Redress of Grievances (35 page)

When
he could bear it no longer, he came and was barely able to suppress his own
groans of satisfaction.

"Devon,"
Lacey said breathlessly, "Please stop. Please."

He
heard shifting inside the vehicle and thought, Don't stop now, kid. Nail that
little cunt. Glancing up at the window, he saw blonde hair against the glass.

"I'm
sorry, Devon," she said softly.

"It's
okay, Lace. Besides, if we wait much longer to pick up dinner, your aunt will
get suspicious."

Lacey
glanced at the dashboard clock and sat completely up, "Shit! We better get
going."

The
man moved quickly away from the truck and back to his vehicle. Lighting a
cigarette, he waited until the truck passed before starting his engine. Fifteen
minutes later, Lacey and Devon left the Beijing Dragon Restaurant and backed
out of the parking lot. As they entered the interstate heading back to
Harriett's townhouse, he fell in behind them again. Sporadically he moved closer
and then fell back, finally turning his headlights on bright and remaining at a
distance he knew would shine the lights into Lacey's rearview mirror.

"What
is this?" Lacey said. "Night of the moron! I can't see a thing."
Devon reached up and flipped the switch on the rearview mirror to deflect the
headlights behind them, but the headlights in the side mirrors were just as
intense. Lacey signaled to turn off the highway, and the car followed her.
Making several more turns, she was unable to shake the vehicle behind her.
Finally, she slowed and pulled over to the curb. The car stopped behind her,
but the driver didn't get out.

Pulling
away from the curb, Lacey reached down and picked up Harriett's mobile phone,
punching in numbers as she watched the car continuing to follow her. Harriett
picked up the phone at home and heard Lacey's shaking voice say, "Aunt
Harriett, someone is following us, and I can't lose them. I'm afraid to come
home."

"Hang
on," Harriett said.

A
moment later, after a fast explanation, Jess was on the line. "Where are
you, Lacey?"

"Uh...I'm
not sure. Devon, what's the next street?"

Jess
could barely hear Devon in the background. "We're on Woodland and just
passing Briar Hill," Lacey relayed.

"Okay,"
Jess said calmly as she quickly wrote street names on a pad near the phone.
"Don't stop, Lacey. Harriett will be giving you directions to follow. I'll
intercept you and the mystery car in a few minutes, okay?"

Jess
handed the phone back to Harriett and walked quickly to the front door. As she jumped
off the front steps and ran to the Durango, the door behind her opened. As she
got into her vehicle and turned the key, Wayne wedged himself into the
passenger seat, fastening the seat belt as they sped away.

"You're
armed, I'm guessin'," Wayne growled.

Reaching
under the driver's seat, Jess pulled a Glock from a hidden holster and laid it
on the seat next to her. "And you?

Wayne
pulled a .357 from under his coat. "Never leave home without it."

Ten
blocks from Harriett's townhouse, Jess whipped the Durango to the curb, turned
off the headlights, and rolled the driver's window down. "They should be
here anytime now," Jess said, almost to herself.

In
less than a minute, the headlights of two vehicles came over a rise in the
road. The first vehicle was Harriett's truck. The second a low slung dark
vehicle that remained less than a car length behind the truck. Flipping on her
headlights, Jess screamed away from the curb. Reaching under her seat, she
stuck a police light on top of the Durango. The red light swept across the dark
vehicle which abruptly swung around the truck and accelerated. As Jess followed
the car, Wayne leaned out his window and yelled to Lacey, "Go home!"

Jess's
Durango had plenty of horsepower, and she managed to keep the other vehicle in
sight, but wasn't really gaining on it. "Can you make out the plate?"
she asked Wayne.

"Looks
like the bastard covered it with mud or somethin'," Wayne shook his head.
"Can't see a fuckin' thing. This the best this heap can do?" he
demanded.

