by Cass Sellars
Parker laughed at herself and graciously accepted the help to her feet. “At least no one can blame it on alcohol consumption. I’m really embarrassed.”
“Why? I should be embarrassed.” Charlie dragged over a more sturdy-looking replacement and took the newly minted kindling to the back room. “I guess your drinks are free if you ever come back again.”
“Careful. Syd only drinks single malt scotch; you might go broke.”
“Don’t worry; one taste of the swill I carry, and she’ll do anything for a beer.” Charlie’s eyes shifted as a burly man pushed through the door.
“I’m here for a Parker Dugan?”
“It’s Duncan, but yes. You’re from the auto club?”
“Yes, ma’am. I would have passed right by where they said you were waiting, so I thought I would see if you needed a ride to your car.”
Charlie approached him, obviously reading his name from the patch on his shirt. “How long to switch out the tire, Tom?”
“Give me about twenty minutes or so?” he answered casually, and Parker began to collect her wallet and shove it back into her purse.
“How about we give you the keys, and I’ll bring her down in just a few?” Charlie suggested. She held her hand out for Parker’s keys with a questioning look, and Parker handed them to her.
“Sounds good; see you in a few.” He took the keys and headed back to his truck.
“Hope that was okay with you. I just figured you’d rather not stand by the road any longer than you had to.”
“Fine with me, thanks. I’m certainly not missing the heat.”
Twenty minutes later, Charlie opened the passenger door for Parker, who looked a little uncomfortable. “Sorry, ma’am. Force of habit. I promise I’m not flirting.”
“Oh no! I didn’t think that. I’m just surprised there’s more than one of you left in the world.”
Charlie chuckled good-naturedly as she closed Parker in the hot car and jogged to the driver’s side. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have shut the door. A black car with black interior tends to heat up like a sauna in the middle of the desert, but I guess you already know that, huh?”
“Definitely. Sometimes I have to let the AC run for a while before I get in because the steering wheel’s too hot to touch.”
Charlie guided the car to the shoulder so it faced the grill of the Audi. The mechanic was just rolling her sad-looking tire to the back and had liberated the small spare from her cluttered trunk.
Parker exited and walked to the rear of her car to begin collecting her belongings from the grass. Charlie took the keys from the mechanic and leaned in to start the car and the air-conditioning.
“You just want everything in the backseat?” Charlie asked Parker, who carried blueprint rolls in her direction.
“Yes, please,” Parker said as she thrust the bundle into Charlie’s arms. Charlie deposited the load and followed Parker to the trunk. A blue sedan pulled to a quick stop behind them. Charlie turned to look back and Parker saw Sydney appraise the woman helping her on the side of the road. She straightened, suddenly feeling guilty for something she hadn’t done. She prepared herself for the inevitable conflict.
“Hey, baby.” Syd stepped from Jen’s car wearing jeans and black sunglasses.
Parker smiled and walked happily into Sydney’s arms despite the expected awkwardness.
“Hi, love. It’s a long story, but I’m almost fixed up thanks to Tom over there. I guess there was an accident on the highway, which would have made it a good thing I was back here if it hadn’t been for the flat, of course. How did you know I was here?” She was babbling, but she was also relieved that Syd was there. She finally had to admit to herself that with whomever was tormenting them, breaking down on a lonely country road had been just a little terrifying.
“I have spies everywhere; I told you this.” Syd leaned down and pressed a kiss over Parker’s mouth.
“I believe it now.” Parker replied to her uncharacteristically calm girlfriend and gave Jenny a side hug. “Come meet Charlie; she found me walking to call the tow truck, and it turns out she owns the bar just up the road.” Charlie had heaved the last armload of stuff from Parker’s trunk into the back seat and closed the door on the struggling air-conditioning.
“You must be Sydney. I’ve heard a lot about you over the past hour or so.” Charlie sauntered confidently toward Sydney.
