Cooper kept low as he made his way to the back of the house. He didn’t know what had set Marlee off, but it was something. He trusted her instincts. And he was going to make damn sure he had her back.
When he flattened himself against the back of the house near the back porch, he pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text to the group, letting them know what was going on. The day had been quiet. Almost too quiet. None of the three groups going door-to-door about the fake census had come across anything. Cooper had been about to chalk it up to another dead end. Then this.
He didn’t want to think about Marlee’s words before she’d gotten out of the truck. He should’ve known that it was too early to talk to her about their relationship. Hell. He wasn’t even sure if she thought of it as a relationship. She felt something for him, that much he knew, but that was all he knew. And he didn’t like the unknown. Never had. Most likely never would.
Cooper palmed the knife she’d given him earlier. He hadn’t wanted to take it. He had one on him at all times. With the knife in hand, he listened. Cooper hated that he couldn’t have eyes on Marlee, but she was smart. She could handle herself. His phone began to vibrate, alerting him to incoming texts. He glanced down at the phone to see that his friends were headed their way before he pocketed the cell.
Jace and Maddy were the nearest to him. Clayton was with … damn. Cooper kept forgetting her name. It was some college-aged girl whose father worked for Clayton. Cooper shook his head to clear it. Names didn’t matter right now. Keeping everyone safe and catching the bad guys was what mattered.
Cooper heard footsteps headed toward him instead of to the front of the dwelling. As he strained to hear, he caught the sound of the front door opening. At least two went inside. He heard a creak and tilted back his head to see the house’s window over his right shoulder. He spotted a shadow there as if someone were leaning back against it.
Slowly and quietly, he made his way from beneath the window to stand beside the back door so that whoever was at the window couldn’t see him if they looked down. That’s when he heard Marlee’s voice.
The surprise that flashed in the man’s eyes was hidden quickly enough after he opened the door. Marlee might not know who this older gentleman was, but he knew her. And that made her adrenaline kick up a notch.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m with the county, going house to house in an effort to get a new census in place. I wondered if I could take up a few minutes of your time.”
The man stared at her with dark brown eyes, his brown hair liberally laced with gray. He was clean-shaven, showing a jawline most men would kill for. He had broad shoulders and muscles shown by his tight shirt. No one that age kept in that kind of shape without reason. She immediately thought military. He just had that look about him. The I-can-get-through-anything look.
She swallowed, waiting for him to say something. Tense seconds passed when she thought he might come at her. That’s when she knew that this was the place they had been searching for.
What she needed to do was extract herself and wait until she and Cooper could meet up with everyone else, including Danny and Ryan to bring in the authorities. Of course, she needed actual evidence for that, not just a feeling. But if she went for the proof, there was a very real possibility that she—and Cooper—could be killed.
“Sir?” she pressed when he still didn’t answer. The silence was getting awkward. But that might be better than whatever he chose to say.
Marlee took a step back and held up her hands, one holding the clipboard. “That’s fine. You don’t have to answer the questionnaire. I’ll leave now and make sure that no one visits this house again. Have a good day.”
The moment Marlee turned, she wanted to run. She couldn’t help but think of herself as a sheep with a lion on its tail, ready to pounce. Frankly, it wasn’t a good feeling. It took considerable effort not to run, but Marlee somehow managed it. She glanced at Cooper’s truck but didn’t see him inside. No doubt, he was still around the back. She wanted to reach for her phone to text him, to get him to return to the vehicle immediately, but getting out her phone now wouldn’t be smart. She’d have to wait until she got to the truck.
An approaching white Mercedes S-Class pulling into the driveway snared her attention. The car parked, and the door opened as a tall woman with short blond hair got out. She was dressed smartly in clothes that looked more expensive than everything Marlee owned combined. The woman’s face was hidden as she opened the back door of the car and took out some shopping bags along with her purse. Then she turned around.
And Marlee finally got a good look at her.
“Stella?” Marlee asked in surprise before she could stop herself.
Stella stood in shock for a heartbeat before she blinked and smiled. She was in her late fifties but looked years younger. “Marlee Frampton? Is that you? What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Working.” Marlee’s mind was in overdrive as she pulled up as many memories of Stella as she could. Stella had been a neighbor for five years before she moved away for several more and then returned. For some reason, Marlee’s mother had taken an instant liking to Stella, and the two had become friends.
But there had always been something about the woman that didn’t seem right to Marlee. Macey had said she was crazy, so Marlee had let it go. Yet when she tried to remember the last time she had personally seen Stella, she realized it had been right after Macey died. And not since.
“How long have you been here?” Marlee asked.
Stella laughed and shrugged, but the sound was forced. “Awhile, actually. Oddly enough, I like the quiet. Your mother called yesterday. I didn’t get a chance to call her back yet. How is she doing?”
“She’s fine. What is it that you do exactly? I asked Mom once, but I don’t know that she ever told me.”
“I’ve got the best job. It allows me to move anywhere I want and still get paid. Thank goodness, because I’ve got wanderlust.” Stella laughed.
Marlee didn’t join her. She waited for Stella to give her an answer.
Stella cleared her throat. “I work for a law firm. They like to keep tabs on their clients who feel they’re in danger as well as others who might cause problems for them. I hire men,” she said and jerked her chin over Marlee’s shoulder, “to ensure all that happens without incident.”
Marlee turned her head just enough to spot the man from the door standing a few feet behind her. “And I suppose if there is an incident, your men know how to take care of it.”
“That they do.” Stella moved closer as she adjusted her purse and bags. “Perhaps while you’re in town, we can have dinner together. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I’d like to get an update on your parents.”
“You could get that by calling my mom.”
Stella’s smile tightened, and her blue eyes turned cold. “I could, but we both know your mother glosses over things. They’re both getting on in years. I’m surprised you aren’t there helping to care for them. It would be a shame if anything happened.”
“Is that a threat?” Marlee demanded as she took a step closer.
Stella smiled. “Not at all.”
“I hope not.”
“It was nice seeing you, Marlee. Be sure and tell your mother hello for me.”
Marlee turned as Stella walked past her and into the house. The older gentleman stood his ground for several minutes until he walked backward into the home. Only then did Marlee turn and make her way to the truck. She was shaking by the time she got inside. It took her a moment to realize that Cooper wasn’t with her. She started to get out to find him when she saw him peek around the corner of the house. As soon as he spotted her, he made his way back.
Once in the truck, he said, “What was that?”
“The house we’ve been looking for. Drive. We need to get everyone together because we have to move fast.”