You Belong to Me – 27

 

 

Darin smiled dryly. “A good question. Perhaps he thought you were here and waiting for him?”

 

“Why the hell would he think that?”

 

“You tell me.” Darin turned to look when he heard someone say his name.

 

Officer Turner said, “We know how he was killed, now that they’ve turned the body. Three stab wounds to the chest. According to the ME, from his initial assessment, one thrust probably struck the victim’s heart.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“They’re ready to move the body, once you look at it.”

 

Darin excused himself and went out to the living room. “Any indication if Mr. Reynolds tried to defend himself?” he asked the ME.

 

“It doesn’t look like it. There are no defensive cuts on his hands or arms. My best guess at the moment is that he was taken by surprise, either by someone he knew, or someone he didn’t know was here until it was too late.”

 

“What kind of knife?”

 

“I won’t be able to tell you for certain until I do the autopsy, other than that it had a broad blade. Perhaps a butcher knife.”

 

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

 

“He appears to be a healthy male in his mid-twenties. If he had been able to defend himself, I give good odds he wouldn’t be dead now.”

 

Darin nodded thoughtfully. “All right. Take him away.”

 

Corey looked up when Darin returned to the kitchen. “What happens now?”

 

“I suggest you pack a few belongings and find a motel or a friend’s place to stay at. The CSI team still has hours of work ahead of them.”

 

“I would have anyway. No way am I staying here until…. Will your people clean up… everything… when they’re finished?”

 

“No. Once we release the scene, it’s up to you to hire a company to do it.”

 

Corey’s mouth tightened. “Great, just great. Guess it’s what I’ll have to do, then. I doubt the building owners will be willing to pop for that.” He stood, telling Darin he was going to do as he'd said, pack up some stuff and move to a motel. When Darin asked, Corey gave him his cell phone number, muttering under his breath to remember to pack his charger. In exchange, Darin handed him his card, which Corey tucked in his pocket.

 

“I’ll be in touch tomorrow,” Darin told him. “By then I’ll have more information, and undoubtedly more questions.”

 

“Lucky me,” Corey replied acidly before leaving the kitchen.

 

Not really, Darin thought, since I have the feeling either you killed Reynolds, or you know the real reason why someone else did.

 

Darin went back into the living room and told Officer Moore to follow Mr. Byrne to make certain he ended up at a motel. Then he called in to have an officer assigned to watch wherever Byrne decided to spend the night.

 

You Belong to Me – 26

 

 

“So he came back to try again, found Mr. Reynolds here, and killed him?” Darin asked.

 

“Brad wasn’t here. I mean, obviously he was, but there’s no way he could have gotten inside. He didn’t have keys.”

 

“Then how did he get in?”

 

“If you think I let him in, you’re crazy,” Corey said angrily. “I told you, I was waiting for him at the club. I was going to call him to find out if there was a problem, but my phone was dead. So I kept waiting, just in case. I finally gave up and came home to… to this.” He waved a hand toward the living room.

 

“Does anyone else have keys?”

 

“No. And when I left tonight, I turned on the security system. I told the officers that.”

 

“You’re certain?”

 

“Yes, damn it!”

 

“As far as you know, did Mr. Reynolds have any enemies?”

 

“I have no clue. Even if he did, how would he and they end up in my apartment?”

 

“Good question. Do you have any enemies? Or a jealous ex who might have wanted Mr. Reynolds out of the picture when he found out the two of you were seeing each other?”

 

Corey was about to say, “My stalker,” and panicked. What if he thinks I made the whole thing up so I could kill Brad? There’s no proof I have a stalker. Not really. He took a deep breath and replied hesitantly. “No jealous exes. I… I’m not really… really out, so I wasn’t actually ‘seeing’ Brad, as you put it.”

 

“You were at a gay club tonight,” Darin pointed out.

 

“The Scene caters to everyone.”

 

“But mostly gays. It would have been obvious the two of you were together if you like to dance.”

 

Corey sighed. “True. But no one knows except the people I see there.”

