Watched

by Louise River

  “Because he was taking care of Parker. You know Parker. The goddaughter of yours who you obviously didn’t give enough of a damn about to ensure she got home safely,” Parker says through gritted teeth. Her anger is palpable.

  Sam snaps his head to look at her, and Ryder groans inwardly as though her comment has caused him physical pain. But Parker refused to hold back.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I heard you.”

  “You heard me what?” He looks at Ryder, but he’s now looking at the wall away from the family.

  “You telling Ryder it wasn’t a big deal to follow procedure and not to waste too much time on it. Then you laughed. You actually laughed! As though what I was worried about was ridiculous. But I guess it wasn’t so ridiculous now, was it?”

  “Parker-”

  “No, don’t you ‘Parker’ me! I came back to take you up on your offer for a ride. I could feel him watching me. But you made me so angry I just took off. And don’t make this about Ryder not doing his job. He did his job. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. I’d be dead if he listened to you! And on top of it, you threatened his job!” She starts laughing. “No wonder you haven’t caught the serial killer yet.”

  Ryder looks at Parker with pleading eyes as though to ask her to stop.

  “Ryder’s job-”

  “Is to protect and serve.” Peter looks at his best friend. “I think he followed through with that, don’t you, Sam?”

  “Pete, you have to know, had I thought those letter held real merit, it would have been a different story. I thought they were just a cry for attention from a classmate.”

  “YOU should have been the one to look into them. YOU should have insisted she be driven home rather than venture out on her own. If my daughter was concerned in any fashion about her safety, you should have taken her seriously. As seriously as if I had come to you with concern about her or Anne. You should have made it a priority to do your damn job!”

  “Pete-“

  “And so help me God, if I hear you reprimand Deputy Edwards for doing the job you should have done, any chance of getting back on my good graces will be nonexistent. I owe this man a world of gratitude for stepping in where you failed to step up.”

  “I swear, I didn’t think there was a threat. I would have handled it very differently.”

  “Did you read a single letter?”

  “No.” Sam looks at the ground.

  “Exactly.”

  “Did you receive them in the mail?” Ryder interrupts.

  “Yeah, Mom put them on my desk for me.”

  “I haven’t put any mail on your desk in weeks other than your college letters.”

  Everyone looks to Peter who shakes his head. “I couldn’t even tell you the last time I checked the mail.”

  Ryder looks at Sam and nods his head to the porch. They step outside, but the three can still hear the conversation. “There was no postage or return address on the envelopes.”

  “If they weren’t mailed, how’d they get here?”

  “Honestly, the only way I can think of is the person who wrote them has been in the house. He’s hand delivered every letter.”

  “I knew I heard someone in the house today!” Parker starts to breathe quickly and heavily.

  “What?” Anne looks at her as Ryder and Sam rush back inside. “What are you talking about?”

  “I thought it was just my imagination. I thought what happened earlier was causing my mind to run wild with me. I wrote it off as nothing.”

  “There will be a squad car outside your house twenty-four-seven,” Sam says. “Parker, I am truly sorry. I should have taken your concerns more seriously.”

  “Yeah, you probably should have,” Anne snaps and lightly touches a bruise starting to form on Parker’s neck.

  “Ryder, you take the upstairs, I’ll take the basement. We’ll do a sweep of the house to make sure the bastard isn’t still in here. Peter, you keep the girls in here until we determine there is no threat.”

  The two men rush off to do a sweep of the house.

  Chapter 8

  The next day was Ryder’s day off, but he went into the station to meet with John to get a sketch of the man he’d now seen twice. I was right. He should feel happy and elated his instincts were correct and he saved a life, but he feels even more dread. This sick son of a bitch is after Parker and the thought makes him sick to his stomach.

  John Miller is a small, frail looking man with balding hair and hazel eyes. His skin is pale, and his eyes are a bit sunken. When asked, he says he’s a starving artist, but the truth is he’s far from starving. Besides manually sketching, he earned himself a degree in graphic design and has turned his abilities into a lucrative career. John has a way of understanding and picturing what people describe, and he has proven to be the most efficient sketch artist in the five closest counties.

  After John finished the sketch, Ryder gave him his due praises. He was the least creative person on the planet, and here was John, able to take descriptions and make a dead on sketch of the man who attacked Parker. Probably the serial killer.

  Ryder stared at the sketch, and the feeling of recognition gnawed at him. He’d only seen him twice, but he couldn’t shake the familiar feeling he had when he looked at it. Against his better judgment, he takes the sketch to the copier and makes himself one to keep on hand before setting the original on Sam’s desk.

  After Parker’s dad chewed his ass, Sam decided to take the first shift outside the Lewis household. Other than their interactions at the Lewis household, Sam was giving him the cold shoulder. He shakes his head and walks out of Sam’s office. Eventually, Sam would get over it, right? He had to. He hopes.

  “Edwards!”

