***Chapter 6***
Jonathan called the florist and asked to know who sent the flowers.
"It was an internet order, sir. They paid with a pre-paid VISA, so we don't have a name or an address".
"Ok, thank you".
He called Lt. Grey.
"Did you pick up Jordan Lamont?"
"Yes. We picked him up a few hours ago. He will spend the night in jail, and he will have his first court appearance tomorrow morning".
"I think he is stalking my wife. Sending her flowers and telegrams and gifts. At first, it was just harmless sayings, but we just got a bouquet that had a card that said he was close enough to touch her today. I am not standing for this. I want it stopped".
"I will question him about it myself and let you know".
"Thank you".
They hung up.
Jennifer had fallen asleep on his shoulder, so he covered her with a blanket, and snuggled up to her.
He kissed the side of her head and fell asleep.
***The next day***
Jennifer was doing much better so she was being discharged, with orders to take it easy.
Jonathan brought her home, and helped her inside.
"Do you want to lay on the couch, or lay in bed?"
"Couch is fine".
They headed to the couch and got settled.
He got her comfortable and then went to make her some tea.
He took their bags upstairs, and then made them a snack and brought her a mug of tea.
Around 1, there was a delivery. Jonathan let them up, and opened the door for them. More flowers. Another card.
He brought them to the living room and placed them on the coffee table. She opened the card first.
"Now that you are all better, you will be all mine".
She opened the flowers and saw that they were red long-stemmed roses.
"They are gorgeous! Whomever this is, sure has good taste".
They heard it before they saw it. And then all of a sudden, Jennifer let out these blood curdling screams. Coming out from the flowers were rattlesnakes. About 6 of them.
Jonathan quickly grabbed her pillow, grabbed the pillowcase off it, and started stuffing the snakes into the pillowcase.
"Don't move! I got this".
He was stuffing snakes into the pillowcase and grabbing them off the floor as fast as possible. Jennifer had stopped screaming, but she looked like she was going to throw up.
He got the last snake and took them all outside and dumped them in the pond. He came back and took the flowers outside and left them on the porch in case there were any other snakes in the box.
He came and sat down by her and pulled her into his arms.
"It's ok. We are going to get this guy".
He called Lt. Grey.
"Jonathan, I was just about to call you. Jordan isn't the one sending flowers. He swore to us that he didn't do it and that it wasn't his style. He admitted to everything else but swore up and down he wasn't sending your wife anything".
"We just got another delivery. Long stemmed red roses. 1 dozen roses with about a ½ dozen rattlesnakes in the box with them".
"Ok, I want you to document what day and time you got these deliveries. I will be out later today or tomorrow to take a statement on them".
"Got it."
He hung up.
He grabbed the card from the florist and called them.
After explaining everything to the manager, he found out that someone was sending them something every single day.
"And you have no way of tracing them?"
"No, we aren't that sophisticated".
"Well, I tell you what. If you can give the IP address to my IT guy, and let him trace it, I will promise to only use your floral shop from now on, and believe me, I send my wife a lot of flowers".
They agreed.
"His name is Tyler Dixon, and he will be calling you from Hart Industries".
He hung up and turned back to Jennifer.
"Are you sure you're ok?"
"Yes, just shaken up".
He shifted his weight on the couch and had her sit in between his legs, while he gave her a backrub.
"Darling, if it isn't Jordan sending me those gifts, who do you think it could be?"
"Well, that's what Tyler is going to find out."
"I am trying to stay positive, but I just don't have a good feeling about this".
"I know. But I promise you, that you and I are safe, and we are going to get to the bottom of this".
He got her good and relaxed and then she fell asleep in his arms. He held her for a while, and then he eased out from under her and laid her back onto the couch.
He went and made a list of the items and packages received from the stalker, and the dates associated with them.
He stared at it for the longest time, trying to find a pattern, something that would connect them to someone, but couldn't.
Since he couldn't figure out where the items were coming from, he decided he had to protect her at all costs.
He went back to the couch, and gently pulled her feet into his lap.
He sat there like that, watching TV till she woke up.
