to illuminate the area outside her bedroom window. She had barely picked at her lunch. And what about dinner? Kyle had offered to take her somewhere, but she remembered telling him she wasn’t hungry. No matter. Her stomach knotted when she thought of food.
Before she could move on to the next mindless task, Sarah’s cell phone rang. She pulled it from the pocket of her slacks, saw who was calling, and remembered that she should have called Connie back long before this. Sarah dropped onto the edge of the bed and answered the call. “Connie, I’m so sorry for not getting back to you before this.”
“I understand,” her friend said. “What did the police say when you told them about the phone calls and the prowler?”
“Detective Larson felt I should have reported them, but I think he understood I had too much on my mind at the time.”
“But did he think the person who set the fire was the same one who made the phone calls and was prowling around your house?”
“He didn’t use those exact words, but I’m pretty sure he feels they were all part of the same thing,” Sarah said.
“Have you been thinking about people who could be behind this?”
“I’ve tried, but I keep coming up with a blank. Harry and I didn’t have any enemies.”
The conversation went on for another fifteen minutes, and when it was over Sarah felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. She wanted to do what she’d done as a child, huddling under her covers hoping that whatever monster she feared at the moment would disappear. If only she could go to sleep and awaken with this all behind her.
Apparently she did go to sleep, because when she awakened she looked outside her bedroom windows and saw it was now full night. Sarah swung her feet off the bed and padded over to close the blinds, but she stopped when she looked through them. There was a dark sedan parked at the curb across the street from her house.
She could just barely discern the shape of a man behind the wheel. When the headlights of a passing car illuminated the interior of the vehicle for a moment, she saw him turn and look in her direction. She couldn’t discern his features at this distance. Nevertheless, Sarah wondered if she was finally seeing the person responsible for the trials she’d been experiencing. More than that, she wondered what would be next.
Chapter 4
4
Bill Larson slouched in his easy chair, the TV tuned to a show where the police were able to solve whatever crime they were given this week in an hour, minus sixteen minutes for commercial breaks. He wasn’t watching, having long ago discovered that there was very little relationship between television and real life when it came to police dramas. But he had also learned in the past few months that without the background noise and constantly changing images emanating from the set, his apartment was so cold and depressing it made the urge to drink almost too strong to resist.
He was in that special world halfway between dozing and wakefulness when the ring of his cell phone startled him into full consciousness. At first, he wasn’t sure if the sound came from the television, but another ring followed the first, even after he’d muted the program. He was glad for the interruption, and even more when he saw who was calling.
“Larson.”
“This is Sarah Gordon. I’m sorry to bother you this late, but . . . ”
“No bother. Is something wrong?”
“The car . . . the man . . . someone outside my house.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bother you with this. I guess this could have waited until morning.”
The detective turned off the TV set. “If your original impulse was to call, it’s probably something I should know. You said something about a car outside your house.”
“I looked out the window a moment ago and saw this car. It’s not unusual for a car to be parked at the curb there, but when the headlights of an approaching vehicle illuminated the interior I saw the man behind the wheel was looking toward me.” She took a deep breath, and the sound in the phone receiver was like a sigh. “And I wondered if it was the same man I told you about earlier today—the man I thought was outside my bedroom window . . . watching me.”
Larson scanned the area around his chair, wondering where he’d put his shoes. “Is he still there?”
“No, right after the headlights lit up the inside of his car, he drove away.”
“Could you identify him if you saw him again?” Larson asked.
“No, I didn’t really see his face that well. And before you ask, I didn’t get his license plate number. All I know is the car was a dark sedan.”
“Have you seen the police patrol cars I asked to drive by your house?”
“I haven’t watched for them,” she said. “Come to think of it, I wonder if it was the police car going by that lit up his vehicle. Do you think that’s why he left?”
“Most likely,” Larson said. He abandoned his search for shoes and leaned back in his chair. “He probably won’t come back tonight, but if he does, call the number I’m about to give you. I’ll alert whoever’s on duty. Just tell the dispatcher the man’s in front of your house. We can have a car with a couple of officers there inside of five minutes.”
He read off the phone number, and Sarah dutifully repeated it back as she wrote it down. “Was it okay that I called you?” she asked.
“You did exactly the right thing,” Larson said. “This could be a coincidence, but I’m willing to bet that man’s the one who’s behind these efforts at harassment. What we have to do now is find out his identity.”
“Do you want me to do anything more tonight?”
“Just get some rest. And call if there’s anything I can do.” After the call was ended, he murmured once more, “Anything.”
* * *
While she was talking with Detective Larson, Sarah heard the beep that told her another call was coming through on her cell phone. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Kyle on the line. What was he calling about this time? She ignored it, but when her conversation was over, she returned his call.
“Kyle,” she said, making an effort to keep her tone civil. “Sorry I couldn’t answer right then. I was on the phone with the police.”
“Did something else happen?” he asked. “Do I need to come over? I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
Kyle, give it a rest. You’re pushing. “It’s nothing that requires your coming over,” she said. Sarah went on to explain about the car parked outside her house and her fear the driver was the same man who’d been harassing her.
“And you’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Now, why did you call? Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I’m still worried about your security while the police sort this out,” Kyle said. “I can arrange for you to stay at a hotel for a bit.”
“No,
