She forced a smile. “I’ll make you a promise. When Leith Chapman is found guilty of breaking and entering and stalking, I’ll buy you and Gabe dinner. Until then, I think we should wait and see what happens.”
Caleb’s cell phone beeped. He read the message and frowned. “Detective Jameson wants to meet with Gabe and me in Polson. They’ve found some photos of us in Chapman’s motel room. He wants us to look at them and give him an idea of when and where they were taken.”
Gabe looked at Natalie. “You should come, too.”
Caleb shook his head. “Jameson said she’ll be safer here. A couple of reporters have been asking questions about Natalie.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Sherlock and I can look after each other.”
Gabe still looked worried. He turned to Caleb and asked, “Are you sure Leith Chapman is at the police station?”
“They’ve already charged him with breaking and entering. I guess that’s why they want us to look at the photos. If there’s enough evidence to charge him with stalking, they’ll do that, too.”
“I don’t like leaving Natalie here, even with Sherlock.”
Natalie knelt in front of Sherlock. “We’ll be fine, won’t we, boy?” She had a strong suspicion that Sherlock’s goofy grin had more to do with having his ears rubbed than looking after each other. “See…he agrees with me.”
Gabe scowled. “If anything happens, we’re at least forty-five minutes away.”
She scrambled to her feet. “I won’t leave the house. I’ll keep the satellite phone with me at all times and I’ll bake Caleb a chocolate cake as a thank you for looking after us.”
“Sounds good to me,” Caleb said. When Gabe remained silent, he pointed to his house. “I agree with Detective Jameson. Natalie’s safer here than in town. Look at my home. It looks as though Ma and Pa Kettle live here and not an international bestselling author and a world-renowned artist. Chapman is at the police station and Natalie’s mom and your agent are the only people who know you’re here. Nothing will happen.”
“I want your security system activated. If anyone arrives or leaves, we need to know about it.”
Natalie looked at Caleb.
“The security system hasn’t been off since you arrived. My phone will send me an alert if anyone breaks the infrared beams.”
She swung her gaze to Gabe. “Does that make you feel better?”
“Not much.”
“Well, it will have to do. Russell Jameson is waiting for you.”
After more grumbles, Gabe finally left with Caleb.
Natalie kept her gaze on the plume of dust long after the truck was out of sight. Apart from Sherlock, she was on her own. And despite what she’d said to Gabe, she was just as worried as he was.
Natalie took the flour and baking powder out of the pantry. Caleb didn’t have a lot of cocoa, but there was enough for what she’d need. When she got back to Sapphire Bay, she’d buy a shopping cart full of groceries and give them to him.
He had been so generous with his time and home that she didn’t know how she could ever repay him.
The satellite phone beeped. With the mixing bowl in her arms, she walked across to the dining table and smiled. Just as he’d promised, Gabe had texted her to let her know they’d arrived in Polson.
She checked the time. Depending on how many photos the police wanted them to go through, she might have another ninety minutes to finish the cake and make lunch for everyone. As long as the cake went into the oven in the next half hour, she’d be fine.
Sherlock padded across to the back door and scratched on the frame.
“Do you want to go outside?”
Sherlock’s brown eyes stared up at her.
“Okay, but only a quick trip.” She left the bowl on the dining table and unlocked the door. “I told your dad we wouldn’t leave the house.”
Sherlock ran outside. As soon as he stepped off the veranda, he turned and whined.
“You’ll be okay.” Her encouraging words didn’t seem to make any difference. Sherlock’s head swung from her to the trees. She couldn’t blame him for going stir crazy. Staying inside wasn’t her idea of fun either.
She tried again. “It’s okay, boy. Do your business then come inside.” She forced a smile, hoping Sherlock decided to make the most of his moment of freedom.
He didn’t move.
She looked at the mixing bowl, then back at Sherlock. With Chapman at the police station, the chance of anything happening was about as high as being attacked by a bear.
A couple of minutes outside wouldn’t hurt.
