Authors: Hailey Hogan
One thing
Eva knew is that she would not be able to reason with a crazy person. She was backed up in the corner of the room. Caroline came at her with full force. They wrestled until Eva was able to get it loose. It ended up flying across the room cracking her glass table. “Look. We can talk about this. What ever you think is going on isn’t?”
Caroline brushed herself off and then pulled out a gun. She shot in
Eva’s direction but the bullet bypassed her and hit one of her expensive vase. Pieces shattered everywhere. “Okay, I see you want to go out the hard way.”
Eva
halted her step. “Caroline, you can get some help. I want press charges.”
Caroline laughed. “Of course you won’t because you won’t be around to do so.”
“Garth knows you’re here so please think twice about this.”
Caroline let the gun hang to her side and looked directly into
Eva’s eyes that were now full of fear. “He has no idea I’m here. He never asked for those papers. I just needed an excuse to see you.”
“But why?”
Eva asked, her legs trembling. She had to get a grip, but she was losing it fast.
Caroline began picking up the magazines on the table and then throwing them one by one down on the floor. “Because you think it’s all about you. I don’t see what they see in you.”
Caroline’s hand covered her mouth. “Oops, the little accident the officer outside of your gates had to go to—well let’s just say I cut a few people off and caused it.”
Eva
was too scared to be pissed. All of this time, Garth’s secretary was the one behind the hate mail, phone calls and emails. If she could get to the panic button then she would be okay. She had to think. One was placed in every room. She just had to remember where. She wished she would have paid more attention to Garth when he was showing her; instead she had been dealing with her conflicting emotions for the attraction she had for him. She had to keep Caroline talking. That’s what they did in the movies. The longer she talked, the less chances it would mean Caroline would do something crazy like shoot her.
“How long have you been messing around with
Trevor?” Eva asked.
Caroline responded, “For over a year now and if it wasn’t for you and
Cheryl I would have him all to myself.”
“But he’s been with
Cheryl for that long,” Eva said, trying to show her how ridiculous her claims were.
“You two are no longer going to be a problem. You and
Cheryl both need to be eliminated from our lives.”
Eva
didn’t know if she wanted to know the answer, but she asked anyway, “What have you done to Cheryl?”
Caroline waved the gun back and forth. “Nothing yet. Don’t worry. After I leave here, I’ll be paying her a visit. She’s not going to know what hit her—no pun intended.”
“You haven’t thought this through. You can’t just kill me and get away with it.”
“Who said I was going to kill you?” Caroline asked, then started laughing as if
Eva had told the funniest joke she had ever heard.
“Put the gun down. Let me call
Garth. We can work something out,” Eva said. She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hands. Eva’s legs trembled. Eva willed herself to not collapse.
“I’ve worked it all out in my head,” Caroline said. “Things will be perfect once you’re no longer around.”
Garth
was able to resolve his client’s problem and retain them as a customer. His joy was short lived when he heard the panic in Eva’s voice mail. His heart almost stopped when he heard Eva’s frantic message. He dialed Eva’s house phone and cell phone several times, but she wouldn’t answer either one. He dialed Trevor’s number. Trevor answered on the second ring. Garth said, “Man, you better not hurt Eva.”
Trevor
responded, “What are you talking about? Eva was fine when I left. In fact, she kicked me out.”
“Well, she’s not answering her phone now so something’s up. I can feel it in my guts.”
Garth weaved in and out of traffic.
Trevor
said, “I’ll go back and check.”
“Where’s the police officer that was supposed to be watching the place?”
Garth asked. He was furious at himself for putting business before staying there to protect Eva himself. He hoped the gut feeling that alerted him to possible danger, was off keel. He needed Eva to be safe. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself. She had to be okay.
Trevor
said, “Oh I’m sure someone’s there by now.” Trevor caught Garth up with the latest.
Garth
sped through traffic and didn’t care if any cops were around. He was pissed at everyone at this point. He said, “What in the hell happened? I can’t trust you…the police.”
