Chapter 7
Seven
A sher took off his sodden jacket and laid it over the back of a dining chair. Running a hand over his hair, water droplets sprayed, dotting his light blue long-sleeved shirt. He wiped his hand on his jeans and glanced around.
Esther’s house wasn’t large, but it was homey. From the front door, the living room was to his right. A khaki sofa faced the side wall, which housed a fireplace and a TV mounted above it. A dark leather recliner sat to the couch’s left. To the right was an overstuffed chair in the same light brown as the couch. Gold accent tables sat next to both chairs, and a maple coffee table occupied the area in front of the sofa. Light oak floors ran throughout the main floor, interspersed with rugs.
To his left was the dining area. The maple table and white upholstered chairs seated six. A gold pendant light hung above it. On the taupe walls, she had a series of wooden shelves covered in plants.
Beyond the dining area, an island separated the space from the kitchen. The speckled granite counters sparkled in the overhead lighting, which also gave some shine to the eggshell gray cabinets. More plants sat on a shelf above the sink.
He wandered into the living room, glancing down the hallway. The stairs turned off to the left. Two doors went off to the right, and he assumed one went to a closet, because there was no vacuum sitting in the middle of the floor. At the end of the hall was a door that led outside.
Asher perched on the couch and took out his phone to send a quick text to Edie. I’m here.
Dots appeared on his screen, then, Did she let you in?
He smirked and responded. She did. Not sure how long it’ll last. She was cleaning and went to change. We haven’t talked yet.
Don’t let her throw you out. She needs you. I know you feel the weirdness too.
She wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t sure he was as convinced about the danger as Edie, but he definitely wanted to investigate more.
I’ll do my best. Try not to worry.
Sure. An eye roll emoji accompanied her reply.
His smile grew. He could almost hear her snort.
Clicking off of his messaging app, he opened his email, thumbing through the work messages that had arrived while he’d been traveling, answering a few. Just because he was a former CIA analyst didn’t mean he was out of the intelligence game. It was just a different kind of intelligence now, and he was more choosy about what he did and who he worked with. Most of his contracts were for companies who wanted to beef up their security. Or for those who had a breach and wanted someone to track the perpetrator down. He liked those the most. Finding someone and waltzing in through their digital back door was extremely satisfying. And now, if he took too long or failed, there were no lives on the line. Just dollars.
The doorbell rang. Standing, Asher pocketed his phone and went to answer it. He hoped Esther had already paid for the pizza. He didn’t have any cash on him. Not American money, anyway. Airport exchange rates sucked, and all the banks were closed by the time he landed in Portland.
Opening the door, Asher greeted the young man in a polo and hat with a national pizza chain’s name emblazoned on them.
“Hi.” The kid smiled and opened the insulated bag he held. He pulled out the pizza box and handed it over.
“Thanks. Did my friend already pay for it and leave you a tip?”
The kid nodded. “It’s been taken care of, yes.”
“Great. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
Asher closed the door and turned, heading for the kitchen. Esther appeared as he set the box on the island.
“Perfect timing.” He glanced her way, taking in her appearance. She’d showered, turning her coppery hair a deep shade of auburn. It hung in damp waves around her shoulders. Instead of the oversize shirt, she now wore a white long-sleeved tee with her school district’s logo on the front and the name down the sleeves. Gray leggings covered her legs, and she wore thick socks on her feet. She was still cute.
“I’m starving.” She walked to a cabinet and took out two plates, passing him one.
Asher added a couple of slices of pizza to his plate.
“Do you want a soda or something?”
“Sure. Anything you have. I’ll drink it all.”
She opened the fridge and took out two cans of Coke, handing him one, then put two pizza slices on her plate.
“Do you want to eat at the table?” He tipped his head toward the dining room.
“We can sit in the living room. I hardly ever use that thing.” She tipped a finger toward the table. “When my parents come over is about the only time it gets used. And not even all the time then.” Ripping some paper towels off the roll, she passed him some.
Asher took them, then gathered his dinner and headed for the living room. He waited for her to choose a seat—the recliner—then sat on the couch. The scent of hot cheese, tomatoes, and Italian spices tickled his nose as he lifted a slice and took a bite. Idly, he wondered how long she’d wait before she asked him to explain his presence.
One slice later, he got his answer.
“Can you explain what’s going on now, please?”
Asher washed his food down with a quick swig of soda. “So, after you talked to Edie Wednesday, she showed up at my house and asked me to do a background check on the Tylers. Said she was worried about you. I did a quick check and discovered that it’s highly unlikely Rob Tyler is Leah’s biological father.”
The slice of pizza in her hand hovered near her mouth. She blinked at him with wide eyes. “What?” She lowered her food back to her plate. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. He was in prison when she was conceived. Even if she was early, he was still in jail for months before and after.”
“Holy crap. So who’s her real father?”
