Chapter Twenty-Four

Off Your Rocker

“Juliette, listen to me very carefully.” Evan takes my chin and tilts my head back so I am forced to look right into his eyes. He’s concerned, I can see it. There’s a cloud covering the sparkle that was in his eyes just a moment ago. “That’s not Averee up there. I mean it is her, but it’s not her. I don’t think she knows what she’s doing right now. Go get Marcus. He’s my security for the night. You stay at the bar with Derek, he’ll make sure you’re safe. Then, I want you to call Adam and tell him what’s happening. Go!”

“No, I’m not leaving you, baby. I’m not going.” I look up at Averee and she’s still singing to Evan. She’s vigilantly watching every move we make. When she sees the fear in my eyes, she smiles, and it’s a smile that makes my skin crawl.

“Baby, I need Marcus. Please go get him, and then call Adam. Tell him everything. I’m not asking, I’m telling you. Go!” I don’t like it, but if this is what he needs, then I’ll make sure he gets it.

I grab his face and bring his lips down to mine. “I love you. Be careful.” I turn and run to the patio.

As soon as I see Marcus, I tell him that Evan needs him by the stage. He takes one look at me, and he knows it’s serious. Without asking any questions, he turns on his heels, and heads directly to find Evan.

My phone is right where I left it behind the bar. Frantically, I call Adam. “Adam, please come to the bar. Now! Averee is here and she’s gone batshit crazy.”

“Jette, is Averee there with you right now?” He’s not surprised. His voice is flat and steady. Something is wrong. He knows something.

“No, I’m on the patio with Derek. She’s on stage at the main bar singing a twisted love song to Evan. Marcus is with him. Why?”

“We were able to trace the license plate on the car the vandal drove last night, and it’s a rental car. We called the agency, and they told us they rented the car to Averee DeVeau.” He pauses for a moment to let me digest that last piece of information. “Do you understand what I’m telling you?” It takes a moment for the enormity of it all to sink in. If Averee vandalized my car last night, what else has she done?

“Adam, are you saying that Averee DeVeau is the one who has been tormenting me the entire time? That she’s been behind all of this from the beginning?” It never even entered my mind. Evan’s been with a lot of women, and I guess the odds are that one of them would be unstable. It’s hard to believe someone so talented and fortunate could also be so broken and damaged.

“Yes, Jette. That’s exactly what I’m telling you. You need to stay away from her. We don’t know what she’s capable of right now,” he warns.

“What do you mean ‘we’, Adam? Does Evan know all this? Does he know it’s Averee who’s been stalking me?”

“Yes, he does. We were putting the pieces together right before Evan left to meet you tonight. I’ll explain more when I get there. Stay away from her, Jette. Have someone tell Evan I’m on my way.”

I can feel the adrenaline running through my veins, causing my heart rate to quicken. I hang up and turn to rejoin Evan. I need to know what’s happening. Before I can set one foot out from behind the bar, Marcus is back, breathing heavily.

“Jette, I can’t find him. Where did you say he was?”

I grab him by the wrist. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Together, we waste no time making our way through the crowd to the stage. The band’s singer has taken over and Averee is gone. So is Evan. There’s no sign of either of them.

Marcus drags me away from the crowd so he can talk to me. “What’s going on? Jette, tell me what’s happening so I can help. Why did Evan need me?”

Quickly, I tell him the entire sordid story, leaving out no details, and he looks every bit as shocked as I am. “From what you’ve told me, Adam’s right. We don’t know what she’s capable of right now. We have to find Evan. Let’s go talk to the guys at the door and see if they saw anything.”

I follow him as we navigate our way to the front door. Marcus makes his way right over to Jay, the head bouncer. “Hey, Jay, tell me something. Did McGuire come past you in the last few minutes?”

“Yeah, he did. You just missed him.” He looks right at me with an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry, Jette, but he left with that rock star ex of his, Averee DeVeau. They seemed to be in a bit of a rush.”

The blood drains from my face and I suddenly feel light headed. Evan left with an unstable crazy whack-job. I look at Marcus. “We have to find him. She could hurt him, Marcus. I just know it.” Evan promised me he would stay with me all night. For him to break that promise, he must have sensed that something was terribly wrong.

“Okay, I’ll take you. But I’m not having a repeat performance of Thursday night. First we go back and tell Derek and Emmy. You grab your stuff while I tell Jack what’s going on. Got it?” I want to leave now, this very minute, without wasting one more precious moment. But I know he’s right. Besides, I have no car with me tonight, and that leaves me at the mercy of others.

“Agreed. I’ll meet you right back here in five minutes. Let’s go.” We split up and spread out. He goes to search for our boss and I head back to talk to our friends.

