Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Stone’s place was barren.
It didn’t look like anyone lived there, let alone a married couple with cats.
Parking my bike across the street, I pulled off my helmet because it was well over ninety degrees out today, and then got off the bike.
Placing the helmet on the seat, I leaned up against the bike and crossed my legs out in front of me, doing nothing but watching for now.
I did pull my phone out and look up the property records, though.
After coming up empty on the name “Cornelius Stone and Jacinda Stone” I looked up the property address. Which netted me a completely different set of names. Natasha Leo and Jack Leo. Though ‘Jack Leo’ hadn’t been added to the property taxes until this year.
Interesting.
Were they newly married?
I kept snooping on my phone while also keeping an eye out on the house—there were no cars in the driveway, but that didn’t mean that no one was home—and found that ‘Jack’s’ business wasn’t created until this year, too.
Specifically two months ago.
More interesting.
A person running caught my attention, and I narrowed my eyes, realizing quickly that it was Jack/Cornelius.
He was shirtless, wearing nothing but running shorts and tennis shoes, and staring directly at me.
I narrowed my eyes.
Most normal people didn’t notice small details so far away.
Yet this man had noticed me.
He’d noticed the man in his yard behind me. He’d also noticed the dog that was coming out of the side yard to his right.
Yet his eyes stayed on the most dangerous threat to him—me.
Military, I decided.
He had to be ex-military.
But there was something else about him.
The two times I’d seen him previously, he’d been wearing dumpy clothes to hide his physique.
Why?
What was the reason he was hiding that?
He certainly wasn’t hiding it now.
“Hey, Jack,” the neighbor behind me yelled as he came closer. “How many miles did you put in today?”
Jack/Cornelius said, “Oh, only a couple.”
He was lying.
I could tell by the way the man’s eyebrows shot up. “Only a couple? You sick? You told me last week you usually do five to nine every day before you get your garage workout in.”
Yep, definitely lying.
He didn’t want me knowing how much he worked out.
“Plus, you left at like o’dark-thirty. There’s no way you only did two if you’re just now getting back. That was an hour and a half ago.” The helpful neighbor kept talking.
My brows rose as a small smile lit my lips.
More than interesting at this point.
This guy had to be a cop.
It was good that I’d found that out.
I would’ve hated to have killed a cop and not known it.
Assaulting him was probably off the table now, too.
“Thanks, Jim,” Jack/Cornelius said.
When he got closer to me, he slipped his t-shirt on over his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?”
“Why are you stalking my woman?” I asked bluntly. “She told me last night that you showed up at her job and tried to corner her multiple times. And then yesterday you were following her at the pet store to the point where she felt threatened and had to call me because she was so scared. Oh, and let’s not forget you watched us have sex while you half-assed cleaned her apartment windows. And what’s your real name, anyway? I can’t keep calling you Jack/Cornelius in my head.”
“Oh, I thought you weren’t actually cleaning windows?” helpful Jim cut in. “Your partner told me last week that y’all were investigating an organized crime family. And, just for your information, it’s Jack right now. His wife’s name is Natasha.”
Oh, shit.
Mic drop.
I could see that ol’ Jack wanted to curse.
“But your partner got really mad and left you because you got rid of all her cats,” he drawled. “I saw her leaving two nights ago angry as hell. She threw you under the bus, partner.”
My lips twitched.
Obviously, Jack hadn’t made any friends, while the partner, Natasha Leo, did.
“How about you tell me what it is you’re investigating,” I suggested.
Instead of doing that, Jack left, heading toward his house.
Jim came up to me as soon as Jack was all the way inside.
“Natasha’s been an FBI agent for as long as I can remember her living here. That’s why her house is so bare. She lives here, but she’s gone a lot. The neighbors all take turns mowing her lawn in the summer. She’s a good neighbor to have, always makes sure to take care of us. And those cats that she had, they’re all really well taken care of. Her friend takes care of them when she’s gone, practically lives there. Not saying that I agree with breeding cats or anything when there are so many cats at the animal shelters, but I can’t really comment on someone’s way of making money, you know?” Helpful Jim supplied as he came to stand next to me. “She was so mad. Those cats were her livelihood. She said that she didn’t want to be in the FBI anymore and wanted to permanently take care of the cats. I don’t blame her. World’s a pretty bad place.”