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Chapter Fifteen

Perry

I spent most of the night tossing and turning. Nate slept better than me, but not by much. I wasn’t sure if he would have gotten a better night’s sleep if I weren’t scrambling around the bed all night. Every time I moved, Nate grunted and moved with me as if his body couldn’t help but seek out mine. Even while asleep, Nate sought to comfort me.

Too bad his efforts weren’t more successful. Dawn barely lit the cabin when I threw in the towel and decided to get up. A quick shower didn’t wake me more, and I figured I’d be dragging all day. My legs were still tired, and my knee ached more than I wanted to admit. I wasn’t sure what Malcom had planned for today, but if it was a lot of trekking through the woods, I might have to bow out. Nate would undoubtedly choose to stay with me.

Breakfast was an individual affair. I’d brought a couple of boxes of Pop-Tarts. Gabe had bagels and cream cheese tucked away in the mini fridge. A carton of orange juice took up a good amount of space as well.

The cabin came equipped with a toaster. I could have eaten the Pop-Tarts without using it, but chose to take the time to heat them. With warm strawberry goodness in one hand and a glass of OJ in the other, I headed for the front porch. So far, the weather was holding out. There was talk of possible storms tonight and tomorrow, but the sunny humidity had set in until then.

The main door swung inside while the screen door shifted out. I heard the scrape of paper beyond the screech of the hinged screen door. My heart stopped when I glanced down and saw a nondescript manilla envelope lying there.

“It’s probably just something from Malcom,” I told myself. “Instructions for the day.” Those thoughts were entirely reasonable. That didn’t stop the quaking in my arms. My OJ nearly sloshed over the side of the glass as I set it on the porch railing. The Pop-Tarts made an even less graceful landing on a nearby chair.

Wiping my sweaty palms on my shorts, I leaned over and grabbed the envelope. Two names were scrawled across the front: Perry & Nate .

It wasn’t sealed. Tipping the envelope upside down, three photos fell out. Two landed on the floor upside down. The third was beside it, picture side up. Not wanting to touch them, I bent over and stared at the visible one. It was a close-up of me, bent over, face ashen as my brain made sense of the dead cat lying beside our last scavenger hunt clue.

I stood so fast my head spun. My tired legs tried to take me away from what I saw, but the porch was narrow, and there was nowhere to go. My back hit the doorframe, the hinges digging in deep.

Panting for breath, I gripped the fabric over my heart and felt my initial fear morph into furious rage. How fucking dare he! I wanted to scream. I wanted to stomp my feet and tear the photos into tiny pieces. I did none of those things. There was a good chance Willie was watching, even now, waiting for my meltdown. I’d already given him that satisfaction once. I’d be damned if I did it again.

Teeth gritted and foolish determination steeling my soul, I shot the surrounding area a double one-finger salute. If Willie was out there watching, it was the only gesture I could think of that came close to representing my rage.

That done, I nearly tore the screen door off its hinges as I stomped back into the cabin, sore knee be damned. While I hated to wake Nate, I knew he’d be angry if I didn’t. Besides, my fiancé was the detective, not me. While I doubted there was any evidence on the photos, I didn’t want to risk contaminating them more than I already had.

As soon as I touched Nate’s hip, he startled awake. One glance at my face and sleep was a forgotten dream. “What happened?” Nate demanded while throwing the sheet off his body, feet firmly planted on the ground and already reaching for his shorts.

“Willie,” I ground out. “Looks like he paid us a visit last night.”

“Son of a bitch,” Nate growled. “Are you okay?”

“Physically, yes. Mentally, my head feels like it wants to explode.”

Nate immediately went into caregiver mode. “Did you take your migraine meds?”

Immediately, I grasped the misunderstanding. “Not that kind of explode . I’m furious, Nate. Absolutely furious.”

Sliding up his shorts, Nate reached for a T-shirt and slipped that over his arms and chest while walking out of the bedroom. When he just stood there, I realized he wasn’t sure where to go.

“Front porch,” I directed.

Nate quickly walked through the small living room. I’d left the door open, the screen the only barrier. The pictures were exactly where I’d left them. Not even the hint of a breeze to scatter them further.

“Fucking hell,” Nate muttered while bending over the visible picture.

I couldn’t agree more.

T he pictures were splayed out on a small two-seater table. The leaves on either side were expandable, making more room. We didn’t need it for the three photos. Nate had a pair of tweezers in his grooming kit. He’d used them to snatch the pictures and lay them out on the table. He’d taken photos of the pictures with his phone and already had Nat on speaker.

“How in the hell does this fucker stay hidden so damn well?” Nat asked, clearly pissed. “Those are close-up shots. Yeah, I know cameras can do that even from far away, but come the fuck on.”

I’d rarely heard Nat curse that many times, especially using the f-word. I really hoped her kids were out of earshot.

Nat wasn’t wrong. While the first picture was of me finding the murdered cat, the second was of Nate and me sitting beside each other on an outcropping of rocks while Gabe and Delia were in the distance, discussing what to do. The final picture was a bit harder to make out as it was nighttime. This photo was of Nate, Gabe, and me around the fire. Delia had already left, which gave a hint regarding its timing.

There was a note scrawled across the back of the first photo I’d seen. Don’t you just love surprises? I know I love instigating them. W.

“I’ve got some evidence bags in my vehicle,” Nate said while staring at the pictures. “Not that I think we’ll find anything.”

