coffee’s good and strong, and, boy, do I need it. Can’t get it in me fast enough.”
“Now I’m glad I made a full pot.”
“Next time you hear a knock on the door, knock back. I’ll feel it and knock twice in response.”
“How do you know there’ll be a next time?”
He came closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Only if you want.”
She felt the heat rise on her face. “I need more coffee. How about you?”
“Yeah, I guzzled the first cup. I can get it.”
“So can I.” She walked to the counter, refilled both cups, placing her finger inside the rim to warn her when to stop. She held out the cup. “Black.”
“How did you know I took it that way?”
“No stirring, no opening of the fridge, no-brainer.”
“Right.” He took the coffee from her hand. “Have you heard from the vet?”
“No, I have his card here. Do you mind?” She handed it to him. “I didn’t have my recorder.”
Luke punched in the number and handed her the phone. Mike told her that Daisy was resting, still a little drugged but doing fine. Abby could pick her up at Dr. Daniel’s on Tuesday. Both vets went out of their way for her. They sometimes stayed late to accommodate her and even ferried Daisy if Abby couldn’t get a ride.
Luke replaced the phone when she finished. “I dropped the stick used on Daisy at the lab on the way over. Like I thought, no prints. Whoever’s doing this is a pro.”
The word “pro” put Abby in mind of a contract killer. Why would a “pro” be after her? “A pro?” she said, her voice higher pitched than she intended. “You mean a hit man?”
“Bad choice of words,” Luke said. “Abby, this guy’s had his chances. Killing you is not in his game plan, so don’t worry.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one being harassed by this…this pro .”
“We’ll get him. I’m going outside to check the other side of the fence. Maybe our trespasser carved his name in the door. Be right back.”
“I’ll check my email.” She clicked on the new message, and heard the mechanical voice. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Nothing outside,” Luke said, coming in from the patio. “What’s the matter?”
She pointed a shaky finger at the message she knew flashed on the screen.
Did you enjoy our little meeting? I did. Maybe we can do it again. Only next time it will be you instead of your dog. Can’t wait.
“Damn. Who is this guy? I’ll run the address through the computer.”
Abby hugged herself to stop the tremors and turned toward Luke. “He’s ransacked my home and almost killed my dog. He won’t stop until he gets me. I don’t know why he didn’t do it last night. He’s only prolonging the inevitable.”
“I told you, if that’s what he wanted he would have done it by now. He’s trying to terrify you.”
“Well he’s doing a damn good job.” She knew Luke was saying that to alleviate her fear. The incidents were escalating in violence, like Pete said. There’d be more, and they both knew it. “He even made a complaint to the ethics committee about me.”
“Repeat. I didn’t get that.”
She did, and the tone of his voice indicated he understood. “What? When?”
“I found out yesterday.”
“About me?”
“I assume so. They wouldn’t give me any information. An investigator will check into the allegations. There’s nothing there.”
“Son of a bitch. I don’t want to leave, but if my being here is a problem, I will.”
“No, stay. We’ve done nothing inappropriate.”
“What about now?”
She touched his arm. “You’re not my patient, Luke.”
“The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble.”
“I recused myself for that very reason. I don’t want you to go,” she paused, “but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want you to stay.”
Luke didn’t say anything for a minute. “I’m either getting mixed signals, or I’m not reading you right. Did you say you don’t want me to go, but you don’t want
“Now I’m glad I made a full pot.”
“Next time you hear a knock on the door, knock back. I’ll feel it and knock twice in response.”
“How do you know there’ll be a next time?”
He came closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Only if you want.”
She felt the heat rise on her face. “I need more coffee. How about you?”
“Yeah, I guzzled the first cup. I can get it.”
“So can I.” She walked to the counter, refilled both cups, placing her finger inside the rim to warn her when to stop. She held out the cup. “Black.”
“How did you know I took it that way?”
“No stirring, no opening of the fridge, no-brainer.”
“Right.” He took the coffee from her hand. “Have you heard from the vet?”
“No, I have his card here. Do you mind?” She handed it to him. “I didn’t have my recorder.”
Luke punched in the number and handed her the phone. Mike told her that Daisy was resting, still a little drugged but doing fine. Abby could pick her up at Dr. Daniel’s on Tuesday. Both vets went out of their way for her. They sometimes stayed late to accommodate her and even ferried Daisy if Abby couldn’t get a ride.
Luke replaced the phone when she finished. “I dropped the stick used on Daisy at the lab on the way over. Like I thought, no prints. Whoever’s doing this is a pro.”
The word “pro” put Abby in mind of a contract killer. Why would a “pro” be after her? “A pro?” she said, her voice higher pitched than she intended. “You mean a hit man?”
“Bad choice of words,” Luke said. “Abby, this guy’s had his chances. Killing you is not in his game plan, so don’t worry.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one being harassed by this…this pro .”
“We’ll get him. I’m going outside to check the other side of the fence. Maybe our trespasser carved his name in the door. Be right back.”
“I’ll check my email.” She clicked on the new message, and heard the mechanical voice. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Nothing outside,” Luke said, coming in from the patio. “What’s the matter?”
She pointed a shaky finger at the message she knew flashed on the screen.
Did you enjoy our little meeting? I did. Maybe we can do it again. Only next time it will be you instead of your dog. Can’t wait.
“Damn. Who is this guy? I’ll run the address through the computer.”
Abby hugged herself to stop the tremors and turned toward Luke. “He’s ransacked my home and almost killed my dog. He won’t stop until he gets me. I don’t know why he didn’t do it last night. He’s only prolonging the inevitable.”
“I told you, if that’s what he wanted he would have done it by now. He’s trying to terrify you.”
“Well he’s doing a damn good job.” She knew Luke was saying that to alleviate her fear. The incidents were escalating in violence, like Pete said. There’d be more, and they both knew it. “He even made a complaint to the ethics committee about me.”
“Repeat. I didn’t get that.”
She did, and the tone of his voice indicated he understood. “What? When?”
“I found out yesterday.”
“About me?”
“I assume so. They wouldn’t give me any information. An investigator will check into the allegations. There’s nothing there.”
“Son of a bitch. I don’t want to leave, but if my being here is a problem, I will.”
“No, stay. We’ve done nothing inappropriate.”
“What about now?”
She touched his arm. “You’re not my patient, Luke.”
“The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble.”
“I recused myself for that very reason. I don’t want you to go,” she paused, “but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want you to stay.”
Luke didn’t say anything for a minute. “I’m either getting mixed signals, or I’m not reading you right. Did you say you don’t want me to go, but you don’t want
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