EMILY

I woke up to the smell of coffee, disoriented, not quite sure where I was. It took a few minutes for everything to come back to me; brain fog. Did it really happen? Did someone really throw a red paintball at the back of my house?

What the hell! When my mind finally cleared, I jumped from my bed and grabbed my sweats, dressing as I headed into the kitchen. I needed to see the damage in the daylight. Maggie was sitting calmly at the table, a cup of coffee in one hand, and scrolling through her iPad with the other. She looked up at me, her forehead creasing with worry lines.

“How are you doing this morning?” she asked.

“Not sure yet,” I mumbled.

I reached for a cup and helped myself to coffee so I could wake up.

Last night was both a blur and vividly clear at the same time. This crazy bastard’s actions were escalating and I didn’t have any idea who could be doing this to me. I was scared to be alone and now I would be constantly looking over my shoulder even more so, wondering who was out there watching my every move.

I looked at Maggie, thankful she was here with me, and scared for her at the same time. What if he went after my friends? What if this maniac tried to hurt one of my girls?

I needed to calm down and keep a clear perspective. Giving into the panic I felt wasn’t going to help the problem. I turned back to Maggie.

“How did you happen to show up last night?” I asked her suddenly. She told me at some point, but everything was a bit scattered in my thinking this morning.

“I have a police scanner,” she admitted sheepishly. “I know, dumb, huh. It’s something my parents always had around when I was a kid so I bought one a while back. Sometimes, when I’m hanging out by myself, I turn it on to listen to the action going on around town. Last night when I heard the dispatcher say your address, I almost had a heart attack. I couldn’t get into my car fast enough.”

“Wow. I’m glad you live close by. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I can’t figure out who would be doing this to me. They haven’t tried to hurt me yet, but it’s starting to really freak me out.”

“Em, you have dated some jerks in the last few years. True, you only went out with them a couple of times at the most, but they were a bit shady. You always kind of went for that bad boy thing. How well did you know any of them?”

“True, I didn’t know most of them, but I can’t think of anyone that would have cared enough to do something like this.”

And I really couldn’t. Most of the men that I went out with didn’t want a relationship any more than I did. No fuss, no anger, we just went our separate ways.

We sat at the table, both lost in thought, trying to come up with an answer.

Maggie spoke up again. “I’m not going to put Elliot on the list again but I think it’s time we seriously consider Jailbait.”

She’d mentioned him before and I did date him for a few months, but I still couldn’t imagine him doing this. But then again, I really didn’t know that much about him. It was embarrassing when I thought about it. I didn’t care enough to ask many questions. He was just someone to spend time with when I was lonely. I couldn’t even say I liked him very much. Maggie interrupted my thoughts. “All I’m saying is, he had it pretty good with you. He practically moved in here. He didn’t work much. He just more or less sponged off of you. I’m sure he was pissed as hell when you told him to get lost. He lost his sugar mama.”

I hadn’t thought of that before. When I told him it wasn’t working for me, he shrugged and walked out the door. I saw a flash of something in his eyes but I blew it off to ego. Maybe she was right. He did have a cushy life with me, even though it was short-lived.

“I will mention it to Tom today,” I told her.

She had opened the blinds facing the street and I glanced out to see if George and Lucky were back yet. It was still early and I didn’t see any signs of life over there. Cars were driving past as people headed out for work. It was a typical Monday morning. Atypical in this house, and I wasn’t sure what to do about any of it.

I stepped into the backyard to survey the mess. There were globs of red paint all over the window and the stucco around it. Someone had sprayed onto the walkway leading from the patio to the side yard and the garage. It looked as if someone had been murdered right outside my bedroom window, only there were no bodies, and the blood splatters were only red paint. What a mess, it was going to take a professional to clean this up.

Maggie came up behind me, startling me for a moment.

“I have an idea,” she told me. “It sounds crazy, but after a break in a few years back, a client of mine nailed those strips used for carpet installation all along the top of the wall surrounding his backyard. You know, the kind with nails on it that hold the carpet in place? If someone attempted to climb over, they would tear up their hands when they grabbed the top of the wall to pull themselves over. I could ask him what we would need to do that.”

I thought about it for a minute. The idea was crazy but it might work. Imagine jumping up and grabbing the top of the wall to pull yourself up and having your palms shredded from the carpet tacks? Hell yes, that would deter someone from trying to enter my backyard for sure.

“Sounds like a great idea,” I said.

She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and walked away to call him. I ambled around the house, checking windows and looking outside at my neighborhood. Was someone sitting out there watching me now? Patiently waiting for me to leave my house again?

I wanted Lucky home. I would feel a lot safer with him here. I wondered if Tom had called George to let him know what happened here last night.

