Chapter 33

RILEY

I turned to the next page in Eric's book. Thrillers weren't usually my thing. I preferred happy endings, not murders, unsolved crimes, or dark alleys. But Eric's books were different. There was no happy ending in sight, but the characters felt real, the plots were intriguing, and I couldn't put them down. No wonder his books were bestsellers. If he could hook me, he must be an incredible writer.

Rubbing my eyes, I kept reading. After everything that had happened, I was even more determined to finish the book. Maybe it would help the police catch Eric's stalker.

The outside security lights flicked on. I kept reading. It was probably an animal scurrying across the backyard.

Tap, tap, tap.

My heart leaped into my throat. I took a deep breath and glanced at the curtains covering the living room windows. Either the local raccoon population was active, or someone was outside the cottage.

Tap, tap, tap.

I picked up my cell phone to call Eric, then hesitated. This was silly. I was a grown man. A little late-night noise shouldn't spook me. It could be any sort of animal. Still, I tiptoed across the room and grabbed the poker from beside the fireplace.

When I was a teenager, a bear lumbered onto our veranda. Mom joked about it visiting Goldilocks, but it terrified me.

The thin, metal poker wouldn't fend off a bear, but it made me feel better. What would help was the can of bear spray on the shelf by the front door. I gripped it tightly, praying whatever was outside had gone away.

With trembling hands, I used the end of the poker to flick back the curtain. A blue plaid shirt appeared out of nowhere.

I dropped the bear spray and opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

Eric held his finger to his lips. "Shh. I didn't want to wake your mom."

"You scared the living daylights out of me," I whispered. "Why didn't you knock on the door like a normal person?"

Eric's eyebrows rose. "The lights were on. Tapping on the glass made less noise."

I stepped onto the veranda, closing the door behind me. "We can't whisper out here all night. What's happened?"

"Jenny 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."

My jaw dropped. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she 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." Eric took a deep breath. "We need to figure out what to do next."

"What do you mean?"

"Alex is 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." I rushed inside and left a note on the dining room table. When I met Eric on the veranda, I was ready.

We quietly made our way around the cottage. Beyond the glow from the security lights, the forest was a mass of dark shadows. After reading Eric's books, I could easily imagine a serial killer hiding behind the bushes, ready to pounce.

"This is kind of freaky," I whispered. "I've never felt unsafe at the cottage, but I'm beginning to see the benefit of living in town."

Eric 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 my eyes like the first time I was here.

Eric pointed to the sofa. "Have a seat. Alex will be here soon."

"What did you mean when you said we have to figure out what we're doing next?"

"If a reporter shows up, I don't want them to know I'm living next door to you. If the stalker doesn't realize I'm in Sunrise Bay, he will once your story hits the news. It'll put you in too much danger."

I chose my words carefully. "You might be overreacting."

"I'd sooner be prepared than leave anything to chance." The headlights of a big truck swung across the living room walls. "That'll be Alex." Eric strode across the room and opened the door.

If someone had told me six months ago that I'd be talking to a New York Times bestselling author in my grandparents' cottage, I would have laughed. But there was nothing funny about our predicament. I'd thought coming to Sunrise Bay would solve a lot of my problems, but it had created a whole lot more.