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  “I have one of those,” she said. “An ex who would never have worked as a friend, but that was a long time ago. Sam, on the other hand, you can’t help but like and stay friends with.”

  “Any chance you and Sam will ever get together again?” Cody asked.

  “No.” Carilyn shook her head. “Like I told you before, he’s a good guy. But as far as us getting together, I’ve moved on and he’s moved on. Friends are all we’ll ever be.”

  Cody slid the last plate into the dishwasher and she was grateful when he changed the subject. “Are you going to be all right while I’m out working?”

  She smiled. “Don’t worry so much, cowboy. I’ll be fine.”

  “Just want to make sure my patient is okay.” He gave her a quick grin. “If you’re up to it, you can watch TV in the living room or guestroom. Otherwise, get some rest.”

  “Now that I’m up and have had breakfast, I’m feeling much better.” She pushed hair out of her face. “I think I’d be fine driving home.”

  He shook his head. “You’re staying with me for a full twenty-four hours. If you have to go home, then I’m going with you and you aren’t driving. Got that?”

  She raised her hands. “Okay, okay. I’ll be good.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He gave her a quick grin. “Now behave yourself.”

  “Would you have a computer I can borrow to check my email and surf the net?” she asked.

  “You can use mine.” He gave a nod in the direction of the hallway. “It’s in my office.”

  She followed him to a room with a large rustic-style desk along with a wood file cabinet and piles of papers on the file cabinet and on the desktop. He went the laptop desk and keyed in the password.

  He moved away from the office chair. “Have a seat.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him, not ready to tell him she could likely hack into his computer with minimal trouble with her skillset.

  She eased into the chair and scooted it up to the computer. His wallpaper was a picture of the ranch taken after a rain, with water glistening on blades of grass and the sky reflected in the water puddles on the ground. “It looks like a professional photographer took the picture you’re using for your wallpaper,” she said to Cody.

  “An old friend stopped by the ranch and took it,” Cody said. “She’s an amateur, but her work looks professional.”

  Carilyn nodded. “It sure does.”

  “You probably aren’t going to feel like spending a lot of time on the computer,” he said. “But regardless, take a break after an hour at most.”

  “Okay, doc.” She smiled. “I’ll lie down if I start to feel bad and I’ll take that mandatory break when it’s time.”

  “Good girl.” He rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Do you have your cell phone?”

  She dug it out of her pocket and held it up. He took it from her and pressed a few buttons. “I’m putting my number in your contacts.” When he finished, he handed the iPhone back to her. She took it and saw “Cody McBride” listed in her contacts along with a phone number beneath it. “Call me if you need anything.” He stressed the last word.

  “I will.” She held up her fingers and crossed them. “Promise.”

  He surprised her by bending over and kissing her on top of the head and then drew away. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

  She smiled at him as he looked at her one more time then turned and walked out of the office. She stared after him, enjoying the backside view like she had done the first time she’d ever seen him. Damn, he was hot.

  Rolling her eyes up to the ceiling she mentally shook her head. This was ridiculous. She sighed and looked at the beautiful photo wallpaper of the ranch. It was a beautiful place.

  She pulled up the Internet browser, went to her email client, and logged in. She wasn’t surprised when she saw a hoard of emails and she groaned. Trying to focus on the screen while she had a concussion was bad enough. Maybe she’d just come back to it later.

  Just as she was about to close out the browser, the title of an email caught her attention. She frowned as she looked at it. The sender was “Firebug” and the subject line was “Redhead.”

  She moved the cursor and clicked to open the email. Her blood went cold and chilled her veins when she saw the four words in the body of the email.

  You’re next, Carilyn Thompson.

  ***

  Chapter 11

  Carilyn chewed her thumbnail as she stared at the email. She hadn’t chewed her nails since she had suffered from a panic disorder all those years ago, but the email had brought on the sudden burst of anxiety.

  You’re next, Carilyn Thompson.

  What did it mean? Who was “Firebug”? Was he the person who had torched her car? How did he know her name? How had he found her?

  The questions blew through her mind, making her head ache even more. She took deep breaths and slowly blew out through her mouth, trying to calm the jittery feeling that was taking over her body.

  Okay. She wasn’t a hacker for nothing. She could trace this sonofabitch down. All she had to do was calm herself, put on her analytical cap, and find him.

  The IP address led her nowhere and she didn’t have the software she needed to take her very far. Still, she did everything she could. The person who’d sent her that email was good at hiding his tracks from what she could tell. She was going to have to get on her own laptop, install software, and dig deeper.

  When she’d gone as far as she could go, she leaned back in the office chair. Her head was splitting and she was having a difficult time focusing. It hadn’t helped her search not being able to think clearly thanks to the concussion.

  Being busy trying to track “Firebug” down had kept the anxiety at bay. But as she sat in the chair staring at the email again, panic started to claw its way up her throat. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists on the desktop. She was not going to let this person destroy the years of hard work it had taken to get to where she was now.

