She was about to send the images to Chelsey when a loud knock on the window made her jump. Focused on Damian and the woman, she hadn’t noticed the man sneaking up on her vehicle. He leaned toward the window, his white handlebar mustache puffing with each angry breath. His biceps stretched the sleeves of his t-shirt as he motioned for her to lower the window. Raven fumbled with the keys and turned on the engine. After the window slid down, the man poked his head inside, invading her space. His breath smelled of cigarettes.
“You a cop?”
“No,” Raven said, not wanting to reveal she was a private investigator and blow her cover. What if this guy knew Damian?
“Then what the hell are you doing in my parking lot? This is for gym members only, and I don’t see a sticker on your car.”
“Excuse me, but who are you?”
“Mark Benson. I own this gym, and I can have you arrested for loitering.”
“My apologies. I was actually here…” Raven scanned the storefronts beside Benson’s Barbells and focused on a salon. “To get my hair done. I guess I pulled into the wrong lot.”
He rested his forearms on the sill and nodded at the passenger seat.
“What’s on the camera?”
“The camera? Oh, nothing. Just nature shots. I’m an amateur photographer.”
“Is that why you’re taking pictures of my clients? Don’t look surprised, Missy. My security cameras miss nothing. Now, hand me the camera, or I’ll call the police.”
“Slow down. I screwed up and drove into the wrong lot. Give me a second, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
He tapped a meaty finger on the sill.
“You’re not going anywhere until you show me what’s on the camera.”
She’d played nice until this point. But this guy was pissing her off.
“Sir, I’m raising the window. If you want to keep your arm, you’ll step away from my vehicle.”
“I got your plate number. The second I get inside, I’m calling the police. You can explain to them why you’re photographing my clients.”
He didn’t remove his arm until she raised the window. When she gunned the engine, Benson shot her a glare. Her body trembled with fury as she navigated the busy lot. She could see him in the mirror. The jerk hadn’t budged.
When she turned onto the thoroughfare, Raven called Chelsey.
“I got pictures of Damian talking to another woman.”
“So he’s cheating on Sadie,” Chelsey said.
“I can’t prove it. But the girl was young and drop dead gorgeous. They were still talking when I left.”
“You aren’t following Damian home?”
Raven tossed the braids off her shoulder.
“The owner ran me off. We might have a problem, Chelsey. He recorded me with the security cameras and caught me photographing Damian.”
“Is he calling the police?”
“He claims so.”
“Don’t worry about it. Chances are he’s bluffing and trying to scare you. I know a cop inside the Kane Grove PD. If this guy makes a stink, I’ll call the office and explain. This won’t be an issue.”
A laundromat with a purple hatchback in the parking lot stood on the opposite side of the roadway. Raven pulled the Rogue into a parking space and idled.
“I’m sending you the pictures now,” Raven said, toggling the camera’s transmission screen.
“Where are you?”
“Louie’s Laundry. It’s a quarter-mile past Benson’s. I’ll wait until Damian drives past, then follow him.”
“Don’t let him see you.”
“I’ll be careful. Before I forget, Deputy Shepherd called this morning.”
Silence.
“Chelsey?”
“I’m here.”
“He’s hosting a cookout with Darren Holt at the state park Thursday after work. You’re invited, if you’re not busy.”
Chelsey shuffled papers in the background.
“I can’t Thursday. My central air is acting up, and the repairman is stopping by between five and six.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hey, stop by if you don’t believe me. The upstairs is like a sauna.”
“Okay. Well, I’d better watch for Damian. See you at the office tomorrow morning.”
“All right, Raven. Terrific work as always.”
Raven ended the call and pushed her tongue against her cheek. Another lame excuse from Chelsey. If her friend wanted to be alone for the rest of her life, Raven couldn’t change her mind.
It was five-thirty. Damian probably wouldn’t leave the gym until six. She shut the engine off and paged through her phone. Bored, she snatched the fast food bag off the seat and palmed another fistful of fries. They were lukewarm and soggy. She crumpled the bag and tossed it out the window into a garbage can.
As she leaned the seat back, prepared for a long wait, a red Kia shot past the laundromat at twenty mph over the speed limit. The windows were down, and Raven recognized the athletic blonde from the gymnasium. Raven gunned the engine and swung the Rogue onto the road, theorizing Damian might drive to the girl’s house after his workout.
The Kia darted through traffic like a pinball, then sped up at the intersection. The light turned red as Raven raced to keep up. Slamming the brakes, she slapped the steering wheel and watched the Kia shrink in her windshield. A tractor trailer crossed in front of her.
She’d lost the girl.
CHAPTER NINE
Tuesday, July 14th
6:45 p.m.
Two hours before sunset, Cecilia Bond stopped beside the river and set the walking stick on the grassy bank. Water chuckled over rock, the level high after the rainy spring. Across the way, two trees lay uprooted where May’s flood chewed up the bank. She caught her breath. Ten years ago, she’d run a 10K in Kane Grove. Since the diagnosis, even a leisurely walk winded her.
If Duncan could see her now, he’d say, “I told you so. I begged you not to go out on your own. But you didn’t listen. You never listen!”
The echoes
