“We never discussed abortion,” she said, “and it was a perfectly healthy pregnancy. I was healthy, and we’d been married for over a year by that time. There was absolutely no reason for an abortion,” she said, “and it’s not something that I would ever do.”
“So you broke up. How far along were you?”
“He walked out about a week after finding out that I was pregnant,” she said. “I didn’t tell him for several weeks because I wanted to be sure, so I was in about my fourteenth week when I told him.”
“And he was gone by the fifteenth?”
She nodded. “At the time, I thought it was probably just an excuse for him to leave because we hadn’t been terribly happy for the previous year. Somehow I thought maybe the child would make things better.”
He nodded. “I hear that a lot.”
“But I didn’t do anything, like trap him with the pregnancy,” she said. “I was on birth control, but I’ve always had problems regulating my cycle.”
He kept taking notes, nodding once in a while. “Where does your ex work?”
“He has his own medical supply business,” she said, “and he travels a lot.”
“Maybe he thought that would impact his lifestyle.”
“I think he only thought it would impact his bank account,” she said drily.
“And how much does he pay for child support now?”
“He doesn’t,” she said. “I just wanted my son, so that was our agreement upon separation. I would take my son, and he’d get to walk free.”
The policeman stopped and stared at her. “Most courts would have awarded you child support,” he said. “And it doesn’t make any sense for your ex-husband to come back now. It would be pretty easy to nail him for child support.”
“Well, that’s one theory,” she said, “but, considering he’s already hired a stalker, and I was attacked outside on my back veranda, plus suffered a car accident, I’m beginning to wonder if George is hoping I just wouldn’t be around. That way he wouldn’t have to pay child support at all. Plus he’d get sole custody of his son. Which, like three months ago, he decided he wanted after all.”
The cop stared at her. “Do you think he’d kill you?”
“I don’t know,” she said, holding out her hands defensively. “The man I thought I knew wouldn’t have walked away because I was pregnant,” she said. “So obviously I didn’t know who he really was to begin with.”
“Do you believe this guy who said it was a warning from your ex-husband?”
“I don’t know what to believe,” she said in bewilderment. “I didn’t understand the whole warning from my ex anyway. It’s not like I went after child support or anything else,” she said, “so it wasn’t even logical to have this conflict escalate now.”
“Unless he was trying to do something and wanted to make sure that you were compliant.”
“Maybe because George suddenly wants Danny now?” she said. “But threatening me to make that happen doesn’t make sense. Otherwise our lawyers or the courts are hashing out the divorce. I haven’t had any direct notification from George at all since we separated,” she said, feeling sick to her stomach. “And I really don’t want to. Danny and I have been perfectly happy without him.”
“So you’ve been separated for about two years?”
“Yes,” she said, “and nothing, not a word. Not even a peep from him, other than via the divorce attorneys, until three weeks ago when that stalker guy hit my car.” Shaking her head, she continued, “And that’s only if that accident even had anything to do with George in the first place. For all I know, this stalker guy is just off his rocker and goes around terrorizing single women.”
“And that could be true too.” The cop got up and said, “I’ll step outside and check on their progress.”
She followed him and watched as he headed to the front door. While he stepped out and closed the door, she walked around and checked to make sure everything was locked inside. So far it seemed like she was good to go.
The cop stepped back inside. “A tow truck’s here now, and they’ll take the patrol vehicle away. I’ll talk to forensics and see if they found anything.”
She nodded and stood in the open front door. It was almost six o’clock in the morning now. Danny would wake up somewhere between six-thirty and seven. It would be a very long day at this rate. She watched as the cop car was loaded up on the tow truck and hauled away. The forensics team piled into their van and left, and the cop came back inside.
“Have you heard from Greyson at all?”
She pulled out her phone and shook her head.
He worked his way around to ask her, “Just what is your relationship with him?”
“Friends,” she said briefly, sticking to Greyson’s rule about not saying too much. “I’m very grateful right now because, without him and Kona, I think the scenario last night would have had a completely different ending.”
He nodded at that. “I need to get back to work,” he said. “I can’t just stay here.”
She frowned at him. “But we don’t know where the stalker is.”
“And that’s why I’ll tell you to go inside and to lock all the doors. I’ll have somebody drive by and check on you in a few hours.”
Stunned, she just stared at him as he walked away. Because, in a few hours, it could easily be too late. She tried to protest and ask for protection.
He just waved at her and said, “No money in the budget for that. I’ll talk to my supervisor, but that’s all I can do.” He got into his vehicle and headed down her driveway and onto the street.
Jessica pulled out her phone and quickly sent Greyson a message, typing, Any luck? I’m alone now. The cop left.
Instead of a message back, he phoned her. “He walked away from you?”
“Yes,” she said. “Where are you?”
“Coming up the back alley,” he said, “and we’re still tracking.” It
