The Alphabet of Love Ch. 14

Trevor called me a week or so later to let me know he'd be in town over the weekend. I was sure he'd timed it for the weekend in hopes that I would have more time to spend with him. His flight got in late Thursday so we made plans to meet for dinner on Friday night. All day Friday I fretted about whether or not to tell Derek that I was going to see Trevor. I could tell him later, I thought, make it sound like Trevor had come to town unannounced and I'd had dinner with him. No big deal. Right?

I had bigger problems, though, than the delicate dance between Trevor and Derek. When I checked my phone around three, after seeing one of my few remaining patients, I had a voicemail from an odd number. As I listened, my knees buckled and I had to get to my desk chair.

I hadn't given the murder in the Nevada desert much thought since I'd come home. The message was from the Boulder City Police Department, informing me that someone had hacked into their computers and they didn't know how much information had been compromised or extracted. They were calling me, because, as a potential witness against the desert killers, my name was now potentially in the hands of an anonymous person who could do whatever they wanted to with it. The implication was clear: the cops believed that the hacking had been accomplished by those killers, deliberately looking for the names and addresses of the two witnesses to their crime.

It seemed an extreme step to take, I thought, calming down a little. After all, Derek nor I could identify them in a lineup. Perhaps they didn't know that? Maybe they believed we'd got a good look at their faces? That we'd heard more in the conversation leading up to the shooting than we really had? Either of those seemed likely. Who would go to the trouble of committing yet another crime just to get our names, if they didn't think we were a serious liability?

I shivered. I felt suddenly vulnerable. Dared I go home?

Derek had left a message on my office voicemail; he'd got the same call as had I. He and his son would be driving up to see Mercury at college this weekend. He'd already contacted a security company about working on his home over the weekend, and alerting security at the clinic. He asked me not to go home until I had a plan in place to be safe. What was I supposed to do? Hide out? Who was going to feed Faldo?

Trevor. I'd be seeing him tonight. Faldo loved him. I could have him check to make sure everything was okay. Or should I? What if someone was lying in wait, and they killed him, thinking he meant something to me? I'd never live with myself.

Shit.

So much for going home to change before dinner. I made myself look as good as I could with the little makeup I had in my purse. My plain navy blue slacks and sweater set looked conservative, doctorly, but they were all I had to wear. Maybe it was just as well. If I looked too sexy it might send the wrong message.

The look on Trevor's face told me he'd expected me to have changed before I met him here at this nice seafood place on the waterfront. He'd called earlier for a reservation, and it was a good thing. The place was packed. He said nothing about my clothes, though; kissed me and said I looked beautiful.

Liar, I thought.

We were seated and he ordered wine, then smiled across the table at me. "It sure is great to see you."

I nodded. "You too. You look good. Politics must agree with you."

He made a dismissive noise. "Not really. Just doing what I need to do for my Dad. Are you okay? You seem a little . . . off."

"I got some upsetting news today," I said vaguely.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Yes but I really don't want to drag you into it. Although just by being with me you're already in it."

He waited until our wine had been served and we placed our orders to quiz me. "What's going on?"

I sipped wine gratefully. "You know I just got back from Vegas a couple of weeks ago."

"Yeah," he said, a bit defensive, as he knew I'd been there with Derek.

So I told him about the desert murder. And how my and Derek's names were probably now in the hands of someone who wanted to kill us for whatever it was they thought we knew.

"Oh shit," he said, in a low voice, looking around the restaurant. "Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately, I am."

"You really think they're coming for you?"

"I have no idea. But I also don't know if I should go home. I really don't know what to do."

"Well," he sat back, thinking. "If they know your name now, they can look you up online. No doubt they know where you work. Any social media?"

I nodded. "But my Facebook is set as private as I can make it. It's literally just a profile picture, my name, and that background picture thing."

"Well, don't accept any new friend requests," he advised.

"I suppose it wouldn't be hard for them to find out where I went to school and all that, I don't know if they could trace me back to Wenatchee."

"Probably can. Your name's unusual enough. All sorts of shit will pop up. We can take a look if you want. Then you'll know what they know."

