The Stares of Strangers (8 page)

Chapter 14

I sat in my car in the Starbucks parking lot, wondering what to do next. I decided to look up Amy Henderson to see if she'd talk to me about Brandon.

There were three Amy Henderson's listed in the directory. I tried all three numbers and got lucky on the second try.

“
Am I speaking to the Amy who filed a restraining order against a Brandon Whitman?”

“
Uh, yes, that's me” she said, hesitantly. “What's this about?”

“
My name is Sarah Woods. My client is a young woman like you,” I said, “who might be having some trouble with Brandon. Would you be willing to meet with me and talk?”

“
Um, well, I’m at work. What do you want to know?”

“
Why did you file the restraining order in the first place? Did Brandon hurt you? Threaten you?”

She lowered her voice. “I can't really talk about this now. I go on my lunch break in an hour if you want to meet me.”

“
Yes, just tell me where to go and I'll be there.”

“
The Creperie, you know it?”

I wrote it down in my notebook. “Yes, I've been there before.”

“
Just ask someone at the counter to come find me. I work in the kitchen.”

* * *

The Creperie is a small establishment, cozy and warm, but big on charm. There were only four small tables, three booths, and a bar with four stools that overlooked the kitchen area. The walls were painted in a bright lemon color, the wooden tables and chairs painted lime green and turquoise. I liked the effect: fruity Caribbean meets quaint European - and it smelled good. Butter, sugar and yeast mingled with coffee.

Two of the tables were occupied, but the place was relatively quiet. I approached the counter and asked for Amy.

A few moments later, I couldn't believe my eyes when the young Asian American girl appeared at my side. So petite, she probably weighed less than a hundred pounds. It became apparent that Brandon had a thing for Asian girls.

“
Amy?” I held out my hand. “Sarah Woods. So nice to meet you.”

Her hand was tiny and delicate, and I thought I might crush her with the slightest pressure.

She gestured to a private area against the wall. “Let's sit.”

“
Perfect,” I said. “I really appreciate you taking the time. Can I buy you something to eat?”

She smiled, placing a hand on her belly. “I'm not that hungry right now, but thanks.”

Once we were seated, she folded her hands in her lap and stared at me with wide eyes. “So, what's going on with Brandon?”

“
I'd like to know if he's a dangerous person. I think he's the one who's stalking my client. Whatever information you can give me about him would help tremendously.”

Amy swallowed hard. “Brandon is very insecure, which is why he tries to act so tough. He's probably harmless, though.”

“
Then why did you file the temporary restraining order a few years ago?”

She seemed embarrassed to talk about it. “We dated a few times. Honestly, he wasn't my cup of tea. When I tried to break things off with him, he became confrontational. Wouldn't take no for an answer. He'd call and text several times an hour. He'd drive by my house or work. If I went to the grocery store, he'd just happen to be there. I didn't know how to deal with it so my girlfriend convinced me to file the restraining order, to get him off my back.”

“
Did it work?” I asked.

“
Yes. He left me alone after that. Haven't heard from him since.”

I had to admit, Brandon had not attempted to contact Penny in months, so why would he be taunting her now? It didn't seem to fit his modus operandi. “If you don't mind my asking, how did you and Brandon first meet?”

 “
My girlfriends had taken me out to a club for my twenty-first birthday. Brandon bought all of us drinks for the entire night. He seemed sweet and generous but, after a few dates, he became so possessive it started to get weird.”

I nodded. “I know this will sound bizarre, but did Brandon ever steal articles of clothing from you? Intimate articles like bras or underwear?”

She made a face. “No, I don't think so.”

“
Did he seem particularly fascinated with your undergarments, or lingerie? Did he ever insist on taking pictures of you in them?”

She shook her head. “No. Why?”

I leaned back in my chair with a sigh. “Well, that's what happened to my client. Someone stole her intimates and I was hoping Brandon was our guy but, now, it doesn't make sense. Unless he's become bolder with his fetishes.”

Amy mashed her lips together, seemingly lost for words, and shrugged.

“
Anyway,” I said. “I'll let you get back to work. You're a sweetheart to talk to me about this, really. You've helped shed some light on the situation.”

“
No problem. Hope everything works out.”

Chapter 15

After my talk with Amy, I headed straight to Carter's house to tell him about the latest developments. He gave me a long hug when I walked in.

“
Have you been sleeping all day?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair. “You have major bed head.”

“
Yeah, just got up a few minutes ago. My inner clock is all messed up.”

I padded to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. “Well, I've had a busy morning. I had an interesting chat with Brandon Whitman, the boy Penny had a fling with. Come to find out, his ex-girlfriend had filed a temporary restraining order against him a few years ago.”