They had a lowkey evening, with her never knowing how concerned he was.
***The next morning***
Jonathan called for extra security at the house. He posted a security guard at the gate, and had him check every delivery before it came in the house.
Jennifer was staying home and working on an article, and Jonathan was going in only to attend a board meeting, and then coming back home to be with Jennifer.
The board was 100% behind him, and approved all the policies he wanted to implement, such as not allowing the press on the property unless a press conference had been scheduled.
Stanley had been investigating Jordan, and found that Jerome was in fact Jordan's brother. So, they had been in on the scheme the entire time. Jonathan wanted to think that things were solved now, but he wasn't quite sure. He had a funny feeling that there was a huge piece missing.
He had assigned Patrick Maxwell to take over all of Jordan's accounts. Patrick was more than happy to help out.
Jonathan returned home around 2, and found Jennifer typing away in the study.
"Hi gorgeous".
"Hi yourself. How did the meeting go?"
"Better than expected. Everyone sends their well wishes to you, and they backed me 100%."
"Wonderful!"
She got up and kissed him and then sat in his lap.
"Did you get any threatening phone calls today?"
"Not a one".
"Good. I posted an extra security guard at the gate to check any and all deliveries, and so far nothing has come through".
"How long are we going to live like this, under guard in our own home?"
"As long as it takes. Darling, I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe".
"I appreciate that, Jonathan, I do. I just wish we didn't have to resort to such drastic measures".
"Me too, babe. But you are worth it, and then some".
He kissed her nice and slow.
***Later that night***
Jonathan and Jennifer were in bed, sleeping. It was after midnight. Jonathan had sent the security guard home at 10 p.m.
That's exactly what the stalker had been counting on. He stealthily climbed over the gate, and cut the wires to the alarm system, and then made his way to the backyard. He found the backdoor, and used the glass cutter to cut out a window pane, and reached in and unlocked the door.
He made his way into the house, and started going through their things.
He left a photo of Jennifer that he had printed from the society pages, on the counter. He had drawn a heart around her face, and written the word "MINE" across the bottom.
He was just going to take a few pictures of her in bed and then leave, but he didn't even make it upstairs. He knocked over a vase and tried to catch it, but it fell anyways.
Jennifer woke up, after hearing the crash.
"Jonathan…did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"I swear I heard a crash. I think we have a burglar".
"Stay here, I will go check it out".
He grabbed his gun out of his nightstand, and crept to the door. He heard another noise, and then turned back to Jennifer.
"Call the police" he whispered.
She grabbed the phone and called the police, and gave them their address.
She leaned over and opened the gate.
Jonathan crept downstairs, and was on the first landing, when he saw the guy.
He rushed downstairs and tackled him, knocking him to the ground. They fought and punched each other a few times, and the burglar knocked the gun from Jonathan's hand. Jonathan got a few good licks in, and then got him pinned up against the bar.
Jennifer rushed downstairs and flipped the lights on.
The police arrived, and she let them in.
They took the guy from Jonathan, and cuffed him. He was in all black, and had on a black ski mask.
The officer removed the ski mask. Jonathan recognized him as Patrick Maxwell.
Another officer found the photo of Jennifer in the kitchen and brought it to the den.
It was quickly established how Patrick got in the house, and that he had been sending her the gifts, flowers, and messages.
Jennifer rushed into Jonathan's arms.
"It's alright. I'm alright". He held her and kissed her.
He looked back at Patrick.
"Why?"
"Jordan Lamont told me that if he could get you two to break up or you to step down to take care of her if she was sick, that he would take over the company and then he would appoint me as co-CEO. I had no idea that he was planning on making you sick, he never told me that. He told me to make it look like she was stepping out so that you two would break up. He told me to make it believable".
"If you weren't being held by the police right now, I would punch your lights out, you know that?"
"Patrick, absolutely nothing or nobody will ever make me leave my husband. There isn't a single gift in the world that would be good enough to make me leave him, and how dare you try to scare me and make me feel unsafe".
Jonathan looked at the officers.
"Get him out of here".
They placed him under formal arrest and took him out.
