“I’ll duck,” Sophia responded, her voice high and breathless. “He’s on foot, anyway. I’m on a bike, and I’ve got Teddy.”
With that, Teddy dragged them over the remaining sidewalk, bringing them to a few feet from where the intruder stood, studying the cottage. As soon as he whipped his head to the side and saw them, his eyes widened. He took off at a sprint, far faster than anything she could anticipate. Sophia realized he’d turned into a blur before she plucked up the courage to go after him.
“Don’t do anything stupid!” Darren yelled, his voice catching toward the end. “For God’s sake, Soph. I’ll be right there.”
Once the line went dead, Sophia’s phone slid down into the small basket between the handlebars. She stared at it for a few seconds before she lifted her gaze and followed the intruder’s path. Once he darted off the beach’s sidewalk, Teddy dragged them along after him, barely losing momentum as he did.
Sophia winced as the metal dug into her flesh.
Her heart continued to hammer unsteadily as she gripped both handlebars in a vice-like grip and allowed Teddy to weave them in and out of alleyways and side streets. After a series of twists and turns through the streets of the town, Sophia was covered in sweat, and they were no closer to catching up to the intruder. Teddy had begun to slow down, and Sophia’s muscles were screaming in protest.
She pulled on the brakes when she realized they were going in circles, and the intruder had disappeared. Shoving her hair out of her face, she glanced around and waited for her heart rate to return to normal. As soon as it did, she spotted Darren’s truck barreling toward her, his headlights making spots dance in her field of vision. He screeched to a halt next to the curb, got out, and covered the distance between them, his eyes tight with fury.
“What were you thinking?”
“I wanted to stop him.” Sophia hopped off the bike and lost her balance. Darren’s hand darted out, but she waved him away and righted herself. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”
Her legs felt like jelly, and her clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin.
Teddy was panting and wagging his tail.
Darren folded his arms over his chest. “When you’re done playing detective, we can head home.”
Sophia tilted her head back and stared at a spot over Darren’s shoulders. Her vision sharpened into focus, and she frowned at the Wilson Realty sign in big, bold, cursive letters.
What did any of it mean? Were all of the robberies connected somehow?
“…going to have put some kind of tracker in your arm or something,” Darren grumbled darkly. “Or maybe we can add a bell around your neck.”
Sophia gave him a dirty look. “You wouldn’t. Besides, I was trying to help.”
Darren opened his mouth and stopped when Sophia grabbed his arm and squeezed hard. “Is that Amy?”
Darren spun around, and Lily’s stepmother materialized out of the darkness in a large trench coat that was a few sizes too big. Amy tugged on the sash and kept glancing over her shoulder, her eyes wide and unfocused. Before she knew what she was doing, Sophia was crossing the street with Darren and Teddy in tow, a heaviness settling in the center of her stomach.
“Call Lily,” Sophia whispered, her mouth barely moving over the words. “Something strange is definitely going on.”
Amy froze when she saw them, her face devoid of color and her normally lustrous hair tied into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. “What are you doing here?”
“We were out for a walk.” Sophia gestured to Teddy and stopped a few feet away from Amy. “Amy, are you okay? Shouldn’t you be in Provincetown?”
Amy’s tongue darted out to lick her lips. “I was, but I had…I had a meeting. He canceled at the last second, and I started walking around…”
Sophia took a step forward. “Why don’t you come home with us? We’ve got plenty of room, and I can have Lily pick you up in the morning.”
Amy took an involuntary step back, her eyes darting back and forth. “No, I can’t. It’s not safe.”
Sophia and Darren exchanged a quick look.
Darren ended the call and offered Amy a gentle smile. “Amy, you do know that I’m a firefighter, right? And Sophia’s brother is a cop. Whatever it is, we can help.’
Amy took a few more steps back, some of the color draining from her face. She clenched and unclenched her hands. “No, I…I’ve done enough damage. I’ve got to go.”
With that, she darted away and disappeared down the alley.
Sophia took off after her, with Darren and Teddy following close behind. When they got out of the alley, Amy was nowhere to be found, as if she’d disappeared into the night.
During the ride home, Sophia kept turning the situation over and over in her head.
