Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Sawyer pushed open the door to his house, the weight of the day pressing heavily on his shoulders. The lack of concrete evidence was gnawing at him. He needed a break, even if only for a few minutes.

He dropped his keys on the kitchen counter, grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, and sank into the worn leather couch. Taking a deep swig, he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. But the respite was short-lived.

A noise from outside caught his attention, and he tensed, setting his beer down before moving quietly to the window. He peered out, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a figure skulking around Brynlee’s side of the duplex.

The man was dressed in dark clothes, moving cautiously as he peered in through the windows. Sawyer didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his his gun, slipped quietly out the front door, and moving toward Brynlee’s side of the duplex.

As he approached, he could see the man better—medium build, young and handsome. Exactly the type of guy he could envision next to Brynlee. He hated the man on sight.

“Stop right there!” Sawyer called out, leveled the gun his direction.

The man froze, then turned slowly, hands raised defensively. His eyes went wide when he saw the pistol pointed his way. “Whoa, whoa! Wait!”

Sawyer advanced, pistol trained at the man’s torso. “Who the hell are you?”

The man’s eyes flickered with fear, still locked on the barrel of the gun. “Can you just—could you put the gun down?”

“Depends on your answer.” The man had been sneaking around Brynlee’s house, peering through the windows like he was checking for an easy entry point. He lowered the pistol a fraction and tipped his chin at the man. “I asked you a question.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“And just what the hell were you doing?” Sawyer asked.

“I’m a friend of Brynlee's. I was just leaving something for her."

Suddenly it clicked. This was her ex. "Zane?"

His brows shot up, a mixture of relief and pleasure flooding his features. “She told you about me?”

“Nothing good.” The man’s face fell, sending a tendril of vindication through Sawyer’s chest. He tipped his chin toward the porch. “She said you’ve been stalking her?—”

“That’s not true!” The man interjected, his eyes wide. “I?—”

“Showing up randomly. Leaving strange gifts,” Sawyer continued as if the man had never spoken. “That’s trespassing.

"But I’m not doing anything wrong,” he insisted. “I just wanted to talk to her.”

Sawyer glared at the man. “Talk to her about what? Because, from what she’s told me, the two of you have nothing to talk about.”

Zane’s face twisted in anger. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Detective Sawyer Reed, Brookhaven Sheriff’s Department,” he introduced himself.

The blood drained from the man’s face, and his mouth dropped open a fraction before snapping shut again. “Oh.”

Yeah. Oh . Sawyer bit back a snort at the look of incredulity carved into the man’s face. “Where were you the past twenty-four hours?”

Zane’s brows pulled together. “What?”

“Between 8:00 last night and 10:00 this morning,” Sawyer clarified. “Where were you?”

Zane gave a slight shake of his head. “I… I was at work.”

It was Sawyer’s turn to look dubious. “All night?”

“Not at night… no.” He gave himself a little shake. “I was home last night, but I had to be at work by eight this morning.”

“And last night before bed?”

“I…” His eyes flitted upward, like he was thinking back to the previous evening. “I went to Joe’s for a drink.”

“I’ll verify that,” Sawyer said. “Now, since you seem so concerned about Brynlee, I’m sure you won’t mind answering a few questions.”

“Uh…” Zane eyed Sawyer. “Sure?”

“What do you know about the car accident Brynlee was involved in this morning?”

Zane’s eyes widened, a look of genuine shock crossing his features. “What car accident? I hadn’t heard about anything.”

Sawyer watched him carefully, looking for any signs of deceit. “And the flood damage at her salon? You didn’t have anything to do with that either?”

Zane’s shock turned to confusion and anger. “No, I didn’t. Why would I? I care about Brynlee. Yeah, we’ve had our issues, but I would never hurt her.”

Sawyer wasn’t convinced. He leaned closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Here’s the thing, Zane. Someone’s been trying to hurt Brynlee. They cut the lines on her car, they trashed her salon. Now, you’re telling me you had nothing to do with any of that?”

Zane’s expression turned from anger to fear. “I swear, Detective. I had no idea. I’ve been trying to get her back, not push her further away.”

Sawyer crossed his arms over his chest. “Whether you’re involved or not, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to stay away from Brynlee. No more creeping around her house, no more gifts. If I catch you near her again, I won’t be as lenient. Do you understand?”

Zane swallowed hard, nodding quickly. “Yeah, I understand. I won’t bother her anymore.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed. “Good. Now, take whatever you brought and go.”

Zane’s expression shifted, a mix of frustration and desperation. “Can you just tell her?—”

“No,” Sawyer cut him off. “Get out.”

“Where the hell did you come from anyway? You got here awfully fast.” Zane stared at him suspiciously.

Sawyer lifted a shoulder. “I was already here.”

Zane cocked a brow. “Here? You live around here?”

“Right here.” Sawyer paused for effect. “With Brynlee.”

The man looked like he’d been punched in the chest, but Sawyer didn’t feel an ounce of remorse. The idiot had been trespassing, borderline stalking her. Let him believe Sawyer and Brynlee were together; maybe then he’d leave her the hell alone.

Zane dropped back a step, looking pale. “I didn’t realize…”

“Now you know.” Sawyer offered a cold smile. “I’ll be checking into your alibi—unless there’s anything else you want to tell me.”

The man shook his head and took another step toward the street. “N-no. I…” He faltered for a moment, then straightened. “I hope everything is okay with Brynlee. I just want the best for her.”

Sawyer gave a tight nod and watched him go, still unsure whether the man was telling the truth. Zane’s reaction seemed genuine, but in Sawyer’s line of work, he had learned that appearances could be deceiving.

He needed to cover all angles, and Zane was just one piece of the puzzle. The nagging feeling that he was missing something important persisted.