Doubt flickered in his orbs. He regained his high-and-mighty attitude in a flash, turning it on Charlie and Noah, who now added to her semicircle of protectors. He pointed an accusing finger at Charlie. “And you, asshole, filed a bogus complaint against me and not only told the building inspector to pay me a visit, but you told him to invent a bunch of shit that’s gonna take weeks to work through.”
Charlie scoffed. “For someone throwing around the term ‘baseless accusations,’ you’re doing plenty of slinging yourself, and I don’t appreciate it. Do you have a piece of paper with my signature on it? Did youseemy name in writing anywhere? Is the inspector even from this county? Do you have any idea if I’ve ever even met the guy?”
Noah’s hand wrapped around Hailey’s bicep, and he tugged her back with a mild touch. That gentleness was at odds with the harsh tone he unleashed on Dell’s owner. “How does being shut down feel, Keating?”
Keating took note of Noah’s grip on her arm. “You two have been conspiring against me since the beginning, and Iwillburn you down. You can stake your life on it.”
Chapter 32
Silver Summit
Noah gawped at Haileyas she faced him, looking vulnerable and small, chewing her bottom lip. “Why didn’t you tell me about these sooner?” He pointed at the three notes lying on his desk as he fought down his anger and his fear—anger at the sick bastard who was targeting her and fear the guy wanted to hurt her.
“I-I thought it was a joke. I mean, they creeped me out, but I couldn’t imagine who would pull a stunt like that. After Bruno Keating’s threat yesterday, though …”
“What do you think, Shane?”
Deputy O’Brien spread the papers over the desk with a latex-covered hand. “We can start by seeing if there are any usable prints on them, and if there are, we can do some comparisons.” He raised his head to Hailey. “When did you find the first one?”
“Almost ten days ago.”
“So the second one was the same as the first, except they addedYou can’t hide, correct?”
“Yes, it’s right there,” she snapped.
Shane cocked an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was a strained whisper, and Noah reined in an urge to gather her up in his arms and carry her off. That wouldn’t do a damn thing to nail the scumbag who was doing this to her, though.
“It’s okay.” Shane gave her a reassuring half-smile. The dude was all right, even if hedidhave a thing for Hailey that made the green guy inside Noah rattle his cage. “And you found the third one this morning:I’m watching you. You can’t hide. Your time is almost up. In the same spot under your wiper?”
“Yes. I let Chance out early—before six—and there it was.”
She’d insisted on getting up with the mutt so Noah could sleep in after another late night behind the bar. Damn it, he should’ve been letting him out. Chance washisdog. From now on, hewouldbe the one doing early morning duty, and Hailey wasn’t going to change his mind.
“Fuck, I wish that security system was installed,” he gusted in frustration. The cameras would have wide coverage of the parking lot, but they still hadn’t arrived.
“Are you putting those up front too?” Shane asked.
“A few, yeah.”
“I was just thinking how they’ll help if someone else has a slip and fall like Helene Holiday did. Did you know she just passed?”
Noah didn’t mask his shock. “No. When?”
“Died in her sleep late yesterday. She’d been transferred to Ridgway for rehab. Her recovery was moving along, and she was feistier than ever, so it came as a shock when one of the nurses told me about it early this morning.”
“Aw, shit. I meant to go see her, and I never did.”I meant to take her a toddy.
“Don’t feel bad. She probably wouldn’t have recognized you.” Shane pointed at the notes. “Mind if I take these?”
Hailey cinched her arms around her body. “No, please do.”
After he left, Noah enfolded her and held her tight against him. “I’m going to postpone my meeting with Silver Summit today.”
She yanked back so hard he nearly stumbled. “Don’t you dare! You’ve waited for this for too long. I’ll be fine. I’ll be at Mountain Coffee withAmy through lunch. Then I’m back here. Dixie isn’t going to let anyone near me, and Chance will be right behind her. Go, Noah. Please.”
The plea in her glacier-blue eyes stirred a vortex of emotion inside him, and he caved. “Okay, but you text me when you’re leaving Amy’s, and you text me when you get here. Don’t run any errands without me.”
