Page 32 of The Perfect Obsession
It didn’t help that their research unearthed several other troubling facts.The first was that Quaid was apparently on the same dating app as Wren.In fact, Hannah had uncovered that a couple of weeks ago, he sent Wren a direct message, which she never responded to.
“I don’t have any recollection of that,” Wren told them as she walked from the parking garage to work.“It’s possible that when I got the message, I checked his profile description and photo and wasn’t interested.I get so many interest alerts that it all bleeds together.Clearly, he didn’t make an impression on me.”
“Well, it appears that you made one on him,” Kat noted.
The second disturbing revelation was that Elton Quaid had been fired from three jobs in two years, all for conflicts involving female co-workers.In fact, he was currently unemployed, which might have explained why he had the time to spend his days following Wren around.
Despite all that, Kat was a bit irked by Wren’s jumpiness, even if she couldn’t say it.Her friend had been an army medic.She’d seen terrible things and treated horrific injuries.She should be a little tougher than this.Then again, Kat reminded herself, none of those horrific things in Afghanistan happened directly to Wren.Being stalked was a new experience, one that even a war-weary vet might not be accustomed to.So Kat used her most patient voice as she went over the plan again.
“How far are you from your building now?”she asked.
“About one block away,” Wren said.
“Okay,” Kat said soothingly.“Remember that Hannah is walking behind you, keeping an eye on things, right, Hannah?”
“That’s right,” Hannah said.“Don’t turn around, but I’m about a hundred feet behind you, Wren.By the way, I love that floral top.Very summery.”
“Thanks,” Wren said, momentarily distracted from her anxiety.
Kat admired her young helper.Hannah, despite her own unease about moving around out in the world after essentially being a shut-in for a month, seemed to instinctively know how to set Wren at ease.She picked up where Hannah left off.
“So Hannah’s got your back,” she said.“And I’ve got you from the front.I’m parked in a spot a block up on the right, and I have Quaid in my sights.He’s on the same bench from yesterday.Only now he’s wearing an L.A.Rams cap.He’s back to the blond wig today.But no matter what disguise he uses, he won’t be sneaking up on you anytime soon.I won’t allow it.”
“That helps to hear,” Wren said, still uneasy.
“We’re just going to stick to the plan, okay,” Kat said, hoping she sounded reassuring.“Hannah’s going to go into the office with you today.She’ll look over your workspace and help you identify easy exits if Quaid ever actually tries to access the building.”
“No offense,” Wren said, “but aren’t you a college student, Hannah?Are you qualified for this?”
Kat responded so that Hannah didn’t have to defend herself.“You’d be surprised.Not only has this college student had extensive self-defense training, but she’s also used it on multiple occasions.She took out a wannabe serial killer’s knee, leaving him with a limp as he scurried away into the dark.And as I mentioned previously, she saved my life by rescuing me from a professional hitwoman.In the process, she took the woman down, leaving her barely conscious.She can handle herself in a pinch.But none of that should be necessary.Mostly, she’ll just be around for moral support.Because if Quaid tries to enter your office, he’s done for.”
“What do you mean?”Wren asked.
“I mean that so far, nothing Quaid has done is definitely illegal.Yes, it’s clear to us that he’s following you around to the point of stalking, but a prosecutor might not agree.He’s always been in public places.We need more if we want to keep him off the street and away from you.”
“What constitutes ‘more ’?”
“If he goes anywhere in your building other than the lobby, it could be considered trespassing,” Kat explained.“We can get him busted for that.And even though that’s a misdemeanor, with his priors, he’ll do a little time.But I’m hunting bigger game.”
“What does that mean?”
Kat had to be careful what she said next.What she actually meant was that she’d love to catch Quaid doing something worse, maybe carrying an unlicensed weapon or trying to break into Wren’s car.But while those things would help expedite his arrest, mentioning them would freak Wren out.So she kept it basic.
“I’m going to be watching him like a hawk,” she said.“Even if he just sits on that bench, staring at you, I’ll find a way to take him down.Maybe I’ll manufacture an altercation in which he tries to assault me.Maybe he walks out of a store with a valuable item in his pocket that got there without his knowledge.Who knows what crimes he might be charged with?”
“You could really make that happen?”Wren asked.
Kat could now see her friend in her side-view mirror.She was hard to miss in the bright orange-and-white floral blouse Hannah had mentioned.Another half-block and she’d be safely in her building.
“I can push him in a direction he’s already likely to go,” Kat told her.“And conveniently, both Hannah and I know folks in law enforcement who would ensure that his crimes are taken seriously.My point is, one way or another, Elton Quaid is going to end up behind bars.Maybe not today, but soon and for a while.So I want you to concentrate on what you do best, helping injured veterans get the home healthcare they deserve.Focus on that, confident that Hannah and I are working behind the scenes to keep you safe and put this guy away.Sound good?”
“It sounds really good,” Wren said as she disappeared into her building.Hannah followed thirty seconds later.
Kat returned her attention to Elton Quaid, whose posture had stiffened when he caught sight of Wren.Kat couldn’t help but notice that the guy’s hand had slipped under the jacket sitting in his lap.It seemed to be moving.
“Gross,” she muttered to herself.
She was tempted to call a cop on him for that, but knew she needed something bigger to really take him down.She hoped to find it.The sooner they get this guy off the street, the better for everyone.
