Stranger's Game

by Colleen Coble

  “I did. Wait here with Hailey while I check it out.” He positioned them under a bright streetlight before he approached his pickup.

  He stooped and peered in the driver’s window before going around to the other side of the vehicle. She lost sight of him when he leaned inside the truck.

  Hailey’s small hand crept into hers. “Is Daddy okay?”

  Torie pulled the little girl into the circle of her arms. “I’m sure he’s fine. See, there he is now. He’s coming back.” But Joe’s grim expression made her breath catch in her chest.

  He reached them. “Someone broke into my truck and took your glass pieces. Your bike is gone too.”

  “Oh no! Both of the glass pieces?”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry. The passenger window is busted out. There’s glass everywhere. We need to call the state police and report it.”

  “Do we have to do it tonight? I’m tired, and it will take forever to make the report.”

  “I’ll call Craig and ask him to stop by your cottage to talk to us. We’ll leave the truck here for him to check out and run for prints. We can have the hotel shuttle take us home.”

  “Okay.”

  Joe placed the call, and she listened to him explain what had happened. Reporting it was still more than she wanted to do, but it was the right thing to do. To make a claim to his insurance, they’d have to file a report. All she wanted to do was crawl under a quilt with a good book and forget this had happened. Maybe she’d call her dad and see if he wanted to come by. He could use the back door so no one would see him. Sneaking around to see her own father wasn’t fair, especially when she needed him.

  “My beautiful glass pieces,” she lamented when she got in the shuttle.

  Joe waited until Hailey mounted the steps into the shuttle and he sat across the aisle from them. “My insurance should cover it, and we can see if Amelia has another mermaid and globe you like.”

  “But it won’t be the same.”

  The sting of tears in her eyes took her by surprise, and she turned her head to stare unseeingly out at the dark landscape. She didn’t want to admit no other gift could replicate the rush of pleasure she’d felt when he bought the mermaid for her. She’d felt so special in that moment, so seen.

  Every glass piece was unique, too, and even if she tried, Amelia would never fully duplicate it. Torie swallowed down the lump of despair in her throat. Was she some kind of child that she’d cry over the loss of a gift? Growing up, her dad had always taught her to straighten her shoulders and face adversity square on. And she’d done just that, so why did such an inconsequential theft strip away her courage?

  “You feel violated,” Joe said. “There’s something so personal about a theft like that.”

  She gave a jerky nod. “Maybe that’s it. I don’t think anyone has ever stolen from me before. It’s much more shocking than I expected.”

  Beside her, Hailey clasped Torie’s hand. “I’ll give you my turtle necklace.” Her voice quavered.

  “Oh honey, that’s so sweet of you, but I’ll be okay. Like your dad said, insurance will pay for it, and I can buy another mermaid and globe.”

  “You’re sure?” Hailey’s voice settled into a more usual cadence. “I’d give it to you so you don’t cry.”

  “You’re the sweetest little girl I ever met, but you keep your special necklace. Your daddy got it for you.”

  “Okay.”

  The shuttle driver pulled up at Torie’s cottage and let them out. Joe tipped the driver. Torie gaped when she spied the front of her cottage. Her front door stood open, and it looked like every light in the house was on. Her bike leaned against the front.

  Joe turned toward a car stopping in front.

  “Here comes Craig now.” Joe intercepted the state police officer. “It appears someone has broken into her house. The thief took her bike, but it’s here now.”

  Craig’s hand went to the butt of his gun. “I’ll check it out.”

  Torie didn’t want to stay behind, but Hailey needed someone with her while the men advanced to the front door and went inside.

  It seemed forever until Joe reappeared from inside the cottage. “No one’s inside, but the mermaid and globe are on the coffee table, Torie.”

  “What?” She rushed past him into her cottage and spied the glass items.

  That same detestable song was playing on her Apple TV. If she ever heard “Games People Play” again, it would be too soon.

