Page 155 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

“You okay, Jules? I thought I heard a scream.”

From inside his house? The man missed nothing. “I’m all right. I just… saw a spider.”

“Oh. You want me to kill it for you?”

Jules forced a shaky grin. “No, that’s okay. I got it. Thanks for checking, though.” Although it was rude, she couldn’t get into a lengthy conversation right now. She started to close the window.

Scott didn’t take the hint, only curled his fingers around the top of the glass so she had to stop. “No problem. I thought I’d check in case it had anything to do with that guy who was skulking around here two nights ago.”

He’d seen her stalker? “A guy? Did you get a good look at him?”

“I mean, I was in our house at the time, so I didn’t see…” He offered her a sheepish look. “All right, I confess I used binoculars so I could zoom in. I don’t usually do that, and I’ve never used them on you, so you know. Lisa and I only keep them on handin case we think someone might be up to no good at a neighbor’s house when they’re away.”

Jules gave that an impatient wave. “Can you tell me what you saw?”

“Not much. It was late, maybe three in the morning. I was passing by a window and caught sight of a man dressed all in black on the sidewalk in front of your house. Although he wasn’t technically on your property, I thought it was weird that he was just standing there, especially when I knew you weren’t home. I grabbed the binoculars to check it out. I’d just returned to the window when he turned around and I caught a glimpse of his face in the light from the streetlamp.”

“Do you remember what he looked like?”

“I couldn’t see much, and it was only for a couple of seconds. I do remember that his nose was a little larger than average and slightly crooked, off to the left, as though he’d been punched or had it broken at some point. I thought about calling the police, but then he walked away, and I figured that was the end of it.”

The nose. The missing piece of the puzzle. Even though it was no longer relevant, Jules logged every word into the file in her mind reserved for the killer. “That’s really helpful, Scott. Thanks.”

“Anything we should be worried about?”

She shook her head. “A guy has been harassing me, but I’m working with the police on it. In fact, I heard from them a little while ago that they have him in custody, so the threat should be over.”

“Good to hear. You ever have trouble like that again, don’t hesitate to ask for help, okay?”

At the earnestness in his voice, she craned her neck to look up at him. “Thanks. I appreciate it. You and Lisa are good neighbors.” Which she had never truly realized or been grateful enough for until this moment.

He straightened his fingers and tapped his palms on the top of the glass a couple of times. “We try.”

“I’m off to visit my mom. I’ll see you later.”

Scott stepped back. “All right. Drive safe.”

“I will. Thanks.” Jules rolled the window the rest of the way up, watching in the rearview mirror as her neighbor strolled down the driveway and crossed the street.

Her gaze lowered to the spot on the window where the words had appeared, completely clear now. The guy must have written that message on the glass before he followed the tracker on Dante’s car up to the cottage.

Speaking of which…

Jules checked the mirror. Scott had disappeared inside his house. Which didn’t mean he wasn’t still watching. She would check later for the tracker the killer had no doubt hidden somewhere on her car. In the meantime, she’d call an Uber. No way she was taking this vehicle—one the guy had clearly touched, maybe even gotten inside of. Violated, as he had done so many other things and people and spaces she cared about. Tomorrow she would use that number Dante had put in her phone to ask him to come over and check it out for her.

Which meant she would see him again.

Ignoring the thrill that shot through her at the thought, driving out a little of the shock of the killer’s ominous words, she pulled out her phone and ordered a ride.

As she waited, she ran through the notes Scott had given her. Not that it mattered anymore, since the suspect would have already had a mugshot taken and his face entered into the permanent records. Still, the OCD in her had been driven crazy by the fact that she had nearly but not quite given Dante enough information to complete his sketch. To scratch that mental itch, she’d describe the nose to him next time she saw him so he could finish what the two of them had started.

A silver SUV pulled up to the curb. Clutching her bag, Jules exited her vehicle. Her legs were a little shaky, but she made it to the end of the driveway and climbed into the back seat.

Although she muttered a quick, “Hey,” she didn’t want to encourage conversation with the driver any more than she had wanted to with Scott, so she pulled her new phone out of her bag. As the driver already had the address of the hospital, she tucked herself into the corner of the back seat and focused on the screen.

Her friends were demanding to know everything. Where she had been. How they had captured the guy who had been tormenting her. If she knew anything about him. And, of course, what was happening between her and thegorgeous cop. Their texts neutralized the last of the electrical currents—not the good kind she got with Dante—that had been zapping through her since the words appeared on her window.

Jules fielded the first few questions, although she didn’t get into any details of her conversations with Dante. For some reason, she felt the need to hold the last couple of days close, at least for a little while. She promised to fill them in when they got together the next evening at Brie’s place for a girls’ night.