Page 48 of Twin Threats In Austin
“Would you mind?” he asked as he rounded the white granite island.
“Not at all,” she said, taking the opposite way toward the machine. Being close to Camden in his home felt surprisingly intimate. As much as she might be able to get used to the feeling under different circumstances, these weren’t different circumstances.
Coworker.She chanted the word in her mind as she assembled everything needed to brew a pot of coffee. Turned out, Mr. Coffee machines were a lot like riding a bike.
Camden disappeared out the front door, closing it behind him.
The move shouldn’t cause her stress levels to skyrocket again.
Then again, being shot at not once but twice had a way of getting under your skin. Would it interfere with her ability to conduct the investigation?
Chapter Seventeen
The truck was as good as new. Camden stepped out to speak directly with the tow-truck driver about what had happened that caused him and the Bronco driver to back away from the vehicle.
“What’s the rundown?” he asked, purposely taking this one on his own. Rochelle looked like she might jump out of her skin at an unexpected noise. Okay, that analysis was probably an overkill, but he wanted to give her time to hit the reset button. He had no doubt she was a professional who could handle herself under any circumstances. He also trusted her to pull herself off the investigation if she couldn’t.
In fact, he might talk to her about whether or not it was a good idea for her to take a step back, like her supervisor had suggested. This might be a good time to take a couple days of vacation to let the clock unwind.
“We found a device,” the tow-truck driver began. “Needless to say, we took all precautions after to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“And?”
“Turns out the device was one of those trackers you can buy at a spy store,” he supplied. “An amateur job but, hey, they work nonetheless.”
“Which means someone decided to keep tabs on myself and the detective,” Camden said.
“Looks like it,” the driver agreed as he unhitched the truck. “Okay if I put it down here?”
“Yeah,” Camden said but his mind was already spinning. Was a tracking device being used on Rochelle’s service vehicle? Was that the reason the perp found out her home address?
A determined criminal could find out almost anything they wanted these days with all the information gathered, stored, and available on the internet. There was no accountability on how that information could be used either. Personal data was there for the taking.
“Just one device?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” the driver said as he finished and then unhooked the truck from the winch.
Good to know.
“Thank you for bringing my truck to my doorstep,” Camden said.
“No problem,” the driver said before offering a handshake. “I’ll leave you to it, but rest assured the vehicle has been swept and is all clear.”
For now.
“Much appreciated,” Camden stated before locking up and heading back inside to find Rochelle sitting at the granite island. Her back was to him, but he could tell she had her cell phone out and was studying the screen. He closed and locked the front door, a habit he’d picked up since moving away from Mesa Point.
Before he got far, the doorbell buzzed. Camden circled back and checked before opening. Pizza had arrived.
He opened the door, took the box with a bag on top, and thanked the driver. The bill had already been paid, tip included, so he toed the door closed and brought dinner to the table.
“The plates are there,” he said, motioning with a nod. After setting down the food, he locked the door once more and then joined Rochelle at the table. She was already putting out plates.
Rochelle retrieved coffee cups and grabbed a couple of bottled waters from the fridge, then joined him. “This pizza smells like heaven.”
He liked making her smile.
“Coffee’s cold,” he said. “Do you want a fresh cup?”
