Chapter 8
MITCH
Mitch stood at his kitchen window, coffee cup in hand, watching the sun rise over Seabird Cottage.
He’d been up since four, sleep elusive after the events of the previous night.
The figure in the shadows. The way Lori’s face had gone pale.
The disturbed grass where someone had definitely been standing, watching.
And that moment on her porch. The almost-kiss that had sent electricity through his entire body before his common sense kicked in and made him step back.
He took a long drink of coffee, trying to focus on the problem at hand rather than the way Lori had looked in that sundress, the way her eyes had darkened when he’d leaned closer.
Someone was watching them. That was the priority. That was what needed his attention.
The sound of feet on the stairs pulled him from his thoughts. Piper appeared in the kitchen doorway, still in her pajamas, hair sticking up in all directions.
“Morning, Grandpa,” she said, stifling a yawn. “Why are you up so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. “Want pancakes?”
“Always.” She climbed onto one of the kitchen stools and watched him pull out the griddle. “Last night was fun. I really like Lori. She’s easy to talk to, you know? Not like some adults who pretend to listen, but you can tell they’re really just waiting for you to stop talking.”
“She is a good listener,” Mitch agreed, mixing the batter.
“Is Lori okay?” Piper’s brows drew together. “She seems nervous these past few days when she comes walking with us. Jumpy, you know. Last night, when I saw you walk her home through my bedroom window, I saw that she kept looking over her shoulder.”
“I don’t know yet,” Mitch said honestly. “I think she thought someone was outside her cottage.”
Piper studied him with wide eyes. “Are you serious?”
“I am,” Mitch nodded, not wanting to scare her. “Sweetheart, I need you to be extra careful when you go to the beach. Don’t go alone for a while, okay?”
“Uh… okay,” Piper said, her expression becoming serious and a little alarmed. “Do you think someone is stalking Lori?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Mitch admitted, seeing no point in denying it. “But right now, I’m more concerned about keeping you and Lori safe.”
“Okay, Grandpa,” Piper said. “I’ll take Misty with me for my morning run.”
“Sweetheart, do you think you can put your running off for a while?” Mitch asked; he didn’t want to scare her, but he needed her to be vigilant and aware.
“Okay, I will,” Piper promised. “What about taking Misty for a walk?”
“I’d rather you had an adult with you when you walk,” Mitch told her.
“Okay,” Piper said, nodding.
They ate breakfast together, Piper chattering about her plans for the day while Mitch’s mind worked through possibilities.
Someone was watching the houses on his street, which meant they were either after him or Lori.
If he were to guess, he’d say it was Lori they were watching as this all started when she arrived.
But due to his past, he couldn’t rule out that they were watching him and possibly the Seabird Cottage because they knew that Carrie was a cop.
After Piper left for summer camp, when her friend Claire’s mother came to fetch her, Mitch changed into jeans and a polo shirt and drove into town. He had errands to run anyway, but more importantly, he needed to ask some questions.
His first stop was the hardware store. Jim Brewster had owned the place for thirty years and knew everything that happened on the island. If strangers were asking questions, Jim would know about it.
“Hello, Mitch,” Jim greeted him warmly. “What can I do for you today?”
“I need some deck screws and some wood stain,” Mitch said, making his way to the appropriate aisle. “How’s business been?”
“Steady. Summers are always good here. There are lots of tourists fixing up their vacation homes.” Jim followed him, pulling down the box of screws Mitch pointed to.
“Speaking of which, have you had any unusual visitors out your way? Strangers poking around or asking questions about Pelican Bay?” Mitch asked.
“Had a fellow in here yesterday. A city type, nice clothes, asking about addresses out toward Pelican Bay. He said his aunt used to live out there, and he was trying to find the house. Wanted to know if I knew the area,” Jim told him.
“What did you tell him?” Mitch asked, keeping his voice neutral.
“Told him I knew Pelican Bay, but there were only two houses out that way. I asked him what his aunt’s name was.
” Jim shook his head. “He gave me a name I’d never heard of, Patty.
He said, Patty. I told him I’d never heard of anyone by that name living out there.
He asked if I was sure, then thanked me and left. ”
Mitch’s jaw tightened. Patty? That was a cover story.
“What did this man look like?” Mitch asked.