  Chapter 13

  Joe wanted to smash the box playing that stupid song. What was this guy’s problem and why was he tormenting Torie? Had he picked her for a reason, or did he get his kicks by terrorizing women? The whole thing steamed him.

  Craig exited the bedroom to the right of the living space. “All clear there. Doesn’t look like anything was disturbed, but you’ll have to check for yourself, Torie.”

  She looked a little pale sitting on the sofa, where she held the glass mermaid on her lap. Hailey had fallen asleep beside her. “I’m a neat freak, so I’ll know if any of my things have been disturbed.”

  “The other bedroom is okay too,” Joe said. “Whoever it was came in to set the glass items and turn on the music.”

  Craig took out a notebook and pen. “Tell me everything that happened tonight.”

  It was over an hour later by the time they’d gone through all their movements, and Craig dusted the door for fingerprints. Joe noticed Torie’s slow movements and her lids at half-mast. She had to be exhausted.

  “That it, Craig? My truck’s in the hotel parking lot and you can dust it. Torie needs to get to bed.”

  Craig nodded. “I think I have enough for now. I’ll dust the truck for prints, but I doubt our perp left anything, and I suspect any prints from the door or your truck will belong to one of you.”

  “You know what this means, don’t you?” Torie asked. “The person behind this has to be following me.”

  Joe had hoped she wouldn’t land on that conclusion, but it was obvious. “Agreed. You need to be careful. In fact, I’m not sure you should be staying alone.”

  “So far there hasn’t been any direct threat,” Craig said.

  Joe gave him a withering glance. “You know as well as I do that stalkers often progress to violence. You could move into a room at the hotel instead of staying here alone.”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “I really like this cottage, but I’ll admit I’m jumpy. I see every shadow and hear every creak.”

  Joe picked up the globe and examined it. It seemed unharmed. “Anton would arrange for a room for you.”

  She nodded. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. It’s already ten, and I’m exhausted. I have to be at work at seven tomorrow, and I don’t want to pack tonight. It seems overwhelming.”

  “I don’t think you should stay here alone tonight,” Joe said. “I’ll stay in the spare room with Hailey. I don’t think anyone would dare break in with a man here.”

  “Probably not,” Craig agreed. “That’s a good idea.”

  “I hate to put you out,” Torie said. “Hailey should be in her own bed.”

  “Once she’s asleep, she’s dead to the world. There’s a king bed in the spare room, plenty of space for us. We can go home first thing in the morning to get cleaned up.”

  “Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur,” Torie said.

  Joe blinked, then grinned. “I took Latin too. ‘One’s friends are known in the hour of need.’”

  A pleasant warmth spread from his midsection at the realization she considered him a friend. It was a start.

  He put down the globe and went to lift his daughter from the sofa. She didn’t stir, and her head lolled onto his chest. Her mutter didn’t make sense, and he knew she wasn’t awake.

  Torie sprang up and went ahead of him to the bedroom door. “I’ll turn down the covers. The bedding is clean.”

  She stepped into the room and yanked back the quilt and the pink top sheet edged in lace. “Not exact
ly the sheets a guy would want to sleep on. You can sleep in my room if you like. At least the sheets are navy.”

  He lowered his daughter and gently set her on the bed. “Color doesn’t bother me.”

  If he even slept at all. He always carried his SIG Sauer M11, and he planned to rest with one eye open just in case. He pulled the covers over Hailey and backed out of the room, then eased the door closed behind him. He walked Craig out to the porch.

  The porch light came on and pushed back the shadows around the cottage. “Thanks for coming, buddy.”

  “You bet. It’s very peculiar for sure. I’m still not convinced the guy is out to get her.”

  “He’s bold—someone could have seen him breaking into my truck. The hotel is right there, and a guest could have seen him.”

  “It’s not well lit because of the sea turtles.”

  True enough. “Okay, you got me there. But still, staff and workers would have been moving around the grounds. The shop employees are all close too. Someone could have seen something.”

  “I’ll poke around and ask questions. Maybe we’ll get lucky. I need to go. We’re finalizing plans to close the bridge during the conference.” Craig headed for his vehicle.

