‘Yet you remained in the army for twelve years.’ He clasped a hand over hers, the feel of it warm and strong. ‘You’re incredible, Kat Parker.’
The sincerity in his eyes made her heart bounce, but he didn’t know the full story. ‘I’m a long, long way from incredible,’ she told him, fighting to keep the tremor out of her voice. ‘Some people would argue that making magic on the big screen, bringing so much depth and warmth to a character that people flock to part with their money to watch you, is incredible.’
He dismissed her words with a slow shake of the head. ‘I don’t care about some people. I care about you, and what you think.’
‘I—’
He’d never know what she would have said, because there was a sharp knock on the door, followed by an authoritative female voice. ‘It’s DS Spencer. Can I come in?’
Giving Kat an ironic smile, Zac went to open the door.
I think you’re spell binding. That’s what she’d have told him.
And I’m desperately trying not to fall for you. That’s what she’d have kept to herself.
***
As Kat did her usual recce of the studio grounds and car park the following day before she was due to pick Zac up, she had a fleeting glimpse of a female figure sitting in a car. It was unusual because with six acres of gorgeous grounds, workers at Pinewood usually went outside to think, or for some peace and quiet. They didn’t sit in their car on a sunny day in the middle of July.
Security at the gate confirmed they’d let her in because her ID card had shown she was staff, yet when she asked them to check the plate, they were puzzled to see the car wasn’t registered.
As suspicious as Kat now, they agreed to call the police.
Ten minutes later, the woman in the car was arrested.
Not only did she fit the image of the photofit, in her handbag was a note, signed with a lipstick kiss. It read, Now I want to meet you in person.
The conviction that they’d found the shooter was strengthened when the police discovered a gun hidden in a drawer in her house. The fired bullet had yet to be discovered, but all the evidence pointed in one direction.
The danger was over. Zac’s stalker had finally been found.
Chapter 21
He didn’t have a stalker anymore. It was official.
Yesterday evening, when Kat had told him they’d arrested a woman that fitted his stalker’s description in the car park, Zac’s relief had been tempered; arrested didn’t mean they had their woman.
This morning, when he bumped into Kat in the kitchen, she had better news.
The woman had confessed to stalking him.
‘Why?’ It was the question that had hovered in his mind for the last four weeks.
‘The official line from her is that she wanted to get close to you. She took the job as a waitress so she could meet you, then got royally hacked off when you flirted with Hannah. After that she set out to make sure you took notice of her.’
He supposed it made sense. ‘And unofficially?’
‘She’s got a screw loose.’
He huffed out a laugh. ‘Are you saying a woman needs to be mentally unstable to want to get close to me?’
The wary glance she gave him made his insides sigh. After the way she’d held a palm to his cheek and kissed his knuckles yesterday, his hopes had foolishly started to rise.
‘You know I’m not saying that,’ she replied, taking the milk and butter out of the fridge. ‘Stop trying to trip me up. I said the woman’s got a screw loose because this isn’t the first time she’s stalked an actor.’
‘I’m not special then?’
Kat heaved out a sigh. ‘Oh for pity’s sake, cut the crap. You should be happy. This is good news. Jerry wants to see us to review the situation, now the danger is likely over.’
Slowly her words began to fully sink in. He was no longer in danger. He could go back to his apartment, back to living his life the way it had been, without fear, without restrictions.
So why was he not excited? Why did it suddenly feel as if all the joy had been sucked from him?
He forced himself to smile. ‘I guess that means you lose your annoying house guest.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Only maybe?’ And damn it, there it was, that slippery hope. ‘Are you planning on kidnapping me?’
‘In your dreams, sunshine.’ Sighing, she went to fill up the kettle and load up the toaster. ‘We need to talk to Jerry and Mark, but I’m not comfortable assuming the shooter and the stalker are the same person.’
‘You think someone out there still wants to kill me?’
His mounting panic must have shown on his face because her expression softened. ‘I’m not saying that, not exactly. Just that we should consider all the angles before dispensing with your protection.’
Okay, that he could cope with. In fact, he allowed himself a small smile. ‘Have you considered one angle might be, you don’t want to let me go?’
She focused on pouring boiling water into two mugs, and not on him. ‘Why would I want to keep protecting such a pain in my backside?’
‘Because you like me?’
She let out a spluttering noise, halfway between strangled laughter and a sob. ‘Of course I like you, Zac Edwards.’ Before he could push further, she changed the subject. ‘I’m seeing Mark and Jerry after I’ve dropped you off at the studio.’
‘Should I start to pack?’ The thought didn’t fill him with any joy.
‘Let’s wait until after the meeting.’ She glanced at the clock, her expression giving nothing away. ‘Besides, Mr Punctual, we need to be out of the door in ten minutes.’
He took the mug of tea and plate of toast she placed in front of him, wondering at how easily they’d slipped into the domestic routine. ‘That’s impressive time keeping, Miss Parker. Next you’ll be putting magazines into racks and hanging coats on pegs.’
She gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘Please. It’s clearly time you and I parted company. Your nasty habits are starting to stick.’
Probably it was a joke, yet as Zac took his mug and plate back upstairs to finish getting ready, her words pricked. He was happy, beyond happy, not to have a bodyguard any longer, but he was nowhere near ready to part company with Kat.
***
Kat tried not to wilt under the glares of the two men sitting opposite. She and Mark had met up with Jerry in his office ten minutes ago. That’s all the time it had taken for her to realise she was fighting a losing battle.
‘The woman was found in the car park the next day, Kat. The very same car park the shot was fired from. She’s admitted stalking him.’
‘Stalking him, but not shooting him.’
‘Because shooting him would be attempted murder.’ Jerry pinned her with his hard stare. ‘Of course, she’s only going to admit to stalking, it’s a much lighter sentence.’
‘But it doesn’t make sense,’ she argued. ‘She’s been sending notes, that’s all. The last one we found on her said she wanted to see him. Why would she come back to the car park where she’d attempted to kill him, only to slip a note under his dressing room door asking to see him?’