Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
LEAF
‘What’s going on?’ Denver asks, looking between me and Thorne.
Clearly, the presence of an FBI agent in the restaurant isn’t alarming to him, which tells me that either he knows about what’s going on with me and Michael or Thorne lied to me again about why he’s in town.
Thorne takes a deep breath, but before he can lift his hands, I wave at Denver to get his attention. ‘How do you two know each other?’ Denver, at the very least, will tell me the truth.
Denver glanced at Thorne, then shrugs. ‘I had a stalker a couple years ago.’
My eyes go wide, unsure I understand. There isn’t an exact sign for this, so he signs something more like chase, though his lip movements tell me otherwise.
I fingerspell for clarity. ‘Stalker?’
Denver nods and looks a little distressed. I hate doing this to him now, especially after whatever the fuck just happened with his date, but it feels like a hurricane just erupted in my head.
Thorne lifts his hands. ‘I was called in. It was a few years ago, right after I found out I had Ménière’s.
It initially started with cyberstalking, and then the person started sending him photos showing they were in town.
It ended up getting threatening, and the police couldn’t manage it, so the FBI stepped in. ’
Well. Holy fuck. I’m still technically new in town, so that was before my time, but I had no idea this was happening to my friend. Denver never gave off the impression that he was fending off some internet psychopath.
‘Did he go to jail?’ I ask.
Denver hunches his shoulders. ‘No.’
I sigh and turn an accusing gaze to Thorne. ‘Well, why not?’
Denver shoots him a look as if to say he’s welcome to explain.
Thorne cracks his knuckles. ‘Fuck, can you interpret? I’m no good at this.’
Denver eyes Thorne. ‘You haven’t been practicing?’
‘Not as much as I should, and I don’t know all the legal jargon.’ Even this is not signed as well as it should be.
Denver nods and peers over at me. Well, fuck, here I am on a date and interpreting. Thorne had better make it up to me.
‘Fine, go on. Talk, and I’ll interpret.’
Thorne looks mostly sorry but opens his mouth and begins to explain. “The sheriff’s office didn’t consider him a threat, so we struggled to get the phone company to comply with a records request.”
Denver looks freshly pissed. ‘The number he was using was from an app that generates…’ His brow furrows in confusion as he searches for the right terms.
“It’s like an online burner phone,” Thorne clarifies. “It’s not like the movies, so it takes a while to trace an IP to find out where all the numbers are coming from. By the time we got the warrant, the texts and photos had stopped.”
“So you didn’t find him?” I ask aloud and in sign.
Denver shakes his head. ‘They found him, but they wouldn’t arrest him for stalking. The DA said they weren’t sure we’d be able to prove it in court, so they brought him up on harassment charges.’
‘How’d he get your number?’ I can’t help but ask.
Denver’s ears turn pink. ‘He was at one of my shows. He was charming. I liked him.’
‘Deaf?’
“No,” Thorne says. “He was a hearing guy. But he knew basic ASL, from what I remember.”
I sit back, all the air rushing out of me. ‘I don’t understand why they couldn’t prove that he was a stalker.”
Denver looks angry again. ‘I freely gave him my number, and since he never made any direct threats, all they had to go on was harassment because I had repeatedly asked him to leave me alone, and he didn’t.’
I bite my lip and look at Thorne, whose face is drawn and almost angry. I think I might understand now why he was so fixated on the case with me—even though there was no case. He’s a man who genuinely wants to do good.
It’s obvious he cares about Denver.
‘He was found guilty,’ Denver signs, waving his hand to draw my attention back away from Thorne. ‘He didn’t have a record, so he didn’t serve jail time.’
“What the fuck?” I demand aloud.
Denver reads my lips very clearly and scoffs. ‘They gave him probation and me a lifetime order of protection, as though a piece of paper is going to stop some psychopath from breaking into my house.’
Thorne shakes his head, but he’s not disagreeing with Denver. “I advised that he move house, and I stuck around town for a while. I told my boss it was to start learning ASL—and it was. But I also wanted to make sure this guy stayed away. And so far he has, right? No contact since then?”
He looks at Denver, who nods. ‘Nothing since right before he was charged, but I swear, sometimes I feel like he’s watching me.’
I set my hands down and feel my stomach sink. I can’t believe Denver never told any of us about this. We could have been there for him.
He must know what I’m thinking because he almost looks sorry. He doesn’t need to be. I just feel bad none of us knew.
‘Anyway, I just have shit luck with men. I may take a long break for a while.’
‘Good idea,’ I say, looking back toward the door.
