Heaven Preserve Us (20 page)

No kidding.

"So what did he end up doing? Volunteer-wise, I mean," I
asked.

"Um ... now that you mention it, I'm not really sure. He was
here a lot for a few weeks, and then showed up less and less frequently. He spent a bunch of time with Philip, I know that."

Curious. Especially, since I thought Jude knew everything that
went on at Heaven House.

I EYED THE JAR of asparagus pickles that sat smack dab in the
middle of Maryjake's desk. I'd forgotten to give them to her before
she left. I hadn't had time to put together a snack before we
had to leave to come over to the HH, and now I was feeling a little
peckish.

No. I could wait until we got home. Otherwise, I'd just have to
bring Maryjake another jar.

I repacked my book, of which I'd read a grand total of four
pages, with Erin's things and began bundling her into her winter
garb in order to venture back out into the brisk evening. The temperature had dropped, and there was a bite in the air that reminded me a bit of my childhood in Colorado. We might see some
snow flurries before morning. Though it snowed only a few times
a year in western Washington, when it did everybody went nuts.
Schools closed, people avoided going to work, traffic was impossibly snarled, trees fell, and frequent power outages brought out
the generators and firewood.

This wouldn't be one of those storms, or at least I didn't guess
so. We'd have heard about it on the television and radio for days,
as weather was big news in the Northwest. After all, we had to
know when to stock up on water and batteries and otherwise panic
unnecessarily, and the good folks on the local news were more
than happy to keep us informed of any possibility of danger.

Boy, was I ever in a bad mood, thinking mean thoughts about
anchor people who were probably nice as pie. It didn't help that I
was a very tired camper after all my late nights.

Erin snugged her hat down over her ears. Jude had agreed, at
my request, to stick around and walk us out to the Toyota after my
Helpline shift was over. I wasn't sure if he'd be any great deterrent
for a stalker-or a killer-but I figured it'd make Meghan happy.

The phone rang.

"I've got it," I called. "Heaven House Helpline."
"

"Hi, Sophie Mae. Are you getting ready to go home now?"

"Allen"

I like it that you call me that."

"What else am I supposed to call you? You wouldn't tell me
your real name."

"But you're the only one who calls me that. It's like a thing between us."

Sudden fear stabbed through me. "Stop it. There is no thing
between us. Leave me alone."

"But I like you."

"Please. Leave me alone," I whispered.

"Oh. Gosh. You're really scared, huh. Don't be scared. I'm not
trying to scare you."

"Then go away and don't call me anymore."

Erin watched me with round eyes. She scratched her nose with
one mittened hand and waited. I could hear Allen's breathing
through the phone line.

"But-" he said.

"Please" I hung up.

Had I made things worse? I might have sent someone with suicidal tendencies over the edge. But I didn't care, not anymore.
There was only so much I could handle.

Jude looked at me kind of funny, but didn't comment at the
grip I had on his arm as we went out to my truck.

"Will you watch me drive away, see if anyone follows? Look for
their license plate number?" I asked.

His eyebrows knit together. "What's going on?"

I glanced down at Erin, who said, "Tell him."

"I seem to have picked up a stalker. He called right before we
left. He knows where I am and that my shift is over."

Jude opened my truck door and boosted Erin in. "Get in and
lock the doors. I'll stay behind you all the way home, see if anyone
follows."

Relief eased the muscles in my neck. I slid into the driver's seat.
"Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better."

"No problem. Just wait until you see my headlights come on
before you go. It's that little Civic over there." He pointed.

"Okay. Hey, what about the Helpline?"

He patted his pocket. "Already forwarded to my cell phone.
And I keep the referral numbers with me all the time. It'll be
fine."

"You okay, Bug?" I asked as we waited for Jude's headlights to
flare. I regretted talking Meghan into letting her come with me. She'd been right: Erin would have been better off staying with
Tootie.

Beside me, she nodded.

"Not scared?"

She shook her head, but I could see her jaw was clenched. "I
thought you said this guy wasn't scary."

"I'm just being careful."

"Right" That one word overflowed with a combination of fear
and anger.

The ride home was uneventful. The only headlights I saw behind me were Jude's, and he hung way back, giving anyone else
who might want to follow me a chance. Allen either wasn't waiting on my route home, or else had seen Jude was following me
and decided not to play. Either way, Erin and I hustled from my
truck into the house. I waved to Jude to let him know we were
fine, then shut and locked the door behind me.

The house had an empty feel. Meghan and Kelly were still out.

"Want a snack?" I asked Erin.

"No," she said, hanging her coat on the hall tree. "I'm going to
bed."

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Whatever. Goodnight."

For the first time, I got really good and angry at Just-Call-MeAllen.