The infrared beam across the front door twinkled like a Christmas light. Gabe would already know she’d opened the door. What he wouldn’t realize was why she’d gone outside. Before he panicked, she sent him a quick text. She looked around the kitchen, turned off the oven, and peeked inside Caleb’s office.
Four monitors displayed what the external security cameras were seeing. There were no vehicles or people in the driveway, the barn was clear, and the only activity along the side of the house was two geese waddling across the grass.
Caleb’s home had every high-tech gadget known to mankind and, just for once, she wished she didn’t feel like a goldfish in a plastic bowl.
Sherlock barked. She ran out of the office, grabbed her backpack and closed the door. As soon as he saw her, Sherlock ran toward the trees, his black coat gleaming in the sun.
Taking a deep breath, Natalie followed him. It was another hot, airless day—the kind where your lungs burned as if you were living inside a furnace. By the time she was halfway across the yard, sweat was trickling down her spine.
She gave Sherlock a few minutes before calling him back. When he didn’t appear, she kept walking. He was probably chasing a rabbit or chewing on a stick. In all the time she’d known him, he never went too far from where either her or Gabe were standing.
After the unbearable heat in the open pasture, it was a relief to step under the shade of the trees. In a lot of ways, Caleb’s property was similar to the land around her cottage. It had the same sense of timeless energy, the same peaceful, pine-scented landscape that she’d longed for when she lived in Europe. But unlike her property, the closest lake to Caleb’s home was a two-hour hike away.
She stood still, listening to the sounds around her. “Sherlock! Come!” She waited a heartbeat before repeating her command. Somewhere ahead of her a branch snapped.
“Sherlock! Come!” Still no answer. Glancing over her shoulder, she peered through the forest. Caleb’s home was hidden behind the trees. If Gabe knew she was here, he wouldn’t be impressed. And he’d be even less impressed with Sherlock. The big German Shepherd enjoyed exploring, but he knew better than to stay away when he was called.
Walking farther into the trees wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she left the house, but leaving Sherlock out here wasn’t going to happen, either. “Sherlock!”
Another rustle of leaves had her heading slightly to the left. Sherlock ran toward her. When he skidded to a stop, his tail was wagging so hard that it was a wonder his bottom didn’t fly off his body.
“Where have you been?”
He tilted his head toward the sky and barked.
“Well, wherever you’ve been we need to go home.”
Instead of following her, Sherlock’s ears pricked up.
“Come, boy.” Natalie patted the side of her leg. It was so unlike Sherlock not to move that she searched the area around them. Something must be worrying him.
She knelt on the ground and looked into Sherlock’s eyes. “Show me.” Gabe used that command when he wanted to know what Sherlock had buried or seen. She didn’t know if it would work, but anything was worth a try.
Sherlock turned around and moved slowly through the trees.
Keeping two steps behind him, Natalie followed, making as little noise as possible. Sherlock stopped when he saw the shelter they’d found the other day.
With her heart racing, Nat
alie crept closer. No one was inside, but a small circle of blackened stones and charred wood was about five feet from the entrance. It wasn’t there the other day. Reaching out, she touched the wood. It was stone cold. Whoever had lit the fire hadn’t been here last night.
Gabe and Caleb would want to know if someone had been close to the house.
Slipping her backpack from her shoulders, she opened a pocket before realizing she’d left the satellite phone on the dining table. She shook her head, annoyed that she hadn’t remembered it.
After studying the trees around her, Natalie took out her cell phone and snapped a picture of the campfire. At least she’d have something to show Gabe when he returned.
“We’d better go home,” she said quietly to Sherlock. “I don’t want to be here if whoever built this comes back.”
Natalie kept close to the trees, taking whatever protection the forest could give them. If Chapman had lit the fire, his arrest this morning meant he wouldn’t be back. At least that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about.
But what if Chapman hadn’t been here? What if everyone had ruled out another person who was the stalker?
