Chapter Six

Simon had most of the stuff he would use moved in, the rest were empty boxes designed to throw Lacie off. He didn’t need much, just some surveillance equipment, some clothes, and dishes. The house was furnished, but he brought a mattress set just because. He liked his mattress.

Evan came by after dark to hook everything up and helped him install motion-sensing cameras in her yard. They were set up with an alarm to go off if anything moved outside, which would wake Simon. Hopefully.

As he sat drinking coffee the following morning, he mused about what was happening to Lacie. He had copies of her police reports, which had her vague recollections of what the men had said to her, along with generic descriptions of the men. It wasn’t surprising. Under attack, victims do well to remember the basics, with all the adrenaline pumping through their system.

After the completely awkward incident with the lady from school yesterday who had shown up on her doorstep, Simon had subtly watched her. The friend had left with a book shortly after arriving, and Lacie had stayed indoors the rest of the evening. Her living room drapes remained open, so he could watch her as she sipped wine and watched TV. She talked on her phone, laughing some, and then hung up to watch more TV. She read a little before turning off all the lights and going to bed.

During the night, four dogs, three cats, and a family of raccoons had set off the motion detector alarm.

Simon dressed more appropriately for work today, wanting to kick himself yet again for the major faux pas yesterday. Casual in washable khaki slacks and a blue, button-down shirt, he certainly felt more normal.

And a little bit odd.

His suit was sort of a uniform for him. His parents had always been formal, his father always in a suit. When he’d been on the force, the uniform was a welcome change for him, undercover work brought more suits as that was what the job dictated, and upon his retirement, he’d fallen back on the formality of the suits. Sure, he owned khaki slacks and wore them when the occasion dictated, but he felt out of place.

Of course, after a day on this job, he was getting accustomed to the feeling. Simon pocketed his keys, drove the trailer back to the drop-off point, and went to the school.

He hit the ground running, his newest experiences commanding a new respect for public education teachers.

Simon didn’t get a chance to breathe until lunchtime. He spent the morning walking a child to the nurse after having an accident and needing new clothes, helping kids arrange shapes, manning the “centers”, and reading the students a story about a brown bear. To make it interesting, he came up with some voices, which tickled the kids. He liked hearing them laugh at him. For some reason, it evoked a feeling he didn’t know and couldn’t understand. But he was proud to make them happy, especially because some of the kids didn’t look like they smiled all that much. And when the kids laughed, Lacie smiled. He didn’t want to understand why that made him feel so good.

Protein shake in hand, Simon hustled to the teacher’s lounge, eager for some time to talk to Lacie. The teacher gig was all good, but he still didn’t have any information on her case. This twenty-minute break each day was the only chance he had.

Today, she wore another long, flowing skirt and gauzy top, but in different colors. Her jewelry was made from polished rocks and hung from everywhere. She was natural, in more ways than one. Her clothes, sure, but her look was something out of a fairy tale. Lacie wore no makeup, her nails clean and clipped short. He did notice, though, that her toenails were painted a whimsical green, the color of leaves or grass, adding to the natural theme she had going on.

He sat across the table from her and Emily, the only two teachers who came to the lounge during this lunch period. Since it was summer enrichment, there weren’t that many teachers on staff.

They were already deep in conversation.

“I just got my bead in the mail yesterday. It took me most of last night to download everything for it. David was so pissed, but after explaining to him how hot I would look again after I finished my buddy-up system with you, he mellowed out a bit,” Emily explained to Lacie, fiddling with a bracelet on her wrist.

Simon looked closer and noticed it was one of those StrongArm things, the bracelet that kept track of your fitness regime. Emily’s had a large, glass bead on it. As he studied the women while they talked, he noticed Lacie had one too.

Knowing a thing or two about fitness, he figured he would join them. Besides, this might give him the in he needed. Lacie hadn’t opened up around him, and he understood her lack of trust with him, but Simon really needed her to talk more, aside from, “Help the kids with calendar time, if you don’t mind.”

“Does it work? Do you like it?” He directed the question at Lacie.

She fiddled with the bracelet. “Yeah. The mod makes it better though. I found this off-brand modification for my StrongArm basic that turns it into a pro for half the price. It tracks everything, my heart rate, calories burned, down time. It even has a little kit you can get that will analyze finger sticks and tell you your cholesterol and blood oxygen content and stuff.” She was using her teacher voice with him, but he didn’t mind. Simon liked her voice. At least she was talking to him about something besides five-year-olds.

“The online program gives you daily goals, workout suggestions, and meal plans. I love it. It takes the guesswork out of everything.” Lacie picked at her salad and laughed. “I just have to do everything it says.”

This was the most she’d talked to him since he’d started working with her yesterday. “What sort of workouts do you do?” He realized he was flexing his arm unconsciously when she couldn’t make eye contact, instead focusing on the bulging biceps he was parading like a caveman. Oh well. He found a stupid sense of satisfaction in it, but he stopped anyway.

She licked her lips, dragging her eyes back to his face. “Uh, I do yoga in the evenings, runs in the mornings, I like to dance when I can.” She shrugged. “I live alone. When I get bored, I try to find something active to do.”

Emily giggled into the back of her hand, and Simon watched, amused. Control snapping, she started guffawing, loud, boisterous laughter that turned her face red and made tears stream out of her eyes.

“What?” Feeling like he’d seriously missed something, he was clueless as Lacie bit her own lip. But she most certainly wasn’t laughing.

