Chapter 5 #2
She inhaled, stepped from his grasp, and retrieved her computer. “I was about to open this email when you knocked.” She lowered herself onto the couch.
David sat beside her and peered over her shoulder. His gut clenched when he read the subject line. Zoey.
Her hand shook as she clicked on the message. One by one, image after image loaded onto the page. Jennie gasped.
Five photos jumped from the screen. Two pictures zoomed in on Zoey’s face while she played at recess, and three more of Jennie and Zoey in front of the school filled the display.
“Those are from today! Why? Who?” Jennie squeaked.
David rested his hands on the cushion behind her. “It appears whoever did this isn’t solely focused on Zoey.”
Jennie stared at the photos.
Could it be possible that someone from her past had come back to scare her—or worse?
It made no sense. David rubbed the back of his neck.
The man they hunted wouldn’t have switched his attention to Jennie.
The creep would only have eyes for a young girl.
A fact that continued to churn his stomach after three years of being a member of the ICAC task force.
“Forward that email to me, please. I’d like Megan to see if she can glean anything from those photos.” He rattled off his email address.
“Of course.” Jennie fired off the email then slammed her laptop shut. “I can’t believe this.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of it.” He resisted placing his hands on her shoulders as his mind raced with possibilities.
“How can you say that? You can’t promise you’ll catch this guy.” She peered up at him, her words holding no contempt. Only sadness.
“I’ll do my best, Jennie. I won’t let some maniac hurt you or Zoey.
” He shifted to her side. “I seem to have acquired a soft spot for that girl of yours.” And you.
When he’d met her forty-eight hours ago, the wall he’d built around his heart after his fiancée Brenda’s death had cracked.
Pieces had begun to chip away. He didn’t understand how it happened, but it had.
She looked at him with such desperation. “We have for you, too.” Her eyes widened. “I mean, she has for you.”
His lips twitched, but he held the smile at bay.
And to think he’d been concerned the attraction was one-sided.
He reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear but dropped his hand to his side.
He hadn’t earned the right to touch her yet.
Besides, if he allowed his feelings to take root, he’d only fail her like he’d failed Brenda.
Friends. He could do friends. Decision made. He exhaled. “I need to get going. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine. I know you must be tired. Go home and get some rest.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Tired didn’t come close. David’s twenty-hour day had him weary to the bone.
“Lock up behind me.” Forgetting the words of wisdom to himself, he scooped her hand into his and squeezed her fingers.
Her soft skin, a contrast to his callouses.
His pulse quickened at the touch. “I don’t want you taking any chances. ”
Tears filled her eyes. She nodded.
The protector in him wanted to pull her into a hug and hold her until her fears dissipated, but he refused to accidentally trigger bad memories for her.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.” He ducked his head and peered into her eyes. “Anything.” Opening the front door, he stepped onto the porch and turned in time to watch the door close behind him.
He waited until he heard all three locks click into place, then scanned the yard and the neighboring houses.
Thirteen years of experience as a cop had the hairs on the back of his neck tingling. His hand hovered over his holster as he descended the steps. Removing the phone from his pocket with his other hand, he placed a call to his partner.
Brandon answered on the second ring. “What’s up?”
“Send extra patrols by Jennie Nielson’s tonight.”
“Hold on.” A moment later, Brandon returned. “Done. Why?”
David stood at the driver’s side of his vehicle, staring at Jennie’s house. Maybe paranoia had snuck in, but he refused to ignore his instincts. The one time he’d discounted the internal urges to stop working and go help Brenda, his fiancée had paid the price. “My gut.”
“Good enough for me.”
David released the breath he hadn’t known he’d held. “Thanks, man. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t checked your messages.”
“Nope. I haven’t had time.”
“Since our case is at a standstill until Megan does her mojo, the lieutenant told everyone to go to on-call and take the weekend off. Guess he has a heart, after all.”
David laughed. “Not hardly. The man doesn’t want us on overtime.”
Brandon snorted. “You’re probably right about that. Either way, I’m going to enjoy the extra sleep.”
“You and me both, buddy.” David tapped the hood of his car. “Go home.”
“Copy that.” The phone went dead.
Guess he didn’t have to tell his partner twice.
His gaze roamed the area. Lots of places to hide, but at least Jennie’s neighbor had dogs.
When the lights went out in her living room, he slipped into the sedan and started the engine. He laid his head back on the headrest and prayed that whatever truth Jennie continued to hide wouldn’t get her hurt or, worse yet, killed.
***
Jennie had flipped the deadbolts and turned out the lights. Resting her forehead against the cool wood of the door, she allowed tears to fall. How had her life taken another wrong turn?
God, haven’t I suffered enough?
But God wasn’t to blame. She’d caused her own misery.
