Valorie dropped Andrew off at his house. She had to steer him into the living room. Then pushed him down on the couch after pulling his shoes off and covering him up with a blanket. She walked into his kitchen, opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of water. Then reaching above his stove, she grabbed the aspirin.
She woke him enough to take the aspirin with a drink of water. She grabbed his phone and set his alarm for six am tomorrow. After making sure he was okay, she left him. Using his apartment key to lock the deadbolt, she quickly slid it under his door.
Standing up, she dusted off her hands. “See, that’s what you get for being nice,” she muttered as she headed back to her car.
Andrew was a spoiled man. She supposed being a single child in a rich family did that to people. She knew Andrew was a whore and loved a variety of women. He hadn’t settled down in the last three years since Valorie met him at work, she doubted it would be anytime soon either.
Why she even asked him to dinner was a mystery to her now. She should’ve known something was up when he’d been alone on a holiday. Now she knew, his parents probably didn’t want to deal with the alcohol either.
Andrew only lived a few miles from her apartment building in downtown Minneapolis. As she drove through the empty streets which were normally busy with traffic, she prayed everyone who frequented this city was home enjoying their holiday with family and friends.
Thanksgiving had always been a wonderful holiday to celebrate especially fortunate as she’d been growing up with a large family. Even with the past couple of years stressful since her mother worsened with her undiagnosed illness.
As she pulled her car into the parking garage, she had to pass the guard station. Inside the little booth sat her friend, Kevin, who was nice to all the tenants of her building. They would visit often. When she went out for walks, he would join her as he patrolled the outside of her building. “Happy Thanksgiving, Kevin,” she hollered.
“Happy Holidays to you too, ma’am.” Kevin was a hardworking man who supported his five children and wife.
Valorie handed him a plastic container.
“What’s this, ma’am?”
“How many times have I told you not to call me that? It’s turkey.” Valorie chuckled.
“I-I—I’m, s-sorry.”
She held up her hand, finding it painful to hear him get flustered and nervous around her. “Kevin, just call me Valorie. How long have we known each other? Five years. We have taken walks together for hours of conversation and you still have to be so formal,” she teased.
“Sorry, ma’am—I mean, Ms. Thorpe.”
She shook her head. Waving her goodbyes with a smile, she then rolled up the window and drove inside parking in her reserved spot. When she turned the motor off, she glanced down at her phone and saw a text from Liam.
Maybe we could get some dinner soon? L.
That would be lovely. Call me when you want to set a date. V.
Valorie smiled and let the warmth of true happiness he texted her so early on right after he got her phone number. Well, kind of, it was earlier. L. She was giddy and goofy thinking about how large and strong he’d become. There was nothing wrong with him now. He’d been so sweet to her in college years ago, only now he’d become a mature man who was drop dead gorgeous. She didn’t have to worry he quit college because of her. For years, she blamed herself. To have him back in her life would be wonderful.
Mystified he’d matured differently than anyone else she’d ever known. At her first fleeting moment, she had thought he’d used steroids but knowing him from all those years before he wouldn’t do drugs to build his body.
Grabbing her packages from the backseat, she made her way inside. Stepping out of the elevator right before the silver doors slid closed. Setting all her things down right inside the apartment she checked the locks before relaxing the next few hours she had before bedtime. She had an early day tomorrow. She got undressed and threw on a pair of sweats
Something in the ceiling made a loud crashing sound. “What the hell.” She flinched, she’d been hearing noises from the vents a lot recently….so ridiculous. She grabbed her notebook, wrote down a reminder to call maintenance tomorrow morning. Someone needed to get it fixed.
After dressing in her workout clothes, she left her apartment and hung the lanyard around her neck with her key fob for gym and her house key. Her mind racing already planning on running the treadmill. She ran down the three flights of stairs to the first floor. Pushing the heavy door open, she nearly ran over a family coming home. “Oh gosh, sorry.”
The three young children didn’t pay attention to her, but their mother said, “It’s all good. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving.” Valorie loved the fact most of the people in her building were friendly. Everyone treated each other with respect. She watched the family head down the hallway toward their home. The couple looked so happy together, holding hands as they followed their kids. Valorie felt envious of them.
Her thoughts turned to Liam. Liam had been one of her true friends in college. The year they’d spent getting to know each other, now seemed so short.
She put her ear buds in from her IPod then turned the treadmill on seven and a half. She wasn’t going to go too crazy today, just enough to get her ten miles in. Losing herself in the music, she lost track of time. After finishing the ten miles, she wiped her face with a towel. Then headed back up to her apartment. Instead of taking the stairs, she used the elevator. Stepping inside the elevator car, she pushed the third floor.