“Hey man, we’re on the same team,”
Trevor said, “Don’t be tripping with me like Eva was.”
“You’re closer, go check on my baby. And Tre,”
Garth said.
“Yes,” he responded.
“If you harm one hair on her head, you are as good as dead.” Garth hung up and dialed Eva’s house and cell number again but was still unsuccessful in reaching her. He called Morrison. Morrison was just as pissed as he was when he learned of how incompetent some of his men had been by leaving Eva’s house unprotected. “What in the hell happened man? Someone was supposed to be outside of her premises at all times?” Garth asked.
Morrison responded, “I’m on it. I’ll get a car over there pronto.”
“I’m on my way there now,” Garth said. “I also have Trevor headed to her place. Man, if something has happened to her.”
Morrison interrupted him before he could finish his statement, “Nothing is going to happen. I’ll have one of my men there a.s.a.p.”
“This can’t be happening,” Garth said over and over..
“Calm down
Garth. I’ll get someone there right away,” Morrison assured him before ending their call.
Garth
called Caroline’s desk but she didn’t answer. He took a quick glance at the clock on the dash of the car. Caroline should still be at work. Where was she when he needed her? While maneuvering through traffic, Garth dialed Caroline’s cell number.
“It’s about time,”
Garth said, when Caroline answered.
Caroline sounded out of breath. “What’s up boss?”
Garth said, “I need you to call Sam and find out Cheryl’s location. I’m in a time crunch and don’t have time to look for Sam’s number.”
Caroline responded, “I’m sort of busy right now but I’ll do it as soon as I finish up here.”
“Drop what you’re doing and do it pronto,” Garth insisted.
“Anything for you,” she said, before ending the call.
Garth thought that was strange. Normally, Caroline would be eager to do any task he gave her. He didn’t have time to think about Caroline, he needed to get to Eva and fast.
***
“Garth,” Eva screamed.
“He didn’t hear you. I had already disconnected the call,” Caroline said. “You know we’re going to have a little fun before they get here. Why don’t you take that pen and write a note to your fans. Let them know how much you hate to leave them, but life had gotten to be a little too much for you to handle.”
“That sounds like suicide. I’m not doing it. If you’re going to kill me, kill me. Because there’s no way I’m going to write a note.”
Caroline kicked the magazines that were now on the floor. “I guess you don’t think I mean business.” She aimed at the glass table and shot.
Eva used her arms to cover her face, as glass flew in lots of directions.
Eva
felt like she didn’t have anything to lose. She yelled, “I still want to know why you’re doing this. I’ve never done anything to you.”
“If it wasn’t for you, I would be with the man I love.”
Eva wanted to confuse her. “Garth? I had no idea you and he had a thing going on.”
“You’re not the brightest are you. No stupid. Not
Garth. Who have we been talking about? Trevor. I thought once he got with that slut Cheryl you would be out the picture. But you just wouldn’t go anywhere. I could have gotten rid of her with a check. You. You just wanted to hang on to a man who didn’t want you.”
“News update. I’m not messing with
Trevor anymore. I’ve moved on.” Eva was pissed now that Caroline had her in this situation. If she was going to die, she was going to speak her mind.
“He hasn’t moved on. You’re all he talks about.”
Eva said, “If Tre loved you, he would have asked you to marry him, not Cheryl.”
“He could love me if you would stop trying to entice him. Tre knows I love him. It’s just a matter of time before he feels the same way.”
Eva threw her arms up in the air out of frustration. “Caroline, look at me. Look at me closely as I say this. I do not want Trevor. I am in love with Garth.” She said it. She hadn’t even admitted it verbally to Garth yet, but here she was telling a crazy person her feelings.
Caroline said, “And that’s another thing. How are you going to go from one friend to the other? That’s low down.”
“Since we’re being honest and I probably only have a few minutes of my life left anyway. Let’s get something straight,” Eva said. “Who I’m with was never any of your concern. Maybe if you had gotten the psychological help that you obviously need then Trevor may have taken you seriously and you and him could have written off into the sunset.”