Nothing had been found on the previous photos, so I agreed with Nate. Still, it didn’t hurt to be careful. Everyone slipped up eventually, even Willie Slater.

“Never leave home without them,” Nat hummed in the background. I hadn’t even thought it odd that Nate might have evidence bags tucked away. “The images you took of them came through well. For what it’s worth, I’ll go ahead and add them to the digital case file.”

“Thanks, Nat.” Nate had already filled his partner in on what Gabe had discovered about the microchipped cat. Scrubbing his fingers through his hair, Nate gave me a questioning glance before he asked, “Should we come home?”

I stiffened. Honestly, I should have been expecting that line of questioning. A sane person would have already been packed and on the interstate. Evidently, all three of us suffered from a bit of insanity.

“No, I don’t think so. I’d love to say you’re safer here, but I don’t see how that’s true. Willie’s been dogging your moves for months. He’s got some kind of sick plan brewing in that twisted head of his, but we can’t seem to get ahead of him. As much as I hate to say it, we may have to wait for Willie to lay all his cards on the table.”

“Fuck, I was afraid you were going to say that.” Nate sounded exhausted.

“That’s what family’s for, to say the things you already know but hate to admit.”

Nate’s soft chuckle softened his features before he turned serious and asked me, “What do you want to do, Perry? Say the word, and we’re out of here.”

I shook my head. “I agree with Nat. Willie will follow us wherever we go. He’s left pictures on my apartment doorstep before and on your car windshield.” I shrugged. “You and I both know that Captain Barrington can’t afford to keep an officer on our tail night and day for weeks on end. It’s just not feasible.”

Nat agreed. “And so far, beyond vaguely threatening notes and obviously stalkerish photos, Willie Slater hasn’t done anything directly violent toward either of you.”

I started to protest, but Nat interrupted and said, “Not in the last four years, Perry.”

My mouth snapped closed.

“Have you shared this with Malcom yet?” Nat asked.

Nate gave me another hesitant glance before clearing his throat and saying, “Not yet. You were our first call. I’ll head to his cabin and pound on the door soon.”

A new thought struck me, and I asked, “Are we putting the others in danger by staying?” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt in the crossfire. Willie seems to be after me. There’s no reason to give him more targets.”

Nate’s mouth opened before closing, his lips pulled into a thin line. “I don’t think any of the others are at an increased risk, but we can ask Malcom his opinion if it will make you feel better.” Nate’s fingers slid through my hair before pulling me close. “Besides, I think Malcom and his group are already in Willie’s sights. From what you’ve told me, he’s not fond of Dr. Schroder—”

“No,” I quickly agreed, remembering Willie’s passive-aggressive anger at the mandatory sessions, not that they’d done him any good. “But she’s not getting threatening pictures and notes.”

“That we know of,” Nat offered.

I stood there, letting that absorb. “You think Willie’s after other people from Maverick Insurance?”

This time, Nate answered, “I think it’s entirely possible. Malcom fired him. Maybe he hasn’t gotten the chance to do that as personally as he’d like, but it’s obvious. And then there’s the way he’s always treated Delia… I won’t pretend to know how Willie’s mind works, but I wouldn’t put anything past him, especially if he feels slighted.”

Fresh fear raced down my spine. It was one thing for Willie to come after me, but the people I cared about were a different matter. Not that I really cared about Dr. Schroder. Still, that didn’t mean I wanted anything bad to happen to her.

Swallowing hard, I said, “We should speak with Malcom and find out if Willie’s been threatening anyone else. I should have thought to ask sooner.”

Nate’s soft smile eased his features. “I have a feeling Malcom can take care of himself and his employees. Regardless, I’ll speak with him, okay?”

I huffed, only it wasn’t out of malice but frustration. “Should we alert the park rangers?”

“We could,” Nate hedged. “Although I don’t think it would get us very far. I can give them a picture of Willie and ask them to contact me or the local police if they see him. I think it will be more dangerous for them if they approach Willie on their own.”

“Agreed,” Nat said.

Nate released a heavy sigh before changing the topic and asking, “Anything more on Hank Shelton?”

“Not yet. I’ve placed a call to the first wife. I had to leave a message and so far, she hasn’t called me back. Technically, I don’t have any legal jurisdiction and can’t make her talk to me if she doesn’t want to.” I thought Nat clarified that point for my benefit.

“Okay. I’m not sure what else I’m expecting or if it really pertains to anything beyond just another sick fuck cluttering up the world.”

“Probably right, Harmon,” Nat agreed. “If that’s everything, I’ll get going and relay recent events to the captain. He’s staying on top of this, Nate. I promise you, we both are.”

“I know, Nat. Talk with you soon.” Nate ended the call, leaving us staring at the offensive photos. After a silent minute, Nate asked, “You up for a walk to my vehicle?” The parking lot wasn’t too far away, but it was a bit of a trek. “I don’t feel like leaving you alone right now.”

Sliding my feet into my flip-flops, I snagged my sunglasses and headed for the door. “That’s good, because I don’t feel like being alone.” My cold glass of OJ was now lukewarm at best. My Pop-Tarts were okay sitting on the porch, and I grabbed them as we headed for Nate’s SUV. My shoes made the sound they were famous for as we tromped across the ground, headed for the evidence bags Nate had stowed away.