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“So he’s your stalker?” Doug growled. “Give me his address. I’ll go take care of him right now.”
“No, Doug. You’re jumping to conclusions. Just listen, please.”
Doug tried to tamp down on his urge to immediately drop the truck into gear and hunt the prick down, but he held onto his shit by a thread, executing a few, quick breathing exercises.
“Okay. Go ahead,” he replied, trying to sound calmer.
“During my…confrontation with Peter, I noticed there was someone standing nearby, watching.”
“Somebody else? Watching?” Doug repeated, unable to instantly make sense of what Pixie was saying.
“Yeah. He…” She paused, then started again. “Do you remember I told you that my old boyfriend Skeeter has a brother? Harlan?”
“Yeah.” Doug’s jaw clenched. He still had no idea where this was going, but it couldn’t be good.
“Well, it was him, standing there. He was just…glaring. Not talking. As a matter of fact, he never said a word during the entire encounter. But he’s a really big guy, and pretty intimidating, so whatever Harlan was trying to accomplish, he at least scared Peter away.”
Doug urged her to continue. “Then what?”
“Then Harlan got in his car, an old white Chevy, and I thought he drove away.”
“Thought,” Doug repeated. “That means he didn’t?”
“No. At least not for long. I walked to the coffee shop to meet Julie, and as we were finishing up, she noticed Harlan sitting across the street, watching us.”
“You’re sure?” Doug questioned.
“Yeah. Once she told me, I looked, and his eyes were glued specifically to our table.”
“So what did you do next?” Doug used his years of law enforcement, dropping into investigation mode; his brain beginning to suss out possible scenarios.
“Well, I didn’t walk back to my car by myself.”
“Good,” Doug grunted, then waited not-so-patiently for her to continue
“Juliedroveme back to school, then she followed me home. To my parents’ house. But… Mom and Dad are spending the night in Bangor, with friends, so I’m here alone. And I’m kind of creeped out. I don’t dare leave in case he’s watching me and follows, and May needs to be fed, and I’m supposed to be taking care of Talia’s house, and—”
“Slow down, Pixie. We’ll figure it out,” he soothed. Although she could probably hear the agitated grit still lingering in his voice. “You’ve locked all the doors, right?”
“Uh, huh,” she replied in a small voice.
“And your neighbors are on alert?”
“Ian, Julie’s husband, has been sitting look-out on his porch all day.”
Doug felt a little better. “That’s good. Now listen up. I’m going to go in and feed Talia’s cat, then I’m driving to Skowhegan. I can either spend the night there with you, or I can follow you back here to Old Town. Your choice.”
“I… It’s too much trouble, Doug. It’ll take over an hour and a quarter for you to get to my house, and you’ve been working all day.”
Like that made a difference.
Doug could no longer remember being tired. The minute Pixie had said she had a problem, his body had gone on high alert. “Never mind that. It’s no trouble. Just tell me which you prefer? Me staying there, or both of us coming back here.”
She didn’t take a second. “I’d actually feel better being at Talia’s.”
“Okay.”
Doug had already gotten out of his truck and was running on the balls of his feet all the way to Talia’s front door. Luckily, the LT had given him a key when he’d been watching over Fleet, so he didn’t have to bust in. “I’m going to feed May, then I’m coming to get you.”
