Chapter 11
Eleven
R aindrops pelted Asher’s car windows as he waited in the parking lot outside Esther’s school. After their discovery yesterday afternoon, he’d decided to play it safe and take her to work. The original plan had been for her to drive herself, and then he would meet her at the Tylers’ after school and sit outside while she tutored Leah. Now, though, he was driving her. He would still wait outside, but he was her ride instead of just her shadow.
The scent of his stale coffee wrinkled his nose as he took a drink. It was hours old, but it still had its kick, which he needed. Last night, he’d tossed and turned, unable to get it out of his mind that someone had peeked in her windows with him in the house. He’d tried to convince himself that maybe the guy didn’t know it was a man staying with Esther. Maybe he thought she had an old friend in town, or a cousin. And he was sure the guy knew she had company. Part of the reason Asher parked in her driveway and not on the street was because he wanted their mystery man to know Esther wasn’t alone.
But that hadn’t mattered.
He didn’t understand how Dean and the others did this sort of thing. Asher had stress during their operations, but it was a different kind of stress. More, hurry up and get it done, and less, why won’t the bad guy cooperate? He just hoped the new doorbell camera and security lights would net them a lead. Asher needed more to go on than a man in a hoodie.
An electronic bell cut through the air, signaling the end of the school day. The side door opened, and a stream of children filed out on their way to the waiting buses. Esther said she had car rider duty, which meant she had to stick around for a little while after the bell rang.
It didn’t take long for the teachers to work through the line. Fifteen minutes after the bell rang, Esther exited the front doors of the school.
Asher pulled out of his parking spot and met her at the edge of the sidewalk. She slid into the passenger seat, setting a large tote bag between her feet.
“Hey.” She reached for her seat belt.
He smiled at her and pulled away. “Hey. How was your day?”
“Long. I think I’m going to have a bunch of snotty kindergartners in a day or two. A couple of them were sneezing a lot. That’s usually a precursor to a cold rampaging through my classroom.” She sighed. “How was your day? Did your interview go well?”
“It did. I expressed my desire to get to work as soon as possible, so she said she’d have her secretary input my information into the sub system today. Hopefully, I’ll get a call tomorrow and will be in the building with you.”
“You’re lucky our super is a woman. I bet you smiled and she agreed to anything you said.”
Asher pressed his lips together, holding back a smirk, and glanced in his side mirror. “Maybe.” He definitely wasn’t above using his looks to get what he wanted when it was important. That wasn’t to say he’d never used them for trivial things. He’d done some dumb stuff when he was younger. Now, though, he reserved the dimples for situations where it mattered.
Esther chuckled. “Just don’t ruin it for future subs by doing a terrible job.”
“I won’t. I like kids. It helps that I’m a big one myself.” He let his smile free and aimed it at her.
She rolled her eyes. “No argument there.”
They reached the traffic light at the main road. He’d input the Tylers’ address into his GPS earlier and it told him to turn now. Following its prompts, he was soon pulling up outside their house.
“This really is a rough neighborhood.” He leaned forward, looking through the windshield at the houses lining the street. Most of them needed a coat of paint or new siding. Rusted chain link surrounded some of the yards, which in many cases, were more bare patches of dirt and weeds than grass. Ancient, dented and rusting vehicles sat in front of a couple of the homes. One of them had its wheels missing.
The Tylers’ house was one of the nicer ones. Its dingy exterior definitely needed a refresh, but the paint wasn’t peeling—much—and the yard and landscaping were tidy. Only the crumbling concrete stoop really screamed “decay.” And while the older model sedan in the driveway looked like it had seen better days, it was clean and appeared to have decent tires. Someone in the house cared and was trying.
Esther pulled on the door handle and opened the door a crack, then reached for the handles on her tote. “Are you sure you want to sit out here for an hour? I’ll be fine in the house. You can come back and get me.”
“I’m sure. I’m going to people watch while you’re inside.” He wanted to take note of anyone who paid particular attention to the Tylers’ house.
“All right. Well, I’ll be back in an hour.” She pushed the door open and stepped out.
“Call me if things get weird.”
“Things are usually weird with Rob, but if they get weirder, you’ll be the first to know.” She closed the door.
A slight frown knit Asher’s eyebrows together as she walked to the door. She knocked, and he heard the muffled bark of a small dog inside. A moment later, the door swung open. The man who answered did so with a scowl. His gaze flicked to Asher’s car, then he said something to Esther. He couldn’t see more than the side of her face, but it was enough to know she replied. Whatever she said must have been satisfactory, because Rob stepped back and let her in.
Asher’s anxiety level ratcheted up as the door closed. He didn’t like her being in there on her own. Not after what he’d discovered about the man and what she’d said about him. But he didn’t have a choice. Being close by was the best he could do.
He lifted his coffee and took another drink, grimacing again at the taste. Why was he still drinking it? Opening his door, he dumped the contents onto the road. He was tempted to get out and walk around. See if any curtains fluttered or if anyone disappeared back into their houses. He didn’t see anyone watching, but he could only see into the windows of a few homes on the street from this vantage point.
Glancing down the road, he decided to wait for a bit. People would let their guards down if he waited until she’d been inside for a while. He reached into the backseat and lifted the satchel he’d brought into his lap. Digging inside, he removed a tablet and flipped open the cover to take notes. Asher jotted down the license plate and vehicle description for every car close enough for him to read. Right now, he didn’t intend to do anything with the information, but he’d have it if it became necessary.
Thirty-five minutes into his wait, a man walked around the corner down the block. He wore a dark tan hoodie, which was up over his head, obscuring his face.
Asher sat a little straighter.
The man walked toward him, head turned slightly to the side, his gaze on the Tylers’ house. Asher lifted his phone, opening the camera app and snapped some pictures. Dean would yell at him for not having a proper camera, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d do the best he could to enhance the images later. Not that it would do much; he couldn’t see the guy’s face.
Getting closer, the man’s attention shifted. He looked away from the Tylers’ and perused the street. Sunglasses covered his face. With the hood pulled low, all Asher could see was a chin. The man was white.
Twenty yards away, the man paused. He’d spotted Asher’s car.
“Come closer, you bastard,” Asher muttered. He wanted a better shot of his face.
But the guy didn’t listen. He turned around and briskly walked away.
“Oh, uh-uh.” Asher got out of the car and hurried after him. He didn’t know what he’d say when he caught up, but he’d make up something.
“Excuse me. Sir?” Asher called.
The man glanced back, then began to jog.
Asher muttered a curse and picked up his pace. “Sir?”
The guy took off at a full sprint.
“Hey!”
His shoes slapped against the potmarked concrete sidewalk as he chased after him. The man rounded the corner, blocked from view by the houses. Asher ran faster, not wanting to lose him. He soon made it to the corner, but when he turned onto the next street, it was empty.
Slowing to a jog, he glanced between the houses and listened. A little dog barked across the street, but the animal was inside. Asher could see it through the front window. It stared at him and yipped.
Running all the way to the next intersection, he paused and glanced both ways. There was no one on the street. A glimpse inside the few vehicles parked along the road showed that they were empty. He muttered a curse and turned around. With his head on a swivel, hoping to catch a glimpse of the guy, he made it back to his car.
Angry that the man had gotten away, he got in and slammed the door. Whoever that was knew this neighborhood well. The question was, did the man live around here, or had he been watching the Tylers’ home long enough to know the neighborhood?
“Dammit!” He smacked the steering wheel.
Either way, Asher wouldn’t likely see the man around here again.