  Again she took deep breaths and let them out slowly. She worked to focus outward and not on the way her skin was crawling and the tight ball forming in her chest. She swallowed and unclenched her fists before clenching them again.

  Her headache and mental confusion from the concussion was making it harder to concentrate on relaxing. But she shoved her way through it, determined not to let this get the best of her and destroy her hard-won control.

  She pushed back the chair, but stood too fast. Her head swam and she had to brace her hands on the desktop to steady herself. When she felt like she could walk, she raised her head and walked toward the office door.

  The front door closed hard and she jumped. Her heart thudded, as if it might be the mysterious e-mailer who was coming in the front door of Cody’s house. Which was completely crazy. The person would have no idea she was here.

  But he’d known her name. Her full name. And he’d found her email address.

  Rational thought clashed with irrational ones.

  What if Firebug knows where I am now? What if that’s him?

  No, that was impossible. No one but Cody knew where she was.

  What if Firebug has been following me?

  She would have noticed anything suspicious.

  Would I really have noticed?

  The back and forth in her mind was about to drive her crazy and it was only ratcheting up the anxiety that was making her chest hurt.

  She heard the sound of heavy shoes on tile. It sounded like boots. Without really processing what she was doing, she picked up a heavy glass paperweight with a scorpion trapped in the glass and held the paperweight in her fist. She backed up against the wall beside the door and raised her arm. She held her breath.

  Another footstep. Closer.

  At the door.

  “Carilyn?” Cody called out.

  Air rushed from Carilyn’s chest and she sagged against the wall as Cody stepped into the room.

  He frowned. “Are you all right?�
�

  She managed a nod.

  “You look upset.” He was still frowning.

  “I’m okay.” She tried for a smile.

  He nodded toward her hand. “Planning on playing a little baseball?”

  She glanced at the paperweight she was holding and immediately felt silly. She put the object on the desktop. “I just got a little spooked.”

  Now Cody’s expression turned to concerned. “What happened?”

  “I received a strange email.” She gestured to his laptop. The email was still open.

  “Do you mind if I read it?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  He eased down into the chair and looked at the email. Immediately his expression went hard.

  He looked over his shoulder at her. “I assume you don’t know this ‘Firebug’.”

  She shook her head. “I have no idea who could have sent it.” She took a deep breath. “I have some talent at tracking people down myself and the IP address took me nowhere and I don’t have the software I need to take it any further.”

  Cody nodded slowly. “I need to show this to Reese.”

  “Your cousin, the detective?” Carilyn asked.

  “Yes.” Cody clicked the button to print and the printer started humming. “It’s only a theory, but I’m afraid this might be related to the arsonist.” He looked at her. “You are not going anywhere without me.”

  She dragged her hand down her braid and started plucking the end, another one of her high anxiety habits. She was aware of it, but she couldn’t get herself to stop doing it. “I can’t just hide.”

  Cody got up from his seat and took her by the shoulders. “More importantly, you can’t take chances. Until this guy is caught, you need to stay low.”

  “What if it’s an idle threat?” She frowned. “What if someone is trying to scare me as a prank?”

  Cody didn’t release his light grip on her. “One of the other arsonist’s victims is missing. Police don’t know if it’s related, but this email concerns me.”

  A cold chill prickled Carilyn’s skin. “Missing?”

  “It may be nothing.” Cody caressed her upper arms soothingly. “But the police are treating it as a missing person’s case.”

  The thought that everything could be tied to the arsonist made her stomach clench. “What do I do?”

  “You continue to hang out with me.” He smiled at her. “Is that such a bad thing?”

  She couldn’t help a little smile. “These are great lengths to go to in order to keep me around.”

  He smiled in return, but it was a concerned smile. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. But I need my laptop and software so that I can work to track down the S.O.B. who sent the email. I also need to get clothes and toiletries.”

  “I’ll take you to Leigh’s to get some of your things.” Cody slid his hands down her arms and released her. “We’ll go while it’s still broad daylight. Are you up to going now?”

  “Now is good.” She followed him out the office door. “I’ll get my purse.” She glanced down at his T-shirt that she was wearing. “And I’ll put on my own clothes.”

  “I’ll be in the kitchen,” he said.

  She hurried down the hall and found that Cody had washed her clothes while she slept and had stacked them in a neat pile on the trunk at the foot of the bed. She pulled on her T-shirt, jeans, socks, and shoes, taking her time because she still wasn’t steady on her feet. When she was finished, she grabbed her purse and headed back toward the kitchen.

  Cody was leaning up against the counter with a glass of milk in one hand and an Oreo cookie in the other. He nodded toward the open package on the counter. “Cookie?”

  “I’m still full from breakfast.” She cocked her head to the side. “Isn’t it a little early to be eating cookies?”

  Cody gave her a quick grin. “It’s never too early for Oreos.” He glanced at the clock. “Besides, it’s closing in on eleven.”

