Page 51 of Alluring

"He's the PI. He'll have the resources to check this for fingerprints."

"Should we go to the police?"

"Let's see what Stan says first."

Jack called Stan and told him to meet them at the hotel. They went to Jacks office to wait for him. Alexis flopped down on the couch as Jack paced the length of the office. He reminded Alexis of a caged tiger.

She got up and stepped into his path. When he got near, she hugged him about the waist. "Jack, calm down."

He rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm always in control. Ineedto be in control. Butthisis out of my control."

"Come sit with me while we wait for Stan. After he gets here, you'll feel better, knowing something's being done."

Jack reluctantly let Alexis pull him to the couch and push him down. She crawled onto his lap. He enfolded her in his arms, and she rested her head on his chest under his chin as they waited for Stan to arrive.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Stan was a nondescript man in his late forties. He was of average height and average build and had light-brown hair and brown eyes. He probably got lost in a crowd, which was perfect for his line of work.

He was meticulous in his dress. His brown slacks and long sleeve, white, button-down shirt were wrinkle free. His shoes were polished to a high shine, and his tie was perfectly knotted. The only thing that seemed out of place was his watch. The accessory was black, big and clunky. It looked like something out of a spy movie. Did it take pictures? Did it have a recording device? Could it teleport him from one room to the next?

Alexis and Jack still sat on the couch. Stan had pulled a chair over and sat across the coffee table from them. Jack went over the latest events, retrieved the note and newspaper clipping, and handed them to Stan.

"We need to take this to the police. Open a case file. That way if something violent happens, there's evidence to back it up." Stan looked once more at the newspaper photo.

"How hard is it going to be to find this person?" Jack's expression hardened when he asked the question.

"I don't know yet. It could be anyone. You know a lot of people, Mr. Cole. You're also a celebrity, so it could even be someone you don't know. At this point, I'm not even sure if we're dealing with a man or a woman."

"That's not very reassuring," Jack said, through gritted teeth.

"I understand your anger, Mr. Cole. I can assure you, I take my job very seriously. I will find this person, and I'll keep you updated on any new developments." He turned his eyes to Alexis. "Ms. Taft, you need to keep me informed of any unusual occurrences even if you think it's unrelated to this case. Any information you give me will assist me in finding this person."

He stood, picked his briefcase off the floor, and set it on the chair. He opened it and pulled out a large plastic baggie (the kind for food storage) and placed the note, newspaper clipping, and both envelopes into the bag. "If you get any more notes, put them in these bags." He placed a stack of baggies on the table, tossed the evidence bag in his case, then shut it. "Meet me at the police station. The one on Cameron. They'll have questions for both of you."

Jack stood from the couch. "We'll head over now."

They all shook hands then left Jacks office, going separate ways to their vehicles.

Jack reached for Alexis's hand, as they sat in his SUV, after leaving the station. Filing the police report didn't take long. They asked a few questions and made copies of the evidence. Stan said it was more, getting it on record than asking them for help. He said investigating was his job, and he once again stressed how seriously he took it.

"What's going through your head?" Jack asked, rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

Alexis looked over and gave him a weak smile. "I could ask you the same thing."

Jack chuckled, "You don't want to know what's going through my head."

She gave him a genuine smile. "Oh yeah, and why's that?"

"Because right about now, I'm thinking of locking you in our bedroom until this whole thing blows over."

"I'll be careful, Jack, I promise, but I won't hide in fear. That gives them too much power."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's go home and watch TV. I feel like holding you all afternoon. We can go off-roading another day."

"Okay," she nodded. She knew this was his way of keeping her close and safe, tucked away from the outside world. She would give him that, for today, but she wasn't going to stop living her life. She wasn't going to let whoever was doing this have that satisfaction.

Three days later the phone calls started.

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