Page 41 of Claws and Feathers

Whyher? Why did The Withered Man choose Abby?

Cooper McAllister didn’t believe in fate. He was a science man. He liked things that were tangible and easily proven. Things like divine intervention, destiny, and aligning stars only made him laugh.

But Cooper couldn’t deny that the timing was more than a little coincidental. When the tattered shred of paper floated along the tops of the sedges, Cooper almost didn’t notice it. His team had traced the area with a fine-toothed comb. Surely, there was no physical evidence left behind.

Only, there was something. As Cooper chased it through the ravine, he realized it was a black and white photograph. He finally caught up to it and snatched it from the air, wondering if the sticky breeze had offered him a piece of its puzzle after all.

Absurd.

Cooper glanced down at the torn and faded picture, his breath catching in his throat as it sometimes did when a case gave him a new direction. A breadcrumb. A goddamn cookie.

It was a photo of Abigail Stone.

It was likely taken from one of her social media accounts. She was smiling, happy, and unaware of the horrors that would soon come. Unaware that she was being pursued.

Yes.Pursued.

This was what Cooper had been waiting for. This was the lead he’d been desperate to find.

He knew now, without a doubt, that this man had intentionally tracked down Abby. He had followed her.

The Withered Manknewher.

This was personal.

Chapter twelve

Two weeks passed by, and Abby was finally moving into her house on Bluebird Trail. A new chapter of her life was about to begin. A better chapter. Hopefully, the best one yet. She had closed on the house two days ago, and all her free time had been put into remodeling the three-bedroom cottage. The outside needed a lot of work – new siding, shutters, and an overhaul on the landscaping. The inside had great bones, and it wasn’t in terrible shape. It was outdated. It needed paint, a kitchen renovation, new flooring, and fresh touches here and there. Daphne was helping her sew fun, patterned curtains and pick out paint colors. James Walker had volunteered to help her rip out the carpeting and assist with the flooring. Abby was going to hire a contractor to do the rest.

And Cooper… well, she hadn’t seen much of Cooper over the last two weeks.

It was her own fault. She had remained pleasant and friendly when he’d stopped by, but she was distant. She had smiled, and offered him coffee, and participated in mundane conversation. But she’d stopped it there. No more flirting or stolen glances. No touching in any way. And certainly no discussion of their intimate encounter on the dance floor of The Crow Bar two weeks prior.

Theyhadtalked about her case, though. Cooper had found a photograph of her at the same ravine where the van had been discovered. He was convinced the abduction was personal, but Abby had no new information to offer him. She’d had no enemies back in Illinois. Her separation from Jordan was a long time coming, and her brother, Ryan, would never hurt her in that way, despite their strained relationship. Her parents were dead, her grandparents were dead, and she’d only left behind a handful of casual acquaintances. There were no scorned lovers, ancient rivalries, or any sort of sordid scandals. Abigail Stone was as vanilla as they came. Cooper had looked defeated by her lack of direction, but she had tried not to focus on the way his eyes had dimmed with disappointment.

Abby needed to stay detached.

Strong.

She wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand as she pulled back the thick, magenta carpet. The nails popped out of the hardwood floors underneath. Abby had been elated to discover the hardwood beneath the carpeting, as it was in great condition. James was going to refinish it and stain the oak planks a rich mahogany. He offered to do it for free, because that was the kind of man he was, but Abby had every intention of paying him well.

James helped pull the carpet up, his face dripping with perspiration. “This is going to look like a whole new house when this carpet is gone,” he said.

“I can’t wait. Thank you so much for doing this,” Abby replied kindly.

“It’s my pleasure. I enjoy projects like this.” He paused to gulp down some cold water, then glanced in her direction. “You know, Cooper is pretty handy himself. I’m sure he’d be happy to help you out with some work here.”

Abby ducked her head, biting down on her lip. “He’s a busy man. He has enough things to worry about.”

James gave her a look that implied he didn’t find her reasoning entirely convincing. “McAllister is a cool cat. You know, he’s the only reason I took this job.”

“Really?” Abby’s head perked up with interest.

He nodded. “Moving to a new town with less pay, less crime, and no friends or family here was a risk. But when Cooper interviewed me, I was sold. I knew he’d have my back. Trust is what it’s all about in this line of work. He’s the most dedicated cop I’ve ever worked with.”

Abby listened intently, absorbing his words, letting them warm her up.

Maybe she had been too hard on Cooper.

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