“Yes, he is.” She asked Cannon, “Have you read any of it?”
He took Yvette’s hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Not much.”
“I’m sure it’s not the sort of thing any lady wants passed around. Suffice it to say he’s plenty twisted and a definite problem. So here’s what I want you to do.” The lieutenant got a paper and pen from the drawer and made a list. “First, keep your distance from him. You, too, Cannon. Avoid him if you can.”
Cannon scowled over that, but Yvette gave him an “I told you so” look.
“You’ll need a restraining order. That’ll be top of the list on Monday. Unfortunately, it’s not valid until he’s been served with it. If he’s still at the hotel, we’ll get it to him. But in the meantime, if you’re out alone and he approaches you and won’t go away, call someone immediately. Even 911, okay?”
Now she felt alarmed. “You really think it’s that bad?”
“I’ve seen plenty of sick bastards, so why take chances? Second, keep all of the messages he’s sent you. Print them out and bring me a copy. Have your friend print off whatever he’s posting on his wall. Make sure everything is dated.”
With every word she said, Cannon’s mood darkened more.
“I know you’ve been blunt, and that’s good. But no more playing nice at all. Don’t tell him it’s not a good idea to be friends. Tell him you will never again be his friend and you don’t want him contacting you for any reason.”
Knowing that would only cause him to be more caustic, which would definitely cause a scene, Yvette dreaded it—but she agreed. She wasn’t a dummy. The lieutenant knew what she was talking about. She had experience with creeps. Whatever she told Yvette to do, she’d do.
“I know being mean doesn’t come naturally to most of us. But you don’t want him to misunderstand. He can’t think that he might be able to convince you, or that if Cannon was out of the picture you’d be more inclined to hook back up.”
Out of the picture? Fear slammed into her. “You don’t think he’d—”
Gently, Margaret said, “I don’t know what he might do, and neither do you. Given what I’ve read, he’s clearly not right in the head. No sane man says those things about a woman he claims to love.”
Cannon pushed away from the table and went to lean on the sink. She rarely saw him angry, but now his entire body emanated menace.
A big breath didn’t ease the gripping uneasiness, but Yvette nodded. “Okay. Yes, of course.”
“Keep your cell phone on you at all times. Make sure your house is secure.”
“We already did that,” Cannon said.
Margaret twisted to look up at him. “We?”
“I’m living with her.”
Yvette felt her face go hot, but Margaret merely nodded. “Good. You might want to think about getting a dog, too. Something with a big bark.” She continued listing her instructions. “When you start working at the shop, avoid any set schedule. Don’t leave the house at the same time every day or close up the shop when you’re there alone.”
Gradually anger overtook every other emotion. How dare Heath do this to her?
“My last suggestion,” Margaret said, taking her hand, “is to let me go talk with him. We know where he’s at, but we don’t know how long he’ll be here. What if he stays a week, a month or longer? It never hurts for a stalker to know that the cops are watching.”
Cannon turned, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed, silently asking her forgiveness.
Yvette read the emotion there, but she didn’t understand it.
Until he said to Margaret, “She’s concerned about drawing attention again.”
Yvette sat a little straighter. “It’s fine,” she stressed, hoping Cannon would let it go.
He didn’t.
“Last time she was here she was in the thick of a macabre investigation with reporters all wanting her story.” He walked back over to her, his hand on her shoulder. “Her face was on the news every hour, so you can understand why she’d rather avoid the hype.”
“What those men did,” Margaret said, “rocked our entire community. With the investigation and the trial, it was headline news for a very long time.”
“People will never forget,” Yvette agreed.
“But the real story, the only one that matters, is that we all survived. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, that’s what you should remember.”
“I understand.” She really did. And she was grateful. More than anyone could know. “It’s just... I detested being the center of gossip and speculation.”
“Anyone would. But I promise, I can be discreet. As long as he doesn’t go off the rails, no one will need to know that I went to see him.”
“Thank you.”
Margaret gave her hand one last squeeze. “I’ll take care of it first thing tomorrow.”
When the lieutenant stood, so did Yvette.
Cannon tucked her into his side.
Margaret took in his familiar hold and smiled. “You know, as long as you’re here, I’ve been thinking about something else.”
Given the tentative way she said that, Cannon lifted a brow. “What’s on your mind, Lieutenant?”