  The whole evening felt surreal. Joe walked around the yard in the darkness and checked the windows. They all appeared locked and secure, and he couldn’t see in any window except the living room. He spent a moment gazing at Torie. She’d picked up the mermaid again and stared at it as if it held the answer to what had happened tonight.

  If only the mermaid could tell the tale. He shook his head and went back inside, pausing long enough to lock both the doorknob and the dead bolt.

  “I thought you’d be in bed by now,” he said.

  “I’m so tired, but I’m not sure I can sleep.”

  He held out his hand, and she let him help her up. “I’ll make sure we’re all safe tonight. You sleep. If you get scared, just call my name and I’ll come running.”

  She gave his hand a light squeeze before she pulled away. “You’re a good man, Joe Abbott.”

  He dropped his gaze to her lips, then took a step back. Too soon for anything like that. He was here to protect her, not hit on her. “Good night.”

  “Good night,” she echoed before going to her bedroom and shutting the door.

  He sighed and stared at the closed door.

  * * *

  Joe held a spatula aloft as Torie entered her kitchen, and the aroma of bacon and eggs filled the room. “Sleep okay?”

  She yawned and went to perch on a bar stool beside Hailey. “Like a baby. You look tired though. Did you get any rest?”

  “I catnapped.”

  Hailey yanked on her arm. “Torie, can I sleep over again? I love that room! It was so fun to stay here.”

  Torie glanced at Joe. “If it’s okay with your dad, you can stay anytime. Well, at least when I’m not working.”

  “We’ll see.” Joe stirred the scrambled eggs. “I hope this is how you like them.”

  “I like them any way I can get them when someone else is cooking. What a treat. I usually opt for cereal or toast in the morning because it’s easy. Or yogurt and granola.”

  “Daddy says I have to eat protein in the morning.”

  “I’m sure it’s a very good idea.” She smiled at Joe. “Are you going to be late for work?”

  “A little, but I’m the boss. Hailey is late for her camp too. Pack up what you need today. I already called the hotel shuttle, and it will drop you at the hotel before delivering me and Hailey where we need to go.”

  “I already have a suitcase packed. Enough for about a week. Maybe by then we’ll figure out who is behind this.”

  She wasn’t sure she believed her own assurances. While the intruder seemed bold, he hadn’t slipped up enough yet to figure out his identity. “What about putting some cameras in here? We might be able to catch him in the act.”

  Joe nodded. “I thought about that too. I’ll pick up some and install them. We should have them by the doors and one in the living room. Did you call Anton?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet, but I will.”

  Telling her dad would be hard. He’d be apt to ask her to leave, and she couldn’t do that. The intruder felt threatened or he wouldn’t be terrorizing her like this. He was trying to drive her out, and she refused to let him. She might be closer than she realized.

  Joe prayed over the food, then handed her a plate piled high with eggs and bacon.

  “I can’t eat all that,” she protested.

  “Give it a try.”

  She wrinkled her nose, then dug in. “I want to talk to Bella today about her claim that Lisbeth was depressed. I don’t believe it.”

  “And if she lied, maybe there’s a reason.”

  She picked up a piece of crispy bacon. “Do you know her?”

  “I know who she is—that’s it though. She came to the beach minutes after I discovered Lisbeth.”

  “I hadn’t heard that. Did she say why she was out by the water right then? It was very early, right?”

  “Six in the morning. She said she was supposed to go for a morning hike with Lisbeth, but she’d overslept.”

  “A hike? But why meet on the beach?”

  Joe frowned. “I didn’t think to ask her that. It was a chaotic scene, and she was clearly distraught.”

  Torie couldn’t wait to talk to her. She stuffed a final piece of bacon in her mouth as she went to grab her suitcase. By the time she came out, Joe had loaded the dishwasher and turned it on. The kitchen was as neat as if she’d cleaned it herself, which was saying a lot. She didn’t think any guy cared about that kind of thing.