“All good stuff, I hope. Thank you for taking care of my girl.” Syd’s expression said that she hadn’t intended for it to sound possessive, but she knew it had.
“Not a problem. I wouldn’t want anyone to leave someone I cared about out here in the heat.” She held out her hand. “Charlie Harris.”
Sydney shook her hand. “Sydney Hyatt. This is Jenny Foster, who was acting as my navigator on this little back-road search excursion.”
“Nice to meet you. I know it seems like we’re in the middle of nowhere, but we’re only thirty minutes from Maclean one way and Silver Lake the other. I have to remind myself of that when I start to choke on the tobacco fields in this town.” Charlie offered a friendly smile “I guess my job here is done. I have a bar to open. If my regulars don’t get their brew by four thirty, I’ll have hell to pay.”
Parker stepped toward Charlie and offered a casual hug. “Thank you for everything. I owe you.”
“Nah, just bring me some city life up here every now and then. Good luck with the tire.” Charlie headed back to her car and roared down the abandoned road just as the mechanic rounded the car holding a lug wrench and a clipboard.
“Sign here?” Tom thrust the papers at Parker and tapped the space where she should sign.
Parker took the pen and scribbled her name on the line. “Thank you so much for coming out.”
“Yes, ma’am. Get that tire fixed as soon as you can; that spare won’t do you much good for long.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Sydney said as she wrapped her arm around Parker’s waist and squeezed.
“Have a good day, then.” He tipped his hat and walked back to the heavy, diesel tow truck idling loudly on the other side of the road.
Parker watched him go and got lost for a moment in what could have been.
Jenny took her keys from Sydney’s fingers and headed back to her car. “I’ll see you at home then, okay? Glad you’re all right, Park.”
Parker nodded and walked to the passenger side of her car where Sydney opened the door for her. She smiled at the recent exchange with Charlie and waited as Syd slid the seat all the way back and climbed in to drive.
Syd didn’t say anything as she turned Parker’s car around slowly, favoring the mini wheel on the passenger side.
“So,” Sydney began, pulling Parker’s hand onto her thigh. “Should I worry that I found some muscle-car-driving butch with you on the side of the road?” She smiled, relief evident in her voice.
“No. We decided that a relationship born on a dusty road, in the middle of the country, would only end in disaster.” Parker leaned over onto Sydney’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
“Did you also explain that she would have been in grave danger when I found out?” Syd grazed her palm over Parker’s cheek.
“I might have mentioned it. She was willing to take the risk, but I told her my heart belonged to you.” Parker smiled and began recounting the details of her day in earnest.
When she finished, Sydney only had one question. “Why didn’t you call me from the bar?”
“Because you had only just gotten to do an hour’s worth of your own work and I figured you would have never known I was even gone. By the way, how did you know?”
“I went to pick you up from work, and your office was empty. I saw your phone, and then Jenny left a message with the construction foreman. So, when you called to say you were going to miss the meeting, he called Jenny.”
“Okay. That explains why you came here but not why you came to get me at the office in the first place, especially since you had left just before I did.
Nor does it explain why you aren’t acting like a crazy person.”
“I keep hearing about my alternate personality today.” Syd shook her head. “I just wanted to pick you up.” Her muscles tightened as she gripped the steering wheel.
Parker could see otherwise tense replies being packaged into pleasant answers. “Love, it was only the middle of the afternoon. I wasn’t planning on leaving work then anyway.” Parker searched Sydney’s face, seeming to look for some clue to her sudden mood shift.
Syd sighed. “No matter what other people think, we’re faced with a very real threat. You need to know that when I got home, I found another note. It wasn’t very nice, and I thought you would be safer with me.”
“Of course we would be safer together, but I don’t want to hide from this bastard, Sydney.” She clenched her teeth and was uncharacteristically defiant as she sat up in her seat, no longer in physical contact with her. If she was being honest, she was taking out her building fear on the very person trying to save her from it. But working that out would make her admit how scared she was, and she wasn’t ready for that yet.
