Joshua's Grace

Chapter 10(3)

She did phone him the next day, just after eleven, at night. Amy had taken the last bag out to the car, and Grace was just locking up the cottage when she remembered that she hadn't phoned Joshua as she'd promised.

"Can you give me a minute? I promised to phone Joshua."

Grace dialled the number and Amy sauntered back into the house to wait. Joshua was not impressed.

"You play dirty." He chided when he answered the late call. "I've been waiting all day for your call." And that was the truth. He had answered every phone call promptly, just in case it was Grace. Zac had ribbed him about it and Mariah had interrogated him, when he'd answered her call after it had barely rung. He had waited for her to call. Waited for the call with all the nervous excitement of a boy on his first date.

Grace was delighted with his honesty. "You could have phoned me." She quipped gently.

"I did." He confessed sheepishly, "but you weren't in." That came out as an accusation "I tried around eight." Joshua had phoned a couple of times, but he wasn't too keen to tell her that. It was bad enough admitting that he had phoned.

"I was out." She told him, giving nothing away. Things were a mite difficult at the moment and she wasn't feeling in the right frame of mind to go over it just now. Somehow she just knew how he would react and she wasn't sure whether she would cope. She had faced all the questions she could take. What she needed was a goodnight's sleep. Then she'd sort out today.

"Teaching?" Joshua felt like a jealous school boy. He wondered why getting information out of her was harder than finding problematic code in a computer programme.

"No." She hedged, not wanting to lie and not sure whether to tell him just where she had been. She toyed with the idea of telling him the whole story, knowing that he'd most likely over react. At this late moment in time she just wanted a good night's sleep, not a lecture. Certainly no more questions. And she knew she'd get both.

"Anyone I know?" He pursued in a quietly glum tone. What was she so secretive about? If she'd been out on a date, she should be straight about it. He could handle that. Like hell.

Grace laughed, but he detected a hint of melancholy as she said, "No."

"You aren't going to tell me anymore." He finally acknowledged grimly.

She sighed. "Nothing else to tell. Anyway, it's late." She kept her reply lighthearted. Grace knew exactly how he'd react if she told him about her day. She was already feeling rather washed out, the endless round of questions at the police station, after a long day at the university, had taken its toll. All she wanted was to curl up under a warm duvet and go to sleep. She knew Joshua well enough to know that if she told him the truth about her day, she wouldn't get any sleep until the early hours of the morning. He would most likely insist on driving down, and then would probably badger her into giving him all the details. No, she wouldn't tell him tonight.

"You don't play fair." He remonstrated in a grouchy voice. "Where will you be at one tomorrow afternoon?"

"Working as usual." If he hadn't still been wondering about where she'd been that evening, he'd have picked up her subdued tone. But he was mulling over the fact that she hadn't told him anything. And that rankled.

"How about lunch? I could be at your office around one. I have a meeting in Hamilton at eleven."

"The same guys as last time?"

"Yes." Although this meeting was not a set up job. Joshua had the programme written, and wanted to run it on their system. This was a bonafide visit. And a bonafide visit warranted a bonafide lunch date and a chance to find out where she'd been tonight. He was better at getting information out of people face to face.

"Ok, that sounds great." She agreed, "I'll see you at one."At least she hadn't invented an excuse not to see him. That pleased him. It also gave him another sleepless night, as he lay awake contemplating the next day. He was going to make it special. The question was how?

When Grace hung up the phone she sagged. It had been a long and difficult day. So much so that she had almost forgotten her promise to phone Joshua. She had finally contacted the Police when the third note had arrived. As per usual she had checked her email and was systematically working her way through snail mail post.

The letters not marked personal had been opened by the department secretary, but the personal and confidential mail was in an unopened pile. There were three letters. She impatiently opened the first brown envelope and retrieved a short note. It was unsigned and Grace experienced a sickening sense of dawning dread. She flicked a look at the envelope. Auckland postmark, again, but that was all it had in common with the other two notes she had received. This one was block printed, unlike the others which had been cut and paste newspaper text. This one didn't simply make threats, it went into graphic aggressive and sexual detail.

She knew the notes weren't from Lysette. They were ugly and offensive. Threatening, the last one especially so. And Lysette for all her actions did not strike Grace as a person who'd resort to sending obscene mail. The intended malice was beginning to worry Grace. The thought of possibility becoming reality finally galvanised her into contacting security at the University. They contacted the police.

An officer was sent round to see her at her office. Being a relatively small police force, it was the same police officer who had dealt with her student's abusive father. Grace and the young man spent a few moments talking about that case. He told her the man had been refused bail and was now in Hamilton gaol, waiting for a family court session which was due next week. The girl was apparently still at the safe house. 

Well that was one less thing to worry about. Now to deal with the threats. Grace wasn't able to pinpoint any person in her sphere of acquaintances who might be responsible for the letters. There was very little that she could actually say to the Police. The letters came to her office, two were cut and paste from newspapers, and generally lewd. The last one described in graphic detail intended physical and sexual violence. She handed over two letters and explained that she had discarded the first one.

They went over and over the information. Question after question. Details about her private life suddenly became public. Information about her personal relationships were suddenly dissected by people she'd only just met. But at the end of it, there was nothing they could do. As the detective constable explained to her, it would be a while before they were able to do anything. He also said these things were difficult to trace. The young officer suggested she come down to the station later that day to talk to another officer about protective measures she should adopt. Grace agreed to visit the station after her lectures that evening. A University security guard had escorted her to her car. It was one of the measures the police had put in place, short term, but any late night movements on campus were to be in company. She was to keep to public places, and call on security if she worked late. The female police officer suggested strategies to employ. They suggested she move in with friends, or at least arrange for someone to stay with her. They couldn't provide round the clock surveillance and she shouldn't take risks. They told her to keep her mobile phone charged and keep it with her at all times. She was given pamphlets with the contact details of other agencies and support groups.

Then, once again they went through another question and answer session, just in case she could shed some more light on the case. They gave no indication about how long their inquiry or the pervert's intimidation would go on, but they said they were powerless to do much. All in all it was a very disheartening and disturbing meeting.

Grace telephoned Amy, a colleague and close friend of hers. After she'd explained the situation they returned to the cottage with a policeman to collect some of Grace's personal belongings. It hadn't taken long, but she was pleased to have company. Driving down her unlit tree lined gravel track would have probably scared her witless, even though she had been doing it for years. She was terrified. It was after eleven when Grace and Amy finally left the cottage. "You didn't tell him about the letters." Amy said as they drove past the sleepy town of Cambridge.

"I'll tell him tomorrow. He'll only worry about it." And in her heart she knew he would. And he'd make a fuss.

"What about your parents?" Amy flicked Grace a probing glance before she refocused on the deserted road and steered the car carefully along a road shrouded in country darkness.

"They'll both be in bed by now." Tiredness laced her words and Grace was convinced that they too would worry. This was going to upset more than just her life.