Chapter

The police chief had given Nate the permission to take Thursday off if he wanted to rest up. He had refused. There was too much to be done to miss for a little whiplash. Part of him reminded himself that it would give him more time to watch Dove’s house, but after the hours alone the day before, he had a feeling the man had already realized Dove wasn’t there. Besides, he and Jessica could go look around every once in a while like they had before.

What Nate hadn’t expected was for Dove to come walking in. “Hey, D—Ms. Babcock, how could I help you?” he asked.

“I was wondering if we could have increased security around the school,” she said. “What if he comes looking for me around the children?”

“That’s a fair question,” he admitted. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll talk to the police chief.”

“He didn’t want anyone watching my house; why would he want someone watching the school?”

“Well, the school is a more worrisome target.”

“Right. Well, please try, for me,” Dove said, and the eyes she threw at him melted Nate. He didn’t know how he was meant to say no to that. A woman wanted him to make sure a bunch of kids were safe. He had to see if there was a way to make that happen.

“I’ll try,” he answered.

“School starts in an hour. Maybe get something worked out before that,” she suggested.

“I’ll try,” he repeated.

“Thank you.” She walked out.

“You and your girlfriend having trouble?” Jessica said, walking over to him.

“She’s worried the stalker might come to the school now that she’s not home.”

“Hmm. That’s actually fair. It’s easy to figure out she works at the school.”

“Do you think the chief would allow us to increase security there?” he asked. He knew it was a long shot, knew she would probably say no, no matter how badly he wanted it. Wanting something didn’t make it happen.

“If you ask him? Absolutely not. If I ask him? There’s a chance.”

“Will you ask him?”

“Just for you. But if we close this case, I expect you to ask her out.”

“I think I can live with that,” he answered.

He watched Jessica walk into the chief’s office. They didn’t talk long; it seemed like no one ever talked to the chief long. He was known for his quick decisiveness. Jessica came back out.

“Well?”

“Well, we’re going to be at the school all day. You owe me; this sounds completely boring.”

“Not if he comes,” Nate said.

“Even if he comes. Stalking isn’t exactly an exciting crime.”

“I wasn’t aware we only solved exciting crimes.”

“We don’t, but I’m allowed to be bored when we solve boring ones.”

Nate thought that over. He wondered if he’d get to that point when he had worked here for a while. Where he would long for big, exciting crimes. Hadn’t he already sort of felt that way at the car chase? Then again, where had that gotten him? Maybe he had learned his lesson.

“I guess it’s time to go out there,” Nate said, and began making his way outside.

“You’re really in a rush to meet your girl, aren’t you?” Jessica asked.

“She’s going to be inside, stupid. I just want to be there before the kids start arriving.”

“And what would you know about when kids start arriving? It’s not as if you’re a parent.”

“The school hasn’t changed much in twenty years. Class still starts at 7:30. Early risers will still get there at 7. There’s no surprises anymore.”

“Man, you make everything boring, don’t you?” she asked.

Nate elected to ignore her as he got in the car and drove to the school. The brown brick building was long, though not tall, immaculately maintained, and had a banner on the side saying it was the second-best-scoring elementary school in the state.

Nate felt a flash of nostalgia. “This is where I met Dove,” he said.

“Were you into her then?” Jessica asked.

“No, when I was in first grade she was in fifth. Girl weren’t on my radar yet.”

“What about later? She was a senior when you were a freshman. I bet she was at least as pretty then.”

“But by then she had already been going steady with Harold for a few years. I thought she was pretty—gosh, I thought every senior girl was pretty, but in an unobtainable sort of way. I didn’t really give it much thought.”

“It would be more romantic if you always loved her,” Jessica said.

“Maybe, but it would be less real.”

“Hey, but look at you now. Little freshman that is totally going to get the hot senior.”

“You know, despite all the years’ difference, it feels pretty much the same. At least as exciting, if not more so.”