“You do so much at the rec center already that I hesitate to bring it up.”
He took Yvette’s hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Not much.”
“I’m sure it’s not the sort of thing any lady wants passed around. Suffice it to say he’s plenty twisted and a definite problem. So here’s what I want you to do.” The lieutenant got a paper and pen from the drawer and made a list. “First, keep your distance from him. You, too, Cannon. Avoid him if you can.”
Cannon scowled over that, but Yvette gave him an “I told you so” look.
“You’ll need a restraining order. That’ll be top of the list on Monday. Unfortunately, it’s not valid until he’s been served with it. If he’s still at the hotel, we’ll get it to him. But in the meantime, if you’re out alone and he approaches you and won’t go away, call someone immediately. Even 911, okay?”
Now she felt alarmed. “You really think it’s that bad?”
“I’ve seen plenty of sick bastards, so why take chances? Second, keep all of the messages he’s sent you. Print them out and bring me a copy. Have your friend print off whatever he’s posting on his wall. Make sure everything is dated.”
With every word she said, Cannon’s mood darkened more.
“I know you’ve been blunt, and that’s good. But no more playing nice at all. Don’t tell him it’s not a good idea to be friends. Tell him you will never again be his friend and you don’t want him contacting you for any reason.”
Knowing that would only cause him to be more caustic, which would definitely cause a scene, Yvette dreaded it—but she agreed. She wasn’t a dummy. The lieutenant knew what she was talking about. She had experience with creeps. Whatever she told Yvette to do, she’d do.
“I know being mean doesn’t come naturally to most of us. But you don’t want him to misunderstand. He can’t think that he might be able to convince you, or that if Cannon was out of the picture you’d be more inclined to hook back up.”
Out of the picture? Fear slammed into her. “You don’t think he’d—”
Gently, Margaret said, “I don’t know what he might do, and neither do you. Given what I’ve read, he’s clearly not right in the head. No sane man says those things about a woman he claims to love.”
Cannon pushed away from the table and went to lean on the sink. She rarely saw him angry, but now his entire body emanated menace.
A big breath didn’t ease the gripping uneasiness, but Yvette nodded. “Okay. Yes, of course.”
“Keep your cell phone on you at all times. Make sure your house is secure.”
“We already did that,” Cannon said.
Margaret twisted to look up at him. “We?”
“I’m living with her.”
Yvette felt her face go hot, but Margaret merely nodded. “Good. You might want to think about getting a dog, too. Something with a big bark.” She continued listing her instructions. “When you start working at the shop, avoid any set schedule. Don’t leave the house at the same time every day or close up the shop when you’re there alone.”
Gradually anger overtook every other emotion. How dare Heath do this to her?
“My last suggestion,” Margaret said, taking her hand, “is to let me go talk with him. We know where he’s at, but we don’t know how long he’ll be here. What if he stays a week, a month or longer? It never hurts for a stalker to know that the cops are watching.”
Cannon turned, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed, silently asking her forgiveness.
Yvette read the emotion there, but she didn’t understand it.
Until he said to Margaret, “She’s concerned about drawing attention again.”
Yvette sat a little straighter. “It’s fine,” she stressed, hoping Cannon would let it go.
He didn’t.
“Last time she was here she was in the thick of a macabre investigation with reporters all wanting her story.” He walked back over to her, his hand on her shoulder. “Her face was on the news every hour, so you can understand why she’d rather avoid the hype.”
“What those men did,” Margaret said, “rocked our entire community. With the investigation and the trial, it was headline news for a very long time.”
“People will never forget,” Yvette agreed.
“But the real story, the only one that matters, is that we all survived. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, that’s what you should remember.”
“I understand.” She really did. And she was grateful. More than anyone could know. “It’s just... I detested being the center of gossip and speculation.”
“Anyone would. But I promise, I can be discreet. As long as he doesn’t go off the rails, no one will need to know that I went to see him.”
“Thank you.”
Margaret gave her hand one last squeeze. “I’ll take care of it first thing tomorrow.”
When the lieutenant stood, so did Yvette.
Cannon tucked her into his side.
Margaret took in his familiar hold and smiled. “You know, as long as you’re here, I’ve been thinking about something else.”
Given the tentative way she said that, Cannon lifted a brow. “What’s on your mind, Lieutenant?”
“You do so much at the rec center already that I hesitate to bring it up.”
