The Color of a Memory (The Color of Heaven Series) (6 page)

“Don’t act all innocent.” She strode closer but I held my ground—though she was at least six inches taller than me. “You sent the cops to my house this morning. I think that creates a problem.”

“What creates a problem is when you come over to
my
house and dump garbage all over my lawn.”

Melanie pushed her sunglasses further up the bridge of her tiny upturned nose. “I never did that.”

“No? I think you did. I also think you broke into my house last week.”

She scoffed. “You’re nuts! Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, shrugging. “Maybe because you’re upset that I’m dating Alex.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “If you had any brains in your head, you wouldn’t waste your time on him, and you’d see that I’m doing you a favor by coming here.”

“How?” I asked with disbelief.

“Because I’m giving you fair warning that he’ll break your heart—just like he broke mine. He’s a player.”

I brushed by her to unlock my car door. “I appreciate the advice, but I’ll take my chances.”

“Are you dense?” she asked, following. “He’s not worth your time. The only reason he’s into you is because you weren’t interested, so you were a challenge. He’ll say anything to make you fall for him, and as soon as you do, he’ll get bored and move on. Mark my words. That’s what he does.”

These were not words I wanted to hear because I hadn’t felt this happy in years, and I didn’t even want to
think
about my relationship with Alex coming to an end.

This was crazy; I shouldn’t
have
to think about it—because I knew Melanie wasn’t rational. I’d be a fool to trust anything she said. I willed myself not to listen.

Shoving my key into the lock, I opened my door. Before I got in, however, I said one last thing: “What I do with my life is none of your business, and if you ever set foot on my property again, I’ll have the cops at your door so fast, your head will spin.”

As I was sliding into the driver’s seat, she moved around the front of my car and grabbed hold of the door to prevent me from closing it.

“I’m just trying to help you,” she said with teeth clenched tight.

I tugged at the door but she gripped it hard. “Let go!”

At last Melanie stepped back. I violently slammed the door. With shaking hands, I turned the key in the ignition. The engine revved and I hit the gas.

My tires squealed as I sped out of the parking lot. I must have checked my rearview mirror at least twenty times on the way home.

* * *

“Do you think I have enough evidence to file a restraining order?” I asked Cathy when we met for spinning class that night.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Did you tell the police she was waiting for you after work?”

“Yes, I called them right away, told them every word she said and they added it to the report.”

Cathy tied her hair back in a ponytail. “The fact that she knew what time you were getting off work is kind of creepy. I’m glad you have a written record of everything, just in case.”

“In case of
what
?” I asked with more than a little concern as I climbed onto a stationary bike and adjusted my feet on the pedals. “You don’t think she’d do anything
really
crazy, do you?”

Cathy mounted the bike beside me. “It’s hard to say, but she definitely seems to have stalker-brain. She must really be obsessed with Alex.”

“I can hardly blame her,” I found myself saying. “He’s pretty amazing.”

“Maybe so.” Cathy leaned forward and grasped the handlebars. “But that doesn’t make it okay to dump garbage on someone’s lawn. And are you sure you can trust Alex? What was he doing with a girl like that in the first place? You said he was with her for six months.”

“He admits he was dazzled by her beauty, but he regrets it now,” I replied in his defense.

Cathy sighed. “I guess a lot of people end up regretting past relationships. Just be careful, all right?”

“I will,” I replied as the instructor walked into the studio and turned on the music.

In all honesty, I didn’t believe Melanie would do anything legitimately dangerous. She was just angry because her pride was bruised. She looked like a supermodel and probably couldn’t believe a brainy little nurse with glasses had stolen her boyfriend.

The cops had already knocked on her door and delivered a warning. A report had been filed. If anything happened to me, she’d be the number one suspect.

Surely she wouldn’t be that stupid.

Chapter Fourteen

As it turned out, Melanie
was
that stupid.

Maybe I was a little stupid, too, in assuming she wasn’t dangerous…

After I left my spinning class, I drove to Alex’s place and picked him up for a movie. Later, he invited me up to his apartment, but I said no because I had to be at work at 7:00 the next morning. Besides, things were heating up between us and I knew that if I gave in, I might stay all night, and I wasn’t ready for that.

Especially with Melanie still in the picture.

Though I told myself she wasn’t rational—and surely everything she said about Alex was a lie—I still had my doubts. Maybe I was overly cautious. Maybe a part of me believed that a guy as gorgeous as Alex couldn’t possibly be the type to settle down—not when beautiful women would always be throwing themselves at him.

So when it came time to say goodnight, Alex gave me a kiss and got out of the car, still limping on his good foot. He stood under the streetlamp in a leather jacket and jeans, smiling down at me.

“Call me from work tomorrow?” he asked.

“I will.”

Pulling away from the curb, I left him standing on the sidewalk.

* * *

When I arrived home, I was at least pleased to find my front lawn free of spilled garbage. Gathering up my purse and keys, I strode to my front door.

There wasn’t a single breath of wind in the air as I fiddled with my keys in the dark, wishing I’d left my porch light on.

When at last I found the right key, I let myself in and flicked on the lights.

The silence inside was rather ominous and I found myself hesitant to move from my spot on the welcome mat.

I really should get a dog, I thought. To be greeted at the door by a live creature with a wagging tail would be far preferable to this fear and uncertainty, especially when I might be dealing with a potential stalker.

I tried self-talk.
Don’t be paranoid. All the windows and doors were locked when you left. There’s no one here.