"I guess I'll have to," I said, unhappy. This was turning into a nightmare. I couldn't even go home, who knew for how long? Was I being followed right now, were they just waiting for a deserted stretch of road to run me off, or a dark corner of a parking lot to shoot me?

Trevor was still thinking. "I can go to your place for you, check on the cat, get anything you need."

But I shook my head. "No, I don't want you to be in danger. They might kill anyone associated with me. I don't know."

"Unless they've got the whole place video-rigged, they'll never know which apartment I'm in. I go with a low light and keep it close to the floor so they don't see anything from outside."

He seemed to know way more about this than I expected.

"If they figure out what kind of car I drive, I'm fucked," I said, polishing off the wine a little faster than I should. "A bright red Acura NSX? That'll stick out like a sore thumb."

He nodded. "Yeah, you'll definitely have to ditch that. Leave it somewhere, maybe at your work. If you're lucky, they'll think you're there, at least long enough to stall them for awhile."

"What would I do without a car?"

"You can drive mine," he offered. "After this weekend, I won't be in town. It's about as nondescript as you can get. Subaru Forester."

"No, I couldn't -"

"Sure you could. No problem. You can even stay at my place."

"Oh no way," I shook my head vigorously. I'd never sleep in the same bed as he'd slept in with his wife.

"There's no connection between us," he pointed out.

"Yes, but if they find out about you and who your Dad is - that could be bad."

"Why? Aren't they just two-bit criminals?"

"I don't know. The cops said they thought it was a mob hit or some professional job."

He sat for a moment, looking at me. "So all they did was call to warn you, like, what are you supposed to do? Are they trying to find these guys?"

"Well, yes, of course, they've been looking for them ever since the murder. I don't know what kind of evidence they have. But if it's a mob thing, I mean, who knows how many people are involved."

He shook his head. "I don't know what to say, Shiloh. Have you called to find out exactly what happened down there? Wouldn't you think a fucking police department would have their records secured? I've got to think someone from the inside was involved. A dirty cop, paid off maybe. Who knows."

"The thing is," I said, finishing my wine, "I don't know that it matters how it happened. The bottom line is, they know who I am and where I live and work."

"But how bold will they be? Are they going to look for you in a vulnerable place? Or just shoot you in the street?"

I stared at him.

"Sorry," he looked embarrassed. "I didn't mean to put it like that."

"It doesn't even seem real," I said. "For all I know someone is watching me right now."

"Well, what we'll do after dinner is take your car back to the parking lot at your clinic and leave it there," he said decisively. "I'll follow you and see if it looks like you're being tailed. Take some weird turns here and there, you know, don't go straight there."

I nodded. I was kind of wishing Derek, with his fancy high performance driving experience, were here. But I couldn't say that to Trevor.

We drifted off to other topics, but the spectre of my impending assassination hung over us. I didn't eat much, but I did drink more wine. Maybe I could get myself arrest for driving under the influence and be safe in a jail.

When we left the restaurant, Trevor put his arm around me, as if shielding me from view or attack. I appreciated his concern, but another part of me felt silly, as if we were doing this for nothing. After all, I didn't know anything that would convict those murderers. The problem was, they didn't know that.

As soon as I got in my car, Derek called me. I put him on hands-free as I backed carefully out of the parking lot, watching to see where Trevor was.

"Where are you?" Derek wanted to know.

"I'm leaving a restaurant," I told him. "I had dinner with Trevor."

"Oh." He sounded as if he weren't sure whether or not to continue.

"I told him what's going on," I said, not caring if he liked it or not. "He's going to help me. I'm leaving my car at work and he'll let me drive his since he's not going to be in town after this weekend."

"That's not going to help much," he said indignantly.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, testy. I navigated along wet streets, as it had been raining, to get to the main artery toward my clinic.

"Get out of town. Okay, take his car and get out of town. Don't go home."

"What am I supposed to do? I have to work!"

"Tell them what's going on. They can't force you to stay there under these circumstances."

"Is that what you're doing?" I challenged him.

