“Ma’am we can’t do anything if he is just knocking on the door. You may want to answer it and tell him to go away.” The operator snapped her gum.
“You don’t understand. I’m afraid he wants to hurt me.”
“What’s the address?” the operator sighed. Lizzie gave her the address and heard the clicking of computer keys. “Huh, Officer Prentiss does have a note in here. I’ll send a car out to drive by. Should be there in ten minutes.”
“Thank you.” Lizzie hung up but continued to clutch the phone. He knocked again, softer this time.
She heard a car stop nearby and prayed the police had arrived. She ventured a look out the peephole again and saw the back of a retreating man but no police. She wanted to throw the door open and demand the intruder stop but fear paralyzed her. What if he had a gun? What if he turned around and stormed into the house?
The man disappeared from her limited field of vision. Seconds later another man rushed across the yard in the direction the first had gone. Lizzie moved to the window and pulled back the curtain. She saw Officer Prentiss on the sidewalk, back to her, head hunched into his shoulder. He straightened and turned toward the house. By the time he reached the front steps, she was on the porch.
“Where did he go?” she cried.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Reynolds. He had a car waiting for him and got away.” Prentiss’ radio crackled with static then a deep baritone voice came across it.
“Copy that, APB on a black, Lincoln Town Car, license plate Alpha-Charlie-Foxtrot-Niner- Niner- Seven.”
“Are you okay?” Prentiss placed a strong hand on her upper arm and Lizzie realized she was shaking. “Why don’t we go sit down?” He followed her into the living room and waited for her to take a seat before sitting himself.
“Why won’t he leave me alone?” Lizzie’s fear was turning to anger.
“I’m not sure. Have you spoken to your landlord to verify this is his stepson?”
She shook her head. “I’ve left several messages with the property manager but he hasn’t gotten back to me.”
“I will see if we can’t step up patrols in this area for a few days and maybe that will scare him off.”
“Isn’t there anything else you can do?”
Prentiss gave her a sympathetic look. “I put out an all points bulletin for him, if we find him we’ll bring him in for questioning. If he didn’t have anything to hide, he wouldn’t have run from me. In the meantime you should try to contact your landlord again.” He rose to leave.
“Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“Wish I’d gotten here sooner.” Prentiss shook her hand and descended the steps. Lizzie shut the door and sank to the floor.
At five, Emma and Ron arrived loaded down with paper products. Lizzie told them about the persistent visitor as they set up a buffet of finger foods on the kitchen counters.
“Have you been able to talk to Mr. Phillips about this?” Emma asked with concern. Lizzie shook her head.
“Why don’t you come stay with us for a few days?” Ron offered.
“Maybe. Officer Prentiss said he would call if they found him.”
“I would feel better if you stayed with us or at least had someone else here with you.” Emma placed a bowl of chips on the counter.
Lizzie drifted through the house lighting candles and pulling back curtains. She’d lived with the drapes drawn since Ralph Anderson’s first visit and she felt opening them now was an act of defiance, showing she wasn’t afraid. She ventured onto the front porch to light the citronella candles she’d set out to help with the mosquitoes. A car door slammed causing her to jump. She turned to the street and saw Stephen crossing the lawn.
“Hope I’m not too early,” he greeted her.
“Not at all.” Lizzie gave him a hug and took the bottle of wine he held out. “Thank you, this wasn’t necessary.”
“I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me, even when you had so much on your mind with this place.” Stephen followed her into the house where she introduced him to Emma and Ron. Soon other guests started to arrive and Lizzie slipped into the role of hostess.
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
The small house was bursting at the seams when Ian arrived. He weaved his way through the crowd in search of Lizzie. When he didn’t find her inside, he slipped out the back door, moving past three guests sitting on folding chairs within a small circle of light from the kitchen windows. He thought he saw movement at the edge of the yard and stepped forward. Lizzie sat on a swing hung from a massive rain tree, a man stood behind her, his lips close to her ear.
