Installment #37 Jack

 

Jack cursed as the phone in his hand continued to ring.  “Answer Ambrose!  Where in the hell are you?”  He dialed Meg again and still the busy signal.  Where was she or who was she talking too?  No.  Women could talk but not for hours.  They had tiny bladders and would be afraid someone could hear them pee.  Traffic was light this morning, but he still held to pretty much the speed limit.  Still 30 minutes from the Paker place and then he would know the score.  He gripped the wheel as a black Jeep came around the curve with one wheel in his lane, but before they met the Jeep turned onto an obscure little road.  Kind of hard to make that turn without swinging a little wide.  So he forgave the driver.

 

When he finally pulled in the yard at Meg’s house he was almost relieved.  Everything looked alright.  Well, almost alright.  The dogs were in the yard, so Meg must have put them out.  No, there was a doggie door!  So why weren’t they inside waiting at the kitchen door to bark at this intruder?  He jumped quickly from his car and ran to the house.  The back door was open.  He entered and began calling.  No answers.  The doggie door had a panel keeping the dogs out!  He raised the panel and they ran in and began searching frantically for Meg.  Upstairs, through the house, back out in the yard.  Inside, outside.  There was no reason for him to search.  The dogs would have alerted him if anything turned up, good or bad.

 

He keyed his mike and waited for the signal and then spoke into the radio,  “This is unit 17 and we have a problem.  Ambrose is gone and the lady of the house is missing.  I want all available units up here stat!  And tell Leroy to move mountains.  I need the name of whoever was in Meg Paker’s computer and we don’t have a minute to waste.  This is no longer a stalking case, it is probably a hostage or homicide.  Or a hostage and a homicide.” 

 

He leaned to the floor and picked up a black shiny flat rock.  Ambrose had dropped his worry stone.  He called it his lucky worry stone, but Jack could not stop the next thought, “Well, Ambrose, I think your luck just ran out.”

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Installment #36 Fred

Fred shouldered his gun and started across the road following the small deer..  He had come across it behind his barn just as the sun was trying to pull itself up out of the ground.  It was just the size he liked, not too big, but out of its fawn spots.  The shot had gone just a hair to one side and not brought it down with a clean shot that he liked.  It bolted and ran across the road heading west.  Fred was in no hurry because the deer would not go far and his house was just up ahead.  As he started towards Storm Lake Road he heard a vehicle and habit made him conceal himself.  He was surprised to see the black Jeep.  Today was Sunday and usually when the man was at home he arrived on Friday.  Oh, there was someone with him.  That would explain him being here now.  He apparently had been partying and now they were just getting home.

Fred caught a brief glimpse of the woman as the Jeep skidded, slowed and righted itself.  That guy must be drunk to drive like that.  Hey!  That looked a lot like Meg Paker.  No way.  What would she be doing with that weirdo?  Nothing, that was what, absolutely nothing.  He shook his head and continued following the blood droplets through the forest.  The little deer was now headed just slightly down hill.  Oh crap!  At this trajectory it would end up right at the scar faced guys cabin.  Well, too bad because he was not going to lose this meat.  This was his and no one was going to take it away.  He had spent the last few weeks with only minimal amounts of squirrel  and dove meat and this was going to be his feast.

The small deer lay at the base of the tree where the telescope was stored.  Oh, well.  He quickly took a length of rope from his belt and lashed the deer’s back feet together with one end.  Then he took a longer length from his bag on his side and tossed one end of it over a tree branch on another tree.  He did not want to leave signs here where the man could find them.  Not that it mattered, but why rock the boat?  He then returned and drug the deer to the rope that dangled from the branch.  He tied the rope to the trussed deer and began to raise the deer.  As soon as it’s head was waist high he secured the rope, took out a very sharp hunting knife and slit the deer’s throat.  He did not like to watch this part so he walked away a few yards and looked up the hill at the cabin. 

What was that guy doing?  He was carrying logs to the rear of the Jeep and now he was putting them in the back.  Did he have a fireplace at his place in town?  And he could not tell from here, but the woman seemed to be sleeping very soundly.  The man slammed the door on the back of the Jeep and went around to the passenger door.  He watched as the man lifted her out and carried her inside. 

