Page 26 of Risk Assessment
“I see.” Gabe’s voice was slow, hesitant. “But you don’t think so.”
Dylan glanced at the doorway. “I—” He paused, unsure of what to say. Did he believe Raleigh or not? He thought about her reaction to the scarf. “You know, in the beginning, I thought she might be making it up, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Spurred on by Gabe’s willingness to hear the story, he spent the next few minutes filling in the details as he knew them, including the cover he was using for the wedding. “I just don’t think anyone could fake a reaction like that. She was white as a sheet.” He stopped speaking.
Raleigh was definitely being stalked. He knew it in his gut. There was no way she’d faked her responses this evening. And if her stalker was here, she needed his help. And Dylan needed Gabe’s help.
“Okay. I’ll call a friend and see if I can get a copy of the police file on the original incident, and I’ll see if I can speak to the responding officers. If the stalker is operating at this level, this isn’t his first time. I’ll have Connor pull all records for stalking in Queens but it’s a large borough so it’s probably not going to help.
“You said she’s been working for the Harrises for a while now. Maybe the stalker came from up there? I’ll see what we can find on Bedford Hills as well. See if anything stands out. If you get me a copy of the guest list we can run the names against stalker complaints from the last few years, see if anything pops.”
Sweat broke out between Dylan’s shoulder blades. “Um, I can get you the list, but you know how high-profile this wedding is. I’m not sure how you’re planning do the checks. If yourinside source knows some of the people and happens to mention it, things could get problematic. If the guests find out you’re running their names, there’ll be hell to pay. I don’t want you do anything that gets you or Raleigh in trouble.”
There was an amused chuckle at the end of the line. “You think I can’t be discreet?”
“No! I just…”
“Don’t worry, Dylan, I’ve got it. I appreciate you questioning me though. Shows that you’re not only concerned about me but about your client. That’s a good quality, especially if you’re going to work for me. Just make sure you watch your back.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’re at your ex-fiancée’s wedding to a cop from your old unit and, until just now, you thought the woman you’re with might be mentally unstable. Just be cautious.”
Damn. That sounded ridiculous even to him. “Um, yeah.”
“Okay, get me the list, and we’ll start things at this end. I’m going to run a deep background on Raleigh. We need to be one hundred percent certain she’s not making this up.”
Relief washed over him, followed by guilt. He’d wanted to ask Gabe to look into Raleigh, but it had felt disloyal somehow. He was grateful that Gabe hadn’t made him ask.
“And, Dylan, you sure lead an interesting life.” The chuckle was back. “Let me know if anything else comes up.” And then Gabe was gone.
Raleigh was sitting on the stool holding her mug when he walked into the kitchen. He could tell she was lost in thought. He didn’t want to scare her, so he called her name softly as he approached. “Raleigh.”
She jerked the mug and spilled a bit of tea.
“You ok?”
“Yeah.” She looked up at him a bit sheepishly.
He grabbed the sponge from the sink and wiped up the spill. “You want more tea?”
She sighed. “No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
He debated and then decided to tell her the truth about his conversation with Gabe. “Remember the guy from earlier, Gabriel Risk? I texted him and he called back. He said he’s going to read the report on your stalker and talk to the original officers who responded to your call.”
She sighed again. “Wonderful. They think I’m crazy. He really won’t believe me then.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Gabe is a straight shooter. He’s former military and he was a cop briefly before he decided to go out on his own. He’ll be able to see through the bullshit. He’s going to have one of his guys see if there have been any similar cases in Queens and in Bedford Hills over the last couple years.
“Your stalker is obviously smart, and he must have some experience at this if he’s managed to get in and out of your place without getting caught. This isn’t his first time out of the gate.”
Her eyes got big, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the cup turned white. “I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.” She looked up at him.
“Better. He had to start somewhere, and chances are good he’s made a mistake somewhere down the line. This could establish a pattern and, with luck, ultimately, help us catch him.”
He reached out and squeezed her other hand. “As scary as it is, it’s a good thing he’s here. It limits the pool of suspects, and we don’t have to search all over to find him. I know that doesn’t make you feel much better, but I promise to look after you, okay? You’re going to be fine.”
