Page 130 of Smokey's Distraction
The blood in her veins chilled.
“I knoweverythingabout you, Ashley. I’ve been watching you for weeks.”
Dread slithered down her spine. “Leave me alone.”
“That’s one thing I can’t do.”
The line went dead, and she banged the receiver down in its cradle.How could this not be over? It has to be AJ. Sabrina must be a real psycho.
Hurrying over to the window, she saw Mark staring at her from his truck, his cell phone in hand.It has to be him. He’s the only one besides Smokey and Zach who knows this number. But why is he doing this? Because he’s a nut.Gripping the cord, she pulled the drapes shut and paced the floor, trying to figure out what to do. She hated to ruin Smokey’s business trip, but he did tell her to call if anything was wrong. On the other hand, she could call the police, and they’d send a patrol car around. She could even ask if the patrol could come by several times that night.But what about tomorrow, and the day after?
Hearing a noise coming from the foyer, Ashley shuffled through the hallway until she reached the entry. She gasped when she saw the doorknob shaking from someone turning it. Jumping away, she dragged a chair from the family room and jammed it under the doorknob.
“Ms. Callahan? I know you’re in there,” Mark called out.
“I’m calling the police!” she shouted.
“I need to fix your doorknob. It’s loose.”
“Go away!”The guy’s a psycho.Running back into the family room, she snatched her cell phone off the couch and dialed 911. “There’s someone trying to get into my house. Hurry.”
Mark kept knocking on the door, but she ignored him. She tiptoed over to the window and the curtains back, just a sliver, so she could look out. Seeing Gage’s face staring back at her, she screamed and jumped back, her heart pounding as if it were a train on the tracks.
Knocking on the window, Gage said, “Open up. What’s wrong?”
This can’t be happening. Where the hell are the police?
Then, she heard the faint wailing sound of police sirens approaching. A wave of relief washed over her. Peering out the window again, she saw that Mark’s truck was gone, and there was no sign of Gage.
Ashley went over to the front door, removed the chair from under the doorknob, and waited for the police to arrive.
* * *
“I can’t believeyour handymen are trying to hurt you. It’s like something out of a horror film,” Whitney said as she tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil.
“I knew something was screwy with both of them, but I can’t believe they’d try to hurt me. And in broad daylight.” Ashley shuddered. “I called Zach after the cops left and told him if they come back, I’m moving to the Palace Hotel. Being the cheapskate he is, he agreed to let them go.”
“Did the cops arrest them?”
Ashley picked up her wineglass. “Not yet. They’re still investigating.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever that means.”
“At least they’re under scrutiny. Under the circumstances, the chances of them hurting you now are slim. I hope the cops have enough to charge them. The bastards.”
“I feel like I’m living in a nightmare that I can’t wake up from. First AJ, and now these two. It’s crazier than fiction.”
“I can’t believe you had two separate people stalking you.”
“I just thought AJ was responsible for all of it.” She took a sip of her drink. “I hope I can nail these guys. Who knows how many times they’ve done this to single women?”
“Have you let Smokey know what’s going on?”
“I don’t want to bother him while he’s on a business trip. If the police weren’t involved, I would. But now, there’s no point in him coming back early.”
“Even so, I think you should tell him.”
“I’ll fill him in when he comes back tomorrow.”
“Spaghetti alla carbonara.” The waitress placed the dish in front of Whitney. “And lasagna.”
