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SJ
Thankfully, the flight from Washington to California was uneventful. We landed, as did all our luggage. Nora is exhausted and in pain, but she’s been an absolute trooper. Not a single complaint. I rented another Tahoe from the airport in Sacramento to drive to Sutter Creek.
“Why do you think he picked me?” Nora’s question breaks the silence surrounding us.
There’s no good answer to that question. “I don’t think that’s a rabbit hole you really want to go down, Nora. Nothing good comes from picking apart a deranged person’s mind.”
She’s been quiet since we left the airport. I thought she might be worrying over when she’ll be able to dance again. She has to deal with so many issues at once, and I’m glad she agreed to come home with me. Trusting her with anyone else didn’t sit right with me. Plus, it’ll give her a much-needed break away from the psycho.
Hopefully.
When I glance over, I realize she has the stalker’s hat on her lap, her thumb barely brushing over their initials engraved on the silver plate. I noticed her grab it off the luggage cart at the airport and put it near her seat in the car. I didn’t comment, though; she’s working through it as best she can.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask her cautiously. I don’t want to push her, but I want her to know I’m here if she wants to talk it out.
“Yes…and no. I don’t really know. I don’t know what to think. Maybe me getting injured will be a blessing in disguise. Maybe it’ll be enough for him to lose interest and forget about me if I’m gone for a little while.”
I remain silent, allowing her time to finish her thoughts. She’s trying to find the silver lining with the injury, hoping her stalker will cease to be a problem so her life can get back to normal. However, it’s very unlikely he’ll just go away.
I sense her looking at me, so I glance from the road briefly, allowing my eyes to meet hers.
“I know that’s not going to happen,” she says with a heavy sigh.
My phone rings, stopping me from confirming her thought.
“Go ahead,” I answer the call.
“SJ, it’s Colin and Liam.”
I’m surprised they’re both on the line. That can’t be a good sign.
“Nora and I are together, heading to Sutter Creek. What did you find?”
“Normally, I’d suggest we speak privately and then you tell your client. However, considering what we have found, it’s better we all know what we’re dealing with.” Liam’s voice is level but serious.
“I was able to get the surveillance footage from the airport. It wasn’t easy and took longer than it should have, but we have it. From there, I used facial recognition software and identified the asshole. His name is David Miller.”
“D.M.” Nora’s whisper draws my attention. Once again, she looks at the initials on the silver plate, her thumb tracing the letters absentmindedly.
Liam’s voice comes across the line again. “Ms. Reyes, rest assured you are in the best hands possible.”
“What else did you find out about him?” Nora ignores Liam’s reassurance to learn more. I’d like to hear whatever they learned, too.
“He has a small apartment outside of Chicago. We caught the first flight out here to see if we could put eyes on him. We didn’t catch him at his apartment, but getting inside was easy enough.” Liam clears his throat. His hesitancy pisses me off and ticks up the tension before he continues. “As far as stalkers go, this guy is the real deal. I cannot stress that enough. He has what I can only describe as a shrine dedicated to you on his bedroom wall. Hundreds of pictures, newspaper clippings, articles. You name it, he has it pinned on his wall.”
“So, you never actually saw him?” I ask, hoping like fuck someone is tailing him and will get his ass before he does anything crazy.
Colin answers. “Unfortunately, no. Liam sat outside his apartment, but he never showed.”
“He uses an array of burner phones. I found a basket of them at his apartment,” Liam follows.
There’s a long pause as Liam and Colin whisper back and forth for a few seconds quietly enough I can barely hear them. I know these men well enough to know there’s more, and they’re hesitant to tell me. They should know that’s not an option.
“Whatever it is, just say it so we can deal with it.” My frustration grows.
“He knows who you are, SJ. He had pictures of you and Nora coming out of the hotel in Chicago. And when I say that, I mean he knows who you are, who you work for, where you’re from. He knows your sister’s name, your parents’ names, and their business name,” Liam says.
Fury wells inside of me. I grip the steering wheel tighter and press the accelerator harder. He will not fuck with my family, too.