Jennifer went and cleaned up the glass in the kitchen, and the officers were taking pictures of everything. It was almost 2 a.m. when the last officer left, and they were able to go back to bed.
As they went upstairs to bed, Jonathan put his arm around Jennifer.
"I am so glad this nightmare is over".
"Me too. I am ready for some peace and quiet".
They climbed into bed and he wrapped his arms around her, and they drifted back to sleep.
***2 days later***
Jennifer was ready and waiting for Jonathan to come home. They were going to a dinner party, at the home of Hart Industries' newest VP, Tyler Dixon. Tyler had been able to confirm that Jordan and Patrick were behind all the flowers, gifts and deliveries. It would definitely strengthen the Hart's case against both of them.
Jonathan was going to announce who had been promoted tonight at the party.
Jonathan got home at 5:30, and quickly kissed Jennifer before going upstairs and changing into a fresh suit.
He came back downstairs and wrapped his arms around her.
"I missed you today".
"I missed you too. We better get to dance tonight, Mr. H."
"You can count on it, Mrs. H. You look sensational".
She leaned up and kissed him.
She was wearing a one shoulder, emerald green gown, that gradually turned black at the bottom, and had black feathers. There were random black crystals all throughout the gown. She paired it with black sequin peep toe stilettos, and a sparkly black clutch.
"Your chariot awaits".
He opened the door for her and then they were off and headed to the party.
***Dixon's Dinner party***
Jennifer and Jonathan came in and said hello to the hosts. Everyone started clapping when they saw them.
"You all are too kind".
They found a seat and then went and got a cocktail, and headed to the buffet table.
After making their plates, they went to their table and sat with the other executives.
After they finished eating, it was time for Jonathan to take the microphone and do the announcements.
"Thanks everyone for coming tonight, and thanks to the Dixon's for hosting. Normally, my beautiful wife and I would have hosted this, but I didn't want to put any added stress on her, and the Dixon's so graciously offered. I want to address the recent scandal that took place. I cannot say too much, due to legal issues, but I will say that Jordan Lamont is no longer working at Hart Industries, and he waged a slander war against my wife and myself, that we are fighting. Patrick Maxwell was his accomplice, and we are fighting him as well. It was a very long month of craziness and chaos and medical issues created by them for my wife, but through it all, my beautiful wife is standing strong. As is the company, as well as myself. So, moving forward, Tyler Dixon is the new VP; he replaces Jordan. Jordan had created his committee, and we will be reviewing those members and letting Tyler decide who stays on the committee and who gets reassigned. Replacing Tyler as the head of the IT department is Wyatt Granderson, who can do things on a computer the computer didn't know it could do, which is definitely our gain. So, congrats to both of them, and thanks for coming. Everyone enjoy yourselves, eat, drink, dance, and I will see all of you bright and early tomorrow morning at the office".
The music started and Jonathan came over to Jennifer.
"Darling, want to dance?"
"I would be delighted".
She took his hand and they headed to the dance floor, and began to dance.
The song was perfect for them. It was a slow country song, and the words were absolutely perfect for them.
One two three step two three
Whenever they're waltzing
He counts out loud
She tried to teach him
But the rhythm doesn't reach him
So they bounce through the crowd
But oh won't you look at them smiling
Not worried that they're out of time
He steps on her toes as she giggles and goes on
"Cause love is forgiving and kind
Their hearts are dancing to the love song
That's played from the moment they met
Their hearts are dancing/ In time with a tune love won't ever forget
Their gold anniversary
He toasted the family
And said, to my sweet wife
Who's made ours a great life
I'm the luckiest one
And though there was no music playing
He reached out and she took his hand
He counted to three as they waltzed he could see
There's still magic in those golden hands
Their hearts are dancing
To the love song that's played from the
Moment they met
Their hearts are dancing
In time with a tune love won't ever forget
Their hearts are dancing
To the love song that's played from the
Moment they met
Their hearts are dancing
In time with a tune love won't ever forget
She looked up at him.
"I will dance with you, anytime, anyplace, absolutely every chance I get".
"Same here, darling".
He kissed her as they waltzed around the floor.