Page 4 of Unmasked

She watched as Mason flicked through the various 5x7 black and white photographs. “And this started about a month ago?”

She nodded, though his gaze was still fixed on the photos. “I had just moved back from New York, and they started about a week or so after I moved home.”

“You haven’t argued with anyone, haven’t had anything out of the ordinary happen?”

She shook her head. “I keep mostly to myself.”

His eyes flicked to her. “Anyone else close to you having trouble that you’re aware of?”

“Not that I can think of. No one has mentioned anything.” If anything had happened to her mother, she most certainly would have heard about it. Her father was wealthy and had his fair share of competitors, but she was fairly certain he hadn’t experienced anything threatening, either.

He stacked the photographs and held them out as if to return them to her, but she waved him off. “You can have those.” God knew she didn’t want them, and the police couldn’t do anything with them.

He nodded. “We’ll keep them on file for you, then. So, there was no catalyst that you're aware of?”

She shook her head. “I wasn't really here long enough to run into anyone.”

He stared at her thoughtfully. “You said you lived here before, right?”

Her cheeks burned and she hesitated, thinking of Knox and Vivi. “Yeah, I left about thirteen years ago, right after graduation. Since then, I’ve lived in New York.”

“Anyone you can think of who might be upset you came back?”

Besides the obvious? She knew from the expression on Knox’s face earlier that he hadn't known she was back in town. Though he tried to conceal it, she knew him too well. When she stepped through the doorway, his eyes had widened a fraction, the color draining from his face like he’d seen a ghost.

She knew he still despised her for everything that had happened back then, but even if Knox had been aware of her moving back, she knew he wasn’t responsible for the photos. It wasn't in his nature to hurt anyone, let alone her, even if she deserved it.

“No.” She shook her head. “No grudges that I'm aware of.”

“Okay.” He nodded decisively. “Here's what I'd like to do. The person obviously feels safer in the city where he or she is less likely to stand out.”

“She?”

In response, Mason just shrugged. “Not out of the realm of possibility.”

No, she guessed it wasn't. They were just pictures, after all. Anyone could take a picture and leave it by her car. “What do we do now?”

Mason tipped his head to one side. “Whoever’s leaving the pictures is obviously practiced at blending in with their surroundings. He or she knows how to move at the exact right moment to avoid being spotted.”

She really didn’t like the way that sounded, but it made sense.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I can definitely run detail for you. I forgot to ask Con—are you wanting 24/7 surveillance? That can get pricey,” he warned, “but it’s something to consider.”

Knox hadn’t seemed too worried about the situation. At least, not enough to warrant having someone around every minute of the day. “Unless you think it’s necessary, maybe just while I’m out?”

“Probably smart to start with,” he agreed. “How do you feel about taking some extra security measures?” he asked. “If your home already has a security system, we can add cameras pretty easily.”

She shook her head. “I’m living with my parents at the moment, but I may take you up on that. I was planning to contact a realtor and start looking for my own place soon. From a security standpoint, which is better—an apartment or house?”

Mason leaned back in his chair and lifted one shoulder as he studied her. “It really depends. That old phrase ‘there's safety in numbers’ is true to a point. But it's also good to be away from the city if anything major ever goes down.”

She absorbed that for a minute, then finally nodded. “Okay, I'll weigh my options and see what's available.”

“What I need is for you to let me know whenever you go into town. If you could give me some advance notice so I can get into place, that would be great.”

She nodded. “Definitely. That shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Perfect. Do you have standing appointments, or anything coming up that you’re aware of?”