Ann laughed. “For a moment there I thought you were going to tell me that you were a criminal!”
He chuckled. “I feel like a criminal sometimes when I land a big, juicy real estate deal!”
“I take it you’re doing pretty well.”
“I certainly can’t complain. I’m trying not to let the money overwhelm me, however. I like to live comfortably but not too extravagantly. I’ve never been a flashy person.”
“I’m really glad to hear that,” Ann said.
“I have one weakness though: I love the great outdoors. And that’s my excuse for the country retreat I just purchased last spring in Hocking County. It’s an A-frame nestled in the foothills complete with a pond and forty acres of nothing but trees and wildlife.”
“Sounds nice,” Ann said.
“It’s beautiful. Maybe you’d like to see it sometime.”
Ann spoke before thinking. “I’d like that.”
“Great! Perhaps we could swing down that way some weekend before winter sets in,” Jerry suggested enthusiastically.
Ann hesitated. “Well, let’s just wait and see how things go in the meantime, Jerry.”
For the second time that night, Ann caught the faint glimpse of hurt in his eyes, which he promptly attempted to cover up. He said, “I’m sorry, Ann. I didn’t mean to be so pushy. Please forgive me.”
“It’s okay, Jerry. I just don’t want to jump into anything right now.”
“And I understand completely,” he said with a shrug. “I guess I was jumping the gun a bit.”
Ann didn’t like seeing him like this. She wished now that she had been a little more tactful. “I hope I haven’t scared you off by that last comment of mine. What I really meant to say was that I don’t want to rush things. I really have enjoyed this evening, Jerry, and I hope we can get together again… soon.”
Jerry Rankin leaned toward her. “I’m really happy to hear you say that, Ann. I feel a lot better suddenly. My problem is that I get a little carried away sometimes and end up sounding incredibly presumptuous. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed myself as well. You’re a lovely lady and lots of fun. So let’s make it a point to go out again soon and just take one step at a time, okay?” he offered, tipping his wine glass toward her.
“All right, we’ll just do that!” Ann declared, tipping his glass. They both took a sip and Jerry said, “So how do you usually spend your weekends?”
Ann replied with a frown, “Housework, mostly. And running errands.”
“Does Amy help you out any?”
She laughed. “You’ve got to be joking! I can’t even get her to keep her room looking halfway decent, much less get any help out of her with the rest of the house. She’s a hopeless case in that category, I’m afraid.”
“And I suppose you can’t somehow make her give you hand? Like threatening to cut her allowance off or grounding her?”
“I’ve tried everything, believe me. She’s incorrigible. I don’t like fighting and we get into a quarrel every time I try to discipline her, so I’ve all but thrown in the towel. I just don’t seem to have any control over the child anymore.”
“Did she mind her father?”
“Oh yes, she did. But she was a year younger when Sam and I were still together. I’m not so sure she’d even mind him now, if he were still in the picture.”
“It’s amazing how much difference a year can make, isn’t it?”
“You can say that again,” Ann replied.
Just then the telephone rang. Ann stood up and went over to the wall phone behind the bar.
“Hello?”
There was nothing but silence on the other end.
“Hello?” Ann repeated.
Suddenly she heard heavy breathing. At first Ann thought that who ever was on the other end might be hurt or in trouble; perhaps even Amy. “Who is this?” she asked uncomfortably.
Then a hoarse voice wheezed, “I’m going to fuck you!”
“You what…?” Ann blurted, then slammed down the receiver.
“What was that all about?” Jerry asked.
Ann’s back was still facing him as she struggled to compose herself. “Just a crank call,” she finally answered.
She turned and saw the concerned look on Jerry’s face.
“You’re white as a sheet, Ann!” he exclaimed. He stood up and ran over to her.
“Who was that on the phone?” he demanded.
Ann wasn’t sure why she felt so helplessly terrified right at that moment. Perhaps it was due to the hideous manner in which the caller had breathed those awful words and the fact that it was still giving her goose bumps. Or maybe it was because she now realized for the first time just how mortified she was of living alone in this house with her teenage daughter in a strange town and not having Sam around to protect them…
All she was really sure of was that there was a man there now and that she was grateful beyond words.
“God, Jerry,” she moaned, burying her head in his chest. Jerry put his arms around her as she felt herself trembling uncontrollably in his embrace. Ann felt the urge to cry in her frustration but willed herself not to. Instead, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be held securely in Jerry’s arms until she finally calmed down enough to face him.
“Thanks, Jerry.” she said weakly.
His eyes were filled with concern and passion as he said, “What happened, Ann?”
Ann looked away a moment, and then replied, “It was an obscene phone caller. He said that he was going to, you know, do it to me. God, it was awful!” she cried. “I’m so stupid! I should have hung up the moment I heard him breathing… just as I told Amy to do.”
“He’s called before?”
Ann nodded slowly. “Last weekend. In the middle of the night.”
Jerry led Ann over to the sofa and motioned for her to sit down. “He talked to your daughter that way?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” Ann replied, draining her wine glass dry. “He said the same thing to Amy. I’ll be honest, Jerry, I’m scared to death. Not only have we been getting obscene phone calls but I thought I heard a prowler in the back yard last Saturday night. And to top it all off, I’ve just heard from my ex-husband that the man who murdered my best friend a couple of weeks ago also murdered another woman that I went to high school with! In New York City, no less.”
Jerry Rankin was clearly flabbergasted by all of this. “Hold on a minute, here. What’s this about your friend being murdered? Is this the same woman you were referring to when we spoke on the phone?”
Ann nodded. “Yes, Marsha Bradley. She was raped and strangled in her home back in Smithtown. She had a little six-year-old…”
Ann burst into tears.
Jerry put an arm around Ann and tried to console her. Moments later, she managed to get a hold of herself.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I just haven’t gotten over it yet.”
“I understand, Ann. I know how difficult it is to lose a loved one,” he said softly.
“I’m sorry I told you all of this, Jerry. I should’ve kept it to myself. Now all I’ve done is ruin what up until now has been a beautiful evening…”
He bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Listen, Ann. I’m glad you told me about this-you did the right thing by getting it off your chest. As for ruining our evening, we don’t have to let that happen if we don’t want to. We’re still together, aren’t we?”
“Thanks for being so understanding, Jerry. Next time, we won’t let anything spoil our date… I promise.”
“There now, that’s the spirit!” he said. His expression suddenly turned grave. “Ann, I am very concerned about all of this. Have you spoken to the police about the prowler and the phone calls?”
“Yes,” Ann nodded. “They suggested that I get an unpublished phone number if the calls persist and told me that they’d keep an eye on the house. Until tonight, the only other time he’d called was last Saturday.”
“Well, you should go ahead and get a new phone number as soon as possible, then. Nip this off at the bud before it gets out of hand.”
“I suppose you’re right. I’ll call the phone company on Monday.”