Amber and Derek stayed in town for two days before heading back to Matt's house. Amber was glad for the time she had with her friend and the time she spent in her hometown, but was ready to get back to Atlanta. She had changed since leaving Alma and she no longer fit into the slow small town lifestyle the Alma towns people still maintained.
It wasn’t until the drive back that Derek questioned Amber about her uneasiness around Olivia’s husband.
“What do you mean,” she asked Derek.
“I just noticed you seemed tense when the guy hugged you,” Derek replied.
“I just don’t know him,” Amber said.
“Really, I assumed he grew up in Alma,” Derek said.
“No, he moved to town about a month after I left. He got a job at the hospital and he and Olivia started dating. Two years later they married. I only met him one time, at Olivia’s wedding,” explained Amber.
“Hmmm,” said Derek. “He acted as though he has known you for some time.”
“Just through what Olivia has told him, I imagine,” replied Amber.
Derek drove in silence for a while mulling over this new piece of information. While the two had been in Alma, no one had paid Amber any extra attention or notice that set alarms off in his head. Other than the shy Patrick, everyone they met had known Amber since childhood. And Patrick didn’t come to town until after Amber had left. Something was still not adding up. He had been sure Amber’s stalker would be there in Alma.
Lost in her own thoughts, Amber watched the scenery go by. She wondered if going home would bring her stalker out into the open now. She had only been in Atlanta for a few weeks, too soon to alert him to where she was unless he was listening to Olivia’s phone line. Would people start getting hurt because of her?
Amber looked at Derek. He was so tall and very muscular. She knew he would be able to take care of himself, but what about the ladies she worked with? Would the maniac go after one of them now?
Amber and Derek had been back in Atlanta for two weeks before the first note came. Derek had already filled his brother in on what he had learned in Alma, which wasn’t much, and they seemed to be no closer to Amber’s stalker than when they first arrived in Atlanta.
Finishing her shift at the hospital, Amber walked to her car in the parking deck. She pushed the button on her key fob that unlocked the car door and heard the echo throughout the garage. Just as she was about to grab the door handle, Amber spotted a note tucked in her windshield. Hand shaking she reached out.
Time’s up my darling. I am tired of these games we
keep playing. After I get rid of the cowboy, I’m coming
for you. Be ready. Now we can live happily ever after.
Amber screamed. She climbed into her car, dropped the note into the passenger seat and put the car in reverse. She had to get to the house. She needed to talk to Derek. She tried pulling her cell phone out of her purse as she was driving out of the parking garage, but everything just spilled into the floor. In too much of a hurry to get home, she ignored the mess and drove as fast as she dared.
Amber pulled into the driveway and ran into the house. Neither Derek nor Matt was home yet, but then she always got home before they did. Amber took a deep breath. Calm down, she told herself. Derek will be fine. She ran back to her car and gathered up her purse and the stuff she had spilled. She located her cell phone and dialed Derek’s number.
When Derek didn’t answer, Amber tried to call Matt. He answered on the second ring and she asked him where his brother was.
Hearing the panic in Amber’s voice, Matt tried to find out what was wrong, but she wouldn’t talk to him. She simply told him she needed to find Derek. Matt explained that Derek had left earlier that day to follow up on a lead he had and would be back some time after dinner.
Amber tried to calm herself. She thanked Matt, hung up the phone and decided to cook. That would sooth her nerves. Derek was fine. He could take care of himself, she continued to tell herself. He would call her.
Amber gathered supplies and ingredients and began making lasagna from scratch. After an hour she forgot about the note that sent her tearing home and lost herself in the cooking. She made some vegetables to compliment the meal and even whipped up a chocolate cake for desert.
Looking at her watch and wondering why neither of the men had shown up, she again tried to call Derek. His cell phone went straight to his voice mail. Amber was trying not to panic. She called Matt and he told her he was just leaving the office. Amber waited.
Derek had eaten lunch with his brother then decided to follow up on a lead he had from Amber’s case. It was an angle neither brother had thought to look at before, but the information that just came in made sense. He knew it would take a few hours and not wanting to alert Amber, he decided not to tell her where he was going. He told Matt to let her know it would be late before he made it back home.
Derek drove to the college Amber and Olivia had attended and spoke to one of Amber’s former professors. It seemed there was a young man in Amber’s class that had a crush on her, but Amber, still grieving from her parents' death, had not given the young man a second glance. Dale Genson had contacted Derek after hearing he was looking into Amber’s past. The professor had some disturbing papers the young man had turned in for an assignment. The student had written a paper about how to hurt someone and make it look like an accident.
The original assignment was on how to spot abuse in young patients or battered women, but this student had taken it a whole other direction. After hearing the FBI’s request into anyone associated with Amber, Professor Genson called Derek.
Derek arrived at the campus a few hours after leaving Atlanta. He shook hands with Professor Genson and followed him into his office.
“I don’t normally keep things like this around, and I don’t involve myself in student affairs, however, I held onto these papers because of the very nature of the subject matter. They were very disturbing and graphic and I almost had the young man kicked out of my class,” the professor told Derek.
“Why didn’t you if you were that concerned,” Derek asked.
“Because I was afraid of what he might do to the girl,” he said.
“Why is that,” Derek asked.
“Let me show you.” Professor Genson pulled the papers he had been saving from his filing cabinet. On top was a folder with lots of graffiti and scribbling on the front. “I found this folder left on the student’s desk one day. I was concerned.”
