduate with my class tomorrow. The teacher gives out certificates on the last day, and I won’t get one. Then I’ll have to be a dumb dolphin again next summer instead of a shark.”

  Rachel sighed. “I’m sorry, but talking to the sheriff is more important.”

  Kane rested a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “I have most of what he’ll need, at least for now.”

  “I’ll take her to the lesson.” Debra worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “This time I swear I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  Rachel opened her mouth to answer then shut it when Sheriff Walker pushed open the bookstore door. His gaze dropped to the two girls.

  “I hear you had a bit of a scare.”

  “We weren’t scared. Can I go to my swim lesson now?”

  The sheriff glanced at Kane.

  “I have a description of the man, and we have a few things to discuss before you talk to them. I honestly think I have most of what you’ll need.”

  “That’ll be fine. I’ll speak to you young ladies later.”

  Rachel stepped forward. “I don’t want to trouble you, Debra.”

  “I’d like to help. I feel awful about letting the girls leave the library alone.”

  “It’s not your fault. Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing.” She glanced at the sheriff and bit her lip. “I’m worried that man will come back.”

  “I expect he’s long gone, but I have deputies in the area, and one of them will keep an eye on Ivy until we get there.”

  Rachel nodded and hugged Ivy, only letting her go when her daughter tugged to get loose. She forced herself to turn away as Debra herded the two girls out the door. “Let’s talk in my office. I’m afraid we’re scaring away the customers.”

  Chandra squeezed her hand. “We’ll take care of the store. You do what you need to do and don’t be afraid to leave early.”

  Tim grimaced. “What a day.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to get any better.” Rachel ran a trembling hand through her hair. “Thanks for your help.”

  She followed both men back to her office. The sheriff finished talking into his radio and took the only chair while Kane leaned against the desk. Rachel shut the door and went straight to his side. He gave her waist a reassuring squeeze.

  Sheriff Walker was the first to speak. “Did Ivy recognize the man in the pickup?”

  Kane shook his head. “It sounds like he was wearing a fake moustache. He had on dark glasses, a windbreaker and a ball cap. Also, the truck had tinted windows. Obviously he didn’t want to be recognized if he couldn’t talk Ivy into coming with him. I doubt he would have forced the issue on a busy street.”

  “But he must have planned it ahead of time if he had a disguise ready.” Rachel pressed a hand to her chest. “My God, what would he have done to my baby if she’d gotten into that truck?”

  Kane’s arm tightened around her. “Ivy’s too smart to do something so stupid. The jerk took a chance, but it didn’t pay off.”

  “He’s right. Most kids know better than to get into a car with a stranger. It was a long shot, but it shows he’s getting desperate.” The sheriff leaned forward, and the desk chair squeaked beneath his weight.

  “What about Jade and Lark? Jade’s at soccer camp, and Lark is at the winery.” Rachel pressed a hand to her chest and drew in a long breath. “Will he try to approach them?”

  “I don’t see how he possibly could if they’re with other people. I know you’re upset right now, but your girls are safe. Let’s hear what happened at lunch with Olmstead. I don’t suppose he was wearing a windbreaker and sporting a moustache.”

  She forced herself to focus on Walker’s question. “He had on a polo shirt and was clean shaven. Dennis definitely has a crush on me, but I can’t picture him as my stalker.”

  “Never say never.” The sheriff asked her a few more questions.

  With an effort, she answered them. All she wanted to do was run after Ivy and never let her youngest daughter out of her sight again.

  Finally, Stan Walker cleared his throat and glanced at Kane. “What’s your take on the situation?”

  “In my opinion, Olmstead would give his left nut for a date with Rachel. The guy has it bad. Still, I’m not certain he would resort to stalking her. Did you find out what type of truck his neighbor drives?”

  “Pete didn’t see any pickups on the street, but he had an interesting conversation with Olmstead’s neighbor. She’s eighty if she’s a day and was out watering her roses. She gave him a full description of the new truck the guy across the street bought last month. A big four-door Dodge, red, loud and smelly. Apparently, her neighbor two houses up also drives a pickup, an older two door Ford, but it’s white. Everyone else on the block drives a car or an SUV.”

  “Any chance she’s mistaken about the color?” Kane gave a half smile. “Possibly she doesn’t see as well as she used to.”

  “According to Pete, the old lady is as sharp as a tack.”

  “I’d still be interested in knowing what Olmstead was doing last night.”

  “I would, too, but we can’t do much more than question him. Maybe you’ll have better luck with Dawson tomorrow.”

  “I sure as hell hope so.”

  “In the meantime, I have Brandon questioning people down near the library. Hopefully we’ll find a witness who got a look at the license plate on that green pickup.”