“Well, I would rather hide you from him than hand you to him. This is not the time to handle things by yourself.” Syd reached to grip her hand tightly. She was tired of having to defend protecting Parker from a faceless criminal.
“I want to see it.” Parker held out her hand, and Sydney saw it tremble, but her eyes never left Syd’s face. Parker’s eyes betrayed her true feelings with a look Syd had only seen only twice before. When she had saved Parker from Becky’s knife and when she nearly perished with Mack in her car. In this case, it the fear loomed large in their lives, and Syd would readily defend every step she now took.
“There’s a picture on my phone. Can we please wait until we get to Mack and Jen’s?” Syd didn’t leave Parker much room for further discussion. She was silent as Syd drove them back. A solemn Parker was at least a safe Parker. She moved her hand that had been resting on the gearshift and wrapped it firmly around Parker’s. To her surprise, Parker curved against her. Syd knew that meant she was truly frightened, and maybe now they could work together.
Before the door was even shut behind them, Jenny pushed a glass of wine at Parker. “You might need this after the day you’ve had.”
“Thanks.” Parker took a sip and turned to see Syd bringing in their bags in from her car. “Let me read it, please.”
To Syd, her voice had lost some of its fire and defiance. She didn’t consider it progress. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and handed it over.
You told your dyke to look for me?
She’s too close to even see
I’ll lay you down and make her view
As I crawl on top and slide into you
She thinks now she runs the show?
One night with me and then she’ll know
It’s close, my dear, the bitch will pay,
You crave my love, you will obey
She shuddered and handed the missive to Jenny. “He’s sick, Sydney. We have to find him.”
“I know, and we will. Until then, we have to make sure you’re safe.” Sydney spoke slowly and stiffly.
“Of course. Why don’t I just quit my job? I can stay home and clean your house and make your dinner, Sydney. You can sell my car since I won’t be going out alone anymore. The whole fucking world is unsafe for fragile me now.” She stared out the window before she spun back to Sydney and Jenny. “Well, I’m not fragile, and I hate being a victim.” She spoke angrily, and her eyes fired at Syd. “The only person he wants to hurt is you, and you’re worried about me.” Parker walked to Sydney and slammed herself against her before wrapping her arms around her tightly. “I’m sorry.”
Syd hung on to her, desperate to stop the torment invading their lives. “I know. I’m sorry. We will find him and stop him. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“He wants to hurt you! You make this just about me, and it’s about both of us. Most importantly, him taking you away from me. I can’t believe we’re debating who some deranged person views as his target.”
“How about we agree he’s not safe for either of us, okay?” Syd dragged her thumb along Parker’s tense jaw as Mack walked in.
Mack dropped her keys on the counter and reread the note from Syd’s phone.
“He’s accelerating. He’s going to show his hand, but I need everyone where they’re safe, and it’s not at the office, and it’s not at your house,” Mack said firmly.
Parker moved away from Sydney and picked up her briefcase. “Fine. I’ll call Quint. I have a meeting at CTI, but I assume you’d like me to try and take it by phone?” The hint of a smile crossed her face.
“You assume correctly.” Sydney felt calmer when Parker offered tacit cooperation.
Parker crossed to Jenny, who was leaning against Mack. “I’m sorry this is affecting you as well. Sorry you had to come find me today.”
“Parker, you’re my best friend. You would do, and have done, way more than that for me. You don’t ever need to thank us because that’s what friends do. Olivia is next door for the evening, so let’s have some wine and try to relax, okay?”
“Let’s have lasagna from Amici’s. I’ll go pick up whatever we want,” Mack said.
“Only you would turn this into a frat party.” Parker leaned over to kiss Mack’s cheek. She wasn’t really hungry. The constant gnawing sensations in her stomach weren’t pangs of hunger; they were very much a toxic stew of dread, fury, and terror. The room seemed darker, and every step she took now felt as if her legs were mired in quicksand. Sydney obviously saw it. Shadows of concern clouded her expression as she led Parker to their temporary bedroom.
