SVU Surveillance
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Julie Anne Lindsey
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19,2K
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24
Chapter One
Gwen Kind bent to stretch her hamstrings and catch her breath beside the busiest jogging path in New Plymouth, Kentucky. She’d hoped to shake the icky sensation of being watched off her sweaty skin before heading home, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen.
She stood and twisted at the waist, pulling in deep lungfuls of crisp autumn air, then watching the little puffs of breath float away in frosty clouds. October was beautiful in New Plymouth, distractingly so. With the trees showing off their fanciest colors, the city planting endless bunches of gold, crimson and purple mums, and shop owners lining sidewalks in pumpkin-topped hay bales, what wasn’t to love? Gwen particularly liked the fact that every downtown window seemed to advertise something flavored or scented in apple cinnamon and mulling spice.
In the park, folks had donned their cool-weather best. Zipped and tucked into brightly colored jackets and hats, they were a hundred dots of human confetti moving across the still green grass. A worn rubber trail ebbed and flowed through clusters of meticulously landscaped trees and around a lake continually packed with geese. Metro Park was never empty, so this was where Gwen would jog now. Even if that meant dodging moms with double strollers and dogs on long leashes, or being occasionally knocked into by folks on bikes, skateboards or Rollerblades.
She preferred her morning runs along the county’s less-traveled hike-and-bike trail before work, but lately the solitary path had left her feeling uneasy and distinctly paranoid. She’d nearly sprinted back to her car on the last trip there, certain she wasn’t alone, but unable to see anything besides a handful of squirrels and the occasional flock of birds among the trees. Still, instinct insisted she change her routine, and experience agreed. After all, it had only been six years since Gwen had been brutally attacked during her college’s homecoming weekend. Raped, beaten and cut. Then left unconscious after a night out with friends.
She fished her car key from her pocket with a sigh. She missed the hike-and-bike trail, but she’d survive. She’d given up many more important things in the name of safety. Losing her favorite place to run was hardly a sacrifice in comparison. Even if Metro Park was a congested nightmare. She gave the area another visual sweep before making the final trek back to the large public parking area beside the busy downtown street.
She checked under the car on her approach, looked nearby men in their eyes, then peered into the back seat before unlocking and opening her door. She dropped immediately behind the wheel and locked up once more, then settled herself for the ride home. At least traffic wouldn’t be bad with half the population already at the park.
The drive home was quick and easy, the day bright and pleasant with an unseasonably cold chill. The weatherman had thrown the word snow around this morning, making her wonder yet again why she’d relocated to New Plymouth, only one town away from her former college, when she could’ve stayed with her family in Florida. She’d told her parents she feared her attacker would expect her to go home, and starting over somewhere completely new made her feel safer. It wasn’t a lie, but in hindsight she suspected her real motivation for staying in the area had more to do with being a stone’s throw from her former fiancé than anything else. Silly, but knowing he was across the county instead of across the country had been a great comfort during the worst of times.
Gwen turned onto her street, then motored into her one-car attached garage and closed the door behind her before getting out. She unlocked the door to her home, then locked it behind her and pressed her code into the keypad beside the coatrack, silencing the alarm system.
She’d chosen the one-story open-floor-plan home for its small, manageable footprint and proximity to town. Just over a thousand square feet with postage-stamp front and back yards. The furnishings were minimal, but brightly colored and purchased locally to avoid the stark utilitarian look her mother continually complained about during her visits. Gwen liked that the place was easy to monitor and protect.
Forty minutes and a quick shower later, she was back in the car, hair clean but damp and wound into her usual tidy bun. She’d traded the running gear and shoes for a gray pantsuit and flats, then performed a speedy lip balm and mascara makeup routine.
The sensation of being watched struck again as her car hit the street beyond her driveway. She checked her mirrors, examining the empty lawns and silent homes around her before shifting into Drive and rolling slowly away. The paranoia grew as she traveled, despite her best efforts to will it away. She practiced controlled breathing and reminded herself that these feelings were normal for someone who’d been through what she had. That PTSD could linger for decades. And she was safe.
Gwen sighed in relief as her office came into view, then waved at a familiar pair of women on the sidewalk. She hurried to park and catch up with them before they reached the front doors. “Good morning,” she called, forcing a smile as she ran.
The women stopped outside a towering set of glass doors.
The historic brick building behind them had once been five stories of run-down apartments, but a recent conversion by her bosses had changed all that. Noble Architecture and Design had gutted the interior and created a phoenix from the rubble. Now the building’s face was predominantly glass, and the inside was two soaring floors of design studios with spectacular downtown views.
“You look flushed,” Marina, the older of the two women, said as Gwen hustled to reach them. She fastened another button on her white wool coat while she waited. “Or are you glowing? Is there a man?” She drew out the final word in a dramatic singsong way, as was her custom, and Gwen instinctively slowed her pace. The curvy mother of four never tired of trying to find Gwen a date, but Gwen had long ago tired of hearing about it.
“No man,” Gwen answered, a hint of aggravation in her tone. She shook her head and smiled to soften the response. It wasn’t Marina’s fault she didn’t understand Gwen’s reluctance to date, or know the reasoning behind the decision. No one in New Plymouth did. “I’ve been running at Metro Park,” she added in explanation of her flushed skin. “It was packed before work, so I’m a little behind schedule.”