Before the doors could close all the way, a hand slipped in preventing them from closing. It opened and admitted a taller, thin man. He wore a baseball cap and had a sweatshirt with the hood up and over the cap he wore to completely hide his features. He held his hands hidden in the pockets and it creeped Valorie out.
The only thought that would come to mind, Street thug. Dear Lord help me get to my apartment safely, she begged to her God. It was unusual to see people such as this in this building. It was made up of older and higher class families and single hard working folks as herself.
They reached the third floor, the doors opened, and Valorie had to step around him. “Excuse me.” He still didn’t move.
Just before the doors slid closed, Valorie heard a deep raspy whisper. “Valorie…I’m watching you.”
“Excuse me.” She turned around swiftly. The doors closed preventing her from seeing or questioning him. “What a creep,” she muttered while walking to her apartment. Still in shock, maybe it was her imagination because she right away assumed he was a gang member or drug dealer. Get your shit together, woman, you don’t hear voices.
Valorie tried to steady her shaking hands by tightening them into fists. Her stomach knotted and she felt weakened by the stress. Trying to shake off the impending feeling of doom, she continually looked behind her. Freaked out and a little paranoid, she continued toward her apartment. As she reached her door, it was slightly ajar. “Oh hell no,” she whispered.
Panic like she’d never known before welled in her throat. She reached for her phone in her pocket, nothing. She felt all around her sweatpants. Patting the material, still nothing, even her IPod was missing. These were way too many coincidences now. “I’m not messing around with this.”
She started to doubt her own sanity. Maybe, she’d left the IPod in the exercise room, her phone probably forgotten in her apartment. There must be an explanation, something to make sense of it all. It’d been a long day and her mind had been elsewhere. Going back down to the workout room wouldn’t be a good idea, right? Her other option was to go into the apartment. Not much of a choice, either way she would be doing it alone.
A door opened to her right. Ruth Anderson, her neighbor, stepped out in the hallway. “Hello, dear, Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Hello, Mrs. Anderson.” She turned toward the elderly woman. Still feeling nauseous with a killer headache, without a doubt she looked miserable. Valorie tried to hide her stress from her neighbor.
“Oh, dear, what’s wrong?” Ruth wrapped her arms around Valorie’s waist.
“Um, I’m not sure. I’m just a little paranoid.” She hugged Ruth back then stepped away from the elderly woman.
“What are you afraid of?”
Valorie pointed to her apartment door which stood wide open.
“I probably just forgot to shut the door.” Valorie rubbed her hand over her face, trying to clear her mind.
“You know when my Henry was around, he always told me. ‘Ruth Ann, you must always trust your gut. Someday, it might just keep you alive.’” Tears puddle in the corner of Ruth’s eyes.
Valorie knew Ruth had a tough time around the holidays especially after burying her husband. “I’m sorry. I know you must miss your Henry.” She walked Ruth to her apartment door, which still stood open.
“Well, it has been almost five years. He’s been gone for so long I hardly paid attention.” Ruth hobbled back toward her apartment using the cane which became a permanent fixture since her stroke a few years ago.
“I’m just not sure if I accidently left it open, because I was in a hurry. Or if I have been robbed, to say the least, I’m still scared.” Fear and anger knotted her insides.
“Oh my, Valorie, maybe you should come in my apartment and call the police?” Ruth touched her arm.
“Well, I would hate to bother them. But, maybe I could come in and call my dad. Ask him what I should do?”
“That’s a great idea, come on now.” Ruth led the way into her apartment.
The aroma of freshly baked apples wafted through the doorway.
“It sure smells good in here,” Valorie complimented her.
“My son left a little bit ago, maybe you saw him. We had a lovely dinner together. I never know when he will show up. He’s been hanging around a lot lately. Not sure why though. He says it’s because he misses me. He’s always been so independent, otherwise.” Ruth kept talking as she walked into the kitchen.
Ruth always seemed like such a kind and lovely woman, Valorie never minded listening to her stories. Everything about her was fascinating. Well, except her son, he seemed to be a strange one. They usually didn’t spend a lot of time talking about him.
“Would you like a piece of pie?” Ruth started cutting a piece.
Valorie didn’t have the heart to tell her no. “Yes, thank you. Do you think I can still use your phone?”
“Of course, dear, it’s there on the wall.” She waved her cane toward the desk in the living room.
