Chloe After Dark

Chapter 13

Chloe continued her regular routine, as she had planned. She looked for fashion work during the day and went to the show at night. Her stalker didn't reappear for a while, but he was there again the following Wednesday. Part of her was pleased. Had Caspar seen him? The creep didn't call into the show on any of the nights, which suited Chloe just fine, but it didn't really help. She knew it would greatly increase his chances of being caught, and although it would've been nice to hasten his capture, she didn't want to hear another word from him. Call Two had escalated in severity over Call One, and a third one might be full-on horror. Of course, Jack now knew his voice and might not allow him through again anyway. Chloe decided not to ask-she didn't even want to know if he'd tried to get through and failed. She preferred to believe he'd given up. The denial felt both good and bad, because it was flat-out self-delusion either way.
​Another frustration crept up on her. She kept looking for fashion work every day, but had failed to find a single client since she started working at Fantasy FM. Part of her wondered if it was time to pack in her day job and just concentrate on radio. After all, that was her big success. If she hadn't taken the job from Blaire, she'd probably have been evicted by now, even though it had only been a few weeks. I can't support myself with a freelance job that doesn't bring in any work. I love fashion, but if it doesn't pay...then I suppose I'll have to leave it behind. Chloe knew part of her frustration came from the stress of her stalker, and the late nights at the studio. She didn't sleep well anymore and woke up too early, which made her irritable. Plus, she missed out on some of the activities she used to indulge in, like mid-week lunches with her friends. They've probably forgotten what I look like by now. Besides, I don't want to talk to them about my job with Blaire. I'm sure Stephanie's told them all about it already.
​On Thursday morning, after the latest sighting of her stalker, Chloe received a phone call at home from Caspar. It was just before lunch, and seeing his number immediately took away her appetite. Nerves seized her stomach and made her heart race. The stress of being stalked never quite went away but being confronted by news about it brought it right back to the fore.
"Hello?" Chloe noted her voice trembled when she spoke. It felt silly when she didn't even know what was going on, but she refused to give herself a hard time. No one expected her to be a trooper about this situation.
​"Hi, Chloe, this is Caspar. How're you doing?"
​"You want me to be honest?" Chloe sighed. "Nervous. I saw your number and started worrying about the news you might have."
​"Oh, I'm sorry. Did something happen?"
​"No, not really. I mean, I saw the guy again last night. Were you there?"
​"In fact, I was." Caspar paused. "Can I take you out to lunch? I'd love to give you an update on the case."
​"Sure...that would be lovely." Chloe wondered if she should call Blaire and get her involved but decided to drop the idea. "Um...I don't drive. Should I get a cab or something?"
​"I'll pick you up. Shouldn't be too long. Would twenty minutes be too soon?"
​"No, that's fine. See you then."
​Chloe hung up and grabbed her stuff, ready to bolt out the door at a moment's notice. She paced up and down, trying to work off some nervous energy, but it didn't work and only made her feel more anxious. Toying with her phone didn't help either, nor did sitting on the sofa. When she received a text from Caspar letting her know he'd arrived, she practically cheered. Rushing downstairs, Chloe stepped outside and saw him waving from over on the left. He wore a grey suit with a blue shirt, a perfect combination that brought out the color of his eyes.
She approached his car, smiling as she walked. "Thanks for picking me up!"
​"No problem." Caspar opened the door of a big black Mercedes. She scrambled into the passenger seat while he went around the back of the car and sat beside her at the wheel. "What would you like to eat?"
​"Whatever...I'm easy." Chloe's cheeks flushed. "I mean, I'm not fussy."
Caspar chuckled. "I presumed that's what you meant. I know a decent diner not too far away. We can go there." He got them on the road. "The show's sounding good."
​"You're still listening to it?" Chloe groaned internally. "Um...thank you."
​"Yeah, I've started tuning in regularly," Caspar replied. "I know you're under a lot of stress right now, but you wouldn't know it from the way you interact with your listeners. It's impressive. Congratulations."
​"The hardest part has been putting my butt in the seat," Chloe said. "I've been driving myself crazy with doubt and fear. Blaire's helped me through it, though. She knows the radio business and how to get the best out of people. I couldn't have done it without her."
​"Can we talk about your debts?"
​Chloe gave a weary grunt. "If we must."
​"How'd it happen? Sorry to be nosy..."
​"That's totally fine." Chloe hadn't thought about Daniel for several days, but whenever the subject of money came up, she felt a fresh influx of annoyance. "My ex-boyfriend ran up the bills. He's a student and couldn't get the credit, so he used my name. I thought he was handling the debts, and clearly, I was wrong."
​"And then you two broke up?" Caspar shook his head. "That's pretty rough."
​"That's an understatement!" Chloe snapped. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be ratty, but what that guy did-it screws me up!"
​"I get it." Caspar paused. "I can tell you that Daniel is not stalking you."
