Death Waxed Over - Tim Myers [75]
Morton replied, “Then she’s no worse off than she was before.”
I watched them drive away, then I remembered my wallet. That was just what I needed, getting a ticket for driving without a license after what had just happened. I took a chance and walked back to Becka’s, not really expecting her to answer, but not really having much choice, either.
To my surprise, she opened the door before I could even knock. “What was that all about?” she asked as I stepped inside.
“I thought you’d be asleep,” I said.
“I should have taken two pills after all. As soon as you left, I was wide awake again. I heard voices out here, but I wasn’t about to come out. Was that Vince the cop arrested?”
“He was hiding in the bushes watching your place,” I said. “He claims he was just trying to protect you, but the sheriff doesn’t believe it.”
Becka shivered. “Is your offer to stay over still open? I don’t think I’d be able to sleep a wink after this.”
“I’d be happy to stay till morning,” I said. “All I need is a blanket and a pillow and I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, Harrison. For everything.”
I nodded, and she quickly got me settled on the couch. After we said our good nights, I lay there wondering if Vince was a protector or a stalker. If I’d gone after him by myself, I knew I would have believed his story. He was that convincing.
I’d drifted off, and Becka’s telephone brought me abruptly awake. “Hello?”
“Harrison, is that you?” It was Sheriff Morton. “What did you do, decide to move in and make yourself at home?”
“Becka was afraid to stay by herself, so I’m bunking on the couch.”
Morton said, “She had every right to be concerned. This guy’s definitely the one who’s been stalking her.”
“He confessed?” I asked, still shocked that I’d misread the super.
“Not at first, but after we ran his prints through the computer, he caved soon enough. It turns out Vince is really Vance Gregory, a man with two outstanding warrants in California. Care to guess what they were for?”
“Stalking,” I said.
“Hey, you got it right on the first try.”
I took a deep breath, then said, “You were right. I was wrong.”
“About Vince? Don’t sweat it, the guy’s a born con-man. You found him hiding in the bushes, and that brought him to our attention. You did a good thing tonight, Harrison.”
Compliments were rare enough from the sheriff, but I wasn’t in the mood to accept any. I’d completely misjudged the man. In fact, the only thing I had done right was calling the sheriff into it.
Still, Becka’s troubles were over. That was what counted. I thought about waking her up and sharing what I’d learned, but I finally decided to let her get a good night’s sleep before breaking the news to her. It was the only way I’d manage to get any more sleep that night myself, now that it looked like the threat was finally over.
Becka came out the next morning and woke me up. “Hey, don’t you have a candleshop to run?”
I glanced at the clock and saw that even if I were at my apartment, I wouldn’t make it to the studio for my appointment in time. I said, “Give me a second to get dressed, would you?”
“You never struck me as the shy type before,” she said.
“Well, I am now.”
She shrugged, then walked back into her bedroom while I hastily pulled on my pants. I was just buttoning my shirt when she walked back in again. “Are you decent yet?”
“Come on out. There’s something we need to talk about before I go.”
“Harrison, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been teasing you. I just can’t remember sleeping that soundly.”
“You might want to sit down. I’ve got something shocking to tell you.”
She did as she was told, perching on the edge of the loveseat that matched the sofa I’d slept on. “What is it?”
“The sheriff and I found your stalker last night. He’s sitting in jail right now.”
A wave of emotions crossed her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you? How can that be? Who was it?”
“I told you we found the super hiding in the bushes last night. Well, it turns out Vince is wanted in California for stalking two other women. When the sheriff confronted him, he confessed to it all, including