Page 13 of Freeing Ruby

“Are you done working for the day?” he asks as he dries one of our plates and places it in the cupboard.

“Yes. The painting needs to dry thoroughly before I can seal it.”

“So, how do you spend your evenings?” he asks. “What do you do for fun?”

“I either read or watch something on TV. How about you?”

“Same,” he says. “In my line of work, I don’t get a lot of free time, so when I do, I’m usually chilling in my apartment, reading, watching something, or working out. My buddies and I have a standing thing we do Friday evenings after work. We meet up at Tanks—it’s a local pub.”

I imagine Miguel has a lot of friends. He’s friendly and easy to talk to. It dawns on me that today’s Friday. “Tonight’s Friday. Are you going to meet your friends?”

“No, not tonight. I’m sticking right here with you.”

“I’m sorry you’re going to miss seeing your friends this evening.”

“It’s okay.” He dries the other plate and puts it in the cupboard. “You’re more important.”

When I glance up at him, I find him gazing down at me. “I am?”

He nods. “Yes, you are.”

I don’t know if it’s his words or the way he’s looking at me, but my pulse starts racing again, but this time in a good way.

Chapter 6

Miguel

After we finish with the dishes, Ruby disappears into her bedroom to change. While she’s doing that, I take a minute to catch up on text messages and e-mails from work. One of the texts I received is from Shane, who’s checking in and wanting to know what I’ve discovered so far.

Me – Nothing yet. She needs a security system in her apartment. I’m going to talk to the building mgr about putting cameras in the hallway outside her apt. so I can see who’s coming and going.

Shane – I’ll ask Jake to get one installed ASAP.

I have nothing to go on yet. Ruby’s given me a lot of vague examples, but she has no proof to back up any of her claims. It’s understandable that she’d dispose of any evidence as soon as she got it—the notes, the roadkill. Now it’s my job to collect evidence—if any exists. I’m keeping an open mind. Ruby doesn’t seem the fanciful type, so even though there’s no evidence to back up any of her claims, I’m inclined to believe her. I’ll at least give her the benefit of the doubt.

I make a mental list of the people I need to speak to—for starters, her helpful neighbor Darren and the apartment manager, Rick. I also need to interview the other residents who live on this floor. Any one of them might have seen something suspicious, or someone, and not realized it.

Do I think this stalker is all in Ruby’s head? It’s too soon to tell.

I don’t blame her for being so fearful of the world. She witnessed something horrific, and it had a lasting impact on her. It’s not surprising that she’d internalize the idea that the world is a dangerous place. Her world—her sense of security—was shattered when she was young and impressionable.

After I catch up on work stuff, I realize my muscles are stiff from inactivity. I wish I had my home gym equipment here so I could get in a good workout. Barring that, I’d love to go for a run, but I can’t leave Ruby alone. Not yet. Not until I have a better understanding of what we’re dealing with. So I do the next best thing—I hop up from the sofa to do some old-school calisthenics. I drop down onto the floor and power through a hundred pushups, followed by just as many sit-ups. And that’s just for starters.

Man, I’d give anything for a set of free weights or a treadmill right now. If this assignment looks like it’s going to continue for a while, I might have to bring some hand weights over. I doubt there’s room for a treadmill.

While I put my body through the motions, my brain works through what little I know about Ruby’s case. It’s entirely possible that this stalker is a figment of her imagination. I’m prepared for that. I’m also prepared for the possibility that there is someone out there who’s terrorizing this poor girl. If there is—he’d better watch out. I don’t tolerate bullies.

After finishing my impromptu exercise regimen, I get out my laptop and surf the Internet.

My phone chimes with an incoming message from Shane’s brother Jake, who’s in charge of surveillance for the company.

Jake – I’m sending Philip over w/a security system ETA 30 mins

Ruby comes out of the bathroom, her face freshly washed and flushed a light pink. Her hair is up in a ponytail, making her look even younger. Her eyes are bright, and I love her freckles.

Damn. She’s pretty.

She eyes me curiously. “Is something wrong?”

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