Page 93 of Love Me Fearless

He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no.”

I put my hands on my hips and scan the yard. Has someone been peeping in Ava’s window? For how long?

“Does she have a gardener? Or a landlord who does his own landscaping?” Everett asks.

“No to the gardener. Not sure about the landlord.”

Everett straightens but keeps his gloves on.

“What makes someone do this kind of thing?” I ask.

“It depends on their goal. Stalkers who seek intimacy on some level are different than say, someone who has been rejected or feels wronged and wants to even the score.”

“Is there any way to know what type we’re dealing with here?”

“Not until we gather more information.”

“Do we at least know if it’s someone, like, close to her versus a stranger?”

“Not yet. Though I’ll tell you that most stalkers know their victims. And in a small town like Finn River, the odds are even higher that Ava knows this person, maybe had a relationship with them. Even a close friendship.”

“None of her close friends would do something like this.”

“Then maybe a former boyfriend?”

The thought might as well eat me alive. “You’ll have to ask her about that.”

Everett gives me a thoughtful glance. “How long have you two been together?”

“You remember how tight we were in high school.”

His eyebrow twitches, like he’s amused. “I’m surprised she put up with you back then.”

I rub the back of my neck. “She’s always been more than I deserve.”

Everett seems content to wait for me to finish, so I heave a sigh. “We’re seeing each other, but that’s…new.”

He nods. “How about enemies?”

I scoff. “Like who? She’s a doctor. Who would have a reason to hate her?”

“You’d be surprised.”

Everett continues along the other side of the house. The space is narrow here between Ava’s place and the neighbor’s, with a thick hedge separating them. The walkway is made of concrete pavers, with pea gravel lining the edge of the house. Besides a hose and spigot and the bathroom window up high, there is nothing else of interest here.

“You probably can’t answer this, but…” As we round the house, I glance at Ava’s front door to make sure she’s not standing there waiting for me “…is it possible whoever killed Marin is the same creep harassing Ava?”

His lips press together as he quickly shakes his head. “Not much I can say about that, other than we’re taking this very seriously.”

“Understood.” Another question rises through my thoughts, and I can’t bite it back. “Was someone stalking Marin?”

Everett’s eyes flash and his body stills. “Hutch, I appreciate what you’ve done to help, but I can’t share details of an active murder investigation with you.”

“Fuck. You’re right,” I say quickly. “Forgive me.”

“I’m going to dust for prints and get a closer look at that area beneath her window.”

“You want us to stick around, so you can talk to her?”

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