Unmasking The Shadow Man. Debbie Herbert

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СКАЧАТЬ Catlett was born and raised here in Baysville,” Bryce told Andrews.

      The chief turned his gaze back to her. “I can assure you the case was thoroughly investigated by this office and the fire department. No signs of forced entry, no evidence of foul play.”

      Great. Now she’d insulted him. “I’m certain everyone here did an excellent job,” Harper hastened to agree. “I’ll never forget your father was the first firefighter to respond at the scene.”

      “Must have been tough on you and your mom. And now she’s passed away, too. Lots of bad memories here for you in Baysville. I imagine you’re itching to sell the old house and get back to Atlanta.”

      “You know I live in Atlanta now?”

      Bryce gave an easy chuckle. “You forget how news travels in a small town. Kimber mentioned it after your mom’s funeral.”

      “Oh. Of course.” She and Kimber had kept in close touch over the years.

      “Sorry I missed the funeral—I had to testify in a case south of here. I did make it late to visitation one night, though. Fifty-two years old. That’s way too young to die.”

      Just like with her father, death had crept up sudden and silent—in the form of a heart attack. Harper would always wonder if mourning over Presley’s death had been a contributing factor in her mom’s early demise.

      “So what brings you here today?” Bryce asked, cutting through her reverie.

      “Right.” She removed her cell phone from her purse and punched in the password, conscious of two sets of eyes on her. “It may seem like nothing now, but I was a little concerned this morning when this email popped up on my laptop.”

      “Some kind of cyberthreat?” Bryce asked. “I assure you, we take everything seriously.”

      Harper’s brows knotted with worry. The threatening email was gone. Had she accidentally deleted it? Quickly, she scrolled through her email trash folder. Not there, either. “I, um, it seems to have disappeared,” she explained reluctantly.

      “That’s too bad,” Bryce said smoothly. “What did it say?”

      “To get out of the house.”

      Silence greeted her words.

      “Anything else?” Bryce asked.

      “No. That’s it, except for some strange noises in the house. Probably mice,” she admitted sheepishly. “In the light of day, in front of two cops, all this doesn’t sound so bad.” Harper rose. “I’ve wasted enough of your time. Good to see you again, Bryce. Nice to meet you, Officer Andrews.”

      Bryce also rose. “Come back anytime. Let us know if it happens again.”

      His words were kind, but she felt as though he was impatient to return to work. With a quick nod and smile, she hurried to the door, glad to make an escape.

      Halfway down the hallway, she turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Officer Andrews bore down on her. “Would you like to file an official report?” he asked.

      “No. Forget it. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

      “I wouldn’t say that.”

      She blinked at his earnest kindness.

      “Especially since you believe a family member may have been murdered in that house.”

      He had overheard her conversation with Bryce. “I didn’t exactly say that,” she protested.

      “Not in so many words. I don’t know if Chief Fairfax mentioned it, but there’s been a long string of unsolved murders in Baysville. Would it make you feel safer if an officer searched your house sometime this afternoon or evening?”

      Harper hesitated. Yes, she wanted to scream. On the other hand, what would people say if they observed an officer in her home? The hell with appearances, she decided. She was only going to be here a short while. Might as well be able to get a sound sleep in the evenings.

      “Yes, that would be great, actually. Thank you.” She withdrew a pen and paper from her purse and wrote down her address and phone number. “Whoever you send, just tell them it’s the last house on the left at the end of King Street.”

      “Got it,” he said, tucking the paper in his uniform shirt pocket. “I’ll have no trouble finding your place.”

      Was his kindness merely a scam to put a move on her? She rejected the suspicion immediately. Doug had really done a number on her mind for her to be so suspicious of a local cop doing a favor.

      Harper made a quick exit, pausing at the lobby entrance. She turned around and caught both Bryce and Officer Andrews standing in the hallway, regarding her soberly.

      A string of unsolved murders, Officer Andrews had said. They weren’t dismissive of this threat at all. Harper didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried about their concern for her safety.

       Chapter Two

      Harper leaned against the pillows on her mom’s headboard and wearily brushed a hand through her tousled hair. Six cardboard boxes lay scattered on the floor, filled to brimming with her mother’s old clothes. On the bed, she’d kept out a few things she couldn’t bear to part with—a couple of Mom’s old silk scarves, the flannel night robe she’d worn for decades and several sweaters that were still stylish. The rest would be donated to charity. The sooner everything was packed up, the sooner she could hold an estate sale for the furniture. Whatever didn’t sell would also be given away.

      Coffee was in order. Tonight, she wanted to finish the master bedroom and then move on to either the basement or attic in the morning. Harper kicked aside boxes and headed to the kitchen.

      Twilight cast its dusky hue along the riverfront. Today had gone by much too quickly. There was so much to do before she returned to Atlanta and her normal routine. Without Doug. It wasn’t so much that she missed him, it was being alone yet again. And now, with Mom’s passing, the thought of Thanksgiving and Christmas on her own was depressing. Maybe she should book a tropical cruise and pretend the holidays weren’t even taking place. The idea lifted her spirits. Her business was successful, so why not have a little fun after this sad year?

      Humming, Harper measured water into the coffeepot. Might as well fill it to the brim—Officer Andrews had called earlier, saying he’d stop by after work. Didn’t all cops love coffee and doughnuts? Tonight, cheesecake would have to do. Speaking of which, a tiny slice now would be a reward after all her hard work cleaning and packing. She got the dessert out of the fridge, then frowned at the dwindling size of the cheesecake. Had she really eaten that much of it in the past two days? Evidently, she had.

      She limited herself to only a couple bites, eaten over the kitchen sink. A neighbor across the street, Mrs. Henley, walked down the driveway to collect her mail, which reminded Harper to check hers as well. Outside, the air was a bit chilly for October. Harper hugged her arms as she sprinted for the mailbox. She waved at Mrs. Henley, an old friend of her mom’s, and then withdrew a handful of envelopes.

      An СКАЧАТЬ