Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(51)

Tension caused him to tighten his hold on the steering wheel. He sat in the driver's seat and forced his pulse to return to normal by taking deep, even breaths. When he was certain his legs would support him, he opened the car door and climbed out.

"You can't leave your car there," a uniformed officer informed him as he walked into the station.

He began to explain, then changed his mind. He might be making more of this than necessary. "I'll move it in just a moment. I need a phone book."

"You'll move it now."

Bob wanted to argue, to explain, but decided against both. It was easy enough to pull his vehicle around. He parked in the street, then walked back to the station and located a public telephone near the restrooms.

He looked up Roy McAfee's home number and used his cell phone to place the call.

"McAfee," Roy snapped, sounding like the police detective he'd once been.

"Someone was following me," Bob said without introduction.

"When?" Roy's voice was hard as steel.

"Just now."

"Where are you?"

Bob leaned his shoulder against the wall. "At the sheriff's office."

"Good. Did you get the license plate number?"

Bob closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. I was so rattled I didn't even think to look."

"What make was the car?"

That he remembered. "A blue SUV. Ford, I think. Or maybe a Chevy."

"Doesn't narrow it down much. Are you sure you didn't get any of the plate number?"

Bob wanted to kick himself. "No, sorry."

"You okay?"

"Of course I'm all right." He hoped his voice didn't betray how badly this had unsettled him. "What should I do now?"

"Drive over to my house. I'll meet you and follow you home. We can talk there."

"Okay." He climbed back in the car and started the engine. His hand trembled as he turned the ignition key.

He checked the rearview mirror every few seconds during the drive to Roy and Corrie's. He thought he saw the SUV once, but if so it kept a respectable distance that didn't allow him an opportunity to read the license plate. But by then he was so jumpy he would've suspected any car that came within two blocks of him.

When he arrived at the McAfees' home, Roy was already in the car. He pulled in directly behind Bob and followed him down Heron to Cranberry Point.

Peggy was standing at the back door waiting for him as if she knew something was wrong. He was only a few minutes later than he'd told her he'd be.

"What is it?" she asked as he walked from the garage to the house, Roy directly behind him.

Sometimes Bob swore his wife had a sixth sense. "I was followed."

Her eyes widened with alarm. "Just now?"

He nodded. "I called Roy from the sheriff's office. To be on the safe side he decided to follow me home."

"What's happening?" Hannah stepped into the kitchen, her expression curious—and more than a little wary.

"I think we should all sit down," Peggy suggested. Roy came into the house with Bob, and the four of them sat in the family room. Hannah, who was dressed for bed, resembled a lost waif with her long hair falling about her face and huge, frightened eyes.

"Tell us the whole story, from the beginning," Roy said.

There wasn't all that much to tell. Bob explained how the car had come right up on his bumper when he first drove down Harbor Street

and then pulled back. How the driver had maintained a reasonable distance as Bob took a number of twists and turns to establish whether or not he was being followed.

"Whoever it was didn't want to be identified," Roy said.

"Did you recognize the person in the car?" Peggy asked.

Bob shook his head. "No—I didn't really look. I mean, when the car first came up behind me the only thought that went through my mind was how close on my tail it was."

"Did you notice if the driver was a male or female?" Roy asked. "One person or two?"

Bob felt like an utter failure. He should be able to answer at least that question, but in all honesty he couldn't. "One, I think. Male.. .but I'm not sure." Disgusted with himself, he shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't tell."

Peggy reached for his hand and her fingers curled around his. He was sure she didn't realize how tightly she squeezed.

"Anything else you can remember?" Roy prodded.

"Nothing. But if it happens again, I'll know what to look for."

"Again?" Peggy gasped.

Bob could tell she was badly shaken, but he couldn't come up with a single reassurance. Not even one.

"Who do you think it might be?" Bob asked his friend.

"Whoever it is wanted you to know you were being followed." Roy said, "otherwise he wouldn't have made it this obvious."

"Why?"

"Why else?" Peggy cried. "He's trying to frighten us."

Bob had news for her; the attempt had worked.

"But...who would do such a thing?" Hannah asked. "What sort of person?"

"It might have nothing to do with the murder," Roy told them.

"What else could it mean?"