 

“You hope. Okay, let’s get back to the murder. You say Mr. Reynolds didn’t have keys. Was he the type of man who might have come inside if he saw the door was open?”

 

“Maybe. I don’t know. What I don’t get is why he came here in the first place.”

 

You Belong to Me – 25

 

 

Darin Foster watched Corey Byrne carefully. From the look on his face, he didn’t seem too surprised when he finally saw who the victim was. Shocked, but not surprised. “A friend of yours?”

 

“Yes,” Corey whispered. “We…we were supposed to meet up at a club tonight, but he never showed.” He gulped audibly. “I guess I know why, now.”

 

Darin nodded as he led Corey into the kitchen. When they were seated at the small table at one side of the room, he took out his notebook and a pen. “For the record, I need your full name.”

 

“Corey James Byrne.”

 

“Age?”

 

“Twenty-three.”

 

“Place of employment?”

 

“The Open Door Shelter.”

 

“You said you and Mr. Reynolds were going to a club. Which one?”

 

Corey glanced away as he replied, “The Scene.”

 

Darin resisted registering surprise. I wouldn’t have figured from looking at him. “It must have been busy, being a Saturday night. Did you see anyone you knew who could confirm you were there?”

 

Corey looked at him in shock. “Why would I have to? Oh. You can’t think I…I killed him? Why would I?”

 

Ignoring his question, Darin continued. “You told the officers that when you came home, you saw the door to the apartment was open. Why didn’t you check to see if everything was all right before calling us?”

 

“Someone broke in a couple of days ago. I thought it could be the same person and he might still be here.”

 

“Was anything taken the first time?”

 

“Yes. A rather expensive watch.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

Corey nodded. “It’s not like I have a lot that’s worth stealing.”

 

“Most thieves go after electronics and such. Things worth pawning.”

 

“Well, this one didn’t,” Corey replied, sounding defensive.

 

 

You Belong to Me – 24

 

 

The officer started to reply but stopped when the elevator doors opened and several people emerged. All but one of them was dressed in protective overalls. Before the crime scene team entered the apartment, they put on paper shoes and latex gloves. The man Corey thought must be the detective did as well before going inside.

 

Inanely Corey wondered why the two police officers hadn’t done the same before they’d entered the apartment. Because they thought it was just a burglary, he decided. Until….

 

Corey took a deep breath, got to his feet, and then realized that two of his neighbors were standing just outside their doors with questioning looks on their faces. Officer Moore went over to one of them and talked quietly to him. Corey saw the man shake his head at one point. A moment later the man went back into his apartment. Then the officer spoke with the woman who lived next door to Corey, taking notes on what she said, just as he had with the man. When they were finished, she too went back inside.

 

“Mr. Byrne?”

 

Corey turned to see the man he presumed was the detective coming out of the apartment. He found out he was right when the man introduced himself as Detective Darin Foster.

 

“I need to talk with you,” the detective said. He smiled slightly. “Preferably not out here. We can go into your kitchen.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Corey followed him around the edge of the living room. Men and women were either huddled around the body or checking out the rest of the room. Detective Foster stopped momentarily and went over to one of the men by the body to hold a brief conversation. Then he indicated Corey should join him.

 

Reluctantly Corey did. He sighed deeply when he saw the victim’s face.

 

“Do you know him?” Foster asked.

 

Corey nodded. “His name is Brad Reynolds.”

 

 

You Belong to Me – 23

 

Once they were in the elevator, Officer Moore said, “I take it you didn’t call a security company like we suggested.”

 

“I did!” Corey protested. “The next morning. They came and set it up.”

 

“And you turned it on when you left this evening?”

 

“Of course. I’m not stupid.”

 

“I wasn’t implying you were, but sometimes people do forget. Especially when it’s new to them.”

 

“Well, I didn’t,” Corey told him adamantly as they got off the elevator.

 

“You wait here while we check things out,” Officer Turner told him.

