you was because
I knew that we would propagate the cycle. I couldn’t take that chance. I needed
it to be done, Red. So did you. Remember the day it ended, remember what you
said? You wanted to move back here, to Starsdale. You thought things would be
better, if we didn’t have the distractions of LA and our careers. I couldn’t
believe what I was hearing. You know how hard I worked to get my business off
the ground. And you wanted me to chuck it all and move back here, to a hole in
some mountain wall.” Pamela threw up her hands in frustration.
“You blocked me out because I mentioned moving to Starsdale?
It was a thought, Pamela, an idea, something for us to consider.”
“But you did it, Red. You live here now. Your home, your
career, your life is here now.”
“You’re here now, too,” Red said softly.
“Not for long,” Pamela assured him. “I have no intention of
staying here, beyond bringing the stalker to justice. Don’t worry, Red. You’ll
have your precious Starsdale all to yourself, soon enough.”
Red stared at her for a long moment. She was doing it again,
making it clear that she wasn’t interested in him. Fine. He’d catch the damn
stalker, and send her on her way.
“Let’s talk about your assistant coming here.” Red changed
the subject. “I’m still not comfortable with you putting both of you at risk,
by staying in your house.”
“But you said that I would be safe, as long as someone is
with me. I’ve even read that most stalkers only attack when their victims are
alone. Besides that, you have the place wired for sight and sound, not to
mention the alarm that Mac arranged to have installed tomorrow. What else can I
do?”
Red took a deep breath, and readied himself for an attack.
She wouldn’t like his suggestion.
“I’m moving in. You have three bedrooms, so there’s room.
I’ll have a deputy stationed outside the house during the day, and I will be
there at night. This way, if he shows up to watch the house, we’ll see him on
camera, and I’ll be on site to catch him.”
“You want to move in with me?”
Red was right, Pamela didn’t like the suggestion. She didn’t
like it at all.
“That’s what I said. You’ll be safe, your assistant will be
safe, and we’ll have better access to the stalker.” Red crossed his arms over
his chest, a sure sign he was closed to argument. “Think about it, Pam. The
guy’s smart. He’ll watch the house, before he tries to come inside. When he
does, we’ll know about it, and go after him. You want out of Starsdale? This
will be the fastest way to accomplish that.”
Pam heard the last sentence, and realized that this was
Red’s way to get rid of her quicker. Fine, she thought. He wants me gone, I’ll
cooperate.
“I’ll have to sleep in your room, though. Just in case he
gets brave and decides to pay us a visit in the middle of the night.”
“You’re not sleeping with me!” Pamela put both fists on her
hips.
“Of course not, you’ll be in the guest room. I’m sorry, but
it’s the only way this will work. He’s been in the house before, he knows there
isn’t an alarm, so he won’t be expecting one if he tries to break in. He’ll
probably see us living there, which is not a problem. He’ll think your
assistant and I are upstairs, in the other two bedrooms. Whether he comes
through the window, or the door, I’ll be there to meet him.” Red leaned his hip
against the counter, a smug look on his face.
“You’ve got it all worked out, don’t you? That’s fine, Red.
You come ahead and move in. Kendra and I will be happy to have you.” Pamela
turned her back on him, mostly so he wouldn’t see the sheen of tears in her
eyes. It was one thing to believe he hated her, it was quite another for him to
confirm he wanted her gone so definitively.
“Great,” Red replied, satisfied that she’d agreed so
readily.
“Great,” Pamela shot back, still stinging from his
reasoning. How hard would it be to live
I knew that we would propagate the cycle. I couldn’t take that chance. I needed
it to be done, Red. So did you. Remember the day it ended, remember what you
said? You wanted to move back here, to Starsdale. You thought things would be
better, if we didn’t have the distractions of LA and our careers. I couldn’t
believe what I was hearing. You know how hard I worked to get my business off
the ground. And you wanted me to chuck it all and move back here, to a hole in
some mountain wall.” Pamela threw up her hands in frustration.
“You blocked me out because I mentioned moving to Starsdale?
It was a thought, Pamela, an idea, something for us to consider.”
“But you did it, Red. You live here now. Your home, your
career, your life is here now.”
“You’re here now, too,” Red said softly.
“Not for long,” Pamela assured him. “I have no intention of
staying here, beyond bringing the stalker to justice. Don’t worry, Red. You’ll
have your precious Starsdale all to yourself, soon enough.”
Red stared at her for a long moment. She was doing it again,
making it clear that she wasn’t interested in him. Fine. He’d catch the damn
stalker, and send her on her way.
“Let’s talk about your assistant coming here.” Red changed
the subject. “I’m still not comfortable with you putting both of you at risk,
by staying in your house.”
“But you said that I would be safe, as long as someone is
with me. I’ve even read that most stalkers only attack when their victims are
alone. Besides that, you have the place wired for sight and sound, not to
mention the alarm that Mac arranged to have installed tomorrow. What else can I
do?”
Red took a deep breath, and readied himself for an attack.
She wouldn’t like his suggestion.
“I’m moving in. You have three bedrooms, so there’s room.
I’ll have a deputy stationed outside the house during the day, and I will be
there at night. This way, if he shows up to watch the house, we’ll see him on
camera, and I’ll be on site to catch him.”
“You want to move in with me?”
Red was right, Pamela didn’t like the suggestion. She didn’t
like it at all.
“That’s what I said. You’ll be safe, your assistant will be
safe, and we’ll have better access to the stalker.” Red crossed his arms over
his chest, a sure sign he was closed to argument. “Think about it, Pam. The
guy’s smart. He’ll watch the house, before he tries to come inside. When he
does, we’ll know about it, and go after him. You want out of Starsdale? This
will be the fastest way to accomplish that.”
Pam heard the last sentence, and realized that this was
Red’s way to get rid of her quicker. Fine, she thought. He wants me gone, I’ll
cooperate.
“I’ll have to sleep in your room, though. Just in case he
gets brave and decides to pay us a visit in the middle of the night.”
“You’re not sleeping with me!” Pamela put both fists on her
hips.
“Of course not, you’ll be in the guest room. I’m sorry, but
it’s the only way this will work. He’s been in the house before, he knows there
isn’t an alarm, so he won’t be expecting one if he tries to break in. He’ll
probably see us living there, which is not a problem. He’ll think your
assistant and I are upstairs, in the other two bedrooms. Whether he comes
through the window, or the door, I’ll be there to meet him.” Red leaned his hip
against the counter, a smug look on his face.
“You’ve got it all worked out, don’t you? That’s fine, Red.
You come ahead and move in. Kendra and I will be happy to have you.” Pamela
turned her back on him, mostly so he wouldn’t see the sheen of tears in her
eyes. It was one thing to believe he hated her, it was quite another for him to
confirm he wanted her gone so definitively.
“Great,” Red replied, satisfied that she’d agreed so
readily.
“Great,” Pamela shot back, still stinging from his
reasoning. How hard would it be to live
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