Chapter 5

ERIC

Later that night, I handed my friend Alex a cup of coffee. "Did you get the sound system installed?"

"I did. As long as it works tomorrow, I'll be happy."

Alex ran an IT consultancy business from Sunrise Bay. We met not long after I moved here and became good friends. He was a bit vague about what he did, but that was nothing new. Secrets were a big part of my life at the moment, too. He would tell me what he was doing when he was ready.

"Knowing you, the sound system will work perfectly," I told him. "If you hadn't mentioned to Jenny that you used to work in a theater company, you wouldn't have been roped into helping."

"I didn't think she'd remember," Alex grumbled. "Are you coming to the concert?"

I shook my head. "I need to get some writing done."

"How will you find inspiration if you lock yourself away? You only leave the cottage when I drag you into town."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Alex smiled. "Nothing, but tickets are selling fast. I have it on good authority that no one should miss a Tim Evans concert."

"Did those words of wisdom come from Jenny?"

"How did you guess?"

I snorted. "It wasn't hard."

"It's for a good cause. The local search and rescue team needs all the help they can get."

"I'll think about it."

"Good. I'll pick you up at six o'clock. And don't worry about tickets—I've already bought two."

"You're a bad influence on me. At the rate I'm going, it'll be Christmas before my book's finished."

"What did you do about the dead body?"

I grinned. "It washed ashore at Slaughter Beach and then someone stole it from the morgue. The killer buried the body in Aaron Connelly's orchard."

"Nice."

A year ago, my first book in the Aaron Connelly series hit the bookshelves. The thriller became an overnight success, propelling me into the limelight and making more money than I'd ever earned with the police. Nine months later, book two was published. Sales of both novels skyrocketed, making me one of the most sought-after authors in America. But along with the fame came a lot of unwanted attention. Attention that had brought me to Sunrise Bay.

"If you don't want to go to the concert, it's no problem," Alex said, noticing my distracted look.

"The concert's fine. You're right. I need to get out more."

"Since we're talking about your social life, what happened to the man I saw in the general store?"

"His name's Riley Murphy. He's my new neighbor."

"Lucky you."

I didn't think I was lucky. I came to Sunrise Bay to get away from everyone, but it wasn't working out that way. "I'll be too busy writing to enjoy anyone's company."

Alex groaned. "I almost feel sorry for him. Has he met Sherlock?"

The dog in question was lying at my feet, softly snoring.

"He let him pet him."

"There you go. Sherlock's a good judge of character. If he passed his personality test, you're safe."

My eyebrows rose. "He did the same thing with you and I'm still worried."

"Very funny. Why is Riley here? Sunrise Bay isn't one of Trip Advisor's top ten towns to visit."

"I don't know why he came here."

"How long is he staying?"

"Three months, maybe less."

"Do you know anything else about him?"

I smiled at the interest on Alex's face. "He was living in Italy. You can always stop by and meet him."

"It's quicker to ask you for information. Why would anyone move here after living in Europe?"

"Probably for the same reason we're here."

"I doubt it," Alex muttered.

I frowned. "You're not on the run from the mob, are you?"

"You've been writing too many thrillers. Not everyone has a dark side."

"Only people who have something to hide don't answer direct questions."

Alex picked up his coffee mug and took it across to the kitchen sink. "My life isn't as interesting as yours. I bury myself in computer networks and program code. Until I met you, visiting the general store was about as exciting as my life got." His mouth dropped open. "Jenny has rubbed off on me. I'm turning into the town busybody."

I laughed. "You have a long way to go before that happens. And for what it's worth, your social life's ten times more exciting than mine."

"Except for tomorrow night. I'll see you at six."

I followed Alex to his truck. "Do you want to come here for dinner before the concert?"

"It'll have to be another night. I need to do a final sound check before the band arrives. Jenny's paranoid about something going wrong."

"I don't blame her. How many people will be at the concert?"

"About three thousand."

I glanced at the light coming from Riley's side of the cottage. No wonder all the accommodation was booked. Sunrise Bay had a population of about eight hundred people. If Riley hadn't moved into the cottage, he wouldn't be the only person sleeping in a vehicle.

Alex slid into his truck and rolled down the window. "I'll see you tomorrow night. And even if it kills you, try to be nice to your neighbor."

As Alex drove away, my phone beeped. I read the text and cold dread crept along my spine. My publisher had received another letter from my stalker, and the message was getting worse.