Page 66 of Archer

“It’s going to be.”

Chapter 20

Archer

My phone buzzed against the kitchen table. Nash Sullivan’s name lit the screen.

I answered on the second ring, putting the call on speaker so Harper could hear. “Sheriff.”

“Hey, man.” Nash’s voice carried the weight of a long shift. “Nashville PD went to Webb’s apartment an hour ago. Place is cleared out. Neighbors say they haven’t seen him in over a week.”

Harper made a soft sound of distress at my side.

I took her hand in mine and pressed her knuckles to my lips.

“My deputies couldn’t find him after you called this morning, but we’ve got a lead now,” Nash continued. “Webb was seen at the Carolina Bay Marina yesterday afternoon, purchasing fuel for a boat.”

I stilled, my gaze sliding over the rear windows and the sea beyond. “He has a boat?”

Suddenly the water beyond the glass felt ominous and dark.

“Marina security footage shows him on a twenty-foot fishing vessel. My best guess is that he rented it, because no boats are registered under his name. We’re attempting to contact the rental company now. Every boat has a registration number, and if he rented it, he had to provide ID and contact information. Marina’s pulling their records.”

“So, that’s good.” Harper looked at me, eyes wide. “He’s still here. There’s still a chance to catch him before he knows we have his name.”

“That’s the hope,” Nash said. “I’ve issued a bulletin with his name and photograph. Every law enforcement officer in a hundred-mile radius is watching for Jeremy Webb. He won’t get far.”

“Keep us posted,” I said.

“Will do. Stay alert. Be aware of your surroundings, especially near the water side of the property.”

The call ended, and Harper puffed out her cheeks.

She crossed the house and flopped onto the couch, then tipped over to one side.

I smiled and went to join her. “You okay?”

“Super.” She lifted her head long enough for me to sit, then placed her cheek on my thigh.

I stroked her hair, relishing in the perfection of the moment, stalker aside. “Want to talk about this?”

“Gram taught me love over hate,” she said. “But I’m really starting to hate this guy. Like, how can one single human cause me this much trouble? I have a team of bodyguards for goodness’ sake. It’s become totally normal for me to talk to the local sheriff every day thanks to him, and Nashville PD hears my name constantly now too. All because one guy can’t separate fact from fiction. Now he rented a boat? What on earth for?”

I wished I knew. I’d sit out there and wait for him to try whatever was on his little mind.

“What if he has a plan?” Harper sat upright and looked at me. “We’ve established that he’s deluded and clearly brave. What if we should be worried about what he’ll do next instead of focused on how to catch him?”

I felt my eyes narrow and suppressed a growl at the thought of him attempting to harm her.

“I think it’s imperative that we catch him before he knows we’re onto him,” she said. “While he still thinks he has the upper hand.”

I reached for her, sensing the change in her energy. “Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it.”

She gripped my shirt and kissed me.

I blinked in surprise. “That, I like,” I said, pulling her onto my lap in one quick move.

Harper squealed and the sound pulled a smile across my lips. She arranged herself over me, one of her thighs on the outside of each of mine. “We know his name, have his image, know his job, employer, and address. That’s so good!”