Monday morning, Evan was in his office working on the security detail for the street dance that was also his wedding reception when his desk phone buzzed. He pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”

“Mr. Charles Harper in on line two for you,” Rita said.

“Thank you.” He took a minute to change his train of thought before he picked up the receiver. “This is Chief Riverton.”

“Chief, this is Charles Harper. I’d like to speak with you about the officer you sent to see my wife last week.”

“Yessir. Is there a problem?”

“Can you please tell me why it’s necessary for my wife to assist this officer? Why isn’t one of the older, more experienced officers from this area looking into whatever it is he’s looking into?”

“Mr. Harper, did Officer Cox disrespect your wife in any way?”

“No, I just don’t like the way it looks when they’re coming out of a back room together. You know how people talk around this town.”

“I’m not at liberty to speak with you about an ongoing investigation, but Officer Cox is the only officer, other than myself, with the experience this case needs. I will speak with Officer Cox and emphasize the importance of propriety in this matter.”

“Please do so, Chief. I’d hate for there to be a problem with him being so new to the area. I trust he knows to keep his hands to himself,” Mr. Harper said with his voice full of contempt.

“Yessir. Have a good day.”

Evan rubbed his hands down his face as he contemplated what Nathan could’ve done. He didn’t mess with married women, and Evan knew he’d stressed that she was married. Just as he moved to use the intercom, a tap sounded on his door. Evan took a deep breath again to switch mental gears. “Come in.”

When the door opened, Nathan was standing in the doorway. “Got a minute?”

“Yes, I was just going to have Rita send you in here when you came in. Have a seat,” Evan said as he pointed to one of the chairs across his desk. “What’s up?”

Nathan gave Evan the two pictures he and Vanessa found last week. “Since this is the first time I’ve seen you, I wanted to show you these.”

Evan looked at both pictures. One was a woman, and the other was the back of a man. “What are these?”

“The library only keeps four weeks’ worth of video on site. They should have the rest today or tomorrow. These were the only two photos of people Vane…um, Mrs. Harper saw of people she doesn’t know or doesn’t think she knows.”

“We can rule out the woman because Ginger saw the man, and I spoke to him on the phone.”

“Unless he’s got an accomplice.”

“True. Let’s hold on to the female to see if she shows up again. What about the man? I can’t see his face.”

“You said you saw a man across the river a few weeks back. This guy didn’t look up at all walking through the library, so he knew to avoid the cameras. I was thinking about his build. Is his body the same build as the guy you saw? The guy Ginger saw in North Carolina?”

Evan studied the picture for a few minutes. “Damn, maybe. I’d say build-wise they’re close if not the same guy. I’d have to ask Ginger about the man she saw.”

Nathan nodded. “I want to take that with me when I go back to view the rest of the discs to see if I can match him in there more than once.”

“Yeah, about that. I received a phone call this morning from Charles Harper.” Evan leaned back in his chair as he looked at Nathan.

“For what?”

“He asked me why I wasn’t sending someone else to look at the video. Basically, he doesn’t like you around his wife.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Evan shook his head. “I wish I was. You didn’t touch her, flirt with her, did you?”

“I shook her damn hand. I was polite. She’s terrified around men, and I think I know why.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we walked out of the back room, Mr. Harper was giving her a look that spelled trouble. When he spoke, she flinched, and no one had touched her while he was shooting daggers at me with his eyes.” Nathan ran his hand through his blond waves. “The whole exchange was intense. You could’ve cut the tension with a knife. I didn’t have a good feeling, so I waited for them to leave. The way he gripped her arm when they walked out of the library… I’ll bet you a bottle of Jack she’s got bruises.”

“Dammit.” Evan’s gut clenched as he closed his eyes. “Nathan, unless she says something to you, there’s blood, or you see something, keep your distance for now. I know you, man. Harper is the school board superintendent, and he has the Mayor’s ear. We’ll figure out a reason for you to keep watch on her. For right now, you’re the epitome of manners, got it?”

Nathan rubbed his hands down his face and entwined his fingers at the back of his neck. “She’s so fucking tiny, Evan. She can’t weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. I’d be scared to touch her because I might break her.”

