it wasn’t working.
Remembering Felicity’s calm response to the situation rekindled the respect he’d had for her during the interview.
“So it’s nothing to worry about. He’ll lose interest.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I know we don’t have much to go on, but I’d like to do some follow-up anyway.”
“Tell me this isn’t going to mean more bad publicity for the company.”
Tim’s comment made Chris’s back teeth grind together. “Is that what this interview was about? Protecting the company?”
Tim’s eyes held no apology. “Of course I’m concerned about Felicity, but you know as well as I do that when the Observer printed the story about Jeremy a few weeks ago, it was sending a message. Anything that happens at Hamilton Media—and to our family—is fair game. It’s news. And I refuse to become fodder for the Observer’s gossip column.”
Chris wasn’t exactly thrilled by the possibility either but in his mind, Felicity’s safety outweighed the cost of negative publicity.
“Felicity isn’t taking this very seriously, either. Someone has to.” Someone had to protect her.
“I’ll talk to Dad,” Tim said, as if that settled it.
Chris sent up a silent prayer for patience. “This isn’t Dad’s decision,” he pointed out. “You asked me to talk to Felicity as a police officer. I’m on duty. I write a report, file it and then I decide the best way to go from here.”
They hadn’t had a stare-down contest since they were kids, when they needed something to kill time on long car rides or while they waited for dinner. When he’d gone up against Jeremy, Jeremy was always the hands-down champion but it could go either way between Tim and himself.
This time he won. So he was twenty-seven years old. It still felt good.
Tim smiled faintly. “Whatever you think is best, Officer Hamilton. I wouldn’t want you to arrest me for—”
“Obstruction,” Chris said helpfully.
“Right.” Tim gave him a mocking salute but there was a glint of laughter in his eyes. “I better get back to work. One of us has to keep Hamilton Media at the top.”
Chris knew it wasn’t a deliberate cut but he still felt the sting. He knew that Tim would discuss the situation with their father but for once Wallace wouldn’t have the final say. Felicity’s stalker wasn’t just Hamilton Media business anymore. It was police business. And, depending on Chris’s decision, another wedge that had the potential to drive him and his dad further apart.
“You’re still here? Did someone do something about the funky traffic lights at the corner yet?” Felicity swept past him and was several yards away before he realized she’d asked him a question.
He caught up to her in two easy strides.
“Where are you off to, Lois?”
She didn’t miss a beat. “There’s a guy in blue tights I have to interview. Kind of strange if you ask me. Spandex isn’t the most comfortable fabric.”
“I’ll take your word for that.” Chris grinned.
Felicity headed toward the parking lot, skirted around the police car and slanted a look at him when he remained at her side. “Is this a police escort, Officer Hamilton?”
“Just walking a lady to her car.” Power walking a lady to her car. In spite of the oppressive August heat, Felicity moved in fifth gear. And not a hair out of place, either.
“It’s broad daylight,” Felicity said, with just a touch of exasperation. “I’m sure I’ll be…”
She stopped so abruptly that Chris slammed into her. The momentum pushed Felicity forward and instinctively Chris reached out to steady her. His hands wrapped around her arms and she winced.
“Okay, maybe I should be interviewing you instead of the guy in the blue tights. Maybe you’re the superhero.”
“Sorry. My Kevlar vest.” Chris’s lips twitched. “And I hate to disappoint you, but I’m only bulletproof when I’m wearing it.”
“This is why I don’t wear heels,” Felicity grumbled as she pulled off one leather shoe and inspected it.
“So that’s why you stopped. You have a flat.”
Felicity twisted around to face him and the movement brought her into close range. So close he could see that her velvety brown irises were ringed with copper.
“No, I stopped because of that.”
Chris followed the direction she was pointing and his gaze settled on a baby-blue Cadillac straight off the set of Happy Days.
He would have whistled his appreciation except for one thing. Both back tires had been slashed.
Felicity pushed her shoe back on and headed over to survey the damage. Anger surged up and crested inside her. She dug into the pocket of her linen blazer for a caramel candy. Popping it into her mouth, she looked from the tires to Chris, who was prowling around the car. The humor had vanished from his eyes and his mouth had flattened into a grim line. He looked every inch the police officer.
“Don’t kids have anything better to do than vandalize people’s property?” And here she’d been harping about nothing happening in a parking lot in the middle of the morning.
Her words pulled at Chris’s attention. “You’re sure this was kids?”
In an instant she knew what he meant. Her secret un-admirer. She refused to believe it.
“It had to be.” The words sounded weak, even to her. She scanned the nearest vehicles parked close to hers, searching for similar damage. No. Just her beloved Caddy.
“What time did you get to work this morning?”
“About quarter after eight.”
“Do you park in the same place every day?”
“I park wherever I can find a spot.” Which meant that if it was her un-admirer, he knew what kind of car she drove. A cold shiver danced up her spine, raising the hair on her arms.
She could see by Chris’s expression that he had come to the same conclusion.
“I’ll call a tow truck.” He lifted his radio out of the holder on his belt and took a few steps away, murmuring quietly into it.
Felicity looked at her watch and resisted the urge to howl. But then Chris would have felt obligated to make another call for someone to come and take her away. She concentrated on the caramel candy that was melting in her mouth even though what she really wanted to do was crush it between her teeth. Her dad’s anti-stress remedy. He’d told her by the time the candy had dissolved, so would her temper. And it always worked. Well, most of the time. She’d kept a pocketful since she was seven years old.
“All
