He carried his guilt like a heavy burden no one else could manage and yet it still didn’t make it go away.
If Rory wasn’t shaken enough to pack up and run, then he’d force his hand. And if Rory was too stubborn, then Ford would make sure his sister backed off. He didn’t want to hurt Gale. But if it came down to her life or his secret...
He clenched his jaw with the cold realization sliding into place.
Some sacrifices had to be made. Them or him.
It wouldn’t be him.
24
DEEP FEELINGS
“Idon’t like this,” Ford said. “That’s three threats in less than a week.”
“More if you count all the people telling us to leave,” Rory said drily.
“That’s people talking,” Ford said. “Nothing major there around here. Or nothing more than the norm for busybodies other than your conversation with Austin. I’m still looking into things there.”
“I’m not sure what the big deal was destroying my notes. I’ve got it all on my computer and that was locked in my car. Nothing else seemed to be touched that I can see. Then again, it’s not as if I was thinking someone would go through the little I brought. Maybe I should have set more traps in the house rather than the front door.”
“Now you’ll know,” Ford said. “Better to be cautious and I hate to even say that.”
“If they could have gotten your laptop, they might have,” Gale said. “Let’s think about this. That was twice now it happened on a weekend or at night, so this personhasto work during the day.”
“Or they are watching to make sure I’m gone or sleeping,” he said. “I’m not ruling anything out.”
“Good point.” She scratched her head, not sure why she didn’t think of that.
Because this wasn’t just a case that she might be working on.
This was something happening to a person she was developing deep feelings for.
Feelings that she didn’t want Rory or her brother to know existed.
“Nothing else was taken?” Ford asked.
“Not that I can tell. I haven’t touched anything but this not being my house I’m not positive what is here or not.”
“Do you want this on record?” Ford asked him.
She looked at Rory to see his response.
“I’m trying to decide that. If nothing was taken, it doesn’t seem as if there is much to report other than a break-in. I could call the landlords and see if they came in or let someone in. If I didn’t see the scratches on the lock or my trap moved, I wouldn’t have realized it right away. Someone else might just have thought those were key marks left behind.”
“Smart to be aware.”
“I’m going to assume this is the same person who left the other notes though you didn’t get any prints off of them.”
Clay got the results back three days ago. She didn’t think there would be anything to trace back, but who the hell knew?
“Seems it,” Rory said, moving closer and looking at the note on the table. “Same writing that I can tell. But this time I’m betting they used my pen.”
“Red Sharpie for the last one,” Ford said. “That’s what Clay said. We’ll get this bagged and sent with the others to compare. No way we can send all this mess off with it to look for prints. But you might be right with the pen. As if whoever this was wasn’t prepared.”
“I don’t want to make assumptions,” he said. “They aren’t going to be that stupid. You can check the door handle, but my guess is you’ll only find mine or Gale’s on it.”
“To do that, I’ve got to put this on record or call Clay. Decide,” Ford said.