  Ryder turns around to see his best friend, Mason, standing in the office. His six-foot height made him look like a giant in the small station. His light brown hair was cut and styled in a new hipster look. Coupled with his chiseled jaw, tan skin, and toned muscles, there was no doubt why he’s considered a ladies man.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Ryder walks up to him. Travis and Scott look between the two men, unsure of what kind of encounter was about to happen. Ryder says nothing, but his mind takes note of how willing they seem to have his back. He’s slowly becoming part of the team.

  “You won’t answer your goddamned phone, so I got a bit concerned. You tend to go off the radar when you go dark, man. The last time that happened, I found you in smashed car wrapped around a tree.”

  “I’ve been a little busy the last few days.”

  “The serial killer? That shit’s real?”

  “Very.”

  Mason pulls Ryder into a hug. It’s been about a year since they last saw each other. Mason was usually MIA when he was running from an ex-something-or-other.

  “Who knew a small town would have so much excitement for you?” Mason laughs.

  “Not us,” Travis says.

  “Travis, Scott, this is my best friend since middle school. Mason, these are two other deputies.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Scott says and extends a hand. He appears impressed to see Ryder is indeed capable of forming real friendships.

  “Which one of you poor suckers is this man’s partner?”

  “I am,” Mack says from behind them.

  “Mason, meet Mack.”

  “Dude, I am so sorry. If you ever need to talk, this son of a bitch knows my number. I fully understand everything you could ever encounter.” Mason smiles as he and Mack shake hands.

  “What are you doing here?” Ryder looks at Mack. He has the day off, too.

  “I came in to fill out a couple of forms. Sam wanted me to take a second look at those letters, you know, to see if there was anything that jumps at us to identify this sick fuck.”

  “Have at it. I looked through them, but you’ve got the minor in psychology. Shrink the shit out of the perv’s mind.”

  “Sketch done?”

  “Yeah, it�
��s on Chief’s desk. Can you guys look at it? He looks familiar, but I cannot figure out why. It’s starting to eat at me. Maybe you recognize him.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “We’ll all take a look. This guy can’t be in our town and not have at least one of us know him,” Travis says.

  “Thanks.” Ryder nods at Travis and looks to Mack. “Should we head out?”

  “Yeah.”

  “See you guys tomorrow.”

  “Didn’t you hear?” Mack asks.

  “Hear what?”

  “Chief has you suspended with pay. I don’t know what went down after you brought her home, but he is pissed.”

  “How long?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m here tomorrow to partner with Scott while Travis sits outside the house.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Edwards. He’s just a little upset on how things went down. You saved his goddaughter. He can’t be that mad,” Scott offers.

  “Yeah, I don’t know about that. Well, I guess we can get rowdy tonight.”

  “Do you guys even have a bar?” Mason asks.

  “Two,” Travis says.

  “Shit gets crazy,” Scott laughs. “Our pastor likes the college girls.”

  “Must keep you busy.” Mason smiles and waves as they walk out the door. As they reach Ryder’s pickup, Mason stops and looks at his best friend. “What’s up, man?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re getting suspended?”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “What is it?”

  “Long story short,” Ryder says getting into the pickup, “Chief ignored warnings about someone being in trouble. We didn’t see eye to eye. I didn’t listen to him, which was a good thing. But what went down got him in some hot water on a personal level.”

  “Reminded you of Tara.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not like that.” Ryder shifts his truck into gear as they pull out of the parking lot. “This girl has a hold on me, man. I can’t explain it, and it’s completely opposite of how I normally operate.”

  “I feel like we need a couple of beers to continue this conversation,” Mason says looking at the fields of corn as they drive on the highway.

  “Give me fifteen minutes.”

  After thirteen minutes, they pull up outside of a bar. “You weren’t kidding.” Mason looks at his watch.

  “I’ve been here a few times.”

  “Why come out here when you have bars in town?”

  They walk into the bar and head to a booth in the far corner. Ryder nods at the bartender and holds up two fingers. “Everyone knows everything about everyone, and their ears are always open. It’s ridiculous man. It’s not that far outside of town, but it’s a little easier to be alone out here.”

  “Such a private guy,” Mason playfully punches Ryder’s arm as a skinny redheaded waitress brings them their beers. She’s drinking in Mason’s tanned skin and appreciative look.

  Mason watches the behind of the waitress as she walks away, her walk drawing attention to it. “You must come here a lot.”

  “You and fucking redheads.” Ryder laughs as he takes a swig of his beer.

  “Your new chick brunette?”

  “Blonde.”

  “Blonde? That’s not your type.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Hey, baby,” a dark haired woman says sauntering over to them. Her body is all curves in the right spots and accentuated by her tight green mini dress.

  “Hey Vanessa.” Ryder shakes his head.

  “I was hoping I’d see you here.”

  “Well, here I am.”

  “Can I join you boys?”

  “Sorry, honey. We’re old friends catching up. Maybe later,” Mason offers with a bright smile.

  “Are you sure? I can hang with the boys.”

  “I’m not looking for a three way with my best friend, Vanessa. Sorry.”

  “That’s not what I was saying.” She looks offended.

  “I’ll call you later.” Ryder takes a swig of his beer and still refuses to look at her. She pouts and storms away.

  “What the hell?”

  “Booty call.”