Mandy Koller had left a message on my voicemail. A client had
canceled, and she had an appointment available at 9:40 the next morning. I called back, reached her voicemail, and left her a message saying I'd be there.

Ah, the electronic age.

I sat on the sofa and tried to read my book but couldn't concentrate worth a darn. Meghan wasn't exactly late, since she hadn't
told me when she'd be home. I'd decided to go downstairs and use
some of my nervous energy to get some work done when she and
Kelly walked in.

"You guys have a good time?" I asked.

They looked at each other, all starry-eyed. This time it didn't
strike me as all that cute.

"We had a great time," Kelly said. "We're going for a picnic with
Erin tomorrow."

"Um, in case you hadn't noticed, it's winter. And raining. And
possibly going to snow."

"I've reserved a yurt up in the mountains. The Forest Service
lets you use them. It's covered, and there's a woodstove. Even if it's
pouring down rain, we'll be snug as a bug. Or as three bugs."

Good Lord. A yurt? Ack.

But more importantly, Meghan and Erin off for a secluded picnic with someone who could very well be a wacko? No way.

Meghan smiled.

I tried not to scowl. "Sounds grand."

Then I made sure to infringe on their romantic goodnights like
a nosy mother, until finally Kelly gave Meghan a big smacker of a
kiss and opened the front door.

"See you later, Kelly," I called.

"See you," he said, and left.

Meghan turned on me with a glare. "What was that all about?"

"Don't go on that picnic tomorrow. Please."

Her head jerked back a fraction in surprise. "Why not?"

"I don't trust him."

"I don't get it. You don't even know him."

"Do you?"

"Know him? More than you do, that's for darn sure, and I plan
on learning a lot more."

It didn't matter. Serial killers were known by their neighborsand their wives, for that matter-as nice guys. This tack wasn't
going to work.

Taking a deep breath, I said, "I saw him outside Heaven House
last night."

She looked at me like I was nuts.

"Late. Like, one a.m. He was on the street, hiding behind a
truck and watching me in the window."

"The window. Of Heaven House."

"Uh, yeah. Upstairs." I held up my hand to stop her before she
got started. "I was there to check out the threats Philip told me
he'd received. I had to find out more, I just had to. You understand
that, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "How did you get in?"

"I kind of borrowed your key," I said in a small voice.

"You stole my key to break into Heaven House and snoop
through, what, Philip's office? And while you were there saw Kelly,
or at least think you saw Kelly, on the street? It might not have
even been him, right? But if it was, he lives very close to there. Did
I mention that? Maybe he couldn't sleep. Maybe he was taking a
walk. One of the reasons he moved here in the first place was so he could walk around at night without worrying about getting
mugged."

I chose not to mention the Cadyville Creep right then.

She continued. "Because of that you don't want-what is it exactly that you don't want? For me to see him anymore? Is that it?
Are you jealous? That I've finally met someone I get along with as
well as you get along with Barr?"

"Of course not! Meghan, I-"

"You know what? I don't want to hear it. I'm going on that picnic with Kelly tomorrow, and Erin is coming with us. End of
story."

She turned and stormed upstairs. Meghan had been mad at me
before, but never like this. I'd only been trying to protect her, get
her to slow down a little until we could find out more about this
O'Connell character, but instead I ended up with a sick tremor in
my stomach and no hope of going to sleep anytime soon.

I worked until almost four a.m. before finally tumbling into bed
and sleeping like the dead. When I stumbled down to the kitchen
at eight, showered and dressed but feeling more than a little gritty
and light-headed, Meghan stood staring out the window at the wet
yard, coffee cup in hand. It hadn't snowed after all.

I hesitated. "Where's Erin?"

"Out watching them string wire on the chicken coop."

The Chase brothers had apparently begun work already. No
doubt they'd be done by the end of the day-unless, of course,
they had to leave for one of Jude's many projects at HH.

"When do you go pick up Barr?" Meghan asked. Her tone was
strained, but she was obviously trying to act like things were back
to normal between us.

I was game. "Noon"

"Before we go, I'll make sure Erin's room is cleared out enough
for you to move him right in."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem."

I poured a cup of coffee, and we sipped in silence for a few
minutes.

"Did you get any sleep?" Meghan asked.

"Some"

"Here. At least eat this."

"Oh, Meghan, I don't need-"

"Eat it."

I took the proffered slab of banana bread, slathered with cream
cheese. "Thanks. Um, Meghan?"

She put her coffee cup in the sink. "Yeah?"

"Just be careful, okay?"

A pause, then she looked at me and nodded. "I know you have
my best interests at heart. I just wish you knew Kelly. He's one of
the good ones."

"But, still."