Jess
goosed the accelerator and moved closer, concentrating on the taillights of the
car ahead of her. "This road ends three or four blocks ahead," Jess
said. Suddenly, brake lights from the car lit up, and it slid to a stop as the
driver's door flew open. As she stopped the Durango and jumped out, she saw a
dark figure run into a wooded area to her left. "Radio's in the
console," she yelled at Wayne as she grabbed her gun and a flashlight and
sprinted off. "Call in this location."

Jess
estimated that she couldn't be very far behind the other driver as she moved
into the brush, her Glock held out in front of her. Her anger that anyone would
get so close to Lacey or Harriett fueled her, but she knew she couldn't allow
herself to get careless now. As she moved deeper into the darkness of the
wooded area, she stopped periodically and looked for branches moving after
being disturbed or to listen for the sound of someone moving in the decayed
vegetation on the ground. A snapping sound to her left caused her to drop to
one knee and swing the pistol and light around, only to be greeted by the
glowing eyes of a stray cat before it retreated further into the foliage.

"Shit,"
she muttered as she stood once more, crouching as she moved from tree to tree.

HE
RECOGNIZED THE woman searching for him from earlier that day at the courthouse.
He was close enough to overpower her and kill her. His hand clenched and
unclenched the handle of his knife as he contemplated his options. It would
hurt Harriett if she lost her new lover, and he didn't want to do that. He
wanted to be the one to hurt her. She would understand the message he had left
for her. As he heard the sirens of other vehicles approaching the area he
retreated, using the noise they were making to cover his movements.

TWENTY
MINUTES LATER, patrol cars lined the street, spotlights probing into the
darkness. A police helicopter circled overhead. Most of the houses appeared to
be abandoned as officers searched each one. As Wayne leaned against the
Durango, drawing heavily on a cigarette, Jess slowly made her way back toward
him. She was frowning.

"I'm
gatherin' you lost him," Wayne stated the obvious.

"Yeah.
Goddamn it!" she seethed as she threw her flashlight into her car.

"Well,
I'm hungry from all this excitement," he said as he pushed himself away
from the car and crushed out his cigarette.

When
they drove up to Harriett's house, there was a patrol car in the driveway.
Inside, officers were taking statements from Lacey and Devon. Harriett came up
to them. "Who was it?" she asked.

"I
never saw his face," Jess explained.

Harriett
frowned and Jess was furious that she hadn't been able to apprehend the man.
"I don't think you should stay here, Harriett," she said.
"Whoever it was probably knows where you live."

"I'm
not going to run away and hide, Jess. It would just give him more power over
me."

Taking
Harriett's arm, Jess led her into the kitchen. "Why don't you and Lacey
stay at my place for a while. At least give us a chance to locate the
guy."

"We'll
be fine here."

"If
you won't come to my house, then I'll be forced to stay here," Jess said.
"Your choice."

Placing
her hands on Jess's shoulders, Harriett finally said, "Let's have dinner,
and then I'll decide. Okay?"

"Where's
the food?" Harriett asked as she and Jess returned to the living room.

Lacey
jumped up, "Oh, I left it in the truck when we got home. I'll get it, but
it's probably cold by now. I'm sorry."

"That's
why God invented microwaves, sweetheart," Harriett smiled.

"I'll
get it," Wayne said as he trudged out the front door. A couple of minutes
later, he carried in two large plastic grocery bags full of food and handed
them to Harriett. Turning to Jess, he said quietly, "Join me outside for a
minute."

Jess
followed him to Harriett's truck. "Walk around her truck...slowly. Tell me
if you see anything unusual," the investigator said as he lit another
cigarette.

Jess
looked at him blankly, but did as he told her. She walked around the truck
twice. Once at normal height and a second time bent at the waist. As she came
around the rear of the truck the second time, she stopped. Looking at Wayne,
she asked, "Got a flashlight?"

When
Wayne shook his head, she walked to the Durango and retrieved her flashlight.
Squatting next to the truck, she ran the beam down the body of the truck.
"Fuck me," she breathed.

