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Jake frowned. “I’ve seen you around town. Aren’t you the new sheriff’s deputy?”
“Not so new. I’ve been here for three months. But yes,” she said. “Actually, I was on my way out to see you. I was running into JoJo at the coffee shop so often that we’ve become friends.” Rachel smiled. “I told her about some of the troubles I’ve encountered since I came to Fool’s Gold. She suggested I talk with you and see if the Brotherhood Protectors can help.”
Jake nodded. “JoJo’s special. Don’t know what we’d do without her ability to keep anything mechanical running.” His brow furrowed. “What troubles are you encountering?”
Rachel glanced around at the three men, feeling a little foolish under their scrutiny. “It could all be in my head. I could be too sensitive or downright paranoid, but I think I’m being watched.”
Griff reached for her hand. “Any incidents in particular that make you feel that way?”
She nodded and stared up into his eyes. “For my past three night shifts, I’ve had someone fall in behind my vehicle and follow me for several blocks. When I slowed, he slowed. If I turned a corner, he turned the corner, always staying back far enough I couldn’t get the make and model of the car.”
Hank frowned. “But it was a car?”
She nodded. “When I executed a U-turn, he turned down another street. I tried to follow, but it was as if he’d completely disappeared.”
“Three nights?” Jake asked.
She shrugged. “That I was aware of. He could’ve been following me before, but I might not have recognized it as being stalked. And I live in an apartment on the second floor. My living room window looks out over the parking lot. I swear I’ve seen a man standing in the shadows on the other side of the parking lot, facing my window on more than one night.”
“Doesn’t sound like anyone’s committing any crimes,” Jake said. “There’s no law dictating how you spend your time, as long as you’re not trespassing or harming others.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rachel shoved her hair back from her face. “That’s why I haven’t said anything to the sheriff. I don’t want to appear paranoid. But here’s the kicker…” She looked around at the three men hoping they would understand. “I came to Fool’s Gold because of a murder committed here. I’m working at the Sheriff’s department, partly because I need a job but also so that I have access to the case files and the authority to investigate cases. You see, the case I’m interested in hasn’t been solved. The murderer left only one clue, a wedding veil around the victim’s throat. He strangled her on a hiking trail west of here.”
“Who was she?” Jake asked.
Rachel swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. “Lindsay Stratton…my sister.”
Griff’s hand tightened around hers. “You moved here to avenge your sister?”
She nodded and then shook her head. “Yes and no. Yes, he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with murder. No. He’s still out there. He could do it again. I don’t want what happened to my sister to happen to another woman.”
“Do you think the person following you might be the killer?” Hank asked.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t made a move to come out in the open.” She snorted. “Hell, I could be imagining it all.”
“You’re a cop,” Hank said. “Have you relied on your instincts before?”
She nodded. “And my gut usually has it right.”
“Then you’re doing the right thing by contacting us,” Jake said. “At the very least, we can provide you protection against whoever is stalking you.”
“And we might be able to help you in your search for the killer,” Hank said. “My computer guy is good at sifting through data. I can have him take a look.”
“I have access to criminal and crime databases,” Rachel said. “I’ve looked for similar cases in this area and in the state over the past five years. Nothing’s come up. I’ve talked with Lindsay’s fiancé. He was as shaken as I was.”
“Did he have an alibi?” Griff asked.
Rachel nodded. “He was supposed to go on that hike that day, but he couldn’t because one of the guys at the store where he works had car trouble and couldn’t make it in. He was the only one who could. His supervisor vouched for him, the time clock showed he clocked in and video footage at the store showed him there at the time of the murder.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t him.”
“Where did Lindsay work?” Jake asked.
“At the Coffee Shack on Main Street. She was a barista,” Rachel said. “She’d go in early and get off early, which was perfect for her, and usually, for her fiancé. They had the afternoons to enjoy the mountains. In the winter, they’d ski, in the summer, they always had a hike planned.”
“They questioned the staff at the coffee shop?” Griff asked.
Rachel nodded. “The sheriff and the state police questioned half the town. No one saw anything that made them think my sister was being stalked. No one approached her that they knew of. She was happy with her fiancé and loving life.” Rachel looked down at her hands. “Until someone took that from her.” She looked up again. “Lindsay was my family. We were half-sisters, but I didn’t love her halfway. I loved her with my whole heart.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Griff said. “Words don’t mean much, but I promise to help you in any way I can.”
