"Come to talk to your old attorney, maybe make a decision on my proposition, hmm?"
Rick started to see red, seeing that Carolyn's cousin was trying to goad Barnabas. Before he could say anything, Laurie stepped forward.
"Actually, Mr. Stoddard, that's between us and Mr. Dawson. And none of your business. Now if you'll excuse us..." She added, as she proceeded up the stairs past him, Rick and Barnabas following her.
"Come now, we're all adults, no need to be rude, Mrs. Simon." He called after them.
That was it as far as Rick was concerned, he turned, his fist clenched. "Rude is what you are, jerk... You keep away from our family, or else you'll be talking out of your nose!"
A flash of fear crossed Stoddard's face, then another voice brought a look of anger.
"All right, Stoddard, you've made enough trouble here...clear out or I'll have you brought in on trespassing." A uniformed sheriff stood at the bottom of the stairs, A.J. next to him.
Making a show of straightening his tie, Stoddard went down the stairs, then turned at the building entrance.
"Better think my offer over again, Barnabas, before it's made for you."
As the door closed behind him, Rick growled, "I'll make a decision all right..."
"I wouldn't go beyond that, sir. Mr. Collins, I understand you've been receiving some threats?" The sheriff asked, following them up the stairs.
"Yes, Sheriff. We have the notes with us. I'm sorry, I should have introduced you." Barnabas's face was rueful.
"Rick, Laurie, A.J., this is Sheriff Steve Patterson. He took over for his father some years ago. Sheriff, this is my cousin Laurie Simon, her husband and brother-in-law Rick and A.J. Simon."
"Ma'am, sir." Patterson nodded at them, then looked again at Laurie.
"Ma'am, did you used to come to Collinsport some years ago..."
"Yes, I did, Sheriff, but...I remember you...you were in Explorer Scouts and came to the amusement park to help look for a missing man." Laurie replied, a smile on her face.
"And you were with the government..." Rick saw his wife's face freeze, then she relaxed as the younger man continued. "My dad was Sheriff then, he used to talk shop and not remember I was there... Colonel Steve Austin was with you and I got his autograph when my dad wasn't looking. He was really nice to me."
"That's right. Rick, Steve was tickled when the sheriff here asked for his autograph "from one Steve to another". Laurie grinned.
"Well, I'm sorry you had to come home to something like this. Mr. Collins, did you tell your attorney about these notes?"
Barnabas shook his head. "No, just that I needed to see the proposal from Jameson Industries as something had come up. Ah, Charles, there you are." He said, seeing the attorney approach his office.
"I'm sorry, Barnabas. I got a phone call that my car had been hit, but it must have been a prank, because there's nothing wrong with it...wait a minute, I locked that door..." he told them, seeing his office door ajar.
"Hold it folks." Sheriff Patterson slid past them, then carefully opened the door and looked inside. Evidently it was all in order, but he entered the office, then came back out a moment later.
"Mr. Dawson, I think you'd better see if anything's missing. James Stoddard came out of your office when we came in." Rick warned.
Concerned, the attorney followed the sheriff inside, then walked through his suite as Barnabas, Rick, Laurie and A.J. entered.
"Sheriff, I think someone went through my files, see, they left the drawers open." Dawson indicated a file drawer that was not closed completely.
"What's this?"
The sheriff picked up a piece of paper on the floor, then scanned it.
"Mr. Collins, may I have those notes now?" he asked, then Rick pulled out a folder with the threatening notes and handed it to him.
Using the receptionist's desk, he put the piece of paper on the desk next to the four notes,
Then cleared his throat.
"I take it we have a match, Sheriff." Barnabas said after a moment.
"An exact match, and I'm willing to bet this is from James Stoddard. Of course I'm going to dust for prints, but still.."
"The fact that he was coming out of here...Mr. Dawson, can you tell if anything is missing?" Laurie asked, then leaned closer to Rick as he put an arm around her.
"It'll take me a little while, I'm sorry now that I didn't get the security system put in that you suggested, Sheriff."
An hour later, the foursome plus Sheriff Patterson were looking at the paperwork that had been carelessly put back in the file drawers.
"Look, Barnabas, this is how he knew about me." Laurie winced as she read the private file on her that was started when she was eighteen. The attorney's father had noted that
Elizabeth Collins had located her niece when she was fifteen, then lost track until she graduated from high school. "Mrs. Collins regretted her niece was brought up by unfit step-parents, one of whom was suspected of murdering her father and step-mother. Funds are to be held in trust for her in the event of Mrs. Collins death."
"Darlin', I'm sorry you had to see this..." Rick quietly told her, squeezing her hand.
"It's okay, Rick, it just makes me appreciate that she cared this much for me, and that I have you." She told him, leaning against him.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Simon...I don't know how Mr. Stoddard got a key to get into my files..." Mr. Dawson said, regretfully. "Of course I will file a report, and I take all responsibility ..."
"Nonsense, Charles. You were not at fault here...but we will press charges too, Sheriff.
I'm afraid the damage he has done already is severe." Barnabas sighed, then firmly added
"I know all you can charge him on is breaking and entering, and extortion..."
"I'm afraid not even that, Mr. Collins." Sheriff Patterson said, a disappointed tone in his voice. "Everything in these notes is implied. We would have to get him to vocalize the threat before he can be charged with extortion."
"Maybe that we can do..." Rick broke in, excitement in his expression. "What if I was to call him on the notes...get him riled up enough to say what he's going to do?"
"Then I can be on stakeout at your home if he tries anything." The sheriff added enthusiastically. "I hate to ask you to be bait, folks...but this Stoddard may not stop at your family business...he may try something else."
"In the meantime, Mr. Dawson, can you try to shoot down some of these rumors?" Laurie asked, turning to the attorney.
"Of course, Mrs. Simon. I'm afraid Mr. Stoddard underestimated you and your family." He told them.
As they left the attorney's office, Sheriff Patterson called his deputy and arranged to have a car outside the gate at Collinwood meet them, then he explained he would monitor the phone call that Rick would make once they got to the house.
"I'm glad the sheriff was there when Patterson came out; otherwise it would have been our word against his." A.J. said as they headed out of town.
"And I'm glad Linda and the kids were with Carolyn and David...no telling what Stoddard would have threatened about them." Rick replied.
As he drove through the gates of Collinwood, he saw the deputy's car behind the wall, and was glad for the extra security. A funny feeling came over him as they pulled in front of the front door, as Linda came running out to meet them.
"Rick, A.J...did you see Carolyn and David in town?"
Rick frowned. "No...they're here, aren't then?"
"No, Carolyn got a call from Mr. Dawson that made her very upset. She grabbed her purse and started to leave, only David met her in the hall and made her take him with her." A.J. put an arm around his wife.
"We were at his office this morning...when did he call?" Rick was reaching for the living room extension.
"About 3 hours ago...I hope nothing's happened." She worried, then Laurie nearly jumped as the phone rang. Picking it up, she watched as Rick pressed the button on a small recorder.
"Collinwood residence"
"Mrs. Simon, are you missing anything or anyone?"
It sounded like James Stoddard's voice ...Laurie had sudden chills, and taking a deep breath, answered, "No, I think you must have a wrong number, who is this?"
"Your worst nightmare, Mrs. Simon. Unless Barnabas sells the shipping company to me, you'll never see your cousins again."
