They quickly moved downstairs. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with relief, Gabe was stunned at how long it had taken to get this far.
“Fletcher Security have contacted the police. I wouldn’t be surprised if the detectives involved in your case contact us within the next few hours.”
“Does anyone know where the stalker lives?”
“Not yet, but Fletcher Security are working on it.” Caleb strode into the living room.
As Gabe passed the kitchen, Natalie walked into the entranceway. She looked at him and frowned. “What’s happened?”
“Fletcher Security has identified the stalker.”
She stopped pulling her backpack onto her shoulders.
“Caleb’s showing me their email. Do you want to see it?”
With a quick nod, she followed him into the living room.
Caleb’s laptop sat on the table. “I connected all my devices to the satellite phone. It makes it easier to download information.” He pulled out a chair and started typing on his keyboard. “The email was sent an hour ago.” He moved out of his seat.
Gabe held the chair out for Natalie, then read the email over her shoulder. “I’ve never heard of Leith Chapman.”
“Your friend in the NYPD would have.” Caleb pointed to the screen. “When you’ve finished the email, open the attachment.”
Natalie looked up at Gabe.
He nodded and she clicked on the file. The document listed Leith Chapman’s convictions from the last seven years. “He’s been busy.” Burglary and aggravated assault charges slotted between two prison sentences. “Are Fletcher Security sure he’s the stalker?”
“The fingerprints at the cottage match a set that was found at the warehouse.”
Natalie scrolled to the next page.
Chapman’s photo stared back at them. He had the sort of face you could easily forget. Blue eyes, dirty blond hair to his shoulders, and a mouth that didn’t look as though it smiled often. No standout features that stuck in your mind, nothing to make you think he was trouble.
“He’s from Staten Island,” Natalie said. “Isn’t that where Zac Connelly was born?”
Gabe nodded.
Caleb pulled their spreadsheet off a shelf. “That’s not the only similarity between the hero of your books and Chapman. They both served in the military. But unlike Zac, Chapman was dishonorably discharged.”
Natalie moved to the next page and read Chapman’s family history. “How did Fletcher Security find all this information?”
“It’s better not to ask,” Caleb muttered. He pointed to the spreadsheet. “I’ve added more information to what we’ve already collected. Chapman spent fifteen years in the foster care system. When he was eighteen, he enlisted with the Army. Five years later he was discharged and not long after that was arrested for burglary. Not much was stolen, but it was enough to send him to prison for a year. His life went downhill after that.”
Gabe frowned. “He was released from his second prison sentence two years ago.”
“Fletcher Security don’t know what he did after that. They couldn’t find his current address, but they did track down his stepbrother. I’m assuming the NYPD will try and find him. Open the second email.”
Natalie closed the attachment and frowned at the screen. “Which one?”
Caleb pointed to an email below the one they’d seen. “It was just as well Gabe told his agent to send any messages to me.”
Gabe moved closer. He’d spent enough time with Caleb to know when life was about to go from bad to worse.
As soon as Natalie opened the email, a picture of her appeared on the screen.
She looked at Gabe. “Why did you send your literary agent a photo of me?”
“I didn’t.” He glanced at Caleb.
“Chapman sent it yesterday.”
Gabe barely managed to hold back a curse. Chapman was getting closer. If they didn’t find him, what he did next would only lead to disaster.
He leaned over Natalie’s shoulder and took a closer look at the photo. “That’s at the Cherry Festival.”
Natalie’s face was white. “The photo was taken when we first arrived. I’m not wearing the earrings mom bought me.”
“He must have followed us to the festival, then driven back to Sapphire Bay.” Gabe looked at their spreadsheet. “It was a good opportunity to break into the cottage. With both of us at the festival, he must have thought he’d have more time to cause havoc.”
“He forgot about the security system,” Natalie said. “If he was watching the cottage, he would have known I had one installed.”
Caleb shook his head. “Not necessarily. Sapphire Bay is a small town. He would have to keep a reasonable distance away in case some of the locals saw him.”
“He made a mistake.” Natalie’s softly spoken words made Gabe frown.
She moved away from the table and looked through the living room window. “What if he finds us?”
Gabe took a deep breath and tried to think logically. But logic had nothing to do with his pounding heart or wanting to wrap Natalie in his arms and tell her everything would be all right.
Instead of doing any of that, he stood beside her, trying to at least offer her the reassurance of who he was. “I wish I could tell you everything will be okay, but I can’t. The only thing I can promise is that I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”
Caleb closed his laptop. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve got my trusty Glock.”
Natalie’s eyes widened. “You own a gun?”
“I live in a house in the middle of the forest. If someone broke in, a bow and arrow wouldn’t have the same effect.”
She lifted the edge of Gabe’s jacket.
He knew what she was looking for, and he knew how she felt about guns.
“You brought it with you.” It was said as a statement of fact, devoid of the emotion he could see in her eyes.
“I was a detective. I’ll only use it in extreme circumstances.”
Natalie sighed.
“It’s not too late to stay with your mom.” Gabe waited while she thought about what he’d said.
