Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Even I can tell that’s sarcasm.”
I couldn’t help myself, and my remark makes a smirk slip across what’s predominately been a fairly stoic face.
“Sorry,” he says. “I’m a little bitter with the Wyachet PD. Yeah, you need to contact them.” He pulls a flash drive out of his pocket and sets it on the table.
“What’s that?”
“Surveillance video of the guy who was in your yard. Shows him breaking in and leaving the same way he came.”
From the cameras he has on our yard…
“Show it to them and tell them about the break-in. And I don’t know, if you could somehow find an explanation for why I was at your place other than me following your ass, that would be helpful.”
“What?”
“I figured I was gonna nail that guy last night, wrap this up, but then he fucking got away, and that cop saw me and took down my name, so now I’m in a bit of a jam because you need to let the police know what’s going on, but if they find out what I’ve been doing living next door, they’re gonna be up my ass about it.”
“If they find out you’ve been stalking me, you mean?”
“Yeah…”
I don’t know why the idea is kind of exciting. Maybe it’s just one of the intriguing aspects I’m learning about this man who was watching me. Stalking me. And who’s now making me wonder if I’m still here because of it.
But as much as he’s soothing my concerns around him, he sure as fuck isn’t soothing me around what might be the real threat: whoever sent me that letter.
“Can’t you show them that post about that letter?” I ask. “Or get them to find the guy who posted it and ask what was in the other letter?”
“He posted about the similarities. The cops didn’t think much of it. For instance, in your letter, the admirer says you’re like a marble statue. He’d written something similar in the one I was told about, but it compared him to a Grecian statue, and it’s my understanding that a lot of those were sculpted from marble.”
Goose bumps prick across my flesh, but I remind myself he could be making this up. He’s already seen mine on Insta.
“Told the cops to talk to that guy who posted on Reddit, but last I checked, they still hadn’t bothered. The detective in charge of the case didn’t seem enthusiastic about it either. Since I don’t know how or if Jason Kilbourne knew the second guy who disappeared, she said I didn’t really have anything for them to go off of. That it could’ve been a troll trying to cause trouble. Said they don’t get into wild goose chases over the shit people post on subreddits.”
“So the cops aren’t gonna buy any of this?” And really, I don’t know that I am.
“They won’t take it seriously. On top of all that, there’s another issue. When you walk in with this video and bring up this shit about the letter, they’re gonna find my name attached to the incident report, and I can guarantee you they’ll think this is all bullshit.”
“Why?”
Not for the first time since he came here, he hesitates. I don’t get this guy. It’s been like pulling teeth to get out what he was doing last night. He keeps holding back, but given everything he’s shared with me so far, I don’t get why he has to be so goddamn cryptic.
“Listen, dude, if you want to protect me, then I need to know what’s up.”
“Oh, I’m sure Detective Roth will let you know. She’ll be the one you need to ask for when you go to the station.”
“So you want me to go to the cops and tell the truth? I thought you said you were in a jam.”
“Yeah, that’s where it’s tricky. You’re free to do whatever you want, but if you want to be believed, tell them you got that note and that a friend told you about seeing the post on a subreddit related to the previous disappearances. I reached out to you about it, and we became chummy. We’re friends, and that’s why I was over.”
“Why would I say that?”
“Because that’s your best chance to be taken seriously.”
“What if I find out I’m protecting the wrong person?” I’d have to be a moron not to ask.
“That’s where you’re gonna have to trust me. Trust that I already know you’re in danger, and that I’m gonna protect you better than any cop. You can go in there with this stuff, and I know what Detective Roth is gonna say: It’s all circumstantial. None of this means anything. This kid Zane’s gotten in your head. You’re reading into things. So when you get done talking to them, you’re still only going to have one guy who’s interested in protecting you.”