Installment 34 Meg

Installment #34

Meg

Meg awoke well before dawn. She stretched in the dark
and began to organize her thoughts. She did not need to turn
on the computer this morning because it was not here. This
was a first in a long time. No reason to hurry into the office.
No eBay, no redranger, no computer. Then she remembered
the other thing that was lurking in the corner of her mind; she
was not alone in the house. Ambrose was downstairs guarding
the front door or something. Or maybe while she slept
someone had come and relieved Ambrose and someone else
would be down there. Well, she was up here in her bed and she
was not ready to go down and face whatever this day would
bring. What day was it?

Let’s see. Denver was Thursday. Friday had been a
recover and feel sorry for herself because she had been stood up
day, and then Saturday brought the detectives and the news that
the man she had contemplated having sex with was married.
Hell, not only married, but missing. The redranger was Jeffery
Eldon Purcell. She pulled the covers over her head as she
realized that today was Sunday. Sunday meant church. But Jack
had told her she had to stay in the house. Well, that was not
going to happen. Somebody had to move the eggs into the
cooler. Somebody had to check the feeders. And today was
Sunday and Sunday and church were part of her routine. Well,
Ambrose better be ready to go to church and gather eggs. She
pushed the covers down and turned and put her feet over the
side of the bed. A quick look at the clock told her it was almost
5:30. The sun would be peeking over the horizon very soon.
Guiltily she remembered that she had not spoken to
Kevin since the first part of the week. She reached for the phone
in the charger by the bed. It was not there. Strange. In all the
activity yesterday she must have left it downstairs. Anyway it
was 4:30 in California and it was Sunday and Kevin liked to
sleep in on the weekend. Well, not that late, but sure not 4:30.
Nobody got up at that time of day. Well, she did, but she had no
life. It was pretty early to go downstairs, but surely Ambrose
was awake and would want coffee. He was guarding her so he
should be awake. She took her robe off the end of the bed and
pulled it on. As she pulled it around her shoulders, she hugged
herself. Tommy had bought this for her and it was very
practical for Colorado mornings, although not a bit sexy. She
stroked the fabric which reminded her of a satin rabbit she had
as a pet when she was very young. Wonder what this fabric is,
other than polyester? Such a general term.

Sliding her feet into her slippers, she ran her fingers
through her hair. She belted the robe and walked across the floor
to the crates. As she opened the door on Daisy’s crate, Daisy
stirred and came out, waiting to have her ears scratched. Elvira
was slower, but the same ritual as Daisy. They waited for their
“getting up treat”. If they had one for going to bed, they also
needed one for getting up. Nothing spoiled about these dogs.
They bounded down the stairs , made a left turn , and
were out the doggie door. Meg made a right turn and walked
into a brightly lit kitchen. But where was Ambrose? Must be in
the bathroom, or maybe asleep on the couch. She glanced
around the kitchen and did not see her cell phone. This charger
was also empty. Where was that phone? Then she saw the note
on the counter. She picked it up and read the few words. “ Meg
Parker. I have been called back to Denver. Everything here is
alright.”
That was strange. He should have woke her up and told
her he was leaving. How was he leaving? He had no car.
Someone must have came and got him. Yes, that was it. Well,
that made two inconsiderate oafs! And the dogs. Why had they
not barked? They barked at every leaf that blew across the yard
and every fox that came within a mile of the place, but men
walking around in the kitchen was nothing to be alarmed about.
She poured the water through the Bunn that she had set
up the night before in case Ambrose wanted coffee. As she took
her favorite cup off the cup rack, she glanced idly towards the
back of the house. Those dogs were sure taking their sweet time
this morning. On cue, she heard scratching at the doggie door.
Scratching? All they had to do was come inside. Nothing to
stop them. She walked through the dining room to the sun
porch. The inside door to the doggie door was firmly in place!
How in the hell had that happened? It was kept beside the
doggie door. As she stared in disbelief she felt a strong arm
around her shoulders and soft cloth on her face. What was that
odor? As her whole body slumped against the warmth of what
she knew not, Tommy’s face rose before her.