“Nathan…”

Nathan held up his hands. “Yeah, I got it, I got it,” he sighed. Just as he was rising out of the chair, his phone rang. “Speak of the devil.” He held up his phone. “Nathan Cox,” he said.

Evan watched as he spoke with Vanessa Harper. As Nathan listened to whatever she was saying, his eyes softened. Evan knew that look. Nathan liked Vanessa, and he was going to crush Charles Harper. Fucking hell!

“The discs are supposed to be delivered by ten o’clock. She’s agreed to work with me, so we’ll probably work through lunch. Are there any restaurants that’ll deliver around here?”

“Nathan, for the love of God, don’t do anything that’s going to cause her to get hurt.”

“I’ll keep my hands to myself and suggest we leave the door open.” Nathan leaned with both hands planted on Evan’s desk. “She’s a nice lady and doesn’t deserve to be treated that way. If she asks for help, I will help her get away from that prick. Is that going to be a problem?”

“If she asks for help, I’ve got your back,” Evan said.

Nathan nodded as he walked out the door.

* * *

It was after ten when Nathan walked into the library.

“Mrs. Harper?”

Vanessa finished what she was writing before she lifted her head toward Nathan. “Good morning, Officer Cox.” She pointed to the cardboard box full of smaller boxes labeled with dates. “I don’t think we’ll get through all of these in one day. As soon as Ms. Jane comes back from putting her things away, we can get started. All I ask is that we quit at four so I have time to get the end of day processes done before five.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. I’m sure our eyes will have had enough by then anyway,” Nathan said. His gut was telling him that she wanted him gone before her husband showed up.

As soon as the older lady that Nathan now knew as Ms. Jane walked up, Vanessa told her where they’d be. She reached for the box, and her shirt sleeve rode up enough that Nathan saw the edge of a bruise that was healing. He clenched his jaw.

“I’ll take that. You lead the way.”

They walked to the locked room as before and flipped on the lights as the door closed behind them. Nathan set the box down and pushed the short sleeve of Vanessa’s blouse up her arm. Now that they were closer, he saw the mark on her cheek she’d tried to cover with makeup, too.

Vanessa pushed his hand away. “Please don’t,” she said.

“Mrs. Harper, do you need help?”

“No.” She gently touched her cheek. “I was clumsy this weekend and fell. I hit the coffee table. I feel so stupid.”

“That may explain the cheek, but that doesn’t explain the bruises on your arm in the shape of fingertips,” Nathan said softly.

“Please Officer Cox…” Vanessa said.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Nathan relented. He didn’t want her scared of him, too. “Since we’re going to be working so closely together the next couple of days, call me Nathan.”

“Only in here,” she mumbled.

“Why don’t we open the door so the air can circulate and no one can suspect anything?” Nathan suggested.

“Like my husband?”

“Yes, since he called my chief this morning.”

Vanessa’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right. I assured Chief Riverton nothing happened between us.”

“Thank you,” she said barely above a whisper.

They had watched several weeks’ worth of discs when Jane tapped on the door. “Officer Cox, your lunch order has arrived. Where would you like it?”

“Take what you like, Ms. Jane, and then the rest can come back here for Mrs. Harper and me.”

Jane smiled and left to do Nathan’s bidding. A few minutes later she brought a pizza minus two slices and most of a huge salad back to them along with paper plates, napkins, and forks.

“Thank you for this, but I need to eat the lunch I brought from home,” Vanessa said.

“Can’t you save that for tomorrow?”

Vanessa looked at the floor. “That’s too many calories. I can’t have that because I’ll gain weight.”

Nathan’s mouth fell open. What the fuck? “Surely one piece of pizza won’t hurt you. Are you entering some kind of competition or something?”

Vanessa shook her head. “I’ll eat some salad,” she said with a small smile.

God, she was beautiful. He could see glimpses of the woman she was, and would give anything to see her smile more.

They settled back into their chairs to watch more video. Nathan only had four days to find who sent the emails. Four days to gain Vanessa’s trust. Four days to get her to let him help her.

Four days.