  “Ah,” Mason nods. “Obviously not the chick whose got a hold on your cock.”

  “The complete opposite, actually. Vanessa’s good for a good time, but she’s annoying as fuck.”

  “Tell me about the blonde.”

  “She just has this pull on me, man. I can’t explain it, and she’s completely off-limits. And before you say anything, it was like that before I knew she was off-limits. It’s not some forbidden fruit shit. Every time we’re in the same room, it’s like an electric current running through the air. She’s hot as hell, but she doesn’t even realize it. I can’t breathe around her when we’re too close. It’s fucked up.”

  “But you like it.”

  “Dream about it.”

  “Better than Grace?”

  “In every possible way.”

  “Tapped it?”

  “Nope, but even at her worst, she’d be better than Grace.”

  “Asked her out yet?”

  “Nope. Can’t.” Ryder takes a long drink.

  “Why?”

  “She’s off-limits.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “She’s Chief’s goddaughter for one. And she’s got a boyfriend. A cheating douchebag boyfriend, but still a boyfriend. Plus, she’s young.”

  “Jail time young?”

  “No, not your issue of young. But not-able-to-legally-drink-young,”

  “You know damned well that wasn’t my fault!” Mason snaps finishing his beer. “The bouncer carded her. I didn’t realize I’d have to do the same.”

  Mason is referring to how he almost had to register as a sex offender when he was accused of sleeping with a seventeen year old he met in a bar. Luckily the case was dropped. Ryder’s pretty sure the bar paid off the parents to keep their liquor license and to avoid too much bad press.

  “Dude, I know.” Ryder looks at his friend.

  “Does she feel the same way about you?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like she does, but other times she’s harder to read. But man, when I walked out and saw that motherfucker on top of her, I about lost my shit. And when she clung to my neck, I wanted to fix the world to keep her from ever hurting again. She was scared, and I would have given my left nut to take that away.”

  “You’re falling hard.”

  “I can’t fall for her. She’s-”

  “Off-limits. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard you. Doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. As long as she’s eighteen, anyway. What’s the deal with the boyfriend?”

  “Besides being a bitch ass? I’m pretty sure he’s cheating on her with her best friend. You’d like Paige. She’s a redhead.”

  “She eighteen?”

  “Yep.”

  “What makes this dude a bitch ass?”

  “He had the gall to ask her if she was fucking me after I chased her stalker away the first time. He’s anticipating something for a reason. And I know for a fact she’s not cheating. That’s not in her nature.”

  “You know this for a fact?” Mason winks at Ryder.

  “She’s not the type. If she was, I’d gladly offer up my services.”

  “You tell her about the boyfriend?”

  “What girl wants to hear that from a dude she barely knows who wants to get in her pants? Plus, I may hate the kid, but I’m not gonna break bro code.”

  “I say go for it. The guy’s obviously not worth it for her to waste her time on him. And all of these limits you’re spouting about are just excuses and hold no actual merit.”

  “They do, too!” Ryder protests.

  “Then leave. Come back home. There are no women off-limits there.”

  “As weird as it sounds, I actually like the town. I’m a private person, but it’s kind of comforting to know someone is watching your back. Granted, it’s most likely to see i
f you’re a serial killer, but still watching. I don’t want to get fired. If I did, I couldn’t stay here. And you know I can’t come back home.”

  “I get it. As much as I miss having you there, I get why you can’t go back.”

  “I have to find a way to stay away from this girl. The only downside is that I’m slowly becoming one of the few people she trusts right now.”

  “Dude, just follow your heart and not your head or your dick. You’ll get into a shit ton of trouble if you think with the little head. But your head is going to talk you out of what you really want. It always has.”

  “Such an insightful person,” Ryder says. “Remind me again how you don’t have a woman?”

  “I do have a woman. Three to be exact.”

  “That’s why you’re here. It’s gonna blow up in your face. And I can’t wait to hear about it.”

  “You can always come back to visit and see for yourself. I’m sure it’s going to happen soon. And you’d think I’d do something to stop it, but it’s like an out of body experience. I’m just gonna watch that shit play out and enjoy the ride. Besides, Grace keeps asking about you.”

  “I don’t give two shits about Grace. That ship sailed a long time ago.”

  “She’s still with Bruce anyway. And your mom asked about you.”

  “Tell Grace to stop asking about me, especially if she’s with Bruce.”

  “You’re still butt hurt she cheated on you with her third cousin.”

  “The way I see it, if you cheat with someone you see regularly at holidays with the family, you need to get your head examined. I don’t give a shit how ‘distant’ your relation is. How do you even explain that to people?”

  “I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but my guess is you don’t. And people don’t ask. I think I now fully understand ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Mason laughs.

  The two of them spend the next hour catching up before Ryder drives them back to the station so Mason can get his car.

  “Drive safe man. And thanks for checking on me. I think I needed a visit from you.”

  “No problem. Like I said, I get a little worried when you go ghost on me.”

  “No need to worry about me. I’m legit busy right now.”

  “Sounds like it. And not just with work.” Mason winks. “Just don’t let her get away if you have a chance. Seize it, man.”