Chapter Two

Simon sat at his desk across from Mr. Hill, who wore an off-the-rack suit, stress lines on his face, and more gray in his hair than black. The man had a kind, albeit tired, smile. He was the new client.

“Somebody is stalking my daughter. She thinks it’ll just go away eventually, but I don’t think it’s going to stop until she’s dead.” His voice cracked at that last part, but Simon simply motioned for him to continue. Last night had not gone as he’d intended, and he was hoping this job would be the distraction he needed.

“Does she have a police report filed?” At the man’s nod, he flipped his notebook to a clean sheet of paper and started taking notes. “What’s her name?”

“Lacie Hill.”

Simon wrote the name at the top of his paper and drew a line under it, then he sent Hollerman a text message.

Can you try to get a police file for Lacie Hill? It would be reports she filed, not a record.

To Mr. Hill, he responded, “Okay, what’s happening?”

Mr. Hill tapped his fingers on his leg, but he was otherwise composed. “Her home has been broken into twice in the last month while she was sleeping. She managed to fight them off, but she refuses to get a gun to protect herself, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping. She’s had flowers sent to the school where she teaches, and someone slashed her tires last week. I’m at my wit’s end. As the superintendent of the district, I’m coming to you to keep her safe. Now that they’ve followed her to work, I have a responsibility to my students.”

“They? There’s more than one stalker?”

Mr. Hill nodded. “Yes. Both the break-ins were different men. And the man who approached her after her tires were slashed was different as well. But they all called her Yoga Girl.”

That was highly unusual. A woman with multiple stalkers suggested something bigger at play. But what? Of course, like any great puzzle, Simon had dozens more questions to ask. Because of his preoccupation with the man, Simon’s thoughts flew to Jonas immediately, but this wasn’t his M.O., Lacie wasn’t Bonnie, and he’d gone deep underground. It probably wasn’t him, but Simon couldn’t stop his brain from going there, so he forced it somewhere else.

“Does she do yoga?” It could be something to do with a gym she went to or something.

“She used to do it in her home but hasn’t in a while. She says she hasn’t done it since the attacks started because it felt weird.”

“Why is she in school now? Isn’t it summer?”

“Lacie is teaching kindergarten in the summer enrichment program we offer for the inner-city kids. It’s mostly a glorified daycare for the children who can’t afford it, but we try to squeeze in some instruction time. The structure involved is integral for some of these kids who don’t get it at home.”

The fact his daughter didn’t accompany Mr. Hill was telling, and it begged the number one question to be asked.

“Does she know you’re coming to us?”

“No. She’s wanting to get on with her life and not make a big deal about this, thinking it will draw attention or something.” Mr. Hill didn’t roll his eyes, but the exasperation in his voice was apparent. “She’s all I have left in this world, besides my job. I can’t let anything happen to her. Security at the school’s been beefed up as much as we can afford, but I’m really worried, especially because I think there are aspects of this whole situation she hasn’t been telling me.”

A ding from his phone signaled an incoming text from Hollerman.

On it.

“Like what?” Simon prompted, intrigued.

Mr. Hill shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s why I need you guys. I can get you a job working with her, and I think the house across the street from her is still for rent. I want eyes on her twenty-four hours. I’ll pay whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe, even if it takes all my savings and retirement. I want to know who’s behind this, and why, and I want them behind bars where they belong. I’ve been frugal with my money and have some savings stashed. You can have it all if you stop these jerks.”

A tendril of unease snaked up Simon’s spine. He didn’t do bodyguard jobs. He thought about the other jobs they had in the pipeline, wondering who he could pull from what, but his mind came up a blank.

He was it.

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair, listening to the familiar and comforting squeak of the leather. “Okay. Let’s get some details, and I’ll have you fill out some paperwork with Miriam. I’ll need specific dates, copies of any police reports you may have, as well as a list of Lacie’s habits.” Simon stifled another sigh and hoped Miriam could pick up some of the slack with the never-ending paperwork he was behind on. Maybe he should upgrade to the fancy computer shit she and Evan had been pestering him about. “When do I start?”