“It wouldn’t do any good. He knows who I am.” Her mouth dropped open. “I need to call mom. If he saw us at the festival, he might have seen her leave. He could easily find her.”
Caleb turned away from the window. “I’ll get the satellite phone.”
Natalie rushed after him.
Gabe didn’t know when this would end, but he hoped it was soon. One way or another, Leith Chapman needed to be found.
Natalie sat on the top stair of the veranda, staring into the sky. It was the kind of night that made her homesick for her family and everything that had gone before.
When she was little, her granddad had told her stories of Greek kings and queens, dolphins, birds, and lightning bolts—myths about the constellations that seemed as real as the world she lived in. She’d always wondered if granddad’s stories had opened the door to her imagination. Instead of words to create magic, she’d used paint and crayons, anything to bring what was in her mind to life.
Five twinkling stars shaped like a big W shone above her. She tried to remember their name. Her granddad’s voice whispered through the trees, telling her about the queen who thought she was more beautiful than anyone else. It was Cassius…no…Cassiopeia. And there, behind the Greek queen, was the Milky Way.
“That’s a happy smile.”
Natalie’s hand flew to her chest. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who was behind her. “Thank goodness it’s you.”
Gabe stepped onto the veranda with two mugs in his hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to give you a fright.”
“It’s okay. I was a million miles away.”
“Would a hot chocolate bring you back to earth?”
“That would be great.” She took one of the mugs and pulled her jacket closer. “Have you finished writing for the night?”
“I have. It’s nearly midnight.”
Natalie�
��s eyes widened. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“That’s what happens when you have a lot on your mind.”
“Not as much as you.” She cradled the hot mug in her hands. “How do you stay so positive?”
“You mean about Chapman?”
Natalie nodded. “You’ve turned your life upside down to get away from him, but you never seem angry or depressed.”
The stair creaked as Gabe sat beside her. “I’m just as worried as you are. The only difference between us is that I’ve learned how to hide what I’m feeling. And in case you’re wondering if that’s a good or bad thing—it’s definitely bad.”
“Does hiding your feelings help you focus on what you need to do?”
Gabe nodded.
“Does it make you think more clearly and react faster to a new situation?”
“Usually.”
“That has to be better than how I’m coping. My brain decided to go on strike this afternoon. It didn’t matter what I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Chapman was outside, waiting for us. After a couple of hours of staring at my canvas, I gave up and spent the next hour in Caleb’s gym.”
“Did it help?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow when we have our next self-defense class. I think I’m getting stronger.” She lifted her arm and flexed her biceps. “It’s hard to see under all these clothes, but my arms are pure muscle.”
Gabe smiled. “I’m impressed.”
“You should be. Each day I practice the moves you showed me. Maybe I could join the Polson PD.”
Gabe shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend joining any police force. It’s too stressful.”
She sipped her drink. Being a detective must be one of the toughest jobs in the world. “Are you proud of what you did when you were a detective?”
“I arrested a lot of people, but it was like a leaky faucet. As soon as one person was off the streets, someone else took their place. There were days when I wondered if the stress and long hours were worth it.”
“Why didn’t you resign?”
“I wanted to make a difference. Walking away would have meant I was turning my back on the people who needed help.”
“Someone else would have been there for them.”
“Maybe.” Gabe stared into his mug. “When I was in high school, one of the boys in my class was always late. He’d fall asleep and pick fights with anyone who got too close. For some reason, we became friends. One day he never arrived at school. By the third day, I was worried about him. I found out where he lived and went around to make sure he was okay. He wasn’t.” Gabe’s hand trembled as he sipped his drink. “Tony didn’t want to see me, but I stayed there until he came out. His father had beaten him so badly that he could hardly walk.”
Tears welled in Natalie’s eyes. “What did you do?”
“I called dad. He picked us up and took Tony to the hospital. After they’d patched him up, he came home with us and never left.”
“Your mom and dad adopted him?”
“Fostered. Tony’s dad wouldn’t let us adopt him.”
“Where’s Tony now?”
The hint of a smile softened the hard planes of Gabe’s face. “Living in Brooklyn with his wife and son. He became a teacher.”
Fresh tears filled Natalie’s eyes. Tony’s life would have been completely different if Gabe and his parents hadn’t helped him.
She pulled out a tissue and blew her nose. “You made a big difference in his life.”
“He made a bigger difference in mine. I wanted to make sure other people didn’t have to live through what Tony did.”
Natalie looked closely at Gabe. His smile had disappeared. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be all right. How’s your mom?”
“She’s staying with her sister. I told her everything.”
“Was she annoyed we didn’t tell her the full story?”
Natalie sighed. “She was more upset that I didn’t go home with her.”
“I don’t blame her, but now that Chapman knows about you, you’re safer with us.”
Natalie looked at the stars. She thought she’d be safe in Sapphire Bay, but that hadn’t happened. Some days she wondered if she’d ever be safe again. “Why would anyone send you anonymous letters, then recreate the scenes in your book? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I have no idea, but we’re going to find out.” Gabe wrapped his hand around hers.