“Emmy, Derek – Marcus and I have to leave. Evan’s in trouble. We have to go find him.” I give them the abbreviated version of what happened. They both look concerned, too. “Don’t worry. I’ll text you as soon as we know anything.”

“We’re coming with you,” Emmy proclaims. “And don’t say no. Evan is our friend, too.”

I never thought about that. I guess they have all become friends. Momentarily, the thought makes me happy. But right now, there’s no time for sentiment. I have to find him, quickly, before things spiral further out of control.

“You have to stay here,” I tell them both. “Adam’s on his way. When he gets here, tell him that Evan left with De-Ho and Marcus and I are heading straight to Evan’s house.”

“Why Evan’s house?” Emmy asks me.

“We have to start somewhere,” I tell her.

They don’t like it, but they agree to stay behind. It’s almost midnight and the bar won’t be closing for a few more hours. They make me promise to text them immediately if anything happens.

The streets are packed with parked cars lining both sides of every block. I’ve never seen it this bad before, not even on the fourth of July when there are fireworks on the beach. We’re walking down block after block, and it feels like we’ve walked for miles before we reach Marcus’ car.

I give Marcus directions to Evan’s house, which is just a short distance down the road from here. The traffic is absurdly heavy, too, so what should be a two-minute drive turns into a fifteen-minute ordeal. I want to jump out of the car and jog to his house. I think I would get there quicker if I did.

As we drive, I call Evan’s phone over and over again. Each time, it rings a few times, and then goes to voicemail. A thought hits me like a bolt of lightning. “Marcus!” I shout, “Evan’s phone is on. We can find him! I know how to find him!”

“You do? How?” Marcus asks.

“As soon as we get to Evan’s, I can track exactly where he is using his laptop,” I explain. “Evan’s got an iPhone. We both have the Find My iPhone app on our laptops. It’s supposed to be used to find your phone if it gets lost or stolen. But as long as he has his phone with him, we can use it to find him. Even if he leaves, we can track him in real time.”

“Damn. I wish we thought of that one on Thursday,” Marcus remarks.

We pull up to Evan’s house and I’m immediately disappointed. I had hoped to find his car sitting here in the driveway. Not wishing to waste any more time, I quickly punch in the code to unlock the door. As I’m entering the number, it becomes clear to me that anyone who knows Evan well enough to know his birthday might be able to gain access to the house.

As we enter, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something inside me is telling me to be cautious.

Evan’s laptop is in the bedroom. Marcus follows me as I lead him through the house to the master suite. As soon as I step in the doorway, I stop short. The shock of the sight before me is frightening. The bed we share has been slashed. The pillows are ripped to pieces and tossed on the floor. There is a long gash across the top of the bed, through the blanket and sheets, destroying the top layer of the mattress. A butcher knife is lying in the middle of the shredded linens.

The few clothing items I brought to Evan’s are strewn all around the room, cut to pieces. It appears that Averee was in some sort of frenzy. Some of my clothes are torn, others are sliced, and they are tossed about haphazardly throughout the room. Some pieces landed on lampshades, on the dresser, but mostly all across the floor. One of my panties is left hanging on the closet doorknob.

Marcus hears me gasp, grabs me by the shoulders, and practically tosses me to the side. He takes one look inside the bedroom and closes the door shut. “Jette, stay close to me. We need to check the other rooms and make sure no one’s still here before we go any further.”

I step lightly into the main room and sweep the area visually. Sure enough, on the floor in the kitchen I can see shattered glass and water spilled everywhere. As Marcus and I step further into the kitchen, we can see that it’s not simply glass that shattered, but a beautiful flower vase and dozens of dahlias in vibrant radiant colors.

Tonight was to be my first night here under our new living arrangements. I love that he thought about marking it with a gift of flowers. Evan has a knack for making me feel special and appreciated. I wish I had seen them as a bouquet.

“Jette, come here. Check this out!” Marcus calls for me to join him by the sink. There is a piece of paper sitting in the bottom of the sink, burned to a crisp. Beside it is a lone matchstick, which was used to set it aflame.

“I guess that was my love note from Evan,” I sigh.

Marcus continues to sweep the house, searching in every closet, cabinet, and pantry. He even gets down on the floor and checks under the bed in the spare bedroom.

I bring Marcus upstairs to Evan’s workout room. We can tell rather quickly that there’s no one up here. The room is simply four walls with windows and tons of equipment scattered throughout the room.

Confident that we’re alone in the house, Marcus refocuses our attention. “Let’s get back to your room and grab that laptop.”

