my computer at home. How on earth could I have known that I would need it?
Maybe Jenny had one. I walked down the hall and tapped gently on her door. I’d learned when we’d been roommates that if she was engrossed in what she was doing, the small taps wouldn’t interrupt her train of thought, but if she wasn’t deep into something serious, she’d hear me and respond.
After a moment, I heard her say, “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you, but do you have a fax machine by any chance?”
“Hang on.” Thirty seconds later she opened the door. I could see that she’d been crying, and though she probably would have liked me to ignore it, I couldn’t do it. “You’re really rattled, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “I’m trying not to let it get to me, but it’s hard.”
I decided to tell her that I was calling in reinforcements. “We’re telling Zach the second he gets back from Richmond.”
Jenny shook her head. “Savannah, he’s got enough on his mind getting you out of this murder investigation. I’m sure he doesn’t have time to deal with this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. He’ll be happy to do it.”
She started to protest, and then finally nodded. “It would really help my peace of mind if he could help put a stop to this.”
“Trust me, he’ll find this guy.”
“I hope you’re right.” She wiped away another errant tear, and then said, “My fax is over here. It’s one of those combination units. I couldn’t live without it.”
“How does it work?”
She took the puzzle and snippet from me, and the card Kelsey had given me. “We’ll have this sent in no time.”
“Excellent,” I said. “What should we do after that? Do you have much more work to do?”
“I’ve always got something on my plate,” she said. “But there’s nothing that won’t wait. What did you have in mind?”
I started to say something when we both heard someone pounding on the front door. Jenny dove into her closet and grabbed a tennis racket.
I asked, “It’s an odd time to want to play, isn’t it?”
“Hey, I don’t have a baseball bat, so it’s going to have to do. You know how I feel about guns.”
“Come on, let’s see who’s at the door.”
We walked out into the hallway together, and the banging on the door continued as we approached.
Jenny was going into her backswing when I called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Zach. The doorbell must be broken. Let me in.”
Jenny lowered her racket, and I opened the door with relief.
Zach knew instantly that something was going on. “What happened? Did I miss something?”
“Someone’s been stalking Jenny,” I blurted out.
Zach’s brow furrowed as he walked in. “Tell me about it.”
We sat together on the couch as Jenny recounted what had happened so far, all the way up to the most recent note and roses she’d just gotten.
When she was finished, Jenny said, “I feel foolish when I lay it out like that.”
“You shouldn’t. You have every right to worry. I can’t believe Murphy hasn’t done more to catch this guy.”
“How do you fight something like this?” Jenny said.
“I have a few ideas. Let me check something first.”
He walked out the door, looked down at the doorbell, and then retrieved his pocketknife. After a few moments working on it, he pulled out a sliver of wood. “Someone jammed a toothpick into the doorbell so it wouldn’t work. He’s getting more aggressive, isn’t he?”
“He seems to be,” I said. “Can you do something about it?”
Zach touched my shoulder lightly. “I can do a lot of things about it. Don’t worry. We’ll get him.”
“Why do I suddenly feel so relieved?” Jenny asked. “Nothing’s really changed.”
“You’re wrong. Zach’s on the case now. That makes all the difference in the world.”
“Jenny’s right, you know,” Zach said. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“But you will,” I said. “Don’t sell yourself short. How was your trip to Richmond?
Maybe Jenny had one. I walked down the hall and tapped gently on her door. I’d learned when we’d been roommates that if she was engrossed in what she was doing, the small taps wouldn’t interrupt her train of thought, but if she wasn’t deep into something serious, she’d hear me and respond.
After a moment, I heard her say, “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you, but do you have a fax machine by any chance?”
“Hang on.” Thirty seconds later she opened the door. I could see that she’d been crying, and though she probably would have liked me to ignore it, I couldn’t do it. “You’re really rattled, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “I’m trying not to let it get to me, but it’s hard.”
I decided to tell her that I was calling in reinforcements. “We’re telling Zach the second he gets back from Richmond.”
Jenny shook her head. “Savannah, he’s got enough on his mind getting you out of this murder investigation. I’m sure he doesn’t have time to deal with this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. He’ll be happy to do it.”
She started to protest, and then finally nodded. “It would really help my peace of mind if he could help put a stop to this.”
“Trust me, he’ll find this guy.”
“I hope you’re right.” She wiped away another errant tear, and then said, “My fax is over here. It’s one of those combination units. I couldn’t live without it.”
“How does it work?”
She took the puzzle and snippet from me, and the card Kelsey had given me. “We’ll have this sent in no time.”
“Excellent,” I said. “What should we do after that? Do you have much more work to do?”
“I’ve always got something on my plate,” she said. “But there’s nothing that won’t wait. What did you have in mind?”
I started to say something when we both heard someone pounding on the front door. Jenny dove into her closet and grabbed a tennis racket.
I asked, “It’s an odd time to want to play, isn’t it?”
“Hey, I don’t have a baseball bat, so it’s going to have to do. You know how I feel about guns.”
“Come on, let’s see who’s at the door.”
We walked out into the hallway together, and the banging on the door continued as we approached.
Jenny was going into her backswing when I called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Zach. The doorbell must be broken. Let me in.”
Jenny lowered her racket, and I opened the door with relief.
Zach knew instantly that something was going on. “What happened? Did I miss something?”
“Someone’s been stalking Jenny,” I blurted out.
Zach’s brow furrowed as he walked in. “Tell me about it.”
We sat together on the couch as Jenny recounted what had happened so far, all the way up to the most recent note and roses she’d just gotten.
When she was finished, Jenny said, “I feel foolish when I lay it out like that.”
“You shouldn’t. You have every right to worry. I can’t believe Murphy hasn’t done more to catch this guy.”
“How do you fight something like this?” Jenny said.
“I have a few ideas. Let me check something first.”
He walked out the door, looked down at the doorbell, and then retrieved his pocketknife. After a few moments working on it, he pulled out a sliver of wood. “Someone jammed a toothpick into the doorbell so it wouldn’t work. He’s getting more aggressive, isn’t he?”
“He seems to be,” I said. “Can you do something about it?”
Zach touched my shoulder lightly. “I can do a lot of things about it. Don’t worry. We’ll get him.”
“Why do I suddenly feel so relieved?” Jenny asked. “Nothing’s really changed.”
“You’re wrong. Zach’s on the case now. That makes all the difference in the world.”
“Jenny’s right, you know,” Zach said. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“But you will,” I said. “Don’t sell yourself short. How was your trip to Richmond?
Similar Books