The man who was bothering Denver left, thank god, so we can eat our food in peace.
Although Denver doesn’t look like he can stomach anything, and I don’t blame him.
‘Do you want me to get you anything?’ I offer just in case.
‘You can have half my wrap if you want.’
Denver pulls a nauseous face. ‘Think I’ll stick to drinking.’
‘Same,’ I reply. Thorne nods as well.
The mood shifts slightly as we get our orders in, the excitement I had for a date night having turned out a little glum. Denver seems obviously agitated, and Thorne looks concerned for his friend.
His friend.
I had no fucking idea this guy has a history with people I know. But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. The Deaf community is so small. Everyone knows everyone. It seemed a little weird that Thorne, with his hearing loss and knowing some ASL, didn’t know anyone.
But here we are, and I should have known better.
Our drinks are placed in front of us, and I rub my hands together. ‘This looks delicious.’
‘What is it again?’
‘A bitter navel. So like a fuzzy navel, but not as sweet.’
Denver salutes me. ‘To Leaf and his weird taste.’ He throws his shot back and slaps his hand down on the table. ‘You know, Thorne, he didn’t drink like this until he moved into his aunt’s house.’
I shake my head, taking a sip of my drink. It makes my lips pucker. ‘No, I started drinking out of boredom after I quit interpreting. I had nothing to do with my life and no idea how to run a farm. And then Michael showed up…’
The name sign I’ve given him has Denver laughing. ‘That sign never gets old.’
I roll my eyes and do it again, even making Thorne laugh with the rim of his glass pressed to his bottom lip.
He got a tonic with lime. I can tell he doesn’t want to risk anything happening to him tonight, and I can respect that.
He sips on it as he watches me explain to Denver what’s been going on with the groundhog.
I figure since Denver knows what Thorne does, he can hear the whole story.
I start with the part where Thorne thought I was keeping a man in my basement and end with how I figured it all out.
‘…so I run out of bed, thinking it’s finally time to end the torment, and I have no idea that Thorne is behind me.
’ I make sure to use lots of classifiers and body shifting.
I can see my storytelling is helping Denver relax a bit.
He’s starting to actually smile. ‘And the next thing I know, Thorne has his gun out, and he’s telling me and the groundhog to freeze. ’
Denver bursts into laughter. ‘Did Michael freeze?’
I grin as Thorne shakes his head, looking about as defeated as I feel. ‘No. He ran away.’
‘With a whole zucchini in his mouth,’ I add. ‘We haven’t seen him since. I put up a new trap and a bunch of cameras, but nothing’s worked. Thorne is acquiring some very illegal plants I can use to put him out of his misery.’
Denver shakes his head, still grinning. ‘I think he’s tormenting you on purpose.’
‘If that’s true, I’m terrified. They’re not supposed to be that smart.’
Denver waves me off. ‘I had a goldfish that could play fetch.’
‘Bullshit,’ I say.
He grins at me, and I have no idea if he’s lying or telling the truth, but I don’t care. It feels good to relax.
‘Anyway,’ I begin, finishing off my drink. ‘There is no dead body in my backyard, despite Thorne hoping there was.’
Thorne groans. ‘I did not hope.’
‘You did. You were hoping I was a serial killer, but I’m just a sad man with a groundhog.’
Denver giggles at that sign again.
Fucker.
‘Well, you two are really cute,’ Denver says, finishing off his drink and waving the server over again. ‘You want another?’
Thorne shakes his head, but I bob my head up and down.
I sure as fuck do want another. That was delicious.
When the orders are placed, Denver adds, ‘And honestly, Leaf, I can’t imagine you meeting anyone any other way.
This is so typical.’ His mouth makes a little bing movement when he signs that last word, and I roll my eyes.
‘Go bing yourself.’
Denver giggles, and I grin widely.
‘Well, you’re correct. If Thorne hadn’t shown up and pretended to be my stalker, I probably would be dying alone, Michael covering me in old zucchini carcasses.’
‘I actually was your stalker. Just not in a creepy way,’ Thorn reminds me.
‘Nope. In a very sexy one.’
Denver sighs. ‘You two are so cute.’
‘Agree.’ My stomach rumbles, and thankfully, our food is delivered just a few minutes later. I dig in, moaning when the flavor of the Caesar wrap hits my taste buds. ‘Delicious.’ Denver nods, and I hand him half of my wrap. ‘You need eat.’
He sighs but takes my offering. I’m glad he’s putting something in his stomach. I bet the recent encounter put him off food, but if I’ve learned anything since Michael, it’s that you need to keep your body from falling apart, even when you’re incredibly stressed.