Haunted by the Past Ch. 13

It should've been even easier for me to catch you alone this time... But now, I'll have to try and follow your husband to see if I can pick up on days or times when he'll be gone for a while in the evening...

He'd been watching her for two weeks now. She only went from her home to the movie studio and back home again. She didn't leave the studio lot during the day. And if she went anywhere in the evenings, it was with her husband or one or all of her girlfriends. And she was never alone.

He snorted in frustration.You've become a cautious little thing, haven't you? I wonder why...

He started the car and headed toward the FBI office. Hopefully, he'd be able to catch her husband and his partner before they left the building. He could follow them for a little while and maybe learn something that might be useful. Luckily, he caught them just as they were coming out of the front doors and headed to their car. He followed them at a distance as they headed toward a warehouse district.

They parked on the street and were watching the comings and goings of people from an import/export company's warehouse on the next block. Around noon, they left when it was obvious that everyone at the warehouse was taking a lunch break.

They're probably going to lunch, too... Now might be a good chance to learn something if they talk about what they're up to over lunch...

He followed them again. Sure enough, they stopped at a diner and went inside. Hood parked down the street out of sight after he'd turned around at the dead end, and then walked to the diner. He kept his head down and his hat pulled low over his face. He entered and sat at a booth directly behind her husband with their backs to each other.

They ordered lunch from a waitress who was being overly friendly with them, saying things like "sure thing, handsome" and "you got it, sexy man!" They were chuckling after she left their table.

Ed wanted to snort in disgust.Women find those two so handsome that they'll act like a slut around them...

When the waitress came to his table, he ordered a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He stifled the urge to throttle the woman for acting like a whore with the other two and barely even noticing him! He listened attentively when he heard them talking about what they were up to.

"We haven't seen anyone that headquarters sent us photos of as being known suspects in past schemes entering or leaving this warehouse. But we still have three other warehouses to check out. And we need to do more surveillance at different times of the day and night. Criminals don't usually work just nine to five, you know!" Tom said jokingly.

Charles chuckled silently. "Yeah, I know. I just hope Diana and Lynda won't worry too much while we're gone. Diana got upset with me when I told her that I wouldn't be home until late because we have to do surveillance for a while Wednesday evening. She claimed I scheduled it on purpose just so I could get out of helping her with some of the preparations for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday!"

Their conversation was interrupted when the waitress brought their drinks.

Ed Hood grinned sickeningly.So...she'll be home alone the evening before Thanksgiving...

He didn't need to hear anything else. He glanced at his watch and muttered, "Damn!" He got up and walked over to the waitress and said apologetically, "Miss, I'm really sorry, but I'll have to cancel my order. I just remembered that I have a meeting I'd forgotten about. Sorry for the trouble."

Tom watched as the man that had been sitting behind Charles got up and spoke to the waitress and left. Charles never saw the man's face; his back had been to him the whole time. Tom scanned the photos in their file to see if the man looked like any of their suspects, but there was no resemblance to any of them.

A few minutes later, they saw a vehicle that looked familiar pass in front of the diner.

Charles looked at Tom with a slight frown. "Wasn't there a vehicle that looked like that parked near us at the warehouse this morning?"

Tom replied quietly, "Yeah. And it was following us before we got there. I noticed it a few miles before we stopped. I took the license plate number and a description. We can get somebody at the office to run a check on it. I have no idea what will come up on it. The plates were from Oregon."

"Oregon?" Charles asked in confusion. "Does the list of suspects include anyone from Oregon?"

"No." Tom answered. "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. The car could be stolen or the plates could be stolen. We won't know until they run a check on them and see if the plates and the vehicle match. If they do, then we'll run a check on the owner and see what turns up. But it sure looks as though somebody's interested in what we're up to!"

They raised their eyebrows at each other.

Then Charles said, "I'm glad Lynda told Diana that she and the other girls would come over Wednesday evening and help her with the preparations since you and I won't be home. Jon and Rick are also on duty that evening. Diana said they planned to meet after work and have dinner at a restaurant and then they'd go back to our house and prepare some of the dishes."

