“At first, I just thought it was some jerk driver. I tapped my brakes a little, and he put some space between us.”
“You know,” Walt smiled. “You’re really not supposed to do that. It’s a good way to get read-ended.”
“Yeah, I know. I was annoyed.”
“What did the car look like?”
“It was a sedan. That champagne color. I think it was a Camry? Or it might have been an Altima.”
He took some notes. “So when did you realize it was Bart?”
“Well, he figured out where I was headed, and he moved into the right lane. We both got stopped at the same red light. I looked over, and he looked at me and smiled. The bastard waved at me.”
“Did he try to say anything?”
“No. I tried to get my phone out to take a picture, but he turned right before I could get one.”
Officer Stanfield kept writing. “We’ve got some traffic cameras at intersections. We should be able to find the two of you. I’ll have a tech take a look.” He looked up and frowned.
“But?” Celia said.
“We might be able to get him behind you and beside you. But, I mean, it’s the city, and you both live here. He could claim you just ended up at the same red light.”
“I know he followed me, probably all the way from Keith’s.” Celia protested. But she knew Walt was right. Unless other people saw the car, there would be no way to prove anything. He could claim it was a coincidence.
“I’ll definitely get as much traffic footage as I can. Maybe we can at least track him following you in the city.”
“I appreciate it,” Celia replied.
“Is this a car he normally drives?”
“I’ve only seen his Mercedes. I don’t even know if it was his car.”
“If it was a rental, there will be a record. That would help. I mean why would a guy with a car rent something else to drive around town?”
Celia had thought of that as well, and while she hoped it was the case, she had a feeling Bart was smarter than that. She doubted there would be a rental record.
“Just be careful. I’ll promise we’ll do everything we can to track this. And I’ll keep you informed. Do you have somewhere to stay?”
“You know, I’m just gonna go home. The alarm system is fixed, and I’ll lock my bedroom door too.”
“I’d be glad to follow you home and check things out.”
“No, I don’t want you to do that. I’ll be fine. He probably thinks I’ll go back to Keith’s now or something.”
“That’s actually what I’d recommend. At least call him when you arrive home. Or call me. I’ll have someone drive by your house a couple of times.”
“Thanks. I mean it.” Celia stood and shook his hand. He picked up his phone to call about the cameras, and Celia walked herself out of the station and back to her car.
When Celia got home, she went inside and immediately rearmed the system. She left the lights on outside both doors, though she knew the light would make it harder to sleep. Taking a knife from a top drawer in the kitchen, she went through every room and closet just in case. There was no doubt in her mind she’d use the knife if she needed to do so. Once she was satisfied no one else was in the house, she got ready for bed. Even though she needed to do a bit of work, she wasn’t in the mood. Instead, she took a sleeping pill and watched trash television until she felt drowsy. She was almost asleep when she realized she hadn’t called Keith. After sending him a short text, Celia fell asleep.
At 9:00 the next morning, Celia was checking email in her office when the phone rang. It was Keith.
“Hey,” She answered the phone. “Sorry I didn’t call last night. I was beat. Did you get my text?”
“I did. I got it last night.” Keith replied. “I talked to Walt this morning.”
Shoot, Celia thought. “Yeah, sorry I didn’t tell you about that last night. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“He didn’t call me. I called him. When I went outside this morning, someone had keyed my truck and slashed the rear tires.”
“Oh my god, Keith! Do you know who it was? Was it Bart?”
“I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised. If he followed you from here, he probably figured you’d come back here instead of going home.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t, then.” Celia was a little smug.
“Yeah, right, not my point. He probably came back here to wait for you. Since you didn’t come back, he thought he’d send a little message.”
“Oh, Keith, I’m sorry about your truck. What a bastard.”
“I’m gonna report it. They know you’ve been staying with me. Maybe they can connect the dots.”
“I hope so,” Celia replied. “And Keith, can I ask a favor? I know Natasha grills you for information. Don’t mention this.”
“Yeah, she’s a bulldog. She has a way of fishing...”
“So that you say more than you meant to. I know. But don’t tell her this.”
“I’ll keep it quiet.”
“Thanks, Keith. I’ve got a meeting, but I’ll call later.”
After she ended the call, Celia cursed to herself and broke a pencil. It didn’t solve anything, but she felt better. It was almost 9:30, and she was meeting with Julia at 10:00. Julia had been an underused talent when John was in charge, and Celia had been meaning to talk to her about a byline. She’d been one of Celia’s biggest supporters, and she deserved a reward for her loyalty.
At 10:30, as Celia was wrapping up her meeting, Gladys interrupted. “I’m sorry to disturb you. But you have a call. I think it’s an emergency.”
“Your life is never boring, is it?” Julia chuckled.
“You have no idea,” Celia rolled her eyes. “Let me know what you decide. I’d like to start this at the beginning of February.”
“It’s the police,” Gladys said softly as she transferred the call to Celia’s office.
“This is
