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His dark brown eyes met mine when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I bit back my reply and just nodded, hoping he didn’t see my moment of recognition.
“Are you ok, hon?” Shit, I was still on the phone with my mom.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said as my heart launched into my throat, and I scaled the stairs two at a time before slamming the door of my apartment shut behind me. “Listen, I gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said before ending the call.
Holy shit, my neighbor in 2C was The Hunter! All those times he'd lurked around, his secretive demeanor, and reclusive habits—it all made sense now. And yet, I hadn't seen him for what felt like ages.
“No fucking way,” I muttered under my breath, the gravity of the situation settling in. I had to do something, anything.
Fumbling to find my phone, my hands shook as I dialed Connor's number. He picked up after two agonizing rings. “Connor? It's Becca. You're not going to believe this.”
“Hey, Becca,” he replied, his voice calm and soothing, but I could tell there was an underlying tension. “Everything ok? You sound. . .different.”
“I figured out who The Hunter is," I said after taking a deep breath. “It’s my neighbor in 2C.”
There was a pause on the other end. “That’s a big accusation Becca, and out of my jurisdiction. How sure are you?” Connor asked.
"Pretty damn sure," I replied, my voice cracking. “I always just thought he was odd, but now I’m sure it’s because he’s a poacher.”
“Okay,” he exhaled sharply. “Let me make a few coordinating calls, and I’ll head down there now. Just, uh, sit tight, okay? Don't do anything rash.”
“Rash?” I snorted, trying to make light of the situation. “Connor, you know me. I'm the epitome of caution.”
I wouldn’t run out there and make a citizen’s arrest. I wasn’t that stubborn and bullheaded enough to believe I could handle a seasoned killer on my own. That’s why I’d called Connor.
“Becca, I'm serious.” His warning tone sent shivers down my spine. “Stay put. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
“Fine,” I conceded, rubbing my temples. “But hurry, okay? It's a three-and-a-half-hour drive.”
“Trust me, I'll be breaking some speed limits to get to you,” he promised.
After ending the call, the apartment was filled with silence. A lot could happen in almost four hours. I didn’t even know if 2C was home. Before calling Connor, I was one hundred percent sure my neighbor was The Hunter. But, he’d planted the seeds of doubt. What if I was wrong?
The door slammed, and the sound jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. Lindsay stormed into our apartment, her face flushed with anger.
“That guy is such a jackass,” Lin fumed, tossing her bag onto the counter. “I just ran into 2C at the community mailbox, and he was so damn rude!”
“Wait, what happened?” I asked, my heart thundered in my chest.
“He just pushed his way in front of me to open his box,” she continued, not even bothering to look at me as she paced around the room. “He smelled like he had been camping for a week too. His body odor almost made my eyes water.
"Lin," I interrupted, grabbing her arm. "I need to tell you something."
Her frustration momentarily halted, she finally looked at me, her eyes wide with curiosity. “What's up?”
“Promise not to freak out?” I hesitated, biting my lip. I said that more for my benefit than hers. She was normally even-tempered. He must have pissed her off for her to have even reacted this heatedly.
“I’m always calm,” she retorted, eyebrow raised. “Ok, not just now, but you know what I mean.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “Okay. . . I'm pretty sure 2C is The Hunter.”
Lin's eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open. “You're shitting me.”
“I wish I were.” My voice shook as I recounted my conversation with Connor and the evidence that pointed to our mysterious neighbor as the slippery poacher.
Lin's hand trembled as she grasped mine. “So what’s our plan?”
“Connor's on his way here with a coworker. They'll know what to do,” I reassured her, though my racing heart begged to differ.