Marina’s assistant, Debbie, gave Gwen a once-over. Her heavily lined eyes narrowed and her ruby lips pulled to one side. “I thought you jogged the hike-and-bike trail before work?”
“I do, but the Metro Park gets so much buzz, I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about,” Gwen improvised.
“So?” Marina asked, her warm olive skin aglow. “How was it?”
“A definite hotspot from six thirty to seven fifteen a.m.,” Gwen groused.
Marina grinned. “I’ll bet that makes it a great place to meet people. Young, single people.” She worked her eyebrows up and down.
Gwen laughed. “Enough about me. I’m waiting to hear how dinner went last night. Did the kids like the new casserole?” she asked, redirecting the conversation as she held the door for the other women.
Marina let her head drop forward as she crossed the threshold. “Don’t get me started.” She lifted her stricken face, then dove into a detailed play-by-play on her family’s meal preferences and quirks. Debbie hung on every word, and Gwen was officially off the hook for discussion.
The ladies parted ways inside the design studios, and Gwen got lost in her administrative work. The day was a blur of invoicing and phone calls, testing Gwen’s concentration and time management skills to the max. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, another day was over.
Her coworkers donned their coats and hats, then moved in a wave toward the elevator doors.
Gwen hustled to keep up. “Hold the elevator!” she called, pressing herself into the already-packed car. She didn’t make a habit of being alone anywhere other than her home, and she had a bottle of wine waiting for her there. Plus a half slice of chocolate cake she couldn’t wait to finish off.
The car’s passengers shifted to make room as she pinned her body between Marina and a tall man in Armani. “Hey, Collin,” she said, hoping to sound casual in the awkward position.
“Gwen,” he said with a smile. “I stopped by to say hello earlier, but you seemed busy. I didn’t want to bother you.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded, trying not to think about his body pressed tightly to hers.
The doors parted a moment later, and the passengers spilled into the first-floor foyer.
Collin kept an easy pace at Gwen’s side. They made their way back through the glass doors and into the chilly evening. She rolled her shoulders and breathed easier with the added space between them. “Already dark,” she muttered, hating autumn for the singular inconvenience and heading for her car at a clip.
Marina and the other designers spoke in hushed tones a few feet behind, likely talking about Collin and his noteworthy physique.
“I think they’re talking about me,” Collin said with a grin.
“This is my car,” Gwen announced, unwilling to bite. Her unremarkable sedan was bathed in a cone of lamplight. She couldn’t see beneath the vehicle without bending down, but trusted her coworkers wouldn’t let anyone drag her away without a fight.
Collin smiled.
“You already know that,” she said. Just like she knew he drove the sleek black sports car parked a few rows away. “Sorry.”
He shrugged. “Got any plans for the weekend?”
Netflix and chill crossed her mind, except in Gwen’s world the phrase was extremely literal and done alone. “Maybe. You?”
“I’m thinking about dinner at La Maison Blanche. Any chance I can convince you to join me?”
She smiled, but shook her head. “I can’t. I—”
“Say no more.” He raised a hand and returned her smile. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Another night, then?”
“Maybe.”
His expression brightened as he turned to walk backward, moving in the direction of his car. “That’s not a no,” he said. “And I’m nothing if not dedicated to a good cause. See you tomorrow, Kind.”
She lifted one hand in a hip-high wave, then waited before turning around.
Marina and the other designers were blatantly eavesdropping from their nearby cars.
The older women waved innocently as Collin drove away.
Victoria Noble, owner of the design group, was the first to speak. “Are you crazy?” she asked. “Collin is smitten with you, and he’s perfect. Have you seen his backside?”
Gwen snorted, suddenly absolutely certain of what the others had been whispering about behind them. Her humor faded, however, as the icy fingers of unease slid down her spine. The too-familiar sensation of being watched settled hot on her cheeks.
“She’s blushing,” Marina called. “We’ve embarrassed her. We’re sorry, sweetie. We’re just suckers for love.”
“And that heinie,” Victoria added.
Gwen’s chest constricted, and the world began to tilt. She turned in search of an onlooker, but saw no one.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, hon,” Marina called.
Gwen raised a palm absently before dropping into her car and locking the doors.
A folded sheet of paper came immediately into view, flapping gently against her windshield where it was trapped beneath one wiper blade. For a moment, she debated leaving it there, driving away without accepting it, whatever it was. She didn’t need another take-out menu. Didn’t want to see a local band or run a 5K for charity. And she didn’t want to get back out of her locked car, alone at night in the parking lot.
She stared at the offending flyer. If she left it stuck there, it would probably blow off in traffic, and Gwen wasn’t a litterbug. She steeled her nerves, then jumped out to snatch the paper and return to her position behind the wheel. She tossed the page onto the passenger seat and locked the doors.
The dashboard vents piped hot air throughout the small space and rustled the paper, drawing her attention to the sheet once more.
A familiar logo registered with each flap of the folded sheet. She reached carefully across the car, as if the flyer might attack, then pressed the paper open. Air rushed from her lungs as she took the message in.
It wasn’t a take-out menu, marketing for a band or a local 5K.
It was an invitation to the Bellemont College Homecoming.
