Stalking Charlie

Pieces To Fit

Marco Stone

"It matched."

Detective Bryan Murdock inspected the white notes with neat, cursive penmanship. These were the notes from Charlie's locker and that bouquet of white roses that was delivered on my home.

I had hidden it from Charlie. I know she'll freak out if she learned that her stalker knows where she lives, and has been keeping tabs on her. The jerk knows she had hurt herself, on the same day. In just a couple of hours.

That marked him as dangerously close to me.

"Stone." Murdock grunted. "You know I respect you and what you do. In fact, I think highly of you. But-"

"Yeah, let's hear it. There's always a but." I interrupted him sarcastically. The lawman just sighed deeply, his exhaustion apparent the way his shoulders sag.

"I'm sorry if I can't help you with this, Marco." he shook his head, grim faced and defeated. "Look, I can see your point. Your client had been receiving unwelcome stuffs from an unknown person, and it's bothering her. We can get a restraining order for that or something, if we know who the hell he is. In this case, we don't. And I don't have time to chase him down, I've got lots of stuff going on, the Carter case is still on going and I'm getting rammed up in the ass by my superior-"

"I don't want to hear about your sex life tonight, Bryan." I cut savagely, distorting his words intentionally. He glared at me but I met it with a hard look. "I'm here for a reason. And we can help each other out."

He just looked at me over his desk skeptically. The police department is buzzing with people even this late at night, but we paid no attention to them, as they do to us.

"You've got reason to believe that your client's stalker has something to do with Madison Carter's disappearance." he said slowly, unbelieving.

"I know it sounded far fetched-"

"It is far fetched, Marco."

"-but think about it." I hurried on. "She disappeared almost the same way my client did before. Very sudden, in the middle of freaking daylight, on a quiet, respectable suburb. It wasn't coincidence that that black car was parked near my house, stayed until my client's father drove off and followed Maddie-"

"We didn't know for a fact that the car followed Maddie and that the same car abducted her." Bryan said sternly.

"Did you gather anything about the car?" I asked, my eyebrow arched arrogantly. "Anything at all?"

The detective merely shrugged his shoulder, running a hand over his tired face.

Then smirked.

"Yeah, we did."

---

I stared straight ahead of the windshield, driving steadily. I can see the dark sky being tainted with hues of gold and tinges of pink as the sun make its way up slowly.

Last night had been a rollercoaster of suspense, and I nearly went berserk. I keep hitting dead end everywhere.

The school had approved my request to check their security. I was positive that I will be able to see who could have given Charlie that note and flowers. But it turned out that the camera near her locker was broken. Some technical problems, the security head officer said.

And those notes.. no fingerprints left behind. It was written too neatly.

I stopped on a red light, my fingers drumming the steering wheel. I turned to see a white folder on the passenger seat.

Private.

Lately I've found myself worrying about Charlie too much. She's not just a regular teenager. She's been through a lot.

Her therapist had been worried after an extensive psychoanalysis with her. He had to get permission from Devin to disclose information to me so that I can take care of her better.

Now I'm not just her bodyguard, I'm also her nanny.

I better make it to breakfast. Nick will want a big breakfast after his morning jog, Charlie shouldn't skip meals, and Alex just texted me she's taken a shift today.

Why is she taking so many shifts lately? I frowned. Maybe I should allot a time to spend with my own children. I could sense something wrong with them these past few days.

The light by the kitchen window was already on when I parked my car. I found Alex drinking coffee alone.

"Good morning." she chirped, standing up to kiss my cheek. "You look tired."

"I am tired." I grunted, pouring coffee for myself. I can see that she already had her breakfast, a bowl of cereal and apple. "Sorry, I should have been here earlier."

My daughter just shrugged her shoulders, taking the bowl to the sink.

"Nah, it's alright. You didn't know I'm working anyway."

She stood in front of me, her deep blue eyes same as mine, and Nick. But everything else about her is almost like her mom, Nicole.

I remembered when I first saw my children after years of service in the Navy. They're already eight by then, my sister Marissa took care of them for me. It felt like many years had gone when I saw them all grown up. It hurt a lot to know that I've missed most of their lives.

So I vowed never to let that happen again.

"Don't work next weekend. We're going to the beach." I smiled at her.

Alex frowned.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because we haven't been out for a while." I shrugged.

"Can Cassie go with us?"

She needs to go with us. I thought, but just smiled outwardly at my daughter. There's no way I'm leaving her alone in this house however safe it may be.

That girl's.. unpredictable.

"Sure." I said. I was rewarded with a bright smile.

"Yay!" she cheered, hugging me quickly. She kissed me again and bid goodbye.

I watched Alex drive out through the kitchen window, thinking how lucky I am to have her and Nick in my life.

I left the kitchen to have a quick shower, passing by the living room. I doubled back when I saw a bundle by the sofa bed.

I peered down to see Nick sleeping peacefully, with Charlie tucked under his chin. He's got his arms around her like he will never let her go.

Uh oh.