property. 75
Shelley Munro
Felix tensed suddenly, every sense on high alert. It wasn’t something he heard or saw, more gut instinct that made him slide deep into the shadows cast by a pine tree. His heart thumped with apprehension. During the last month, he hadn’t heard or seen anyone on his nightly jaunts back to the farm. He peered from the shadows, moving slowly because the hair at the back of his neck prickled insistently. Someone was out there. He couldn’t see them yet and it might be innocent, but given Tomasine’s worries, he decided to err on the side of caution.
He waited for five minutes. Ten. Tension swirled in his gut. Was he overreacting?
Five minutes later, Felix decided he was alone before a flash of movement caught his eye. Despite the risk of being seen, he slipped from the shadows and prowled silently toward the spot. He needed to identify the danger or eliminate it entirely. No way was he going to frighten Tomasine and risk losing her. He sensed she’d run if she thought her family was in danger. A scowl twisted his lips. If only she’d confide in him instead of keeping secrets.
Felix slipped into the shadows by the supermarket and studied the darkness around him carefully. It was a person, dressed totally in black. Slender. Cautious. Studying the shadows as carefully as he did.
Then the person turned toward him.
A woman.
A stranger.
Felix grunted inwardly, appreciating her stark blonde beauty when he caught sight of her face. But that didn’t answer his questions. What was she doing skulking around Middlemarch in the early hours of the morning? While not against the law, it was bloody suspicious and in light of Tomasine’s concerns, he needed to see what the woman was up to.
She disappeared for an instant, swallowed by the shadows. Felix caught sight of her again when she flitted across the street. He followed. Alert and seemingly experienced, the woman kept glancing over her shoulder so Felix had to drop back, letting the 76
Peeping Tom
distance between them grow. One moment she was in front of him and the next she’d disappeared. A few minutes later, the throb of an engine over to his right made Felix hurry in that direction.
He was too late.
A late-model bike zipped from a narrow driveway near the railway station, moving so quickly Felix didn’t have a chance to note the number plate. He pulled up in the shadows of the railway station, cursing under his breath as the deep rumble of the bike receded. The woman’s appearance was probably innocent but it wouldn’t hurt to step up security.
Felix turned back to where he’d left his SUV parked and headed for home. He pulled up outside the family homestead and decided to grab a few hours sleep before talking to Saber. Three and a half hours later he walked into the kitchen to find Saber, Emily and Leo already seated around the kitchen table, coffee mugs in hand, discussing plans for drenching the cattle and the possibility of attending a sale to buy sheep.
“I’m worried about the feed situation for the stock,” Saber said. Leo frowned. “You think we should wait until spring?”
Felix grabbed a mug from the cupboard near the coffeemaker, poured himself a cup and dropped into an empty seat. “I saw a stranger in town this morning.”
Emily’s gaze speared to him. “What sort of a stranger? Details. We need details.”
“A woman. It’s probably nothing but Tomasine is so wary. I thought it was strange that she was loitering around the area at that time of the morning. I followed. She escaped on a motor bike before I could note the number plate.”
“A woman?” Leo zeroed in on the one thing that made Felix think his doubts might be unfounded.
“You shouldn’t underestimate a woman,” Emily said indignantly. “We’re capable of anything. We have a female prime minister, you know.”
77
Shelley Munro
“Quite right, sweetheart,” Saber said, winking at his mate. “We were merely surprised.” He turned to
Shelley Munro
Felix tensed suddenly, every sense on high alert. It wasn’t something he heard or saw, more gut instinct that made him slide deep into the shadows cast by a pine tree. His heart thumped with apprehension. During the last month, he hadn’t heard or seen anyone on his nightly jaunts back to the farm. He peered from the shadows, moving slowly because the hair at the back of his neck prickled insistently. Someone was out there. He couldn’t see them yet and it might be innocent, but given Tomasine’s worries, he decided to err on the side of caution.
He waited for five minutes. Ten. Tension swirled in his gut. Was he overreacting?
Five minutes later, Felix decided he was alone before a flash of movement caught his eye. Despite the risk of being seen, he slipped from the shadows and prowled silently toward the spot. He needed to identify the danger or eliminate it entirely. No way was he going to frighten Tomasine and risk losing her. He sensed she’d run if she thought her family was in danger. A scowl twisted his lips. If only she’d confide in him instead of keeping secrets.
Felix slipped into the shadows by the supermarket and studied the darkness around him carefully. It was a person, dressed totally in black. Slender. Cautious. Studying the shadows as carefully as he did.
Then the person turned toward him.
A woman.
A stranger.
Felix grunted inwardly, appreciating her stark blonde beauty when he caught sight of her face. But that didn’t answer his questions. What was she doing skulking around Middlemarch in the early hours of the morning? While not against the law, it was bloody suspicious and in light of Tomasine’s concerns, he needed to see what the woman was up to.
She disappeared for an instant, swallowed by the shadows. Felix caught sight of her again when she flitted across the street. He followed. Alert and seemingly experienced, the woman kept glancing over her shoulder so Felix had to drop back, letting the 76
Peeping Tom
distance between them grow. One moment she was in front of him and the next she’d disappeared. A few minutes later, the throb of an engine over to his right made Felix hurry in that direction.
He was too late.
A late-model bike zipped from a narrow driveway near the railway station, moving so quickly Felix didn’t have a chance to note the number plate. He pulled up in the shadows of the railway station, cursing under his breath as the deep rumble of the bike receded. The woman’s appearance was probably innocent but it wouldn’t hurt to step up security.
Felix turned back to where he’d left his SUV parked and headed for home. He pulled up outside the family homestead and decided to grab a few hours sleep before talking to Saber. Three and a half hours later he walked into the kitchen to find Saber, Emily and Leo already seated around the kitchen table, coffee mugs in hand, discussing plans for drenching the cattle and the possibility of attending a sale to buy sheep.
“I’m worried about the feed situation for the stock,” Saber said. Leo frowned. “You think we should wait until spring?”
Felix grabbed a mug from the cupboard near the coffeemaker, poured himself a cup and dropped into an empty seat. “I saw a stranger in town this morning.”
Emily’s gaze speared to him. “What sort of a stranger? Details. We need details.”
“A woman. It’s probably nothing but Tomasine is so wary. I thought it was strange that she was loitering around the area at that time of the morning. I followed. She escaped on a motor bike before I could note the number plate.”
“A woman?” Leo zeroed in on the one thing that made Felix think his doubts might be unfounded.
“You shouldn’t underestimate a woman,” Emily said indignantly. “We’re capable of anything. We have a female prime minister, you know.”
77
Shelley Munro
“Quite right, sweetheart,” Saber said, winking at his mate. “We were merely surprised.” He turned to
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