Carter perked up. “Sounds like he might be our guy.”

“
That's what I thought, too. I went to his house and followed him to Starbucks, where I made an attempt to have a civil conversation with him. He got all defensive, basically threatened to sue me for harassment.”

“
Nice job getting under his skin.”

“
Yeah, well, he told me his father is a lawyer, as if that's supposed to scare me.”

“
What's your impression of him?”

“
He's not a looker but it's obvious his family has money. He's a smart ass, too.”

“
But ...”

“
But, according to Penny, he hasn't tried getting in touch with her. Why, after two months, would he suddenly decide to mess with her?”

Carter didn't have an answer to that. “Have you spoken to Penny about this?”

“
Not yet. But she’s gonna be home by three.” I checked my watch. “One of us should be there when she does.”

“
Let's go together.” Carter stood up and headed to the bathroom. “I'll take a quick shower, grab my stuff and be ready in ten.”

* * *

Luckily, we showed up at Penny's house just minutes before she arrived. Carter helped her with the grocery bags as we went inside, then excused himself to go check the perimeter of the house and exchange the batteries in the surveillance cameras.

As Penny began putting away the groceries, I proceeded to tell her about my encounter with Brandon.

“
You actually tracked him down?” she said, excitedly. “That was fast. What did he have to say?”

I kept it short and sweet. “Basically, I warned him to stay away from you.”

“
So you really think it's him?”

I shrugged. “He fits the profile: a history of stalking other women, feels entitled because he comes from money, and ...”

 “…
and he's into Asian chicks.” Penny blurted out. “Is that what you were gonna say?”

I paused. “Yes.”

Penny chuckled. “You'd be amazed at how many guys fantasize about Asians. There are dozens of websites dedicated to it.”

Her cavalier attitude struck me as odd. I was starting to get the feeling that this whole stalker business didn't bother her in the least. Not once had she mentioned feeling afraid, violated or confused about what was happening to her. In fact, she really seemed to be enjoying the attention people were giving to her.

I decided I would try a little experiment.

“
So Penny, here's what I think.” I watched her expression closely. “There's really no need for Carter and me to watch the house anymore after tonight. We can keep the hidden cameras in place for a bit longer but, our full-time involvement is costing your parents a lot of money.”

Penny stared at me, her dark eyes disbelieving. “But you said I was in danger. What if my stalker decides to get violent?”

The way she said
my stalker
sent a chill up my spine. It was as if she took ownership of the idea like it was something to be proud of. “If you're really concerned for your safety, Penny, then maybe you should move into a nice hotel for a while. One that has security guards in the lobby. I'm sure your parents will be happy to pay for it.”

If Penny was insulted by my subtle sarcasm, she didn't let on. “I know they would, but that's not the point. I like to stay here with Jess and Caleb.”

I decided to let the discussion drop when Carter entered the kitchen. “Everything looks good around here, guys,” he said, giving me a nod that we could go.

With my eyes, I let Carter know that I needed just a few more minutes alone with Penny. He got the hint and retreated into the living room.

I turned back to Penny. She was slicing up carrots and humming a tune to herself like she hadn't a care in the world. “So, what are your plans this evening?” I asked. “You staying in?”

“
Yep. I'm making chicken stew for Jess and Caleb tonight. It's their favorite.”

“
That's nice,” I said, “So I take it things are going well? You still don't get any vibes that Jessica knows about you and Caleb?”

When Penny stopped chopping and pursed her lips, I knew I'd hit a sensitive nerve. “Jess doesn't know anything, trust me.”

“
Okay. Just making sure. So, Carter and I will be back later to resume the stakeout. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on the surveillance. When will your housemates be home?”

“
They should be here in half an hour. You don't have to wait around, I'll be fine.”

 “
Okay, just remember, don't answer the door for strangers. Play it safe.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know, I know.”

“
And Penny, just be aware of your surroundings. If something doesn't seem right, give us a call immediately. But if you feel you are in imminent danger, call 911.”

She waved a hand, as if I needn't bother with the lecture. “Got it.”

Chapter 16

Later that night, Carter and I resumed the stakeout. I made an effort this time to stay up as long as I could.

Everything seemed quiet until around midnight when Carter's voice broke the silence.

“
Sarah, looks like we got something.”

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “What is it?”

Carter pointed to the laptop screen. “The surveillance camera in the rear door. It's hard to see without any light, but there's someone in her backyard right now.”

I couldn't see anything. “Are you sure?”

“
Yes, I'm sure.” Carter threw on his jacket and grabbed the flashlight and his gun. “Wait here and keep a visual on the street.”

Before I had a chance to say anything, Carter slipped out the door. My heart raced as I ran to the window to peer outside, just in time to see Carter dash across the street, through the driveway and into Penny's backyard. I kept my eyes peeled for any motion in the area, but all seemed still.

