Keeping Guard, page 9
“Doing something you don’t love can do that to you, I suppose.”
The bell jangled on the front door and Suzy straightened. “I gotta go. Good talking to you. You’re good for this place, Kylie. I don’t know why you chose to come here, but I’m glad you did.”
Kylie watched her walk away before turning back to her work area and preparing for her next order. But her mind was on Nate. If there was one thing she’d learned from having lymphoma, it was that life was too short to do something you didn’t love doing. What would it take for Nate to realize that?
The day had gone fairly smoothly, all things considered. But the weekend was nearly upon them and business always picked up on the weekends. Nate wasn’t sure what he’d do without Carrie here to help out.
He sighed and leaned back in his desk chair in his cramped little office. His ex-girlfriend Deanna used to help him in the restaurant, but she’d been unreliable. She always had some kind of emergency come up where she’d need his help right then. And of course he’d always dropped everything to help her. He hadn’t minded helping; in fact, he’d wanted to help.
But he’d realized that she’d been using him. Their relationship had been one-sided, with her doing all the taking and Nate doing all the giving.
She’d needed rescuing, and Nate had been more than happy to do the job. What he hadn’t realized at the time was that she was one of those people who clung to their rescuer and nearly pulled them underwater also.
The two had met when Nate accidentally clipped her car while parking. The scrape was minor, but she’d been in tears. Nate had offered to fix her car, since she didn’t have insurance and Nate didn’t want to get his insurance company involved.
A week later, when her car had broken down on the side of the road, she’d called Nate for help. That evening, they had coffee and she explained that she was new in town and looking for a job. Said she’d been running from a hopeless situation back home and needed a new start. Nate had fallen for it all. He’d even stuck with her when he discovered that the hopeless situation was that her boss had fired her from the department store for embezzling money. The money she’d needed for a dying grandma back home had simply been pocketed. Her grandmother had passed away years ago.
He hadn’t found any of this out until Deanna had disappeared one day and he went looking for her, worried that something was wrong. That’s when all the ugly truths had been discovered. He hadn’t actually found Deanna, but he’d found people from her past who’d filled him in. He’d eventually heard through the grapevine that she’d taken up with a wealthy businessman she’d met at the Revolutionary Grill. She’d moved up to Richmond with him and was now enjoying the indulgent lifestyle she’d always desired.
Never again would he be taken for a fool. He didn’t mind helping out the occasional damsel in distress, but never again would he date one. Never again would he trust one, for that matter.
Kylie stuck her head in the door. “Have you given any thought to what you’ll do tomorrow? Carrie probably won’t be up for coming in.”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about that. Haven’t come up with any great ideas, though.”
“There’s always Harvey…”
“Harvey knows nothing about working in a restaurant.”
“But he’s great with people. That’s all you need for someone who’s greeting patrons, seating them and bringing them water. I think he’d be a great choice.”
Nate scowled. “He’s too old to be on his feet all day.”
“He’d disagree. He has more energy than any twenty-year-old I know.” She stepped back. “Think about it.”
She started to walk away when Nate called to her. She turned in his direction.
Nate had to ask a question that had been on his mind. He leaned back in his chair, trying to appear casual. “Kylie, have you been changing my recipes?”
The guilt he saw in her frown gave him his answer.
His chin jutted out. “I appreciate your eagerness to help, but our customers like our dishes the way they are.”
Kylie’s frown disappeared and fire ignited in her eyes. “Your customers are mostly tourists who come here once on vacation and never come back.”
Tension pinched his back. “That’s not true. I have regulars. And they’ve noticed some changes lately. I appreciate your enthusiasm and your help, but I didn’t bring you here to improve my menu or give me advice. I brought you here to…to keep you safe.”
Kylie scowled. “I was just trying to help. You know, if you just made a few simple changes, it could make a big difference.”
He held up a hand. “Save it, Kylie. I’ve got enough on my plate now as it is. The last thing I need is to mix up things here.”