God must have been answering prayers because ten minutes later George pulled into his driveway and Tom’s cruiser followed just behind him.

I watched as the two men climbed out of their cars and stood there talking. Lucky jumped out too and sat patiently next to George. They looked over at my house. I waved as I stepped out the front door and all three of them headed my way.

Lucky greeted me with some exuberant barks and a number of wet kisses as I reached down and nuzzled his neck for a minute. I was so glad he was back. Tom looked at me when I straightened up.

“How are you doing this morning?” he asked.

I kind of gave a little shrug.

“Nervous, scared, and getting seriously pissed off.”

“Still no idea who could be behind this?”

Maggie walked out of the house and answered for me.

“She used to date this little jerk we called Jailbait. His name is Steve Nelson. Lives in Tempe, at least that’s where he used to live. Total asshole,” she proclaimed.

Tom looked from me to Maggie and back at me again.

“Did he call it off or did you?” he asked.

“I did,” I told him. “He was one of those guys looking for a free ride, angry at the world. He had an ego and a self-entitlement problem I had a hard time dealing with. I dated him for a few months well over a year ago. I got sick of the attitude and paying for everything. When it seemed like he was moving in permanently, I gave him the boot. I never noticed if he was upset about it, but my friends seem to think he was. I never cared enough to pay much attention to him,” I admitted.

“He is a mechanic at the Ford dealership up in Scottsdale when he’s actually working,” Maggie added.

“Okay, I’ll check into him. Anyone else I could look at?” Tom asked more of Maggie than me.

We both shook our heads. I didn’t mention Elliot, and thankfully, neither did she. I wasn’t ready to think of him as a stalker, someone who may be trying to scare me, or worse yet, hurt me. To have the police looking into him or asking questions would make the possibility too real to accept.

George stayed quiet in the background, saying nothing at all, just listening and observing everything around him. He spoke up.

“We have a few renters who’ve moved into the neighborhood the last few years. I don’t know any of them, but I see them coming and going. One of the houses seems to be a bit of a party house down at the end of the block. Always a few guys hanging out in the garage or the yard, working on old cars, drinking and staring at the women living around here, especially on the weekends. I couldn’t tell you how many are living there, as people come and go a lot and the cars change.”

I had seen one or two of them walking up and down the street a few times. There hadn’t been any trouble I’d heard about, just an occasional party that became a bit loud, but … something about them, just a feeling in my gut. I didn’t like it.

George nodded his head up the street to the west toward Armstrong Way.

That told me just how much I paid attention, I hadn’t even noticed anyone new. God, how blind could I be?

Tom grunted at George.

“I will check it out.”

Maggie turned to both of the men.

“I have a guy, a client of mine, coming by later on this afternoon. He is stopping at Home Depot to pick up carpet tacking and whatever else he needs to install it on top of the wall in the backyard before dark.” She explained to the guys what he had done at his place and how he was going to do the same thing over here.

“It’s a great idea. Good deterrent!” George agreed. “I should do that to my place.”

Tom just nodded.

“Did you call the phone company and the security company?” he asked me. “Get them to reconnect the cut wires?”

I had completely forgotten about that. I shook my head.

“I’ll do it right now.”

I headed inside to get the numbers. I wanted it taken care of today as quickly as possible. Lucky followed. He seemed to sense something was wrong, so he was sticking right by me, even as I moved around the house.

Maggie stayed out front talking to George and Tom while I made the calls.

I noticed her checking out Tom a few times when she didn’t think he was paying attention. I also noticed the way he looked at her. He was definitely interested. Maybe something good would come out of this whole mess. I could see the two of them together, I really could. Maggie was playful and full of life, while Tom was more stoic and cautious. Opposites … complete opposites.

I smiled at the thought of how they would get along while I called to get the wires fixed. Hopefully they could do something so this couldn’t happen again. Add some killer carpet tack strips to stop whomever climbed over my wall into my backyard and it would help. I wanted to feel safe again in my own home, dammit! Wicked thoughts of bloody fingers flashed in my head. It would serve them right if whoever it was tried again.

Both the phone company and the security company assured me they would be out later in the day to take care of the problem.

George walked back home after waving to me from the doorway while I was on the phone. Maggie stood out by Tom’s cruiser talking when I came out of my office. I grabbed another cup of coffee and sat down by the table to make a list.

I wanted to get everything I needed to remember written down so I wouldn’t forget anything important. I needed a plan. I wasn’t sure if Maggie had contacted Andrea or not, so I sent her a text. I knew she couldn’t be here all the time, but I didn’t want to stay here alone until they found the bastard stalking me.

This needed to end and now.