Read Online CELEBRITY STATUS (The Kate Huntington mystery series #4) by Kassandra Lamb - Free Book Online

delivered.” Her voice was shaking. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him down beside her. He crouched down in front of her instead. She hung onto his hand and he saw no way to get it loose without being blatantly rude.
                “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “This may turn out to be a good thing. It may give us a major lead.”
                “I can’t stand this, Skip. This... this pervert is ruining the farm for me. This was the only place I felt safe. And free. The only place I could walk around outside without worrying about who might be watching.” She threw herself forward and Skip had no choice but to catch her in his arms. Taken by surprise, he almost fell over but managed to regain his balance. Standing up, he drew her up with him, then nudged her down onto the sofa again.
                “Listen, I’ve got this under control,” he said, as he sat down on the sofa at right angles with hers. “Like I said this is a good thing. This points toward someone we already suspected, and now we may be able to prove it’s him and get him arrested.”
                “Oh, no, I’m not sure we should do that. It’ll get in the news then, and others may try to do the same thing, and the location of the farm may come out.”
                “What would you have me do instead, Cherise? We have to involve the police once we know who it is, or there’s no way to get him to stop,” Skip said.
                “Couldn’t you just talk to him, intimidate him into stopping?” She looked at him, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.
                “I’m not a thug. I don’t threaten to beat people up if they don’t behave.”
                “I bet you’d do more than threaten if it was Kate being stalked,” Cherise said, a touch of acid in her voice.
                Skip stiffened. He paused to choose his words. “That’s irrelevant. We need to address the matter at hand.”
                He was interrupted by two sharp knocks on the front door, followed by Rose’s muffled voice, “Hernandez and Randolph.” Ben headed for the door to let them in.
                “I want more people staying here,” Cherise was demanding as they trooped in. “I want you here, Skip. I only feel safe when you’re around.”
                “Cherise,” Skip said, keeping his voice gentle, “I understand that you’re spooked. I’ll put extra personnel inside and out, but I can’t stay. I have to go to Tiffany’s in New York to check out who bought the bracelet.”
                “Send Rose. I want you here!”
                Skip considered trying to explain that he was much more likely to be able to charm a salesperson at Tiffany’s into telling him what they needed to know than Rose could. He decided to save his breath.
                “Look, Cherise. If you want me to be in charge of your security, then you have to let me be in charge. Otherwise, you’re going to have to hire another firm to take over. I’d be happy to recommend a good one.”
                Cherise looked at him in horror. The tears were back. “You can’t abandon me!”
                “I have no intention of doing so, but you have to let me do my job. I’m either in charge of security or I’m not. What’ll it be?”
                She paused a second, then said, “You’re in charge.”
                 “Okay, here’s the plan. Rose and Dolph are going to ask around, see if anybody saw who put the box in your mailbox. I’m going to New York tomorrow. If this guy is who we suspect it is, then we’ll know who to be on the lookout for at Merriweather on Friday.”
                “I’m cancelling that damn concert. I don’t care if it is bad PR,” Cherise said.
                “I wish you wouldn’t. We’ve got the