Seconds later, I park in the driveway. Already, my jaw is so tight I could punch someone.
Melody simply leans against the window and stares at the front of her cottage. Vandals have definitely been here. Fuckers. Someone probably cut the power lines so they could chase her out of her house to give them time to vandalize her property. Thugs.
“Lock the doors and stay in the truck, baby.”
She nods. I’m glad she’s not arguing with me, but I hate that she’s so withdrawn. Pisses me right the fuck off. I’d rather she be shouting obscenities. I expect her to be cussing. I don’t know what to do with this resigned stoic side of her.
I meet the sheriff on her patio. “Motherfucker,” he mutters.
“She thinks someone’s been watching her,” I tell him. “She was hoping she was just being paranoid.”
Johnston points at the Ring camera. “I’ll bet the first thing they did was spray paint the camera lens.”
He’s right.
“Colorful vandal,” he comments. “Both in his selection of colors and his vocabulary.”
In red on the front door is the word WHORE. In blue across the windows to the right is the word SLUT. In green on the siding is the word HEATHEN. What a fucking dick.
The sheriff tries the door. It’s locked. It hasn’t been kicked in. That’s when I notice a brown-wrapped package leaning against the house as if it were delivered today. I bend down to pick it up. It’s small. There’s no address or postage that I can see on it. Not on this side anyway.
The sheriff grabs my arm. “Don’t touch it.”
“Right.” What the fuck was I thinking? I know exactly what it is, and I don’t want the sheriff to open it. “Can you possibly dust it for prints and not open it?”
He glances at me, brows furrowed. “Why would I do that? Whatever it is could be dangerous. It might have been meant to harm her.”
“It is meant to harm her. But it’s not dangerous. It’s a book.”
His brows lift. “Ah, right. Fuck me. Someone has discovered her.”
I nod. “That’s my thinking. It’s going to be one of her books. To let her know someone knows who she is.”
“I’ll do some testing through the package to verify it’s a book, but I won’t open it. You have my word.”
“Thank you. It would mean a lot to Melody and me.”
Dallas and Tiago arrive and park behind the sheriff in front of the house.
“Fuck,” Dallas growls as they approach.
They both shake Johnston’s hand.
“Any idea who did this?” Tiago asks.
“Not yet,” Johnston says. “But it’s a small town. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Dallas winces as he points to the package. “This isn’t random.” My brother is a smart guy. He caught on quickly just like I did.
“No.” I sigh and pull Melody’s keys out of my pocket. “I’ll unlock the door, and then I’ll go talk to Melody while you clear the house.”
Johnston nods in agreement.
Luckily when I open the door, I don’t see a shred of evidence that anyone’s been inside, but I’m not taking any chances. I’ll let the sheriff ensure it’s safe before I bring Melody inside.
Dallas and Tiago pat my back as I go by them. Now I have to tell my girl someone has discovered her.
When I open the truck door, Melody is rubbing her temples. I crowd in close to her and cup her face. “It’s going to be okay.”
