Page 55 of Lost on Ice
He chuckles at my cheeky response. “Getting burned sounds kind of fun. Hell of a lot better than breaking a leg.”
Okay, somehow — despite everything happening in my life right now — he’s got me smiling. We get up to leave the restaurant together, the distance between us feeling just a little bit smaller than it did before the meal.
Chapter Nineteen
ABBIE
The sympathetic lookon Detective Peterson’s eyes does nothing to ease my anxiety. I feel so sick to my stomach that I’m surprised I haven’t vomited yet. My hands are shaking so hard that when I try to lift a cup of water to my lips, it spills all over my chin.
“Can you… um…” I can barely form words. “Can you say that again?”
I need to hear it to believe it.
The detective takes a deep breath. “Yes. Okay. After going through your whole apartment, we found three cameras in your bedroom, all aimed at the bed.”
I nod weakly. Cold sweat runs down my neck. “And other rooms?”
Lilah’s room. That’s all I care about, really.Please, tell me there was nothing there.
Detective Peterson consults a notebook. “Fortunately, there were no other devices found in any other part of the apartment.”
I exhale hard as relief washes over me. Me being this insane person’s target is bad enough, but at least they’re not bothering with Lilah. I just need to make sure whoever is stalking me never has a reason to go after her, now. As much as I hate to be apart from her, I wonder if I should have her stay with Dad and Vivianne until this all blows over.
“We’re going to see if we can track where the cameras were purchased,” Detective Peterson explains. “That might help us narrow down potential suspects, but I can’t make any promises; it won’t help if they were bought in cash, or secondhand on an online marketplace… you know how it goes. I’ve also filed for a warrant to obtain phone records. We won’t be able to track where the text messages came from, but it’ll help us build our case against whoever this guy is when we finally catch him.”
My heart sinks. I was hoping for more of a guarantee that they’d be able to find this guy, but I suppose Peterson doesn’t want to promise more than he can be sure he can deliver.
“Okay,” I murmur. “I appreciate your help, thank you.”
Detective Peterson nods. “My team and I are going to head out now. Are you okay being here alone until Jake gets back, or do you want us to keep someone outside?”
Jake isn’t far: After dropping me off here and making sure I was okay letting the police inside, he immediately went around the corner to buy new, reinforced locks for the door. He should be back at any moment, but the thought of being alone here for even a second makes me nauseous. Still, I don’t want to be a burden. I’m an adult, and I’ve been dealing with this stalker asshole for a while now.
“I’ll be okay,” I assure him.
He gives me a hesitant look. “All right. I’ll be in touch if we find anything.”
“Thanks.”
I watch as he and the other officers file out of my apartment. When the last one crosses the threshold, I shut the door and lock it. Have to admit, I’m glad Jake is getting new ones.
Moving to the living room, I sink onto the couch and try not to think about being so alone right now. Does the stalker know I’m here by myself? Will they take this opportunity to come for me?
Ugh, my mind is going crazy. I need to calm down. My paranoia is getting the better of me.
A sudden knock on my front door startles me out of my thoughts. I jump up, my heart hammering, and hurry to look out the peephole. When I see my dad standing out in the hall, I let out a long breath of relief.
Thank God… here I was thinking my stalker was just showing up at my front door, giving no fucks about getting caught anymore. I’d almost forgotten Jake had texted Dad to let him know it was safe for Lilah to come home.
Undoing the lock, I open the door and give my dad a shaky smile.
“Hey,” I murmur. “Thanks for bringing her back.”
His brow is furrowed in concern. “Hi, sweetheart. You okay?”
Before I can answer, Lilah rushes inside and wraps her arms around my legs.
“Mommy! Missed you!”
