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“Of course.” Susan sighed with annoyance. “The doctor thinks Mitch strained his back on a construction site. They told him to take a few weeks off. My husband is currently lying around at home with his feet up watching football day and night.”
“It must be serious if the doctor thinks he needs rest,” Cole said. It also explained why Mitch asked Susan to pick up the items from the pharmacy. The shop was five stores down from Blessed Events. “I hope he feels better soon.”
“Me too. We have bills to pay, and I don’t want to be the only one responsible for them.” Susan returned to Olivia’s office with a stack of messages in her hands. “These are the most important ones. Randy, the head chef at Oak Gardens, needs to speak to you about the Gonzales wedding. The florist also wanted to know if you’re stopping by this afternoon to see the venue.”
“I am. I can talk to Randy then too.” Olivia took the messages from her secretary. She flipped through them and a lottery ticket dropped out.
Susan scooped it up, a blush rising in her cheeks. “Oops. Sorry about that. It must’ve gotten mixed in by mistake.”
“I thought you’d stopped playing the lottery.”
She shrugged in reply. “Do the police have any idea who broke into your house?” Susan’s expression was one of concern, but it was clear from the gleam in her eye that she was interested in extracting as much information about the case as possible. “I know something serious has been going on for a while, but I became very concerned when Chief Sims was mysteriously in our offices the other day. You’ve been jumpy for weeks.”
Olivia gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “I’m sorry, Susan. There is something going on, but the chief specifically asked me to keep it quiet so he could fully investigate.”
Susan’s mouth flattened into a thin line. “And you didn’t think you could trust me with the truth?”
Hurt layered her voice, but Cole suspected she was more insulted than betrayed by Olivia’s lack of confidence. Susan might be an excellent secretary, but she wasn’t someone to confide in. Not if Olivia didn’t want her news plastered all over town.
Cole had spent most of the day yesterday with Susan. He’d probed her about various clients and she’d told him everything from their shoe size to family feuds. Most of the information was harmless, but some of it was downright nasty. Cole fully understood why the chief wanted to keep Susan out of the loop.
Regret and shame flooded Olivia’s expression. She clearly hated that she’d hurt the other woman’s feelings. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my decision.” She folded her hands over her desk. “But circumstances have changed with the break-in. I’ve been receiving threatening notes for weeks from a stalker.”
Olivia explained everything, from the messages to the attacks.
Susan listened without saying a word, her brow furrowed with what appeared to be concern. “And Chief Sims believes the person who broke into your house last night is the same one who’s stalking you?”
“Yes. The police believe David might be involved.”
Susan’s mouth dropped open. She blinked. “David?”
Her shock seemed genuine. Cole had asked Susan about David yesterday, and while she’d been eager to discuss clients, she’d been unusually tight-lipped about Olivia’s former assistant. He’d found it strange at the time. Cole leaned forward. “That surprises you?”
“It’s no secret I’m not a fan of David, but I find it hard to believe he’s capable of stalking someone. At least… not without getting caught.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s flighty and disorganized. David was personable and had an artistic eye, but he was constantly dropping the ball on important matters. Schedules, returning phone calls, budgets. Whatever caught his attention is what he focused on, regardless of what the priorities were. He needed constant reminders to stay on track. I found him utterly exhausting and too high maintenance.”
Cole considered Susan’s observations. The stalker was controlled and measured. It didn’t sound like David was either of those things.
Eli’s warning rang in his head. It would be silly to limit their investigation on one man. “Can you think of anyone who might be infatuated with Olivia?”
“Infatuated….” Susan considered it for several heartbeats. “Actually, there is someone.”
“Who?”
“The head chef at Oak Gardens.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “Randy Higgins is married!”
“Actually, he and his wife separated. About six months ago, he was asking about you, specifically whether you were dating anyone.” Susan tilted her head. “I considered saying something a while ago, but you’ve been so negative about dating, I figured there was no point.”
Cole needed to tread carefully here. Showing an interest in Olivia was a far cry from stalking her. “What makes you think Randy is infatuated with Olivia? It sounds like he was simply trying to figure out if she was single.”
“That’s what I thought at first too, but then I caught him watching Olivia in secret while she was at Oak Gardens. He’d hide behind pillars so no one would notice, and couldn’t take his eyes off her.”
Olivia gaped. “Why didn’t you say anything before now?”