We go back to the master suite. I’m relieved to see Evan’s laptop is untouched exactly where I expected it to be, sitting on his dresser, charging. I unplug it and hand it to Marcus. “Just click on the Find my iPhone icon on the dock. It looks like a green radar screen.” I want to see if my red dress is still hanging in the closet.

I open the door slowly, unsure what awaits me inside, and sure enough, my dress bag from Saks is empty. Making matters worse, hanging neatly on a hanger beside the dress bag is a change of clothes, her clothes. This must be what she was wearing before she slipped into my dress. All my clothes have been tossed from the closet, and now the only article of clothing remaining beside Evan’s are hers. Does she think she’s replacing me?

I take a peek in the master bath, and there’s more evidence left behind. An empty box of brown hair dye is lying in the trash. My flat iron is still out on the counter. She must have been here for a while. I feel nauseous, like I’m going to throw up.

“Jette, what’s the address at your place?” Marcus calls to me. I’m sure he’s asking about the house I shared with Auggie until a few hours ago.

“Comanche Avenue. Why?”

“Evan’s phone is there, at your house,” he tells me.

I’m relieved that he’s so close by, but I can’t imagine why, of all places, he’d take her there. I need to check on Auggie. I pray to God he’s not caught in the middle of this.

Quickly, I dial Auggie’s phone number. It rings and rings, but he doesn’t answer. My mind immediately makes a checklist of possible reasons why he didn’t answer his phone, and the list is rather long. There’s no reason to panic, yet.

Just then, the front door bursts open and Adam comes rushing through the house and into the bedroom, frantic. He takes one look at the mess and he knows. “She was here, wasn’t she? Did she do this?”

Marcus and I nod our heads. “Shit! I tried to warn him.”

Adam turns around and walks out of the bedroom, heading straight to the kitchen where he inspects the mess left behind there. “Did she do this, too?”

“She did,” I confirm. “Adam, you can explain all of this to me later. We found Evan. He’s at my house. If we leave now, we’ll be there in five minutes,” I plea.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Look at what she’s done, Jette. She’s gotten violent. Up until now, she’s been an annoyance and a source of torment, but never dangerous. This is different. Something’s changed. Something pushed her over the edge.” Adam is now pacing around the room, trying to put all the clues together and solve the puzzle.

Marcus bends down to start picking up the broken glass and flowers.

“Stop!” Adam shouts, stopping Marcus dead in his tracks. “That’s evidence. We need to call the police now.”

Adam pulls out his cell phone, calls 9-1-1, and reports a home invasion. He tells us the police will be here right away. There are lots of police patrolling the boardwalk area in their cruisers, and one will be dispatched to Evan’s house.

I walk mindlessly around the house with Evan’s MacBook Air in my hands. If that dot moves, I want to know immediately. It’s taking all my willpower not to force one of the boys to take me to him. But if she’s dangerous and deranged, my appearance might only escalate things, putting Evan in greater danger.

As we wait for the police to arrive, I try to think back to each incident that I now know Averee was responsible for. First of all, there was the car chase. I never saw the driver, so it certainly could have been her. And that means I led her right to Evan’s house that night.

Then there was the note and flower on my car. I assumed the note was written by a man, but really, who knows? I have no idea what her handwriting looks like.

The things that stump me are my earlier home invasion, e-mail hacking, and Craigslist ad. How did she pull those off?

I find Adam to ask him if he has any insight while he and Marcus are raiding Evan’s liquor cabinet. We could all use a good stiff drink to calm our nerves right now. Marcus pours me a shot and I toss it back. I don’t even know what I’m drinking. The burning sensation as it slides down my throat is strangely soothing.

“Hey, Adam, do you really think it’s possible that Averee is responsible for everything? Including the e-mail and Craigslist stuff?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve been working on that, Jette. Frankly, you set yourself up a little bit. I checked your Facebook page, and you have your personal cell phone number and your e-mail listed as a part of your personal information. The day you moved back home to Jersey, you ‘checked in’ on Facebook, giving everyone your new home address. With that kind of personal information and enough cash, there are all kinds of computer nerds willing to take Averee’s money and do whatever she wants.”

Holy crap, he’s right. I hardly ever go on Facebook anymore. I didn’t even realize I was making it so easy for someone to find me.

“But how did she know about me? This all started way before you made that public announcement and our trip to the city.”

Adam explains. “I’m pretty sure it started the same day you and Evan first had your picture taken by the paparazzi. You know, that over-the-shoulder beach carry picture? Word was already spreading that Evan was seeing someone, the picture just confirmed the rumor. Averee’s been keeping very close tabs on Evan for months now.”

