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Turning back to view the Diamond, his gaze took in every detail of his surroundings. The place was crowded. If anyone standing on the cobbles had drawn a gun and fired up at the string of lights, there would have been witnesses.
He scanned the buildings. The renovated warehouses had been separated into individual units, and above each of the bars, cafés, offices and restaurants was a second floor. Rylan remembered that David Swanson had said his apartment was above the Yogurt Hut. He assumed there were similar dwellings above the other businesses. From where he was standing, he figured the shot must have come from a second-floor window on the opposite side of the Diamond.
Although it was impossible to pinpoint which window the shooter had used, Rylan studied each of them carefully. He had no intention of checking what was going on behind each window right there and then. That was a task for the police, and despite Bree’s reservations, he had every intention of taking this latest incident to her brother so he could investigate what had happened.
The nearest bar was called On the Rocks. There was a security guard at the door and, although Rylan couldn’t be sure the same guy had been there earlier, he was hopeful that there hadn’t been time for a shift change.
“What happened there?” Rylan pointed to the string of lights. The gap where the yellow one had been was now a conspicuous dark spot in the center of the colored string.
The guard gave him a blank look. “I guess one of the bulbs blew.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Twenty minutes ago, I was standing under that light with my g—with my friend and it exploded,” Rylan said. “Did you see what happened?”
The guy shrugged. “If you’re looking for compensation from the city council, I can’t help. I’ve been here for the last four hours, but I haven’t seen anything unusual.”
Rylan thanked him and turned away. Although it was frustrating that the security guard hadn’t seen the incident, he’d learned enough from the encounter. He was convinced that the shot had not been random and that he and Bree were the targets. He looked again at the buildings from which the gun must have been fired, judging the distance. The shooter had been skilled enough to single out that bulb, and confident enough to know that he could hit it without risking injury to anyone in the crowd below.
That meant the shot had been intended as a scare tactic. A proficient gun handler, with enough self-assurance to fire over a crowded area, could have killed or injured them if he’d wanted to. Instead, he’d chosen to warn them.
Even so, this was an escalation. Threatening emails and moving Bree’s possessions was bad enough. A bullet took this to a whole new level. Had Bree’s stalker been triggered by seeing her with Rylan? If that was the case, they could expect more. Or worse.
Which was a good reason not to leave her alone. He wasn’t looking forward to the coming confrontation, but at least he could be honest with Bree from now on. And that would include letting her know that he wasn’t leaving her side until this shooter was behind bars.
* * *
Bree removed her hat, feeling the shards of glass that were buried in the wool crunch beneath her gloved fingers. She wondered if she should be clutching the gun instead of Papadum. Somehow, the dog made her feel safer...and the firearm was only inches away. Even so, when the door buzzer sounded, she jumped so much that Papadum let out a startled grunt.
“Sorry, big guy.” She patted his head to reassure him.
Her security included a video camera linked to the entry system. When she pressed the button, a black-and-white image of Rylan filled the screen.
“Bree? Let me in.”
She paused. Now was probably not the best time to tell him to get out of her life forever. At this moment, her feelings about his behavior took second place to that bullet. She could tell him to take a hike anytime. But right now...
I need him.
“Bree?”
She pressed the button to admit him and moved to open the door. The tension in her jaw was reflected in the set of her shoulders, and her stomach muscles tightened as though trying to disguise the fluttering sensation inside. It felt as if her brain were filled with static, firing off random thoughts. This could go one of two ways. She could greet Rylan with stony silence or wild recriminations. Until she saw him, Bree had no idea which it would be.
