Page 35 of Watch Me

“What is—” I turned to look at what she’dseen.

I didn’t need to finish speaking. A wood plaque in the shape of a heart with Reagan’s name carved into it was hanging on herwall.

“Where did that come from?” I asked.

Ethan didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled his gun, and I went rigid.

“Eth—”

“Get against the wall and don’t move,” heordered.

“You’re scaring me.”

“Get against the wall,” he gritted out again. “Now!”

I moved, my back going flush against the wall near the front door. My heart started to race, my palms became sweaty. I had no idea what was going on as I watched Ethan check mycondo.

“It’s clear,” he finally stated and put his gun back into its holster under his suitjacket.

“O—kay?”

He grabbed his phone, pressed something on the screen, and then held it up to his ear as he pulled me against his chest. “You need to get to Reagan’s.” There was a short pause. “Perp was in her condo.” I started to shake.Did he just say a perp was in here? How?“I don’t know. Just fucking get here. I’m calling it in.”

“Ethan?” I whispered nervously as he took the phone away from hisear.

He wrapped his arms tighter around me. “It’s going to be okay.”

“What’s happening?”

Turning us slightly, he pointed at the mysterious plaque. “That has been at my last two murder scenes.”

“My—my name?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Each victim had her name on a plaque.”

“Why is it here?”

“I don’t know.” He sighed. “But I’m fucking going to find out.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either.” He stepped back. “I need to call it in. Shawn’s on his way now.”

“O—kay,” I stuttered again. “How did they get in?” I turned to look at my door. It didn’t appear as though someone had brokenin.

“I don’t know.” Ethan held up his finger. “Yeah, Maureen. This is Sergeant Valor.”

I tuned him out as I looked around my living room. At school, we were going over details that would be at a crime scene. I never thought my home would be one. I checked the windows. They were locked. Everything was as I’d left it less than two hours before except for the mysterious wood plaque on my wall with my picture collage.

What washappening?

“Okay, CSU is on their way,” Ethan advised, coming over to me as I looked around at my condo. I felt like a stranger in my ownhome.

“CSU? This is a crime scene?”

He wrapped his arms around me again. “Of course it is. Someone fucking broke into your home.”

I knew that it was. I was just in shock, and nothing was making sense. “Who would do that?”