It’s a very disconcerting feeling to know that you can be watched and monitored without your knowledge by people you’ve never met before.

Just then, there’s a loud knock on the door. “Point Pleasant Police.” Thank God! I look up as Adam invites them in, and I’m relieved to see one of the officers is my new friend, Officer Harper.

Adam and I tell him everything. Fortunately, he has enough background information that he puts all the pieces together pretty easily. He calls for police to report to my house immediately for a domestic disturbance and a possible assault with a deadly weapon. We know she used a knife here, and that means it’s entirely possible she may use a weapon again.

The police ask us to step outside while they check and process the house. Adam grabs a bottle of tequila and I give Officer Harper Evan’s laptop so he can monitor Evan’s movements. Now I have absolutely no idea what’s happening. At least when I had the laptop, I knew where they were.

Adam, Marcus and I go sit outside on the deck to wait. I gaze around this beautiful deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and memories come flooding back to me. This is where Evan first brought me that day on the beach when I twisted my ankle, carrying me in his strong arms. We sat here and talked for hours. I fell in love with him that day, right here.

I can’t just sit and wait. I need to do something, anything. Then I realize I should probably call Evan’s parents. I’m certain they’re sleeping at this hour, but I think they need to know what’s happening. Adam agrees, and together, we call the McGuire’s.

We’re careful not to tell them every detail, but just enough so they know the seriousness of the situation. Evan’s dad, John, is a very rational man. He listens carefully and asks very few questions. I can hear Evan’s mother, Jill, in the background, in near hysterics once she finds out that Evan’s in danger. John thanks us for calling, and tells us they’ll be here as soon as they can.

Police sirens are getting louder and louder, and it sounds like a dozen cruisers are headed straight for Evan’s house. We watch through the sliding glass door into the house as police multiply in numbers, invading our home like a hungry swarm of locust.

As we sit here, minutes feel like hours. My phone rings and I nearly jump out of my skin. I look down at the phone, and it’s Emmy.

“Jette, Derek and I are here at Evan’s, but the police won’t let us in. Where are you?”

“We’re on the deck. Come around back. Just follow the path.” I know the bar’s not closed yet. Why are they here?

Emmy runs up to me and wraps her arms around me, holding me tightly. When she releases me, Derek comes over and hugs me, too. I hold onto him a little tighter and slightly longer than I probably should have. He and I have a special bond, and having him with me makes me feel better.

“What are you two doing here? How did you find Evan’s house? I never gave you guys the address.”

Derek explains. “Once we found out that the two of you were fired, we quit and walked out. As we started driving down Route 35, it wasn’t hard to find McGuire’s house. Between the news vans and the police cars parked out front, it was pretty easy to find you guys.”

“What did you just say?” Did I hear them correctly?

Derek repeats, “We followed the news vans and police sirens.”

“No, not that part . The other part.”

“What? That we quit? Of course we did,” Emmy says.

“Did you say I got fired?” Emmy and Derek look at Marcus for help.

Marcus walks over to me, and takes my hands into his. “It’s true, Jette. Jack said we could leave, but not to bother coming back. I didn’t hesitate, and I knew you wouldn’t either.”

“No, you’re right, I was leaving no matter what. But you didn’t have to do this, too. You lost your job. Oh, Marcus, I’m so sorry! And you two,” I give Emmy and Derek an apologetic look, “I don’t know how I’ll make it up to any of you.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Jette. This is the way things had to go down. We’re all in this together to the end, no matter what.” Marcus is a man of few words, but when he says something, I know he means it and it’s coming from his heart.

“I’ll find a way to thank you someday, all three of you.” I hope that I will.

I wrap my arms around myself and shiver. I have a chill that I can’t seem to shake. Maybe there’s a cool breeze coming off the ocean. Derek starts a fire in the fire pit, trying to be helpful. I don’t think even the warmth of the fire will make me feel better. I won’t be comfortable again until I know Evan’s safe.

Everyone gathers around the fire pit trying to get warm. “So, Adam,” Emmy starts, “what do we know about De-Ho?”

“I’m sorry, about who?” Adam looks confused.

“DeVeau, De-Ho, same thing,” Emmy chides.

“Well, I guess it’s best if we put all our cards on the table now. There’s no sense holding back at this point,” he begins. “Averee’s been calling and texting Evan. A lot. We didn’t think much of it until recently. The calls got so bad that he stopped taking her calls and blocked her number. That’s when she started texting him nearly a hundred times a day.”

“Seriously? Evan told me she was still calling him, but I had no idea it was that bad.” He did get a lot of texts that he ignored while we were together. I’m guessing most of those calls and texts were from her.

