Keeping Guard (9 page)

K
ylie hurried to her apartment and called her brother, telling him to watch for the emails she'd forwarded. Maybe the police back home could figure out who they'd come from. It was doubtful. They hadn't figured out any of the emails sent to her before.

Why had she clicked on that unknown email? Sending threatening notes was one thing, but creating a video that showed her dying was another. An ice-cold shiver ran down her spine as she mentally replayed the oven exploding.

A picture formed in her mind of the person behind these threats. Based on his grammar, his computer skills, his video skills and his knack for never leaving any clues, she pictured him to be well educated, professional, maybe even successful.

Colin? She shook her head, praying he wasn't behind this. He'd been a control freak, but he wouldn't stoop this low. Would he?

Or what about Arnold Stephens? He certainly had the know-how and even the money to do whatever he wanted. And he'd shown up here in Yorktown. Was that really a coincidence?

Could either Colin or Arnold secretly be FAN756?

The possibilities only gave Kylie a headache.

She decided to go downstairs.

“You done with your break?” Suzy asked.

“Yeah, why don't you go ahead and take yours?”

“You'll get no arguments from me.”

As she walked back into the kitchen, the bell over the door jangled. She grabbed a menu and went into the dining room to play hostess.

An attractive, dark-haired man walked toward the kitchen. She tensed as he approached, her mind running through ways she could defend herself. She didn't need to. The man halted as soon as he spotted Kylie.

“Hey, is Nate in?” He tapped his knuckles against the counter, seeming to sense her apprehension. “Sorry, I didn't see you there. Didn't mean to scare you.”

“He's in his office. Can I help you?”

“I'm a friend. John. I just wanted to stop by and tell him hello.”

Kylie nodded, still not at ease. “I'll go tell him.” Just as she reached his office, Nate pulled the door open and stepped out.

“John! Glad you could come by. Sit down and we'll get you something to eat.”

Kylie watched the exchange, surprised by Nate's sudden warmth. Nate flipped his hand toward her. “Kylie, this is one of my old Coast Guard buddies, John. John, this is Kylie. She's helping me out here at the restaurant for a few days.”

John smiled again and squeezed Nate's shoulder in some type of male camaraderie. “Nice to meet you, Kylie. Old Nate here can use all the help he can get.”

The two men laughed before sitting down at a table by the window. Kylie drew in a deep breath and decided to put the email behind her for now. After she excused herself, she heard John say something about the Coast Guard Training Center. No wonder Nate had perked up when he saw the man. John was apparently Nate's link to doing what he was passionate about.

Kylie passed the window in front of the restaurant and
paused. There, across the street, standing on the beach. She squinted. Was that Arnold Stephens? What was he doing back in Yorktown? And why was he standing outside the Revolutionary Grill?

Just at that moment, he turned, looked at her and smiled.

Fear sizzled up her spine. Beside her, she was vaguely aware of someone saying her name. A strong hand clamped around her arm and nudged her. Her eyes remained fixated on the man smiling at her from the beach.

Nate's voice rang out again. “Kylie?”

With a trembling hand, she pointed outside. “It's Arnold Stephens. On the beach. Watching the restaurant.”

Nate's lips pulled into a thin line. “John, stay with Kylie.” Before his friend could respond, Nate charged out the door and toward Arnold. John took quick strides to join her.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“It's just that man outside…”

“Is he giving you trouble?”

Kylie shrugged. “Maybe.”

Kylie watched from the window as Nate confronted Arnold. The producer threw his arms up in the air and Kylie imagined that he proclaimed his innocence.

The next thing Kylie knew, Nate was dragging him by the collar back toward the restaurant. Kylie squeezed her eyes closed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was strong enough to face her stalker. She could do this.

The bell jangled and Nate pushed Arnold inside. John stood guard on the other side of the producer.

“He said he was about to come back in here and ask if you'd considered his request to film here.” Nate still grasped Arnold by the collar of his expensive shirt.

