Page 36 of Island Whispers

Jess agreed with the assessment. “Brookwell isn’t as camera heavy as other places.”

“We didn’t need them,” Nina muttered. “Until now.” Until she’d drawn a crazy criminal into their idyllic seaside town.

“He came all the way to Brookwell at some point in the past twenty-four hours—the timeline is our best guess—he was last seen near the ferry stop in Mount Pleasant.”

Nina shivered, helpless to conceal the reaction. “And no one recognized him there?”

Jess took a breath. “A hat, sunglasses, standard tourist attire. He didn’t give anyone reason to look at him twice. I’m not sure we would’ve caught him at all, except he dumped the hat and sunglasses in a trash can on his way off the ferry. That move caught the attention of our research team.”

“He came here, somehow, to prove a point,” Nina reiterated. “He knows who I am. He connected me to the car with the shop logo.”

“That’s the assumption, yes.”

Although it wasn’t much of a surprise, Jess’s confirmation rattled Nina. “And the police are resuming their search for him now in Mt. Pleasant?”

“Yes.”

Nina was trembling and she couldn’t get it under control. Mt. Pleasant was too close. Anywhere was too close with Spratt on the loose. She didn’t regret taking the video or sharing it with police, but she was ready for this to be over. The man wasn’t invisible. Why couldn’t the police find him?

“Take a breath,” Boone murmured.

Right. Breathing was about all she could control lately. She appreciated his attempts to comfort her. Appreciated that he clearly wasn’t going to stop protecting her. The fact was, a dangerous criminal had given himself a tour of the people who mattered most in her life. It was terrifying. How had she managed to put everyone in jeopardy?

“Nina.” Jess paused, waited for eye contact. “Nina, I’d like Boone to take you to a safe house.”

“What?” She shook her head. “Why now?” She’d said no before and she didn’t see any reason to change her mind now. “A safe house only means I won’t be around when he attacks my family.”

“That’s not true. A safe house is for your protection. He clearly wants to make an example of you.”

But he was targeting the people closest to her. “To end this, he needs to believe he can get to me. Right?” She glanced at Boone and away. “No safe house. I understand where you’re coming from, but no. I can’t hide while he swipes at my friends and family instead. Are you worried Boone can’t keep me safe?”

“Of course not,” Jess replied immediately. “Although I do believe Spratt is devious and unpredictable.”

“Nash and my parents are pressuring you, aren’t they?” She caught the nervous swallow. “In my place, what would you do, Jess?”

Jess swallowed again. “I have different skills than you,” her future sister-in-law replied.

Nina rolled her eyes. “That’s an evasion if ever there was one.”

“Maybe it is,” Jess allowed. “But I am worried for you. As confident as I am in our protection team, a safe house is a smart strategy here.”

“Only if everybody I love comes along with me.”

“I think they call that a commune,” Boone interjected with a low chuckle. “Spratt coming here is a sign. He must be growing impatient.”

“Oddly enough, that doesn’t comfort me,” Jess admitted. “If you won’t go to a safe house, then I’m calling in more backup.”

Nina felt a niggle of guilt for making Jess’s job harder. She silently pleaded with Boone, hoping he’d offer his opinion.

“Backup is a good compromise,” Boone said. He took her hand in his warm grasp. “It’s going to work out,” he assured Nina.

“Is a safe house easier for the two of you?” She suddenly felt uncertain. She didn’t want to be more of a burden for Jess or Boone.

“Not necessarily,” Jess replied, her gaze on her computer. “It’s a matter of which resources work best for the situation.”

“Resources meaning people.”

Jess pinned her with a stern look. “Nina, the police and the Guardian Agency are doing all we can to capture Spratt. Other than his little vandalism tour, he hasn’t attacked anyone else since becoming fixated on you.” Her gaze slid to Boone and back again. “That doesn’t sound like good news, but it is.”

---