He shook his head. “Not tonight, Jill. I’ve got some things to think about.”
“Good night then.” I kissed him quickly on the lips and stepped into the house, shutting the door after me. I watched out the side window as he stood, waiting for me to click the dead bolt. Then he stepped off into the gloom that had turned into a dense fog. For the second time that night, I prayed for his safety.
Thursday had gone splendidly—so far. My run with Emma had been amazing. The commuter coffee club had actually bought books as well as their daily hit of joe. And I’d had a good lull in customers, which meant more time to read. When the bell over the door jingled, I slipped a marker into my book and stood to stretch.
“Were you serious about putting the litter problem on the agenda?” Josh Thomas stood just inside my door, holding a manila folder.
Inside I groaned. On the outside, however, I put on my best fake smile and nodded. “Of course. But we’ve got weeks before our next meeting.”
Josh blushed and thrust the folder toward me. “Not that long. Besides, I want the committee to be prepared. Can you make copies of this file for each member? City Hall should be paying for these administrative costs, not me.”
I took the file that was stuffed with paper copies of digital pictures Josh had taken regarding the trash flowing through our lovely town. A rubber band held the folder together. “I may not be able to make everyone a full set of these, but I’ll have several copies made so people can get the full scope of the problem.”
Josh pursed his lips together, considering my offer. “I guess that will work.” He glanced toward the back of the shop. “Is Jackie working today?”
“Five to nine, just like every other Thursday.” I set the folder on a table. “Why? Are you two fighting again?” I didn’t know what she saw in the man, but he worshiped her.
Josh sighed and I thought I felt a minitremor run through the floor of the shop. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve seen a man hanging around watching for her. He disappears when I make myself known. Is she dating someone?”
“Not that I know of.” Except you, I added in my head. “But maybe it’s the guy who scammed Mary. What does he look like?”
Josh huffed. “It couldn’t be that guy. The person I’m seeing has impeccable taste in clothes and looks like he’s rich. Exactly the type of guy Jackie should be dating.”
Now I got it—Josh was feeling insecure. “Actually that sounds exactly like the type of man who could scam money out of unsuspecting travelers like Mary. Let me see your shots of him.”
“Who said I took pictures?” Josh rubbed the edge of his black suit jacket.
I held out my hand for the digital camera that hung around his neck. “Come on, I know you took pictures. Just to torture yourself.”
He stared at me for a few long seconds, then took the camera off his neck. He scrolled through a few shots, then held the screen so I could see the image. The man was casually leaning against a car parked in front of The Glass Slipper, like he was waiting for his wife to reappear after a quick shopping trip. But instead of watching the stained-glass store, his focus was on the business across the street—my shop. From the lighting, this shot was taken at dusk, right when my aunt would have been working. “You have other shots of this guy?”
Josh nodded. “I saw him a couple of days ago, but then yesterday, he was in town every time I went out to shoot pictures. I have a schedule. I shoot at eight, ten, noon, two, four, and six. That way the council can see the effect of tourists on the amount of litter.”
The guy was taking his crusade seriously. “Take all the pictures of this guy to Greg. Maybe he can verify if it’s the owner of the business where Aunt Jackie had her issues. It should be enough to get him brought in for questioning, I think.”
Josh hiked up his pants and grabbed the camera. “If Jackie’s in danger, then I’d better get this over to the police station now.”
As I watched him leave, I decided it was time to do a well-aunt check. I dialed the apartment number. The phone rang with no response. I hung up, considering going upstairs, when Aunt Jackie flew through the swinging door to the back office.
“Someone’s trying to get into my apartment.” She ran over and locked the front door. “Lock up the back and call your boyfriend.”
I swore as I dialed Greg’s cell, running to the back office to make sure the door was locked. I even bolted the door that led to the steps to the apartment. If someone was out there, they’d stay out.
“Hey, sweetheart, I can’t really talk right now.” Greg’s voice was low like he was in some meeting. “I’ll call you back.”
My nerves crackled. “Listen, you have to get over here right now. Aunt Jackie says someone is trying to break into the apartment.”