Derek took the folder from the professor’s hand and saw disturbing images of one man stabbing another. Amber’s name was written all over the folder in red. It looked as though the names had been written at first with love and hearts and then later slashes were added to the hearts to make them look as if they had been broken. Angry drawings covered the loving hearts. There was rage and anger. Derek opened the folder and saw the student’s name. His face turned white.
Taking the papers from Professor Genson, Derek began to read. His stomach flipped as he read a college student's paper that seemed eerily familiar to the actual events that happened to Amber in Alma.
Thanking the professor for contacting him and assuring him he would take care of the matter, Derek walked out of the professor’s office and down the hallway of the college. Jumping into his car, Derek tried to call Matt only to find his cell phone dead.
Derek drove for an hour then pulled over for some supper. Although he wanted to get home and talk with his brother about this latest discovery, he was not anxious to face Amber. She did not need to know what he had discovered until he and Matt had further proof.
Spotting a small diner, Derek stopped in and ordered. When the waitress brought his food, Derek sniffed appreciatively. He was starving. It would not be as good as whatever home cooked wonder Amber had whipped up tonight, but it would be satisfying. He would be sure to heat up some of the leftovers from Amber’s meal when he got home.
&nb
sp; When Derek finished his dinner, he asked the waitress to bring him a cup for his drink to take on the road. He then went to the bathroom and washed his hands while the waitress ran his debit card. Pouring his drink into the cup the waitress had brought, Derek left a tip on the table and headed to his car.
He continued to think about the college student who had a crush on Amber and realized he fit the profile his brother had given perfectly. He was sure they had the right person. Now, all they needed to do is trap him. He would need his brother's advice for that. He didn't want the maniac anywhere near Amber.
Derek had driven just a few miles before starting to feel sleepy. Vision blurring, he tried to roll down a window to keep awake. It wasn’t that late and he shouldn’t be so tired, he thought to himself.
He was driving down a country road and was coming up on a steep hill when he saw headlights coming too fast. Just before impact Derek caught a glimpse of the man stalking Amber. Now he had proof, was his last thought before everything went black.
At home, Amber was worrying about the fact that Derek hadn't arrived yet and she couldn’t get in touch with him. Matt tried to calm her, but it was no use. When he suggested she go on to bed, Amber complied reluctantly.
Matt was still up when the telephone began to ring a few hours later. It was nearly midnight and he was mad as hell that his brother had not checked in.
Matt snatched up the phone and said, “You had better have a good reason for not calling sooner, brother.”
“Mister Stevenson,” the voice on the other end sent a chill down Matt’s spine.
“Yes,” he replied. “This is Matt Stevenson.”
“This is the DeKalb County Sherriff’s department. Seems there’s been an accident involving your brother.”
“Is he alright? Where is he,” asked Matt.
“Looks like he will make it. He’s a little banged up and will need to stay overnight in the hospital for observation. Just thought I’d let you know.”
“I appreciate the call, Sherriff,” Matt replied. He got the information he needed and was preparing to go to the hospital when Amber came down the stairs.
“What’s wrong,” she asked.
“Derek was in an accident. Sherriff says he will be fine, but I’m going to the hospital to get him.” Too concerned for his brother to notice the blood drain from Amber’s face, Matt told her to go back to bed and they would be home before she was awake in the morning.
Matt drove to the hospital in a panic. He wouldn’t believe Derek was okay until he saw him with his own eyes. He didn’t want to spook Amber so he shrugged it off, but he was really worried. He wanted more details of the accident.
When Matt arrived at the hospital, Derek was sleeping. Matt sat down in a chair and watched his younger brother. Derek had a bump on his forehead and a bruise on one cheek. There were some scratches on his arms but that was all the damage Matt could see. After a few hours, Matt left to find a nurse or doctor to tell him more about Derek’s injuries.
Locating a nurse on Derek’s floor he requested information on his brother’s accident.
“I don’t know much, sir. I just got here, but I’ll ask around and see if I can get some information for you,” she said.
“Thanks,” Matt replied and went back to his brother’s room to wait. He paced the floor for a while before a doctor showed up to brief him.
Waving him out of the room, the doctor walked to the end of the hall before turning to Matt. “The Sherriff wants you to go to the station when you can. He will have a little more information than I will about the actual accident. As far as injuries, your brother has a concussion and a few minor cuts and bruises, but other than one hell of a headache in the morning, he should be fine. You can take him home when he wakes and the nurses have taken his vitals.”
“Thanks, doc,” Matt replied as he shook the doctor’s hand.
Matt decided to go ahead and stop at the Sherriff’s office and then return for Derek. Driving the small distance between the hospital and the Sherriff’s station, Matt sighed with relief. Derek would be fine.
Matt walked into the Sherriff’s department. Shaking hands with the deputy behind the desk, Matt explained why he was there.
“Yes sir. I’ll get the Sherriff for you,” the deputy said.
Matt took a seat and waited.
“Come on back to my office,” the Sherriff waved Matt back.
“Seems your brother may have been drugged before his accident,” the Sherriff told Matt slapping the file against his desk.
Matt picked up the file, perused through it, and laid it back on the desk. He raised an eyebrow at the drug found in his brother’s drink. It was not like Derek to be so sloppy.
“So someone doused his coke and then ran him off the road,” Matt asked.
“Looks that way,” the Sherriff replied. “Know anyone who would be after your brother?”
Matt filled the Sherriff in on Amber’s case and the Sherriff promised to keep his eyes open for any leads. Matt shook the Sherriff’s hand and left the station to go back to the hospital. He hoped Derek would be awake to talk about what he had discovered.
♥ Chapter 11 ♥