Valorie walked over to the old rotary phone hanging on the wall. She picked up the handset and dialed her parents. Waiting for someone to answer, she smiled toward Ruth.
“Hello,” Isabella answered.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, Valorie, you made it home okay?”
She didn’t want to worry her mom. “Yes, I did. Can I talk to Dad for a minute?”
Her mom yelled, “Vincent!”
A loud noise sounded in her ear. Valorie knew her mom must have dropped the handset onto their wood floor. She pulled it away slightly until she heard her dad.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dad.”
“What’s wrong?” he questioned.
“I’m not sure.” She told him exactly what she remembered.
“You know; I have a friend that just lives a few blocks from you. He’s a Minneapolis detective. I’ll give him a call. Where are you right now?” Vince asked.
She appreciated how his voice remained calm and confident. “I’m at the neighbor across the hall from my place.”
“Stay there, I’ll call him and see if he can come over and check out your apartment. Let me call you back.”
Valorie wasn’t sure she wanted all this trouble. “Ah, Dad, I’m not sure. It’s Thanksgiving.”
“Nonsense, I can’t risk your safety. Let me call him.”
Right before they hung up she remembered she didn’t have her cell. “Dad, wait I don’t have my phone. I’m calling from Ruth’s home phone.”
“Okay, I’ll call you on that number. Our caller ID picked it up. Just hang tight.” Her dad was a cop before a father.
Right now, she was relieved for his professionalism more than anything else. “Thanks, I love you.” She hung the phone up.
“Come on now, hon. Come eat some of my pie,” Ruth urged, pointing to the dining room chair and two pieces of pie sat on the table. Quickly, before changing her mind, she sat down and cut the first piece and put it into her mouth. Instantly, the amazing piece of pie melted onto her pallet and she couldn’t have stopped eating if she tried. “This is absolutely stunning. Would you mind if I could get a glass of water, please?”
Valorie got up quickly. “Let me?”
Ruth nodded.
“Would you like anything while I’m up?” Valorie asked.
“I’m fine, dear, thank you.” Ruth was so lively, even though it was getting later in the evening.
She had just about finished her pie when the tone of Ruth’s phone startled Valorie. Placing her hand over her heart, she took a deep breath to calm down. She slowly inhaled then exhaled as Ruth answered.
“Valorie, it is for you. I believe it’s your father.” Ruth smiled, handing her the phone. “Hello.”
“I have my friend coming over. His name is Richard and he said to stay put if you can. He’ll be there in fifteen or less.”
“Thanks, Dad. About how long will this take. I have an early morning tomorrow.”
“Not long, I hope. He’s good and thorough; if he clears it, your good.” Vince rattled off the detective’s phone number. “There now, you just hang tight. If you don’t hear anything in the next half hour, call me back.”
Valorie grabbed a pen Ruth had sitting on a desk and wrote the phone number on her hand. “Sorry about being such a pain to you.”
“Stop worrying. We look out for each other.” Her father disconnected without a goodbye.
Valorie finished her pie and was visiting when the apartment door opened. “Mom?” Charles Anderson, Ruth’s son, walked in. He threw his baseball cap on the couch, his winter coat followed. He walked toward them and pulled out a chair, spinning it so he could straddle it. “What are you doing here? Isn’t it kind of late for a visit?” Charles’s silky voice held a challenge.
Ruth answered quickly, “Charles, you should remember your manners. Valorie’s been a lovely neighbor. She just stopped over to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. Now, if you can’t be nice and just visit with us, then you can just head to the guest bedroom and sleep it off again, if that’s what you’re here for. Or maybe you can turn around and go back home.”
Valorie immediately saw the evil sneer Charles directed toward his mother, before standing up knocking over the chair. “Mom, why do you do that?” he replied sharply.
“Go to your room,” Ruth yelled to her son pointing toward a bedroom.
“I’m sorry. Look I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll go home.” Valorie stood up and started for the door. She had no idea where she was going to go, but she felt too uncomfortable with a mom and son fighting, especially over her.
“Please, Valorie, sit. I love your company; you hardly ever find time to come and see me.” Conspiracy crossed the older woman’s eyes. She winked and pointed to the seat Valorie had just vacated.
“If you’re sure?”
“You know what, I’m going to bed anyways. Stay if you like. I’m sorry I was being rude.” The apology did not reach Charles’s eyes.
Valorie suddenly felt evil reigning over the man.
A knock at the door startled Valorie.
“Now who would that be? Mom, I didn’t know you had so many callers. What the hell?” Charles marched over to the door.
