Page 259 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

“You want to find them.”

“Yes.”

“And hurt them.”

Silence. Ronan’s jaw tightened. “Elliot.” “They watched us sleep.” “That does not mean you get to kill them.” “I didn’t say kill.” “You didn’t need to.” Elliot handed the phone back. “They knew Mason.” “We think.” “They saw the murder.” “Probably.” “They knew about Dylan.” “Yes.” “They’ve been inside our house.” “Yes.” “And now we know they’ve been watching our bedroom.” Ronan’s expression hardened. “I know.” “So tell me again why I’m supposed to sit here and wait for Vance.” “Because she has an entire fucking police department.” “And they’ve caught no one.” “She also caught you.” The sentence stopped Elliot cold. Ronan immediately realized. “Fuck.” “No.” “Elliot.” “No. You’re right.” “That wasn’t—” “She almost caught me.” “That is not a compliment.” “I didn’t say it was.” Ronan rubbed his face. “You are impossible.” Elliot stared at the photograph. Then something clicked. The angle. He grabbed the phone again. “What?” Ronan asked. Elliot zoomed. Window frame. A branch visible in the upper corner. He looked toward the actual window. Then back. “This wasn’t taken from the ground.” Ronan frowned. “What?”

“The angle.”

He held the phone beside his face and compared. The bedroom was second floor. Someone standing outside would have needed elevation. Tree. Roofline. Something. Elliot crossed the room and pulled the blind aside. Ronan immediately grabbed his wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“Look.”

“Close it.”

“Ronan.”

“Someone photographs us through that fucking window and your response is to open it?”

“Look at the tree.”

Ronan stared. Then reluctantly looked. A large maple stood roughly fifteen feet from the house. One branch extended toward the second floor. Not close enough to reach the window. Close enough to see it. Elliot’s eyes narrowed.

“Someone climbed that.”

Ronan looked at the photograph. Then the branch.

“You can’t know that.”

“Angle.”

“Could be a camera pole.”

“Maybe.”

“Drone.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Window reflection would show lights.”

Ronan looked at him.

“Of course you noticed that.”

Elliot ignored it. A pale mark showed on the branch. Scrape. Fresh enough that bark had been removed. His pulse increased.

“There.”

Ronan saw it.

“Could be anything.”

“Could.”