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He pulled me to him and said, “Yeah. I know you must be completely derailed by this. I’m wondering if we should call the police.”
“But he really hasn’t made any specific threats.”
Pearce nodded and his lips pressed into a hard line. “I don’t like for you to be here alone.”
“I have the security system,” I said weakly.
“True.”
“And there’s the gated entry,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but I’m still worried.”
I was too, but I didn’t want him all wrapped up in this. “Are you trying to use this to get me to move in with you early?”
He chuckled. “Maybe. In all seriousness though. If you get another one, we’re calling the police.”
“Er, Pearce, I need to tell you something, but don’t be mad. Promise me, okay?”
“Okay, I promise. What are you not telling me?”
“This is the second letter like this.”
He looked at me as his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared. I was ready for smoke to start billowing out. He was furious. “This is the second one?”
I nodded.
“Damn it, Alexia! Why haven’t you told me about this?”
“I was going to, I swear! The first one came that day Carmonkey came to your place. When I got to your house, I forgot all about the letter because of her. I swear it, Pearce.”
My tone conveyed it all and he knew I was telling the truth. He just grabbed me and held me tightly.
“If that bastard touches you or tries to, I’ll kill him. Get your things. You’re not staying here tonight. I’m not comfortable at all with that, security or not.”
I didn’t have an argument for that, because I was shakin’-in-my-boots scared myself. I gathered my things together and we went back to Pearce’s. We decided not to call the police because the letter didn’t appear to be life-threatening, and I didn’t want to appear like an idiot.
* * *
A couple of weeks later, things calmed down since I hadn’t received any more letters. I’d moved back in the carriage house to be near Lisbeth when she needed something. On a different note, Terri had gone through two more surgeries, and it appeared they were satisfied with the outcomes. That meant no more surgery for her, which made me very happy. Justin had been in the OR both times observing and apparently had driven his partners insane. They’d threatened to bar him if he didn’t keep his mouth shut. She’d ended up with all sorts of metal—pins and screws and God knows what else.
Justin was on the mend, but not fast enough for everyone. He was making everyone around him crazy with his disagreeable behavior. His partners had banned him from the office. They told him if he tried to come in, they would put a temporary restraining order on him. It seemed he still wore the blame hat. Pearce finally sent me to his house to give him another “Alexia” chat as he called it.
I went to his house one day around lunch and knocked on the door. I didn’t get an answer, so I tried the door, and it was unlocked. I let myself in and hoped he didn’t mind. I walked through the house, calling his name, but still didn’t get a response. I began to get worried. I climbed the stairs toward his bedroom, but the door was closed. I assumed he must have been sleeping, but I was terribly wrong.
I pushed open the door and was so shocked at what I was seeing, I couldn’t look away. It was like looking at the proverbial train wreck and being incapable of tearing your eyes away from the disaster.
Justin was in bed with not one, but two women. My brain couldn’t process what I was seeing. It was the middle of the day, and I smelled a heavy odor of alcohol.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but suddenly, he looked at the doorway and our eyes locked. My hand immediately flew to my mouth. I tried to run out, but I stumbled backwards and crashed into the wall behind me.
“Lexi, wait.”
Wait my ass! I tried to get up but kept losing my footing. My sandals slid across the wooden floor until I finally gave up and crawled away. When I made it to an area rug, I was able to stand, although I was shaking like a jackhammer trying to crack through concrete.
“Lexi!”
I screamed. He was right behind me, and my heart pounded so loudly I hadn’t even heard him.
