AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s going on?” Swank asks.
I don’t know, so I shrug. Anna leans in and whispers, “It’s your stalker fan.” It takes me a second to comprehend that Anna is referring to my encounter yesterday at the arena. Although she hadn’t seen the woman in person, she did see her picture in the paper.
“Are you sure?” I whisper back.
All of a sudden, there is screaming coming from the side of the house, and a moment later, Jerry is walking toward us with a woman slung over his shoulder, beating on his back.
“Let me down!” she screams. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” Jerry asks, depositing her on the ground a few feet away from us. Jerry stands behind the woman while Roger moves in front of me. Anna instinctually gets into a fighting stance and pushes Penny behind her.
In a total Scooby-Doo moment, Jerry pulls the red-haired wig from her head to reveal the brown hair I remember. The woman is wearing green-frame glasses, which, combined with the wig, hid her identity well enough for her to sneak in unnoticed.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” I ask.
“My name is Amy Smith, and like I told you yesterday, I’m your biggest fan, Aiden. I’m here because I love you. I’d take such good care of you and be a great mom to Penny if only you would give me a chance to prove it.”
I look over my shoulder at Anna, “Please get Penny out of here.” Anna keeps her body between Penny and the woman, slowly circling the threat while maintaining a safe distance.
My daughter, not understanding the potential danger she’s in, pokes her head around Anna and stokes the fires. “You’ll never be my mom, whoever you are! My dad is going to marry Anna!”
I palm my face in frustration, especially when Swank’s eyes zero in on the emerald ring on Anna’s left hand. He doubles over in laughter, although there is nothing funny about this situation.
“It looks like Amy isn’t the only certifiable one here today. Are you crazy, Man?”
“Can we talk about this later, Swank? I’ve got bigger issues to deal with at the moment.”
Swank waves his hand dismissively, “Whatever. I’ll let you handle this mess while I grab another beer.”
As Swank storms off like a petulant child, Roger pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of Amy. “I’ll know exactly who she is in five minutes, Mr. Shaw. The picture sent last night to Shining Knight was too grainy to ascertain her identity, and the season tickets she possesses were purchased through a scalper using cash. But now that we have a clear image, it shouldn’t take long.”
Jerry mumbles something, and then Scott moves from his position to talk to another employee. The man is standing at the tent, watching us instead of doing his job. Scott starts talking to the guy a minute later, followed by Jerry tapping me on the shoulder. “The man says that her name is Amy Smith, and he paid her cash under the table to work this job. He said she stopped by this morning looking for work, and he hired her on the spot when another employee failed to show up. He’s never seen her before today.”
Amy’s eyes darken, “I’ve done nothing wrong, Aiden. There’s no crime against working, being your fan, or falling in love with you.”
I ask Roger, “Is what she says true? Is there nothing we can do? She knows my daughter’s nickname, which I only use around family.”
He purses his lips, “It’s not uncommon for the name Penny to be used in lieu of Penelope. It’s likely that she wanted to use a name that implies familiarity with your family. Amy is correct in that she hasn’t committed any crimes, but you can file a restraining order against her and have her banned from attending any games. If she violates the restraining order or attempts to harm you in any way, then she can be arrested.”
Roger’s phone beeps, and he takes a moment to read whatever information was sent. “Her name is Amy Potslawski, not Amy Smith. She’s 23 and has no criminal record. She was institutionalized for a year when she was 17 for Disassociative Identity Disorder and was prescribed antipsychotics to prevent relapses. She lost her job last year at Pa’ Shaw Marketing and, along with it, all her medical benefits. My best guess is that she couldn’t afford the medication once she was unemployed.”
My knees nearly buckle when Roger says that last part. “That’s my dad’s company.”
Amy stares me down, “I wrote you countless letters, but you never bothered to respond.”
Chapter twenty
Savannah
Ilisten to the entire conversation through my earpiece while I escort Penelope to the patio, where her grandparents watch intently as everything unfolds.
“What’s going on?” Reggie asks.
“The stalker from yesterday managed to finagle her way onto the property using a disguise.”
Penny adds, “Can you believe that lady said she wants to be my mom? I told her that Anna was going to be my new mom, and she didn’t look very happy about that.”
Martha gasps, “What? Why would you think Anna is going to be your mom?”