Installment #33 Fred

Installment #33

Fred

Fred threw the last piece of wood he chopped onto the
pile he had been working on for the past hour. Not much sense in
piling it up like he had done back home. Just going to burn it
anyway. He sat on the stump and reflected back over the
incident with the Jeep with the scary looking guy in it. The guy
had to be watching Meg. But the important part of the whole
thing was how long had the big guy been watching her? And
why? Or was he just setting there? Things began to click inside
his mind. The tunnel. What was that about? Why would anyone
want a tunnel to a tree? Well, when he found the little nesting
part of the tree and the telescope and how this zeroed right in on
the Parker place things began to click. The Jeep on the road was
a big click. Stumbling on him spying on Meg was the clincher.
He had read books. He watched the news. He knew this man
was a stalker! He was a stalker and he was stalking Meg Parker.
But wait! Stalkers usually had a reason. What did this man want
from Meg?

As Fred entered his small cabin and placed his gun and
machete on the shelf his head began to hurt. He was not used to
all this thinking. His life was very simple and required no
planning or decision making and he did not like this at all. He
resented the big scar faced man for doing this to him. Something
was going on and he knew it, but did not know what to do about
it. As he lay on his small cot fully clothed, he tried to sort it out,
but he could not. Finally a blissful oblivion flew him away to his
boyhood home and a mother and father who loved him, but not
each other.

Installment #32 Marshall Purcell

Installment #32

Marshall Purcell

He watched from high in the tree as the men knocked on
her door. At first he thought they were visitors, but soon he could
see they were not. And his telescope sure brought that badge
right into focus. Cops. What were they doing with her? What
had she done?
Oh, hell. It was about Jeffery. Jeffery was the redranger.
By now his little wife would surely be worried and looking for
him. That was her meal ticket after all. Of course no one had
seen him in Denver and he was supposed to be working there. So
it was only natural to call and report him missing. Must be a
pretty important guy for them to get right on it like that.

“Oh, yes officers here is his computer. Why no he would
never fool around on me. Look at this, I ask you , would you
leave this home in bed and chase some little trollop around?
Meg? Meg who? Jeffery never knew any Meg. Why she must
be one of the workers on that silly football thing he was hired to
consult about. Well, I do not care about all that silliness! Jeffery
was devoted to me, now just go find him. I don’t need to read
that trash!”

He knew when they went into the house that they were
headed for the computer. Well, they would find no trace of him
there. Nor anywhere in her house. He was too good for that. He
was like a ghost. He could walk in and out and no one ever
would have seen him. Like last night. Oh glory! He smiled at
the memory of last night. The moon was starting to wane so he
had made his way down the mountain. Across her back yard to
her kitchen window. He could see her setting at the table
working a crossword puzzle. He knew she would stay there until
it was finished and he knew the dogs would stay with her. The
radio was playing some old country station. He could hear it
clear out here.

He moved swiftly to the side patio and pulled his special
grappling hooks out of his back pack. Fitting them carefully
into notches he had made several months ago he pulled himself
to the patio roof. Reaching out he caught the railing of the
upstairs patio and swung himself onto the floor. Not a sound. A
ghost. He took the slender piece of steel from his pocket and
jimmied the door. He moved quickly to the bathroom and found
what he was after hanging behind the door. His rough hands
removed the silky nightgown from the hook and he buried his
face in the folds and breathed deeply. Oh, the bliss of her
womanly scent. Not really perfume but a smell that wrenched at
his heart. He shoved the gown into the plastic bag he had
brought for that very purpose. He did not want her smell mixed
with any other smell. This was his euphoria!

