Tough As Nails. Jackie Manning

Her gaze flew to the heavy security chain still attached to the wall.

      Get a grip, Brianna. The door is locked from the inside. You and Nora are perfectly safe. And this time, he’d made a mistake. Whoever did this apparently didn’t know that security cameras covered the apartment corridors and would have caught him on video.

      She dashed to the telephone on the desk. Her hands trembled as she fumbled the receiver from the hook, then tapped in the number for Apartment Security.

      After one ring, a man’s deep voice answered. “Security. Collins here.”

      “This is Dr. Kent in apartment 2304. Someone slipped an anonymous envelope under my door sometime between now and midnight.” She paused to steady herself. “I’d like to view the videotape as soon as possible.”

      After a slight pause, he said, “I’m sorry, Dr. Kent. But our cameras have been down since before midnight. Our maintenance team is still checking the matter.”

      “Does that mean none of the security cameras in the building were operating?”

      “I’m afraid so. But I’ll forward your request to the manager, Ed Jenkins. I’ll have him call you as soon as he comes in later this morning. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

      Her frustration rose, then she realized it was the middle of the night. “N-no, thank you. Tell the manager that I’ll stop in to see him on my way to work later this morning.” When she’d hung up, she wondered if she should call the police and leave a message for Lieutenant Jeffries. He’d told her to call him if she received any more envelopes.

      She picked up the phone again, then saw Nora staring at her from the hallway.

      Her aunt’s sharp gaze swept over her. “What’s wrong, dear?” Nora hurried toward her, hazel eyes wide behind her gold-framed glasses. “Your face is white as a sheet. Why, you’re shaking.”

      Brianna put the phone back in its cradle and forced a calm she didn’t feel. “That was Security. I thought I heard a noise, but everything is fine now.”

      Nora’s thin eyebrows lifted. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, dear.” Her head turned toward the envelope lying beneath the front door. “You don’t know who left this?” Nora scurried toward the door as though she was going to pick up the envelope.

      “Don’t touch it!” Brianna rushed to her side. “There may be fingerprints”

      “Fingerprints?” Nora stared at her. “Brianna, what’s going on? I heard you say the security cameras aren’t working?”

      “The maintenance crew will have them working in no time.”

      Nora glanced back at the envelope lying against the blue carpeting. “Don’t you want to see what’s inside?”

      Brianna shook her head. She didn’t have to open the envelope to know what was inside. But she didn’t want to worry her aunt, so she kept the thought to herself. “Whatever it is, it’s not important. Just someone’s idea of a joke, I’m sure.” She gave Nora what she hoped was an everything’s-under-control look. “I’ll drop the envelope at the police station on my way to the office this morning.”

      Nora’s eyes narrowed. “Brianna. What’s going on?”

      She sighed, knowing full well that her aunt would insist upon knowing everything before either of them would be going back to bed. “Let’s go into the kitchen and have some warm milk,” Brianna said lightly as she put her arm around the older woman.

      Nora gasped. Her hand flew to her heart as she glanced at the pocket of Brianna’s robe. “You’re carrying a gun!”

      Brianna looked down at the heavy bulge at her side. “I-I’m sorry to frighten you. When I thought I heard a noise, I…” She paused, knowing that despite her best intentions to allay Nora’s anxiety, her aunt was worried sick.

      Brianna shrugged helplessly. “Excuse me while I put away the weapon, then we can talk.”

      When she returned to the kitchen, her aunt had poured two glasses of milk, and was standing in front of the microwave oven, her arms folded. For a moment, Brianna was reminded of the many times she’d come home from middle school to find Nora in the kitchen, a plate of fresh-from-the-oven oatmeal cookies and hot cocoa waiting.

      Nora had become a fixture in her brother’s home after Brianna’s mother had died, when Brianna was eight. Nora was someone everyone could count on. Ordinarily, Brianna would have been comforted to have her aunt visit. But until the police found the stalker who was sending the envelopes, Brianna might be endangering her aunt.

      Rubbing the tight knot at the base of her neck, Brianna sat on the kitchen stool. She waited until her aunt placed the warm milk in front of her before she spoke.

      “In the past two weeks, three envelopes containing photographs of me have been slipped under the door at my office. The first photo was taken in the parking garage across from my office while I was getting into my car.”

      Nora bit her lip as she listened.

      “The second photo arrived a few days later,” Brianna continued. “It was a picture of me at a neighborhood restaurant with a dozen friends for Marcie’s baby shower. The third photo arrived last Monday. It was taken of a colleague and me having a drink after work.” She waved her hands. “Nothing seems connected. Nothing makes any sense.”

      Nora studied her over her glasses. “Except to the twisted mind who sent them.”

      Brianna agreed, but she didn’t want to alarm Nora any more than she already had.

      “You’re no match for a stalker,” Nora said finally. “I’m afraid for you, dear.”

      “I’ve done everything that can be done. I’ve contacted the police. I know karate, I’m trained with a handgun. My apartment building is one of the most secure in Manhattan.”

      Nora sniffed. “Not when the security cameras aren’t working.” She started toward the kitchen door. “This person is fixated on you, Brianna. I’ve seen this very thing on those crime shows on TV. I’ll bet the stalker disabled those video cameras himself!”

      Brianna frowned as she watched her aunt. “Nora, where are you going?”

      “I’m unpacking my bags.” Nora paused and shot a look over her shoulder at Brianna. “Until the police catch the stalker, my place is with you. I’m going to cancel my trip to my sister’s—”

      “Nora! You’ll do nothing of the kind.”

      Nora glanced at her watch. “I’ll call Laura in a few hours. It’s only one o’clock now in Denver.”

      Brianna put her hand on the older woman’s arm. “I love you for wanting to help,” she said in a soft voice. “But there’s nothing you can do. Let’s not hear any more about canceling your trip to see Laura.”

      Nora’s eyes glittered behind the gold rims. “I’ll go only if you promise me one thing.”

      Brianna smiled to herself. “Of course, darling. What is it?”

      “I want you to call TALON-6. They’re a security agency here in the city. I know they can help you.”

      “TALON-6?”

      “Yes, they have an office in midtown. I’d feel so much better if I knew they were looking out for you.”

      Brianna crossed her arms. “You know these people?”

      Nora averted her eyes and fixed her gaze upon her recently manicured nails. “I’ve carefully followed the owner’s career since he was in high school,” she added, examining a pearl-lacquered tip.

      “One of your former pupils?” She wasn’t surprised. Her aunt kept in touch with most of her students. Having no children of her own, Nora had always played surrogate mother to her former math students.