"Did you talk to Penelope anymore about Juliet?"
"Not much. Penelope said Juliet got fired from her job and also got arrested."
"Does that sound like the Juliet you know?"
"If you asked me that question a couple of months ago, I would have said no, but now? I just don't know. You could try asking Penelope." A blood-curdling scream sounded from somewhere in the house. If I were carrying a gun, I would have reached for it. Rose barely stirred and neither did Sparky. "I guess Ethan wants more banana. I have to go."
"Thanks for your time."
The door slammed shut before I even left the stoop. Walking back to the car, I had a sinking feel that Juliet's other friends would relate similar stories. Sliding into the driver's seat, I pulled out my notepad, and wrote Receivers of weird emails or texts at the top. I listed Jane O'Dowd, Tom Oliver, and Rose Phipps. Each received a strange communiqué, or set of communications purportedly from Juliet. None bothered to challenge the oddly nasty messages, and chose to believe they were genuinely from Juliet. I was sure if I got a hold of Juliet's phone records, they would prove all the texts were sent from her cell phone. However, that didn't mean Juliet was the one typing them. Someone could have accessed her phone. Again, I had the unpleasant hunch that the person sending the texts had to be someone close to her.
Tapping my pen against the notepad, I wondered if someone was accessing her phone, or had maybe even cloned it. It was eerie behavior and the thought of it sent a cold shiver down my spine. "What's the point?" I asked the empty car. "What is the point of getting rid of Juliet's friends and all of her support network? Argh! I am so dumb!"
I tapped the notepad to my forehead. Why hadn't I seen it before? Juliet's stalker wanted to isolate her from everyone that was good in her life, all the people that believed in her... and those people, her network, were simply letting it happen. I wondered if Juliet's harried life only added to the confusion; if the weight of so many things going wrong forced her to give up on the very people she cared about. I figured I too might have buckled under the amount of strain she was under, had I been in her circumstances. It had to be connected somehow. I just needed to find out who and how.
I added a new name to the list, and drew lines from each of my listees to it. Jane O'Dowd was connected to Penelope via work; and so was Tom Oliver. Rose discussed her texts with Penelope. Penelope had access to Juliet's home and workplace. She told me she was adamant Juliet was going crazy and given our previous conversation, I was sure there was some jealousy for Juliet's achievements. I drew a large ring around Penelope's name and stared down at it. "It has to be you," I told the name. It seemed too neat, and way too easy. Why would Penelope be doing that?
"You are the common denominator. But how can I catch you?"
Chapter Fourteen
After one hour, two more angry former friends and one door slam later, I reconvened with Solomon and Delgado in Juliet and Rob's living room. Juliet and Rob sat on the couch opposite me, their faces confused and upset. I figured I'd probably look the same if someone came to my house and tried to convince me that Lily was hell-bent on screwing up my life.
"I can't believe this. You're telling me Rose, Chloe and Rebecca all think I sent those nasty texts? And now you say Penelope is trying to have me sent to jail? I don't believe it," said Juliet, shaking her head.
"I've known Penelope for years," added Rob. He had Juliet's hand between both of his and his eyes were dark from lack of sleep. "She's not that kind of person. She tries really hard; and she's been great in helping us cope with the current situation. No one else has helped as much as she has."
I focused on Juliet as I spoke. "That's part of the issue. Someone has gone to a lot of effort to alienate everyone else around you. Penelope is the only person you have left. You have no one else to turn to, except Rob. A person like that gains power."
"I don't know what you mean. Penelope doesn't have any power over me. She doesn't tell me what to do. She simply supports me."
"Power comes in a lot of different ways. It could be as simple as she likes knowing you have no one else to turn to. Or maybe she's planting little seeds of doubt in your mind, preparing you for her next move," I continued.
"This is too much." Juliet wrenched her hand from Rob's and rose, crossing over to the window. She stood with her arms folded, her back to us, and a thick silence filled the room. I hated to be the one to break it, having already disappointed Juliet, and I only arrived ten minutes prior.
