Feeding the Fire (Rosewood 2)

“Simon is on his way,” Grant said as he hung up. “I almost had him.” He shook his head in dismay. “I chased him through the elementary school playground and across the park, but I lost him in the cemetery.”

Pepper slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him. “You tried. I didn’t even see him there.”

“I barely saw him. I only saw a face highlighted just barely from the lights, but it turned so quickly, I didn’t get any features. He was white and wearing dark clothing, but that’s about it.”

“That window has been covered with a tarp for months to try and keep my power bills down. We fixed it today. Today! What are the odds that the peeper just lucked across that window the first night they could see into it?”

Pepper watched Grant’s face draw down into a frown of thought. “You’re right. That’s too coincidental. Who knows what we were working on today?”

“Everyone at the house today, of course,” Pepper said. “I might’ve mentioned it when I went out to pick up pizza. I was chatting with Pat Kincaid at the Piggly Wiggly when I went in to get drinks and plates. Then, coincidentally, I ran into his wife Jeanette on my way to the Pizza Palace. She was jogging by and stopped to say hello. We talked a little about the work I was having done. She said they were needing to have some updates done to their house, too. That’s about it. I didn’t notice anyone around to overhear the discussion, but I suppose it could’ve happened. Did you tell anyone?”

Grant shrugged. “The guys at the firehouse, Travis’s brother who gave us the window and the drywall, but he lives in Trussville. I might have mentioned it to Blake, but it certainly wasn’t him. With Ivy in town, he’s barely left the house except to go to teach.”

That didn’t leave many suspects. “If it wasn’t one of the guys from the firehouse—”

“And it wasn’t,” Grant insisted.

“Then all I can think of is that the peeper lives somewhere nearby and saw us working. If they lived on the next street back, they could see the light coming through the window.” There was a loud, official-sounding rap at the front door.

“That must be Simon.”

Pepper paused as she opened the door. The last time Simon had come to the house, after her first peeper incident, she’d spoken to him on the porch. This time, her house was still in shambles, but she’d already let everyone else in. At least this time, she could use the excuse of renovation for why her house was a mess.

Gripping the knob, she opened the door. Simon was standing there, looking very much like an officer of the law. He was similar in height and build to Grant, although a touch leaner. The Kevlar vest, uniform, and coat he was wearing made him look bulkier, but she knew beneath that was a twenty-two-year-old kid with a loaded gun and a thirty-two-inch waist.

Even the gun couldn’t make Simon look menacing. He had the handsome, boy-next-door good looks that all the Chamberlain boys had, although facially, he took a little more after Helen than Norman. He had the blue eyes that all the boys were known for, but he had higher cheekbones, a narrower nose, and his hair was a slightly lighter brown than the other kids.

“Good evening, Miss Anthony.”

“Hi, Simon.” Pepper opened the door and stepped back.

“Come on in.”

Simon came in, eyeing his brother, who was sitting in a chair in the corner. Pepper brought another chair from the kitchen into the living room. “I’m sorry everything is torn apart right now. Have a seat.”

Simon sat down and pulled out his notebook. “The dispatcher said you saw someone looking in the window.”

“Yes,” Grant said. “We’d just finished installing a new one in the bedroom today. It had been covered up prior to that. When I turned and looked, there was a face in the window for just a fraction of a second. I have no idea how long he was watching us.”

Simon hesitated, biting his lower lip anxiously before he spoke. “Were the two of you doing anything worth watching?”

Grant perked up in his chair. “What does that matter?”

“Don’t get defensive. We’re trying to est

ablish a pattern and determine what it is he’s watching for. Most reports have been of women home alone doing everyday things. This is the first report we’ve gotten where there was a man in the house, too. That changes things.”

“I was in there alone at first,” Pepper said. “I was sweeping up the last of the dust. Grant came in behind me. It’s possible the peeper started watching me when I was alone and stayed when . . .”

An uncomfortable flush rose to Simon’s cheeks and Pepper felt exactly the same way. “Kissing,” she said. “We were just kissing. Nothing scandalous.”

Simon sighed in relief and made another note. “Grant, could you make anything out about the prowler?”

“He was wearing dark clothing. He was Caucasian. That’s about it. I climbed out the window and chased after him. Whoever it is, they’re pretty quick on their feet. They had a good head start on me, but I’m certain this was no old man. I lost him around the graveyard and came back to make sure Pepper was okay.”

Simon kept writing, making notes of everything Grant said. “Can I get an imprint of your shoes?” he said at last.

“Yeah,” Grant said. “Why?”