Chapter 52

ERIC

I held Riley's hand as we walked along the rocky shore of the lake. I took a deep breath, wondering what Sunrise Bay would look like as summer turned to fall, then winter and spring.

"It's so peaceful," Riley said, bending down to pick up a pale blue stone.

"Is that another one for your collection?"

Riley smiled, a soft, radiant smile that lit up his eyes. "The jar of stones is half full now. Mom will love them. They'll remind her of the lake."

"Do you think she'll move back here?"

"Maybe. She has a lot of friends in this area of Colorado."

Sherlock ran ahead of us, zigzagging through the water like a mini torpedo. His joy was infectious, and I found myself smiling despite the unease gnawing at me.

Even though Chapman was behind bars, I couldn't shake the feeling we'd missed something. Finding my stalker after a traffic violation seemed too easy. Chapman was careful about not leaving any evidence. It felt anticlimactic to know he wouldn't be harassing me again.

I glanced at Riley, remembering the first time we met. Never in a million years would I have imagined we'd be here, enjoying a new life together.

"Have you looked at the spreadsheet we made about Chapman?" I asked him.

Riley shook his head. "Not recently. Why?"

"I'm worried we've overlooked something."

"Chapman confessed to stalking you."

"But he said he knew nothing about the warehouse. Whoever recreated the scene in my book took a long time to set everything in place. If Chapman didn't do it, then who did?"

"His fingerprints were there."

"So were a lot of others." I stepped over a fallen branch. "Maybe I'm overthinking everything."

Riley stopped walking and looked at me with eyes that saw straight through me. "We could study the timeline again. And if you're still worried about Chapman, call your friend in the NYPD. He might have uncovered more information about Chapman or the warehouse."

"You don't think I'm wasting everyone's time?"

"You were a detective in the NYPD. Trusting your instincts is as important to you as breathing. After being stalked for more than six months, no one will worry about reviewing the evidence."

I swallowed the knot of emotion in my throat. Riley always had my back, always had my best interests at heart. Renting his grandparents' cottage was the best thing I'd ever done.

My cell phone rang. It was Detective Jameson from the Broomfield Police Department. "Hi, Russell. I was just talking about Chapman."

"So was I. It seems Leith Chapman isn't the only person of interest in your case. The NYPD traced the IP address of the emails that were sent to your agent. They didn't come from Chapman's computer."

"Where did they come from?"

"An Internet café in Queens."

I frowned. "As in New York City?"

"That's right. The store's surveillance camera doesn't show him there at the time they were sent. Can you come to the police station this afternoon? If you can identify any of the people in the video, it'll make our jobs a lot easier."

I checked the time. "I can be there in about forty minutes."

"Great. I'll see you when you arrive."

I ended the call and turned to Riley. "Russell wants me to drive to Broomfield. He has some video from a security camera he wants me to look at. Do you want to come?"

Riley shook his head. "I have to work on my second painting."

"Are you sure? I could be gone for a couple of hours."

"I can get a lot of painting done in that time." Riley leaned forward and kissed me. "You'll be okay."

I wrapped my arms around Riley's waist, holding him close. "It's not me I'm worried about."

"You'll have to get used to leaving me on my own sooner or later."

"I'm voting for the latter option."

Riley smiled. "What if I make a cheesecake for dessert? Would that make you feel happier about leaving me at the cottage?"

I looked into Riley's eyes, trying to imprint the moment in my memory. "Do you promise not to go anywhere without calling me first?"

"I promise."

"If I'm going to be longer than two hours, I'll call you."

"Okay." Riley ran his hands down the front of my shirt.

"I'm serious," I growled, needing him to understand how much he meant to me.

"I know you are. That's why I love you. Go to your meeting with Detective Jameson. I'll be here when you get back." Riley held onto my hand and pulled me toward the cottage.

I whistled to Sherlock, and the big German Shepherd sprinted toward me. "Stay with Riley."

Sherlock's head tilted sideways. His front paw patted the ground, and he gave an excited bark.

"It's all right," Riley said with a smile. "Let him go with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. He'll enjoy the ride in your truck."

I looked down at my dog. "It's your lucky day. You're coming with me."

Sherlock barked again, grinning as if he'd just been given a big, juicy bone.

I wished I could get as excited about the trip to Broomfield. Whoever sent the emails must be working with Chapman. And as long as they stayed in New York City, everyone would sleep easy tonight.