 

Corey watched with a great deal of trepidation as the two officers, guns out and ready, approached the door to his apartment. Officer Moore stood to one side of it, while his partner eased the door further open with his foot and then cautiously stepped inside.

 

After a moment’s pause, Officer Turner said something Corey couldn’t hear, and Officer Moore went in. Corey waited impatiently, figuring they must be going through the apartment to make certain whoever had broken in wasn’t still there. Finally Officer Moore came out, beckoning for Corey to join him. The look on the man’s face told Corey all was not well.

 

He stepped into the apartment and gasped in horror. Officer Turner was kneeling beside a body. Corey knew the man had to be dead from the amount of blood pooling on the hardwood floor around his torso.

 

“Stay where you are,” Officer Moore said when Corey started to move closer. “Do you recognize him?”

 

Corey shook his head. “I….” He gulped. “I can’t see his face, so… no.” That was the truth because the victim’s head was turned toward the kitchen door. Still he had an awful feeling he did know who the man was from his build and the clubbing clothes he wore. “Can you… can I come around and….”

 

“No. We’ve called this in. A detective and the crime scene team are on their way. You have to stay right there so as not to contaminate the scene.”

 

“Do you… can you tell how long he’s been dead?”

 

“No. That’s for the medical examiner to determine.”

 

Corey turned away and went back into the hallway, trying desperately not to be sick. He sank down on his haunches and leaned against the wall, resting his head on his arms. Hearing footsteps, he looked up to find Officer Moore staring at him, a mixture of compassion and suspicion on his face.

 

“I didn’t kill him,” Corey spat out.

 

“I didn’t say you did,” the officer replied.

 

          “But you’re thinking it.”

You Belong to Me – 22

 

 

Corey walked into the club at exactly eight fifteen, shivering because he’d left his jacket in the car. He would have been on time if the car had started the way it was supposed to. It took him five minutes to realize his battery was dead, and ten more before he could find another tenant to give him a jump.

 

Looking around, he didn’t see Brad. Of course, with the place crowded to the walls, that didn’t surprise him. He fought his way to the bar, thinking about what Brad had said—that he’d buy Corey’s first two drinks.

 

So how do I find him in all this madness, since he isn’t at the bar?

 

He ordered a beer and worked his way from there to the dance floor, checking out the tables along the way. He squeezed in between two guys along the railing who were eyeing the men demonstrating their dancing skills—or lack thereof, in some cases.

 

Maybe he got hung up and tried to call.

 

Corey took out his phone to check, even though he knew he’d have felt it vibrate. Then he swore under his breath. The damned thing was dead, which startled him. He knew he’d charged it last night as always. Maybe it’s time for a new battery?

 

With no other option, he kept looking for Brad. He’s probably doing the same thing: going one way while I go the other. With that thought, Corey went back to the bar area and waited for a space to open up. When one finally did, he planted himself on the stool and ordered another beer.

 

Finally, when it hit ten o’clock, he gave up, feeling beyond pissed. “He stood me up,” he muttered under his breath.

 

“Now who would stand up a good-looking man like you?” the guy next to him said, smiling hopefully.

 

Not in the mood for games, Corey ignored him, set down his empty bottle, and left. It was close to freezing out, so he made it back to his car in record time, immediately turning it on so he’d have heat, then putting on his jacket.

 

His disappointment was matched by his anger at Brad—and at himself for not having checked his phone before leaving the apartment. If something had come up, and Brad had tried to call, he was probably equally pissed off when Corey didn’t answer.

 

He was halfway down the hall to his apartment when he realized something was wrong. The door was open enough that he could see a narrow band of light from the table lamp he always left on in the entryway.

 

Corey took out his phone, intending to call 911, before remembering it was dead. After a moment’s hesitation, he hurried back to the elevator and went down to the manager’s office to bang on the door. It was opened a couple of minutes later by the woman, whom he had obviously awakened.

 

“Please, I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to call the police. I think someone broke into my apartment again.”

 

“Oh no,” she replied in consternation. Stepping aside, she pointed to the phone on her desk.

