Stalker in the Shadows. Camy Tang

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      THREE

      The O’Neills stayed for dinner, although the conversation and atmosphere were a bit subdued after the events of the afternoon. Evita, the Grants’ housekeeper and cook, whipped up a cheese soufflé which was apparently the Grant sisters’ favorite dish, but it left Shaun feeling a bit unfulfilled. He didn’t say anything since his father enjoyed the airy concoction.

       After dinner, Patrick O’Neill and Augustus Grant headed into the library for further discussions about the spa hotel, and Monica caught Shaun’s eye. She motioned toward the kitchen with her head.

       Evita had gone home right after serving the dessert, a rich chocolate cake. Monica went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of tortillas. “Chicken quesadilla?” she asked him.

       “Are you still hungry?”

       “No, but I know you are.”

       Shaun’s cheeks burned. “Uh… Thanks.”

       She turned on the heat under a cast-iron skillet on the stove. “So are you still going to apply to the Sonoma Police Department?”

       He wasn’t sure how to answer that, then decided to be honest. “Not yet.” Then he fired back at her, “Are you going to abandon your plans for the clinic?”

       She hesitated before dropping a thin stream of oil on the cast-iron skillet, and her chin firmed. “No.”

       He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it was safer for her if she stopped her plans so that the stalker wouldn’t hurt her. On the other hand, her continuing her plans for the clinic would keep the stalker in Sonoma, would keep him near her. Would enable Shaun to catch the psycho.

       “Are you sure?” he asked.

       “I’ve thought it over.” She lay a tortilla on the hot skillet. “I won’t back down and be a victim. I won’t let him think he can make some threats and people will obey him. This clinic is important.”

       “How does your family feel about that?”

       “They’re not happy. Dad’s still trying to get me to stop.” She shredded some cooked chicken breast onto the tortilla, then topped it with cheese and another tortilla.

       “It’s dangerous.” He didn’t want her putting herself in danger and he couldn’t get himself to encourage her to make herself a target just so he could catch the stalker.

       She gave him a significant glance. “That’s where you come in.”

       “Me?”

       “Since you haven’t applied to the Sonoma PD yet, how about working for me as a bodyguard?”

       Shaun stared hard at her. “You want me?”

       “You can’t do it?”

       “Of course I can do it.”

       “So what’s the problem?”

       He hesitated, then finally said, “Following you day after day will take me away from my investigation into the stalker.”

       “I figured you’d be doing your own investigation,” she said.

       Shaun didn’t admit that another problem would be being near Monica day after day. She made him feel both comfortable to be around her, bantering like this, and yet on edge because he was so attracted to her. He didn’t want that attraction distracting him. He didn’t want any romance in his life, he didn’t want any women in his life.

       Monica flipped the quesadilla with a spatula, and it sizzled on the skillet. “Did you consider that since I’m the target, you being with me would draw the stalker out?”

       “You being a target isn’t something to take lightly.”

       “I’m not, but I also trust you to be able to protect me.”

       Her words kicked him in the gut, and he turned away from her to look out the kitchen window at the side yard.

       Why did she trust him when he didn’t even trust himself? He had failed to protect his sister. He’d failed the people who died at the coyote’s hands in that accident down at the border—no, he couldn’t think about it. If he thought about it, the guilt would burn in his stomach and he’d see their faces in front of his eyes. “I can’t protect you,” he said.

       Her brow wrinkled. “Why not? You’re a cop.”

       “I’m—I was border patrol. I’m not anything right now.” He couldn’t take on a job of protecting someone.

       Monica’s shoulders settled, but then she straightened. “Well, I guess I’ll find someone else to help me catch him.”

       “What do you mean, catch him?” Shaun took a step closer.

       “I don’t СКАЧАТЬ