"I'm struggling with this," said Rob, saving me from speaking first. "We've had our differences over the years, but... Penelope's terrific, okay? She's really grown as a person, and she loves Juliet. She made a huge effort to get to know her. She'd never hurt her, or hurt us, like this."
Solomon and I exchanged glances. "What kinds of differences?" I asked.
"Robbie's here," said Juliet, just as Rob began to speak. She waved, stepping away from the window to cross to the door.
"Hey, Jules," said the boy, reaching up to hug her as he bounded in. He dropped his backpack on the floor and kicked off his sneakers before running over to his dad. "Mom said I had to show you my math homework. I got a B! I never got a B before!"
"That's great," said Rob, his eyes lighting up as Robbie dived onto the sofa. He slid off again almost immediately. "I left it in my backpack," he said, gliding across the room in his socked feet, barely noticing us in his excitement and glee.
"Did Robbie show you his homework? He worked really hard and practiced to get it right," called a woman, presumably, the boy's mother. Since I intended to interview her anyway, I hoped now would be a good time. It could also provide Juliet a few minutes to absorb the unpleasant information we just imparted.
I couldn't hide my shock as Penelope stepped into the room, stopping dead when she saw us. Despite her obvious surprise, she recovered quickly, plastering on her familiar, wide-mouthed smile. "Hi, Lexi. I didn't see your car outside. Hi, guys."
"Mom, where's my homework? I can't find it."
"Check the front pocket, honey," said Penelope.
I blinked, confused, as Robbie raided his backpack, finally emerging with a lined sheet of paper. One side was covered with childish handwriting. "Got it!" he said, looking up. All I could see in his face were Rob's features. The same slightly upturned nose, the full lips, the same eyes and hair. I wouldn't have identified him as Penelope's son. "Look Juliet. Did you see my B?"
Juliet brushed his hair affectionately. "Sure did. Well done!"
"You’re Robbie's mom?" I asked, recalling my comments about being moms together. No wonder Penelope got so annoyed when I mentioned Juliet being a mom; I didn't know I was talking about the same kid, her kid!
Penelope shrugged. "Yes, obviously!"
"I didn't realize." I exchanged another puzzled glance with Solomon. Why didn't this crucial piece of information ever come up in our many discussions? I didn't recall seeing anything about Rob's relationship with Penelope, not in Solomon’s or my research, and I felt sure it should have come up before now. If we missed this vital information, what else did we miss? It was a worrying thought and one I didn't look forward to addressing with Solomon.
Penelope looked at Delgado, then at Solomon before she said, "Juliet, can I speak to you privately for a moment?"
"Sure," Juliet replied, turning away from us, her features pinched despite the happy attitude she put on for Robbie’s sake. "Come to the kitchen."
Penelope followed Juliet, casting a backwards glance at us. She didn't look happy and I wished I could have been a fly on the wall to hear the discussion they were about to have. Solomon made a slight motion with his head as I caught his eye: follow them. Now that Rob was preoccupied with his son, I slipped out of the room, treading softly as I made my way along the hall to the kitchen.
"...not a good idea," I heard Penelope saying.
"I know. I agree. I'm not comfortable with Robbie staying overnight either, and I'm so sorry that it's messing with your soc
ial life..."
"Silly," cut in Penelope. "Don't you dare worry about my social life! You know I'm here for you. We all agreed that Robbie shouldn't stay over again until this thing with you gets all sorted out."
"I hope it's over soon. He'll only be here a couple hours; and I promise, Rob and I will not let him out of our sight. Please, Penelope, Rob will be so disappointed he can’t spend some time with Robbie. Me too."
"Sorry, but no. I just can't leave my son here, not with all those people in the house. It's just too crazy. What if those people have guns, and Robbie gets hurt? Your PI isn't that good. She didn't even know I'm Robbie's mom. What else has she missed? Look, don't answer that. It's not my business. Just think of him, Juliet, not yourself."
At the insult, I stuck my tongue out in the direction of the kitchen. It wasn't mature, no, but it was unseen and felt good, all the same.
"You're right. I'm being selfish. It's not Robbie's problem that I'm stuck in the house."
