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“DETECTIVE QUARTER?” Armando opened his front door that night, smiling like a child on Santa’s lap. “Hey, Detective Swanson. What....” He fidgeted. “What can I do for you?”
“Calm down, okay?” Dee patted his chest. “Breathe.”
He stared at her with glossy eyes. “I hope you believe what I said about not putting that profile online. I checked it out.” He glanced at Lisa. “It was awful. Can’t believe someone posted those dirty pics trying to pass it off as you.”
“We didn’t come about that,” Lisa said. “Dee has something to ask you.”
“Oh yeah?” He giggled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “What’s that?”
“A friend of mine is having an engagement party soon,” Dee said. “She’s looking for a photographer so I suggested you.”
Armando’s glasses slipped. “You did?”
“She trusts my opinion, so she wanted me to fill you out.” Dee winked. “Check out some of your work.”
“She could’ve gone on my website.”
“Uh, we did.” Dee smiled with her arms behind her back. “But, she wanted more samples. You have anything you can show me? Maybe something I can take to her?”
“Absolutely!” He pulled her inside, causing Dee to stumble.
Lisa spotted his cell phone lying on the couch.
Bingo.
“Say, Detective Quarter?” Armando leaned into Dee. “While you’re here would you like to see my new camera? The one I told you about earlier?”
Dee sighed, glancing at Lisa. “Sure. Lead the way.”
Armando hurried down the hall.
Dee motioned to the phone and Lisa nodded.
“Detective Quarter?” Armando called out.
“Coming!” She scampered from the den.
Lisa got Armando’s phone and scrolled through recent activity and found multiple calls to Dee’s number. “Let’s see if you’re Mr. Unknown.” She got out Dee’s phone and matched up the mysterious calls with the calls on Armando’s phone. “Uh-huh. You’ve been a bad boy, Armando. Knew you were the one prank calling Dee.” She checked out his pictures and found a ton of goofy selfies and a file. She clicked on the file and multiple photos of Dee popped on the screen.
“Hello.” Lisa whistled. “Armando, Armando. A stalker?” She emailed the photos to her address and put Armando’s number in her phone. “Shit.” She put the home screen back on Armando’s phone and laid it on the couch.
Dee and Armando entered the room.
“These are great.” Dee held up a folder of pictures. “She’s gonna be impressed I’m sure.”
“Tell her I’ll give her a discount.” He pointed to the samples. “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.”
Dee flashed a weak smile then headed to the door. “Ready, Lisa?”
“Right behind you.” She hurried behind her. “Goodnight, Armando.”
He opened the door for them. “Detective Quarter?”
Dee swung around. “Yes?”
“You have good dreams.” He winked.
Dee smiled, flinching. “You too.”
He smirked, closing the door.
“Ewe.” Dee wiggled. “He was all over me in there.”
“Was he?”
They rushed to Dee’s car.
“I’d never been alone with him before.” Dee opened her car with the remote and got into the driver’s side. “You know that feeling you get when something’s off?”
Lisa got in. “Yeah.”
“That’s how I felt.”
“With good reason.”
Dee tossed the folder in the back. “Did you find anything?”
“Girl, he had tons of pictures of you.”
Dee gasped. “What?”
“There were pics of you at the grocery store, post office, and even the station.” Lisa opened her phone to the pictures she’d emailed from Armando’s phone. “See?”
“That little rat. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Man, I should go in there and wring his neck.”
“You do and you’ll ruin everything. He’s the unknown caller too.”
“That, ooh!” Dee kicked. “So he wants to ruin my life because I wouldn’t go out with him?”
“Either that or he’s just sick. He might’ve done that to other women on the site. If we can link him to others, then we can get an arrest warrant. But because we didn’t follow procedure we can’t do shit right now.”
“I’m just glad to find out.” Dee bounced against the seat. “He’s not gonna get away with this anymore. Get ready, Armando.” She started the car. “Dee Quarter is no longer your bitch.”
****
THREE DAYS LATER
Winston, Dee, and Lisa shared a table in the station lounge as Officer Fitzpatrick reported her findings concerning the women on Find Your Fantasy.
“All but three said they put their profiles on the site.” Fitzpatrick looked at her notes. “The others didn’t know their photos were on there and were distraught when I told them.”
“Who are these women?” Dee asked.
Fitzpatrick rattled off their names. They were a nurse, teacher and security guard.
“Do they have any idea who might’ve done this?” Lisa pinched off a corner of her cinnamon roll. “Any old lovers or spouses who could be responsible?”
“I couldn’t get anything else from them.” Fitzpatrick sighed. “They all cried over the phone. The teacher is worried about her job if the district finds out.”
“What kind of world are we living in?” Dee shook her head. “What makes people think they can bully online and get away with it?”
“It’s about control.” Lisa chewed pastry. “They use the Internet as their playground.”
“Now we gotta find if there’s a link between these women and Armando,” Dee said.
Winston stood. “Let’s see what these three know.”
“Okay.” Lisa got up with her cinnamon roll in hand. “I’ll talk to the nurse.”
Winston pulled up his pants. “I’ll take the security guard.”
“She’s a tough one,” Fitzpatrick said. “She said if she finds out who’s doing this she’s gonna sever his dick with a rusty nail.”
Winston scowled. “Ouch. Remind me not to tick her off.”
Dee managed a tiny chuckle. “I got the teacher.”
Fitzpatrick gave them the women’s information. “They should all be at work now.”
“Thanks.” Lisa nodded to Winston and Dee. “Check with you after I’m done.”
“Bye, Leece.” Dee gave a nonchalant wave.
Lisa rushed out the room.
“Need anything else, Dee?” Fitzpatrick asked.
“No, you did great. Thanks.”
“No problem. I hope you get this asshole.” She left the lounge.
Dee lay her head on the cool tabletop. “I don’t feel any better.”
“Be positive.” Winston stood behind her, clutching her shoulders. “Lisa and I are gonna help you.”
“Thank you.” She patted his hand. “If you and Lisa weren’t here for me I’d—”
“Sh.” He fondled her hair, something he seemed to enjoy doing. “We’ll always be here for you, Dee.”
He kissed her cheek and left.