“Do the police think they belong to the person who staged the murder scene?”
“They’re keeping an open mind. The building was abandoned and squatters have been using most of the rooms. The police have to be careful not to arrest the wrong person.”
Natalie wouldn’t have been so forgiving. “Someone has been harassing you for five months. There must be more evidence than a couple of fingerprints.”
“If there is, no one has said anything to me. He could have done this before.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘he’? Could the stalker be a woman?”
Gabe sat on the veranda. “In theory, yes. But statistically, there’s more chance the stalker is a man.”
Natalie wiped her face on the towel and carefully sat beside him. “We should add that to the spreadsheet,” she groaned.
After a few changes, Caleb had created a document they could use to compare what had happened in Gabe’s book with the stalker’s activities. They’d just started adding data but, so far, they’d come up with some disturbing similarities.
She wasn’t sure how Gabe was going to react to her next piece of news. “Mom’s coming to see me this weekend. I told her she can’t tell anyone about your real identity, but not why.”
Gabe dropped his head to his chest.
“I know it isn’t the best timing, but mom’s discreet.”
“I’m more worried about her safety.”
“I’ll be with her the whole time. Besides, I’m used to disappearing into crowds.”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “There aren’t many crowds in Sapphire Bay.”
“I’m meeting her in Polson. The Cherry Festival is a huge annual event. There’ll be so many people that no one will know who we are.”
“I’ll ask Caleb for the name of the security company he told us about. You should have at least one bodyguard with you.”
Natalie smiled. “Mom and I aren’t immune to the charms of big, muscly men, but we can manage on our own.”
Gabe didn’t return her smile. “It’s too dangerous.”
“If anything makes us feel uncomfortable, we’ll come home right away.”
“We’ll see.”
“Don’t get a bodyguard.”
“I bought some chicken at the general store yesterday. Do you want to have lunch with me?”
Natalie studied his face. “No bodyguard, Gabe.”
His jaw clenched tight.
“I mean it.”
“So do I.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “If you won’t let me hire a bodyguard, you’ll have to take the next best thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Me.”
“You?”
“You’re not the only person who can disappear into a crowd. And most importantly, I’ve got a Concealed Weapons Permit.”
