him off earlier or anything like that?” asked the officer.
“No, not at all. He appeared out of nowhere and his goal appeared to be simply to stay on my tail.”
“Any enemies that may have wanted to cause you trouble?”
“Well, you know I’ve been in the news lately as a suspect in the Amber Bernstein case. No one has confronted me about it. Wait. Maybe it was Amber’s father. He sure made some vocal threats to me. I’ll bet it was him.”
“That sounds quite possible. We’ll check him out,” said the officer. “We’ll get right on it. Meanwhile, we’ll see if we can get anything from the digits your girlfriend got off the plates.”
Girlfriend? thought Julie. That has a nice ring to it. What am I crazy? Here we are lucky to be alive, dealing with a dreadful threat and I’m flushing at the word girlfriend.
“Did you notice any other cars on the road? Perhaps there was a witness.”
“No, I don’t think so. You didn’t see anyone did you?” Tank turned to Julie.
“No. No one.”
“Well, try to enjoy the rest of your evening,” said the officer. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” said Tank. After the police car left, he led Julie back into his car.
“Well, that was enough excitement for one evening,” said Tank. “I’ll bet anything it was Amber’s father.”
“Yeah,” said Julie. Her voice was flat and she rubbed her wrist as she answered. “Must be.”
They decided to forgo the restaurant in lieu of takeout. Julie called for food during the ride back into town. When they reached her apartment, she set the table, set out a few candles, and they enjoyed a romantic dinner in spite of the night’s events. All evening, they had both avoided talking about the case. When they’d almost finished eating, Julie heard the key in the front door.
“Joey, I didn’t realize you were out. You said you’d be home studying, so I assumed you were in your room,” said Julie. “And what’s on your jeans? It looks like dirt.”
“Well, umm, I needed to pick up my notes from Kwan’s house.” He didn’t look Julie in the eye as he put the keys back on the hall table. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were going over to the Lotus Tree Inn?”
“We were, but there was a change of plans.” Julie relayed the whole story to Joey.
“What?” said Joey, “It had to be Amber’s father. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that family. Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll straighten him out. No one is going to hurt you.”
“Honey, I love how much you care, but leave this to the police. Mr. Bernstein may be very upset and irrational right now, but he is an educated man and he is certainly familiar with the law. Even if he was trying to scare us tonight, I don’t believe he’d cross the line and physically harm anyone.”
“Mom, people do all sorts of things when they’re angry. You need to be careful.”
“I will, and so will Mr. Copland, right?” She looked at Tank.
“That’s right. But it wasn’t your mom he was after; it was me.”
“Joey, no one is going to hurt anyone. The police are looking into it.”
“Okay, Mom. Goodnight, and Happy Birthday, Mr. Copland.”
“Thanks, Joey. I think I’ll be heading home. I’m a bit worn out now too.”
Julie walked Tank to the door and watched him drive away. No one is going to touch anyone I love, thought Julie. Never again .
Chapter 19
Babies and Such–– this had become one of Susan’s favorite hangouts ever since she found out she was having a grandchild. As soon as you walked in, there were racks of miniature clothing sorted by ages and sex. Susan went to the blue side first.
“Come on, Lynette. One little ten-minute ultrasound and we could know whether to stay here in babyboy land or explore the pink racks.”
“Mom. You know that Jason and I had always said we wanted to be surprised. Just be patient,” said Lynette.
“It’s not like knowing will change anything.
“No, not at all. He appeared out of nowhere and his goal appeared to be simply to stay on my tail.”
“Any enemies that may have wanted to cause you trouble?”
“Well, you know I’ve been in the news lately as a suspect in the Amber Bernstein case. No one has confronted me about it. Wait. Maybe it was Amber’s father. He sure made some vocal threats to me. I’ll bet it was him.”
“That sounds quite possible. We’ll check him out,” said the officer. “We’ll get right on it. Meanwhile, we’ll see if we can get anything from the digits your girlfriend got off the plates.”
Girlfriend? thought Julie. That has a nice ring to it. What am I crazy? Here we are lucky to be alive, dealing with a dreadful threat and I’m flushing at the word girlfriend.
“Did you notice any other cars on the road? Perhaps there was a witness.”
“No, I don’t think so. You didn’t see anyone did you?” Tank turned to Julie.
“No. No one.”
“Well, try to enjoy the rest of your evening,” said the officer. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” said Tank. After the police car left, he led Julie back into his car.
“Well, that was enough excitement for one evening,” said Tank. “I’ll bet anything it was Amber’s father.”
“Yeah,” said Julie. Her voice was flat and she rubbed her wrist as she answered. “Must be.”
They decided to forgo the restaurant in lieu of takeout. Julie called for food during the ride back into town. When they reached her apartment, she set the table, set out a few candles, and they enjoyed a romantic dinner in spite of the night’s events. All evening, they had both avoided talking about the case. When they’d almost finished eating, Julie heard the key in the front door.
“Joey, I didn’t realize you were out. You said you’d be home studying, so I assumed you were in your room,” said Julie. “And what’s on your jeans? It looks like dirt.”
“Well, umm, I needed to pick up my notes from Kwan’s house.” He didn’t look Julie in the eye as he put the keys back on the hall table. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were going over to the Lotus Tree Inn?”
“We were, but there was a change of plans.” Julie relayed the whole story to Joey.
“What?” said Joey, “It had to be Amber’s father. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that family. Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll straighten him out. No one is going to hurt you.”
“Honey, I love how much you care, but leave this to the police. Mr. Bernstein may be very upset and irrational right now, but he is an educated man and he is certainly familiar with the law. Even if he was trying to scare us tonight, I don’t believe he’d cross the line and physically harm anyone.”
“Mom, people do all sorts of things when they’re angry. You need to be careful.”
“I will, and so will Mr. Copland, right?” She looked at Tank.
“That’s right. But it wasn’t your mom he was after; it was me.”
“Joey, no one is going to hurt anyone. The police are looking into it.”
“Okay, Mom. Goodnight, and Happy Birthday, Mr. Copland.”
“Thanks, Joey. I think I’ll be heading home. I’m a bit worn out now too.”
Julie walked Tank to the door and watched him drive away. No one is going to touch anyone I love, thought Julie. Never again .
Chapter 19
Babies and Such–– this had become one of Susan’s favorite hangouts ever since she found out she was having a grandchild. As soon as you walked in, there were racks of miniature clothing sorted by ages and sex. Susan went to the blue side first.
“Come on, Lynette. One little ten-minute ultrasound and we could know whether to stay here in babyboy land or explore the pink racks.”
“Mom. You know that Jason and I had always said we wanted to be surprised. Just be patient,” said Lynette.
“It’s not like knowing will change anything.
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