"Rob isn't stuck here," replied Penelope. "Perhaps Rob could take Robbie out? That would be okay with me. C'mon. You know you don't want them to miss out on their time together just because you're under house arrest."
Juliet sighed. "You’re right; Rob and Robbie shouldn't lose out because of me."
"Tell them that you suggested it. You'll be okay here with your PI girl and those big guys. They'll keep you safe and you don't have to worry about Rob or Robbie."
"Yeah." Juliet's voice sounded heavy and disappointed.
I backed away as footsteps headed for the kitchen door. Moments later, I slipped into the living room. I had barely enough time to lounge against the wall as if I'd only gotten up to stretch when Juliet and Penelope returned.
"Change of plan," said Juliet, with a smile that stopped far short of her eyes. "It's such a sunny day outside, why don't you take Robbie to the park, honey?"
Rob glanced up from the homework he previously enthused over. "Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent. It'll be so much nicer than staying in with our guests," she said, giving us a pointed glance. Rob swallowed and nodded, getting the gist instantly.
"I would like to stretch my legs," he said. "Why don't you go put on your sneakers, champ? Let’s go to the park."
"Are you coming too, Juliet?" Robbie asked.
Juliet shook her head quickly. "Not today. I have some things to do here with our guests."
Robbie darted across the floor and dropped onto his butt, pulling his sneakers on quickly as he glanced up at us. "Hi," he said, before turning to his father. "Can we get ice cream too, Dad?"
"Sure."
"I'll see you later," said Penelope, dropping a kiss on Juliet's cheek. "Bye, Lexi! Bye, guys!" She waved, smiling brilliantly as she moved towards the door with Robbie in tow. Rob gave Juliet a brief hug, whispered something in her ear, to which she nodded, and grabbed his jacket, following Robbie out the door.
Crossing to the window, I watched them climb into Penelope's car and take off.
"Is the park close?" I asked, wondering which one they planned to visit.
"End of the street. Robbie loves going there."
"It's nice of Penelope to give them a ride," I said, watching for Juliet's reaction. What did she think of her fiancé climbing into the car with his ex and son, as though they were still a family? As if Juliet weren't already feeling like a prisoner in her own home. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't the simple shrug she gave me.
"I guess she's heading past the park," said Juliet. "She always helps out."
"How come you didn't tell me Penelope is Robbie's mom?" I asked.
"I'm sure I did. Didn't I? I don't know. I guess it slipped my mind. I've not been thinking properly lately with everything else going on."
"It doesn't matter."
"Let's go through the security system," suggested Solomon, rising and indicating Delgado should do the same.
"Shouldn't we wait for Rob?" asked Juliet.
"I'd have liked to, but we can run through it with you now and with Rob later," said Delgado. "I can come back when you're both free if you have company later."
"No, there will be just us. We've decided that Robbie shouldn't stay over until the person who broke in is found. Besides, we haven't invited any guests." Juliet trailed off, her voice sounding utterly despondent. I wondered how it felt knowing that all your friends thought you purposely alienated them. It was something to take up later, and once again, I didn't relish piling on more agony. She seemed perplexed enough when I informed her of her former friends' comments.
"Take us through it," said Solomon, inclining his head to indicate that Delgado should lead the way.
"We've placed alarms on all of the downstairs doors and windows," Delgado began, pointing to the living room window before moving into the hallway. "They're very discreet and no one will notice them. As far as your stalker will know, nothing will appear to have been changed with your home security system."
"What if they saw you here?" I asked. "Penelope saw you."
"Look at the back of my jacket." Delgado turned around. Bodyguard was written in bold letters across the back. "That's my cover. I arrived in my own car and if your stalker is watching, and if it's this Penelope chick, she'll assume you were considering a little extra protection," he said, adding, “at least, that’s what we’re guessing.” Juliet nodded, but didn't look very reassured.
"Won't it look strange when you leave?" she asked.
"We have to assume, if they are watching, and they see me leave and not return, it should be enough to convince them you've decided not to proceed with more protective services. Meanwhile, we'll be here, all the time, watching and listening."