Eva
wished now that she hadn’t run Trevor off. Caroline paced the floor swinging the gun back and forth as if she was trying to think of what to do next. “I suggest you get to writing,” Caroline said. She threw the notebook at Eva. It fell right in front of Eva on the floor.
Eva
kicked the notebook away. “You might as well kill me because I’m not writing a suicide letter. If I write anything it would be to let them know how crazy you are,” Eva snapped.
Caroline aimed her gun directly at
Eva. Eva closed her eyes as she prepared to die. Her entire life passed before her eyes. She recalled her childhood. How fun it was growing up with her parents. The trips she took to her grandparents in Grand Cane, Louisiana. The fun of modeling and travelling all over the world and lastly she thought about the love she had for Garth that she now regrettably never told him about.
“Good riddance,” Caroline said.
Eva’s eyes remained closed. She prayed to God as she heard the clicking sound of the gun. Her eyes jerked open when she heard the shot that changed her life forever.
Caroline fell forward. The trigger on the gun was released and the bullet barely missed hitting
Eva as she ducked to the side. Trevor rushed over and got the gun. “Are you okay?”
Eva
dazed responded, “No. I mean Yes.” The realization of her being alive hit her. “I’m alive. I’m alive,” she kept repeating over and over.
The police entered the front door. “Drop your weapon now or we’ll shoot.”
Trevor placed the gun down on the floor and turned around with his arms up.
“Officers he’s okay. It’s her. She’s the one who tried to kill me,”
Eva explained, as she pointed where Caroline’s body laid.
“She’s still alive,” one of the officers said. “Someone dispatch an ambulance.”
Those were the first words
Garth heard when he made his way through the commotion outside. His heart didn’t beat until he saw Eva. She was sitting on the couch next to Trevor with a blanket wrapped around her. They must have been talking about Cheryl.
Eva
’s body trembled. Her eyes lit up when she saw Garth walking towards her. Garth said, as Eva wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” he said, as tears filled his eyes. He was relieved that she was safe.
“Sir, we need to ask Ms.
Ward some questions,” one of the uniformed officers said.
Trevor
stepped in and said, “Give them a minute will you.”
Garth
appreciated Trevor stepping in for him. Eva filled him on what had transpired. He was just as shocked as she was. All of this time, his secretary, the one he trusted, was behind everything. “If Trevor hadn’t showed up when he did, that would be me on that stretcher,” Eva said.
Garth
said, “Trevor, I owe you.”
“No you don’t,”
Trevor said, “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately. It’s time that I made a change.”
The officer said, “I don’t mean to interrupt, but we really need your statement now Ms.
Ward.”
Eva
relayed the information as best as she could remember. “I’ll never forget coming so close to losing my life,” she said, as she told her story.
Garth
said, “There are reporters out there. Do you want me to handle them?”
Eva
took a few deep breaths. “No. I have to face them sometime so it might as well be now. Just let me go get myself together.”
Garth
said, “Tre, let them know Eva will be out to talk with them shortly. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but you know Eva always get her way.”
Trevor
left to do as he was instructed. Garth surveyed the room where the tragedy happened while he waited on Eva to return downstairs. “I’m ready,” Eva said. She still wore the same casual outfit she had on before but her hair was now pulled back into a ponytail.
“You sure you want to do this?”
Garth asked.
“Let’s do it,” she said, as she took his hand and they walked outside.
Cameras flashed and question after question were asked. Garth said, “Please. Ms. Ward won’t be answering any questions. If you don’t hold it down, she’ll just go back inside.”
It immediately became quiet.
Eva cleared her throat and spoke. “I’m so fortunate to be able to stand before you. Less than an hour ago, my life was in danger. I pray that the woman who attempted to take my life can now get the help she needs. A lot of things will come out over the next few weeks I’m sure. Some will be true and others might not be. I will be as honest and forthcoming as I can through my publicist from this moment forward. Before I go, I want to thank GT Securities because it was the owners Garth Morgan and Trevor Swint who were instrumental in me still being alive at this moment. Thank you Trevor for what you did and thank you Garth.”