  It was only a two-minute ride to the hotel. Joe tried to take her suitcase, but she had the porter grab it. “Put it in storage for now,” she told him. “Thanks, Joe, for everything.”

  “Um, you want to have dinner with us tonight, get away from the hotel awhile?”

  Her pulse kicked at the hopeful tone in his voice. “I’ll text you and let you know later, okay? I’m not sure what the day will bring.” She’d already spent more time with him than was wise.

  “Sounds good.” He waved to her as the shuttle drove off to deliver Hailey to camp.

  Torie made a beeline for the check-in desk, but Bella wasn’t on duty, so she asked one of the bellhops about her and discovered she was in the break room. As Torie hurried back to find Bella, she rehearsed how she planned to start the conversation. She didn’t want to be accusatory and back Bella into a corner where she refused to answer questions.

  Bella was the only one in the break room when Torie entered. “Good morning,” Torie said.

  The large room held tables and chairs as well as an array of sweet-smelling pastries and breakfast items for the staff. The aroma from the coffee bar made her mouth water, and she spied small tubs of half-and-half on the table. It would do.

  Bella tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Hi. Coffee’s fresh.”

  Was she watching Torie warily, or was it her imagination? Torie poured a cup of java and added plenty of half-and-half. Bella sat at a table and ate fresh fruit, and she barely looked up when Torie joined her.

  “Um, I met Craig Hall this week.” Torie took a sip of coffee and grimaced at the weak brew.

  “Our state trooper? Nice guy.” Bella twirled her engagement ring on her finger.

  “He is. He said something I hadn’t heard before—that you mentioned Lisbeth was on antidepressants.”

  Bella’s eyes widened, and she choked on her fruit. “I’m late. We’ll have to talk another time. Sorry.”

  She practically ran from the room, and Torie leaned back in her chair with her heart still pounding. What on earth had just happened?

  Chapter 14

  Today was a perfect day for being out on the open water—or at least it would have been if Joe weren’t so exhausted. He’d downplayed his fatigue to Torie this morning, but as the day wore on, his movements were getting slowe
r, his reflexes turning almost nonexistent.

  The sea lion had alerted them to a possible target, and Simon had been gone about five minutes. There was a tug on the line at the bow of the boat. Adrenaline washed away Joe’s exhaustion. He moved to the line and touched it. Taut and strained. “I think Simon has deployed the cuff.”

  “Let’s hope it’s not a piece of driftwood,” Danielle said.

  Joe began reeling in the line, and the load made the boat slew in the water. “I don’t think it’s driftwood.”

  Simon’s head popped above the waves, and he gave an excited vocalization that sounded like a trumpet as he clapped his flippers.

  “Throw him a fish,” Joe said. “He thinks he deserves it.”

  The winch groaned from the strain, but the line kept winding up until a dark shape could be seen just under the blue water.

  “It’s a swimmer!” Tyrone drew his weapon and moved to the starboard side.

  Joe saw the flash of a knife. “The guy’s armed with a blade!”

  “I see it.” Tyrone pulled out handcuffs.

  A hand with a knife in it arced above the waves, but Tyrone reached over and wrestled it out of the man’s grip, then snapped a cuff on that arm. In short order the big guy had the swimmer trussed up and lying on the boat deck.

  The guy wore black from head to toe, even his snorkel and fins. Joe reached over and yanked the mask off the guy’s face. A blond male stared up at them. If looks could kill, his green eyes would have sliced Joe’s guts open.

  “What’s your name and what are you doing here?” Joe demanded.

  The man pressed his lips together and didn’t answer. Not good. This looked like an actual hostile swimmer, not a war game or a diver who accidentally wandered into Simon’s watch.

  “Check him for ID,” Joe told Tyrone.

  “You got it.” Tyrone leaned over and patted down the guy’s wet suit, then showed his teammates what he’d retrieved. “Looky here. Caps for plastic explosives.”

  “But no explosives,” Danielle said.

  “Could be he ditched them down below when Simon nailed him,” Tyrone said.