Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

A s soon as Bailey spotted the glowing red light along the tree line, she tried to casually close the blinds in her bedroom window, and then she quickly called Nate. If someone was watching the house—watching her—she didn't want to tip them off to the fact that she'd noticed them.

A tap on her door made her jump. She strode across the room and opened it, allowing Nate inside. Minnie trotted through the doorway after him.

Nate scanned her from head to toe. "You okay?"

"Yeah. But if someone's out there watching the house, how long have they been there? And what are they waiting for?" She shivered, thankful she hadn't yet changed out of her warm clothes from earlier.

"Turn off the lights. That way, they won't be able to see us. Then come to the window and try to show me what you saw."

Nate waited for her by the window, then slowly lifted the blinds away from the wall on one side.

Bailey stepped up beside him and pointed. "It was down there, by the tire swing. A red light that seemed to glow and fade."

She remembered the day Joe hung up that swing. The boys played on it regularly. The thought that someone might be lurking nearby made her feel sick.

They stood in silence for a while, but the red light never did reappear. She sagged against the wall and used a thumb to rub circles against her temple. "I promise I saw something, Nate."

He let the blinds rest against the window and turned to face her. "I believe you. Most likely, whoever it was saw you looking out the window and was afraid they'd been spotted. Probably long gone by now. I'll take Minnie and check it out."

Her eyes widened. "But what if they didn't leave? What if they're still out there and see you coming?"

He led the way downstairs to the kitchen and paused at the back door. "We've got more rain in the forecast. If we wait until morning, we might lose any evidence that could be out there." He pulled his phone out and then withdrew an AirPod from his pocket. "I want you to lock this door behind me and then go back upstairs. I'm going to call you and stay on the line. Let me know if you see any movement."

"That's a good idea." When he called her number, she answered and pressed the phone to her ear with a nod. Now that he had it connected to his AirPod, he slid his phone back into his pocket, leaving both hands free. He held Minnie's leash in one along with a small flashlight and gripped his gun in the other.

For the second time since he'd come to the house, she shut and locked the door behind him. "I'm going back upstairs now. "

"Good. Let me know when you're at the window."

She took the stairs two at a time and re-entered her room, careful to keep the light off so she could see outside. "I'm here."

"Tell me if you see any movement at all."

"I will. Please be careful." The thought of him getting hurt made her feel sick.

"Always."

She could easily see Nate and Minnie as they crossed the yard, his flashlight illuminating their way. She uttered a silent prayer for their safety and that, if there was any evidence out there, Nate would find it.

His voice, just above a whisper, sounded in her ear. "See anything?"

"No. Nothing."

"Okay, I want you to guide me to where you saw the light. With all this rain, it's possible someone might have left footprints behind."

He'd believed her without question, and that fact warmed her heart.

"It looked like it was close to that big oak where the tire swing is. Either beside it or just back a ways. It was hard to tell."

"That's great. I'm almost there."

Bailey watched as his light bobbed in the distance, pausing when he reached the tree line. She held her breath and squinted into the darkness.

"Minnie can smell something interesting, but she's not barking. Whoever was here probably got spooked and left."

A mixture of relief and disappointment collided as Bailey released the breath she'd been holding.

"We've got some footprints. Rain is going to wash these away. I'm going to try to get a few pictures before that happens. Hang on."

Several moments passed while he took photos, and Bailey could see the flash from her vantage point. She was glad he'd found something, but now she just wanted him to return to the house where he was safe. Meanwhile, her eyes kept scanning the tree line and praying that the person who'd been there wasn't doubling back.

"Okay, we're heading your way."

"Thank goodness." She watched from the window until he was two-thirds of the way back. Then she hurried downstairs and opened the door for him.

Minnie trotted inside, shook, and then sat patiently until Nate re-holstered his gun and removed her leash.

He held up one hand triumphantly, a blue glove in his palm. "I found the source of the red light. There were four cigarette butts on the ground near the footprints. One was still smoldering. He was there for a while."

"He? You're sure?" She eyed the glove. "Do you always have gloves with you?"

He shrugged. "A habit I picked up from our medical examiner at the precinct a couple of years back. It's come in handy. And yes, I'm sure. I'll show you why, but first, do you have a plastic bag I can put these cigarette butts in?"

She retrieved one from the drawer near the refrigerator and held it open so he could drop them in. Once she'd sealed the bag, she placed it on the counter.

Nate pulled his phone out and went to his pictures. "Unless a woman was wearing oversized boots, this guy's feet are larger than mine."

There were a couple of close-up photos of the footprints showing the tread. Another photo showed Nate's shoe next to the imprint. Whoever was out there had feet at least a size bigger.

Bailey shuddered, remembering the way the red glow had pulsed in and out before fading completely. He must have seen her in the window, known there was a possibility she would spot the cigarette burning and left.

"The good news is, the lab can run DNA on the cigarettes. At the very least, we'll get confirmation on whether it was a man. If his DNA is in the system, we may even get an ID." Nate smiled triumphantly. "This could be the break we needed. I'll go back out once the sun's up to get a better look. Then I'll take the evidence in to the department first thing."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled. "I wish I knew why he was watching us. It's downright creepy."

"Yeah, it's pretty messed up." He started to reach out a hand but stopped himself and stuffed both into the pockets of his jeans. "Look, I'd rather stay here myself and make sure you and the boys are okay, but after what happened earlier, I wanted you to know I understand if you need Jenny to take my place."

Bailey immediately shook her head. "That isn't necessary. The boys feel safe with you here, and so do I."

"I'm glad." He seemed to be weighing his next words. "I'm sorry I upset you. Hurting you is the last thing in the world I want to do. You and your friendship mean the world to me. I wouldn't intentionally jeopardize that for anything." His gaze pinned her in place, his brown eyes pleading with her to understand.

"It was just as much my fault." Her words were barely above a whisper. Even as she spoke, the memory of being wrapped in his arms was impossible to shake. She felt safer— more cared for—in those moments than she had since Joe... She felt horrible for even thinking about it. "I don't want our friendship to change either."

She wanted to go upstairs and escape the uncomfortableness between them, but if they were truly going to pretend the kiss hadn't happened, she needed to make the first move. "I don't think I'll be able to go to sleep for a while. Why don't I get my laptop so I can do some research while we watch TV?"

"That sounds like a great idea."

Upstairs in her room, she crossed the space to look out the window again. There was no sign of the man who'd been watching them before, but a shiver still traveled up her spine. What was he waiting for?