She held up her hands in what appeared to be surrender. “I think you’re making a mistake, but fine. This isn’t my restaurant, so I shouldn’t care one way or another. Besides, with any luck, I’ll be leaving soon.”
Why did her last statement feel like a slap in the face? Nate didn’t have time to figure it out now.
“I’d like to take my dinner break now. Is it okay if I use your computer?”
He reached into his pocket. “You can use the one in my apartment.”
Kylie didn’t smile when she took his keys. “Thanks.”
When she was out of sight, Nate let his head drop back onto the chair. Women. Why did they have to be so complicated?
Kylie stomped upstairs. Why couldn’t Nate simply appreciate her opinions? Listen to her suggestions? Taste the improvements she’d made to his soups and salads? Why did he have to be so hardheaded?
She jammed the key into the lock and opened the door to Nate’s apartment. Standing in the doorway, Kylie’s gaze wandered the place freely. Typical bachelor pad, she decided. Coast Guard memorabilia hanging on the wall by the computer caught her eye. Crossing the room, Kylie examined it. The light in Nate’s eyes was different in these pictures. He should still be in the Coast Guard instead of making himself miserable trying to run a restaurant that he despised.
She shook her head and plopped down in a rickety computer chair. It wasn’t like Nate would ever listen to her opinion anyway. She turned the computer on, and a moment later it had booted up. The Web page for Kylie’s Kitchen appeared on the screen. Kylie raised her eyebrows.
So, Nate had been checking out her show? She shouldn’t care and scolded herself for the joy she’d quickly felt.
Shaking her head, she navigated to the show’s message board. A string of messages from FAN756 popped up. Kylie sucked in a breath as her gaze scanned them.
“We need some new episodes of Kylie’s Kitchen. I heard she’s not taping right now and wonder why. Anyone know?”
Someone replied that Kylie was on vacation.
FAN756 replied, “I wonder where she went. The Caribbean? The mountains? New York City?”
Others speculated various other places, based on restaurants and travels she’d mentioned on air. Thankfully, they were all wrong.
The next thread was about the cooking demonstration scheduled for today.
Someone wrote, “Kylie’s cooking demonstration canceled for today. Too bad. I miss seeing her beautiful face. Anyone know if she’s appearing anywhere else instead?”
Kylie mouth dropped open when her home address flashed across the screen. “You can find her here, although she might not appreciate you dropping by unexpectedly. LOL.”
How had they found her home address? And why in the world would someone post it online? Were they insane?
Her brother knew about FAN756. Whoever this person was, he remained at the top of the police’s suspect list. If only they could trace this person’s identity. The person posted from different locations and never from a computer that required logging in.
Kylie shuddered. She’d tell her brother about the messages and have him call Larry to remove her home address from the site. What else could she do at this point?
She glanced at her watch. She had to get back down to the restaurant in a few minutes. Quickly, she logged on to her email account and braced herself for whatever she might find.
Most of the messages were from FAN756 and stated the same things as had been written in the forum. She forwarded them all to her brother.
Kylie focused on the rest of her emails. Larry, her producer, had sent her several emails claiming they needed to talk. Nothing but his normal “Larry” diatribe. Where was she? He needed her back. New opportunities had popped up. Blah, blah, blah. She shot him an email back reminding him that she was on a well-deserved vacation and everything could wait until she returned.
There was one final email from an unknown sender. She hesitated before clicking on it. A video popped onto the screen of Kylie cooking on her set. She recognized it as an old episode of Kylie’s Kitchen. Except this time, the oven exploded and Kylie’s face melted like wax down the screen as flames ate away at her.
Kylie gasped. At the end of the video, the words “Come out, come out, wherever you are” scrolled across the screen.
Fear clenched her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut as the taunt replayed in her mind. Would this nightmare ever end?
TWELVE
Kylie 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.