 

He called and explained to the dispatcher what was happening. He was told to wait in the lobby until the police arrived to check it out. After thanking the manager, and apologizing again for waking her, Corey began pacing the lobby. When someone rapped on the front door, he saw it was the same two officers he’d spoken with after the first break-in.

 

You Belong to Me - 21

 

 

By the time Corey got off work Saturday evening, he was more than ready for his date with Brad. The only saving grace to the past few days since the break-in was the fact that he’d heard nothing more from his stalker. Maybe they’ve given up? Came and got the watch and now they’re going to give it to their next victim? I can only hope.

 

As he got dressed, he realized he was humming “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” and smiled.

 

He’d always liked Brad and often wondered why they hadn’t progressed beyond the occasional night together.

 

Probably because I’m not ready to do more than play around when I can, with who I can, with no stings attached. That way, no one has any reason to want the sort of relationship that would mean I’d have to admit to the world—and the family—that I’m gay.

 

He thought about what he’d just told himself and nodded. It was the reason for breaking up with Mike. Like Mike said, being closeted is not the best basis for a real relationship. So now I keep it light. Keep it simple.

 

But with Brad… I could get used to having him in my life. Would it be worth the results, though? Could I handle being disowned by the family I love, the way he was? He grimaced. Obviously not.

 

That didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy his time with Brad tonight. With that thought in mind, he finished dressing, checked the mirror to be certain he looked all right, and then left the apartment, making sure to arm the security box as he did.

* * * *

Brad had only been at the club for a few minutes when his phone vibrated.

 

“Please don’t be Corey backing out,” he muttered before answering.

 

“Brad, it’s Corey. I have a problem.”

 

He frowned, trying to hear what Corey was saying over the noise of the people and the music in the club. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s my car. It decided not run for some reason. Look, would you mind coming by to pick me up?”

 

With a sigh of relief, Brad said, “Not at all. I’ll be there in ten minutes or less.”

 

“Thank you, thank you.”

 

Brad was halfway out of the club by the time they said good-bye. Ten minutes later he pulled up in front of Corey’s apartment building. He expected to see him waiting in the lobby, and when he didn’t, he called to let him know he’d arrived. When the call wasn’t answered, he frowned, deciding Corey must have turned his cell off for some reason, and got out of the car. He buzzed Corey when he got inside the entryway.

 

“Come on up,” Corey said, sounding tinny through the small speaker. “I’ve got something to show you.”

 

Brad grinned. Maybe their date would begin and end here. He could live with that.

 

 

You Belong to Me – 20

 

 

The first thing Corey did on Thursday morning was call a security company. When he told them why he needed them, the man said they’d have someone out there before noon. Then he called in to work to tell Mr. Zimmer he’d be late and why. Thankfully the installer came within the hour. The man showed him how to arm and disarm the box once Corey had decided on what code to use. He also taught Corey how to change the code if he wanted to.

 

As soon as the installer left, Corey finished dressing and took off for the shelter.

 

“You oversleep?” Archie asked with a grin when Corey ran into him in the rec room.

 

“Nope. I was getting a security box installed at my place.”

 

Archie frowned. “Why?”

 

“Someone broke in yesterday and stole the watch.”

 

“You’re shitting me. Is that all they took?”

 

Corey nodded. “Strangely enough, yes.” He smiled dryly. “Not that I have a lot of valuables a thief might want.”

 

“There goes your donation to the fundraiser.”

 

“No kidding.”

 

“Maybe the person who gave it to you decided they wanted it back since you weren’t using it.”

 

You have no idea how right you are, I suspect. Corey’s mouth tightened momentarily, and then he smiled. “They could have just asked me for it.”

 

“And ruined the surprise of who they are? Do you have any clue yet?”

 

“Not a one.”

 

“That’s so weird. Oh well, at least that was the beginning and the end of any communication from your secret Santa. Maybe she’s the wife of one of the board members. They were all here for the Christmas party. She was going to sneak it to you because she’s got the hots for you, but you were out of town. So she dropped it off and then decided you weren’t worth losing her meal ticket over, and that was that.”

