Irene played the tape for the second time.
"How long has this been going on?" Officer Blake asked.
Irene ran her fingers through her silky hair. "I only noticed it this morning, but my daughters said it's been going on for weeks."
"May I question them?"
"Sure." She motioned to her daughters, who sat silently at the table.
"When did the calls start?" he asked neither in particular.
Serena shrugged. "Three, maybe four weeks ago."
"Were they always like this one?" He pointed to the answering machine.
"No," Lita said. "In the beginning the phone would ring and one of us would answer it and whoever was on the other end of the line would just hang up. The breathing started a few days ago."
He turned his attention back to Irene. "Do you have any idea who could be doing this?" He poised his pen over a blank sheet of paper on his notepad. "A jilted boyfriend?" he probed.
"No, I'm not seeing anyone."
"It's probably Alexander," Lita said dryly.
"Who's Alexander?" Officer Blake asked.
"My ex-husband," Irene answered. "I have an order of protection against him."
"Has he harassed you since the order was signed?"
"No, I haven't seen him or heard from him in over a year."
"So, there's no one else you can recall who has a personal vendetta against you?"
"No, I'm only close to a few people."
He snapped the notepad shut. "I'll request a tap and we'll take it from there. Try not to worry. It may turn out to be just a kid pulling a prank."
"Thank you, Officer Blake." She showed him out, and then walked over to her daughters, who were standing in the living room.
She smiled at them. "Don't you have plans with the Bakers?"
Serena and Lita glanced at each other, and then looked at their mother.
"We thought we might stay home," Serena said.
"No, I want you to go out and have a good time. I'll be fine."
They eyed her warily.
"I have to work on the book, then I'll probably have a cup of coffee with Amy and Bill." She hoped her plan helped to ease their minds.
"If anything happens, Mom, you won't hide it from us?" Serena asked.
"I promise." She smiled at them. "Now go on and have a good time. That's an order!"
They laughed as they grabbed their jackets and hurried out of the apartment.
Irene walked back to the kitchen and for the next few hours busied herself with editing. Around seven o'clock she stood up, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, then walked into the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water and fragrant bubble beads. She picked up a popular romance book; for the next half hour, she let her mind take her to an unknown time in the future. A time when maybe she'd dare to let romance enter her life again. She closed her eyes and thought about how nice it would be to be truly loved by a man. Not to have to be careful of every word you spoke or to be pushed or shoved, but to be treated with respect and talked to gently. She inhaled deeply and smiled. Dreams do come true, she thought. Just look at the books. She worked hard to fulfill her dream to be an author. It hadn't been easy, but she'd always known deep down inside that eventually she would succeed. She could find love, but could she ever trust again?
She thought about Officer Tsukino. Lately he'd been popping into her mind almost daily. He'd been so kind to her when she signed the complaint against Alexander. Later that night he called her and asked if she'd like to have a cup of coffee with him some time. She'd reluctantly accepted. It was awkward. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, but another part couldn't. She wasn't ready. When she looked at him, her heart pounded. She could so easily give in to her emotions. She tried her best to explain it to him, but knew from the look in his eyes that he didn't buy her explanation. She sensed from the in way he excused himself and threw a couple of bills on the table that she wouldn't see him again. She was so attracted to him. She felt a spark she hadn't felt for a long time. Her soul reached out to him, but fear held her back. Her heart twisted, and then broke. She could never risk betrayal again.
Irene got out of the tub, toweled herself dry, then walked into her bedroom and threw on a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. She ran a comb through her hair and put on her sandals.
A few minutes later she sat in Bill and Amy Madison's comfortable living room, sipping a tall glass of lemonade.
"What did the police say?" Bill asked.
Irene set down her glass. "They're going to put a tap on the line."
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Amy asked.
Irene shook her head. "No, but Serena is convinced it's Alexander."
Amy's eyes narrowed. "Do you think he'd dare to start anything after last year?"
"With Alexander anything is possible, but I don't think he'd be that stupid with the order of protection I have."
"Well, rest assured Bill and I will keep alert if he comes around." She patted Irene's hand. "You know you're like a daughter to us."
"I don't know how I would've ever made it through without you two."
