"Well, what can I do with it then?"
"I'll get my car out of the underground parking here, and you can put yours in its place. That way it'll be off the street so if he's going around looking for it, he won't be able to find it. I'll drive you to Ev's place in my car. You can lay down in the back seat so you're not visible to anyone outside the vehicle. Then when we get to Ev's, we'll sneak you into the house after I've scouted out the street and made sure that he's not hiding somewhere, watching your house. Sound good?"
"Sounds very thorough, I must say. I didn't know veterinarians had this kinda knowledge on hand. How many spy movies have you watched?" I joked.
He chuckled. "More than my share, but I wasn't always a vet. I did some work for Uncle Sam before this. Work that involved weapons and foreign lands and that sometimes involved being covert."
"And did Everett also do this kind of work? Is that how you know him?"
He smiled. "I'm not sure how much Everett has told you, so I'm afraid I can't really say anything about that. But let's just say that he and I go back a long way. We'll leave it at that."
"Alright," I said, feeling a little disappointed that he wasn't willing to divulge any more detailed information.
"Well, are you ready to go?" he asked.
"I am. Are you?"
He lifted up the front of his shirt, revealing a large handgun tucked into a holster on his belt.
"I'm definitely ready," he replied with a grin. "If that psycho stalker of yours is around, he's gonna get more than he bargained for, I can tell you that."
"Thanks for your help, Jimmy. I really do appreciate it, and I have to say that I do feel safer."
"Hey, it's not a big deal at all! Actually, it's kinda fun for me, know what I'm saying? I have been living a very quiet life as a veterinarian for a while now, so I appreciate having a little excitement in my life."
We headed outside, and he locked the place up. A few minutes later, I parked my car in his underground spot and then got into his, laying down on the back seat as instructed.
"I hope you're not too uncomfortable back there," Jimmy stated.
"I'm alright. It's not a very long drive anyway."
"No, it's not. Alright, well let's get going, and I'll keep my eyes peeled for this psycho stalker."
We drove the rest of the way listening to Jimmy's music, which I had to admit I enjoyed. He seemed to have a fondness for the 50’s and 60’s classics.
After a while, we reached Everett's place, and Jimmy pulled into the driveway. He stopped the motor and then spoke to me.
"We're here, Vivienne," he said. "But I want you to stay in the back there until I tell you otherwise, alright? I'm gonna do a quick recon. I'll check out the street and nearby houses to make sure nobody's hiding in the bushes. After that, if it's all clear, I'll let you into Ev's place. And then, if you want, I can go across the road to your place to see if everything is alright there. Though, I might want to wait until it's dark, just in case this creep has set up any hidden cameras around here to monitor your place. Right now, I doubt he has any idea that you're gonna be just across the road from your house, and we don't want to do anything that will give away the fact that you're here."
"Sounds like a plan, Jimmy. I'll wait here for you."
"I'll leave the music on so you're at least not too bored."
"Thanks."
He closed the door, and over the music I heard the sound of him trudging away. It seemed like forever that he was gone, but after some time, he returned and opened the door.
"The coast is clear," he said. "There was a suspicious car parked up the road near the street, but when I walked toward it, whoever was in it drove off pretty quick. Still, let's not think we're safe yet – complacency is dangerous. We'll get you inside nice and quick, around the back of the house. You ready?"
"I am," I replied.
"Let's go."
He opened the door, and I climbed out quickly and hurried behind him as he jogged around to the back of the house. We opened the place up, and as soon as we got inside, I felt a wave of relief washing over me.
"Whew, it feels good to finally be able to relax a little," I remarked.
"Sure does. Well anyway, I'm gonna have a drink. Ev told me there were beers in the fridge. You want one?"