  “Wow.” She looked from the clock to him. “I had no idea that much time had passed since breakfast.”

  “We can hit the drive-thru on the way back from Leigh’s place.” He put his empty milk glass in the dishwasher. “There’s a great burger joint in town.”

  After Cody put away the Oreos, he and Carilyn left the house and climbed into his truck. She kept a tight grip on her purse, as if that could protect her like some kind of shield. Protect her from what, she wasn’t sure, but holding it to her chest was somehow comforting.

  “While you were getting dressed, I called Reese.” Cody glanced from the road to Carilyn. “He said he was concerned about your safety based on the letter and additional circumstances.” Cody glanced back at the road. “He obtained a warrant to search the first victim’s home, and it looked like there could have been a fight inside, but it’s not conclusive.”

  Carilyn sucked in her breath. “Do they think it’s the same person who sent me the email?”

  Cody’s expression grew grimmer. “They’ve sent her computer to forensics but they did get a response back right away to let Reese know they found an email from someone who called himself Firebug.” Cody continued as hair rose on Carilyn’s arms, “His message was a little different, but Reese thinks it might be the same guy.”

  Carilyn swallowed. “What did it say?”

  “The email read, ‘I’m watching you,’” Cody said. “And he used her name, too.”

  Shaking her head, Carilyn rubbed her arms with her palms. “This is crazy. I just got into town. I haven’t had time to make any enemies.”

  “I believe you may just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Cody’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. “There are things I can’t tell you about—not yet—that lead both Reese and me to that conclusion.”

  “You asked me about having a doll with me in my car and I told you no,” Carilyn said. “Does it have anything to do with that?”

  “I’ll tell you when I can,” Cody said and she knew he wasn’t going to explain what was going on any more than that.

  When they reached Leigh’s home, Carilyn was surprised to see a police cruiser and a sedan pulled up in front of the house. Detective Reese McBride and a police officer in uniform were standing on the porch.

  She looked at Cody. “What are the police doing here?”

  “Insurance,” Cody said as he parked the truck. “Just making sure it’s safe to go in.”

  Cody jumped out of the truck, came around to the passenger side, and opened the door. He took Carilyn’s hand. “Easy does it,” he said.

  “Thanks.” Her head was feeling a little better, but still woozy and she was a little unsteady on her feet.

  Detective McBride walked toward them. “How are you feeling, Ms. Thompson?” he asked. “Cody tells me you took a spill from a horse.”

  “Could be better,” she said, “but I’m doing fine.”

  “Do you have the key?” the detective asked.

  She handed over the key and stood on the sidewalk beside the truck as he and the police officer checked the house.

  When they came out, Detective McBride was frowning. “I need you to take a look at the house.”

  Carilyn’s heart beat a little faster as they walked up the stairs. “What’s wrong?”

  He gestured to the front door. “Tell me if the house is in the same condition you left it in.”

  “All right.” Not knowing what to expect, Carilyn stepped into the house. The hair on her arms rose.

  It was a disaster with a vase shattered on the floor, a lamp that had been knocked over and broken, couch cushions in disarray, and a plant on its side and dirt spilled across the floor.

  “No.” She looked at the detective, the words barely coming out of her mouth. “It was clean and orderly when I left.”

  “Why don’t you see if you notice anything missing,” Detective McBride said.

  “I don’t know that much about Leigh’s things.” Carilyn picked her wa
y through the mess. “So far I can’t tell.” She knelt when she saw the framed photograph of Leigh, Misha, and herself, and picked it up off the floor. The glass was shattered. She shook her head and placed the photo on an end table.

  She made it to the guest bedroom, which had been tossed, too. Her gaze fell on the place where the box for her new computer had been and her stomach bottomed out. It was gone.

  “My new computer is missing.” She looked over her shoulder at the detective and Cody who were watching. She went to her suitcase. Everything had been thrown out and the software that had been shipped to her was gone. She told the detective. “That software can’t be used by anyone without an encrypted passcode, so it’s not likely he can break into it.”

  But that would mean she’d have to have more software shipped to her and purchase another laptop. She put her hand to her forehead, trying to hold back tears.

  Cody was at her side in a moment, his arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

  She held back a rush of emotion that made the back of her eyes ache and her headache worsen. “I’m okay.” Her voice cracked a little. “It’s just such a violation.”

  “Yes, it is.” Cody squeezed her shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  “I need to change first and gather a few things.” She looked at her clothing, which had been thrown all over the room. “It might take me a few minutes.”

  “Take your time,” Cody said and he and the detective walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

  A tear trickled from her eye and she brushed it away with the back of her hand. Crying wasn’t going to do a damn bit of good. No, she had to get a computer and had to set it up. She was going to find the bastard. And she was going to find him soon.

  * * * * *

  Cody wanted Carilyn to go back to the ranch and rest, but she convinced him that she needed to pick up another laptop first. She knew what she wanted and needed, so it was just a matter of getting a second one.