Before they’d moved to Caleb’s home, only three people knew they were in Sapphire Bay—her mom, a detective in the NYPD, and Gabe’s literary agent. Since then, that number had grown. All it took was one person to say something they shouldn’t and the whole world would know where they were.
Sherlock froze.
Natalie studied his raised tail and alert ears. “What is it boy?” Crouching low, she peered through the last few feet of forest. From this angle, the only view she had of the house was half-hidden behind the trees.
With Sherlock beside her, she crept forward, carefully making her way toward the edge of the forest.
Her hand tightened on Sherlock’s back. A white SUV had parked in front of the house. A whole lot of possibilities rushed through her mind—and not one of them was good.
She bit her bottom lip and gave Sherlock a quick hug. “It’s time for plan B,” she whispered. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 12
Gabe studied the photo Russell Jameson handed him. He glanced at Caleb before giving him the image. “This was taken three days ago.”
Caleb’s jaw clenched. “He must have been standing in the trees beside the house.”
The photo had been taken on the day they’d hiked to the cave. They were walking across the pasture, each wearing a backpack of supplies.
Russell handed Gabe another photo. “The latest telephoto lens can take images from a quarter mile away. The chance of you seeing Chapman was slim at best.” He looked at Caleb. “Has your security system picked up anything over the last few days?”
Caleb shook his head. “Nothing that concerned me. I’ve got motion detection cameras on the driveway and around the buildings. The property is too big to secure the entire perimeter.”
The alarm on Caleb’s cell phone beeped. He looked at the screen, then at Gabe. “The front door alarm has been activated.”
Gabe’s stomach tightened. “Natalie told us she wouldn’t go outside.”
“It’s probably nothing, but I’ll check the security cameras, anyway.” Caleb opened his laptop.
The first images of the barn and house were clear. “There.” Gabe pointed to Sherlock. He was standing in front of the veranda.
Russell walked around the table and studied the live feed. “He’s waiting for something.”
Gabe’s cell phone beeped. He read the message, then quickly typed a reply. “Natalie’s going outside. She thinks Sherlock wants to go to the bathroom, but he won’t leave without her. I’ve told her to stay inside.”
His heart leaped as he watched what was happening.
Caleb leaned forward. “What’s she doing?”
Gabe grabbed his hat. “She’s going with Sherlock. We have to get back to the house.”
“Wait,” Caleb said. “There’s no point rushing home. Natalie could be back before we start the truck.”
Gabe took a deep breath. Everything inside him was screaming to leave, but Caleb was right. “Okay. She gets five minutes. If she’s not back by then, we leave.”
Russell picked up the phone on his desk. “While we’re waiting, I’ll see if we have any highway patrol units out that way.”
While Russell was on the phone, Gabe silently watched the monitors. After what seemed like an eternity, he picked up his phone. “This is crazy. I’m calling her.”
Caleb looked up from his computer. “Call the satellite phone. She’ll have limited cell phone coverage.”
Gabe paced backward and forward as he listened to the ring tone. “Come on, Natalie,” he muttered. “Answer the phone.”
A cell phone beeped.
Gabe’s gaze shot to Caleb.
“It’s not Natalie.” Caleb rapidly typed something onto his keyboard. “A white SUV has driven through the main gates.” He turned the computer toward Russell. “Here’s the license plate. I don’t recognize the vehicle.”
“Give the troopers my cell phone number,” Gabe said as he opened the office door. “Tell them to call me when they’re close to Caleb’s property.”
Russell was already dialing a number on his phone. “Shall do. Be careful.”
As they tore down the corridor, Gabe tried to think rationally. But a nagging fear deep in his gut made him break into a cold sweat.
He hadn’t listened to that feeling once before, and it had cost Michelle her life.
Gabe ended the call from Russell. “The closest highway patrol vehicle is still ten minutes away from Natalie.”
Caleb glanced across the cab of his truck. “It’s closer than we are.”