Valorie knew it was probably Rick. She stood up and waited, Ruth touched her hand. As Valorie looked down at the wrinkled hand, she heard her whisper, “It’s okay, dear. It’s probably your friend. Don’t worry about this old woman.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Ruth.” Valorie turned around just in time to see Charles open the door.
“Can I help you?”
“Good evening, I’m looking for Valorie Thorpe?” A man was standing in the hall holding his badge up.
Valorie didn’t give Charles a chance to respond, she pushed her way around him. “Hey, Rick, what’s with the show of the badge? Come on, let’s go to my place.” She grabbed her father’s friend by the arm pulling him over to her apartment. After she shut the door, she turned and faced the cop. “Hi, Rick? I’m Valorie, sorry.”
He smiled his face relaxing. “Well, okay then. Can I ask about that?” He pointed to the door.
Valorie laughed. “Well, my neighbor there, Ruth Ann Anderson is a great and friendly woman who lost her husband a few years ago. On the other hand, her son is rude, weird, and mean to his mom. For some reason, his mother made it seem as if I was just visiting, so I’m not sure what that was about. Something told me not to tell the truth.”
“I believe you are correct. He’s a strange one. The look he gave me seemed to be a mixture of guilt and arrogant. Something about him was off. Well, let’s get down to the real reason I’m here.” Detective Rick Koski seemed like a nice man. “You know I’ve known your father for years. It’s a pleasure to meet you after all this time. You are the youngest, right?”
“Yeah, that would be correct.” Valorie walked into the kitchen, instant relief her cellphone was on the counter.
“Let’s look around. If you see anything out of place point it out. It appears nothing was thrown about. It’s going to be tough for me to notice much.” Rick frowned.
Nothing seemed to be out of place until they walked in her bedroom. Her top drawer of her dresser was slightly opened. Walking over to it, she looked down and her underpants and bras were out of order. With severe OCD, she knew someone had been here. Now they were messed up and carelessly tossed around. “Oh gosh.” She held her hand over her mouth as tears welled up. “I feel so violated,” she murmured.
“What is it? Valorie, talk to me,” Koski said as he gently touched her arm.
Flinching, she ripped the arm away from him.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, I’m sorry, I’m just freaked out. Someone has been in here. I’m missing a pair of underwear.”
“How do you know that for sure?”
“Because I keep everything in order, matching bra to underpants. This one is missing its matching panties.” She held up the purple lace bra but no underpants. Fear and anger knotted her insides.
They walked through the rest of the apartment and she found nothing else out of place. The detective called her father and he insisted they file a report with the local police department.
Valorie was so embarrassed. “Come on, Detective, maybe we could not go to that extreme. It’s embarrassing and what if I’m wrong?”
“First off, please call me Rick. I’ve been friends with your dad way before you were born. Secondly, don’t blow this incident off as nothing. This is clearly a stalker. It might be a harmless prank, but I have a feeling this is just the beginning. This kind of person can escalate quickly.”
“Well, I should probably mention to you as well someone has been leaving notes on my desk, sending miscellaneous texts, phone calls in the middle of the night with just heavy breathing...” Valorie slammed her mouth shut, anxiety shot up through the roof. She sat down hard on the couch, “Oh gosh what am I going to do?” She leaned her forehead into her hands.
“How long has this been going on?” Rick’s forehead creased and he frowned. But his professional persona came out as he pulled his small note pad and pen from his shirt pocket. “Let’s start with the first time, how far back can you remember?”
“Over a period of six months, I suppose.” She didn’t recall when it had begun. Valorie had chalked it up to someone playing a joke on her.
“Do you remember anyone who you ran into, turned them down on a date perhaps, maybe even one you had dated then broke up with.” Rick paused as he wrote it all down.
“I can’t right off the top of my head think of anyone other than Andrew, who I just dropped off today, and I’m pretty sure he’s home sleeping off a drunk. I would never consider him to go to this much trouble, he’s lazy.” Valorie pulled the binder, freeing the heavy mass of hair letting it fall over her shoulders.
“Okay, I want you to lock the deadbolt after I leave. Call me tomorrow morning to report in. I need you to write down everything even if it is something so little you wouldn’t consider it. I’ll call your dad as soon as I leave here and give him an update.”
“I’m sorry for all this trouble.” Valorie walked him to the door.
“Never worry about bothering me. I love your father as a brother, so I guess that would make me an uncle to you. So now we’re family.” Rick gave her a hug before opening her outside door, leaving her there by herself.