You Belong To Me (22 page)

Read You Belong To Me Online

Authors: Patricia Sargeant

BOOK: You Belong To Me
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“Strange in what way?”
Malcolm forced himself to slow down and reconsider his question. “Before his death, did Ty mention receiving a letter warning him away from someone's family?”
Malcolm waited through Joyce's thoughtful silence.
“A letter about a family?” Joyce murmured; then her voice sharpened. “A couple of days before he was killed, he told me he'd received a weird message. He said it said something like, ‘Stay away from my family' or, ‘Leave my family alone.' But he thought he'd gotten it by accident. Why are you asking?”
Malcolm stared at the letter. “I found that letter in his desk and was wondering what it meant. Is that all he said about it?”
“Yes. Do you think it's important?”
Malcolm heard her anxiety. He knew Joyce needed answers. She deserved answers. But until he understood the implications of these messages, he didn't want to worry her.
“I don't know, Joyce. I'll call you later.”
Malcolm hung up. His heart thumped in his throat. He clenched his fist to hold back the panic.
Dear God, Ty. What does this mean?
C
HAPTER
T
WELVE
“What's going on?” Nicole stood back to let Malcolm enter her apartment. Her anxiety had been building ever since his cryptic call more than half an hour ago. She didn't understand why he couldn't tell her what was so urgent over the phone.
“I need to see the copies of the letters you've received.”
Nicole studied him. He seemed so tense, she feared he would pop right out of his skin. Squelching the questions trembling on her lips, Nicole hurried to her credenza and pulled out the folder containing copies of the three messages she'd received. She spun around and almost trod over him. She hadn't realized Malcolm had followed her so closely. She took a step back and handed the folder to him.
Malcolm scanned the letters. “Have you heard from him today?”
“No.”
Nicole followed Malcolm back into the living room. He read the letters again as he walked. Then he collapsed onto the sofa and pulled a folded sheet of paper from his inner coat pocket. He studied the four sheets of paper, then leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.
“What's wrong?” Nicole's patience was at an end.
Malcolm opened his eyes and handed her the paper he'd pulled from his coat. She read the single, typed sheet.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed, collapsing onto the sofa next to him. “Was this sent to you?”
“No. I found it in one of Ty's desk drawers.”
“It was sent to Ty? Why didn't you tell me?”
“Ty never told me. Apparently, he didn't take it seriously.”
“Did he tell Joyce about it?”
Malcolm stood and began to pace. “He mentioned it to her. He told her he thought he'd received it by accident.”
“And now he's dead.” Nicole was having a hard time taking in this turn of events. She studied the sheet of paper again. “These threats are all connected, and they're all from the person stalking me.”
“I don't think there's any doubt about that.” Malcolm's voice was grim. “The messages are too similar.”
Nicole shivered. The shock running through her made her fingers numb. “But what family is this person referring to? Ty and I had only just met. Our only common acquaintance is you.”
Malcolm turned and paced to the opposite wall, his head bent in concentration. He didn't seem to notice he'd never taken off his coat.
“I received a similar message,” he said.
Nicole gasped. “You received a letter? You never told me.”
“It wasn't a letter. It was a call on my cell phone.” Malcolm stopped pacing. He stood staring across the room, his profile to her.
Nicole frowned. “Did you list your cell phone number in the phone book?”
Malcolm shook his head. “It's only listed on my business card.”
Nicole felt her eyes widen. “The stalker has your business card? Do you think he's a business acquaintance?”
Malcolm sighed and resumed his prowling. “That's the most likely scenario.”
Nicole started to tremble and wrapped her arms around herself. Then a thought occurred to her. “I received a call, too, when I was in New York. The caller said the same thing about his family, but I assumed he'd dialed the wrong number.”
“So it started in New York. And you've had several letters and nuisance calls since you arrived in L.A.” Malcolm stopped to stare at the wall again.
Nicole leaned forward, rubbing her arms to ward off the cold. “This is a family known to the three of us and probably related to one of your business associates.”
Malcolm resumed his silent prowl. “That pretty much sums it up.”
“We need to take this information to the police.”
“I agree.” He stopped and met her gaze. “I'll call Detective Miller and ask him to meet with us as soon as possible. Will that work for you?”
“Yes, of course.” Nicole shivered again.
Malcolm glanced at his watch. “It's getting late. I should go.” But he didn't move.
Nicole stood and nodded toward the door. “I don't like the idea of you going back out there tonight.”
Malcolm shook his head. “I'll be fine. But have you given any more thought to moving in with me? There's strength in numbers. And neither of us likes the idea of the other being alone under these circumstances.”
Nicole made up her mind on the spot. Knowing he'd received similar threats made her almost frantic with fear.
“I've decided to accept your offer. I'll pack an overnight bag and get the rest of my stuff tomorrow.”
“Good.” Malcolm followed Nicole into her bedroom. “We'll call Miller in the morning.”
“Tomorrow's Easter Sunday,” Nicole reminded him as she pulled a bag from her closet.
“We'll leave a message if we don't reach him.”
Nicole stuffed everything she could think of into the overnight bag, then packed her laptop and notes. She still had reservations about moving in with Malcolm, but overall she believed she'd made the right decision. The nurturer in her needed to help protect him.
 