His firm grip reassured her, anchored her to the here and now instead of what might happen. She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder. “We can’t stay with Caleb forever.”
“We won’t need to. Between Fletcher Security and the two police departments, we should have some news about Chapman soon.”
“We keep telling ourselves that, but nothing is happening.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
The gentle kiss he placed on her forehead made Natalie sigh. After what had happened, she didn’t know if her life would ever be okay again.
Caleb opened a map and pointed to a ridge. “This is Lunar Peak. It’s the highest point on this side of the lake. The trail we’re on leads straight there.”
Natalie leaned across Gabe’s arm to get a better look. “How far away is it?”
“About an hour’s walk to the top, but we aren’t going that far. The cave we’re looking for is about forty minutes away.”
Gabe studied the map. They’d left Caleb’s home five minutes ago. Apart from the sounds of the wildlife and an occasional bark from Sherlock, the forest was deathly silent. He didn’t know how Caleb lived out here. Without the shopping trips into Sapphire Bay and his satellite phone, he was completely cut off from civilization.
Natalie frowned. “Why did you decide to buy a house in the middle of the forest?”
Gabe wondered if she’d added mind reader to her growing list of accomplishments.
Caleb folded the map in half. “I’ve been working on some big projects. My latest contract is more complex than the others I’ve done. I don’t have as many distractions out here.”
“Apart from us. I’m sorry we interrupted you.”
The smile on Caleb’s face was instant. “Don’t worry about it. I’m enjoying having you here. Even for me, my house can be too remote sometimes.” He checked his watch. “We’d better get a move on if we want to be back by lunchtime.”
Natalie slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I’m looking forward to seeing the cave.”
“As long as it’s empty, so am I.” Caleb looked over his shoulder at Gabe. “Do you still have the bear spray?”
Gabe patted his pocket. “In here.”
“Great. Let’s go.”
As they walked through the trees, Gabe kept a careful eye on Natalie. They hadn’t left Caleb’s house to go on a simple hike. It was important they knew what was around the property, where they could go if anything happened.
After studying the map, they’d decided the safest location was the cave Caleb had found four months ago. They’d leave basic supplies inside, hoping they never had to use them.
Natalie held a branch out of Gabe’s way.
“Thanks.”
A smile lit her eyes. “You’re welcome.”
He couldn’t imagine what she was thinking. For someone who’d spent a lot of time painting in Europe, this must seem crazy. She’d come to Montana to find a new kind of normal. Instead of a new life, she’d inherited his problems and a stalker who wouldn’t go away. But for some reason, she was just as determined as he was to find Leith Chapman.
Each day they spent together, the more he appreciated her sense of humor, the way she calmly handled stressful situations, even when he was worried about what was happening. It didn’t take much for him to realize he was falling in love but, right now, he was the last person she needed in her life.
Sherlock trotted ahead, happy to walk beside Natalie. Most mornings, Gabe had to coax him away from the studio Caleb had created. For
the first time since Michelle’s death, Sherlock had attached himself to someone other than Gabe. Only time would tell if that was a good thing.
“What’s that?” Natalie stopped and pointed to a pile of branches under a pine tree.
Gabe glanced at Caleb. Someone had made a crude shelter out of fallen branches. From the look on Caleb’s face, he was thinking the same thing as Gabe. Finding the shelter this close to his house was too much of a coincidence.
He held a finger to his lips and looked at Natalie. If someone was inside, he didn’t want them to know they’d seen their hideout.
Caleb kept talking, making a big deal out of retying his bootlaces.
As Gabe took his gun out of its holster, Natalie froze. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. She thought he was overreacting. He wished he was.
With one look, Sherlock changed from happy-go-lucky hiking buddy to police dog. With his ears pricked forward and his eyes firmly on Gabe, he was ready for anything.
Caleb pulled Natalie farther along the track, making more noise than a herd of elephants.
From where he stood, Gabe couldn’t see if anyone was in the shelter. Stepping sideways, he slowly moved forward.
Sherlock stuck like glue to his side.
Taking position behind the trunk of a tree, Gabe took a deep breath, raised his gun and pivoted toward the opening. “It’s empty,” he yelled.
Sherlock’s sharp bark echoed through the trees.
Gabe smiled at the goofy grin on his dog’s face. He knelt down and rubbed Sherlock’s back. “Good boy.” He didn’t know how much Sherlock remembered about his time in the K-9 unit, but something had triggered the joy on his face.
Unlike Sherlock, Natalie didn’t seem happy. She stomped toward him with a frown plastered across her face. “You didn’t need to take out your gun,” she growled. “Someone could have been hurt.”
“Only if they were doing something they shouldn’t.” Gabe used a stick to flick through the trash on the floor of the shelter. “They must have been here for at least a couple of days.”
Caleb’s gaze skimmed over the mess. “Junk food. Could be hunters, but they usually take their trash with them. It’s too far from the road for teenagers.”
Falling For You (Sapphire Bay Book 1) Page 12
