chief hustled the stranger past Michelle and Colin. “We’ll handle it.”
The man winked at Michelle as Chief Evans shoved him out the bedroom door. Another officer squeezed past Colin into the bedroom.
“Did he have a weapon? Did he hide anything in here?”
“We didn’t get that far. I think the dude’s just a homeless guy looking for some temporary shelter.”
“Chief thinks we just nailed Amanda’s killer.” The officer pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket. “I’m going to do a thorough search of the room. Thanks for your assistance. You can leave now. The chief knows you’re not officially on the Gunderson case, Roarke.”
Colin glanced at Michelle and rolled his eyes. “Come on.”
He steered her through the front door, which was now standing open. The curious folks from down the street gawking over Amanda’s murder site had shifted their attentions to Columbella House and the scruffy man now being stuffed into the backseat of a Coral Cove P.D. squad car.
Michelle gulped in a few breaths of salty air. “He’s not Amanda’s killer, is he?”
Colin wandered to the side gate, grabbed the top and leaned forward, peering at the path that rambled to the beach. “No.”
“Maybe—” Michelle twisted the arms of the sweatshirt that she’d wrapped around her waist “—he’s mentally ill. He could’ve been on his way to Columbella, stumbled across Amanda getting in her car and just gone off.”
He turned his head and raised one brow. “Did that guy look capable of attacking someone the way Amanda was attacked?”
“You mean sneaking up on her and slitting her throat.” Michelle kicked at the weeds clinging to the gate, sending puffs of dandelion floating through the air.
He brushed the back of his hand along her fingers where she’d hooked them, like claws, onto the chain-link fence. “I’m sorry.”
She sniffled and blinked. “No. He didn’t look capable of kicking a cat. He’d fall over. But that’s not going to stop Chief Evans or Mayor Davis from railroading this guy. He’ll be languishing in some jail cell just in time for the summer tourists to start flooding Coral Cove.”
“That’s stupid.” His fingers curled around hers. “If they’re that shortsighted, they just might allow the real killer to walk. And maybe strike again.”
Michelle shivered. “You think I’m on his list?”
“I know you graduated the same year as the other women.”
“The three murders could be completely unrelated—a coincidence.”
“And the petals?”
“The petals.” The terror from this morning when she’d seen the rose petals on her porch punched her in the gut. She sagged.
“Let’s get out of here.” Colin peeled her fingers from the gate and laced his own with hers.
They skirted the lingering knots of people in the street and Michelle tugged on his hand. “So which is it, Colin? Do you believe the killer scattered those petals on my porch or do you believe some innocent bystander carried them there on the bottom of his shoes?”
Colin wanted to reassure her, drive the fear from her big, brown eyes, but he couldn’t lie to this woman. He couldn’t pretend that she didn’t face some danger from this wily killer.
“If it’s the former, I’ll make sure he never gets that close to you again.” He tightened his grip on her hand.
A bicycle wobbled down the street between pedestrians, and the bespectacled rider raised his hand in salute. Michelle waved back, and Colin blew out a breath. What now? Couldn’t he ever get this woman alone? He had some more reassuring to do.
The cyclist pulled up beside them and shoved the glasses up his nose. “Michelle, are you okay? I heard what happened this morning and that it happened right outside your front door.”
The man lurched off the seat of his bike, straddling it with his feet planted firmly on either side. His gaze dipped to their clasped hands, and Michelle disentangled her fingers from Colin’s.
“It was horrible, Alec. I can’t believe it happened. I can’t believe Amanda’s gone.”
Alec extended his hand to Colin. “I’m Alec Wright.”
“I’m sorry.” Michelle tilted her head toward Colin. “This is Colin Roarke. Colin, this is Alec Wright. We teach at the high school together.”
For a skinny guy Alec had a strong grip. Then Colin noticed Alec’s legs encased in Lycra bicycle shorts and realized the guy was wiry, not skinny. But he still wore Lycra bicycle shorts. “Good to meet you.”
“I’ve seen your name all over the school. Yours and your brother’s. Kieran, right?”
“Right.” At the mention of his brother’s name, Colin’s face tightened. Would it always be this way? Would he ever be able to think about his brother without this pain shooting into his gut?
Alec’s eyes widened behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “I—I’ve seen your names on a lot of trophies in the trophy case.”
Colin shrugged. “Don’t know why they don’t replace those old things with new trophies.”
“Because they’re school records.” Alec cocked his head at Colin as if studying some strange specimen.
“Whatever.” The guy annoyed him. He needed to take his Lycra and ride away.
Michelle drew her eyebrows over her nose. “If you have some time this weekend, Alec, maybe you can look at my laptop for me. I have a couple of questions about my email.”
“Yeah, sure.” Alec blushed as red as his bike. “Give me a call. I’d be happy to help.”
Of course he would. The guy had a crush on Michelle as far as he could stretch his stretchy pants.
“Nice meeting you.” Colin jerked his thumb toward Michelle’s house. “We gotta…”
“Oh, sure. Oh, yeah. I’m glad you’re okay, Michelle. Sorry about Amanda.” He clambered onto his bike and headed toward the coast highway.
Colin squinted after him. “Didn’t sound sorry about Amanda.”
“He and Amanda never got along.” She dug her hands into her hips. “What is wrong with you? Did you take an instant dislike to Alec or something? He’s a nice guy and a good teacher.”
“I didn’t like his bicycle shorts.”
Her chocolate-drop eyes studied his face. “You didn’t like that he mentioned your trophies—yours and Kieran’s.”
He didn’t like that he’d mentioned Kieran, period.
He