 

Corey snorted in amusement. “Have you ever considered writing fairy tales? Because that would make a great one.”

 

“You wound me,” Archie protested. “I thought it was the perfect answer to the mystery.”

 

“Not. I’d better get moving, and hope to hell the guys didn’t decide that since I wasn’t around to monitor them, they could skip out without cleaning the dorms.”

 

As he walked away, Corey shook his head morosely. It would be great if Archie were right. But he’s not. Whoever gave me the watch has no intention of stopping with just that. And for damned sure it isn’t the wife of one of the board members.

You Belong to Me – 19

 

“It sounds like you’ve got a stalker. Have you reported it?” Officer Turner asked.

 

Corey shook his head. “I got rid of the notes, so I have no proof. Besides which, what can the police do? All this person’s done is harass me from a distance.”

 

“At least if you filed a report, it would be on record in case she ups the ante.”

 

Corey didn’t refute the officer’s presumption it was a female. Even though Corey doubted that was the case, he couldn’t say for certain.

 

“Have you had any visitors recently who might have taken the watch?” Officer Turner asked.

 

“Not since I last looked at it, which was a couple of days ago.”

 

“Does anyone else have keys to the apartment?”

 

“No. Well, I suppose the manager does, but I don’t think she’d come snooping and take it.”

 

“Probably not.” Officer Turner closed his notebook. “All right, we have the particulars. We can get a forensics team in here to look for fingerprints, but unless whoever took the watch is terminally stupid, I doubt they’d have any luck.”

 

“And I’d have fingerprint powder all over everything,” Corey said wryly. “That’s okay. I think I’ll pass.”

 

“If this person calls again, make a note of the phone number, even though it does come from a payphone,” Officer Moore told him.

 

“Actually, I suspect all of them are on my phone, since I haven’t cleared out my call index in a while.”

 

“Give us the list, please. It probably won’t do much good unless all the phones are in the same area. In that case it might give us a general idea where the stalker lives, works, or hangs out.”

 

Corey went through the index, writing down the numbers, and handed the paper to Officer Moore. “Is there anything else you need?” he asked afterwards.

 

“Nope, so we’ll be on our way. One suggestion,” Officer Moore said after glancing at the door, “get a security system. Even a simple one will let you know if someone tries to break in again. Whoever took the watch might know how to pick a lock, but it’s a long step from that to disarming a security box.”

 

“Believe me, I intend to…now. Thank you for your help.”

 

Officer Moore nodded. “Not certain we did much, other than take down your report of the robbery and the stalker’s phone calls.”

 

“You made me feel a bit safer, which counts in my book.”

 

“Then you’re welcome.”

 

 

You Belong to Me – 18

 

 

The tall, dark-haired, model-perfect officer introduced himself as John Turner, which Corey had already figured out from the name tag on his shirt. The other one, who was rather average-looking in comparison to Turner, said he was Officer Moore.

 

Taking out a notebook, Officer Turner asked, “What did the thief take, Mr. Byrne? A complete list, if you’ve made one.”

 

“Only one thing,” Corey replied. “A watch. A very expensive one,” he added.

 

Officer Turner nodded. “Describe it, please.”

 

“It had a plain black face with gold hands and a gold-and-silver band. I know it was expensive because I checked it out a couple of times, wishing I could afford it.”

 

“So it was a gift?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you certain you haven’t just mislaid it?” Officer Moore asked.

 

Corey sighed. “Quite certain. I’ve never worn it. It was still in the box it came in, in the back of my dresser drawer.”

 

“May I ask why you never wore it?”

 

“It… umm… was given to me anonymously, so to speak.” When Office Moore asked, Corey explained how it had shown up at the shelter.

 

“And you have no idea who gave it to you?”

 

“Didn’t I just say that?” Corey asked a bit scathingly. Then he apologized. “Whoever it was, they, well…. Okay, this probably sounds weird, but they sent me a Christmas card of sorts a couple of days later with a message saying ‘I’m hurt. You haven’t been wearing my gift.’ Then a day or so after that, there was a message slipped under the door that said pretty much the same thing.”