He slid the patio curtain to one side and then the other one
the same; just an inch or so. He exited onto the patio, locking the
door behind himself. He slid the garden bench forward just
enough so he could fit behind it if need be. And then he set down
to wait. Soon he was rewarded as he saw the kitchen light go out
and the hall light upstairs shine brightly. The dogs ran into the
bedroom first and sat by their crates to wait. Meg went into the
bathroom to prepare for bed and very soon emerged with a
puzzled look on her face. She lifted the pillow and then opened
the drawer and drew out another nightgown. Glancing once more
at the bed she returned to the bathroom. Soon she came back out
wearing the peach nightgown that he loved so well. It struck her
at mid calf and clung to her as she moved. She gave the dogs
their treats and closed their doors. She flipped on her bedside
light and piled pillows for her back. As she settled in her bed she
picked up her book from the bedside table. But her eyes strayed
to the patio doors.
She noticed the curtains were open, but did not seem
concerned. Did she know he was there? She seemed to be
looking right at him. He stared back at her. Then she stretched
her leg and raised her arms above her head. She was tempting
him! She knew he was there and she was wanting him to come
inside. Well, he wasn’t ready for that just yet! Oh, she would
beg him some day and when that day came, he knew he would
not be able to resist her feminine wiles. First she must stop
behaving like a slut. All that stretching and showing her breasts
outlined by the sensuous peach colored gown. Theirs must be a
union of purity. She must keep her green eyes open. He must be
able to see the green or were they blue? They must not be black.
No! No black eyes would he look into again, ever!
He watched as she drew her knees up and closely eyed her
toe nails. They were not polished. He was glad to see that. But with her setting there
like that he noticed her legs gaping apart. He thought he could
see, what? What? It did not look like she was wearing under
wear! By God she wasn’t! Why that Jezebel was naked under
that night gown! She was naked and him not 20 feet away! But
he would forgive her this once. She did not know he was there,
but he knew she was there. As he watched, she reached up and
turned out the lamp, the book forgotten at her side. She was
going to sleep. As he looked at the dark window he gently pulled
the night gown from the bag and pressed it to his face. They were
going to sleep now. As his eyes grew heavy he felt a small fire
flicker in his loins. They were one.

Hours later when he awoke with a stiff neck, he put the
night gown back into the bag and slowly and quietly climbed
down the same way he had climbed up. And like the ghost that
he was he silently crept across the field and up the mountain,
unseen by anyone or anything, except a shadow on the edge of
the clearing.

Installment 31 Meg, Jack, Ambrose

Installment #31

Meg, Jack, and Ambrose

Meg gazed at the two men on her doorstep. Detective
Jack Farley and Detective Ambose Middleton. She felt a
feeling of being disconnected from her own body. Yes, she had
seen the news. No, she did not know a Jeffery Purcell. And
what did any of this have to do with her? Well, yes she did
know a redranger from the Internet. No she had never met him.
Yes she was supposed to meet him in Denver at the Sheraton on
Thursday, but he had not shown up. No, she had heard nothing
since then. And the final blow when Jack Farley explained how
Jeffery Eldon Purcell had flown out of Brattleboro, Vermont
and flown into Denver. He had disembarked at Stapleton and
his wife had heard nothing from him since he left Vermont.

“Were you aware that he had a wife and children?”
“Of course not, Mr. Farley! What kind of woman do you
take me to be?”
“Well certainly not one that picks men up on the
Internet!” He remarked sarcastically and Meg blushed. He was
right about that!
“We are going to need to take a good look at your hard
drive. Going to have to take it in and that may take some time.
Is that a problem?” This Jack Farley was getting on her last
nerve.
“Oh it most definitely is a problem. I run my eBay
business through the computer. I keep all my records on the
computer. I communicate through my computer. I just can’t
let you take that!” She crossed her arms across her chest and
then quickly remembered that was a defensive gesture. She
dropped her hands to her sides and then felt vulnerable. She
placed a hand on each hip and glared at Jack Farley. “I have
done nothing wrong here! What earthly good would my
computer be to you? I told you about our emails.” Jack
Farley thought for a moment.

“Alright I can probably do this here and get what I
need.” He turned to his partner. “Ambrose, I am going to
need about five or six hours. You want to hang out here or go
kill time somewhere? I could actually use the help if you
don‘t mind.” Ambrose nodded his assent. Jack turned to Meg
and extended his arm indicating that she should lead the way.
She opened the door and stepped inside. The men followed.
Jack was experienced at what he was doing and very
quickly had the computer booted and running and was in her
email account, but in an area she did not know existed. He
scrolled slowly through her correspondence with redranger,
pausing now and then and making a notation. Then he turned to
her and asked, “Why do you read his emails and then rather then
just leave them, mark them as new and then come back later and
answer them? That seems kind of strange.” He waited.