The thought hadn't occurred to her, but it should have. Chloe swallowed past a dry throat and turned to him, eyes wide. "I...I mean, he's an irresponsible idiot, but I don't think he'd do something like this."
​"We never know what someone's willing to do," Caspar replied. "Especially after a breakup. People can do some crazy things. Anyway, I looked into him and ruled him out. He's been attending classes and working at a second job. The nights you're working, he's been at home. I got someone to check on him the night I saw your stalker."
​"Wow...that's...thorough."
​Caspar shrugged. "It's just part of the job." He pulled into a parking spot and they headed into the restaurant. It was a quaint place with big windows and red booths. Their waitress wore a pink uniform straight out of a fifties' American diner. They ordered drinks and sandwiches before returning to their conversation.
​"So," said Caspar, "I saw the guy outside the studio and followed him when you left. He might live in the downtown area, or maybe he works there. I'm thinking he may be on a break from a night job and hurries over to see you as you come out. When I get his identity, I'll know for sure."
​"So, you don't know who it is yet," Chloe said. "What else did you find?"
​"I've looked into people between the ages of thirty and fifty named Theo/Theodore or Ted/ Teddy. As you can imagine, I had quite a lot to go through. Narrowing it down to people in this area didn't pay off. He must've lied about these names. I've got someone performing a voice analysis to give me information about his character, so I can build a profile."
​"What does that mean?"
​"We need to understand how serious he is about the things he said. If I build a psychological profile, then I'll be able to discover whether he's actually a risk to you or just an obsessed weirdo who needs a restraining order put on him. Of course, we have to find him either way, but with the data we have right now, this is the first step."
Chloe nodded. "I have to be honest-I hoped you'd know who he was by now."
​"When I followed him, he lost me. He must know that area very well, because I've been doing this sort of work for a long time." Caspar's eyes narrowed. "Which leads me to believe he saw me following him. I must have revealed myself somehow, and it was pretty much a deserted street, but still...he took me by surprise there."
​"Do you think he's got some kind of...experience?"
​"He might've stalked someone before, yes." Caspar paused as their food arrived. When they were alone again, he turned back to her. "I would like your screener to allow him to talk to you again. Do you think you can handle that?"
Chloe nodded.
"The more he talks, the better chance he'll let something slip. Any information he gives away will help me discover his identity and catch him."
​"I've realized that myself," she said. She dreaded more than ever being subjected to this guy's perversion, but if it meant getting rid of him, she'd be willing to do whatever it took. "If you think it would help, I won't argue. I need to stop this guy from upping my stress levels."
​"I totally agree." Caspar leaned back. "I've got a colleague helping me who has experience in this area. If this guy's onto me, he won't know my colleague. That should give us one more try at catching him. Plus, I'll be in my car a few blocks away. I can take directions and see if we can keep tabs on him back to wherever he lives."
​"Sounds like a excellent plan." Chloe's nerves subsided enough to let her appetite return, and she went at the sandwich with gusto. After a few bites, she started to feel better and even less worried. Caspar seemed like he had a firm grasp on the case, and he sounded really committed. She felt safe with him working on the problem. As they ate their lunch, Chloe kept glancing up at him, peering into his blue eyes. Blaire was right about him. He was ruggedly handsome, athletic, and full of confidence. She felt the stirring of emotion, a draw she hadn't felt since she broke up with Daniel. What the hell am I thinking? She attempted to hide the blush she could feel. I can't do this...can I? Besides, he's probably married. Chloe's eyes moved to his left hand and noted the absence of a ring. That doesn't mean anything these days. He might just not wear it to work. Probably helps him when he has to talk to people or something equally...detective...related. Damn it!
​"You okay?" Caspar asked.
​"Huh?" Chloe blinked at him, hoping her expression was innocent. "I'm fine. Why?"
​"I don't know." Caspar smiled. "You seem a little more furtive than when we got here. I hope I haven't added to your stress."
​"No, no. Quite the opposite. Everything you're working on...it's just overwhelming, you know? I hadn't even thought about all the things you have to do to catch this guy. I'm grateful. Truly."
​"I won't tell you there's no risk," Caspar said. "I see bad things happening with stalking cases all the time. But those are generally when the person doesn't do anything about it and hopes it will just go away. You've engaged my services-that's put you ahead of the game and definitely decreases the chance of an incident."
​"What sort of incident?"
Caspar shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "Bad stuff. People getting hurt. I don't think we need to go into the details."
​Chloe nodded. "I'm okay with that...but how often are stalkers caught?"
​"More often than you'd think, when you have a good detective on the case. A detective always puts the victim first. It's part of the job. Of course, I'm hoping we'll catch this guy long before he reveals himself too overtly. You know you can reach out to me any time you need me, right? I'm available for anything."
