Always Watching by Lynette Eason Read Free Book Online Page A

home, his life and family.
    â€œKatie’s had extensive training in explosives. She’s ex-ATF,” Olivia said. “If she says it’s not a bomb, it’s not.”
    â€œOh.” Feeling slightly better, he glanced at the woman named Katie. Tall, maybe five feet ten, a hundred forty or so pounds, she had black hair pulled back into a severe ponytail, olive skin, black eyes. She wasn’t beautiful like her partner, but she was pretty in an understated, non-flashy way. She wore no makeup that he could see, and her clothes suggested she dressed for comfort, not fashion. She had gloves on her hands. The kind of gloves cops wore. “Then what is it?”
    â€œI’ve called the police. We have to report this, but in the meantime, you can have a look inside.”
    Wade hesitated for only a brief second before he moved so he could see. Olivia stayed with him and together they looked into the box. He sucked in a silent breath. Olivia went still. Frozen.
    On top of plastic that had been stapled to the sides of the coffin, a teddy bear with dark black eyes stared up at him.
    The head had been decapitated.
    Red liquid filled the area under the body. The plastic kept the blood from soaking the cardboard coffin, and the odor emanating from the object made him sure the blood wasn’t paint or theater makeup. He turned away, feeling sick. “Who would do this?”
    â€œWhoever you ticked off when you announced you were throwing her gifts away,” his father said.
    Wade looked back, the image now ingrained in his memory. “Whose blood is that?”
    â€œI’m hoping it’s animal blood,” Katie said. “But we’ll have it tested to be sure.”
    Wade set his jaw and stared. Then narrowed his eyes as he took in the details of the mutilated stuffed animal. “Wait a minute.”
    â€œWhat?” Olivia asked.
    â€œI need to check on something.” He opened the front doorand moved into the house. He heard Olivia follow him, but his focus was on finding out if he was right or not. He headed toward the back hall that would take him toward Amy’s room.
    Olivia followed him up the stairs. “What is it, Wade?”
    â€œHold on a minute and we’ll both know.” He pushed open the door to his daughter’s room and went to her bed. A plethora of stuffed animals lined the headboard and propped themselves on blue checkered pillows. “It’s here, I know it is.”
    Olivia waited behind him, her impatience nearly tangible, but at least she didn’t push him. He’d explain soon enough.
    There. He grabbed the bear and turned, holding it in front of him. “This. Anything stand out to you about this?”
    Olivia stepped farther into the bedroom and took the toy from him. “It’s the same one.”
    â€œIdentical.”
    She glanced up. “I thought you threw everything away.”
    â€œEverything but that. Amy loved it so I let her keep it.”
    â€œKatie’s called the police. We’ll file the report about this latest incident. What’s your security system like here again? I know we went over everything with your father, but maybe it’s better that we have your input.”
    â€œI have a security system that I turn on when I’m not here, and I make sure Amy arms it if she’s alone—which is pretty much never and definitely not since all of this started. The windows are wired, the doors . . . motion detectors and lights on the perimeter of the house. I’ve been much more meticulous about arming it these days, trust me.”
    â€œCameras?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWe’ll definitely need to add those and some floodlights around the boathouse.”
    As she talked, she became more animated, her passion anddedication for her job coming through. It comforted him and attracted him all at the same time.
    He nodded. “All right.” He needed to stop noticing things