She should’ve told David about Kenny, but what were the odds the man who’d almost taken her life was out of prison, much less could find her and torment her or Zoey.
A child predator definitely didn’t describe Kenny.
A control freak. A narcissist. A man who thought he owned women—Yes.
But during the four years they’d lived together, he never touched Zoey other than to hug her.
He’d only abused Jennie when she disobeyed him.
If it wasn’t Kenny, then who?
Bile rose in her throat at the thought of Zoey having a stalker. And what was she going to do about David? She’d vowed to never let another man into her life. But in the short time she’d known the handsome detective, the man had wormed his way into her thoughts.
He had her stomach tied in knots. His nearness made her nerves tingle.
She’d wanted to throw herself into his arms tonight for comfort, but she’d made enough mistakes to last a lifetime.
She had no business getting involved with another man.
If she were smart, she’d stay far away from the entire species. At least when it came to relationships.
Since David came into her life, the old desire for companionship tugged at her.
Her deceased husband might have been a drunk, but he’d loved her and never hurt her.
He’d never talked to her like she was beneath him.
Brad’s flaw—when he drank, he drank to excess.
He was a danger and an embarrassment to himself and those around him.
But he’d never been violent. She’d loved the man despite his faults.
After her husband died and she’d given birth to Zoey, single motherhood became overwhelming, and she’d lost her confidence and ability to cope with life.
Brad’s friends Levi and Adam tried to help in their own way, but it had been his best friend Kenny who had convinced her to move in and look where that had gotten her.
After multiple trips to the hospital, she’d finally ended up in the ICU, and him in jail.
Never again would she allow herself to be vulnerable and give up control of her life to a man.
To anyone, for that matter. She only trusted God.
The shame of her decisions and the fear of dying at Kenny’s hands had forced her to face her mistakes and ask God for forgiveness.
He’d given her five years of peace. She should be thankful, but she couldn’t help wondering why He’d allowed pain into her life again.
She exhaled, picked up her phone from the end table, and called Aunt Emily. Relief filled her that Zoey stayed with her aunt, but concern continued to strangle Jennie. She had to warn Aunt Em to be on alert for anything strange while caring for Zoey.
“Hello?”
“Aunt Em, how are things going?” Jennie flipped on the nightlight in the kitchen on her way to the bedroom. A requirement for her sanity after her final hospital stay.
“Fine, honey. Zoey’s in bed reading. Do you need to talk with her?”
“No. No. I called to ask you to keep a close eye on her while she’s with you.” She stepped across the threshold of her bedroom and froze. She scanned her room. Her gaze landed on the closed closet door. She gripped the phone tighter. Her hands trembled.
“Of course. What’s going on, Jennie?” Aunt Em’s words broke through her terror.
No use hiding what happened from the older woman. She’d discover the truth in minutes if she set her mind to it. The police should hire the woman to interrogate criminals. They’d spill their secrets before she finished saying hello.
Jennie sighed. “Someone emailed pictures of Zoey and me. Pictures we didn’t know the person had taken.” Her steps faltered the closer she got to the closet door.
“How awful. Did you call Detective Whitman? Would you like to spend the night here?”
Jennie held her breath and opened the door. She swiped her clothes to the side. Empty. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Jennie?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. I’m still here. No, I’m good, and David knows. Could you keep Zoey until late-morning since she doesn’t have school tomorrow? I know how she loves her baking time with you.”
“Sounds good, honey. Take care of yourself. Come over if you need to.”
“I will. Thanks again for everything, Aunt Em.”
“Love you, sweetie.”
“Love you too.” She tapped the end button on her phone and placed it on her dresser.
Her emerald heart pendant necklace that Kenny had given her lay in a swirl next to her jewelry box.
She furrowed her brow. Hadn’t she disposed of that piece of jewelry before she’d moved?
Maybe Tina had packed it, not realizing where it had come from. But still, why was it out?
Zoey. Her shoulders relaxed. It had to have been Zoey. She’d ask her daughter about it tomorrow.
Jennie chucked the necklace into the trashcan. After one last look around, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.
Her skin prickled, and her gaze darted to each corner of the room. Something triggered her anxiety. But what? She scrambled out of bed, retrieved her phone, then returned and pulled the covers to her chin.
Her fingers itched to call David, but she had to be strong. She refused to show weakness. Refused to let someone control her ever again.
The curtains hung motionless. Her dresser knickknacks all in place. The teddy bear Tina had bought her during her hospital stay sat on the chair in the corner. Nothing appeared out of place except the necklace she’d thought she’d thrown out years ago.
See, no reason to panic.
She would not let fear win.
The claws of doubt grabbed ahold and dug in.
Would her stubbornness get her killed?