She wrinkled her nose. “I did overreact.”
“True—but I did too. And there’s a reason for that.”
Lifting the mug, she watched him over the rim as she took a sip.
“While I was in Germany, I was involved in a situation with a woman who turned out to be volatile—and dangerous.”
“Someone you were dating?”
“No. Or I didn’t classify it as that, anyway. We did socialize on occasion at first, mostly because I felt sorry for her. When Nicole crossed my path, she was working at Landstuhl—the army’s regional medical center—as a civilian employee for the Department of Defense. She told me her fiancé had been killed in action the year before.”
Marci narrowed her eyes. “That wasn’t true?”
“No—but I didn’t find out she was lying until much later.”
“How did you two connect?”
“I saw her in the cafeteria one night, after I finished a very late shift. She was sitting by herself . . . and she was crying.”
Marci’s features softened. “I don’t suppose a man who rescues hurt kittens would walk away from a woman in distress.”
“No—but I wish I had.” He picked up his mug, more to infuse some warmth into his fingers than to quench his thirst. “She latched on to me after that. She was new at the base, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I could see she was a bit high-strung, but that didn’t set off any alarm bells in the beginning. I assumed her emotional state was due to her grief.”
“Except she wasn’t grieving.”
“No. I later discovered she had serious mental issues.” He swallowed. “Serious enough to almost ruin my life.”
Marci’s brows knitted. “What happened?”
This was the hard part.
“She became fixated on me. Kind of like your stalker did with you. I’d done nothing to lead her on, yet she became convinced I’d fallen in love with her. It was fantasy, pure and simple. And I told her that after she began suggesting we do more than meet for an occasional meal in the cafeteria.”
“That didn’t go over well?”
“A gross understatement.” The dark liquid in his mug began to slosh, and he set the cup down on the coffee table. Balled his quivering fingers. “She had a total meltdown the night I finally told her I needed some distance. I hated to hurt her, but her attention was becoming smothering.”
The twin grooves on Marci’s brow deepened. “I know all about that.”
Yes, she did.
But she didn’t know anything about the kind of craziness that had happened next.
“There was a difference, though. In the end, your ‘admirer’ respected the boundaries you’d set and left you alone.”
“Only after I got the protection order.”
“Still . . . he went away.”
“Nicole didn’t?”
“No—and she was vindictive.” He told Marci the same story he’d shared with the chief of police about the nurse whose sheets she had shredded and bloodied.
“Oh my.” As she breathed the words, Marci’s cheeks paled. “That’s bizarre.”
“I agree. The problem was, she covered her tracks well. It was impossible to prove she was the culprit. After that incident, she began to spread rumors about us, suggesting I’d led her on, taken advantage of her, even harassed her.”
“How could someone be so spiteful?”
“I don’t think a normal person could.” He swallowed . . . inhaled . . . and braced. “In the end, she brought formal sexual harassment charges against me.”
Marci’s complexion lost its last vestige of color. “Did . . . did anyone believe her?”
“It didn’t matter what they believed. They had to investigate—because she arranged to have proof.”
A hint of wariness crept into Marci’s face, and his gut twisted. This was the reaction he’d feared. “What kind of proof?”
“An elaborate, but effective, ruse. Somehow she got into my quarters one night while I was working a late shift and hid. When I returned, I took a shower and headed for bed. No sooner did I hit the sheets than she appeared in the doorway. She was carrying most of her clothes, which she scattered on the floor. Before I could process what was happening, she jumped on top of me and started screaming. The MPs were all over the place in minutes.”
“Didn’t you explain what happened?”
“Of course. But I couldn’t dispute her presence, or the bruises I assume she self-inflicted before she ever got to my room, or her state of undress. Those were facts. The rest was my word against hers.”
“All that evidence was circumstantial, though—and surely your co-workers vouched for your character.”
“Yes, they did.” He scrubbed his gritty eyes. “However, in this day and age, sexual harassment charges are media fodder for any organization. The army is no exception. They had to treat her story seriously while they investigated.”
“Were you put in . . . did they arrest you?”
“No—but I was suspended from duty and confined to base during the inquiry.”
“Is this why you left the military?”
“No. My tour was winding down, and I’d already arranged to go into civilian practice. Except this incident jeopardized the position in Ohio too.” He shook his head. “It was a nightmare.”
“But you were cleared.”
“Yes. The investigation was mercifully fast. My commanding officer put zero credence in her story, and quite a few people came forward to testify about her unstable emotions and give examples of other smaller lies they’d witnessed. There’d been a few blips at her previous job too. In the end, she admitted she might have overstated her case and backed off.”
“Could you have pressed charges in return?”
“Yes—but she was fired, and I thought that was the end of it. Until Friday, when she showed up at my door.”
“Here?” Marci’s question came out in a squeak, her eyes rounding.
“Yes. She had a PI track me down, booked a room at the Gull Motel, and has been sitting in front of my house ever since. At least during daylight hours.”
“But . . . but what’s the point? What does she want?”
“Me.” He told her about their exchange on his porch.
Marci’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I wish I was. She has to be delusional to think I’d have anything to do with her after what she put me through.”
“Can’t