Tom grinned at Charles and then chuckled. "I told you there'd be some perks to these odd hours! See how much work it can get you out of at home? And they can't get mad at us because..."

"It's my job, honey!" Charles and Tom said sarcastically together as they chuckled harder.

**********

Ed Hood left the warehouse district and headed toward his mother's small house. All he had to do was hole up there until sometime Wednesday afternoon. Then he would go to the whore's house, sneak onto the property, break in and wait for her to come home. It almost sounded too easy.

Maybe fate is on my side and wants to see the bitch pay for her sins, too...

He was almost out of food at his mother's house. He made a quick stop at a grocery store to buy enough food for a couple more days. He stopped at a store that he'd never been to before so there'd be less likelihood of him running into anyone he knew. He made his purchases quickly and left.

Ed didn't know that the store clerk pulled out a flyer with his photo on it after he left and immediately called the police. The store clerk had always had a knack for recognizing faces. He had made it a hobby to collect wanted posters and other photos of criminals just to memorize their faces in the off chance that one might cross his path one day.

Too bad there wasn't any kind of reward for this one...I sure could've used the money! At the very least, I'm doing my civic duty...that ought to count for something...

Hood parked his aunt's car in the back alley where no one would see it and let himself in through the back door. He'd been careful to make sure no one ever saw him coming or going. He went into his old bedroom and pulled a box down from his closet. He took out the gun he'd been holding onto just in case he ever had to take matters into his own hands.

Like I do now...

He loaded the gun, stuck it into the pocket of his overcoat and looked at his reflection in the dusty mirror over the dresser. His eyes burned with rage as his mouth twisted cruelly.

My purpose is clear...

He had only two days to wait until judgment would be rendered.

Then punishment would be swift and justice would be done...

**********

Just before Diana was leaving her office at the movie studio Monday evening, her phone rang. She answered, "Diana Richards...how may I help you?"

"Diana, it's Jon. I wanted to let you know that I'm sending Rick and his partner to escort you home. We had a call earlier today from someone who reported seeing Ed Hood in the city. We've got officers staking out his former hangouts, but since he gave up his apartment before he left the city the night he attacked you, we have no idea where he might be staying. We've been trying to check local motels, but he could be using an alias so it will take time to visit them all to show his photo around.

"Until we can get any leads, we're going to have a police patrol unit at your house whenever you're there to keep an eye on things. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure this bastard doesn't get anywhere near you. I've also called the FBI office so they can get a message to Charles to let him know what's going on. So, don't leave your office until Rick gets there, OK?"

Diana was sitting at her desk shaking. "OK, Jon. I'll wait for Rick. Is he on his way?"

"Yes, he is. He should be there any time. Try not to worry. We'll do everything we can to protect you. I'll see you later, OK? Bye, Diana."

"Goodbye, Jon...and thanks."

Diana replaced the receiver with a shaking hand and stared at the phone for several moments, her mind whirling. Then she jumped when she heard a knock on her office door.

"Diana, it's me, Rick! I'm coming in!"

The handsome new husband of her good friend Dawn, L.A.P.D. Officer Estevez, opened the door.

Her face was pale and she appeared to be shaking. "I guess you got Jon's call, huh? That's why I'm here. We didn't think you'd take the news too well. Come on, I'll drive you home in your car and my partner, Larry, will follow us."

Diana and Rick arrived just as Charles and Tom pulled up.

Tom stayed for a few minutes as Rick updated them, and then headed home to Lynda. Tom frowned. He knew his wife wasn't going to like hearing what was happening with her best friend.

Rick and his partner stayed until the assigned police patrol unit arrived and parked across the street from the house. Rick introduced them to the officers and then he and Larry left.

The officers assured them that they would keep watch until their shift ended and the next unit arrived. Charles and Diana thanked them and told them to let them know if they needed anything to eat or drink. The officers showed them that they were already prepared with a thermos of coffee, a bag of sandwiches and a box of donuts.

Their good friend, Detective Jonathan North came by a little later to give them the details.

