Hearts Divided (Cedar Cove #5.5)(41)

He smiled, imagining Chloe Abbott and Liberty Hall’s bell tower blowing sky-high.

It was almost too easy.

Four

“There’s Gray.” Jake pointed at a booth near the back of the restaurant. He dropped his hand to her waist to gently urge Chloe ahead of him and they made their way to the rear of the room.

The man who rose to meet them was as tall as Jake, but his build and coloring were the opposite. With tawny hair and brown eyes, Gray was lean where Jake was burly. Jake introduced Chloe and she slid into the booth, studying the two men while they talked.

“I ordered coffee for us.”

“No doughnuts?” Jake said.

“No, but since you’re buying, I’m thinking of ordering an eight-course meal for four.”

“It’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner,” Jake pointed out.

“I’ll ask for a doggie bag.”

“Yeah, right.”

The waitress interrupted them, pouring coffee into their cups.

“So, Chloe.” Gray shifted his focus when she’d left. “Jake tells me you’re having a problem with someone following you?”

“I haven’t exactly had a problem yet. It’s more like I’m afraid I might have a problem. So far, I’ve had the uneasy feeling that someone’s watching me, sometimes following me, but that’s all.” She tore open a packet and stirred sugar into her coffee, looking up in time to catch a swift exchange of glances between Gray and Jake.

“If you’re being followed, someone has a reason. Have you had any disagreements with students that got out of hand?”

“No.” She shook her head. “One of my freshman composition classes had a debate about the military after the Tribune story appeared, but that’s about it.”

“What kind of debate?”

“Some of the students argued that international peacekeeping wasn’t worth the loss of American solders’ legs or lives. Others believed the cost to our country and our soldiers was necessary to help maintain peace around the world.”

Gray’s eyes narrowed. “Did any of the students argue directly with you?”

“No. I tried to stay neutral. The discussion grew heated, but I don’t remember any student who was angry with me specifically.”

“Tell him about the man outside the shop window,” Jake prompted.

Chloe repeated what she’d told Jake earlier.

“Do you remember what he looked like?” Gray asked, taking a pen and notebook from his pocket and flipping it open.

“Average height, weight, black hair. There really wasn’t anything distinctive about him. He wore a baseball hat pulled down over his eyes and dark sunglasses, so I couldn’t see much of his face.”

“Do you remember how he was dressed—jacket, shirt?”

“Yes.” Chloe related the details she could recall.

“When you saw him, did you have the same uneasy feeling that you said you felt today on campus?”

Chloe’s eyes widened as she considered the question. “Yes, it was exactly the same.”

“Then maybe you have seen the man who’s stalking you.” Gray looked at his notes, then back at Chloe. “Have you received any threatening phone calls or letters?”

“No, of course not.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m positive. Trust me, I’d remember if I’d received anything like that.”

“I believe you.” Gray closed his notebook and sat back, eyeing the two of them across the table. “Unfortunately, until whoever’s stalking you actually does something, there’s nothing I can do except take your information and file a report.”

“I was afraid of that,” Chloe said, glancing at Jake. His face was grim and a muscle flexed along his jawline.

“There must be some way we can flush this guy out,” Jake muttered.

“The department’s budget doesn’t provide for enough manpower to have Chloe followed,” Gray said. He nodded thoughtfully. “But unofficially, maybe…”

“What?” Jake demanded.

Gray reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a narrow envelope, tapping it against the table. “My aunt gave me her two tickets for the Seattle symphony tomorrow night at Benaroya Hall. If Chloe’s willing to go with you, I’ll follow you. If we’re lucky, our stalker will be so busy watching you he won’t notice me.”

“I don’t like it.” Jake scowled. “It puts Chloe in a potentially dangerous situation.”

“It’s not as if this person has actually threatened me, Jake,” she said. “In fact, he hasn’t really done anything except watch me. It’s creepy, granted, but it’s possible he’s someone from campus with a crush on me, maybe a student from one of my classes. And if we confront him, it’s likely he’ll stop. Don’t you think that makes sense, Gray?”

The two men exchanged an unreadable look.

“Benaroya Hall is a public place, Jake. It’s not likely he’ll try anything in a crowd that big,” Gray said. “The head of security at the hall is an ex-Seattle PD captain. He can move people around and get me a seat above you so I can search the crowd for anyone who might be watching you instead of the stage. And you’ll be with Chloe the entire time, which means he won’t have a chance to get near her while she’s alone.”