Ian paused, disappointed to find her in such an intimate conversation with another man. He turned to leave, catching a glance of the man’s hand on one of her shoulders. Even in the darkness, he could see the man was using this hand to hold her down. Lizzie’s gaze rose from the ground and met Ian’s. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear.
Without a thought, Ian lunged forward, his hands reaching for the man.
“Ian!” She fell forward as the man loosened his grip and raised his arms to protect himself from Ian’s attack. Lizzie curled up in a ball on the ground as Ian leapt over her, tackling the man.
They rolled in the grass, fists flying. Ian landed a punch in the man’s gut and jaw before taking a hit himself under the chin. He felt arms pulling him off the intruder and he tried to shake them off, but they dragged him from the limp form beneath him.
Stephen and Jeffery grabbed the man and yanked him to his feet. A siren cried in the distance. Blood streamed from the man’s nose and mouth as he struggled to free himself. Ian spit blood himself and rolled his tongue around his mouth searching for loose teeth.
“What’s gotten into you?” Jeffrey demanded.
Lizzie rushed to Ian’s side, wrapping her arms around him, sobs shaking her whole body. “Thank you,” she gasped.
“Are you okay?” He held her close, her warmth erasing his pain. Lizzie nodded.
“Excuse me folks,” an authoritative voice said.
“Officer Prentiss. Thank goodness you’re here.” Lizzie lifted her head from Ian’s shoulder.
“Are you alright, Ms. Reynolds?” Prentiss asked.
“I am now.” She pointed at the man still restrained by Jeffrey and Stephen. “This is Mr. Anderson and he has been here threatening me. I hope you can arrest him now.”
Prentiss motioned for another officer to cuff Ralph Anderson. Ralph struggled to break free, proclaiming his innocence.
“You can give your statement at the station,” Prentiss shot at him before turning to Lizzie. “You think you can tell me what happened?”
Lizzie nodded and addressed her guests. “Why doesn’t everyone go back inside? I’ll be in soon.”
The crowd that had gathered after the first scream, filtered inside leaving Lizzie, Ian, Jeffrey, Stephen, and Officer Prentiss alone. They settled into the folding chairs and Prentiss pulled a notebook from his shirt pocket.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Prentiss said with a kind smile. Lizzie slipped her hand into Ian’s and he gave a reassuring squeeze.
“I came outside to get some fresh air and sat down on the swing. I’d only been there a couple of minutes when I felt a hand on my shoulder and another clamping over my mouth. He told me he knew I was having an affair with his stepfather and he was here to put an end to it. I tried to deny it but he wouldn’t let me speak. He was trying to pull me off the swing when Ian arrived.” She paused and looked at Ian, her eyes full of gratitude, setting off an ache in his heart.
“Why did he seem to think you are having an affair with Mr. Phillips?” Prentiss asked.
“I don’t know. He kept telling me he knew the business trips were trips to see me, that he knew Mr. Phillips had sent me money. He did send me money. It was reimbursement from his homeowner’s insurance for repairs I had to make after Hurricane Charley, but I’ve never met the man. My dealings have all been with his property manager.”
She shivered and I
an fought the urge to wrap his arms around her.
“Please tell me you can lock him up now,” she pleaded.
“We certainly have a better case. I’d recommend you visit the courthouse on Monday and file paperwork for an injunction against him as well.” Prentiss turned to Ian. “I’ll need to get your statement also, but you should probably go to the hospital to get checked out.”
“I’m fine.” Ian said and relayed his side of the story, leaving out the jealous disappointment he’d felt.
“So, are you saying you believed Ms. Reynolds was in imminent danger?” Prentiss asked. Ian nodded. Prentiss took statements from the two other men, flipped his notebook closed and stood up. “I’ll need you folks to come to the station to fill out some paperwork, but it can wait until you wrap things up here.”
Lizzie thanked Officer Prentiss for his help and walked him to the door. When the police had left, the guests gathered around her to find out what had happened. She told the story of Ralph Anderson’s first appearance and subsequent prowling. She caught Mae’s eye and gave her a look of thanks.