Chloe tilted her head. "Anything?" She allowed herself to be slightly flirtatious, trying to turn the situation to something positive. "You sure?"
Caspar chuckled, dabbing his lips with a napkin. His cheeks turned pink. "I...well...I don't know. I mean...um..."
​"I'm just teasing," Chloe replied. "I'm sorry."
​"Nah, I just..." Caspar looked at her, falling silent for a moment. "I guess...you know...we should probably...do you have any more questions about the case? Any thoughts about what we're doing?"
​Chloe shook her head. "No, I'm happy with it all."
​"Well, I'm going to pick you up from work tonight," Caspar said. "We can make sure everything's okay at your place...check the apartment, all that stuff."
​"Oh." Chloe thought about it for a moment, finally considering the real danger of Theo/Ted being in her house. "That's very kind of you. Thanks."
​"Part of the service...besides, I can't let anything happen to you." Caspar looked away, bashful. "You're Fantasy FM's star host."
​"Don't remind me." Chloe laughed and reached over and touched his forearm. "I've only known you for a few days, but I feel like I can trust you."
​"It's comforting to know you believe in me." Caspar cleared his throat and looked away, still blushing. "I'll get the tab. We can put it on Blaire's expenses for the case."
​"Oh, she'll love that!" Chloe giggled, grabbing her handbag and standing up. "Thank you, Caspar, for everything you're doing and for keeping me informed. I really appreciate it."
​"My pleasure, Chloe. I won't let you down."

***

With hours to kill until eleven and still no fashion work on the horizon, Chloe spent the afternoon in bed dreaming about Caspar. If I called in to Red Light Confessions myself, my fantasy would be to have him right here beside me, and we're making passionate love that goes on and on, taking me to a place I've never been before. Her delicious thoughts were rudely interrupted by a text from Jack. He said he had a double surprise for her and would pick her up at eight o'clock. She texted him back, asking what was going on, but he didn't reply. That annoyed her, but she comforted herself with the thought that it couldn't be anything to do with the stalker.
​By now, wearing her Scarlett outfits had become second nature to her, but when Jack arrived, he asked her to change.
​"Why?" she protested. "You've always liked this look before!"
​"It's not that," he answered. "We're going somewhere special before work and this look isn't appropriate."
​"Ugh! Why does everyone talk to me in riddles?" Chloe disguised her genuine irritation with a light-hearted tone, knowing Jack was only trying to please her.
​"Just put on something casual and bring your Scarlett clothes with you," he told her. "The sooner we get going, the sooner the riddles will be solved."
Chloe did what she was asked and followed Jack out to the front of her apartment building. An up-market, dark red Ford sedan was parked by the door, and she stopped dead in her tracks as he went to the back door and opened it for her to get inside.
​"Is this...?"
​"Yep!" Jack interrupted. "Blaire gave me some money to find a decent car for you, and this one came up on the internet. Repossession sale, so it's worth far more than that."
​"Bargain!"
​"More like bargain of the century. Do you like the color? Scarlet for Scarlett. And it drives like a dream..."
Chloe wasn't listening. She had crawled inside and was relishing the look of the walnut trim and the intoxicating smell of the cream leather seats.
​"Get going, Jack!" She giggled, putting on a posh voice. "Take me to wherever the hell you're taking me, and don't go too fast. I want to luxuriate in my new carriage like a princess."
​They drove uptown to Yorkville, an affluent suburb where all the expensive shops, hotels, and restaurants catered to Canada's well-to-do and wealthy visitors from the States. Turning down a side-street, Jack pulled up outside a beautiful, Victorian-looking house with a small, ornamental front garden.
​"What are we doing here?"
​"You'll see," said Jack.
​"Ugh!"
The elegant front door was opened by a small Italian woman called Maria. "Come in, come in," she said warmly. "It's waiting for you in here." Leaving Jack outside in the car, Chloe followed her into a small room, where a sequined silver ball gown stood on a mannequin, sparkling in the bright artificial light. Suddenly, she understood.
​"Did Blaire...?"
​"Si, si, madam. Your friend...she give me your measurements and I make you a dress for the ceremony you go to," explained Maria. "You must try on now, and I make any alterations, so it fit you perfectly."
For a moment, Chloe felt patronized by the money Blaire was spending on her, but soon realized it was only another item out of the radio station's budget. She was Fantasy FM's new star, and it wouldn't look good to have her still being driven around in a clapped-out Skoda or turning up to the Awards in an ordinary-looking dress. Thank you, Blaire, she thought as she put on the glittering gown and the seamstress fussed around her, taking a tuck here and pushing in some pins there.​
​"Now, I show your husband," she said when she'd finished.
​"He's not my husband..."
Maria was already outside the door, calling Jack inside. Chloe decided not to be embarrassed and to embrace the moment. She gave Jack a twirl. "How do I look?"
​"Sensational! Absolutely fucking sensational!"