Obsession & Eyewitness: Obsession / Eyewitness

“I don’t think we’re going to get lucky twice.” She crouched down and scanned the ground below Amanda’s window. An object like that little camera would jump right out at her on this light-colored cement.

“Nothing. You?” Colin brushed his long fingers together with a frown creasing his forehead.

“No. Let’s try the other window.”

They turned the corner to the side of the house. “This is another bedroom window and the small one farther down is the bathroom.”

She gritted her teeth against the sour taste that rose from her belly when she thought about someone recording her every move in her own bedroom.

Colin rubbed his hands together before continuing his examination of the surface of the window, like a blind man reading Braille.

Michelle couldn’t help the thought that slammed into her brain—what would those fingers feel like trailing along the bare skin of her body?

She dropped to her knees and combed through the dirt in the flower bed beneath the window. No roses here, just neglected impatiens. Ryan had been the one with the green thumb.

Now Amanda was as dead as those flowers.

“There’s nothing here, Michelle. No trace evidence of any adhesive on these windows, no camera.”

She flicked a dried leaf from a drooping flower. “If this is the same guy, why would he change his mode of operation? Why watch me when he never watched Amanda?”

“We don’t know that he never watched Amanda. We can’t find any evidence he did, but that doesn’t mean much.”

“Nothing means much, including that transient hiding out at Columbella House.”

He grazed the top of her head with his knuckles, and then dropped to his haunches beside her. “I thought you were halfway to believing the cops had their man.”

“I was hoping…until we found that camera at my place. No way a guy like Chris would have the means to buy a device like that.”

“Maybe the camera is unrelated to the murder.”

She puffed at a strand of hair sticking to the lip balm on her lips. “Not likely.”

“Who knows?” He took her arm and pulled her up as he straightened to his full height. “Maybe it’s a horny student hoping to catch a glimpse of his hot algebra teacher.”

Michelle stiffened. Like mother, like daughter?

Colin swore under his breath. “I’m an idiot, Michelle. I didn’t mean…”

She held up a dirt-smudged hand. “It’s okay. My mom wasn’t even a teacher.”

He placed his palm against hers, dwarfing her hand. “Enough sleuthing for the day. While we’re waiting around for Jake’s call, I’m going to take you out to dinner…after you wash your hands.”

She slid her hand from his and wiped it on the seat of her denim shorts. “You took me out to dinner last night.”

“Technically, that was lunch. I haven’t been to Neptune’s Catch since I’ve been back.” He nudged her toward the front of Amanda’s house, and she didn’t resist.

“Neptune’s Catch is an overpriced tourist trap.”