Taking a deep breath, I moved into the living room and turned on a couple of lamps and the television. Then I went to the kitchen and flicked on the overhead light.

The window near the back door was shut tight and the blinds were closed, which gave me some peace of mind. Nevertheless, I moved from room to room, turning on lights and checking behind closet doors.

Nothing seemed out of order, so I changed into my pajamas and planted myself on the sofa to watch some TV.

* * *

The sound of my cell phone ringing woke me shortly before 5:00 a.m. At first I thought I was having some kind of lucid dream because I also heard sirens and it seemed very real. The phone rang four times, stopped for a moment, then resumed ringing again.

Confused and disoriented, I sat up and squinted through the darkness. Just as I was about to answer the phone, there was a loud, aggressive banging at my front door—and I knew that part wasn’t a dream. My belly exploded with panic and I scrambled to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Audrey, it’s Alex. You have to get out of the house.”

Sparks of adrenaline lit in my veins. Tossing the covers aside, I sat up on the edge of the bed and flicked on the light. “What are you talking about?”

The thunderous banging at the front door continued, more insistently, sending me into a blinding state of red-hot terror.

“There’s someone at my door!”

“Your house is on fire,” Alex said. “David just called me. He should be outside right now with a truck.”

Only then did I notice smoke wafting into my bedroom from under the closed door. “Oh, my God.” I leapt to my feet. “I see smoke.”

“Get out of there,” he said. “Can you go out the back window?”

I turned to look at it. “Yes.”

“Do it now.”

Without bothering to put on a bathrobe or slippers, I hurried around the bed, unlocked the window and shoved it fully open. The next thing I knew I was sliding clumsily over the sill and falling onto the prickly rosebush below. The thorns tore through my pajamas and scratched the flesh on my arms, legs and face.

“Ouch!”

Still clutching my phone, I spoke to Alex. “I’m okay. I’m outside now.” I crawled out of the garden onto the damp, cool grass, then rose to my feet and turned around. “Holy crap!”

The kitchen windows were aglow, flickering with orange-colored flames inside. “The house really is on fire!”

“Go around front and tell them you’re okay,” Alex said. “Is there anyone else inside?”

“No,” I replied, beginning to shake from shock as I ran around the side of the house.

When I reached the driveway, two fire trucks were parked out front and a third tanker was turning onto the street. Lights flashed and a couple of firefighters were dragging hoses across my lawn.

My house is burning. With everything I own inside of it.

I waved my hands at them. “I’m here!” I shouted. “I’m the owner!”

Glancing at the front door, I noticed it had already been broken down. I assumed someone must have gone inside to rescue me.

A fireman approached. He wore a coat with reflective stripes, an air tank strapped to his back, a helmet and facemask. “Is there anyone else inside?” he asked over the roar of the engines. An ambulance pulled up just then.

Giant plumes of black, billowing smoke rose up from the burning roof. I heard glass smashing, the snap and crackle of the flames.

“No, it’s just me,” I told him. “There’s no one else.”

“Are you hurt?”

His gaze swept over my face with concern. I glanced down at my trembling hands and realized I was scratched and bleeding from the rose bush thorns.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I did this when I climbed out the window.”

He laid a gloved hand on the small of my back and guided me further away from the house. “Come this way.”

I followed him in a daze as he led me toward the paramedic who was just hopping out of the ambulance.

“This is the homeowner,” the firefighter said. “She climbed out the back window.”

The paramedic opened the rear doors of the ambulance, fetched a blanket and quickly wrapped it around me. “You were lucky to get out of there,” she said. “It looks pretty bad.”

I glanced back and realized the firefighter had left me. He was now speaking to one of the others, no doubt letting them know there were no other people inside.

Oh God, my house
. Would they be able to save it? To save anything?

And how did it start? Had Melanie done this?

Chapter Fifteen

Just as the paramedic finished cleaning all the bloody cuts on my face and arms, a cab turned onto my street. A police officer waved his arms to prevent it from crossing the barricades. It pulled to a halt and Alex hopped out of the back. He spoke to the officer who immediately let him through, then looked up at my house, now entirely engulfed in flames.

“Alex!” I called.

He heard my voice and limped toward me. Still wrapped in the woolen blanket, I hurried to meet him.

“Thank God you’re all right,” he said, pulling me into his arms.

“I’m fine, but I haven’t seen David at all,” I said. “They’ve been keeping me here, well out of the way.”

Alex watched a firefighter spray water through the broken living room window while another dragged a hose through the front door. “Do you have any idea how it started?” he asked.

“None,” I replied. “I was sound asleep when you called—and thank God you did or I might not be talking to you right now. But how did you know?”

“One of your neighbors saw the flames and called 911,” he explained. “As soon as David realized it was your house, he called me.”

We stood together, watching the scene unfold. By now the fire had spread through the entire house and flames were spiking out through the roof. I’d never seen so much smoke in my life. The sound of the fire crackling, timbers snapping and breaking was deafening as the roof collapsed before my eyes. I knew more engines were on their way because I could hear more sirens in the distance. A cop was speaking through a megaphone to a crowd that had gathered to watch.

“Will they be able to save anything?” I asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to face it.

“Not likely,” Alex replied. “I hope you have good insurance.”

“I do, but I only bought the house last year. It’s mortgaged to the hilt. There’s hardly any equity. I’ll have to start from scratch.”