“I had no ill intentions.” Arnold held up his hands. “I decided to enjoy the view for a moment before coming inside.”

“Why have you been following Kylie?” Nate demanded.

“Following Kylie? I've been following her show for months,
if that's what you mean. I've simply been trying to figure out if we want to take her on as a new show on Cuisine TV. Nothing evil about that.”

“How'd you know she was in Yorktown?”

“I didn't. Not until I wandered into this fine establishment.” He straightened, trying to shrug away from Nate. “What's going on here? Most chefs who want to make it big would love to have my attention.”

Kylie tried to take control of the situation, but her trembling voice belied her act. “Can you verify where you've been over the past two weeks, Mr. Stephens?”

“Certainly. I'll get my assistant to bring you my calendar.”

“Have you been in Kentucky at all?”

“Kentucky?” His eyebrows shot up as if the idea were absurd. “Of course not. Why would I go back to Kentucky?”

If he hadn't been in Kentucky, then he couldn't have ransacked her place.

Kylie licked her lips, trying to remain calm. “I'd like to see that calendar.”

“I can even do better. I can provide you with the names and numbers of people I've been in contact with over the past fourteen days.” His gaze flickered from Nate, to Kylie, to John. “Now, can someone tell me what's going on?”

Nate's gaze rested on Kylie, leaving the decision to her. “Someone's been stalking me for the past several months, Mr. Stephens. I'm here in Yorktown to lie low for a while until they catch the man who's been terrorizing me.”

His bottom lip dropped down. “Why, that's awful. No wondered you reacted the way you did. But I assure you, I am not that man. I am a fan of yours, but I'd never want to scare someone I'm trying to recruit. That would be ludicrous.”

Nate put a hand on his hip, not lowering his guard even a touch. “So, you're telling me you had no idea Kylie was here when you wandered in last week?”

Arnold shrugged rather sheepishly. “Well, I did have a small clue. Someone from Kentucky who watches you there called me and said they'd spotted you here in Yorktown. I was curious as to what you were up to. I just had to come and see for myself. But, you see, I'd been wanting a tour of this area for quite some time. If I'd known about the circumstances around you coming here, I would have never done so.”

“Someone from Kentucky recognized me here?” A tremble coursed through Kylie. “They didn't say anything to me. Why would they call you?”

“They said one of my shows was on while they were dining.” He nodded toward a TV in the corner. “I posted something at the end of the show about looking for new talent. Something just clicked in this woman's head, I suppose. I didn't think anything of it.”

Kylie shook her head, feeling overwhelmed again. “Mr. Stephens, please call your assistant and ask him to come. I'd like to speak with him alone, please.”

 

Mr. Stephens's story checked out, and he left with the promise that Kylie could still be in touch once her stalker was behind bars.

Yeah, right. She had about as much of a chance to get on Cuisine TV as a high schooler working in a fast-food joint. Her dreams crashed around her, leaving her heart heavy.

Nate plopped down in a chair beside her in the dining area. Mr. Stephens had left and Suzy clocked out for the night.

“Are you okay?” The steadiness of Nate's gaze showed Kylie that she had all of his focus and concern.

She had to tell him about the email she'd received earlier. “Someone sent me a video they'd made of me blowing up when an oven explodes. It's put me on edge. I guess I'm suspicious of everyone now. Even your friend John, when he first walked in.”

She wished she had a friend to hug her, to tell her that
everything was okay. At the moment, she could relate to a buoy floating alone in the middle of the sea.

As if Nate could read her mind, he scooted his chair closer and pulled her toward his chest. His arms felt strong and stable around her. Though her body relaxed, her heart sped. “It's going to be okay, Kylie. This will all be over soon,” he murmured.

“I hate feeling like this, Nate.”

“Anybody in your situation would feel like you do. I'm sorry you're going through this, and I wish I could lift more of your burden.”

She raised her head and saw his intense gaze. “You mean that, don't you?”

“Of course I do.”