"How long has this been going on?" Officer Blake asked.
Irene ran her fingers through her silky hair. "I only noticed it this morning, but my daughters said it's been going on for weeks."
"May I question them?"
"Sure." She motioned to her daughters, who sat silently at the table.
"When did the calls start?" he asked neither in particular.
Serena shrugged. "Three, maybe four weeks ago."
"Were they always like this one?" He pointed to the answering machine.
"No," Lita said. "In the beginning the phone would ring and one of us would answer it and whoever was on the other end of the line would just hang up. The breathing started a few days ago."
He turned his attention back to Irene. "Do you have any idea who could be doing this?" He poised his pen over a blank sheet of paper on his notepad. "A jilted boyfriend?" he probed.
"No, I'm not seeing anyone."
"It's probably Alexander," Lita said dryly.
"Who's Alexander?" Officer Blake asked.
"My ex-husband," Irene answered. "I have an order of protection against him."
"Has he harassed you since the order was signed?"
"No, I haven't seen him or heard from him in over a year."
"So, there's no one else you can recall who has a personal vendetta against you?"
"No, I'm only close to a few people."
He snapped the notepad shut. "I'll request a tap and we'll take it from there. Try not to worry. It may turn out to be just a kid pulling a prank."
"Thank you, Officer Blake." She showed him out, and then walked over to her daughters, who were standing in the living room.
She smiled at them. "Don't you have plans with the Bakers?"
Serena and Lita glanced at each other, and then looked at their mother.
"We thought we might stay home," Serena said.
"No, I want you to go out and have a good time. I'll be fine."
They eyed her warily.
"I have to work on the book, then I'll probably have a cup of coffee with Amy and Bill." She hoped her plan helped to ease their minds.
"If anything happens, Mom, you won't hide it from us?" Serena asked.
"I promise." She smiled at them. "Now go on and have a good time. That's an order!"
They laughed as they grabbed their jackets and hurried out of the apartment.
Irene walked back to the kitchen and for the next few hours busied herself with editing. Around seven o'clock she stood up, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, then walked into the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water and fragrant bubble beads. She picked up a popular romance book; for the next half hour, she let her mind take her to an unknown time in the future. A time when maybe she'd dare to let romance enter her life again. She closed her eyes and thought about how nice it would be to be truly loved by a man. Not to have to be careful of every word you spoke or to be pushed or shoved, but to be treated with respect and talked to gently. She inhaled deeply and smiled. Dreams do come true, she thought. Just look at the books. She worked hard to fulfill her dream to be an author. It hadn't been easy, but she'd always known deep down inside that eventually she would succeed. She could find love, but could she ever trust again?
She thought about Officer Tsukino. Lately he'd been popping into her mind almost daily. He'd been so kind to her when she signed the complaint against Alexander. Later that night he called her and asked if she'd like to have a cup of coffee with him some time. She'd reluctantly accepted. It was awkward. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, but another part couldn't. She wasn't ready. When she looked at him, her heart pounded. She could so easily give in to her emotions. She tried her best to explain it to him, but knew from the look in his eyes that he didn't buy her explanation. She sensed from the in way he excused himself and threw a couple of bills on the table that she wouldn't see him again. She was so attracted to him. She felt a spark she hadn't felt for a long time. Her soul reached out to him, but fear held her back. Her heart twisted, and then broke. She could never risk betrayal again.
Irene got out of the tub, toweled herself dry, then walked into her bedroom and threw on a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. She ran a comb through her hair and put on her sandals.
A few minutes later she sat in Bill and Amy Madison's comfortable living room, sipping a tall glass of lemonade.
"What did the police say?" Bill asked.
Irene set down her glass. "They're going to put a tap on the line."
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Amy asked.
Irene shook her head. "No, but Serena is convinced it's Alexander."
Amy's eyes narrowed. "Do you think he'd dare to start anything after last year?"
"With Alexander anything is possible, but I don't think he'd be that stupid with the order of protection I have."
"Well, rest assured Bill and I will keep alert if he comes around." She patted Irene's hand. "You know you're like a daughter to us."
"I don't know how I would've ever made it through without you two."