"I'll be in Vermont tomorrow. I may stay for a few days, I haven't decided."

"Are you home right now?"

"Yes, but I've got security. And I have a pistol."

"Derek!" I cried.

"What? Come on, I've always had guns. I go to the range a few times a year to keep up my skills. It's just practical."

This was something I didn't know and would never have guessed about him.

"I'm worried about you," he told me, his voice softening.

"So am I."

"Where are you staying tonight?" he asked.

I took a breath as I rolled to a stop at a light. I glanced behind me to see Trevor's Subaru two cars back. "I'm not sure," I answered.

"Are you going to sleep with him?"

I winced at the hurt tone in his voice. "No," I said. I hoped I wasn't lying.

"Does he know that?"

"Derek, please - I just - I'm scared. The last thing on my mind is sex."

"I bet it's not the last thing on his mind."

"Look, I'll call you when I'm somewhere for the night. Probably a hotel. Okay?"

He huffed a little, but said, "All right. I don't care what time it is. Call me."

"I will."

A few minutes later, I arrived at my clinic and pulled to a stop in the parking lot. The cleaning company's van sat in front of the main entrance, and inside I saw someone running a vacuum cleaner. Momentarily Trevor's car came up alongside me. I waited for him to get out before I did.

"All clear as far as I can tell," he said as I made sure my car was locked. "Is this lot patrolled?"

I nodded. "We have twenty-four hour security."

"Good. Come on and get in my car, I don't like you standing out in the open like this."

Oh shit. I shivered at the idea of being picked off by a sniper's bullet. I got into his car and he beside me.

"Now what?" I asked him.

"Well, I'm not sure. I was thinking about it, and you're right. We shouldn't go to my place. A hotel is our best bet."

I honed in on his use of the word 'our.'

"In the morning I'll take a taxi home," he said.

"Listen, Trevor, I -"

"It's all right," he interrupted, putting the car into reverse. "I'm not going to put the moves on you, as much as I'd like to. I know you're stressed right now."

Relieved, I sat back. "Thank you."

"I don't know what you're going to do for clothes, though. And what about Faldo?"

"You think you'll be safe going over there tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll keep an eye out for anyone following us. I didn't see any sign of a tail on the way over here. We can stay somewhere near your place. I'll go over in the morning."

I agreed, and we headed south. We stopped at a branch of my bank so that I could withdraw cash for gas and incidentals until I decided what to do. If these characters could hack into police records, banks should be a piece of cake for them. I didn't want to be tracked by my purchases. We chose a random hotel off the freeway and I let Trevor use his card to book separate rooms for us.

He followed me into my room. "You need anything?"

I shook my head. "I'll be all right. Thank you so much."

He held me close, kissed my hair. "I'd love to stay," he whispered.

Part of me wanted him to, to lose myself in his warm skin, his desire. But I thought of Derek and pulled myself away. "I'm sorry," I shook my head.

"I understand," he said, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "Get some rest. I'll check on you about eight."

After he left me, I undressed and hung my clothes so they wouldn't look too bad in the morning. I washed my underwear in the sink and hung it to dry. I'd be sleeping au naturel tonight.

I got into bed, hugging the covers around myself, and called Derek. I told him where I was, that I was alone even though Trevor had asked to stay with me. Derek snorted a little when I told him Trevor had been a complete gentleman with me. I didn't need his condescension now. I thought he could have been a bit more supportive since I'd blown off a chance for great sex to remain faithful to him.

I tried to think of the situation he was in. He had two children to think of; if someone wanted to shut Derek up, just harm or threaten to harm one of them. In a way, he was more vulnerable than me. He spoke with confident bravado, about his security and gun, but that had to come from a place of fear. Why was he going to see Mercury in Vermont? He hadn't done that before, as far as I knew. He was worried about her. He had me to worry about as well, and more so because I was completely alone. And now here came the cavalry in the form of Trevor, and Derek felt guilty and jealous that another man was doing what he felt he should be doing.

I texted an 'I love you' to Derek before I slid into bed and fell asleep.