“There—at the back of the house, near the bedroom on the south side,” she called out, pointing in that direction.
Wrapping the housecoat more securely about her, she returned to the house. As she waited, she paced the living room. When she heard a loud knock at her front door, she rushed to answer it—and found Troy Davis standing there, looking grim and hard-faced.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded.
He sounded angry, as he had every right to be. What an irrational, irresponsible thing she’d done in calling him.
“I’m…shaken up,” she told him, hoping that would be enough to explain why she’d behaved so illogically.
“Wait here,” he said and left her.
Faith lowered herself into her favorite rocker. She sat there for long moments, unmoving, not knowing what to think or why someone had targeted her.
That was obviously the case. She’d done her best to ignore the fact, pretend this couldn’t be happening. Now, whoever this person was, he’d come back, bolder and even more aggressive. After the initial break-in, he—or she—had spray painted her garage. Now—
“There’s clear evidence of someone outside your bedroom window,” Troy said sternly as he came through the front door. “Deputy Walker saw footprints in the snow.” His tone was almost…accusatory.
Faith looked up at him and blinked, bewildered.
Troy’s nod was curt and professional as he prepared to leave.
But Faith sensed his hesitation.
“Did you lock the dead bolts before you went to bed?” he asked.
She confirmed that she had. “I also purchased a pair of old work boots from Goodwill and set them on the porch. I bought the largest size I could find—fourteen. Then I added a huge dog dish and a bone, so it would look as if I have a dog.” She figured that since she was pretending she had a dog, she might as well make him big. Her son and daughter had found her antics amusing. Troy apparently didn’t.
“Did you get a real security system?” he snapped.
That she hadn’t done. This was a rental house and she had a six-month lease. She hoped to buy a home within the next few months. It seemed a waste of time and money to invest in a security system when she didn’t intend to live here much longer. And she didn’t feel an alarm system was the landlord’s responsibility.
“No,” she admitted.
“Then I recommend you do so.”
Faith nodded.
Troy turned to leave again.
Frightened, she didn’t want to be alone, but she didn’t know how to stop him. “Why are you so angry?” she cried out.
Troy’s back was to her. He held himself stiff, and then she saw his shoulders deflate as he faced her. He didn’t seem to have an answer.
“It was wrong of me to call you. I apologize, I really do.” She didn’t remind him that he’d been the one to make that suggestion. It had stayed there, in her mind, like a thorn caught on a piece of fabric. In her weakened state she’d done what she’d wanted to all along and now regretted it.
Still Troy didn’t speak, didn’t move or give even a hint that he’d heard her.
“I realize I shouldn’t have….”
He accepted her answer with a curt nod. “You’ve made it plain you don’t want me in your life.”
Heat rose in her cheeks, embarrassing her even more. “Yes, I know. I—”
“Then why, when you felt you were in danger, did you reach out to me?”
He was obviously determined to make this difficult. She told him the truth, since she couldn’t come up with any other explanation. “I feel safe with you.”
He glared across the room at her.
It felt awkward to be sitting while he loomed over her, even if he was on the other side of the room. Faith stood abruptly. She hated to let him see how upset she was by this latest disturbance.
“I need some coffee,” she said, knowing there was no point in going back to bed now. “Would you like some, Troy?” she asked, refusing to allow his anger to affect her.
“No.”
It didn’t sound as if he meant that, so she proceeded into the kitchen, immeasurably pleased when he came, too, a few paces behind her.
“I have the names of a couple of companies who install security systems,” he said. “I’ll have Megan pass them on to you.”
Faith continued to prepare the coffee. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you, Troy.”
He seemed on the verge of leaving again. She resisted the urge to stop him, although she didn’t want to be alone. No, it was more than that. She wanted Troy with her. She needed him.
“I saw the TV report about the cave and the skeleton on that Seattle station,” she said conversationally. “I hear everyone in the area’s talking about it. I hope all this media attention hasn’t caused your office any problems.” The reporter had started all kinds of speculation, and as a result Kitsap County seemed to be alive with rumors, some of them pretty ridiculous.
Troy didn’t answer, but he didn’t walk away, either.
She glanced over at him, waiting for a response.
“Mayor Benson isn’t happy about it,” he finally said. “Neither am I.”
“It puts a lot of pressure on you and your staff, doesn’t it?” She brought a mug to the kitchen table and set it down while the coffee filtered into the pot. “Is that the reason you’re so cranky?”
Again he didn’t answer.
“Or does it have to do with Will Jefferson?”
Troy’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak.