Natalie sighed. “I thought my life was complicated. Can I do anything to help?”
Gabe shook his head. “Just be careful. I don’t know what the stalker knows about my life but, if he finds me here, you may not be safe.”
“I can’t believe anyone would get so involved in a story.”
“It happens more than you think,” Gabe said. “I worked on a lot of cases that involved copycat murders while I was a detective.”
Caleb studied the camera that was mounted under the veranda’s roof. “Is that why you installed a security system?”
“Partly,” Natalie replied. “Sapphire Bay isn’t the sleepy little town I remembered. It’s changed. Without the extra security, the cottage was too vulnerable.”
Gabe checked the meat. “The sausages and steaks are almost cooked. Is everyone ready for dinner?”
Natalie searched Gabe’s face. “I don’t know how you stay so positive. If someone were looking for me, I’d be stressed beyond belief.”
“It’s been going on for a while.” Gabe used a fork to move the meat onto a plate. “I thought the police would have found the stalker by now.”
“Maybe that’s where we can help,” Natalie said.
Gabe slid the plate of meat onto the table. “What do you mean?”
“You told me that Caleb works with computers. The three of us have different careers, but we have two important things in common. We’re creative and we think logically.” Natalie looked at Caleb. “What do you do when you can’t find an answer to a problem?”
“I make lists and brainstorm.” Caleb snapped his fingers. “We need a timeline. We can compare what he’s doing now with what happened during the first couple of months.”
Gabe frowned. “The police have already done that. I’ll send you a copy.”
Natalie took the plastic wrap off the salad. “Have they linked what’s happened in real life with your books?”
“I don’t think so.”
“We could do that. If the stalker is following what happens in your stories, we might be able to anticipate his next move.”
Gabe ran his hand around the back of his neck. “Are you sure you want to get involved? I told you about the stalker because I want you to be careful.”
Caleb stuck his hands on his hips. “It doesn’t matter whether you want us to get involved or not. The reality is that we’re already involved. If the police haven’t found the stalker by now, something’s not right.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to create a new timeline,” Natalie added. “If we find any similarities we could share the information with the police.”
“Are you sure you’ve got the time? We’re all working with tight time frames.”
Caleb looked at Natalie. “I can volunteer a few hours of coding time.”
“I can’t code anything,” Natalie replied. “But I’m a quick reader. I could start listing all the things that happen in the books.”
Gabe sighed. “I wish I’d brought some paperback copies with me.”
“We could download the novels,” Caleb suggested. “Ebooks are just as good as paperbacks.”
Natalie jumped to her feet. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t eat all the sausages.”
