Authors: Simon Wood
A
cab with Gwen and Kirsten inside pulled
up in front of the house. Paul waved at them from the front yard. He’d stayed the night at the house. Gwen had wanted him to come to the hotel, but he hadn’t wanted to leave. She understood his need to protect their home. She was seeing her home with new eyes. The house looked no different from yesterday, unmarked, but it had changed. Normally, her home was a safe haven. If a storm came, it supplied shelter. If she needed love, two people there gave it. If she needed privacy, its walls provided it. Until yesterday, her home had provided protection.
She hugged and kissed Paul. He looked beaten from yet another blow dealt by life’s complications. She wanted to tell him it was OK, but she didn’t know if that was possible. He picked up Kirsten, and she followed them in.
Paul had cleaned up, and everything was pretty much back in its place. What couldn’t be saved sat out on the patio in bulging trash bags. Gwen went from room to room. Although few things had been lost, the place seemed cold without them. It would take more than their replacement for the warmth to return.
Kirsten’s weeping drew her from her thoughts. Her daughter was in her bedroom straining to tear open a trash bag. The bag suddenly split, spilling its contents of trash, a lamp broken to pieces, and damaged toys onto the
floor. Kirsten picked up the head of her favorite teddy bear and tried to reunite it with its body. When it became obvious it wasn’t going to happen, she burst into tears. Gwen dropped to her knees next to her daughter.
“I want Bo-Bo,” Kirsten said.
To tell Kirsten the bear was of no consequence and easily replaced would be a harsh betrayal. Gwen took the two halves of the bear. “I can try to repair him, but I can’t make him as good as new.”
“But you can fix him?
“Yes.”
The promise ended the tears.
They needed a change of scene. The three of them hit the stores to replace what needed replacing. They took a side trip to Toys “R” Us. As Kirsten ran through the store, Gwen had a chance to talk to Paul.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said last night, about going away until this has all blown over.”
“And?”
“I won’t be hounded out of my home as well as my job.”
Gwen braced herself for Paul’s objection, but instead he smiled. He took her hand. “Good. I don’t want you to.”
“Even after last night?”
“Even after last night. He won’t force us out of our home.”
Gwen pulled him to her and kissed him. “Thank you.”
“Thank me by taking the rest of the week off. We can have some family time.”
She shook her head. “I’m going into the office tomorrow. I want him to see he hasn’t frightened me.”
Gwen’s appearance at Pace the next morning drew a hail of questions from concerned coworkers. News had gotten back about the break-in, and it took thirty minutes of telling and retelling the story before she made it to her office.
One of her coworkers remarked that
things could only get better from now on. She wished that was true, but she knew nothing would improve until Tarbell had been dealt with. She resigned herself to the long day ahead. Ingram had been quite explicit. She wasn’t to engage Tarbell. That was fine while PSI had her back, but Ingram had also made it clear that his faith in her was slipping. She couldn’t rely on him to find out why Tarbell had vandalized her home. She had to do it herself.
Why trash her home? It wasn’t necessary. Neither was chasing her through the office. As far as Tarbell knew, she’d played ball. She’d removed the black mark on his performance evaluation and had kept quiet about the assault.
She sat at her computer and pretended to work while she waited for Tarbell to leave his cubicle. Whether he’d figured this out or not, he remained glued to his desk.
Gwen’s phone rang, and she answered it.
“Gwen, I heard about the break-in,” Deborah Langan said. “From Robert Ingram.”
Ingram’s name changed the emphasis of this call.
“Why are you here today?”
“Just doing my job.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Gwen, I realize how frustrating this must be for you, but I urge you to be patient. Don’t do anything rash that could ruin the investigation.”
The company seemed more interested in covering its butt than dealing with Tarbell.
Tarbell got up from his desk and walked past her office. He had to be dealt with now.
“I won’t,” Gwen said standing up. “Gotta go. Bye.”
She followed Tarbell to the technical library. She lagged way behind so as not to spook him. The second she was sure he was alone, she followed him inside and locked the door.
He stiffened at the snap of the lock. Most
people would have missed his fear unless they were watching for it. Gwen liked that he could be rattled like everyone else.
He turned around. “Gwen, did you need something?”
“Yeah, I need you to leave my family alone.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, I don’t understand. Leave your family alone?”
The pretense infuriated her. She stormed over to him, cornering him. He backed up, even though he stood almost a foot taller than her.
“Don’t play games with me. You pulled that stunt here the other night, cutting the lights and chasing me through the building, and you broke into my home last night.”
Tarbell shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“No one’s watching and no one’s listening, so you can drop the act.”
Suddenly, Tarbell changed. He shrugged off his facade and his feigned innocence gave way to the cruel expression she’d seen in the parking lot. It began in his eyes and spread through his entire body. His lanky frame seemed less awkward and more like that of a lean predator. Gwen took an involuntary step backward.
“Are you sure no one’s listening?”
“It’s just us.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you. Over the weekend, I realized something. As much as I hold something over you, you hold something over me, but it’s all so ethereal. It’s nothing either of us can touch. It would make sense if you decided to get something more solid.” He paused and stared into her. She felt him trying to pick through her mind. “Are you wearing a wire, Gwen?”
“No.”
“Do you mind if I check?”
Before she could object, he spun her around and yanked her jacket up. Her blouse was translucent under the harsh light. It was clear she wasn’t wearing a wire or a recorder,
but Tarbell ran his hands down her back.
She jerked away. She’d never let Tarbell touch her again. Not like that. She whirled around and stuck an accusing finger in his face, but he slapped it out of the way.
“I have to protect myself, Gwen.” He felt inside the pockets of her jacket. “I can’t take the chance that this is all a setup.”
