Page 16 of The Rose and the Hound
I am capable of happy relationships.
Push yourself, I thought.
“That would be lovely, Sarah. Thank you.” I’d go and have one drink, ease myself into it. I socialized with my Hound last night and the world didn’t fall apart. It would be nice to have a friend.
Jason Barr walked into the lunchroom just as I answered Sarah. “Awesome, we have the whole crew now. Even Jessie is coming.” Jessie was a very cranky middle-aged woman. I really liked her because she was usually as quiet as I was, only speaking to complain or tell someone off.
“Wow, how’d you manage that?” Sarah looked impressed.
“I’m a sweet talker,” Jason said, giving Sarah a wink. She moved into his personal space, prompting him to step back suddenly. Jason Barr was a party boy, the social center of our workplace. It was odd that he stepped back from Sarah. He wasn’t a weirdo like me. Sarah looked surprised and wanderedoff to work. Jason left a few seconds later, looking sad and annoyed with himself. This was another reason I didn’t get involved in workplace dramas. Something was going on there. None of my business.
Chapter 19: The Shadow—I know you
Rose, I know who you really are. I love you but I will destroy you.
Did you really think you could walk away? Find a happily ever after with that man? No. That won’t happen.
Chapter 20: The Hound—Blake the moron
“So, you haven’t seen anyone else around? Maybe someone who’s been here when Rose isn't?” Glenn Maxwell was useless. He was completely unobservant. I needn’t have bribed him for access to the building because he obviously didn’t care who walked in here, welcome or unwelcome.
He picked his teeth and swallowed the bounty. “Sorry, got corn stuck in there.” This man was disgusting. He had no right to be near my Zahra.
“Nah. Like I said, heaps of people come in and out of here. I could keep a special watch out. You know, with the right invention?”
I assumed he meant “incentive.” This would be like throwing good money after bad, but his rates were bargain basement. “I'll give you $20.”
He held out his filthy hand. “We got ourselves a deal, fella!” I shook it gingerly, slipped him the cash, and pulled back quickly. I needed disinfectant.
“Watch out for anyone near Rose’s mail slot or her door,” I instructed him as I walked away.
“Hang on, I did see one guy.” Glenn said. “Dunno whose place he went to, but I bumped into him, and he put his head down, like he didn’t want to be seen.”
“What did he look like?”
“Late 20s, early 30s maybe. Short dark hair. Just wearing usual man clothes.”
Man clothes? How helpful.
“Did he come in a car? Did he talk?”
“Dunno. Just bumped into him and then kept walking.”
“Thanks. You’ve got my card. Call me if you see anything else. And don’t talk to Rose about this.” He nodded and saluted me. I had to get my Zahra out of this building. I hadn’t eliminated thisrepulsive man as a suspect yet, but he was pretty far down on the list. He had zero sophistication, and the only kind of effort he seemed to make in life was for cash or beer. I would have to run a background on him.
Back at my office, I made a list of potential suspects. Blake and Harriet Evans wouldn’t be Rose’s number one fans, neither would Dr. Vincent Conti or his wife Lenora. I was going to have to ask Rose if she’d stalked anyone else. There was also Paul and his wife. Though he seemed more upset than angry, I hadn’t heard from him since that day, despite sending a follow-up text. These behaviors don’t usually arise from nowhere, so it’d be a safe bet that she’d started, even in a small way, by stalking other men. I didn’t want to tell her about her stalker, but she’d need to be alert if this person turned out to be dangerous. Yes, I’d have to talk to my Zahra. I was becoming increasingly angry at this stalker. He was threatening the safety of my Rose and ruining our stalking dance, our foreplay.
Me: I need to speak with you about your stalker, Rose.
My Zahra: Sure. Any new leads? I haven’t heard from him in a few days. *sad face*
I’d have to stalk her. She was feeling lonely.
Me: He’s probably been busy but I’m sure he’s thinking of you.
He had been busy, busy tracking down his competition. We set up a time to chat the next day. I nominated a local café, hoping to create a more of a “date” atmosphere than we’d have in my office or her apartment. I also didn’t want to risk running into Glenn and having him say something stupid.
In the meantime, I would check out the Evanses and Contis.
