Chapter 22

RILEY

I placed a brown cardboard box on the outdoor table. "You aren't the only ones who did a little snooping. These arrived a few days ago." I took out four copies of each of Eric's books from the box. "I bought one copy for me, one for Mom, and the other two for friends."

I handed Alex and Eric a copy of each book. "I was hoping Eric would sign them, but this is more important. We can use them to work out what your stalker might do next."

Alex looked at the cover of Taken, then stared at Eric. "You wrote this?"

Eric nodded. "My last name isn't Langley. It's Lanigan."

"This book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks. I read it in one night and bought the second book the next day."

"Don't give anything away," I said quickly. "I'm only up to chapter five."

"You'll know a lot more about Aaron Connelly in the next few days," Alex's face lit up with excitement. "Wait until you get to the end. You won't believe what happens."

I picked up my copy and held it close to my chest. "Don't say another word. I'll read it tonight."

Eric looked at me, then at Alex. "You know this isn't a game, don't you? The stalker isn't a fictional character I created to make my life interesting. He's a real, live human with serious mental health issues."

The excitement on Alex's face disappeared. "We know. That's why we want to help." He pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket. "And to start the ball rolling, I'll design a template we can use for our timeline. I should be able to come up with a simple algorithm that compares your stories with what's happened in real life."

I watched Alex write something in the notebook. "Do you always carry a pen and paper with you?"

"I never know when inspiration will hit. Computer code waits for no man."

I didn't know if that was a techie joke or if he was being serious. When he didn't smile, I assumed he was serious.

Alex clicked the button on the top of his pen a few times. "We'll need columns for what happened, where it happened, when it took place, and who was involved."

Eric wiped his fingers on a paper napkin. "I have a lot of that information already. I'll go inside and get it."

While he was gone, I scratched Sherlock's head. It amazed me how quickly we'd moved from talking about our dinner to designing a template that could predict the stalker's next move.

Alex watched me. "Are you worried about what could happen if the stalker comes here?"

I shook my head. "I'm hoping the police catch him before that happens. It's just as well Eric has Sherlock. This big guy won't let anything happen to him."

Sherlock licked my hand.

"Are you enjoying living here?" Alex asked.

"It's different from what I thought it would be like. Nine years ago, there were a lot fewer tourists visiting Sunrise Bay. I could walk to town and only see a couple of vehicles on the road. I went into town yesterday and there was a traffic jam on Main Street."

"It doesn't take long for people to discover how special a place is."

"How did you hear about Sunrise Bay?"

Alex smiled. "A friend used to come here to fish. After hearing about how great Willow Lake was, I decided to see it for myself. I ended up living here for a year before I started a new job in Washington, D.C. When my contract ended, I came back and opened my own consultancy company."

"You're not being stalked as well, are you?"

Alex shook his head. "Not at the moment."

Sherlock's head swiveled toward the front door.

Eric held a folder in his hand. "I didn't photocopy the entire file, but if there's anything else you want, let me know." He handed Alex and me a copy of the paperwork. "This is what the police came up with."

I let my gaze slide down the first sheet of paper. "You weren't kidding when you said the stalker has been harassing you. This is crazy." Line after line detailed each incident. It was a wonder Eric hadn't come here a lot sooner than he did.

Alex folded his copy of the report in half and placed it under his notebook. "I'll work on it tonight. But for now, we have some delicious grilled food to enjoy and a story to dissect."

I opened my copy of Taken. I had a feeling it would be a long night.