Chapter 10 – Diana

 

My heart raced as I stared at the black and white pictures that had fallen out of the envelope onto the counter.

 

They were pictures of me being intimate with Kyle Swanson. I guess this is what happens when you mess around in the big leagues. I complained about dating boy toys and wanted a man in the real world, and I got that in spades.

 

I tried breathing in deeply, and holding it for five seconds before exhaling. My grandmother had taught me that trick to calm your nerves when you’re freaking out about something.

 

I didn’t know what to do. A wave of disgust enveloped my body as I went through the pictures. Who would take these?

 

What kind of creep would be watching us?

 

And why did they send them to me?

 

They were taken with what appeared to be a professional black and white camera. This was not the job of an amateur.

 

The black and white gave them a clinical kind of nature, and it sickened me.

 

I couldn’t stand looking at them anymore so gathered them up and put them back in the envelope, which I shoved in a drawer.

 

My head was spinning. What in the hell do I do with these things? Call the cops? Call Janet? Call Kyle?
 

I had no idea what to do.

 

Someone was trying to ruin my career. That had to be it. Why else would they send them to me? I live paycheck to paycheck and have little money.

I can’t offer anyone anything, I’m just a local journalist.

 

Think Diana. Think.

 

I felt dirty. I was never squeamish about sex, I loved sex. But the idea of someone secretly watching, and taking pictures, it really gave me the creeps.

And I sure as hell didn’t feel safe. I looked out my back window and had a startling thought, they could be watching me right now.

 

Maybe it had nothing to do with the campaign. It could be just some sicko, some freak getting off watching my sex life through the window.

 

My seething anger with Kyle starts growing. If I hadn’t gotten involved with him in the first place, maybe none of this would have happened. This has to have something to do with him.

 

Kyle was a public figure with lots of enemies. There weren’t just a lot of people who really didn’t want to see him elected, there were probably thousands that wanted to see him dead.

 

And now I’m caught up in this. Caught up in his secret web of deceit and lies, and his wealth. How many people would just want to blackmail him to get a piece of the riches he always bragged about?

 

I wished the insecure bastard could keep his mouth shut.

 

Always bragging. I fucked this many women. I own all these companies. I have all this money. Kyle, just shut the fuck up. You don’t need to be telling people all about your possessions and women all the time.

 

Nobody really cares anyway.

 

After I stop thinking about Kyle, I can hardly move, it feels like I’m paralyzed.

 

How do I know someone hasn’t been inside the house? Luckily, its only 4 in the afternoon. If it were at night I’d really be creeped out.

 

I decided then and there to get my shit and move into a hotel room. A nice place, in a nice hotel with some security where I can sleep at night.

 

I run to the bedroom and pull out my bag, and start frantically gathering things. Toothpaste. Check. Tops. Check. Skirts, pants, blue jeans. Check. Panties. Check.

 

My laptop.

 

I gasp as I hear a knock at the door.

 

I freeze, trying not to breathe. My car is in the driveway so they know I’m home.

 

Another knock. For all I know it’s the freak that sent these pictures.

 

I tip toe around, and try and make it toward the front door so I can look through the peephole and see who it is. But I don’t want them to hear me.

 

Another knock. This time pretty forceful. Three knocks spaced apart by a couple of seconds in between.

 

I’m holding my breath, and do my best not to make a sound. I get up to the door and slowly bring my eye to the peephole.

 

Damn it. It’s Kyle Swanson. I decide to talk through the door.

 

“Kyle! What are you doing here!”

 

“I need to talk to you about something. Its really important.”

 

I sigh. Then it occurs to me that Kyle could be messing with my head.

 

Maybe he sent the pictures. He’s a fucking pervert after all.

 

Maybe he’s trying to blackmailing me into not writing about him anymore.

 

Or maybe he’s some kind of psychopath that gets off on scaring women. Could be he’s just into some kind of kinky shit and it turns him on, having a friend snap photos of him getting laid.

 

I feel annoyed. I decide I’m not telling him about the pictures.

 

“What about Kyle. I don’t have much time, and I told you not to come here anymore.”

 

“Will you just let me in? It’s important. I need to talk to you and I’m not going to do it yelling through the door.”

 

The bastard. He wins again and I give in, opening the door.

 

He rushes in like a tornado and grabs hold of me. This is different, it’s more like a loving embrace.

 

“Kyle, what’s going on?”

 

He shuts the door and peeks out the curtains. He seems as panicked as I am.

 

“I don’t think I was followed.”

 

“Followed, why would you be followed?”