Parker gritted her teeth and looked past Syd to keep the tears from falling. She lost the battle, giving in to exhaustion, anger, and the dread of what the next moments might bring.
“I can’t do this.” Parker could barely manage a whisper.
“Yes, you can. Together, we can do anything.”
Chapter Sixteen
Parker watched Olivia manipulate wooden blocks into a bucket with her name painted on this side. She was optimistic when the quiet day had been free of notes and turmoil, and she decided to take that as a sign. She refused to dwell on the fact that stalkers didn’t just leave and find new playmates, but today, for just a few hours, she wanted to feel normal.
Parker listened to the casual banter between Syd and Mack from the backyard and glanced at the clock. Jenny should be home soon, and her ringing phone jolted Parker from her thoughts.
“Red or white?” Parker’s answer took the place of a customary hello when Jenny’s contact photo filled the screen. She angled the microphone away from Olivia’s delightful baby blather.
“Park? Red or white what?” Jen’s words sounded rushed.
“Wine, silly. Which one?
“Um red. But listen, are Mack and Syd with you?”
“Yeah, she’s outside with Mack fixing the bouncy swing thingy. What’s up?”
“Okay, thank God,” Jenny exhaled heavily into the phone.
“What? Are you okay?” Parker held the phone closer to her ear and tried to listen more carefully to Jenny’s voice over that of the exuberant toddler.
“I’m fine. I have something, and I need everyone to stay put. I’ll be home in just a few minutes. Love you, Park. And tell my wife to answer her damn phone from now on.”
Parker heard the line go silent and scooped Olivia from her spot on the couch. Her blissful moment of peace was gone. She found Syd with a ratchet in her hand and a frustrated look on her face as Mack held the metal frame steady.
“Sorry to break up the fun, but that was Jenny. Mack, do you have your phone on? She said you didn’t answer.” She bounced Olivia on her hip.
Mack fished the phone from her pocket and grimaced. “Damn, I left it on silent from my afternoon meeting. Is she okay?”
“She just said that she had tried to call and wanted us to all be here when she got h
ome. She said she had something, that’s all.” She shrugged and watched the duo reassembling the swing.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going anywhere for a while.” Mack pointed at the collection of screws and bolts scattered around the aluminum frame.
“How about I go buy a new one, and you let me run this one over with your car?” Syd smacked at a stubborn fastener with a wrench. They all turned as Jenny rushed through the door and onto the deck.
“Come inside. I need you to listen to this.” Jenny stopped to dust a kiss over Olivia’s fat cheek, but she was clearly on a mission.
Obediently, the assembly followed her to the living room. “So, I was running around today and didn’t have a chance to check voice mail until just before five. I think we can finally put a name to our problem.” She almost sounded triumphant, but the threat still loomed, and Parker was very aware of it.
“Yes? And?” Sydney looked intense.
“Right, okay. So, I was checking voice mail this afternoon, and this lady leaves me a message about one of my messages. She doesn’t tell me who she is because it’s an off-the-record thing. She doesn’t actually say who she’s calling about, either; I’m sure she assumed I was inquiring about just one employee. Listen to this.” Jenny dialed her phone and laid it on the ottoman. An unfamiliar voice spoke through the speaker.
“Hi, Ms. Foster. I received a message from your office about a reference on our former employee. I am, of course, not making an official call because our company forbids it. However, I am going to step out on a limb here. I hope you will respect that I am doing this anonymously as I would be fired if you pursued it.
“I wanted you to know that we were forced to terminate the employee because he was harassing his girlfriend, well, his ex-girlfriend. Police kept visiting him at work, serving him court documents and causing a constant disruption in the workplace. Then he would be gone repeatedly for mediation appearances.
