Page 48 of Tides of Change
The sudden ringing of my phone on the counter jolted me. I glanced at the screen.Garrett.A mix of relief and nervous anticipation bloomed in my gut, fluttering like a flock of hummingbirds taking flight. I wiped my hands on a paper towel, grabbed the phone, and swiped to answer before it could click over to voicemail.
“Hello?” My voice carried a smile I couldn’t suppress.
Garrett’s tone, however, was all business. “I’ve been thinking. This creep has to be close by to follow your movements, so it stands to reason he’s staying in town, at least part of the time. Sarge gave me the go-ahead to canvass motels this afternoon. Just wanted to keep you in the loop.”
My stomach plummeted. The idea of my stalker staying in Seacliff Cove sent a shiver racing down my spine. “Take me with you.”
Garrett hesitated. “Ethan…I can’t. That’s not protocol. I could be?—”
“I could help,” I argued, and gripped the phone tighter. “What if…what if I recognized someone? Or a name?”
A long sigh came through the line. “Pick you up in ten,” he murmured, his voice low and quiet, almost resigned, before he ended the call.
My appetite evaporated. I wrapped my unfinished sandwich and stuffed it into the fridge with trembling hands. The thought of confronting the man who had been haunting me was terrifying, but this could be the break we needed.
I barely had time to throw on a jacket and grab my phone before the sheriff’s department SUV pulled up outside my house. The rumble of the engine sent a ripple of tension through me. I stepped onto the porch as Garrett climbed out of his Ford Police Interceptor, his uniform crisp and his presence reassuring.
He confidently walked toward me as his eyes scanned the area. “Ready?” A protective edge laced his deep voice.
“As I’ll ever be.” I tried to match his calm demeanor, but my heart thundered in my chest.
Inside the vehicle, the faint traces of gun oil and the fresh smell of Garrett’s body wash enveloped me, oddly comforting despite the nerves dancing in my stomach. As we pulled onto the main road out of the neighborhood, I glanced at him. His jaw was set, his hands firm on the wheel at ten and two. There was something about the way he carried himself—a mix of determination and control—that made me feel safer, even as my mind raced with worst-case scenarios.
“Any idea where to start?” I broke the tense silence.
He nodded. “Cheap, cash-friendly places. If this guy’s staying local and under the radar, they’re the most logical spots.”
Logical.But beneath that calm exterior, I knew Garrett was just as concerned as I was.
The weight of what we were about to do settled over me. I stared out the window as the streets of Seacliff Cove passed by. This town was supposed to be my sanctuary, my fresh start. Now it felt tainted, with every corner holding the possibility of danger.
But as Garrett reached over the console and gave my knee a brief, reassuring squeeze, I knew I wasn’t facing this alone. And somehow, that made all the difference.
The first motel looked like the definition of seedy. The single-story structure sat awkwardly along the highway outside the cozy town of Seacliff Cove. The neon vacancy sign flickered faintly, one of the tubes completely burned out. The whole place screamedbad decisions. My stomach tightened as I followed Garrett through the cracked glass front doors into the reception area.
The linoleum floor peeled in places and revealed a sticky underlayer that clung to my sneakers as I stepped inside. The smell of old cigarette smoke mingled with something sour, andI fought the urge to gag. Behind the counter, a pot-bellied man in a stained T-shirt barely glanced up until he caught sight of Garrett’s uniform. His small, watery eyes widened, and he stiffened and flicked the butt of his cigarette into an overflowing ashtray.
“Don’t want no trouble,” the man muttered, his voice a gravelly smoker’s rasp. He shifted nervously. A cockroach skittered across the counter. He slammed his hand down on it and wiped the dead bug on his pants. My stomach churned.
Garrett didn’t miss a beat, his tone calm but firm. “Then you’ll cooperate. We’re looking for someone who might’ve been here for a few weeks. Single man, average build, about five feet ten, maybe coming and going a lot. Ring any bells?”
The man’s lips pressed into a thin line. He leaned back, scratching at his greasy hair. “Need a warrant for that kinda thing.” He smirked, though his darting eyes betrayed his nerves.
I clenched my fists at my sides, disappointment bubbling to the surface. This was a waste of time.
Garrett, however, didn’t flinch. His voice dropped, low and commanding. “You’d rather I call the health department? Pretty sure they’d be interested in this place.”
The man grimaced but didn’t respond.
Garrett’s eyes narrowed at him, but he said to me, “Let’s go.”
Outside, the bright sunlight assaulted my eyes after the dim, grimy interior.
“Is this pointless?” I already felt defeated.
“Maybe not.” Garrett strode toward his SUV. “These vehicles might tell us something.” Inside, he ran the plates through the onboard computer while I held my breath. Southern California…Nevada…Seacliff Cove…rental car. My pulse quickened at that one. But when Garrett ran the plate and contacted the rental company, I didn’t recognize the driver, Edward Johnson, ageseventy-four. The only red flag was an unpaid parking ticket. Not exactly a lead.
The second motel was even worse, wedged between a smoke shop and a dingy pizza place in another sketchy area outside of town. The faint stench of burned coffee lingered in the air as we walked in. The man behind the counter was younger, with a scruffy beard and a cynical smile that made my skin crawl.
