He knocked when he got back to the front. “You’re right. It looks like someone cut your phone line, but I can’t tell if they were also trying to peep in the windows. You have a cement pad that doesn’t show any footprints since there’s no mud or snow at the moment.” With a scowl, he rested his hands on his hips and faced the more populated end of the street. “Whoever did it doesn’t seem to be around now, though. Nothing else was disturbed. But why don’t I leave Makita with you and drive around a bit, see if I can find anyone lurking in the shadows?”
She thought of the graffiti scrawled all over the inside of Hanover House, telling her to stay out of town, to go back to where she was wanted, to shut her “bleeping” big mouth, and felt foolish for getting so frightened. She’d let some disgruntled native who was leery of having a prison like Hanover House in the area reduce her to panic. “I doubt you’ll find anyone,” she said. “Whoever it was already did what they wanted to do—they scared me without even having to confront me.”
He frowned at her. “The two boys I believe vandalized Hanover House are troublemakers. I could see them thinking a prank like this would be laughable. I’ll talk to them tomorrow, see what I can find out. Until then, let me do some more searching. You can keep Makita here with you.”
He was gone much longer this time. Evelyn curled up on the couch with his dog while she waited, but soon she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The after-effects of the adrenaline were hitting her hard. Now that she felt safe, exhaustion soon overwhelmed her.
***
He’d go back later, Jasper thought. He’d wait until that cocky young trooper left, then he’d punish Evelyn for ever getting involved with the bastard in the first place.
Was she sleeping with him?
The thought of her in bed with that man in particular, the man who’d looked at him with such a blatant challenge in his eyes at the diner, enraged Jasper. Sergeant Amarok, or whatever he’d been called, had no respect. And Evelyn was such a liar. She’d been on TV, telling everyone how terrible it’d been to be a victim, and how the past had cost her the ability to have a real relationship. But if she had young men showing up at her house in the middle of a Sunday night, she couldn’t be struggling too badly. He’d watched her step right into the arms of that cop!
Jasper had imagined himself as being the only one to have ever been inside Evelyn, and he didn’t like learning that he might have company. It ruined the fantasy. She belonged to him; she always had. He’d been her first.
But, no matter what she’d done in between, he’d be her last. That much he promised himself.
Breathing hard even though it had been at least ten minutes since he’d rushed to where he’d hidden his car and returned to the motel, he continued to pace the worn carpet between the bed and the bathroom. He’d been so close to what he wanted! One minute later, and he would’ve been inside her house!
But he had to admit it was better that the trooper had appeared when he did. Otherwise, they both would’ve had a nasty surprise, and maybe he’d be in cuffs right now. Jasper didn’t plan on underestimating the sergeant, either. He looked strong, and there was no question he was confident. Maybe someone in Hilltop—that someone—would pose a challenge.
Or maybe not. Jasper wouldn’t let anyone outsmart him. He was lucky too. He was free, wasn’t he? And no one had seen him. That meant he’d have another chance.
He glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand. Had the trooper left Evelyn’s house yet? Or was it possible he was staying over?
The thought of that drove Jasper wild, especially because tonight was supposed to be his night. He longed to check, to see, but he had to be careful about how many times he drove over there. Someone could get a description of his car and report that it was in the area. The less he risked being spotted, the better. So he had to wait as much as an hour or two before heading back. Then he’d take the chance. He’d park in the secluded spot he’d used before and walk up to see if the trooper’s truck was still there.
“It better not be,” he grumbled and started to imagine all the things he’d do to make Evelyn suffer for such a betrayal. He’d waited twenty years for this moment; he wasn’t going to have some hotshot cop take his place between her legs.
Or...maybe he shouldn’t wait until the trooper was gone. Maybe he should break in while they were sleeping. He could hold them at gunpoint, then tie up the cop and make him watch what he did to Evelyn.
The idea of that excited Jasper beyond anything he’d felt in a long time—even finding Evelyn again.
Yes, he’d make the bastard watch, Jasper decided. That would satisfy the rage pouring through him. He’d go in another hour or so. He couldn’t imagine they’d stay up even that long. It was already midnight.
He set an alarm for one-thirty—as if he’d need one—and turned on the TV to distract himself. He’d never been a patient person. He wasn’t easily entertained, either. Quickly growing bored with the drama he’d put on, he flipped listlessly through the rest of the channels before throwing the remote aside and calling to check his messages. He had to use the landline to access his voicemail since there was no cell service in Hilltop, but he hadn’t spoken to Hillary in two days, knew she’d be upset.