Chosen by a Killer by Laurie Nave (read e book txt) 📗

checked the cameras before turning out the light, glad she could rest a little easier.

Chapter 19

Celia was so buried in new responsibilities and deadlines, she wasn’t able to interview Natasha for the next two weeks. William had met with her several times, and she had met with every staff reporter. Between meetings, there were stories to finish and assignments to make. A part of her understood why John was sometimes such an ass. However, she also managed to unravel some of his lack of organization, and Celia was certain that given time she would have things exactly the way they needed to be. It didn’t hurt that most of the staff seemed relieved to have him gone, and they admired her.

The busyness had also kept her from thinking too much about Bart. He’d been threatening when she initially got the restraining order, but after a stern talk from a police officer, conveniently timed while he was at work, he settled down and had left her alone. Oh, Celia had seen his car nearby when she went for coffee, and she was sure he was likely still driving down her street. But there were no calls, messages, or visits. Keith had come by to install a new lock and a couple of cameras. Celia knew he was attracted to her, but she kept him at an appreciative arm’s length. She needed an ally, not a lover.

Celia used her time in the evenings to create a special baked dessert for her friend Marlene’s housewarming and gender reveal party. Despite her inability to recreate Marlene’s grandmother’s Italian cheesecake, Celia was determined to visit the spirit of the dessert with her own flair. Marlene was a fan of fresh fruits, so Celia tried several combinations until she created something she hoped Marlene would find irresistible. It would please the host and garner some recognition as well.

Celia arrived at the gathering at 8:00 sharp, and when Marlene saw her with a cake box, she squealed. “You baked! I can’t wait to try it!” Celia allowed herself to be hugged before breaking away and walking toward the kitchen. There was an abundance of food, which was no surprise, but there was also an array of liquor. Celia was a bit surprised. Marlene couldn’t drink, of course, and David wasn’t much of a drinker. “My step-father brought the bar,” Marlene said wryly.

“In that case, I’ll try not to let it go unappreciated.” Celia took a high-priced craft beer out of an ice-filled bucket and popped the top. “I’ve been wanting to try this.”

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Marlene said, opening a tonic water and clinking it against Celia’s beer. “To the new editor-in-chief.”

“Thank you. It was a surprise, but I think I’m getting used to it.”

“You’ll do things with that publication that John would have never been able to do.”

“I sure hope so,” Celia replied. “There’s a lot of potential there. And with Multicorp’s backing, I think real growth will happen.”

“I’m just glad they finally did it.”

“Finally? What do you mean?”

“I mean there have been other media organizations that have wanted to take us on through the years, but John wouldn’t hear of it. He liked his little kingdom.”

“What an idiot. He could have made so much more money!”

“John had plenty of money already, though I’m not sure where it all came from,” Marlene said, her expression darkening.

Celia was interested in hearing more. “Oh really? And how do you know this?”

Marlene waved the topic away. “Oh, that’s a boring story for another time. Come on, I want you to see the nursery.”

The nursery was bright and welcoming, with green and yellow everywhere. No doubt Marlene had picked the color to avoid any gender stereotypes. There were ducks painted along the base of one wall, and the picture window on the opposite wall had gingham-covered blinds, probably specially made. There was a phrase scripted in Italian over the bed: Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire.

“What does that mean?” Celia asked, pointing to the script.

“No matter where you go or turn, you’ll always end up at home,” Marlene replied.

“That is lovely,” Celia smiled. “And you look lovely as well.”

Marlene laughed. “I can’t wear my favorite jeans anymore. But at least I’m done throwing up every day.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Celia laughed. “I’ll drink for both of us.”

The house filled with friends and family, and after a bit of eating and socializing, Marlene’s mother produced a large ceramic egg. It was painted with flowers and butterflies, and she explained that the couple would break the egg to find out whether they were having a girl or a boy. Celia was glad they were going with something classy and unique rather than the typical powder or confetti explosion. The couple took a small mallet, held it together, and struck the egg a few times before it finally cracked open. Inside was a small pink doll. They were having a girl. Everyone applauded, Marlene cried, and Celia went into the kitchen to retrieve another beer. She was looking for the opener when her phone began to vibrate.

It was the alert for her camera system. Someone had approached her front door. She clicked on the icon, and the camera opened. Someone was standing at the door, trying to use a small device to get inside. She didn’t have to see the face to know who it was. The build was exactly like Bart’s, and the hair was short and dark. Cursing, she clicked on the option that caused a light to flash and a small alarm to sound. The figure turned to reveal sunglasses, and he spotted the camera. He lifted a gloved hand and flipped a bird for whoever was watching, and then he quickly ran out of camera view. The video was automatically saved.

Keith and Walter had been right. The cameras were a necessity. Celia saw the notification pop up asking if she wanted to forward the video to the security company.