“We should all go,” Monica said, looking around at the concerned faces.
Lizzie nodded. “I’m sorry to cut things short.”
Her friends all dismissed her apology and gathered their things, offering hugs and kind words as they left. Emma and Ron said they would stay to clean up while Lizzie went to the police station.
“Just load up the dishwasher and I’ll worry about the rest later.” Lizzie lingered in Emma’s embrace.
“We’ll be here when you get home,” Emma replied in a firm tone, letting Lizzie know there was no room for discussion. She followed the boys outside and they all piled into Stephen’s SUV.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
It was a silent ride to the police station. Jeffrey recognized the ferocity of Ian’s attack of Ralph Anderson and wondered how long Ian had been in love with Lizzie; wondered if she knew. For some reason the idea of Ian and Lizzie as a couple didn’t sit right with him, but he didn’t know why. They were perfect for each other in many ways, especially their shared interest in saving him. Jeffrey smirked at the thought of Lizzie and Ian plotting ways to bring his faithless soul to salvation.
He glanced in the backseat. Lizzie’s head rested on Ian’s shoulder. Ian’s arm was wrapped around her protectively, his gaze trained on her blond curls. Jeffrey felt a pang in his chest. Those were the moments he missed most with Camylle - the quietness, the closeness, the trust. A pain shot through his head as though he’d been hit. Trust. That was the thing he’d missed most and suddenly realized he hadn’t felt that loss since meeting Lizzie. He had that same intense sense of trust with her that he’d had with Camylle.
Ian’s gaze lifted and his eyes met Jeffrey’s. Years of words unsaid, flowed between them in that instant and Jeffrey knew Ian finally understood the fear and grief he’d felt when Camylle had lain dying. All the anger and resentment toward Ian flowed out of his heart.
“Here we are,” Stephen announced as they pulled into a parking lot.
Jeffrey jumped out of the car and rushed to open the door for Lizzie. She scooted across the seat and took Jeffrey’s waiting hand to help her step down. Stephen and Ian came around the car and waited until Lizzie was ready to enter the building.
The police station smelled of burned coffee and aftershave. The fluorescent lights cast a harsh glare on the white tile floors. Lizzie walked up to the reception desk where a thin woman with olive skin, silky black hair, and amber eyes greeted her. Lizzie gave her name and asked for Officer Prentiss.
“Yes, he’s expecting you. Have a seat and I’ll let him know you are here,” the receptionist replied. The quartet moved to a group of plastic chairs along the wall.
Five minutes passed as Lizzie sat with her legs crossed, foot shaking with impatience and nerves. She felt as if a hundred pair of eyes were drilling into her and kept her own gaze glued to the floor. She tried to count the multi-colored flecks in the floor tiles but her vision would blur each time she reached fifty. Her shoulder ached where Ralph had gripped her so tightly and she longed for a shower to wash the feeling of his hands from her body.
A door swung open and Officer Prentiss stepped out. “Thanks for coming.”
He ushered the group down a hallway into a cramped office. He pulled in two more chairs and took a seat behind a gray metal desk covered in papers and file folders. As Lizzie took a seat, the chair rocked on uneven legs.
“Mr. Anderson is in booking right now. He hasn’t been cooperative, but I have been able to get in touch with Mr. Phillips. He was unaware his stepson was down here and asked me to apologize to you. He’s flying in tomorrow.” Prentiss pulled a stack of papers off the printer behind him as he spoke.
“I have printed up a copy of the statements you gave me earlier. If you can just review them, make sure I have everything correct and then sign them please.” He handed out the reports and reached for another form.
“Ms. Reynolds, I assume you would like to have Mr. Anderson trespassed from the property?” At Lizzie’s eager nod, he handed her the form and asked her to complete it.
“He’s going to stay locked up for awhile, right?” Lizzie asked, twisting a lock of hair around her finger.
“I wish I could promise you that, but for a misdemeanor offense he’ll be free as soon as he makes bail and I don’t think that will be a problem for him.”
