She laughed and we said goodbye and I ran home quickly. I was still so nervous. When I got home, dinner was on the table. Jacob and Jordan were already seated.

"Hurry up, Whitney, we're starving," Jacob said.

I washed my hands and sat at my place at the table. It was a good dinner. The boys talked nonstop about a new game they were playing. My mom and I would nod our heads, but I wasn't listening and I don't think my mom was either. When dinner was over, we cleaned up and watched some TV.

We watched TV for about an hour when Jordan asked where our dad was. I looked at the clock and it was a little late for my dad.

"Maybe he had to work late because he took that steak to the police station," I said.

"That doesn't usually matter unless he had lots of work to do," Jacob said.

"I think he will probably be home any minute," Mom said.

We watched TV for another hour and I could tell my mom was getting a little worried because she was rocking in her rocking chair.

"I think I will give him a call to see where he is right now," my mom said. She got up and used our landline and called my dad's cell.

"That is odd. It went right to voicemail," my mom said visibly worried now.

Another hour went by, this one slower and with more anxiety.

"I would call his job, but he doesn't have a phone at work and everyone is gone by now," my mom said.

"I am sure everything is all right, Mom," I said, not knowing if I was telling the truth. Our phone rang and we all jumped. My mom got up and answered the phone.

"h.e.l.lo," she said.

Someone on the other line said something.

"Yes, this is Janet Holmes," she said.

She listened for a while. Her face got white.

"I will be right there," she said.

She got off the phone and said, "Your father has been in a horrible car accident."

"What?" we all said.

"Your father has been in a hit-and-run accident in his car. He has a broken arm and a broken leg. He is in the hospital," my mother said.

"Mom, can I come with you to the hospital?" I asked.

"You all can come," she said. "We need to hurry."

We put on our shoes and went out to the car and my mom looked frightened I think we all did.

CHAPTER NINE.

We arrived at the hospital and my mom asked the nurse in charge where Paul Holmes was. The nurse looked on her computer and said he was in room 312. We took off and went to the elevator and the boys were being so good, they didn't fight over who got to press the number three b.u.t.ton. We got to the third floor and stepped out of the elevator. The nurses and doctors were walking around looking very busy. We went to room 312 and my father's arm and leg were already in casts.

"Dad!" I said.

"Honey, what happened?" my mom ran over and kissed my dad on the cheek.

"Some jerk ran me off the road and I hit a telephone pole. The airbag went off and hit me in the face and broke my arm. I shoved my legs into the brake and one of them is broken," he said.

"The doctor who called said it was a hit and run," my mom said.

"Yes, once the creep ran me off the road, he took off," my dad said.

Did he use the word "creep" on purpose? I wondered if it was my stalker who had hit him.

"The police are on their way over to talk to me," my dad said.

"Dad, did you see the person's face at all?" I asked.

"His windows were darkly tinted and I wasn't expecting to get hit, so I didn't give the car a good look. I don't even remember what kind of car it was, except it was silver," my dad said.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, tons," my dad said.

"Have they given you anything for the pain?" my mom asked.

"No, they are afraid I might have a concussion because the airbag hit me right in the face," my dad said.

The X-ray technician came in and said they wanted to take some pictures of my dad's back and my dad hobbled to the wheelchair, not putting any weight on his bad leg.

"He'll be right back," the technician said and wheeled him away.

When he left, my mom looked like she was going to cry andI went over and hugged her.

"Do you think the guy who hit your father is the same one who has been stalking you?" Mom whispered to me.

"I don't know," I said.

"I am getting so tired of all this," she said.

"Me, too," I said.

I thought the stalker would cool it when he couldn't call me anymore after I got my new number. I didn't know he would step it up a notch in the anger department and try to kill my dad. An orderly brought my dad back in the wheelchair.

"What did they say about your back?" Mom asked.

"My back is okay. Well, not okay. It hurts but nothing is broken. It was just really sore from hitting the brake and gas pedals."

"Maybe they will give you something for pain soon," the X-ray technician said.

"That would be great," Dad said.

The technician helped my dad into bed and then left with the wheelchair.