 

Officer Moore frowned. “Have there been any other communications from this person?”

 

Hesitantly Corey nodded. “I got a phone call. The person whispered something about my belonging to them.” He wasn’t about to tell them the bit about being called a slut. “And then there was another one along the same lines. I tried calling the first one back. It came from a payphone, as did the second according to the caller ID. Well, actually the fifth one. I got three I didn’t answer because they were from payphones too.”

'Jealousy' is live!

Jealousy

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/jealousy-p-4131.html  

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N37YRYW

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jealousy-edward-kendrick/1140723120?ean=9781646569403

 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/jealousy-68

 

GENRE: Gay Mystery Romance
LENGTH: 32,031 words
RATING:

It all began when Brock hired Pat McKenzie to become the newest employee of Moran Investigations. Neither of them expected it would be more than that until someone slipped a note under Pat's apartment door warning him to stay away from Brock. In an attempt to draw the man out, they decide to pretend they are in the beginnings of a relationship that is more than merely boss/employee. This accomplishes two things. One, the man steps up his harassment, and two, what was pretend might become the real thing the more time they spend together outside of work.

If they're going to stop the man, they have to find out who he is, and that may be more difficult than they anticipated. Can their budding relationship survive when the harassment escalates as the man attempts to force Pat out of Brock's life, even if he has to destroy him in the process?

EXCERPT:

The remainder of the week went about as Pat figured it would. He spent his mornings doing background checks and then worked alone, or with Tom or Daniel on their cases. He and Brock got in the habit of eating lunch together at one or another of the nearby restaurants, taking Tom with them on one occasion.

He spent Saturday doing chores and then going for a long walk, ending at a local bar for supper. Sunday, he decided to add to his collection of books. He went to the book mall he'd seen the previous Saturday night, leaving a couple of hours later with a bag of books and one of the co-owner's cheerful "Come back when you need a dozen more," ringing in his ears.

Monday morning was bright, sunny, and warm, presaging the advent of summer even though it was still a month away. Pat got dressed and was heading to the kitchen to make breakfast when he saw an envelope sticking out from under the front door of the apartment. A note from the building manager? he wondered as he picked it up. He couldn't think of anyone else who leave him a message.

* * * *

An hour later, Pat stalked into Brock's office, tossing the note and the envelope it came in on his boss's desk. "Is there something you forgot to mention during my interview, after I let you know I'm gay? Something like the fact you're gay, too?"

Brock frowned as he read it aloud, noting that it was created by pasting letters together from various sources. "Keep away from Brock Moran or else. Short and not so sweet. When did you get this?"

"It was under my door this morning and you didn't answer my question."

"Not that I keep it a secret, but telling you I'm gay wasn't relevant at that point, at least as far as I was concerned."

Pat blew out a frustrated breath but agreed he was probably right. Taking a seat across from Brock, he tapped the note. "What I can't figure is, why would someone think my knowing you was a threat to him on a personal level, if that's what he's implying? Other than working for you, we haven't done anything together except going out to lunch and that was strictly business. We weren't holding hands or making goo-goo eyes at each other."

Brock snorted out a laugh. "True. Of course whoever wrote this might not mean what we're thinking, although I do admit telling you to keep away from me comes across like he's jealous of you."

"Not to put too fine point on it, but are any of the other guys here interested in you?"

"Not that I know of. Hell, as far as I know they're all straight, but then I've never asked and it hasn't come up in any conversations with them. As I said, the fact that I'm gay isn't a secret but I don't flaunt it, either."

"Any exes who might be pissed if they saw us at lunch?"

"Nope."

"Short and sweet."

"I've dated a few men." Brock smiled wryly. "That's it, though, and the relationships ended amiably on both sides. Or I should say, if any of them didn't like the idea of our breaking up, they didn't make an issue of it. What about you?"