Eva
turned around to walk back inside. Garth followed her. The reporters were not satisfied with her statement, they wanted more, but Eva kept walking as the questions kept coming. “Thank you for what you said about GT Securities,” Garth said.
“I meant it.”
“I feel guilty because Caroline was my secretary. I should have figured it out. It should have never come to this,” Garth said, as he wiped the hair hanging in front of her eyes.
The police didn’t clear out from
Eva’s place until later that afternoon. They wanted to make sure they had enough evidence and information for their case against Caroline. Trevor had remained behind to filter any questions concerning GT Securities freeing Garth up to remain by Eva’s side.
Eva
closed her eyes and enjoyed the massage Garth was giving her. She turned over and said, “You know there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you but put off.”
“What’s that beautiful?”
Garth said, through loving eyes.
“As my life passed before my eyes, the only thing I could think about was that I never got to tell you how much you mean to me…how much I love you,”
Eva said.
“You’re not just telling me that because of the stress of the situation are you?”
Garth asked, as if he was holding his breath.
“
Garth, I’ve been in love with you for awhile. It just took me this long to realize it. You bring out the best in me. I want to be the woman you need…the woman you want. I want to be your babies mama.”
Garth
laughed. “I love you too Ms. Ward.” He pulled Eva into his arms and they kissed and kissed.
Their kisses were interrupted by a knock on the door. “It’s me Tre,”
Trevor said, from the other end.
“It’s unlocked,”
Eva yelled, as her and Garth sat up in the bed.
“Everybody has cleared out,”
Trevor said.
Eva
said, “I don’t know if you heard me when I told the officer that she had planned on killing Cheryl next.”
Trevor
shrugged his shoulders. “She should consider herself lucky then.”
Eva
crossed her legs. “As much as I don’t like her, I don’t wish death on her or anyone else.”
“Ask me that in a few months,”
Trevor said, as he attempted to laugh.
“This has been a long day,”
Eva said, as she stretched her arms up.
Trevor
said, “I know I’m beat. Well you two, I’m about to go. I just wanted to let you know so you could lock up.”
Garth
said, “Tre, man I owe you.”
“Yes, you do. But since I’m a good friend, I’ll give that one to you,”
Trevor said, as he walked out the room leaving them by themselves.
***
A week later, Eva sat in her office at the studio and her agent Carmen who also had a dual role as her publicist, sat across from her. Carmen, dressed in a cream colored suit, said, “All you need to do now is decide who you want to grant an exclusive interview with.”
“Whoever I go with, make sure it states in the contract that the money received will be donated directly to NAMI,”
Eva said.
“Okay, I’ll make sure that the National Alliance of Mental Illness gets the check.”
Someone knocked on her door. Eva responded, “Come in.”
Garth
walked in. “I didn’t realize you had company. I can come back.”
Carmen stood up. “So this is the man who has stolen
Eva’s heart. You’re even better looking in person than you are on television.”
Garth
blushed as he shook Carmen’s hands.
“We’re through here.
Eva’s all yours,” Carmen said, as she left them alone in the office.
“You know you don’t have to keep popping in, now that Caroline is in custody,”
Eva said, as she now stood in front of Garth.
“I’m not on official business. I’m here as your man.”
Garth pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Their lips were locked until they heard someone behind them clear their throats.
Mo said, “Seeing you two makes me wish I was in love.”
Eva wiped the lipstick from Garth’s lips. “Mo, you’ll find someone.”
“Maybe, but this is your time and,” Mo said, tapping his watch, “You’re a little late.”
“I’m sorry. I had to make time for my boo,” Eva said, as she winked at Garth.
Garth
remained behind as Eva followed Mo to her dressing room. An hour later, Eva walked out on stage. Eva said, “Thank you all for tuning in today.” She scanned the audience and looked directly into the cameras. “Today’s topic is a serious one and unfortunately hits close to home. As you all know by now, I had a bad experience recently with a stalker who posed as a fan. On my panel today, I have a well known actor who just recently had his stalker prosecuted, a school teacher who survived multiple gun shots and a doctor who is well respected in his field as an expert on mental illness.”