“I don’t know, yet. I also don’t think Connie Tyler is who she says she is. I can’t find a record of her prior to her marriage to Rob, except for Leah’s birth certificate. The woman on the marriage certificate doesn’t exist. Her birth certificate, social security number—all that checks out, but she has zero credit or work history prior to marrying him. It’s possible she lived with family and didn’t have to work and never used a credit card, but at her age, that’s highly unlikely. They’ve also only been married for five years. Leah was four when they wed. Has the girl ever said anything to hint at having a different last name?”
“No. And she always calls Rob her dad. But I don’t see what this has to do with my safety. I mean, yeah, they live in a rough part of town and he’s creepy, but I’ve been more weirded out by the hoodie man outside their house and mine than?—”
Asher held up a hand. “The hoodie guy was at their house too?” That was the first he’d heard of that.
“Well, I’m not sure if it was the same guy. But there was a man in a hood on Wednesday when I left their place.”
“Describe the men.” He set his plate on the coffee table and took out his phone so he could take notes.
“Um, they were similar in height and build. Probably around five-ten or so. Average build. Wednesday, the man had on a gray hoodie and dark jeans. Last night, he was in jeans and a black hoodie. That’s all I could see. Both times, his hands were in his hoodie pocket, and he either had his head down or it was in shadow. I can’t tell you a skin color because of that.”
Asher typed the man’s description into his notepad app. “Do you think it was the same person?”
She shrugged. “Maybe? I’m really not sure. I wouldn’t think so. I live a long way from the Tylers, and I didn’t notice anyone following me.”
“Were you looking?”
Her mouth flattened, and she looked away. “Not really, no.”
He gave a quick nod. “So it could be the same man. But the question is, why would he follow you? And if it’s not, why was there a man standing outside your house?”
She picked at her pizza crust. “Now that you say it out loud like that, it sounds even weirder. And I don’t know who it could be. I don’t talk to many men outside of work.”
“It could be someone random that you met at a store. Some stalkers only need a smile from a woman to become fixated on them.”
Her eyes grew round, and she blanched. A curse floated through Asher’s head. He probably shouldn’t have said that.
“Sorry. I’m not trying to scare you. I usually go over details with the guys and Edie. This is stuff they’re used to hearing. Ford keeps me away from the people we protect for a reason.” Truthfully, he was much more comfortable talking to people through a chat box or email than in person. He knew he could be charming, but he also tended to say what was on his mind. And he thought out loud a lot. It helped him see the bigger picture.
“It could be, too, that it was just some random person on the sidewalk last night,” he continued. “Maybe he stopped to think or took a call, and you couldn’t see the earbuds in his ears. This could all be one big coincidence, and nothing is going on.”
She rolled her lips in, glancing away before nodding. “I hope that’s what it is. I don’t want to think that some lunatic is obsessed with me.”
He didn’t either. “There’s one more possibility we need to consider.” And this one actually scared him more than if she had a stalker. “It could be someone following you to get information about the Tylers. If Connie fled from an abusive relationship or from an unsafe situation, that person could be looking for her and their child.”
“God, that kid has been through so much. She was normal and healthy until an infection destroyed her heart muscle. I know she misses being the way she was. To think she had to change her identity too—” Esther shook her head. “I don’t know how she’s as normal as she is. Especially with Rob Tyler as her dad—sorry, stepdad.”
“Tell me more about him. I know he has some convictions for drugs. There were some burglary ones in his past too.”
“What kind of drugs?”
“Meth.”
She scrunched her nose. “I’ve never seen any evidence of drug use. But I’ve only been with Leah for a couple of months. Since school started. He’s rude and creepy, but she’s not afraid of him. Not really. She doesn’t want to upset him, but it’s more of a case of she doesn’t want him to yell than that she’s afraid he’ll hit her or something. I’ve seen kids afraid of their parents beating them. She doesn’t act that way.”
“What about her mom?”
“I’ve never met her.”
“Never?”
“No. She’s always at work when I’m there. Except this week, she’s been locked in her bedroom. Leah said she’s sick.”
Asher lifted an eyebrow. “And she’s locking herself in her room?”
“I mean locked in a euphemistic sense. She’s avoiding Leah to keep her from getting sick, so she’s staying in the bedroom. Leah’s immune system is still weak. Even a cold could cause a lot of problems for her.”
“Gotcha. You’re sure she’s there, though?”
That made Esther frown. “Actually, no. I’m only going off of what I’ve been told.”
“Is it possible Connie Tyler doesn’t exist?”
“No,” Esther was quick to respond. “Leah talks about her. I don’t think a child could lie that convincingly about having a mother. It’s too natural, and she mentions her too much.”
“Okay. At least we’re not dealing with a phantom. I’ll keep digging. In the meantime?—”
Esther lifted a hand. “Why did you come? And don’t give me that crap about appeasing Edie. She’s pushy, but she’s not that scary.”
Asher smirked and a shudder raked down his spine. “Honey, I’d rather tangle with a mountain lion than your sister.”
Esther chuckled. “You just have to get to know her. She’s a teddy bear.”
“With you. You’re her sister. But she doesn’t take crap from any of us. And with the pregnancy hormones? She was a little manic last night.”
