He held his hand up. “I need to make a call.”
With the look he gave her, it finally registered. He was in protection mode and wanted to check things outside. Maybe he’d heard a noise.
“Oh. Okay.” She rubbed her lips together. “I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting.”
And she hoped thathedidn’t find anything interesting. The last thing she wanted to do was bring danger to Becky’s parents. They’d certainly been through enough, losing their daughter.
In three years, Jo had lost too much.
28
Cole’s reasons for going outside were twofold. His heart broke when he’d watched Jo learn the truth about her friend. He should have looked Becky up ahead of time to protect Jo—emotionally, that is. So they could have been prepared for this. The other reason was that he wanted to reassure himself they hadn’t been followed.
If Merrick had somehow figured out where they were going, they were in a position to get ambushed again. They’d been here with Mrs. Stobbe longer than planned. He was a fan of sticking to the schedule. But he couldn’t have known that Becky Stobbe had passed away. He wasn’t sure how that information had been lost on Jo as well, but maybe it had to do with the fact that she’d worked at the lodge for so long. Cedar Trails was a place where there was no internet or cell service. People quickly lost their need to constantly look up information on everything and everyone.
He pushed aside the morbid thoughts and focused on checking the perimeter of the house. Nothing in the quiet neighborhood appeared suspicious. He pulled his jacket tighter when snow started falling. Honestly, he’d expectedthe ground to be covered in the white stuff when they arrived.
Cole made his way around the back of the house that had a good forty feet between the neighboring houses, which was more distance than usual. A tall wood fence defined the backyard and separated the neighbors’ yards. He found his way into the fenced-in area and held his cell to his ear so Mrs. Stobbe wouldn’t become suspicious that he was scoping out her place. Of course, he could always just explain that he was Jo’s protection, but neither of them wanted to leave Mrs. Stobbe disturbed or afraid.
Still, Jo’s murderous pursuer didn’t seem to have any qualms about taking down someone who was a witness to his crimes or who stood in the way. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at Cole, but he remained on guard. Stepping back into the house, he caught Jo coming down the stairs with a box.
Mrs. Stobbe emerged from the kitchen.
Jo shook her head. “I only found one box. I thought she’d taken several.”
“Oh dear. I’m sorry. Was there something specific you were looking for? This has to be so hard on you.” Mrs. Stobbe lowered her voice. “Is it ... safe now? I assume that you’re back and whatever danger you were in is gone.”
Cole cleared his throat. Now would be a good time to open that door.
Jo glanced between him and Mrs. Stobbe. “Well, not exactly. Cole is my protection.”
“You mean like a bodyguard?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Jo said.
Mrs. Stobbe appeared disturbed at the news and pursed her lips. She could be considering her own safety.
“We should get going,” he said. “We’ll take the box with us, if you don’t mind.”
Nodding her agreement, Jo handed him the box, he presumed so she could hug Mrs. Stobbe, and he took it.
Mrs. Stobbe wrapped her arms around Jo. “You come back to see me when you can. Promise?”
“I promise.” Jo stepped out of her arms and offered a sad smile.
A fist gripped Cole’s heart and squeezed.
“Please take care of yourself,” Jo said.
“Mrs. Stobbe, please contact either me or Jo if anyone else comes by to talk about Jo or Becky.” Cole handed her his business card.
She pressed her hand against her cheek. “Am I in danger?”
“I don’t believe you are,” he said, “but it doesn’t hurt to remain cautious.”
“I understand.” Mrs. Stobbe walked with them to the door. “Be safe, Jo. I’ll be praying for you.”
Jo was breathing hard by the time they were back in the rental vehicle, and this time Cole drove. He entered the address for the Lansing Police Department so the map system could direct them.