Between breaths, Emily said, “She wishes … Trent … Oh, God … I can’t stop!” Emily was laughing too hard to say it, but at the mention of Trent’s name, Simon remembered Lacie saying he would be there at girls’ night tomorrow.

Turning back to Lacie, he raised a brow. “Trent is the boyfriend?”

Trent could be a suspect if Simon had any information about him. He stifled the need to pull a notebook from his pocket and start taking notes. He’d just have to put them into his phone later.

Lacie shrugged. “I guess. When it’s convenient for him. I’m honestly not sure how long it’s going to last.” She pressed her lips between her teeth in thought until the skin around them whitened. Simon found himself fascinated by the gesture, unable to take his eyes away. “I’m not sure why you would care. Sorry.” As Lacie dug back into her salad, Simon looked at the clock and realized lunch was almost over.

“What does he do?”

“Real estate. He’s really busy.” She was excusing him for whatever transgressions he’d made. Simon disliked the boyfriend already, and he hadn’t even met him.

He chugged his drink. “Does he live nearby?” Pumping her for information before they went back into the lion’s den, he tried to sound nonchalant but was afraid he’d failed when her eyebrows rose.

“No, he’s downtown in a condo somewhere.”

Now he was surprised. “You’ve never been to his place? How long have you guys dated?”

Emily had gotten herself under control and finished her lunch. “Why? You interested?”

“Emily!” Lacie was scandalized.

Simon needed to play this right. He wasn’t in it for the seduction factor. Never again. No matter how attractive she was. But if he wanted to protect her, he needed to earn her trust and not insult her.

Making his voice as gentle as possible, he said, “No, just trying to understand. You’re attractive, I don’t need to be interested to see that. I’m just wondering why the boyfriend’s so distant, that’s all. I’m making conversation.” He opened his hands, palms up on the table, a gesture that inspired confidence in interrogations.

“The bell’s about to ring.” Lacie was packing away her salad.

Back to the wolves’ den …

The afternoon passed quickly, with recess taking a lot of energy. Simon realized the kids liked basketball, even though they didn’t know any rules. But they liked trying to steal the ball from him and hopped and hollered when he made shots over their heads. He even felt a small measure of pride at the fact Lacie, Emily, and a few other teachers were obviously ogling him from the sidelines.

The last part of the day was music time, and while Simon stood in the corner, wiping the sweat off his face after playing basketball against forty kindergarteners in June in Austin, Lacie pulled out a guitar.

A woman of many talents.

Eagerly, Simon and the kids watched her twist knobs while strumming the instrument to make sure it was in tune before settling it on her lap to play. And then the music started.

And Simon forgot how to breathe.

Lacie’s fingers were long and elegant as they strummed the guitar, and her enchanting voice lilted through the room, filling it with warmth. This was something he’d never experienced. Growing up, music wasn’t a big deal in his house, except at formal parties his parents threw. He’d gone straight into the force and never looked back, certainly not taking time to listen to guitar players who sang like fairies.

Her long hair free today, Lacie held her head back as she smiled and sang the words to some song about the alphabet to the children, who were enraptured.

“She’s good, isn’t she?” A whisper off to his right fell on his ear, startling him. Cursing himself mentally, Simon turned to Mr. Hill, who he’d allowed to sneak up on him.

This was why he couldn’t get distracted. And he’d definitely been distracted.

“Yes, she is.”

Tugging on his arm, Mr. Hill got him outside the classroom, where they could speak privately.

“It was a toss-up between children’s education and music for her, but I encouraged the education route. More stability.”

“Yes, sir.” Simon was still embarrassed he’d been so intent on watching Lacie that he hadn’t noticed her father walk up on him. “I’m not making much progress at the moment, but I’m in place, so it’s only a matter of time. I have cameras set up, and an invitation to girls’ night, but she understandably has trust issues and hasn’t talked much to me yet.”

“Good, I guess. I want some closure with this, but I know it’ll take time.”

“What do you know about her boyfriend Trent?”

Mr. Hill released a heavy sigh. “Not much. I haven’t met him, which I don’t like, but it would take a lot for me to like some man she’s involved with. He’d have to be damn near perfect but not too perfect. Perfect men are a front for something malevolent.” He grinned.

“Spoken like a true father, sir.”

“Well, just keep at it, and let me know what happens, okay?” They shook hands, and Mr. Hill left him to return to the classroom, where the kids were getting ready to go home.

Lacie looked at him with questions in her eyes, but it was too chaotic to answer them, so Simon left it alone. Later, after the kids had gone home, Lacie was gathering her purse to leave and turned to Simon.

“What did Dad want?”

Prepared to lie, Simon answered, “He was checking to see how yesterday was.” Looking down at himself, he continued, “How long before I can walk out of here without looking like I peed myself?” He’d been helping a kid wash his hands, and the water had sprayed up onto his crotch.

Lacie giggled, a sound Simon could listen to forever—if he would only be honest with himself—and he gave himself a mental high-five for successfully changing the subject.

“I think you have a gift,” she replied as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

“Can I walk you out to your car?” For her protection only, he told himself. It had nothing to do with the fact he wanted to spend more time with her, and he knew as soon as they got home, they’d be separated by a street and two wooden doors.

But her eyes shuttered, the wall coming down. “I’m fine, thank you.”

That was okay. Simon had sort of expected it. If this job went on very long, though, he’d have to figure out a way to get closer to her, be by her side like flypaper. She sashayed away, completely oblivious to the tantalizing sway of her hips or the way her skirt swished around her ankles, hinting at long legs Simon wanted to see.

Flypaper wouldn’t be a hardship.