Drunk, no doubt, but she sure looked like Meg Paker from here.  But that made no sense.  When the door closed behind the man, Fred turned back to the deer.  He slit it from sternum to anus and spilled the insides out on the ground for the forest critters.  He took an old sheet from his bag and wrapped the deer securely.  Now he could carry it back to his barn and finish butchering it.  This would be very good venison.

But he must do something first.  He quickly climbed the tree and pulled the telescope into position.  He zeroed in on the farm below.  It was quiet.  Too quiet.  The dogs were in their yard looking very forlorn.  Why had Meg left them outside?  How long had they been there?  They were always with her, unless she was not there.  He looked back at the cabin behind him and saw the man hurrying to his Jeep.  He watched as he jumped quickly inside and drove away.  Why would a man with a woman inside leave like that?  Fred did not know.

What Fred did know was that the tunnel that led to the house was right over there.  And he also knew if the woman inside the cabin was Meg Paker , she was in trouble.  He also knew that the very thought of entering that tunnel scared the bejesus  out of him.  That tunnel would be just like the root cellar where his mother had spent so many years entombed by a man he called his father.  The man was gone.  He could walk right across the yard and see what was going on inside.  But how would he get in the house?  Right back to the first solution.  The tunnel led to the house and into the kitchen.  He was going to have to go through the tunnel.  And he was going to have to do it very soon.  The man would be back, of that he was sure.  With a sad glance at his beautiful deer, and another down the mountain where he saw the Jeep now passing the Paker farm, he climbed down the tree and headed for the entrance to the tunnel.  His lips moved in silent prayer as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Installment #35 Him

