Chapter 42
ERIC
I picked up the stick Sherlock dropped at my feet. “Do you want me to throw this?” I asked, my voice tinged with affection.
Sherlock froze, his excited eyes never leaving my face. Fetch had always been one of our favorite games. He was quick, too. As soon as the stick left my hand, the German Shepherd sprinted across the yard, snatched the piece of wood off the ground, and sped back to me.
“Good boy,” I praised, a smile tugging at my lips.
Sherlock’s tail swished back and forth, waiting for the next round of playtime. I brought back my arm and flung the stick into the trees. If the stalker was stupid enough to stand on the edge of the clearing with an ex-police dog tearing toward him, he wasn’t as intelligent as anyone thought.
Sherlock disappeared into the trees, and I sighed. The last two days had been hard on all of us. The long walks Sherlock loved were a thing of the past. We couldn’t afford to be caught too far from the house. So, regardless of his sad brown eyes, we hadn’t ventured beyond the trees on the far side of the yard.
But there was good news. Despite everything, Riley was making great progress on the canvas he brought with him. My manuscript was rolling along nicely, and Alex was pleased with the work he’d finished. Even though we were making good use of the time away from Sunrise Bay, I knew it couldn’t go on forever.
I looked at my watch, then back at the forest. Even with Sherlock’s curious streak, he should have returned by now.
The front door of the house banged open, and Alex rushed outside. “They’ve found him!”
I stared at my friend. “Chapman?”
Alex nodded. “Detective Jameson called. Chapman was pulled over in Broomfield for not stopping at a red light. As well as the driving infringement, they’ve charged him with two counts of breaking and entering.”
I couldn’t believe the police had found him. “When did they take him into custody?”
“About an hour ago. There’s more news. You were right about the phone records. Leith and his stepbrother have been calling each other. The police are searching both of their apartments.”
My initial spark of relief was replaced with caution. “It’s too early to get excited. The breaking and entering will be classified as a misdemeanor. He could be out of prison in less than a year. The police will need more evidence if they’re going to charge him with stalking.” I studied the trees around us, whistling for Sherlock when I still couldn’t see him.
“They’ll find the evidence they need,” Alex assured me.
I wasn’t so sure. Chapman had set up an elaborate hoax in the warehouse and stalked me for more than six months. Anyone who had invested that much time and energy into another person’s life wouldn’t leave anything to chance.
“What does Jameson want us to do?” I asked.
“Nothing for now.” Alex looked across the front yard as Sherlock came bounding toward us.
“Where’s Riley?” I patted Sherlock’s head.
“In the backyard. I haven’t told him about Chapman.”
“Do you mind if I tell him?”
“Go ahead. I’ll keep Sherlock amused.”
I handed Alex the stick and walked around the side of the house. Whatever happened with Chapman was out of our control. The only thing we could do was wait.