"A clerk at a grocery store in Inglewood reported that Hood came into the store this afternoon around one thirty. The clerk has a knack for recognizing faces. He keeps track of wanted posters and photos of criminals still on the loose. Unfortunately, he didn't see Hood get into any kind of vehicle. He may have parked around the corner of the building and he didn't drive by out front. The clerk gave a good description of what he was wearing, but that probably won't help us much.

"No one who knew this guy has seen or heard from him since before that night and no one even knows if he has any family in the area. We've looked up his birth certificate, his social security number and his driver's license. His mother's maiden name is on the birth certificate, but we can't find any record of an address in her name anywhere, and the father is listed as unknown!

"Other than the fact that he does have a birth certificate, a social security number and a driver's license, there are absolutely no other records of any type on this guy! No ownership of property, no title to a vehicle, no other known relatives and no previous criminal history! It's like he's untraceable!"

Jon and Charles sat shaking their heads in frustration as Diana paced back and forth nervously.

"So what do I do? I can't just hide somewhere and cower hoping that this bastard will show up at some point when the police are around so you can catch him! I'm not just going to curl up and pray that he won't come after me...I know that's why he's come back! He's coming after me...I just wish I knew where and when!"

Charles looked at her in shock. "Diana, how do you know that he's come back just to get you?"

"Because I can feel it...here," she said, her voice shaking as she put her right fist to her stomach.

"I felt something like this the night we came back from our honeymoon. I got this feeling that something bad was going to happen when I started thinking about the fact that you'd be in danger sometimes once you became a field agent. I had thought that it was trying to tell me something was going to happen to you. Only it didn't feel that bad. I felt it was something that would affect you profoundly and would test the strength of my commitment to you. Which is exactly what we went through after that bastard raped me!

"I started feeling like this again a couple weeks ago and I had no idea what it would be about at first. But I've been feeling like I was being watched again...I've felt like this off and on for years now. And Jon said that bastard seemed to have been following me for a while! But, this time, what I sense for you is that you'll be angry and confused—like you'll have trouble figuring out how to handle whatever happens!

"I don't know what it all means! I can't get any specifics on anything. There's nothing to tell me when to expect it. The feeling doesn't intensify over time...it just comes and goes at random and always feels the same! It doesn't help me at all! I don't like knowing that something's going to happen and feeling like there's nothing I can do to stop it! It's making me crazy!"

Charles moved to Diana and held her as she tried to calm down. Her whole body was shaking, but it wasn't just from fear. She was still angry and confused—wondering why God, or whatever force was behind these "feelings," would give her the ability to sense impending danger without the ability to also possibly avoid it?!!

At least now she could take extra precautions. She could make sure she was never alone. She would be constantly on the lookout for the bastard so he couldn't sneak up on her. And she could carry her gun! Maybe the bastard would just give up on trying to get to her!

He couldn't possibly be so crazy as to attack me in public...could he...

Jon got up to leave. Diana went to him and hugged him. "Thanks so much for everything you're doing, Jon. And tell Barbara that I'm sorry I kept you here so long!"

Jon smiled and replied, "You know Barbara understands about my job! Besides, she was your friend before she was my wife...I know she'd want me to do everything I can to protect you."

Jon put his hand on Charles' shoulder before he walked out the door. "Hang in there, buddy. We'll do everything we can."

Charles and Diana sat up for a while reclining together on their living room couch watching television until it went off the air. They looked out their front window and saw the police patrol unit still sitting across the road.

They went to bed and made love for a while. Neither one of them felt very sleepy. Then they took a shower together, crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep holding each other tightly...with Charles' gun under his pillow.

They managed to get a few hours of restless sleep.

When they got up the next morning, they saw another police patrol car parked across the road. Charles walked out into the front yard to pick up their newspaper and said "good morning" to the officers. He asked them if they'd care for breakfast.

The officers thanked him and showed him that they'd already had theirs—coffee and donuts.

Charles chuckled as he headed back into the house. Even as tired as he was, he couldn't help but think it was funny that cops always seemed to be drinking coffee and eating donuts...