"To everything?" asked Juliet, frowning.
Solomon shook his head. "No, as a general rule, we switch audio off so we aren't eavesdropping on any of your private conversations. If there's something you need us to listen to, you can simply signal beforehand. We'll work out a gesture you can make that we'll pick up."
"That sounds okay."
"Let me point out the other cameras," continued Delgado. "There's one here trained on the front door, and on the other side of the door is another small camera that will pick up anybody who steps onto your stoop. Over here, all the windows in your dining room are wired; and in the kitchen, there are two more cameras, one covering the door from the inside and one from the outside."
We followed mutely in awe as Delgado continued his tour, pointing out where microphones were hidden and all the other windows that were wired. He paused at the bottom of the stairs, saying, "We haven't wired upstairs, as the windows are too hard to reach without a ladder or being seen. We've also added cameras to the detached garage and wired all the doors. I changed the frequency of your garage bleepers too."
"And the locks have all been changed," added Juliet. "I made sure only Rob and I have keys. Is that enough to keep them out?"
Delgado's mouth tensed. "It's hard to say how motivated the stalker is, but these precautions give us better odds at catching them."
"Good. I hope they try again! And you can catch them once and for all. I may as well have a target on my head thanks to this." Juliet pointed to her ankle. The bracelet peeked out from under her pant leg, reminding me of how stuck she truly was.
"You're safe," added Solomon.
Juliet sucked in a deep breath. "Until I go to jail."
I took Juliet by the arm, steering her into the kitchen and away from Solomon. He was seeking even more evidence to prove why Juliet belonged in prison. As soon as I thought that, I felt mean. Without Solomon, I wouldn't have access to all that surveillance equipment and manpower. I couldn't have asked questions of her colleagues. Solomon’s only mission was finding the culprit who did the insider trading; and proving Juliet didn't do it would be almost as good a result. It might even turn out to lead him to the real bad guy. Between the two of us, we should have been able to gather enough information to release Juliet from her current predicament. It no long
er mattered that Solomon and I had joined forces from opposite sides of the case; it was now vitally important that we both see it from different perspectives.
"You can't think like that," I told her. "We're going to find out who's doing this."
"I'm losing hope."
"I know."
"I just... I have no one to talk to except Rob; and he's worried sick, and I don't want to burden him anymore... and my friends. What exactly did they say?"
"They said you severed all contact with them." I glanced up, noticing Solomon filling the doorway, listening quietly. "Rose said she got strange texts from you. Rebecca said you told her where to go, and in no uncertain terms, and Chloe said you accused her of sleeping with Rob."
Juliet paled "Oh my gosh! I would never... never say those things! I don't... strange texts?" she asked, stuttering to a stop.
"Rose says she lost them when she got a new cell phone, so I never saw them to verify her claim."
"And Rebecca and Chloe?"
"Rebecca showed me the texts; and they are traced to your phone."
"I can show you my phone. I don't have any texts like that because I never sent them! Chloe too?"
"Chloe was too angry to talk any further," I said, recalling the door slamming in my face.
"I need to speak to them! They need to know I didn't send anything like that. I would never accuse Chloe of sleeping with Rob! Such a concept never even crossed my mind. And why would I tell Rose and Rebecca to get lost? We've been friends for years. Here, check my phone." Juliet pulled her cell phone from her pocket and pushed it into my hand.
I brushed the screen with my thumb and it flashed to life, the icons brightening the screen. "You don't use any pin protection?" I asked, meeting Solomon's eyes over her shoulder, who gave a disbelieving shake of his head.
"No, I never had to in the past."
I handed the phone back, without checking her text messages. "I don't need to look to believe you," I said, not bothering to add I would comb her phone records later. I expected to find a record of the damning texts, but still felt sure Juliet never sent them. Whoever did would most likely have deleted them as soon as they were sent. Juliet would have been none the wiser, thanks to her poor personal security. "There have been several other incidences of false texts and emails, which suggests someone is accessing your data," I told her, hoping she would feel some relief in my uncovering a trail.
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