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“But you’re seeing him!” He jabbed a finger at James and Cole. “They said so. He’s showing up at the hospital and on security footage.”
“Someone is, but it’s not Adam, just someone who looks like him.”
He grabbed his head. “I don’t understand. Who is it? If it’s not Adam, why are they doing this?”
James waved one of the officers back who’d moved forward, hand on his weapon. “We don’t know, Nick, that’s what we’re trying to find out.” He paused, his gaze dropping to the man’s feet. “What size shoe do you wear?”
Nick blinked. “What? Um ... a twelve. Why?”
“Was that you at the lake? In the canoe?”
The man flushed and Lainie curled her fingers into fists.
Nick nodded. “I—I’ve been watching you.”
“Following me? Spying on me?”
“Yeah, but only because I thought I might get a glimpse of Adam.”He ducked his head with a sigh, then met her gaze once more. “At the lake house, I thought maybe Adam would follow you and I’d see him. I climbed a fence, spotted the car in the drive, but that was all I could see. So, I found a canoe that had been pulled up in one of your neighbors’ yards and took it out. I was just sitting there, watching. I wasn’t going to do anything.”
“And here?”
“Dad said you wanted to exhume the grave you thought belonged to Adam. I called the cemetery office and got the details. I came out here because, again, I thought I might see Adam.”
Lainie ground her molars together to keep from blasting the man and tried to find some compassion. He just wanted a glimpse of the brother he believed to be in hiding for the past eighteen months.
She hesitated. “Did you put bald tires on my car?”
Nick frowned at the out-of-the-blue question. “What?” She repeated the question and he shook his head. “No. Why would I do that?”
“Never mind. Just stop following me and stay away from the house, okay? Go home. Adam’s dead.”
James leaned over to the nearest officer. “You said he was clean. Any weapons hidden on his bike anywhere?”
“No. And the bike came back registered to him. The only thing he’s guilty of is trespassing.”
James looked at Lainie. “Do you think Jesslyn would want to press charges?”
She shook her head. “She would give it back to me and ask what I want. I’m fine with letting it go.”
James nodded to Buzz. “Cut him loose.”
Nick climbed out of the back of the car but kept his gaze on Lainie. “Why hasn’t he shown himself to me?”
“Because he’s not Adam and this guy knows you’d see through him.”
His mouth worked, but no sound came out. Finally, without another word, he hurried to his bike and roared off.
Lainie rubbed her hands together. “Well, that was a bust.”
“Yeah, but at least we know who was on the lake. And it wasn’t the Adam impersonator.”
“There is that, but he’s still out there.” She drew in a ragged breath and stomped back into Jesslyn’s house. With each step, her rage rose. Unsure what to do with the anger, she went to the fireplace, then spun and paced. On the fourth spin, she slammed into James. His hands came up to grip her arms, and she swallowed hard on the tears that threatened to fall.
“What are you thinking?” he asked and guided her to the couch.
“That I’m sick of this!” She spat the words. “He’s got me jumping at my own shadow. I ... I’m afraid to do anything because I’m terrified I’ll do something wrong and there he’ll be. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt someone I love. I...” She swallowed. “I’m afraid I’m going to be a victim once more and this time I’ll just ... stay one.” She finally voiced the biggest fear hanging over her head.
“You’re not a victim, Lainie.” The words were spoken with such conviction that for a brief moment she looked up to catch his gaze. If she’d seen pity there, she would have truly lost it, but instead, he almost looked—angry?