"Dad, did you go to the police station today with the steak?" I asked him.

"Yes, and the sergeant took it really seriously about the possibility of poison," Dad said.

I felt bad about grilling him about the steak when he was visibly in pain, but I wanted to know, so I asked, "When will we find out whether or not there was poison in the meat?"

"They said they will get back to me," my dad said. "Is Gretchen okay?"

"Yes," Mom said. "I don't think she even tasted that steak that the stalker threw in the yard."

"She's so smart," Dad said.

"Or maybe she didn't like the smell of either the guy or what he might have put on the steak," Mom said.

There was a knock at the door and we all looked up. It was two male police officers in uniform.

"We are here to talk to Mr. Holmes," one of the officers said.

My mom told me and my brothers to go get a drink at the cafeteria. I wanted to argue with her, but I didn't. I didn't want to have to pry everything out of her later, but Mom handed me a ten-dollar bill and told me to get anything we wanted. It took us a few minutes to find the cafeteria. It was closed, but they had a c.o.ke machine outside and also a snack machine next to it.

"What kind of drink do you want?" I asked Jordan and Jacob.

"Sprite," they both said.

I got them each a Sprite and I got a Coca-Cola. The machine took large bills and gave change, thank goodness. We had just enough money to get each of us some chips, too. There was a little table by the machines so we sat down in the chairs by the table and ate our chips and drank our drinks. I was so worried that I wasn't really hungry. Jordan asked me if he could have the rest of my chips since he'd scarfed his down. I told him yes and I kept drinking my c.o.ke. After we stayed away about a half an hour, I decided to go back and we cleaned the table and headed back to my dad's hospital room.

The police officers were gone and my mother and father looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "What did they say?"

"The police think that the man who has been bothering you is the same one who did the hit and run on Dad," Mom said.

"Why?" I asked.

"They think he might see Dad as a threat because he keeps taking things to the police."

I ran over and gently hugged my father.

"Daddy, I am so sorry," I said.

"This is not your fault," my father said.

"I feel like I did something to attract this weirdo," I said.

"Well, you didn't. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We are the good people," he said. "In no way am I blaming this on you."

Jordan and Jacob gave us all a concerned look, too. Jacob looked like he was thinking about crying.

"Don't worry, boys. The police will find this guy. There was a fingerprint on the bottom of the vase of the flowers that didn't match either Whitney or me. All they have to do is find him and they will arrest him for hara.s.sment," my father said. "Maybe more charges, now that he ran me off the road."

"Dad, do your arm and leg hurt?" Jacob asked.

"Not right now, thank you," my dad said. I guess the nurse had finally come in with some medicine because my father seemed more relaxed. We sat with him for a while then a nurse came and kicked us out. She said he would be spending the night and I felt afraid, I didn't like it when my father slept away from home.

"Okay, honey," my mom said bravely. "We're going home. We need to let Gretchen out to relieve herself and get these kids to bed."

"I love you, Dad," I said.

"I love you, too, all of you."

We all kissed him goodbye and we solemnly took the elevator to the first floor.

"Dad is going to be just fine," my mom said.

"I know, Mom, I am just worried that the problems with this guy are getting worse and more out of control," I said. "What is he going to do next?"

"I will talk to you more about this at home," my mom said, shooting a look at my little brothers.

"Okay," I said, understanding not to talk about it in front of them.

We drove home and Gretchen was waiting for us by the door and I let her out and in a minute, she ran back in. Mom and I made sure all the doors and windows were locked up.

"Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight?" my mom asked me.

"I would, but I feel secure sleeping with Gretchen," I said.

My mother looked a little disappointed and I then realized she probably felt scared, too.

"Can Gretchen sleep in your room with us?" I asked her.

"Of course," my mom smiled.

"Then, yes, I would love to sleep in your bed," I said.

"Go put your pajamas on and I will meet you and Gretchen in my room two minutes!" Mom acted like it was a slumber party. I went into the boys' room and kissed them goodnight. They had each other, so they didn't seem scared.

"Whitney?" Jordan asked.

"Yes," I said.