“ I don’t. I open them, answer them and then they go
to old mail. Why would I want to save them as new?”
“You are the only one that uses this computer, right?”
“Yes, my son was here, but he didn’t even come in here.”
“Well either you are doing that or you have a very savvy
hacker. Come here.” He pointed to a blip on the screen. “See
that? That is open, then keep as new. And here. Another one.”
He continued to point them out as she stared in amazement.
“No one is ever in here but me!”
“Oh, he does not have to be in here. He can be miles
away. If you did not do this then someone is operating your
computer from their computer. No problem at all for someone
who knows what he is doing. Probably paid you a visit at some
point and left behind what he needed to make this work. Had any company
lately besides your son? I am assuming he would not do this?”

He looked at Meg and waited for a reaction. He got it as she
suddenly remembered the bar of Irish Spring in her shower when
she returned from California.

“Yes,” she said very slowly, “Yes, but I do not know
who it was.” She then explained to him about that experience,
about the bars now on the windows, the doggie door alteration
and who had done the work.

“This Fred guy, how well do you know him? Good with
electronics? I mean computers and such?”

Meg laughed. “Oh, no! Fred is not good at anything
except manual labor. He lives up the hill and is the area
handyman. I don’t think he knows that computers even
exist. Other than that I can‘t think of anyone who has been here.”
“Neighbors? Any of them ever stop by?”
“No. I only ran into the man up North once in the past
I don’t know how many years. He is only up there some time.
I think. Guess I really don’t know.”

“Got any fellas hanging around who might be a little
jealous? I noticed the only emails that were messed with were
the ones from redranger, Jeffery Purcell. So he is not after your
money, or your accounts, he just wants to keep tabs on your
extracurricular stuff basically. And he knew you planned on
meeting Jeffery on Thursday. See anyone you knew in the
Sheraton that day?”

Meg stared in disbelief. What was this guy after? But
sadly it all made perfect sense. Someone was in her home and
now was in her computer and was in her life and in her head.
How could she type another word and feel safe? She couldn’t.
But who would be doing this? No one paid any attention to her
movements. Well not that she knew about anyway.
“No, not a soul.”
“Anybody follow you home? Anybody here when you got
here? Anything messed with?”
“No. No. I just cannot think of anyone at all who is even
remotely interested in me for any reason.” She dropped her head
in her hands and began to cry softly. “Oh, Tommy,” she thought
to herself, “What is this all about? God I wish you were here.”

Jack Farley patted Meg awkwardly on her shoulder.
“Listen, Meg, uh, may I call you Meg?” She nodded her assent
and he continued. “I can’t do it. I am not smart enough, but
there are guys at the station who can dig in this thing and come
up with who ever is messing with your account. I got a feeling
that he messed with Jeffery Purcell too. That guy didn’t just fall
off the face of the earth. And I think we need to know this now,
because I think you are in danger. So can I take your hard drive?
Or is eBay more important? Not to put any pressure, but I can get
a warrant if I need to go that route.”

Meg knew what had to happen as well as Jack Farley.
“Oh, well, go ahead. Let me just put the store on vacation and
that will take care of eBay.” She sat down in front of the machine
she now was afraid of and entered a few things and then stepped
away. “Done.”

“Thanks, now I would like to get someone up here to keep
an eye on you until we get some answers. Whoever this is knows
where you live and he knows your routine. Now why would a
complete stranger go to all this work if he weren’t after
something. I think it is you he is after.”
Meg sighed and agreed with him. Something was going
on and she had no idea what it was, but she did know she was
afraid for the first time in her life. The bars on the windows were
not enough to keep the intruder out of her computer, so how
could they keep anyone that determined out of her home? She
was sure of one other thing, if Kevin found out about this he
would force her to come to California.

“ I will make up the guest room for whoever is coming.”

“No, he is not coming here to sleep. He is coming here
to take care of you. Ambrose will stay until his replacement gets
here. Probably tomorrow.” He placed the hard drive in the car
and then crawled into the drivers’ side. “Even with someone
here you need to stay inside and stay alert. I am afraid this guy
is serious and I just wish I knew what he was serious about.” He
put the car in drive and pulled out the circle drive.
Meg gave a wave and turned to Ambrose, “Well, buddy,
looks like it is just you and me.”
They walked back into the house and Ambrose checked
that all the doors and windows were secure before he pulled a
chair from the table and sat down to watch, who knew what.