“Yeah. But there’s more.”
She told him about her interaction with the stranger a few weeks ago, and then about a guy she believed was the same one she met, giving Alyvia the other envelope with the paper with the three names on it.
“I’ve tried to cross-reference the names to the operation, but I couldn’t find anything.”
“What did he look like?” Pierce asked, his voice low, focused.
“Older. Probably late fifties. Shaggy Beard, Slim. Skittish. Like he was always watching his back. He was wearing a hat when I talked with him, and he had one on when he gave Alyvia the envelope.”
“Is that all?” he asked.
She glanced down before looking at him again. She sighed. “No. There have been a few occasions where I’ve felt like I was being watched. It happened a few times when I was leaving the office, and once at my apartment, the day I moved in. But I didn’t see anyone. I tried to tell myself that it is probably nothing.”
She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until Pierce’s voice cut through the silence again.
“Charley, that sounds serious. Have you told anyone about this?”
“No. At first, it just felt so random. I didn’t want to overreact, and it turned out to be nothing but me being paranoid. But after getting that last note, I was planning on calling Alex tomorrow to talk to her about it.”
“Did the guy seem threatening in any way?” Pierce asked, looking a bit concerned.
Charley shook her head. “No. I never felt threatened by him. In fact, I wanted to help him. Heck, I still do. But he hasn’t shown himself.”
They pulled into Ray and Jessica’s driveway, and Pierce killed the engine. He turned toward Charley, and she could see his jaw was clenched.
“That feeling,” Pierce said suddenly. “Back at your place. I had it too. When we were walking to the Jeep.”
Charley blinked, surprised. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to spook you.”
“Did you see anything?” she asked, not sure if she wanted him to say yes or no.
He shook his head. “No. But that doesn’t mean anything. I learned a long time ago to trust my gut. If you don’t mind, I’d like to see those papers. I can ask around.”
Charley nodded, grateful. “Yeah. Of course.”
“But not tonight,” he added, giving her a small smile. “Tonight is about tamales and good company. We’ll deal with the rest after.”
She felt the knot in her chest ease a little more as he hopped out, came around to her side, and opened the door, offering a hand to help her down. She took it, her skin buzzing from the warmth of his touch.
She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Thank you.”
He winked as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I got your back.”
As they walked up the path, he rested his hand gently against the small of her back. She liked the way it felt. His touch seemed to ground her and made her feel protected.
And while the questions still lingered in the back of her mind, Pierce was right; tonight was about spending time with friends, good food, and getting to know the man beside her just a little bit better.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“I’m serious,” Charley said, laughing as she pushed her plate away. “Those were the best tamales I’ve ever had.”
Jessica grinned proudly as she reached for another napkin. “It’s Ray’s mom’s recipe. She’s the one who taught me everything I know in the kitchen. Before her, I swear I used to burn water.”
“She’s not lying,” Ray piped in, playfully winking at his wife.
“The first time I met his mom, I wanted to cook for her,” Jessica said, then looked at Ray. “Do you remember that?”
