Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
“But Rafferty isn’t a killer,” Wilder reiterated. “He was being investigated, and eventually the law would have caught up with him. If we went around assassinating every corrupt official, there would be no government, most likely in any country.”
Harlow had to agree with him. She believed most politicians started out with the intention of doing good, but along the way, they had to compromise so much in order to get whatever they felt was necessary that in the end they all became used to the bribes and double-dealing.
“Are you saying Rainier was there just to talk to him?”
He nodded. “Had Rainier not been talking to him, I would have been. What he did was unacceptable, both to you and to Shabina. So, yeah, honey, he absolutely warranted a talk.”
“In the middle of the night?”
He gave her that boyish grin that was so rare but transformed his face from tough and ruggedly handsome to a softer, younger look. “Psychological advantage. We look damn scary coming silently into your bedroom, proving we can get to you anytime we want.”
He made the explanation sound like a little boy playing a prank, and she realized he viewed it that way.
“Rainier had no intention of actually harming Rafferty, but he was willing to scare the crap out of him, and you both think that’s funny.” She tried to use a schoolmarm tone, but the relief she felt almost made her giddy. And sadly, for her, she did find humor in the situation. She had such a bad sense of humor. She could imagine just how terrifying it would be to have Rainier or Wilder appear in the bedroom in the dark. They would choose the darkest hour to pay their visit and look as menacing as possible.
“Well,” he conceded. “It is kind of funny.”
She leaned into him, put her head on his shoulder and let the peace of the night settle over her. Once again, Wilder had proven she was safe with him. She could tell him her fears, and he didn’t get indignant or angry with her, feeling as if she was insulting him. He took the mug from her hand and set it on the table before wrapping his arms around her and settling her back into his chest. The night ended up being perfection, something she wouldn’t have thought possible after the fiasco with her parents.
Chapter Seventeen
“Someone was creeping around my house last night,” Guadalupe announced, seating herself at the table in the back of the Sunrise Café where Harlow and her friends were already seated.
Harlow felt her face drain of color. Had she put Guadalupe in danger with all of her disclosures?
“Did you call the cops?” Raine asked.
“Bale Landry dropped by to see his uncle and found Paul Rafferty dead yesterday,” Guadalupe said, seemingly ignoring the question. “Did you hear?”
They all nodded. “Speculation has it he died from whatever is killing so many people here in Knightly,” Zahra said. “Since he’s dead, I can’t even say good riddance.” She sighed. “Once more, my quick wit is silenced by death.”
“What does that mean?” Guadalupe asked.
Stella waved her hand. “Pay her no attention. She’s going to have to take an acting class to satisfy her need for drama.”
Zahra burst out laughing. “Stella, I’m already a great actress.” The smile faded from her face as she turned her attention to Guadalupe. “Having someone creeping around your house is scary. You should have called the sheriff’s office and reported it, which you clearly didn’t since you didn’t answer that question.”
“Did you get footage on your security cameras?” Raine asked.
“Yes,” Guadalupe confirmed. “But he was dressed in all black with a hoodie and a mask. He wore gloves. He was completely covered up. I tried enhancing the footage, but I didn’t get anywhere.”
“What was he doing?” Harlow asked.
“He didn’t try my doors, but he did attempt to open several of the windows. I keep them locked. He didn’t try to break in, but after he’d tested the windows, he walked around my house in my flower bed, every now and then crouching down as if he were examining the soil. His actions were strange.”
“Sometimes,” Raine said, “you can get an impression of someone just by the way they walk. Did you think, even for a moment, that you knew the man?”
Guadalupe shook her head. “To be honest, I was scared. I live alone in my house. I don’t have a dog. It was the first time I’ve ever been afraid here in Knightly.”
Harlow heard the single note of fear in her voice. She wasn’t acting. If anything, she was trying to appear calm and matter-of-fact.
“He went to my mailbox and kept circling it. I watched him on the surveillance video over and over, trying to make out what he was doing, but I just couldn’t see.”
“Would you give me access to that footage?” Raine asked. “I have ways to enhance video. I might be able to run a recognition program if I get a partial on his face.”