Jordan
When Amanda opened the front door, her face was pale. She looked so different to the motherly, smiling woman they’d seen yesterday.
“Come in, dears,” she said, ushering them in and glancing at the street anxiously.
“Are you OK?” Luna asked. “You look quite shaken.”
“I think so,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “Last night, I got a call. I haven’t told Bill. I pretended it was my sister. He’s fragile right now... he hasn’t dealt with the grief very well. Anyway, the man on the other end of the call said, ‘it’s Jordan’s fault. Don’t get involved. He will pay’.”
Luna gasped and held her hand to her mouth before looking up at Jordan.
“OK, you did the right thing telling us.”
“But now I’m worried that he might be watching,” Amanda said, her eyes wide with fear. “What if he knows I’m helping you?”
Jordan placed his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you worry. This guy’s an amateur. If he was that smart, I’d already be dead, wouldn’t I?”
He didn’t really believe his own words, he just wanted to make sure Amanda could cope with the stress. If he made this look like no big deal, surely, she could believe it.
“Shouldn’t you tell Bill?” Luna asked.
“He’s not ready,” Amanda said, turning to Luna. “He’d go mad. And if he got his hands on the fella God knows what he’d do. He’s still so full of anger at the loss.”
“I’ll protect you. We can monitor your calls, get them traced if need be, I deal with this sort of stuff all the time at work,” Jordan said. “But I agree, you should tell Bill.”
“I can’t,” Amanda said. “Not yet. Do whatever you need to do, bug the phone, set up cameras, whatever. I just need to protect Bill from more stress.”
“If you’re sure,” Jordan said reluctantly.
He and Luna left Amanda’s, being careful to check for anyone watching or following. They swapped vehicles and returned immediately with the phone recording equipment that Jordan had in his apartment. He often kept basic equipment at home for last-minute emergencies. They cropped up more than anyone else would believe. He’d set up phone bugs in the early hours of the morning at several client’s houses before – usually for nuisance calls from ex-husbands or wives, though. He’d never had a bomb scare on such a personal level as this before.
While Jordan set up the equipment, Luna helped Amanda put together a pasta bake in the kitchen.
“It’s really nice having youngsters around,” Amanda said, as she called Jordan through to the kitchen table for food. “It’s quite lonely sometimes, just the two of us. And with Bill being away tonight, I’m glad you’re both here.”
Jordan watched Luna’s beaming smile. He couldn’t help thinking about how she’d never had a mother figure in her life. This must have been nice for Luna too as it had a family feel to it.
The three of them ate in the brightly lit room, discussing holidays and work and general small talk. It was like being at an aunt’s house. Suddenly the phone rang. Amanda stiffened and looked to Jordan with panic in her eyes.
“It’s OK,” he reassured her. “We’ll trace whoever it is... if it’s him.”
Amanda picked up the phone and nodded to Jordan when she heard it was the caller.
Jordan ran to the laptop connected to the cables and signaled to her to roll out some conversation, to buy some time.
“What do you want?” she asked. “Did you know my son?”
She listened as the caller repeated the same sentences about the accident being Jordan’s fault. He warned her to keep clear of “that murderer.”
She stayed strong and listened, her eyes on Jordan the whole time until the line went dead all of a sudden.
Jordan let out a grunt of anguish. “I nearly had him,” he said, rubbing his forehead.
“I’m sorry,” Amanda said, still clutching the receiver.
“It’s not your fault,” Jordan said. “You did great. Honestly.”
Amanda’s chest rose and fell quickly. “Will you both stay tonight? I don’t think I could bear to be here alone.”
“Of course,” Luna said.
“I have night dresses or T-shirts you can borrow,” Amanda said, “and there’s a guest house out the back you can share. At least I’ll know you’re on the property if I need you.”
“Sure thing,” Jordan said. “But she can have the night dress,” he added, pointing to Luna.