nut. Gripping the cord, she pulled the drapes shut and paced the floor, trying to figure out what to do. She hated to ruin Smokey’s business trip, but he did tell her to call if anything was wrong. On the other hand, she could call the police, and they’d send a patrol car around. She could even ask if the patrol could come by several times that night. But what about tomorrow, and the day after?
Hearing a noise coming from the foyer, Ashley shuffled through the hallway until she reached the entry. She gasped when she saw the doorknob shaking from someone turning it. Jumping away, she dragged a chair from the family room and jammed it under the doorknob.
“Ms. Callahan? I know you’re in there,” Mark called out.
“I’m calling the police!” she shouted.
“I need to fix your doorknob. It’s loose.”
“Go away!” The guy’s a psycho. Running back into the family room, she snatched her cell phone off the couch and dialed 911. “There’s someone trying to get into my house. Hurry.”
Mark kept knocking on the door, but she ignored him. She tiptoed over to the window and the curtains back, just a sliver, so she could look out. Seeing Gage’s face staring back at her, she screamed and jumped back, her heart pounding as if it were a train on the tracks.
Knocking on the window, Gage said, “Open up. What’s wrong?”
This can’t be happening. Where the hell are the police?
Then, she heard the faint wailing sound of police sirens approaching. A wave of relief washed over her. Peering out the window again, she saw that Mark’s truck was gone, and there was no sign of Gage.
Ashley went over to the front door, removed the chair from under the doorknob, and waited for the police to arrive.
“I can’t believe your handymen are trying to hurt you. It’s like something out of a horror film,” Whitney said as she tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil.
“I knew something was screwy with both of them, but I can’t believe they’d try to hurt me. And in broad daylight.” Ashley shuddered. “I called Zach after the cops left and told him if they come back, I’m moving to the Palace Hotel. Being the cheapskate he is, he agreed to let them go.”
“Did the cops arrest them?”
Ashley picked up her wineglass. “Not yet. They’re still investigating.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever that means.”
“At least they’re under scrutiny. Under the circumstances, the chances of them hurting you now are slim. I hope the cops have enough to charge them. The bastards.”
“I feel like I’m living in a nightmare that I can’t wake up from. First AJ, and now these two. It’s crazier than fiction.”
“I can’t believe you had two separate people stalking you.”
“I just thought AJ was responsible for all of it.” She took a sip of her drink. “I hope I can nail these guys. Who knows how many times they’ve done this to single women?”
“Have you let Smokey know what’s going on?”
“I don’t want to bother him while he’s on a business trip. If the police weren’t involved, I would. But now, there’s no point in him coming back early.”
“Even so, I think you should tell him.”
“I’ll fill him in when he comes back tomorrow.”
“Spaghetti alla carbonara.” The waitress placed the dish in front of Whitney. “And lasagna.”
“Thanks.” Ashley smiled, moving her hands to the side.
Nodding toward the empty bread basket, the server asked, “Would you like some more bread?”
“No thanks,” the two women replied in unison.
When the waitress walked away, Ashley picked up her fork and cut a piece of lasagna. “I’ll be taking half of this home, for sure.”
Whitney twirled her fork in the pasta. “You can eat it for dinner tonight.”
“Or tomorrow.”
“Thanks again for being flexible. I know I said I wouldn’t go in on my day off, but Eric pleaded with me, and what could I say?”
“No worries. Lunch worked out great, especially since I’m working from home today.”
The time flew, and before Ashley knew it, she was back home in her comfy loungewear pants and oversized top, working on spreadsheets for two new clients in Vail. The firm had been garnering more clients in Aspen, Vail, and Grand Junction since she’d moved to Pinewood Springs. She went beyond her normal workaholic self on those clients because she held a sliver of hope that Zach and the other partners would ask her to take over the mountain area accounts, which would mean she could