Always Watching Read Online Free Page A

apologize?”
    â€œWade?”
    â€œMaybe. If so, what does she want him to apologize for?”
    â€œSome perceived wrong obviously.”
    â€œYes, of course, but what?” Olivia forced her legs to work and paced to the nurse’s station and back, her eyes probing faces, ID cards, body language. “Was the note handwritten or typed?”
    â€œNeither.”
    She paused mid-stride. “Excuse me?”
    â€œI’m sending you a picture. It looks like it’s made up of words cut from a newspaper.”
    â€œWell, that’s original.” Not. “Also indicates forethought. She took the time to put the note together before the attack.” Her phone pinged. “Hold on a second and let me look.” She brought up the picture and studied it for several seconds before putting the phone back to her ear. “The lab will let us know what they find about that.” She paused for a moment as she putit all together again in her mind. “So she attacked Wade in the parking lot, but didn’t kill him,” she muttered. “She’s mad at him, but giving him a chance to redeem himself by apologizing for whatever wrong he’s done to her.”
    â€œAnd she wants him to know she can get to him and no one is going to get in her way. ‘He’s mine,’ she said.”
    â€œShe wasn’t writing the second part of the note to Wade,” Olivia murmured. “She was writing it to whoever found Maddy.”
    â€œAnd what if the first part wasn’t written to him. What if she was demanding an apology from whoever found Maddy?”
    â€œThat doesn’t really make sense, but who knows how this person’s mind works?” She took a breath and forced her thoughts into organization. “All right. Wade’s stalker was watching him. Let’s assume she was in a place to notice Maddy’s attention focused on Wade.”
    â€œMaddy was being subtle and staying off Wade’s radar. She was looking for someone to be watching and following Wade, not someone taking notice of her,” Haley said.
    A headache started at the base of her skull and Olivia pulled in a deep breath. “But did the person who attacked Maddy realize that she was his bodyguard, or did she maybe think Maddy was someone else who was interested in Wade?”
    â€œGood question. The note says, ‘He’s mine.’ Like he’s her possession or something. To me that indicates she thinks Maddy was interested in Wade.”
    â€œTherefore Maddy was a threat. She was competition for Wade’s affection. Attacking Maddy could also be a warning for other women to stay away from him—or for him to stay away from other women unless he wants them to wind up like Maddy,” Olivia said
    â€œBut Maddy and Wade never met,” Haley said. “They never spoke. He didn’t even know about her. And if the stalker waswatching him, interacting with him, she would know that. So why consider Maddy a romantic interest and therefore a threat?”
    â€œI know. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the only explanation I can think of at the moment.”
    â€œAnd if she wants an apology from Wade, why hurt him?”
    â€œObviously she was making a point,” Olivia said.
    â€œYeah. That she could get to him.”
    â€œWho knows what was going through her mind? Warped brains don’t make sense to those of us who have all our marbles—or at least the majority of them.” She thought and paced a few more steps. “Anyway, she said he needed to apologize, so instead of killing him for whatever perceived wrong he’s done, she gives him a second chance.”
    â€œMaybe.”
    Olivia glanced at the door to Wade’s room. “I’m going to ask him a few questions. Stay tuned and keep me updated on Maddy’s condition, please.”
    â€œWill do.”
    â€œThanks.” Olivia hung up and let the anger burn. Being