“Ms. Parker—”
“I didn’t even know she was in Black Mountain. I haven’t seen or spoken to her for—” She giggled again. “Give me a second,” she whispered off the phone to someone else.
Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I continued, “There’s a much larger issue that has come up in all this. To make a long story short…” especially since I could hear people partying on the other end, and I figured Cora Parker was already losing interest in this phone call, “your daughter is in danger.”
“What?”
I wasn’t sure if she was asking the question because she couldn’t hear me, or because she didn’t believe me, or maybe because it seemed so unlikely.
“I said your daughter’s in danger.” My voice raised even more. “She has a stalker who’s been harassing her for quite some time.”
She remained silent for a few moments, and the music faded as if she’d moved to another area of the yacht. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”
“Drew Dawson.”
“Mr. Dawson, I don’t think my daughter has a stalker, and she most definitely is not in danger.”
“Excuse me?” Her words were like a punch to the gut. What kind of mother would instantly doubt this? I expected some level of concern.
“There are things about my daughter you may not know about. Corrine is a compulsive liar among other things. This is just what she does.”
I clenched my jaw so tightly that I had to actually concentrate on relaxing it enough so I could speak. “She’s not making this up. I’ve seen it for myself.”
“Seen the stalker?”
“No, but I saw what the stalker was doing to her with my own eyes.”
“I know my daughter, and—”
“Ms. Parker, I wouldn’t be concerned and calling you if I had any doubt,” I cut in. “Your daughter’s in danger and needs more security. I don’t know where you are, but she really could use you right now.”
“Where is she now?” she asked flatly. “Is she still at our vacation house?”
It was time to jump off the cliff and hope my confession didn’t cause me to fall to my death. “She’s with me. We called the police, and they agreed she wasn’t safe at her house. Since she didn’t have anyone else to stay with, and since I was with her—”
“She’s staying with you?” She didn’t sound angry, but rather it sounded like more of a statement than a question.
I heard her release a deep sigh, but her response confused me. I had expected her to be alarmed, angry, even skeptical as to why a grown man my age would be concerning himself with someone of Corrine’s age. I had expected her to question my judgment, as well as my morals and professionalism. I even expected her to demand my head on a platter and want me fired.
I got none of that.
“It was a temporary solution until we could get hold of you. I didn’t anticipate it taking a couple of days.”
“Mr. Dawson, I’m not worried about my daughter.” There was a long pause. “I’m worried about you.”
Me?
“I don’t understand what—”
“This isn’t the first time Corrine has done this,” she interrupted.
“Done what?”
“This is a cry for attention.”
“Ms. Parker, with all due respect—”
“Has she told you she was committed for a time? In a mental hospital,” Cora blurted. “I’m sure it’s not mentioned in her records since we worked hard to keep those sealed, and I doubt she actually told anyone. But she was. About a year ago. Why do you think she is having to repeat her senior year?”
“Committed? For what?”
“For stalking, Mr. Dawson. She had a very unhealthy obsession. She was the stalker. Not the other way around.”
My ears rang, and my breath came out in short puffs of air. I stared down at Corrine’s file and tried to focus on the letters of her name in order to stay in the present.
There had to be some sort of mistake.
“I understand your concern, Mr. Dawson, but I can assure you that this story she told you is all made up. This is all part of her plan.”
Plan? What plan?
“Oh, and Mr. Dawson. I would be careful if I were you. The man she tormented and nearly destroyed his life was a teacher from her old school,” Cora added. “It sounds like you’re her next prey.”13CorrineWhen I got a text from D asking me to come to his office NOW, I knew something was wrong. Maybe he had gotten hold of my mother and realized just how much of a flake she truly was. Maybe he’d had to deal with Bill which would put anyone in a foul mood. Or maybe I was reading into his text and he wasn’t in a bad mood at all. Maybe he just wanted to see me because he missed me. Maybe it was friendly mid-day flirting.