Caffeine & Killers (Roasted Love Cozy 3)

I just stood very still for a moment with the phone in my hand, feeling something like shock. The voice had been very deep and sounded like gravel scraping against pavement. It was a voice I didn't recognize... maybe disguised.

For the first time, I was afraid.

I looked around the park. An older couple sat watching their cocker spaniel play with another dog. A young couple ran with their two beagles, and Thor joined them.

Then a sudden motion in the trees on the other side of the park caught my eye. I saw tree limbs sway wildly and then stop. Someone was leaving the area in a hurry.

With shaking hands, I quickly called Daniel. His message line switched to a dispatcher and I was told Daniel was on a call. When the dispatcher asked if I had an emergency, I answered no. It would take a lot of explaining and time to tell her why I thought someone moving in the bushes near a public park was a threat to me.

But I stayed in the park for another ten minutes anyway, to give Thor time enough to run. Then I called him to me and we walked back towards home.

I had a weird feeling that someone was following. I turned to glance back, but the street was empty except for the mailman making his deliveries. I hurried Thor along and breathed a sigh of relief when I reached my home and got inside.

I locked my front door and then called Chief Hayes.

"The voice was disguised, I’m sure," I told him. "It was deep and gravelly."

"All right. Laila. I'll send someone out there right away to talk to you. Try to remember any other details, if you can."

I thanked him and hung up. While I waited for the cop to arrive, I searched my mind for any details I may have subconsciously picked up from the movement I'd seen in the trees.

When the officer arrived, I described the whole incident with the threatening phone call and the person I believed was hiding in the bushes – and then told him that the person must have been tall.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Well, the leaves that moved on the trees were on some fairly high branches. If I had been walking under them, my head wouldn’t touch them. I’m five foot six. I think whoever it was had to be taller. But I couldn't get a good look because of all the brush and bushes between me and him. I was also facing the sun, which made it that much harder to see any details."

The officer finished taking my report. "If you remember anything else, let the us know. In the meantime, keep your doors locked and be aware of your surroundings."

"I will. Thank you." I closed the door, knowing that little would come from the report unless I had something more substantial for the department to go on.

A few minutes later, my phone rang again. I panicked. The cop just left. This guy must still be watching me and calling to taunt me.

But as I looked at the phone, I let out a big sigh. It was Daniel. Man, was I happy to see his number show up on the caller I.D.

"Hey Daniel, am I glad to hear your voice!" I gave him the short recap on what had happened. I could hear the concern in his voice.

"I’m glad you called it in to the police, Laila," he said. "Anything else happen since then?"

"Nope. Not until you called. I thought it was gonna be mister creepy-gravel-voice again," I smiled through the phone, still relieved.

"Good. I’ll come by and pick you up for dinner tonight."

I was very relieved to know that he was on his way over. An evening out with him would go a long way towards getting my mind off the stalker.

# # #

Daniel picked me up in the early evening and we went to the Bistro, the same place where Anna Masters and I had enjoyed a meal together. The crowd there lifted my spirits. Most patrons looked to be in their twenties and thirties. Daniel and I didn’t talk about who the caller was or who may have been watching me at the dog park. Daniel had a way of turning subjects to the positive and I was grateful for that.

After dinner, we took a stroll down the sidewalk. People walked in and out of the restaurants, or walked along to do some window shopping. It was a pleasant evening and I felt secure with Daniel at my side. With him there, I felt nothing could harm me.

When we got back to my apartment, Daniel made coffee and I relaxed on the couch. I rested my feet on the low table in front of it. Daniel smiled when he brought two cups of steaming coffee into the living room.

"Good. You look relaxed," he said. He placed the hot mugs on the table and leaned over and kissed me. Then he sat down and just waited calmly. I knew he would not ask me about my unpleasant experience at the dog park until I was ready.

For a few minutes, I savored the sweet coffee and the atmosphere of peace. "Okay, so you want me to recap the whole thing? Maybe you can help me figure more out," I finally said.

"Go ahead. Take your time."