My first thought was, maybe Carter had seen something on the surveillance that wasn't there. The mind plays tricks on you when you're tired. Heck, it could've been a tree branch falling, or a wild animal like a deer or even a moose.

I kept my eyes glued to the street, even though I wanted to turn around and watch the surveillance, to see if Carter had caught anyone. But a few seconds later, I saw him come around the house and head back.

“
Well?” I asked, when he finally returned to the bedroom. “Just a false alarm?”

“
No. Somebody was back there. I noticed tracks in the snow that lead directly to the back door of the neighbor's house on the left.”

“
That's Karen's house. She has a dog and maybe he wandered into Penny's back yard.”

Carter shook his head. “These tracks were not from a dog, or any other kind of animal, Sarah. I took a few pictures of them, see here?”

He showed me the image from his cell phone. The tracks were definitely made from a human. One image showed Carter's boot right next to it, as a size comparison. “What would you estimate this person's shoe size to be?”

“
I'm an eleven,” Carter said. “So this person must be around a 9. But if he or she was wearing snow boots, then the actual shoe size could be smaller. It's really hard to determine. Remind me again who lives in that house.”

“
Her name is Karen and she's a single mother with a thirteen year old son.”

Carter removed his jacket and placed the gun on the table. He went to the laptop and rewound the surveillance footage. Unfortunately, the camera angle was such that anything outside of ten feet became blurry. We could detect movement in the background, but it was impossible to determine any features of the individual in black.

Carter ran a hand through his hair and looked out the window again. “Whoever it was must have heard me running across the street giving that person just enough time to get back into the house unseen. I'm telling you, however, the tracks lead right to the back door.”

I dropped into a chair and exhaled. “Okay, so what do you think?”

Carter sat down next to me and rubbed his hands together. “Tell me about the kid who lives there. Did you meet him?”

“
No, I just spoke to his mother but I saw pictures of the boy all over the place. He's a good looking kid and, apparently, a star basketball player according to all the trophies around. She's obviously a proud mom.”

“
What about the father? Is he out of the picture?”

“
I guess. She never mentioned him and I didn't see any kind of father figure in any of the photos.”

“
Thirteen, huh?” Carter rubbed his chin as if the number meant something to him. “Puberty is an interesting time for boys. The testosterone messes with your brain. I can picture it; he's out in the backyard playing with his dog. He sees his beautiful neighbor through her bedroom window, walking around in her underwear. He can't tear his eyes away and it's the beginning of his infatuation. The infatuation turns into obsession. Pretty soon, he can't control himself, he keeps needing more to feed his fantasy. Eventually, he resorts to stealing her underwear, because it's one step closer to actually being with her. Not to be gross, but the kid probably masturbates with them as often as he can get away with.”

The thought of it gave me chills, but I had to agree with Carter. “Okay, stealing the underwear sort of makes sense, but then why would he deliver those photographs of Penny? What purpose does that serve in his fantasy?”

“
Maybe he wants her to know that he's watching.”

“
Penny told me she's never even talked to the kid. She says he's shy and won't even look at her when they cross paths.”

“
Well, that just proves my point. He obviously feels awkward around her, because he's hiding a secret but, eventually, if the obsession keeps growing, it has to surface in some way, shape or form.”

 “
The big question is, though, will his obsession turn violent?”

Carter tapped his finger on the window, toward the neighbor's house. “It's only a matter of time until he steps it up. The kid needs an intervention. Just like an addiction to drugs or alcohol, this deviant behavior needs to be dealt with.”

“
I'll talk to the kid's mother in the morning. Maybe she'd be willing to go into his bedroom and look for Penny's underwear. Although, I have a feeling she won't be inclined to cooperate. Parents never want to believe their own kid is capable of doing something bad.”

“
Then you'll just have to remind her that the police are involved,” Carter said. “I'm sure the last thing she wants is a bunch of cops rifling through her house.”

“
So, what in the world was this kid planning to do in Penny's backyard, in the middle of the night, in single digit temperatures?”

“
Like I said; obsession over comfort. He was probably hoping to catch a glimpse of Penny through her window. To get his fix.”

I moaned. “But he's so young. I mean, thirteen is practically a baby.”

“
His hormones beg to differ,” Carter said.

“
Look, let's not jump to conclusions. Let me talk to the mother before we say anything to Penny or Officer Bouchard. I don't want to put this kid through any unnecessary turmoil if we're totally wrong about this.”

“
Fair enough.” Carter yawned and checked his watch. “It's only half past midnight. Still have six hours to go. I don't think the kid will venture out again. I have a feeling I might have spooked him.”