Page 21 of Shrouded Past

Both he and Piper exited the truck. Bryce noticed woods flanking either side of the property. The nearest neighbor’s house wasn’t visible.

“We weren’t followed,” Will told them once he reached their side. “This is a pretty secluded area. You should be safe.” He directed this to Piper. “You’ve got my number. Call if anything comes up. As soon as we have any answers, I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Will.” Bryce shook the law enforcement officer’s hand.

“No problem. I’ll have an officer drive by periodically to make sure you’re safe. Get the truck out of sight. Liz and her family drove one of their vehicles to the airport. Her old VW Beatle is still in the garage, but the truck should fit next to it.”

Bryce assured him he would park inside.

“Alright. Well, I should go.” Will nodded to Piper and then started back toward the cruiser. He backed his vehicle onto the road and then left.

Even though he was a trained officer who had dealt with many dangerous situations during his career, Bryce suddenly felt exposed. “Let’s get the truck inside the garage.” He’d feel better once there were no visible signs of their presence.

Bryce held Piper’s door and waited until she was inside before closing it.

He scanned the trees on both sides, unable to relax as he drove the rest of the way to the house. He stopped in front of the garage and got out.

Carrying Bella’s carrier, Piper joined him at the front door while he fished out the house key. He slipped it into the lock and swung the door open.

The view from the wall of windows facing the ocean was like nothing he’d seen before.

“It’s so beautiful,” Piper murmured and freed Bella. The kitten tentatively left the carrier, glancing suspiciously around.

“You’re okay, Bella,” Bryce did his best to assure his tiny friend.

Beyond the deck, the cliff where the house sat fell away. It looked as if a set of stairs that disappeared would lead to the shore below.

Bryce set down their bags. “I could get used to this view.” He closed the door and locked it then went over to the glass door overlooking the deck and stepped out with Piper. The warmth of the August afternoon held none of the chill from earlier. Whitecapped waves broke against large rocks below. Adirondack chairs stained to match the house would afford the perfect view of the sunrise.

He sighed and pulled himself away from the beauty. “I’d better get the truck inside.” As much as Bryce would enjoy taking in the view for hours, this wasn’t a vacation. Someone was stalking Piper.

She stepped inside. He closed the door and slid the locks into place. “Why don’t you choose one of the bedrooms while I move the truck?”

“Sounds good.” She picked up her bag and headed down the hall.

Bryce smiled wryly when Bella trotted after her. He opened the garage door and hit the button to launch the overhead door. He didn’t waste time getting the truck out of sight.

As he walked back inside the house, Piper stepped from one of the rooms with Bella in her arms.

“Did you find one that suits you?”

“Yes. It looks like one of the kids’ rooms.”

He peeked inside. JT had said his sister had children. The room appeared to belong to a girl. There was pink everywhere. He smiled and opened the door beside hers. A room that probably belonged to a boy. “I’ll take this one to be close in case you need me.” He sat his suitcase inside and then closed the door.

The last bedroom—the master suite—faced the ocean. The house wasn’t super large: three bedrooms, living, kitchen, and dining room, but the view more than made up for the lack of space inside. He could imagine the family spent most of their time in the summer outside.

“Oh, let me get the groceries from the truck.” With Will watching their backs, he and Piper had stopped at the small grocery store and picked up a few days’ worth of food before heading over to Liz’s place.

Piper sat the cat down. “I’ll help you.”

He flipped the garage light on and removed one of the bags from the backseat of the truck and handed it to Piper. The two remaining he carried inside.

Bryce realized it had been hours since they’d shared a meal.

“Are you hungry?” he asked once the food was put away.

“I am,” she said as if it came as a surprise. “It must be because of the ocean air.”

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