"Whaddaya
think it is?" Wayne asked coolly.

Glancing
up at him, Jess said, "You know damn well what it is. Some guy whacked off
and finger painted with his own semen."

"Yep,
that's what I thought. Just wanted another opinion," he said gruffly.
"Better get the lab out here to impound this truck. Whoever it is sure
ain't tryin' to be very subtle."

Jess
flipped open her phone and punched in a number. "Unfortunately, it's not
illegal to jerk off, even if it is on someone's private vehicle."

"Whatcha
gonna tell Harriett?"

Looking
back at the truck and the word
"soon"
scrawled on it, she
looked at Wayne. "I'm going to tell her that her life has been threatened,
and she should take it very seriously."

"Well,
there goes dinner," he exhaled.

AFTER
WATCHING HER truck being loaded on a tow truck and hauled away, Harriett and
Lacey packed bags, and Jess loaded them into the back of her Durango. Wayne
agreed to stay at Harriett's just in case anyone uninvited showed up. Arriving
at her home, Jess showed Lacey to a downstairs bedroom and made sure she had
everything she needed to be comfortable.

Joining
Harriett in the master bedroom, Jess took off her jacket and locked her Glock
away in the nightstand. Harriett began unpacking as Jess cleared a place for
her clothes in her closet and chest of drawers.

"How
long do you think we'll have to be here?" Harriett asked.

"Probably
long enough for the lab to process the car that followed Lacey and your
truck," Jess shrugged.

"I'll
need to rent a car."

"I'll
arrange for one tomorrow after I drop you off at your office. Anything
special?"

"How
about something non-descript that looks like every other damn car on the
road?"

"That's
probably a good idea," Jess frowned slightly. "Listen, Harriett, if
you want, I can sleep downstairs."

"If
anyone should sleep downstairs it would be me. I'm the one displacing
you."

"I
don't look at it that way. But I don't want Lacey to get the wrong idea."

"And
exactly what idea would that be, Jess?" Harriett asked shortly. "That
you and I are sleeping together? We both know
that's
not true."

Jess
was taken aback by the rebuke in Harriett's voice, but chose to ignore it.

"I'm
sorry, Jess," Harriett said softly. "I'm so sorry. Tonight has just
been...stressful."

"I
won't let anyone hurt you or Lacey."

Crossing
the room, Harriett put her arms around Jess and hugged her tightly. "Let's
get some rest," she whispered. "We're both a little jittery right
now, and my client's trial starts in earnest tomorrow."

"I'll
be back in a minute. I need to check the doors and set the alarm," Jess
nodded.

Harriett
finished putting her clothes and bathroom items away. She had just begun
undressing, pulling her shirt over her head, when she had the feeling she was
being watched. As she turned, she saw Jess leaning against the door facing of
the bedroom. She could feel her eyes caressing her body, clothed only in her
bra and half zipped jeans. Jess's eyes wandered slowly up Harriett's body until
their eyes met.

"You
are so beautiful," she said softly as Harriett moved slowly toward her,
stopping less than a foot from her. "You take my breath away."

Harriett
continued looking into Jess's eyes as she reached up and touched the side of her
face without speaking. Her hand came to rest on the back of Jess's neck, and
she pulled her closer. In a rush of desire she had been struggling with since
they first met, Jess took Harriett in her arms and kissed her deeply. Her kiss
was filled with a longing and need she hadn't felt since she had lost Renee,
and Harriett responded to it eagerly. As Jess's lips moved along her neck and
shoulders, Harriett closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Jess's hands on
her skin. Almost as quickly as she had begun, Jess stopped and held Harriett in
her arms.

"I
should sleep downstairs," she said.

Harriett
couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What's wrong, Jess?"

"Nothing."

"Then
why do you seem so...reluctant to be with me?"

"I'm
not. This just isn't the right time. Your plate is full with the trial and now
with whoever is stalking you. You don't need me to complicate things even
more."