Once everyone was situated on stage,
Eva began asking each one of her panelists questions. “Veronica, when did the stalking begin?”
Veronica responded, “As I look back on it, it started on day one. My stalker was the principal of my school. I made the mistake of going out with him on a few dates. After I realized he was not what I was looking for, I tried to end things easily.”
The audience became mesmerized as Veronica relayed her story of how the principal would sit in on her classes unannounced and send her threatening emails at home. Veronica’s eyes watered, “Nobody would believe me when I told them about the hateful things he said and did to me. They thought I was blowing things out of proportion.”
There weren’t too many times
Eva’s guests left her speechless, but this was one of them. Eva gave Veronica a hug. “You’re a brave woman for sharing your story. Thank you.”
“I came on your show
Eva because I don’t want women to be afraid to speak out. Talk to your local legislators. There are laws being passed everyday but there’s still so much more that needs to be done.”
A number, 1-800-FYI-CALL, and website, www.ncvc.org, flashed at the bottom of the monitor for the home audience to contact if they were being stalked.
Eva said, “Let’s go to commercial. Women aren’t the only ones being stalked. When we come back we’ll talk to award winning actor Clark about his stalker.”
A few minutes later,
Eva said, “Welcome back. I don’t know what to say after hearing Veronica’s heart wrenching story. Clark’s ordeal hasn’t gotten much press. He feels mainly because he was a man being stalked. Clark tell us your story.”
Clark said, “
Eva, thanks. I’ve been wanting to talk about this publicly for some time but because we were in litigation I couldn’t. Now that my stalker has been convicted, I can say that these past ten years have taken a toll on me.”
“Ten years,”
Eva said. “I had no idea and I’m sure others didn’t.”
Clark said, “People close to me did. This woman would show up everywhere I was. I don’t know how she would know where I would be because I had sworn people close to me to secrecy, but she would always find out.”
“I read she came from a wealthy family so that’s why it took so long for the authorities to take her threats seriously.”
Clark said, “That and the fact that she knew the law. I had several protective orders against her. If the protective order said she couldn’t be within one hundred and fifty feet, she would be exactly one hundred and fifty-one feet. She was a sly one.”
In the next segment, Eva asked Dr. Smith, “What signs should we be looking for when dating someone?”
Dr. Smith responded, “As in Clark’s case, he didn’t do anything to encourage his stalker. He had no idea who she was. They had never officially met. If a person has an obsessive type personality, anything can trigger that type of behavior.”
Eva asked, “How can we protect ourselves?”
Dr. Smith said, “First make sure you report it—not just to a friend, but make an official report at the police station. Start keeping a log of incidents and provide that to the police. Make sure you’re aware of your surroundings and do not travel alone. And many may frown on what I’m about to tell you, but I suggest that you protect yourself by any means necessary. Women and men should take self defense classes.”
Eva asked another series of questions. During the rest of the show, the audience was more informed of the warning signs and how serious it could be if someone was stalking them. Eva said, as the show ended, “Thank you all for tuning in today. This show was close to home for me. If you are being stalked, please don’t take it lightly. If you are one who is doing the stalking, know that there are programs out there designed to help you. You can get the help you need.”
Eva
then ended the show the way she always did with, “Remember to do something nice for yourself. When you’re happy, the people around you will be happy.”
She spent the next hour talking to the audience and signing autographs.
Garth waited for her backstage. Eva looped her arms through his and said, “Let’s blow this joint.”
“I’m proud of you,”
Garth said.
“That was a hard show for me to do,”
Eva confessed.
“I know, but you faced your demons head on. I admire you for that,”
Garth said.
“I’ll feel better once Caroline has been sentenced and put away for a long time,”
Eva said, as they walked.
Garth
responded, “Caroline will get what’s coming to her. You can stake my life on that.”