All Gabe could do was nod. A lot could go wrong in ten minutes. “The SUV is a rental. A woman from New York City booked it last week.”
“Have they had any luck contacting her?”
“No.”
“Try calling Natalie again,” Caleb urged.
Gabe had already left two messages on the satellite phone. He called the number again, not surprised when it went to voice mail. “She’s still not answering. I’ll try her cell phone.” The chance of the call going through was low but, at this stage, Gabe would try anything. Still no answer.
“She’ll be okay,” Caleb assured him. “Natalie might look like she wouldn’t hurt a fly, but I’ve seen the way she moves during your self-defense classes. She’s fierce.”
Tears stung Gabe’s eyes. She was more than fierce. Natalie was strong, courageous, and one of the best people he’d ever met. She also had a cunning mind and tried to outsmart him whenever they were training. If anything happened to her, he didn’t know what he would do.
He wiped his face and took a deep breath. “I should never have left her alone.”
“She wanted to stay. Besides, the police have arrested Chapman. She’s probably playing with Sherlock. It’s only been…” Caleb glanced at the clock on the dashboard, “…sixteen minutes since she left the house.”
Gabe focused on the towering mountain range in front of them. Natalie wouldn’t do anything stupid. Even with Chapman in police custody, she knew to be careful. But with no neighbors and no gun, she was an easy target for anyone looking for trouble.
The flat pasture either side of the road blurred as they drove quickly toward Caleb’s home.
Gabe rechecked his watch. “The troopers haven’t called.”
“They might not be there yet.”
So much of what was happening reminded Gabe of the night Michelle was killed. He’d had a feeling something wasn’t right on that day, too. After calling her phone so many times, he’d given up and called the station. Then his world had fallen apart, and nothing had been the same again.
A beeping noise filled the heavy silence inside the cab.
Gabe’s heart pounded. “Is it Natalie?”
“It’s the house alarm.” Caleb handed him his phone. “Open the icon with the picture of the siren. What do you see?�
��
“A red flashing dot beside alarm three.”
“It’s the front door sensor. Tap the red dot. If the cell phone coverage is strong, we should be able to see what’s going on.”
The only thing Gabe saw was a black screen. “It’s not working. I’ll call Russell and tell him the sensor was activated.”
After he’d spoken to Russell, Gabe wanted to be sick. “The troopers set off the alarm. No one’s inside the house.”
Caleb’s worried gaze connected with Gabe’s. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Gabe swallowed the bile in his throat. The police were sending more vehicles to Caleb’s house. If Chapman wanted to recreate the worst time in Gabe’s life, he was doing a good job. Four years ago, he was too late to save Michelle’s life. He didn’t want the same thing happening again.
Natalie moved quickly through the forest. Sherlock stayed close, his nose to the ground, sniffing his way toward the cave.
She had no idea who was driving the SUV and wasn’t planning to find out. Gabe had told her the best way to get out of trouble was to leave, so that’s what she was doing. Fast.
Stopping, she glanced at her watch. She’d left the shelter ten minutes ago, but she still hadn’t found the path Caleb had shown them. Taking, a deep breath, Natalie searched the rocky bank above her. The cave wasn’t far away, but she needed to start climbing.
Sherlock sat beside her, patiently waiting for what she would do next.
“We’re going up,” she whispered. “Help me find the cave.”
Sherlock’s ears twitched. As soon as she moved, he scrambled to his feet and stuck like glue to her legs.
Natalie peered over her shoulder, hoping the person in the SUV hadn’t come into the forest. The trees surrounding Caleb’s home were thick enough to camouflage most things, but her bright red T-shirt would have stuck out like a bullseye. There wasn’t a lot she could do about it. She didn’t have another shirt and the foil survival blanket in her backpack would be just as easy to see.
As she pushed through the undergrowth, she found a path that might get them higher. It wasn’t as broad or as flat as the one Caleb had discovered, but it would have to do.
Falling For You (Sapphire Bay Book 1) Page 14