“You mean he could get out tonight?” Terror flooded over her. She felt as if her throat was closing and couldn’t move air through her lungs. Ian whispered in her ear, but she couldn’t comprehend his words.
“I’m afraid so, but with the trespass he won’t be able to come back to the house without fear of arrest. Once you get the injunction, he won’t be able to call you or approach you off the property either. His case will be sent to the State Attorney’s office to see if you want to press charges.” Prentiss collected the signed forms and paper clipped them together.
“Of course I want to press charges,” Lizzie cried.
Prentiss nodded. “With any luck he will go back to Massachusetts and leave you alone now.”
She was outraged at the unfairness of the process, at the idea of Ralph Anderson walking free while she felt a prisoner in her own home. Officer Prentiss escorted them outside and shook Lizzie’s hand, wishing her good night, his kind eyes assuring her everything was going to be okay.
CHAPTER FIFTY
It was only nine o’clock when Lizzie and her friends returned to the house, but she felt as if it was much later. Her neck and shoulders ached, and all her muscles were screaming from the tense carriage of her body. Her head pounded and her stomach felt like a gallon of acid was swirling in it.
Emma and Ron sat on the couch waiting. She dropped down next to them too tired to speak. Stephen, Jeffrey, and Ian had followed her inside and she knew they wanted to say something; instead, they shuffled awkwardly.
“Thanks for saving me,” she said. They waved her off assuring her it hadn’t been any trouble. She looked at Ian’s bruised face and struggled to her feet. She feathered her fingers across the bruise but he still flinched.
“You need to put some ice on that.” She pushed aside her own exhaustion, crossed the room, and started filling a plastic bag with ice. Ian moved behind her catching her hand as she reached into the freezer once more. He turned her to face him and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes.
“Let us take care of you tonight,” he said tenderly. He pushed the freezer door closed without taking his eyes off her. “Go get a shower. We’ll make sure everything is locked up.”
Emma appeared at her side and led her down the hall to her bedroom. Lizzie followed without argument, walking through a haze. The adrenaline that had been coursing through her body was now leaching every ounce of her strength.
“You’ve made some good friends.” Emma turned on the water and started to draw a hot bath. She pulled a pair of pajamas from a drawer and laid them on the edge of
the sink, then pulled Lizzie into a motherly embrace, rubbing her back.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” Lizzie whimpered.
“You don’t have to be. Ron and I will stay with you. Now you go sit in the bath for a while. I’ll send the boys home.” Emma gave her a kiss on the forehead and slipped from the room.
Lizzie sank into the tub and scrubbed her face, neck, and shoulders, but still she could feel Ralph Anderson’s fingers on her. She scrubbed again and again until her skin was raw. A floodgate of tears burst forth; the salt burned as they ran down her chapped face.
She sank down under the water, all sound muffled, cocooned from the world. Slowly the heat unwound her tight muscles. She stayed submerged until her lungs burned for air.
Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a thick white bathrobe. She padded down the hall into the living room, where she found Emma flipping through channels on the television.
“Where’s Ron?” Lizzie asked.
“I sent him home to get us a change of clothes. How are you doing?”
“I’m tired,” Lizzie sighed. “Relieved, but still nervous.”
“You don’t need to worry, he can’t hurt you now.” Emma turned the television off. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Lizzie shook her head. “I can’t bear to relive it again, not tonight.”
“Would you like to pray?”
Lizzie nodded and Emma reached over to clasp her hands.
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Lizzie. Thank you for protecting her tonight. Thank you for bringing such wonderful friends into her life. Lord, give her the strength and courage to move past this incident so she can go on to accomplish all that you have planned for her. Lord, we know you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I ask that you bring peace to Lizzie’s spirit tonight so she can sleep well and awake tomorrow refreshed. We pray these things in your precious name.”
“Amen,” Lizzie whispered. Emma squeezed her hands.
“Why don’t you go to bed? I can make up the guest room when Ron gets here.”
Lizzie was too drained to protest. With a look of thanks, she rose and set off for the bedroom.