Leslie claimed a spot on the couch, and she was both surprised and pleased when Clint sat beside her. Without hesitation, he put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his side.
Together, they sipped their hot chocolate in silence. The sound of doors slamming and distant voices outside periodically interrupted their bubble of peace.
Leslie could picture Mr. Moody two houses down, griping about how the neighborhood was going to pot. Ifanyone had seen something, it likely would’ve been him. In fact, she wouldn’t be the least surprised if he was the one who called it in to the police in the first place.
“Security cameras.” The words left her mouth before she realized she was going to say them. “I think I’m going to get some security cameras after payday. I mean, investing that money pretty much guarantees I won’t need them, right?” She could certainly hope that was the case.
“I think one for each door would be a good idea.” He took another sip from his mug and rested his cheek against the side of her head. “This is some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.”
“I won a canister of it in a white elephant gift exchange at the station last Christmas. I’ve been hooked on it ever since. It’s hard to find during the summer, so I’m planning to stock up this winter, so I’ll be set for next year.”
She reached over and set her mug on the coffee table. When she returned to her spot by Clint’s side, she rested a hand against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heart sent a wave of peace through her. It was scary how quickly she was coming to rely on this amazing man who was dangerously close to capturing her heart.
“You’ll have to text me the name so I can get some for my parents. It’d make a good addition to their Christmas gifts.”
“I’ll take a picture of the canister for you.”
Clint shifted to place his mug next to hers. “Sounds like a plan.” He placed a hand over hers and softly stroked the backs of her fingers with his thumb.
When she tilted her head to look up at him, he was watching her with a longing that stole her breath. The last of the chill from being outside fled as he kissed her. Hislips explored hers slowly, thoroughly, coaxing a sigh of contentment.
A knock at the door splintered their perfect moment of peace. Clint broke the kiss but pressed another to her forehead before standing and going to the door.
He greeted someone and then stepped aside so that they could enter.
Detective Paris stood in the center of the room and addressed Leslie. “I knew you’d want an update. Your car has been dusted for prints, and we’ve taped plastic over your window just in case it rains. You’ll want to call your insurance company tomorrow to have that window replaced. We’re taking the toy fire truck back to the precinct with us. With any luck, there’ll be some evidence left behind. Even finding out what kind of fire melted the plastic could give us a push in the right direction.”
Clint nodded. “That’s good. What about the neighbors? Someone called it in. Did anyone see anything?”
Smashing the glass out of a car window had to have made some noise. Surely someone heard that and looked out the window.
“Two different neighbors reported seeing a man in a dark jacket with the hood pulled low over his head. He had what looked like a baseball bat, and that’s what he used to break the window. Neither of them saw his face or a car on the street that didn’t belong there. Once he busted out the window and set something inside, he took off running south and cut across someone’s back lawn. That’s where we lost track of him.”
Disappointment coiled itself in Leslie’s chest. “This guy’s like a ghost. He keeps disappearing.”
“He’s also getting bolder,” Clint added. “He obviouslythinks he can avoid getting caught. I think he likes the challenge.”
Leslie stood and reached for a section of hair and absently coiled it around one of her fingers. Yes, the guy did seem to like the challenge. At this point, she was pretty confident that she was the target. Was it a matter of disrupting her life and frightening her? Or did he have a bigger agenda in mind? Assuming this was the same man who shot Danny, he was clearly capable of escalating.
Detective Paris agreed with Clint. “He’s overconfident, and he probably thinks he’s in control. That means he’s more likely to make a mistake. The moment he does, we’ll be there. Tomorrow, we’re going to track down Ortiz’s old roommate and find out what he knows. It’s time we got some answers.” He focused on Leslie, his concern evident. “Someone will be stationed within view of your house until we find this guy. I’m sorry for all you’re going through, Leslie.”
“Thank you.”
It did make her feel a little better knowing that an officer would be nearby. Still, she had no idea how she was supposed to relax enough to fall asleep tonight. Not when every creak was going to make her wonder if someone was prowling around in the shadows. At the very least, she’d be keeping all the lights on. Her vision swam as unwanted tears flooded her eyes. She blinked them away. There wasn’t time to fall apart.
Clint walked the detective out. They exchanged a few words before he closed the door again and secured the locks. He’d just turned around when her cell phone pinged.
The moment Becca’s name appeared, Leslie’s stomach dropped. Even as she swiped to read the text message, she knew it wasn’t going to be good news.
“Please continue to keep Danny in your prayers. He’s developed a fever, and the doctor says he’s got an infection from the bullet wound or surgery. They’re starting antibiotics.
“What’s wrong?”
The kindness in Clint’s voice combined with the text had Leslie fighting for control over her emotions. Today had been one hit after another, and she wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.
Chapter Twenty
Worry sparked as Leslie handed over the phone and Clint read the text. Getting an infection this early in the recovery process could set Danny back and make it hard for his wounds to heal. At least the doctors at Destiny Community Hospital were some of the best. They’d stay on top of things and do what they could to help Danny. He moved to hand the phone back to Leslie and stopped.