 

I’m playing dumb, not about to let him know about the crazy ass pictures. If he was the one who sent them I’d let him break the news.

 

Kyle grabs my hands and pulls me over to the couch, and sits down. He seems hurried, nervous. Not like I’m used to seeing him.

 

I sit in stunned silence.

 

“Diana, I’m freaked out. I need to know that you’re not involved.”

 

“Involved in what?” I smirk, letting Kyle hear the irritation in my voice.

 

“Something really weird happened this morning. My campaign manager James, he comes into my office, well he barges into my office, and dumps these pictures on the table.”

 

He begins stuttering.

 

“Kyle, were they pictures of you and I having sex?”

 

“Yes! How did you know? Did you send them?”

 

“No don’t be ridiculous!” I snap.

 

“Well how would you know that? Did James call you already? He was strategizing this morning, trying to figure out what to do, and I got worried he’d try contacting you.”

 

“Kyle, I have something to tell you. I got the pictures to. They were in my mail today.”

 

He sits back and rubs his eyes, throwing his head back.

 

I felt a sense of relief. I didn’t know what in the hell was going on, but at least Kyle wasn’t behind it.

 

I didn’t want Kyle to be behind it.

 

And besides that, I could start narrowing things down, find out what this was about. It wasn’t some creep just after me, if they sent the pictures to Kyle too.

 

Kyle leans forward again. “What was in the pictures?”

 

“Do we really have to discuss that? That’s kind of gross.”

 

“Yeah we do Diana. This is about evidence and trying to figure out who’s behind this.”

 

“Well I don’t want to get graphic, they were pictures of us having sex in here. I’m sure you remember what happened so I don’t think I need to add any more details. Something creepy about them is they were all stunning black and white photos, like Ansel Adams had taken them.”

 

He barks frantically. “Was that all?”

 

“Yeah that’s all. Why?”

 

“The pictures sent to my office, also had pictures from when we were at my restaurant. That room we were in was right on the harbor. I don’t think they were diving right? There weren’t any boats by us, so it had to be someone with a high powered lens, all the way on the other side.”

 

That freaked me out.

 

“Kyle, that means someone has been following us around from the very beginning. They have to be trailing me, or they’ve got some kind of inside information on your movements. Maybe tapping your phone.”

 

He chuckles. “Who would bother with that? Everyone knows I’m a player. The fact I’m fucking a woman, that’s boring news these days, if you can even call it news.”

 

“Do you think this is dangerous?” I asked him.

 

“You mean for you? I don’t think so. Its clearly me they’re after. I got the big bucks.”

 

The arrogant snob – his ego was always just an inch away.

 

“Kyle, a lot of people are taking this race very seriously, and given that I’ve been publicly covering you, everyone knows it, someone could be after me. I don’t know what they want, but it could be someone on either side – trying to get me to stop writing about you, or who knows what.”

 

“Yeah I guess so.”

 

Kyle seemed unconcerned with my welfare.

 

“Well I’m getting ready to leave. I sure as hell am not going to stay by myself in this house, when I know I’m being watched. You think I can sleep tonight after getting those photos?”

 

“You can stay at one of my places. I’ve got tons of security.”

 

I ponder the offer but decline.

 

“No, I think I’ll just get a hotel. If someone, anyone, finds out that I’m staying at one of your properties, that will blow the lid off everything.”

 

“Yeah but you’d be safe. You could even stay in one of the suites in the Zylent building. It’s perfectly safe in there.”

 

“Kyle,” I lean into him, “Do you still want to win this Senate race?”

 

He averts his gaze. “Not if it means I lose you.”

 

My heart flutters. I’d felt almost no chemistry since he’d been here. I guess it was the circumstances, but my body had ached for him many times since our night together and now there was nothing.

 

I take a deep breath.

 

“Kyle, we can worry about that later. The thing to do now is find out what the hell is going on, and we don’t want to put your race for the Senate in jeopardy.”

 

I could hardly believe it, but deep inside I was wanting Kyle to fulfill his dreams. I wanted him to become the Senator from California and was starting to think he would be a good one. If only we could get him to grow up a little and get over all his childish insecurities.

 

“OK but the offer’s still open.”

 

Kyle offered to wait while I finished packing. I had to let him stay, I felt a lot more security with a man in the house.

 

Walking out I’m disgusted to see his Bentley parked across the street. I look at him and shake my head. Someone could have seen that, he’s probably tailed constantly. My house was probably going to be on the cover of next weeks tabloids.

 

With that we parted again, and I’m off to find somewhere safe to stay. Somewhere I can be alone and let my mind clear.