When the first note shows up at the restaurant where he works -- when he isn't designing costumes for a local theater -- Jim Foster laughs it off. When the notes keep coming, he doesn't find the fact that he might have a secret admirer quite so amusing. Alan North, a lonely, bookish customer at the restaurant, is too shy to even think of talking to Jim -- as much as he wants to. Then the killings begin. Two of Jim's friends are murdered in what appear to be muggings. However, the detective in charge of the cases believes they're more than that, and that Jim is either the killer ... or being stalked by one. When Jim and Alan finally connect, can they help find and stop the stalker, or will Alan end up dead before their budding relationship can become more than friendship?

His Secret Admirer

After tryouts on Wednesday morning, Ken posted the cast list and gave a copy to Jim. Then it became a case of Jim’s coming up with tentative sketches that would work both for the characters and the actors portraying them, and getting Ken’s input—and approval. Much to Jim’s surprise, when he showed them to him Friday morning, Ken didn’t give him any grief—contrary to his usual procedure when they discussed, and Jim used the term loosely, the designs. In fact, he was very complimentary, only suggesting a few small changes that Jim had no problem agreeing to.


Had Neil’s murder mellowed Ken?Jim wasn’t certain if he liked the idea that it took something like that to make Ken less critical of his work. But he’d take what he’d been given and hope it continued.


Chapter 17