I want one person to go away for destroying everything for me.
That sounded like a threat! It confirmed what Shanna had told Phyllips about the harassment. “I contacted Shanna and informed her of the text message and told her she might want to contact the Omaha Police Department and have a report placed on file.”
She seemed grateful for the advice and was quick to tell Dave that police were worried his ex could harm her. Shanna showed Phyllips a text Dave had forwarded to her. It had originated from Cari’s phone and referenced the stolen checks: Well, I’ve been talking to my mom on and off, but when I was at Liz’s house a few nights ago, she had some stuff in her garage. I stole a checkbook from her. I wrote a check for $5,000, and because I haven’t gone home in a few days [my mom] made a missing persons report. LOL. I think she thinks Liz is involved. [My mom] told me today to go talk to police, [to inform them] that I am okay, but I don’t think so. I hope she is arrested. Then you can’t be with her.
If the text, allegedly from Cari, was to be believed, it was obvious she’d left on her own steam. It also indicated she’d stolen Liz’s checks in an effort to frame her. The texter was jealous of Liz’s relationship with Dave, and frankly, sounded like she had a screw loose. That fit investigators’ theory she’d had a breakdown. From the cops’ perspective, it sure seemed that the lady was not in danger as her mother feared but had shirked her responsibilities and was now whiling away her days playing head games.
The games were wearing Dave down. As November wound to a close, he was bombarded with over sixty texts and emails per day. He remembers watching television as he tried to relax after work. Suddenly he got a text: I see you in the chair with your feet propped up. You’re wearing your blue t-shirt.
Dave was startled. His feet were propped up. He glanced down at his shirt and realized with horror that his shirt was blue. “That kind of thing happened quite a bit. I’d run outside and look for her.” The wooded setting was appealing in the daytime but eerie at night. The grounds were unlit, and the lights on the street did little more than cast shadows. The trees provided too many hiding places. It didn’t matter how quickly Dave reacted. The watcher seemed to melt into the darkness, always beyond his reach.
He began to shut the blinds at night, but if someone crept close to the window, they could see him in whatever tiny gap he failed to close. They seemed to delight in reporting this to him. You’re in your robe! You just got out of the shower! I see you! The stalker was constantly observing him, aware of his every action. Though he would not have been afraid to face Cari, the idea of being spied on was downright creepy.
Every corner of Dave’s life was invaded. He was nearly fired when someone called his work phone, only to hang up and call back and hang up again. It went on for an entire day, and his boss was not pleased. The incessant calls tied up the line, making it impossible for customers to get through. Dave also worried about his kids and their mom. Amy was receiving multiple intimidating messages daily, often dozens in a twenty-four-hour period, all from someone claiming to be Cari. Amy was called unflattering names, sworn at and warned to: Leave Dave alone! She was uneasy, and somewhat resentful of her ex for inviting a madwoman into their lives.
When his kids visited, Dave watched them closely. Calista was twelve, and Trey, ten, old enough to walk across the grounds to the apartment’s clubhouse without supervision. Now he wouldn’t let them out of his sight. There was no telling what the bully might do.
Dave went to every nearby shop, restaurant, bar and business, and asked managers and employees to be on the lookout for the lady who was making his life so miserable. He showed them her photo, and they listened, astonished, as he told his story. They all shook their heads. No one had seen her.
Dave and Liz began to date again, seeking each other out for comfort whenever their nemesis struck. Compared to the stress of being stalked, the conflicts he’d once had with Liz seemed