  “Thank you for taking such a personal interest in my problems, Sheriff Walker.” Rachel forced a smile. “I know you’re busy.”

  “I want to find this guy before anything worse happens. I’m too old to deal with violent crimes. In fact, I’ve let my wife convince me to retire this fall instead of running for re-election.”

  “The town will certainly miss you. You’ve been the sheriff as long as I can remember.”

  He grunted. “That’s long enough. Anyway, I know just the man to take my place.” He winked at Kane then glanced back at Rachel. “I’d like to get an official statement from your daughter and her friend. Do you think she’s about done with that swim lesson?”

  She glanced at her watch. “It’ll be over in fifteen minutes.”

  “Then let’s meet at the pool. I don’t think we can squeeze anyone else into your office.”

  “Thanks for giving Ivy a break. Her lessons are important to her.”

  “Wel
l, of course they are, and there was no reason to upset her further. This is working out just fine.” The older man heaved himself out of the desk chair. “I’ll check in with my deputies and see you at the pool.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you.” Rachel followed them out of the office then paused at the counter to speak to Chandra. “I’ll be gone a half-hour or so while the sheriff talks to Ivy.”

  “Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? You look wiped out.”

  “If you’re sure, I think I will. I need to have a serious talk with my family about this situation. It’s time to take action.”

  “Good for you.” Chandra leaned across the counter to give her a hug. “Be careful. This creep scares me, and I’m not even the one he’s after.”

  “He scares me, too. That’s why I intend to do something about it.”

  * * * *

  Rachel climbed into the passenger seat and yanked the door shut. She gave the seatbelt a hard tug before snapping the buckle in place.

  “I can’t sit back while some freak threatens my children. Taking a shot at me is one thing, but no one hurts my kids.”

  Kane flipped on the blinker and pulled out onto the street. “We won’t let him get anywhere near them. After what happened today, the girls will be on high alert. They’ll know this isn’t a game. Everyone will be more careful.”

  “That isn’t good enough. You said he’d focus on me. You said my girls would be safe.”

  He glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the road. “I thought they would be. Hell, Rachel, I wouldn’t begin to take chances with your daughters.”

  “Yet, the man actually spoke to Ivy! I want them completely out of the picture. I want them somewhere safe, and that means far away from wherever I am. They’re everything to me. I won’t take any more risks.” Her voice cracked. “What if you’re wrong again?”

  Pain exploded in his chest. The last time he’d been wrong, it had cost his partner his life. And a child had died. His hands clenched on the wheel as he bent forward.

  Rachel shifted in the seat and gave him a worried look. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Nothing he intended to talk about.

  He parked next to the chain link fence surrounding the pool and turned to face her. “Your mom and dad would take them, or maybe Grace or Will.”

  She shook her head. “They’re all too close. I have a brother in Portland and a sister in San Diego. Hopefully several hundred miles between my daughters and this...deviant will be enough.”

  “Will the girls go along with it?”

  “I think so. Jade and Ivy won’t mind. It’s hard to tell with Lark. Who knows, she might be thrilled to put some distance between us.”

  “We can talk about it this evening. Let’s go get Ivy and finish up with the sheriff.”

  Rachel let out a huge sigh before she pushed open the door.

  As it turned out, the interview was over quickly and elicited no new information. Rachel thanked the sheriff and walked silently back to the car while Ivy ran ahead.

  Kane squeezed her arm. “Is something else wrong?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. When Ivy described the truck and the man in it, I had the strangest sense of déjà vu. I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

  “Your subconscious will remember in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping soundly. Of course once it happens, you can never go back to sleep.”

  “I hope so. It’s really bugging me.”

  “Shall we head over to the soccer field? It’s almost time to pick up Jade.”

  Rachel nodded. “I’m going to call Mom and invite us all for dinner. I need to tell them what happened, and I should probably do it in person.”

  “That’s a good idea. You can talk to your parents while I take Lark to her dance class.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  Kane shut the rear door of the car after Ivy climbed in. “Of course I don’t. Let’s go get Jade.”

  * * * *

  Audrey poked at the remains of her pork chop. “It makes my skin crawl knowing how close that man got to Ivy.” Her shoulders shook. “To think he actually came right up onto your front porch last night, as bold as you please! A person should be safe in her own home. What will he do next?”

  Rachel lay down her fork. “I don’t know, but he won’t be doing anything to my girls. I’m going to call Susan and Russ and see if either of them can take the kids until the police catch this lunatic. If we can book a flight, they’ll be on a plane out of here first thing in the morning.”

