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I’d graduated a year after Max, so I knew him from school, and we’d become friends since I’d returned and gotten a job with the police department. I had interacted with most of the shop and restaurant owners at one time or another.
I wanted to solve this case so locals and tourists weren’t worried about their safety. Annapolis had a small-town feel despite its proximity to Baltimore and Washington DC.
It had only been a day, but I wondered if Remi scheduled the installation of a security system yet and if she was being careful. I told myself I had a duty to Delilah, but we hadn’t talked in years. Not since we broke up in college. We went to different schools, and the distance was too great. We’d drifted apart.
After my friend got in trouble, I realized college wasn’t for me and enlisted in the Marines. At the time, it felt like something I had to do, but now, I wished it was something I had completed before enlisting and then becoming a cop who wanted to advance through the ranks. I didn’t need a four-year degree to get promoted, but it wouldn’t hurt.
* * *
Monday night, I stopped by Max’s Bar for the Shops on Main meeting.
I wanted to stress the importance of being careful but not cause anyone to panic. Standing in the space on the second floor, I stood next to Max while shop and restaurant owners walked in and sat at the long table.
Sophie approached. “Thank you so much for coming. We meet once a month to go over any issues in town.”
I made a mental note to drop in at the next one. It would be a good way to keep apprised of any concerns.
Remi slipped past me in the doorway, her fruity scent tickling my nose. “You know what the current parking rules are?”
My heart rate picked up at her proximity. “The no-parking zones are clearly marked.”
Her hair fell out of a messy bun; her pink shirt hung off one shoulder, leaving a swath of tantalizing bare skin.
Remi arched a brow. “Are they, though? Is that why the courthouse is packed with confused drivers on the traffic docket?”
I refocused on her words, trying to remember what we were talking about. “Not the ones who pay attention.”
Remi shook her head, sitting next to Savannah, the owner of Lavender, and Hailey, the owner of the Spice & Tea Shoppe. Sophie had already taken her seat while I was talking to Remi.
Max leaned in. “She’s irritating like a little sister, isn’t she?”
I almost agreed before I saw the amusement on Max’s face. He was making fun of me. “You ready to get started? I don’t have all night.”
“Sure, Mr. Grumpy.” Max held his hand up until the room quieted. “Officer Colton Castle is here to talk to you about the recent break-ins and graffiti issues downtown.”
“Should we be concerned?” Hailey’s eyes were wide, and her fingers clenched on the table in front of her.
I moved to stand at the end of the table, placing my hands on my duty belt to have somewhere to put them. “I think you need to be careful, especially if you’re leaving your shops at night. We believe the two instances are linked, and whoever it is wants money. Nothing else was taken. But they could be desperate and getting bolder.”
“But they broke in overnight when the stores were closed,” Easton, the owner of the ReSails shop, said.
“That’s a good point. Both stores didn’t have security systems. So, that’s one thing you could do to protect your businesses—have those installed as soon as possible. Walk with someone to your car. Report anything that is unusual.”
“Do you have any leads?” Remi asked.
“No,” I said gruffly. That grated on my nerves. I hated not having anything to go on. To be sitting on my ass just waiting for something else to happen.
Since I’d expressed interest in being promoted, I knew Chief was watching my cases closely.
“What about the graffiti?” Hailey asked.
“It seems more like something a teenager would do. It’s not the usual tagging we see.”
“Tagging?” Sophie asked.
“That’s what we call it when one of these guys paints the same symbol or picture on multiple locations. It’s their signature, if you will. Their tag.”
Sophie nodded. “That makes sense.”
