Page 81 of Loving Violet
“Thank you for tonight,” I whisper, feeling warm with Austin’s arms around me.
He smiles down at me, his eyes full of love. “Of course.”
As we get near the door, I see it. A dead rat on my welcome mat, a chill running down my spine as I notice a note pinned beside it. My heart races with fear and disgust.
“Austin, look!” I gasp, pointing at the rat.
Austin quickly steps forward, picks up the note, and reads it aloud:
“This will be him if you don’t let him go.”
Fear swirls within me, and Austin's expression hardens. “We need to call the police again,” he says, trying to keep his voice steady. “This isn’t over.”
“I need to call Adrian. I don't like that he is in the back alone,” I say as we run toward the back. Adrian is safe dribbling the ball like he said he would. “Adrian, come. We need to go inside now.” At my words, Adrian stops the ball and walks toward us. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
“There’s a dead rat with a note at the door.”
“What? What does the note say?”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to call the police. They need to know about it and we need to pay more attention to our surroundings. No more running to the back of the house alone.”
“Mom, I promise that I won’t leave your side. Is there a way that I can stay with you and not go to school?”
“No. You have classes. I’m going to be okay. We won’t stop living our lives because someone is doing this.” I look in my son’s eyes and give him a small smile. Reassuring him that everything will be okay. When Adrian nods, I give him a kiss on his head.
“Call Josy. I want to make sure that she is okay and see if she saw or heard something,” Austin says as I step away from Adrian.
“Okay.” I grab my phone and call her. I remember our conversation from earlier in the month. Josy was shocked and furious when I finally told her about the stalker. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she demanded, eyes blazing with anger and concern. But she was glad that I had finally confided in her, promising to help in any way she could.
A few minutes later, Austin returns with Josy in tow. “I just got here,” she says, her voice shaky. “I was at the coffee shop working on paperwork and didn’t notice anything when I came back. I wasn’t paying attention, knowing you were at Austin’s parents’ place.”
“It’s okay, Josy. Austin will call the police. This needs to stop.”
“I know. It’s terrifying,” Josy says with a shiver.
Austin calls Officer Miller who arrives quickly. They start to review the footage from the cameras that Esteban helped install. The grainy video shows a hooded figure, face obscured, placing both the rat and note at the doorstop. It's clear he knows about the cameras. His face is hidden from them and the way he walks is certain to cover his identity.
“Now we know it’s a man. He is tall and slim,” Officer Miller says, his eyes narrowing as he studies the footage.
“Yeah, but that can be anyone,” Austin replies, frustration evident in his voice.
“Patience, boy. He will make a mistake, and that’s when we’ll catch him,” Miller says calmly.
“But what if he hurts Violet or Adrian before he makes that mistake?” Austin’s voice is strained with worry.
“Or what if he hurts you?” I add, my voice trembling.
It’s clear Austin doesn’t even care about his own safety. He only cares about me and Adrian. I love that about him he always puts us first but I want him safe too. What would I do if something happened to Austin? I’ve been so happy since I met him, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him. I can’t lose him now.
Why is it that when I’m finally happy, the universe conspires against me? What have I done to deserve this? Haven’t I suffered enough?
Austin shakes his head, dismissing my worries. “He won’t approach me. This dude knows me, and he knows that if he comes near me, I will kill him. He wants to scare you, nothing else.”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask, feeling overwhelmed.
“Because I’ve lived here my whole life. Everyone knows me; they know I’m trained. They won’t mess with me. But with you, it’s another story. The question is, who?”
Officer Miller nods. “We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you all need to be vigilant. Make sure Violet and Adrian aren’t alone, and keep a close watch on the cameras.”