  “What?” Jade stared across the table, a forkful of mashed potatoes suspended halfway to her mouth. “You’ve got to be kidding. I have soccer tomorrow.”

  “And I have swimming.” Ivy’s lip stuck out in a mutinous pout. “I’m not missing my last day.”

  Kane cleared his throat. “What if they go on Friday since their activities will be over?”

  “I don’t know, Kane. I hate to wait even a day.”

  “We’ve managed this long. We’ll make it work.”

  “Go where exactly?” Lark walked in from the kitchen and returned to her chair. “What’re you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about you girls spending some time with either your Aunt Susan in San Diego or your Uncle Russ in Portland. I want you somewhere safe.”

  Jade swallowed a mouthful of food. “Do we get to vote on where we go? Because if we do, I vote for Aunt Susan’s. Scott promised to teach me how to surf.”

  “Either place is fine with me, but it will depend on who can take you. It’s possible your aunt may have plans for the holiday weekend.”

  “Can we at least ask her first? I really want to learn to surf.”

  “If your sisters agree.”

  Ivy bounced in her chair. “Fine with me. I haven’t spent time with Tanya and Trista in forever. How long are we staying?”

  “Yeah, Mom, how long?” Lark pushed away her half-eaten plate of food. “What if the police don’t catch this creep? It could be the whole summer. I like working in the winery gift shop. I don’t want to go to San Diego or Portland. Why can’t I just stay here?”

  “Because I want you to be safe. Because this man could have taken Ivy today if she hadn’t been such a quick thinker. God only knows what he might try next.”

  Lark snorted. “Only a lame-brain would get in a car with a stranger. She wasn’t in that much danger.”

  “Any danger is too much. You’re all three going, and that’s final.”

  “Not tomorrow. I need to finish my dance clinic.”

  Rachel let out a sigh. “All right, we’ll book a flight for Friday. I’m not going to relax until I know you’re safe.”

  “I’m glad that’s settled.” Audrey crossed her arms over her chest. “Since no one is eating anyway, you might as well go call your sister.”

  Rachel left the table, grabbed her purse, headed out to the patio and collapsed into a chair. She spent a moment pulling herself together before she punched in her sister’s number. Thankfully, Susan was home.

  “Mom told me about the attack on you in Tahoe, but I had no idea the stalker followed you home. Of course I’ll take the girls.”

  Rachel leaned her head against the padded seatback. “You’re sure? I can check with Russ and Dara if having the girls will cause a problem for you. I know how busy you are at the law office.”

  “Actually, I took a couple of weeks off so the kids and I could do some fun things together this summer. The timing’s perfect.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

  “Hey, that’s what sisters are for. You’ll call me with the flight times when you have them?”

  “First thing in the morning.”

  “Good enough.” Susan’s voice took on a teasing quality. “I’d tell you to take care of yourself, but I hear you have this really gorgeous man to do it for you.”

  Ra
chel choked on a laugh. “Mom has a big mouth.”

  “Is it true?”

  A sigh shook her. “Yeah, it’s true.”

  “Good for you. I hope it works out.”

  “Right now, all I can think about is keeping my girls safe. Thanks, Susan.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Rachel clicked the phone shut and closed her eyes. When she opened them, Kane stood in front of her.

  “Well?”

  “Susan agreed to keep them.”

  “That’s good.” He took her hand and pulled her up from the chair.

  As she rested her cheek against his chest, warmth spread through her. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”

  “I am, too.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Shall we go tell them?”

  “In a minute. Right now, I don’t want to move. I want to enjoy having you hold me just a second or two more.”

  His arms tightened. “Take all the time in the world.”

  Chapter 20

  The scent of fresh bread, pickles and onions was thick in the air of the deli. Kane ordered a turkey with provolone on wheat and iced tea. Taking his food to an outside table, he claimed a chair facing the street and hoped Dawson would show. When the man hurried across the parking lot a moment later, Kane eased his grip on the sandwich.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Curt flashed a quick smile. “Let me get something to eat, and I’ll be right out.”

  He reappeared several minutes later carrying a meatball sub, a pickle spear and a bottle of water.

  “Thanks for meeting with me.” Kane pushed out an empty chair.

  “Not a problem. I finally got my client’s computer up and running, so I have plenty of time.” He took a healthy bite of his sub and wiped tomato sauce off his fingers with a napkin. “So, how I can help you?”

  “The authorities told you about the attack on Rachel Carpenter?”

  “They did, although I’m not sure why they would question me. Rachel seemed nice enough, but I barely know her. Tiffany thinks she’s terrific.”

  “You’re still dating Tiffany?”

  “Sure, though not as often as I’d like. Work has been overwhelming since we got back from Granite Lake.”