Marshall Purcell smiled at the woman in his arms.  This had been so easy.  He had not been surprised at all to find the man in Meg’s kitchen watching the back door.  Watching?  Little hard to watch anything with your eyes closed completely and your head lolling over  on your shoulder like that.  Marshall had used his key to let himself in the front door.  Who would have thought a boogie man could come in the front door?  His crepe soled shoes made not a sound as he crept up behind him and with one swift movement snapped his neck.  Back out the front door with the big man over his shoulder.
Across the yard and open the back of the Jeep and drop him quietly inside.  Then back for his prize.  When he had Meg settled in he would drive the Jeep up to the cavern and dispose of the body.  Right now he just did not have time and it would be light soon.  He must get her home where she would be safe!
He had waited in the sun room behind the heavy denim drape beside the doggie door.  He had sprinkled cayenne pepper very lightly behind him to cover up any scent he might have left.  And it had worked perfectly.  Out the door they had gone and while Meg was pouring the water for the coffee he had quietly slid the panel in place to keep the dogs outside.  He did not want to hurt the doggies.  They were so cute and when Meg was gone they would let him pet them.  Marshall was sad that he had never had a dog when he was a boy, but when he and Meg were together, they might come back and get Elvira and Daisy.  That would be nice. 
He watched her set down her coffee cup when the dogs started scratching at the door.  He smiled at her look of concern.  Such a wonderful woman to be concerned about her doggies being locked out and how naïve to not even wonder how that happened.  As she reached to pull the panel up he quickly encircled her shoulders with his left arm and placed the chloroformed rag over her face.  How fast it worked and jubilation filled him as Meg sank against him.  Yes!  Very soon this woman would be completely his and his alone.
She was light as a feather as he hurried to the Jeep with his treasure.  He placed her gently in the passenger seat, bracing her in an upright position with pillows he had brought for that purpose.  Now, if someone should see them, they would just think they were out for an early morning drive.  Or, better yet, just getting in from a night of partying!  Yes, they had been dancing all night in Denver and Meg was tired.  But he would drive and take care of her!  He kissed her gently on the forehead and closed the door quietly, not that the sound would awaken her because the soft cloth was laying on her shoulder.  He climbed in the drivers side, checked the seat and glanced in the rearview mirror.  Ah, sweet Jesus!  That asshole had his hand laying over the back seat.  Depend on a cop o screw up a bad dream. 
He climbed out of the car, leaving the door open.  Did not want to lock himself out, that was for sure.  That was no fun.  He had done that and he did not want to do that again.  He opened the tail gate and jerked the offending hand down and placed it under the back seat, just in case the muscles tightened up and the corpse started waving at people out the back window.  The sun was full over the horizon when he pulled onto Banner Road and headed East.  The sun hit him full in the eyes and for a moment he could not see, but Storm Lake Road came up quickly and he turned left. 
He passed Fred’s barn on his right and then Fred’s house on his left.  That had to be inconvenient, but Fred did not seem to notice since he only used the barn to butcher his
poached deer and such.  Now there was a weird one, that Fred.  He had dug his tunnel for him  and did a fine job, if he did have to say so himself.  Insisted on being paid in cash.  Cash!  Who used cash these days?  And what had he done with the money?  God only knows.  Guy had no one.  No one ever came to his house.  Or at least no one Marshall ever seen.  Hell, Fred had on the same clothes when he dug the tunnel that he had on the last time he had seen him.  He had not told him his name.  None of his business.  As far as Marshall Purcell knew, no one on this mountain knew his name.  That was good.  None of their business.
He reached over and traced the curve of Meg’s cheek.  He touched her eyelashes and smiled.  Holy Shit!  He looked up just in time to see the ditch racing toward him and jerked the wheel to the left.  The Jeep fishtailed  briefly and then steadied on the road.  Better tend to business.  Ah, crap.  There was a foot sticking over the back seat now!  Well that would have to wait.  He would be home in 3 minutes and the road dead ended at his house and there was no one behind him.  He focused on the road and soon arrived at his cabin.  He placed the cloth near Meg’s nose briefly and then opened the door.  He went to the back and opened the hatch.  He did not like to touch the man because he was now getting stiff and repulsive.  He hurried to the wood piled on the side of the house and carried back several logs and dropped them on the ground behind the Jeep.  He folded the detective back into a position and began piling wood on him.  As soon as Meg was settled he would go dispose of the body. 
He closed the back of the Jeep and opened the passenger door.  He picked Meg up lightly and walked the few steps to the cabin door.  He inserted his key with his left hand as he balanced her on his left knee.  No, no, he did not want to drop this precious bundle at this stage of the game.  He stepped over the threshold and kicked the door shut behind him.  He crossed swiftly to the bedroom and  in seconds he had placed her on the bed.  She was still very quiet so he returned and threw the dead bolt on the front door to the locked position.  He knew he had lots to do, but he lingered near the bed.  He dropped to his knees and laid his hand gently on Meg’s shoulder.  He closed his eyes and ran his hand down the full length of her lithe body.  He brought his hand back up her leg and caressed her knee.  Then up her thigh to her hip.  He lingered there as he envisioned the union they would have later, when his work was done.  He encircled her waist  and then slowly moved up to cup her breast.  Oh, it was everything he had dreamed of for the last years! 
Damn that cop!  He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he reluctantly moved his hand from her breast to the bedside table.  He extracted the syringe and uncapped the needle.  He found the vein in arm and inserted the needle and released the Adavan into her blood stream.  He extracted the needle and threw the apparatus into the trash can.
He crossed to the root cellar and opened the door.  Inside was a tiny cot covered with blankets.  He returned and picked Meg up gently and carried her inside and placed her on the cot.  “Oh, my darling, I am so sorry, but I have to go out for a while.  You lay here and rest and when I come back we will make mad passionate love all the rest of the day.  I know you want me as much as I want you, but soon we will be one.  We will be together forever in our own little Utopia.  You and I, together, forever!” 

It was cool so he placed a blanket over her, kissed her once more on the cheek and closed and locked the door.  He put his hand against the door to be sure it held.
He stopped suddenly realizing the job he had ahead of him.  It was  such an inconvenience to have to dispose of that bastard, but he couldn’t just haul him around the rest of his life.  He picked up the flashlight from the buffet by the front door, exited and locked the door behind himself.  As the Jeep roared to life he quickly disengaged the clutch and pulled out of the yard and headed back down the mountain.  Past Fred’s and then past Meg’s little farm with the dogs barking in the back yard.  Thirty minutes to the cavern, 30 minutes to drag the cop up the hill and then 30 minutes back home.  It was an eternity, but he did not want to get stopped and Meg would sleep for 3 ½ to 4 hours.  Sleep,  my darling, sleep!

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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 some one 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.  Some body 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 in 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 threw 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, the 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 Paker.  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 arose before her.

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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 Paker 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 Paker.  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.

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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 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 there.

He had 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.

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Installment #31 Meg

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 to 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 5 or 6 hours.  You want to hang out here or go kill time some where?  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 answer leave them, mark them as new, and then come back 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.”

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