“Last night?” Esther groaned. “She showed up at your house after our movie, didn’t she? It wasn’t a phone call. I assumed she called you and told you.”
“No. No phone call. She and Jordan appeared around eleven. She’s part of the reason I’m here. You didn’t see her. She’s truly stressing out about this situation, and it can’t be good for her right now. So, I’m here to help alleviate some of that. But I’m also here because I can’t discount what I’ve learned and all the things happening. A weird guy outside your house and a woman who isn’t who she says she is? Something’s not right.”
“I don’t need a protector. Edie might be the black belt, but I’m not helpless.”
“I didn’t say you were. But it’s always better to have another set of eyes, Essy.”
She huffed and picked up her pizza, taking a bite. While she chewed, she stared at a point over his shoulder. Asher could tell she was thinking about what he said. He let her. She’d come around to his way of thinking, eventually. Because at the end of the day, she didn’t want to stress her sister out, either, and she was uneasy about the man in the hoodie. That was evident in how her posture had changed while they talked about him.
Asher made it almost through his second pizza slice before she spoke again.
“So, what’s your plan? Do you become my shadow? Because that—” She broke off and shook her head. “I won’t like that.”
He had to tread carefully here. Leaving her unprotected wasn’t an option, but he wanted to give her space too. She was more easy-going than Edie, but she still had a stubborn streak. If he pushed too hard, she’d balk. “I’d like to stay here with you. Just so I’m close,” he added when her eyebrows dipped and her mouth opened with the beginnings of a protest. “The nearest hotel is over a mile away. And while I sprang for the roomier SUV when I rented a car, I’d rather not sleep in it. It is October in the Pacific Northwest.”
Those dark red eyebrows of hers dipped even lower. “Fine. You can have the guest room.”
“And here’s the part you might not like. I hacked my way into the Oregon education system and entered a substitute teaching license for myself. I also put myself on the district secretary’s schedule for an interview with the superintendent tomorrow to become a sub for the district.” He’d had a rather productive layover in Los Angeles.
Again, she opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. “Being in the same building with you will be less conspicuous than me sitting outside in a car all day.”
Her lips slammed shut. “You’re bordering on a shadow, Asher.”
“I know, but I need to be close by. I won’t be in your classroom, but I’ll be around if you need me. I’m also going to follow you to your tutoring job.”
“Oh, uh-uh.” She stood up, waving a finger at him. “That is shadowing.”
Asher rose and moved around the coffee table to stand in front of her. “Essy, that part is non-negotiable. You saw the hoodie man outside their house. It’s a rough neighborhood. Honestly, I don’t know why the district sent a young woman there to tutor the girl in the first place.”
“I volunteered.” Fists clenched, she glared up at him. “I need the money so I can fly down to visit Edie more than once a year.”
His jaw worked. “You should let me invest some of your savings. Then you won’t have to take dangerous assignments.”
“That would have been nice to know before, but what’s done is done. I’m not leaving that kid in the lurch because I got a little freaked out.”
“Then you’ll just have to put up with me following you there. I’m not saying you can’t go to the store or out to eat without me. But for the most part, I want to be around. Just until I get a handle on what’s going on here.”
“You—” She raised a finger, pointing it at his face. “Ugh! You’re lucky I love my sister and that she’s pregnant. If it weren’t for that, I’d tell you to go home.”
A grin slashed over his face. “I know.”
“You’re not endearing yourself to me by being a cocky bastard.”
Surprise pulled a quick laugh from him. “You’re more like Edie than I thought.”
Esther rolled her eyes and spun away, flopping back into her chair. “Good. Maybe it’ll help you remember I’m not a pushover. I might avoid conflict, but that doesn’t mean I do it at the expense of my mental health.”
A surge of pride filled him. He liked that she knew her own mind well enough to know her boundaries and wasn’t afraid to stick up for herself. He’d seen her with Edie and knew she could give as good as she got, but the week she was in Costa Rica, she’d been fairly reserved with everyone else.
“I’ll do my best to be unobtrusive. I just want to keep you safe, Essy.”
She huffed, raising her pizza slice. “I’m sorry. I know you do. I just—I don’t like this. Any of it.” She ripped off a chunk of crust, and shoved it between her teeth, chewing angrily.
Asher moved closer and crouched in front of her. He touched her knee. “I know you don’t. But keep in mind, my presence here will move things along faster than if I hadn’t come. I’m not constrained behind a wall of monitors.”
Esther swallowed her food, her gaze connecting with his. Warmth seeped into his fingers from her legging-covered skin as he stared into her bright blue eyes.
“I hope so. Because I don’t want to live like this.” A tremor started in her chin. “I don’t like being afraid when I step outside my house.”
Asher moved his hand up to cradle the side of her face. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Esther. You have my word.”
Just like that, Asher knew he wasn’t leaving until he was a hundred percent certain she was safe. It had nothing to do with reducing Edie’s stress level or figuring out the puzzle of who was hanging around, and everything to do with the woman staring back at him with watery blue eyes.