Nicole surveyed the small, dim police meeting room. From the smell permeating the furniture and walls, she suspected smokers gathered here in inclement weather. What a way to spend Easter Sunday.
She and Malcolm had been surprised when Detective Miller had returned their message and asked them to meet him and Detective Fairway this morning.
Stiff with tension, Nicole took the seat Detective Miller held for her. She didn't understand why the detectives had decided to continue questioning Malcolm and her separately about the anonymous note Malcolm had found in Tyrone's office. She wondered whether they both were under suspicion. Of course, they had nothing to hide, so she shouldn't be nervous. And she wouldn't have been, if she hadn't noticed the detectives exchange a silent nod before Fairway left the room with Malcolm.
Miller lowered his bulk into the chair opposite Nicole. “Ms. Collins, have you reported receiving these letters to the department?”
“Yes. I've been talking to an Officer Strahan.”
“Ah, Deirdre Strahan.”
“That's right.” Nicole folded her hands together to keep from fidgeting. These were questions Miller could have asked in front of Malcolm. Her suspicions grew.
“And when did you start getting these letters?”
Nicole took a moment before answering. “As I explained earlier, I received the first letter shortly after I moved to Los Angeles.”
“But you got the first call in New York?”
Nicole nodded. “That's right.”
“Was this before or after you signed with Celestial Productions?”
Nicole paused warily. Where was Detective Miller going with this?
 
“You say you found this note in Austin's desk drawer last night?” Fairway fired the question at him before Malcolm could sit down.
“Yes.” Malcolm sat straight and alert. The look Nicole had given him before they had been taken to separate rooms told him she wasn't any more comfortable with this setup than was he.
“Was anyone with you?” Fairway rested his right ankle on his left knee.
“No.”
Fairway nodded. “What were you doing alone in Austin's office?”
Malcolm knew he needed to watch his temper. He couldn't afford to lose control. “As I told you before, all of the account information and contracts are on Ty's computer. I needed to review them and update the office expenses.”
“If the files are on his computer, why were you going through his desk?”
“I was just looking around.” Malcolm didn't like Fairway's “I've-got-you” smile, especially since he agreed with the sentiment.
“Too bad no one was with you,” Fairway said.
 
“It was after I agreed to sign the contract but before I actually signed it,” Nicole said.
Miller leaned toward her from the other side of the table. “I don't follow you.”
Nicole reviewed the chain of events. “I agreed to sign with Celestial Productions that Friday. I received the prank call the next day, which was Saturday. Mal and I met with my agent to sign the paperwork that Monday. We faxed the contract to Ty for his signature the same day.”
Miller leaned back in his seat. “So Bryant was in New York when you got the call.”
“Yes,” Nicole answered cautiously.
She knew Malcolm was a suspect in the investigation. She had no doubt her ex-husband was innocent, and she didn't want to give the police anything they could use against him.
“Did he have your number in New York?”
“I'm in the book. But, detective, I know Mal didn't make that call,” Nicole added with a flash of memory.
Miller frowned. “How do you know that?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Because he showed up at my apartment the minute I hung up the phone.”
Miller smiled with pity. “So Bryant could have had someone make the call for him.”
 
The tension in the car wrapped itself around Nicole like a sweater. Malcolm hadn't said a word since he'd asked whether she was ready to leave the station. Nicole hadn't pushed him. Instead she sat, trying to collect her thoughts as they tumbled over and around each other.
“Do you think I had anything to do with Ty's death?” Malcolm's quiet question scattered her thoughts again.
Nicole's head snapped in his direction. “No,” she almost shouted.
“Not even a little bit?”
“Not. At. All.”
“They tried to make you believe I was involved, though, didn't they?”
Nicole sighed. “Yes, they did. They're looking for an easy answer to this case, Mal. But I think we both know there isn't one.”
“To clear my name, I'm going to have to find the killer.” Malcolm sounded as though he were thinking aloud.
“I came to that conclusion as well.”
“There's a connection between the three of us.” Malcolm worked his way through the stop-and-go traffic. “We have to find it.”
“I can't think what it might be. Until February, I didn't even know who Ty was. The only thing we have in common is the movie project.”
“There must be something else. Or something the stalker thinks is there.”
Nicole turned away to stare out the window again. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Why didn't you tell me Celestial Productions was having financial trouble?”
Malcolm didn't answer right away. “I didn't think it was important. Who told you that?”
“Joyce. And I'm glad she did because the detectives asked me about it. If she hadn't told me, I would have been caught off guard. I think the detectives consider it one of your motives. They said Ty was considering dissolving the company. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
She turned back to him. “Why didn't you tell me?”
Malcolm took one hand off the steering wheel to massage the back of his neck. “I was tired of you seeing me as a failure.”
His answer took Nicole's breath away. “I've never seen you as a failure.”
“I don't know why not.” Malcolm returned his hand to the steering wheel and concentrated on the traffic for a time. When he spoke again, his tone was hesitant.
“The entry-level production assistant job I took after we moved to L.A. barely paid enough to help with the bills.”
Nicole shook her head, shifting in the passenger seat to face Malcolm. “Most entry-level jobs don't pay much. That's one of the reasons they're called
entry-level.
But that's not your fault. It doesn't make you a failure.”
Malcolm pulled his car into a space in front of Nicole's building. He shut off the engine, then turned to face her.
“Well, it certainly doesn't make me a success. Maybe I was being foolish, but I wanted you to see me as a success. I was afraid you would think I was still a loser if you knew about the trouble I was having with my company.”
“You're not a loser,” she snapped. “Don't ever say that.” Nicole gave him her harshest glare, angry beyond words that he could think she viewed him that way.
Malcolm looked surprised at her fierce defense of him. “All right,” he agreed. “But just so you know, I didn't argue with Ty about closing the company if we couldn't make a profit from this project. I'd hoped it wouldn't come to that, though.”

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