Page 77 of Watch Me

Good job, Fiona.

The bed dipped, waking me. “Babe?” I mumbled.

“Yeah,” Ethan replied, pulling my back against hisfront.

“What time is it?” I was too tired to look at the clock on his side of the bed. After he dropped Maddie and me off, we’d watched a movie, but the entire time, all I could think about was when this would end. Ethan wasn’t home by the time the movie ended, and I’d tried to go to sleep without him, but tossed and turned until slumber finallycame.

“Almost four.”

I only had one burning question. “Was there a wood plaque?”

Ethan took a long, deep breath. “Yes … There was also a strand of red hair on the body that didn’t match the vic’s.”

I turned to face him, finally opening my eyes to see nothing but darkness. His arm moved to rest on my hip. “Now you have DNA.”

He sighed. “But it wasn’t enough, and there were no hits in any of the databases.”

“Shit.” I blew out abreath.

“Yeah, but he fucked up. That means he’s slipping, and eventually, we’ll catch him.”

I paused for a moment. “What number was on the back of the plaque?”

“Four.”

I blinked. “But mine had two, so there has to be a three somewhere.”

“I’m not sure the numbers are his kill order because the second plaque we found had the number nine on the back.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why number them?”

“Could be the order he found his victims and started watching them.”

“Do you think he moved past me because he’s not able to watch me anymore?”

“Maybe, but we’re not taking that chance. You’ll have security until we catch this guy.”

“That’s not what I mean. I just mean that maybe he’s not watching number three anymore either.”

Ethan sighed. “I hope that’s the case and that the third isn’t already dead and we just haven’t found the body.”

“Maybe the third got a new computer or something, and the killer isn’t watching her anymore,” Isuggested.

“Maybe. We’re still trying to figure out how the killer is getting the IP addresses. There was nothing on the servers at the school.”

Ethan had never told me so much before, and I wanted him to keep talking to me about it. I hated being in the dark, especially when it involved me in some way. “Were the other victims freshmen or new to the school?”

“No, they weren’t. They each had been students for at least a year.”

I kept thinking. “You know what’s weird?”

“What’s that?” Heyawned.

“I had just started school not a month before. How did he find me?”

Ethan sighed. “I wish I knew. I really fucking wish I knew.”

“I mean, I hadn’t used my computer except at school and my condo during that time.”