“I think you can see I’m not wearing a wire.”
He cast his gaze over her, slow and methodical. “No, I can’t. I can’t see under your skirt. Lift it up.”
At first, she thought he wanted to humiliate her again; push her down another level. But she didn’t detect an ounce of lasciviousness in him. He needed to see because he really did believe she was wearing a wire. She needed him to acknowledge what he’d done to her. Ingram might not believe Tarbell had anything to do with the attack other night or the break-in, but she did and she needed to hear Tarbell admit it. She lifted her skirt up.
Tarbell came forward, but she held out a hand.
“You can look, but you don’t touch me.”
He nodded.
Gwen watched Tarbell’s expression. The instant she saw any pleasure the skirt went down, but she saw none. All she saw was his need to protect himself from incrimination. He needed to make sure there was no wire that could record their conversation. She turned around for him so he could see everything.
He nodded his satisfaction, and she pulled her skirt down.
“What do you want, Gwen?”
“You got what you wanted from me, but you haven’t left me alone. I thought we had a deal.”
He moved in, pinning her into an alcove and positioning himself between her and the door. She tried to keep calm and show no fear, but her fast breathing betrayed her.
“Gwen, I need to make sure our deal remains intact. I can’t afford for you to do something stupid like go to HR or the cops.”
Does he know
? He couldn’t, but there was a telling edge in his
voice, as if he was taunting her. She wouldn’t be drawn in. If he knew something, let him say it.
“I’m not telling anyone about what you did.”
“Sure, you can say that and I could go on faith that you’ll do the right thing, but it’s not good enough. Words are cheap. Actions are expensive commodities. They come with consequences. This is something we’re both living with right now. I made a mistake, Gwen. I assaulted you. That action puts me in a dangerous position. You can turn me in at any time. That in itself is an act. If you sell me out, it changes my life irrevocably. Should you go down that route, I have no option but to retaliate. Escalation is such a nasty road to take. No one ever wins in that situation. So I protected myself against that possibility with a couple of preemptive strikes to remind you that should you decide to take action against me I can and will get to you first. I know where you live; I know what’s important to you, and I have the skills and determination to follow through. Make no mistake, Gwen. You do anything to harm me and I’ll destroy you and everyone and everything you hold dear. Is that clear?”
“Very clear, Stephen.”
Gwen was breathing hard, sweating, and her extremities were cold. It was only natural. She’d been cornered by a predator far stronger than her. But her fear was an empowering emotion. So many people mistook it for weakness, but she knew better. So did Desmond Parker. He’d mistaken her fear for weakness and it had cost him. He’d almost killed her, but he didn’t get his way. And neither would Tarbell.
“You haven’t talked, have you?”
He was taunting her again. Did he know about Ingram and his people? She wanted so much to ask him, but that would only play into his hands. Her question would be her admission of guilt, and that was what he was fishing for. It didn’t work that way. This wasn’t his interrogation. It was
hers. She’d come to get answers from him. She wasn’t about to give any up.
“Your secret is safe as long as you don’t come within a mile of my home or family.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.” He smiled and backed away, letting her open the door. “Just keep it that way, Gwen. I can’t be held responsible for my actions if you don’t.”
Amanda Norton almost missed it. Almost. She’d settled down quickly into her role at Pace Pharmaceuticals, getting a handle on the job and the people she was watching. It wasn’t the first time she’d been inserted into a workplace under the guise of a temp. Usually the work was nothing more than photocopying and filing. Pace was a little different. The work required her to use her head, and that forced her to take her eye off her real job.
She’d missed Tarbell leaving his desk but spotted Gwen Farris stalking him across the building.
Until now, her two targets had behaved themselves pretty well. Tarbell was the more relaxed of the two. That wasn’t to say she liked him. He gave off that creepy, too-clever-for-his-own-good vibe. Every office seemed to be issued one of these guys. Gwen was a harder proposition to read. The woman was wound tight. It wasn’t surprising under the circumstances. If Gwen’s move to follow Tarbell hadn’t been so stiff and obvious, Amanda would have missed it. She grabbed a couple of files off her desk and trailed behind her.
Office surveillance law 101: Don’t go anywhere without a piece of paper in your hand. Paper means you’re working. No one questions you.
Amanda kept her distance. She’d lost Tarbell, but she didn’t need to know where he’d gone. Gwen would lead her to him. Gwen’s pace outstripped Amanda’s, but that was OK as long as she kept her in sight.
Gwen reached the end of a corridor and turned
right. Amanda sped up. She turned right in time to see Gwen enter the library. Amanda hurried and caught the unmistakable snap of a door lock.
“Damn it,” she cursed under her breath.
She couldn’t see in or get in, but she did hear voices. They weren’t clear enough to make out a conversation but certainly clear enough to pick up the mood, which was bad. She caught the harsh sound of Gwen’s raised voice followed by Tarbell’s angry baritone. It lasted only a moment before the level dropped to a calm note that failed to penetrate the walls.
Ingram warned her that this investigation wasn’t as it seemed at first glance. The anchor pinning this one down had come away. No one liked drift in an investigation. It made it hard to control and direct. They were supposed to be investigating Tarbell. Now she was under instructions to watch the both of them. Little events like this one didn’t help get the job done, of course.
The windows wrapping around the library were opaque. She couldn’t see inside, and they couldn’t see out. She made the pretense of dropping her files, spilling the contents over the floor.
It was a risky move. It was paper but it made a noise hitting the ground. It was loud enough for Gwen and Tarbell to hear, but she was banking on them being too wrapped up in their own world to be listening for others. The move could also draw the attention of some helpful passerby, and their voices might coerce Gwen and Tarbell into a speedy exit.