Chapter 9
Natalie turned to the next page in Gabe’s book. Pulling her notebook closer, she wrote a comment on the sheet of paper. She had to admit that reading thrillers wasn’t her idea of fun. She liked happy endings, not murders, unsolved crimes, or an abundance of dark alleys.
But Gabe’s books were different from what she’d expected. There was no happy ending in sight, but the characters were believable, the plot was intriguing, and she wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. No wonder his books had become bestsellers. If she could be hooked, then he must be a great writer.
She rubbed her eyes and kept reading. After what had happened she was even more determined to finish the book. Especially if it helped the police locate Gabe’s stalker.
The outside security lights flicked on. She kept reading. An animal was probably scurrying across the backyard.
Tap, tap, tap.
Her heart leaped in her chest. She took a deep breath, then looked at the curtains covering the living room windows. Either the local raccoon population was on the move or someone was standing outside the cottage.
Tap, tap, tap.
She picked up her cell phone to call Gabe, then frowned. This was silly. She was a grown woman. A little late-night noise on the window shouldn’t spook her. If it weren’t a raccoon, it could be some other sort of animal.
As she tiptoed across the room, she picked up the poker from beside the fireplace. When she was a teenager, a bear had lumbered out of the woods and onto their veranda. Her mom had joked about it coming to visit Goldilocks, but Natalie had been terrified. The thin, metal poker wouldn’t keep a bear away, but it made her feel better.
What would help was the can of bear spray sitting on the shelf beside the front door. She held it tight, hoping that whatever was outside had gone away.
With trembling hands, she used the end of the poker to flick back the edge of the curtain. A blue plaid shirt appeared out of nowhere.
She dropped the bear spray onto the shelf and opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
Gabe held his finger to his lips. “Ssh. I didn’t want to wake your mom.”
“You scared the living daylights out of me,” Natalie whispered. “Why didn’t you knock on the door like a normal person?”
Gabe’s eyebrows rose. “The lights were on. Tapping on the glass created less noise.”
Natalie stepped onto the veranda, closing the door behind her. “We can’t whisper out here all night. What’s happened?”
“Mabel posted a story on the community Facebook page about the burglary. Everyone knows who you are and what you’re doing here. The media won’t be far away.”
Natalie’s jaw dropped open. “Why would she do something like that?”
“Because she’s likes sticking her nose into other people’s business. Someone needs to have a word with her—she shouldn’t be posting things about other people on Facebook.” Gabe took a deep breath. “We need to work out what we’re doing next.”
“What do you mean?”
“Caleb’s on his way over. Come to my place. I’ll explain there.”
“I need to leave mom a note. If she wakes up, she’ll wonder where I’ve gone.” Natalie rushed inside. After she’d left a note on the dining room table, she met Gabe on the veranda. “I’m ready.”
They quietly made their way around the cottage. Beyond the glow from the security lights, the forest was a mass of dark shadows. After reading Gabe’s books, Natalie could easily imagine a serial killer hiding behind the bushes, ready to pounce.
“This is kind of freaky,” she whispered. “I’ve never felt unsafe at the cottage, but I’m beginning to see the benefit of living in town.”
Gabe unlocked his front door. “You’re not the only one.”
Stepping into the living room still felt a little strange, but it didn’t bring tears to her eyes like the first time she’d been here.
Gabe pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat. Caleb will be here soon.”
“What did you mean when you said we have to work out what we’re doing next?”
“If a reporter arrives, I don’t want them to know I’m living next door to you. If the stalker doesn’t realize I’m in Sapphire Bay, he will after your story hits the news.”