She put her head back against his chest. For a moment—just a moment—she wanted to relish feeling safe.

And even though Nate was just being kind, she willed her heart to stop pounding uncontrollably at his closeness.

 

The next morning, Nate looked at his watch for the fifteenth time in that many minutes. Today would be busy, and he'd been counting on Suzy coming in early to help with some prep. She'd volunteered for the task last night, probably to make up for not answering her phone the day when they'd been short-staffed.

As soon as Kylie stepped into the kitchen, still blinking back signs of sleepiness, Nate stopped rolling silverware into napkins and turned toward her. He'd heard the two ladies chatting in the kitchen yesterday, though he couldn't make out what it was about. Maybe Suzy had decided to communicate with Kylie instead of calling Nate. Stranger things had happened.

But as soon as he saw Kylie, he remembered the trauma she'd felt last night and tried to soften his voice. “How are you doing today?”

She nodded. “Better. Thanks.”

Nate wasn't so sure, but he'd have to take her word for now. “Have you, by chance, heard from Suzy?”

Kylie stared at him uncertainly for a moment, still blinking like she needed more coffee before processing his question. “Suzy? Have I heard from her? No. Why?”

Nate shook his head, frustration mounting on his temples. “She's not here, which is unusual. Getting her to come in on her day off is next to impossible, but for her not to show up on a day she's scheduled to work is not like her.”

Kylie seemed to relax a bit. “Have you called her?”

“She's not answering her cell phone,” Nate mumbled. He glanced around the kitchen, trying to decide on his next course of action. He needed Suzy to be here today, and if she was still sleeping, he'd have to wake her up, even if it meant calling her parents. “I'll try her dad. Maybe he knows where she is. There's just absolutely no way to handle tonight's crowd without her here.”

He walked into the office and flipped through his rolodex until he found Suzy's father's phone number at work. A minute later, Simon, her father, answered the phone. Nate explained that he was looking for Suzy.

Simon sighed, the noise sounding like it was born out of weariness more than anger. “No, Suzy didn't come home last night, Nate. I have no idea where she is. I wish I did, so I could remind her about the rules of still living at home at her age. She may be old enough to be an adult, but if she's living in our house, she has to abide by our rules.”

Nate put a hand to his hip while gripping the phone with his other hand. “She didn't come home last night? At all?”

“No, but she does that every once in a while. I wish she wouldn't, but you know how these young people can be. Her mother and I have told her that if she continues, she's going to have to find a place of her own. I'd hate to actually do it, but that's what it's looking like.”

“She's not at work yet. It's very unlike her.”

Simon paused. “If she's not there by ten, let me know. I'll see what I can do. My guess is that she had a little too much fun partying last night, went to a friend's house and over-slept.” The catch of concern in his voice belied his simple explanation.

“Got it, Simon. I'll be in touch.” Nate hung up and ran a hand through his hair as he glanced over his office, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of opening today with just Kylie and himself staffing the restaurant. He had to hire some more workers. But could his budget handle it? He supposed it would have to. Being half-staffed was no way to attract customers. It was no way to even stay open, for that matter.

“What's wrong?” Kylie leaned in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. From her stance, Nate would guess that she'd been there the whole time and had heard half of the conversation.

Nate let out a brief sigh. “Suzy didn't go home last night, but apparently that's not unusual. Her dad thinks she'll get here eventually. He said she's been hanging out with some partying types lately and they've got her acting a little irresponsible.”

Kylie rubbed her arms with her hands as if she was cold. “She's never done anything like this before?”

Nate shook his head. “Never.”

“Maybe she'll show up soon.”

“Yeah, well, in the meantime, it looks like I'm going to have to take your suggestion and call Harvey. I'm running out of options.”

She cleared her throat. “I have another option, if you're open to it.”

“I'm open to anything right now.”

“How about doing a buffet? I'm a caterer. I know how to put together big meals for big crowds. We can take some of the staples from here in the restaurant and make them in big batches. That way we need less manpower up front.”