Page 68 of The Secrets We Treasure

Chapter 15

“Can I get you anything else?” Barbara asked.

“I’m great,” Sadie answered. “Thank you. The pigs in blankets were delicious.” She leaned forward and placed her empty plate on the coffee table in front of her.

“It was nothing,” Barbara said offhandedly. “Just a little something I whipped up.”

Treasure had to bite back her grin, especially when she saw Greer’s astonished expression. It wasn’t good enough for Treasure and Greer to simply make the pigs in blankets. Barbara brought out one of her best platters and a paper lace doily. Then, the food had to be arranged just so. It didn’t stop there. They put together a veggie tray, complete with a creamy garlic and herb dip. And there was strawberry lemonade to drink.

Ian and Sadie probably thought it was odd to be served food when coming on official business. However, they took it in stride and were good sports about it. Ian placed his empty plate on the coffee table beside Sadie’s before scooting forward. “Greer briefed me on the situation, but I’d like to get your take on it.”

Treasure gathered her thoughts, feeling the need to outline everything in a succinct pattern. Even back in high school, Ian was the serious type. As his penetrating eyes assessed her, she got the feeling of being weighed and measured. “When I first started receiving the texts and phone calls, it rattled my world. The police were called in. They tried their best to figure out who was sending them, but the person covered his tracks too well. Everything came to a head when someone tried to break into my house.” She hugged her arms to ward off the tremor that ran through her. “A man by the name of Leo Clark was found in my neighborhood. The police questioned him, but he was never arrested.”

Ian dipped his head. “Greer mentioned that Leo is a computer technician.”

“Yes, he was, for a local company in Philly. However, Leo has since dropped off the map.” Treasure felt like she was repeating the same thing over and over to different people. Could Ian and Sadie do something to help? Greer seemed to think so, but Treasure wasn’t sure what to think anymore. Ian and Sadie certainly looked capable—power players from the word Go. He was handsome with his clear-cut features, shock of blonde hair, and blue eyes. Sadie was equally beautiful with her long platinum hair. Her brown eyes held an intelligent light, and she seemed sympathetic to Treasure, which was reassuring.

As if sensing her disquiet, Greer slid his arm around Treasure’s shoulders. It was amazing how much his simple gesture calmed her nerves.

“I hired a private investigator to look into Leo,” Treasure continued. She outlined all that Howard had learned—the divorce, Leo’s three kids, his failure to pay child support, the restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend. “Notwithstanding Leo’s history, Howard could find no evidence of him being the stalker.”

Sadie tipped her head. “Leo’s background in computers and him being in the vicinity the night of the break-in makes him a suspect in my book.”

Treasure nodded. “When Leo went off the grid, I got Howard to go searching for him.”

“Good move,” Sadie said appraisingly.

“Evidently, Leo has a habit of disappearing and then resurfacing when he runs out of money. Howard spoke to his ex-girlfriend.”

Ian pursed his lips. “The one with the restraining order?”

“Yes. She told Howard that the last time Leo disappeared, he went to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Supposedly, he has family that lives somewhere in the Southeast. Howard went to Florida and was able to track down a waitress who dated Leo on and off. Leo and the waitress have a five-year-old son who has leukemia.” She searched her brain. “Sheila is the name of the waitress. She told Howard that Leo had stopped by to see her several weeks prior. He said he was going off the grid for a while to do a high-paying job and would send money for their son’s treatments when he was able.” She shrugged. “Howard was unable to discover anything else, so he went back to Philly to continue his search.”

Ian sat back and stroked his chin.

“What’re you thinking?” Sadie asked, touching his arm.

“Leo doesn’t fit the profile of a stalker. He seems more interested in taking care of the waitress and his son.”

“I agree,” Sadie answered. “I just wish we knew what the high-paying job was or Leo’s whereabouts.”

“Howard reached the same conclusion about Leo—that he doesn’t seem like a stalker.”

“That still doesn’t explain why he happened to be in your neighborhood the night of the break-in,” Sadie piped in.

Treasure was about to answer, but Greer beat her to the punch. “He claimed he was out walking for exercise. He lives roughly twenty-five minutes from Treasure and said he wanted to walk in a nicer, safer area than his lower-middle-class neighborhood.”

Sadie wrinkled her nose. “That seems fishy.”

“Tell us how Ethan Roberts fits into all this,” Ian prompted. “I know part of this already from what Greer told me, but like I said, it can’t hurt to hear it in your words.”

“Ethan and I met on an airplane when I was working as a flight attendant. My husband, Ben, had died several months earlier.” Treasure paused, the familiar sorrow of that time rushing over her. Sensing her sadness, Greer caught hold of her hand. They shared a look as he offered a smile of encouragement. Her eyes misted, thinking of the long, twisty path that had led her back to Greer. She inhaled a deep breath before turning her focus back to Ian and Sadie. “I was at a low point in my life. Ethan saw something in me—star quality, as he calls it.” A humorless smile tugged at her lips. “He’s the one who launched my career. I went on to star in two seasons of The Singing Bachelor and built a following on social media—”

“Treasure’s something of a marvel,” Greer interjected, his eyes shimmering with an admiration that both melted and wrenched Treasure’s heart. How ironic it was that she’d been so afraid she wasn’t good enough for Greer. It meant the world to know he was proud of her accomplishments. “Treasure started a clothing line, cosmetic line, and recently launched her own perfume.”

Sadie’s eyes lit with recognition as she snapped her fingers. “I thought you looked familiar. I watched you on The Singing Bachelor. You’re the bachelorette that Neil Jessop picked.”

Greer’s jaw hardened, causing her to wince. “There was never anything between me and Neil. It was all part of the show.” For a second, she forgot about Ian and Sadie and turned her full attention to Greer. “You know what the biggest problem was with Neil Jessop? Aside from him being a self-absorbed jerk?”

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