“Jette, you have to understand, until tonight, we had no idea Averee was the one stalking you. If we had, I promise you, this would have ended a long time ago.” Adam’s leaning down, holding his head in his hands. He won’t look at me. “We’re pretty sure she took that Broadway gig just to be closer to Evan. She thought that when she confronted him at the Knick’s game and he saw her in person, he would run back to her. When that didn’t happen, things got worse.” Adam explains.

“But why do you think Evan took off with her tonight? And why would he take her to my house, especially if he knew Averee was harassing me?” None of this makes any sense.

“It sounds like he left in a rush. She must have said something to him to really scare him. My guess is he was putting as much distance between the two of you as possible,” Adam tells me.

Marcus makes an observation. “From what I’ve seen here tonight, Jette, she’s directing all her aggression towards you. It’s your clothes she tore up. It’s your flowers she destroyed. It’s your love note she burned. And it’s your dress she decided to wear. She didn’t touch anything of Evan’s. And she had plenty of opportunity.”

Derek looks at me, adding, “Jette, you don’t live at that house anymore. Evan probably just thought it was safer than bringing her to his house where you’re more likely to show up.”

Emmy agrees. “Didn’t you tell me Evan has a key to your house? It really does make sense if you think about it.”

“But Adam, you knew she was the one stalking me. You knew she vandalized my car. That was hours ago. Why didn’t you do anything? If you did, none of this would have happened and we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I wanted to, believe me, Jette, I tried to talk him into it most of the afternoon while you were at work. But he wouldn’t let me. She’s sick. Evan wanted to quietly get her help without going public and ruining her career. We were going to call her people first thing in the morning so they could get her to a treatment facility.” Adam looks at me solemnly, “We had a plan.”

“Plans change,” I remind him. I can’t sit here and listen to this anymore. I get up, and walk around the deck, giving myself some much needed space.

Standing at the railing, looking out at the waves crashing on the surf like I’ve done so many times before, I recall the first time we made love. I remember the first time he told me he loved me. And the moment he asked me to move in with him. Each memory is washing over me as if it’s happening right now. Will we have time together to create new memories? I have so much more to share with him and so much more to tell him. All we need is time.

Right now, surrounded by our friends, I’ve never felt so alone and empty. They are all here for me and for Evan, but I don’t know what to say to them. They just keep looking at me with sadness and worry in their eyes.

Evan and I talked about a night when we could invite our friends over to the house. I pictured all of us sitting around a fire pit on the deck, lit by the light of the moon. I would be the hostess, greeting everyone and serving drinks and dessert. We would be laughing, drinking, and enjoying life. Tonight, most of the people on my guest list are here, but there’s no celebrating to be done. Not yet, anyway.

Emmy comes over to me, puts an arm around my waist, and lays her head on my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Jette. Believe it. You’ve found him. Now he needs you to stay strong.”

“Thank you, Emmy.” I choke back tears that are dangerously close to breaking free.

I look over at Derek, Marcus, and Adam and they’re all huddled together talking in hushed tones. Just a few months ago, I didn’t know any of these men. Tonight, as we sit together, joined by our mutual care and concern for Evan, I’m deeply grateful that they’ve all become a part of my life.

Officer Harper steps out and motions for Adam to join him inside for a moment. They disappear into the house, just out of sight.

Suppose this is it. Suppose he wants Adam to break the bad news to me. Suppose Evan’s not coming home. What will I do without him? It’s hard to breathe. I sit down on one of the deck chairs, trying to calm myself and get air into my lungs. I can feel my hands shaking. Derek comes up behind me and rubs my back until I calm. When he sees my breathing slow, he backs off, giving me space and privacy.

Adam returns with Officer Harper. They sit on either side of me with looks that I don’t like. Neither one is smiling. Adam’s expression is one of seriousness and gravity. Whatever they have to say isn’t going to be good.

Officer Harper speaks first, “Juliette, the police arrived a few minutes ago and have made contact with Ms. DeVeau. All I can tell you is that this has turned into a hostage situation and we’ve called in the State Police to try to negotiate for the release of Mr. McGuire and the surrender of Ms. DeVeau. If you have any family you wish to contact, I suggest you start making some calls now.”

I sit and stare into the flames of the fire pit, trying to make sense of everything. I can’t speak. I can’t think. I can hardly breathe. All I can do is stare. His words are swirling around in my mind ... hostage ... surrender ... negotiate ... over and over until it sinks in. There’s only one way she could possibly be holding Evan against his will.

I look at Adam, “Does she have a weapon?” I blurt out.

Adam replies with one word. “Yes.”

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 703