The Midnight Tour

“It gets better.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“There comes a time when most voyeurs get the urge to do more than watch.”

“I was afraid you might say that,” Tuck said.

Grimacing, Dana said, “In other words, he might come for us?”

“No pun intended,” Tuck added.

Eve shook her head. “Whoever this guy is,” she said, “he probably has fantasies about raping you. One or the other of you, or both. The next step might be an attempt to carry out his fantasies.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Dana admitted. “What should we do?”

“Be very careful. Make sure you always keep the doors and windows secured. Keep all the curtains shut so he can’t see into the house. Don’t go outside alone. Be especially careful at night, but keep your guard up all the time. Daylight’s no guarantee of safety. I would certainly forget about using the pool or spa for a while. And Lynn, dig out your revolver and keep it handy.”

“So now we’ve got a peeping Tom running our lives,” Tuck muttered.

“I’m just suggesting you take precautions.”

“Yeah. Hide indoors. Don’t use the pool or spa. Man! This really sucks! What next, put bars on the windows?”

“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Eve said. “I’m just saying that you need to be especially careful for a while.”

“How long a while?” Tuck asked.

“We’ll have to play it by ear.” Eve shrugged. “The guy might not come back at all. I mean, he probably knows you’re onto him, so maybe he’ll move on to safer pastures. Or he might figure you’re worth a little extra risk. Two gals for the price of one. And you’re both a couple of babes.”

“Gee whiz, Eve...”

“You know it, I know it, he knows it. You’re very good-looking gals, and he has the hots for you. He’s already seen you in your swimsuits. That was probably a big treat, but what he really wants is to see you naked. So he’ll most likely keep coming back for a period of time. Don’t give him anything to see. Eventually, he’ll figure it’s useless. Then he’ll probably go away and look elsewhere for his kicks.”

“Probably?” Tuck asked.

“I’m just giving you educated guesses,” Eve explained. “The fact is, we don’t even know for sure he is a peeping Tom. Maybe he was out there for some other reason.”

“Such as?” Dana asked.

Eve shrugged. “Could be just about anything.”

“Such as?”

“A thief. Maybe he was back there casing the house, and you just happened to come out so he stuck around for the show.”

“We converted him to voyeurism,” Tuck said.

They all smiled at that one.

“Now he’ll keep coming back,” Tuck added.

Eve’s smile slipped away. “There’s another possibility about the guy. You might not like to hear this, but...”

“You mean this one won’t uplift our spirits?” Tuck asked.

“It’s a little more on the scary side.”

“More scary than a thief or a peeping Tom?”

“Chances are, he is a peeping Tom. I’d bet on it. But you really have to consider the possibility that the guy... well, he might be after one or the other of you. He might be a stalker.”

“Yeah, that’s what we want to hear.”

“You’ve both probably got guys falling for you all the time.”

“It happens,” Tuck said.

Dana nodded.

“Your prowler might be one of them,” Eve said. “You get a guy who develops a mad crush on you. For one reason or another, he figures he doesn’t stand a chance with you. So he goes nutty and forms an obsession.”

“Love it when that happens,” Tuck said.

“Pain in the butt,” Dana said.

“And it can be dangerous,” Eve explained. “I mean, a lot of guys’ll pester the hell out of you and make nuisances out of themselves, but if one actually goes to the extreme of following you around and spying on you, then you’ve got a major problem. He isn’t just longing for you, he’s coming for you. A guy like that can be extremely dangerous. He might even kill you.”

Nodding, Dana said, “If he can’t have us, nobody can.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, everyone,” Tuck said, “I’m cheered up now.”

“The thing is,” Eve said, “you might know who it is.” Glancing from Dana to Tuck, she asked, “Can you think of anyone who might be obsessed with you? Anyone who seems to be watching you all the time or following you around? Maybe a fellow worker? Or somebody taking the tour?”

Dana thought of Clyde. She thought of Dennis and Arnold. Even Warren crossed her mind. But none of them seemed likely.

She shook her head.

“I can’t think of anyone,” Tuck said.

“Is there someone you’ve noticed taking the tour more than once?”

“That happens all the time,” Tuck said. “People are always coming back for another visit. Hell, we’ve got regulars.”

“Might be one of those. You think he’s coming back to see the house over and over again, but he’s actually coming back so he can keep his eyes on you.”

“I guess that’s possible,” Tuck admitted. “But there’re so many of them, I wouldn’t know...Besides, you said this was probably the guy’s first visit here.”

“Looked that way.”

“Chances are, then, he didn’t come because of me. I mean, I’m always around. Why did he wait till tonight? He probably came because of Dana. This was her first day at Beast House.”

Eve looked at her. “Your first day, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Anybody seem to be taking special interest in you?”

“Not really. Clyde, I suppose. He tried to ask me out for dinner tonight, and I turned him down. I don’t want to get him into any trouble, though. I mean, this could’ve been anyone.”

“It doesn’t seem like Clyde’s style,” Tuck said.

“You never know,” Eve said. “I wouldn’t put much of anything past that guy.”

“You know him, huh?” Dana asked.

“You bet,” Eve said. “A real prince.”

Tuck, suddenly grinning, said, “Officer Chaney, here, is one of the precious few who hasn’t gotten nailed by Clyde.”

“He’s afraid of me,” Eve said. She showed her teeth. “I can’t imagine why. Anyway, aside from Clyde, was there anyone else today who seemed to be especially interested in you?”

“There was Warren. We talked for a while. He seemed really nice, but...”

“He is nice,” Eve said. “I can’t see him doing something like this.”

“Even if he had the urge,” Tuck said, “he wouldn’t have the guts.”