“Average height, maybe five-ten. Sandy brown hair. He was wearing a tan windbreaker even though it was eighty degrees out.” Jim gave him a curious look. “Why? You know him?”
“No,” Mitch said. “Jim, will you let me know if you see him again?”
“Sure thing,” Jim said, though his expression suggested he wanted to ask more questions.
Mitch paid for his purchases and left, his mind racing. The man in the tan windbreaker sounded like the same man who’d been parked at the end of their road. Now he was asking about addresses in Pelican Bay, using a fake story about an aunt.
This sounded targeted. Deliberate. Professional.
Mitch made two more stops at the market and the coffee shop, asking casual questions and gathering information. At the coffee shop, the barista mentioned a man who’d sat for three hours the day before, nursing a single cup of coffee and watching the street through the window.
“Kind of weird,” the young woman said. “He barely touched his coffee, just sat there looking out the window like he was waiting for someone. But nobody ever showed up.” She shrugged.
Surveillance. The man was conducting surveillance, learning the area, tracking movements. But whose movements? Lori’s? Or was this connected to him?
Mitch drove back to Pelican Bay, his concern deepening with every piece of information.
He decided not to let Lori know that he was investigating a man he’d seen a few times on their road.
What he needed to do was ask Lori if she’d actually seen the man in the tan windbreaker while he quietly gathered intel, assessed the threat, then acted accordingly.
While he did so, he’d ensure that he kept Piper and Lori safe.
That afternoon, he retrieved a motion sensor from his workshop. He’d installed them around his property years ago as part of his standard security protocol. He had extras. It would be perfectly natural to offer one to Lori, especially after what they’d seen last night.
He walked over to Seabird Cottage around four o’clock, finding Lori in the sunroom, working on one of her paintings. She looked up when he knocked on the doorframe, her face lighting up in a way that made his chest tight.
“Mitch,” she said, setting down her brush. “Hi. Come in.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your work,” he said, stepping into the sunroom. The painting on her easel was stunning, capturing the exact quality of light that made Pelican Bay unique. “That’s beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said, wiping her hands on a paint-stained cloth. “I’m trying to finish this one before Tessa arrives this weekend.”
“Tessa, Carrie’s daughter, is coming to stay?” Mitch asked.
“Yes,” Lori said. “I’m looking forward to seeing her.”
“I haven’t seen Tessa in about six months,” Mitch noted. “It will be nice for you to have some company.”
“Yes, it’s been so nice and quiet here, but it’s a little too quiet,” Lori admitted. “I think I’m losing my mind.
“Oh?” Mitch asked. “How so?”
“It’s nothing,” Lori said, trying to fob it off.
“It’s not nothing if it’s bugging you,” Mitch told her.
Lori hesitated for a moment. “Well, I was here for a few days when I thought I noticed someone following and watching me.” She snorted as if she were being silly.
“I know that sounds crazy, right?” She swallowed and glanced out the window.
“But I could’ve sworn I saw him parked at the end of the road and then…
a few nights ago Misty was really upset, growling at the window, and the next day I found a cigarette butt below my window. ”
“Why didn’t you come and tell me?” Mitch asked.
“I just thought it would sound silly,” Lori told him. “And then last night…”
“We thought there was a figure outside,” Mitch said, nodding.
“Yes,” Lori agreed and then changed the subject. “Would you like a coffee?
“No, thank you,” Mitch turned it down. “But I did come to install this,” he said, pulling the motion sensor from the bag he’d brought with him.
“This is a motion-activated light with a sensor. I thought it might be good to install it near your back door. It will give you some extra security, especially after last night.”
Lori looked at the device, then at him. “That’s very thoughtful. But Mitch, why do you happen to have motion sensors lying around?”
He’d prepared for this question. “Old habit from living alone with a kid,” he said, which was technically true even if it left out about ninety percent of the real reason. “I like to know if anyone’s approaching the house at night. For Piper’s safety.”
“That makes sense,” Lori said, though her expression suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced. “Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you.”
They worked together for the next hour, Mitch mounting the sensor and light fixture while Lori handed him tools.
The work was familiar, meditative, and having Lori nearby made it better somehow.
She asked intelligent questions about how the system worked, and he found himself enjoying the explanation, the sharing of knowledge.
“So it’ll turn on if anything moves within twenty feet?” she asked as he tightened the final screw.