"Damn, I've only lived here a few weeks. I haven't had a chance to get to know anyone that way. Okay, I'll take that back. I went to a couple of gay bars last weekend but I left alone. That's beside the point, though. Whoever left this," Pat tapped the note again, "wants me to leave you alone, by name."

"Good point. I'll give this to Len, to see if he can find any prints. Honestly, I doubt he will. Whoever put this together, meaning the cut-and-paste letters, undoubtedly knows we're private investigators and would have made certain not to touch it with bare fingers."

"It's still worth a try. All it takes is one slip, or one bit of hair as far as that goes. The envelope wasn't sealed, but even if it had been, he'd probably have done it with water, not licking it."

"I agree. Len will need your prints, and mine, for comparison."

"Of course."

They took the envelope and note down to Len, and Brock explained where it had come from and how.

Len read it then looked at them. "Is there any basis for what it says?"

"Not in the least," Brock told him.

"Well, someone obviously disagrees." He took Pat's fingerprints, reminded Brock he had his on file, and promised he'd let him know if he found anything that might potentially identify who sent the note to Pat.

"Guess that's it, for now," Pat said when they returned to Brock's office. "I could say it was a one-off, but somehow I doubt it. He, and I suspect it is a he, must have followed me home from here at some point, since it was left at my place."

 

 

You Belong to Me – 17

 

Wednesday was much the same as Tuesday, although with the temperature rising somewhat, there were a few less men vying for clothes or one of the beds. Corey took the time to buttonhole Mr. Zimmer and tell him his idea. His boss said he’d pass it on to the board of directors.

 

When Corey got home, he parked in his usual spot and took the elevator up to his floor. Again, as he had all week, he unlocked and opened his door, then glanced down, very relieved to see no folded piece of paper with a message from his nemesis.

 

Half an hour later, he was sitting in front of the TV eating supper. The news was the usual mix of stories about bad politicians and gruesome crimes, intermingled with fluff pieces, sports, and the weather. After that, nothing interested him, so he went onto the computer to check his Facebook page and e-mail. He answered a letter from his mother, telling her—and by extension the rest of the family—about the past week in the exciting life of a social worker at a shelter. With that done, he settled down to finish the book he’d been reading.

 

By ten he was ready to hit the sack. As he got undressed, he frowned. Something was off, although he couldn’t put his finger on what. Probably nerves, he figured, but still….

 

His bed was just as he’d left it that morning, well made with the comforter unwrinkled. Everything on the top of the dresser was in its rightful place, the same with the nightstand. Then it hit him. One of the top drawers in the dresser wasn’t closed all the way. It was only an eighth of an inch open, if that, but it was enough to give him the creeps, considering it was the one where he’d stashed the watch.

 

He felt around along the back corner of the drawer, where he remembered putting the box after the ill-fated attempt to find out who had purchased the watch. It was gone.

 

He checked the other drawer just in case and came up empty. “Okay, this is it, Mr. Whoever You Are,” he spat out angrily as he called 911. When the dispatcher answered, he told them he wanted to report a robbery and gave them his address. The woman replied that she’d have a pair of patrol officers stop by to talk to him.

 

Furious that his stalker had been there, rather than being afraid because he had, Corey paced through the apartment, checking to see if anything else was missing. As far as he could see, nothing else was gone. That convinced him it had to have been his stalker. After all, who else would take just the watch? By the time he was finished, his anger was abating, replaced with a sense of dread. How did they get in here? For sure not through a window, since I’m on the fifth floor. I’ve got my keys, and I haven’t loaned them out to anyone.

 

The sound of the buzzer startled him momentarily until he realized it must be the police. He buzzed them in, and when they got to his door, he asked them to hold up their badges to the peephole so that he could see them. Of course the fact they were in uniform should have reassured him, but Kerry had drummed it into the heads of everyone in the family that they were to check badges. If they were the least bit suspicious, they should call in the numbers to make certain the officers were the real McCoy.

 

Finally satisfied, Corey opened the door and let the two officers enter.