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Ezra backed away, never taking his eyes off me. “You know where I am if you need me.”
When he was gone, Nate rolled his shoulders back. “I don’t trust that guy.”
“Neither do I.” I wasn’t sure he’d been the one to steal my ring, but he had an agenda, and I still didn’t know what it was.
29
NATE
I bit backa growl of frustration. If Grace didn’t trust that Ezra guy, then why did she continue to let him rent one of her cottages? She didn’t need the money. She’d shared with me before how well her books sold, and I knew she wasn’t short of funds. So why did she insist? Was it out of sheer stubbornness or because she didn’t want to be perceived as weak and afraid? I wish I understood.
I also wished she’d told me about the problems she’d been having. Even if they seemed minor, they’d obviously been preying on her mind. Hell, perhaps they’d bothered her so much that she’d gotten the dog. She’d mentioned pets before but only in a vague sense, never with a concrete plan to get one. I wanted her to feel like she could confide in me, but I didn’t know how to get to that place.
I forced myself to walk calmly back to the bed so I could finish getting the background to the situation the way I would if she were anyone else. I asked her when, exactly, the other items had gone missing, and she told me. I couldn’t help noting that it was prior to her guest’s arrival—a fact I was sure she was also aware of. Perhaps that was why she didn’t want to send him on his way. But just because he hadn’t made himself known didn’t mean he hadn’t been around. I’d need to look into him and make sure he’d been where he said he was at those times.
When Mehrtens had finished checking for evidence, she packed her kit away and knelt on the floor nearby. I gave her a quick rundown of everything Grace had told me and then let her and Grace sort out access to the security feed. I took advantage of the opportunity to study Grace. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and her skin was paler than usual. Some of that would be caused by the stress of the theft and having people in her personal space, but not all of it. Perhaps she’d been sleeping as badly as me. I’d been waiting for her to reach out—hoping she would—but I’d been too nervous to turn up in person and insist we talk it through the way I usually would.
Despite how much I hated the situation we found ourselves in, I couldn’t help but be a little grateful for it. This theft had brought Grace and me together again and given us the chance to interact on a professional level. Hopefully, it would help us cut through any personal awkwardness, or at least lessen it. I felt guilty for thinking that, but who knew how long we would have been stuck in a silent standoff without our hands being forced?
Alice arrived a few minutes before we finished, which made it easier to leave. I hadn’t wanted Grace to be alone, but Alice would take good care of her.
On our way back to the police station, Mehrtens cleared her throat. “Sarge,” she said tentatively. “You know how I’m doing that online criminal psychology course?”
“Yeah.” She was a clever cookie, Mehrtens. If she ever decided to leave Destiny Falls, she could have a big career ahead of her.
She was quiet for a moment, as though choosing her words. “I’m not an expert, but from what Grace said, I think we should treat this as more than a simple theft. It seems someone is focused on her. The things that were taken—a ring and her favorite lipstick and blouse—are very personal. They’re not something a run-of-the-mill criminal would take for profit. The ring might net a couple of hundred dollars, but why take that and not empty the entire jewelry box or take the laptop too? Of course, it’s possible she lost the lipstick and blouse, but in the context, I’m tempted to say it’s unlikely. Whatever is going on, she needs to be careful.”
“I agree.” Mehrtens had unknowingly verbalized my own thoughts. “I want to know the minute you find anything on those recordings.”
“You will.”
In the meantime, I needed to figure out how to make Grace understand the danger she might be in without scaring her unnecessarily. Easy, right?
30
GRACE
I was makingmyself coffee when someone knocked on the door. Alice had already left for the day, as had Kennedy, who’d turned up shortly after the police left to comfort me because Nate had clued her in on what had happened. I went to answer the knock, expecting to see Nate on the other side, but it was Ezra. Duke pawed at the floor and released a low growl.
“Hi.” Ezra smiled nervously and raised a pair of brown paper bags from Taste of Destiny. “I just got back from the police station.” He widened his eyes. “That sergeant is an intimidating guy. Anyway, I have treats. I thought you might like to share something sweet and debrief after your busy morning.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t expected to see him again today after Nate had less than politely shooed him away earlier. “That’s really thoughtful of you.” I hesitated. He clearly wanted to come in, but I wasn’t sure whether that was a good idea. Duke barked, and Ezra backed away. He certainly looked harmless, and he hadn’t been here when things first started going missing. I mustered a smile. “Come in. I was just making coffee. I have enough for two, if you’d like.”
“Yes, please.”
He followed close on my heels as I walked to the kitchen, visibly worried that Duke might take a bite out of him. I fixed us each a cup of coffee and carried them to the dining table, then brought over a large plate for him to place his treats on and two smaller ones, in case we’d need them. Duke barked again, shoving against my shins as though trying to get my attention.
“I don’t think your puppy likes me,” Ezra said.
“He’s slow to warm up to people,” I lied. “Sit on your bed, Duke.”
Shoulders hunched, Duke slunk to his bed and flopped, watching us with narrowed eyes.
Ezra opened one of his bags and slid the contents onto the plate.
“Savory scones,” he explained.
“Oh, yum. The rosemary ones?”
