‘Until We Meet Again.’ ”
four
1
Brooke looked up with frightened violet-blue eyes. “He was
here
.”
“
Someone
was here.” Vincent felt his own stomach tightening at the thought that the man who had slaughtered a young woman just a few hours earlier had already invaded Brooke’s home, the man prison officials said had almost completely stopped talking and started communicating in notes. He knew, though, his keeping a calm tone might prevent Brooke from spiraling into a full-blown panic attack. “The note could have been left by that guy you used to date. Robert, wasn’t it?”
“Is that Robert’s handwriting?” Stacy asked.
“It’s printed,” Brooke pointed out. “Printed in big, sloppy letters.”
Stacy frowned. “How long has it been since you’ve seen Robert?”
“Actually
seen
him? Almost three weeks. But he’s leftdozens of messages on my answering machine and two days ago he sent flowers to my office.”
“You’re staying with us tonight,” Stacy announced to Brooke. “This is Jay’s poker night, but he’ll be home soon. You’ll feel perfectly safe with a police detective in the apartment.”
“You’re allergic to dogs,” Brooke said, looking at Elise.
“So the dog will stay here.”
Brooke shook her head. “And howl all night for me? I don’t think so.”
Stacy threw the dog an offhanded look. “She’ll settle down after a while.”
“I want Elise with me tonight,” Brooke said in a loud, firm voice. “That settles the matter.”
Stacy looked surprised. “Well, you’re very bossy tonight.”
“And you’re bossy all the time,” Brooke fired back.
With what Vincent had observed to be one of her typical mood swings, Stacy suddenly started laughing. “You’re right. I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Well, you did!” Brooke burst out. “And I don’t see what’s so funny!”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Vincent said, feeling as if his neck had turned to concrete and his head might burst before this horrible evening ever ended. “I agree that Brooke doesn’t need to be alone tonight, even though the police are going to provide surveillance. Dad and I are dog lovers. Brooke and Elise can stay at the house with us.” Stacy gave him a hard look. “We have four bedrooms. She doesn’t have to share a bed with Dad or me and I assure you, Stacy, neither one of us is a rapist. Does that suit everyone?”
“No, it does not!” Stacy flared. “The idea of Brooke spending the night with
two
strange men—”
“We’re not strange,” Vincent said innocently.
“You
know
what I mean. Brooke doesn’t know you. She’d be
terribly
uncomfortable.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Brooke said with unexpected calm. “I went to that house earlier because it represented security tome. It still does.” She threw an unconvincingly warm smile at Stacy. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, but this is really the best solution, at least for tonight.”
“Good!” Vincent said, not sure if he’d offered the invitation to annoy Stacy or because he had some puzzling concern for Brooke. After all, Brooke Yeager was still an unknown quantity as far as he was concerned. Stacy opened her mouth to protest, but Vincent was determined not to waver. “Look, Stacy, we’ll have the surveillance moved to our house. There Brooke will have police on the outside of a house, not a big apartment building, and two men will be inside, one of them a former cop.”
Stacy sighed, then looked resigned. “Okay, kiddo,” she said to Brooke. “I guess you should do what makes
you
comfortable, not what makes
me
comfortable, and I’ll stop giving orders.”
“Is that possible for you?” Vincent sniped.
Before Stacy could snap back an answer, someone tapped on the apartment door. Stacy, Brooke, and Vincent looked at one another blankly, as if bewildered by some strange phenomenon, until a man called out, “Hey, it’s me. Harry. You got some trouble in
four
1
Brooke looked up with frightened violet-blue eyes. “He was
here
.”
“
Someone
was here.” Vincent felt his own stomach tightening at the thought that the man who had slaughtered a young woman just a few hours earlier had already invaded Brooke’s home, the man prison officials said had almost completely stopped talking and started communicating in notes. He knew, though, his keeping a calm tone might prevent Brooke from spiraling into a full-blown panic attack. “The note could have been left by that guy you used to date. Robert, wasn’t it?”
“Is that Robert’s handwriting?” Stacy asked.
“It’s printed,” Brooke pointed out. “Printed in big, sloppy letters.”
Stacy frowned. “How long has it been since you’ve seen Robert?”
“Actually
seen
him? Almost three weeks. But he’s leftdozens of messages on my answering machine and two days ago he sent flowers to my office.”
“You’re staying with us tonight,” Stacy announced to Brooke. “This is Jay’s poker night, but he’ll be home soon. You’ll feel perfectly safe with a police detective in the apartment.”
“You’re allergic to dogs,” Brooke said, looking at Elise.
“So the dog will stay here.”
Brooke shook her head. “And howl all night for me? I don’t think so.”
Stacy threw the dog an offhanded look. “She’ll settle down after a while.”
“I want Elise with me tonight,” Brooke said in a loud, firm voice. “That settles the matter.”
Stacy looked surprised. “Well, you’re very bossy tonight.”
“And you’re bossy all the time,” Brooke fired back.
With what Vincent had observed to be one of her typical mood swings, Stacy suddenly started laughing. “You’re right. I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Well, you did!” Brooke burst out. “And I don’t see what’s so funny!”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Vincent said, feeling as if his neck had turned to concrete and his head might burst before this horrible evening ever ended. “I agree that Brooke doesn’t need to be alone tonight, even though the police are going to provide surveillance. Dad and I are dog lovers. Brooke and Elise can stay at the house with us.” Stacy gave him a hard look. “We have four bedrooms. She doesn’t have to share a bed with Dad or me and I assure you, Stacy, neither one of us is a rapist. Does that suit everyone?”
“No, it does not!” Stacy flared. “The idea of Brooke spending the night with
two
strange men—”
“We’re not strange,” Vincent said innocently.
“You
know
what I mean. Brooke doesn’t know you. She’d be
terribly
uncomfortable.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Brooke said with unexpected calm. “I went to that house earlier because it represented security tome. It still does.” She threw an unconvincingly warm smile at Stacy. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, but this is really the best solution, at least for tonight.”
“Good!” Vincent said, not sure if he’d offered the invitation to annoy Stacy or because he had some puzzling concern for Brooke. After all, Brooke Yeager was still an unknown quantity as far as he was concerned. Stacy opened her mouth to protest, but Vincent was determined not to waver. “Look, Stacy, we’ll have the surveillance moved to our house. There Brooke will have police on the outside of a house, not a big apartment building, and two men will be inside, one of them a former cop.”
Stacy sighed, then looked resigned. “Okay, kiddo,” she said to Brooke. “I guess you should do what makes
you
comfortable, not what makes
me
comfortable, and I’ll stop giving orders.”
“Is that possible for you?” Vincent sniped.
Before Stacy could snap back an answer, someone tapped on the apartment door. Stacy, Brooke, and Vincent looked at one another blankly, as if bewildered by some strange phenomenon, until a man called out, “Hey, it’s me. Harry. You got some trouble in
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