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wasn’t so hardheaded.
    “And thanks to me, we now know someone’s out to get you,” he added, ruining any sympathy I had for him. “We can be proactive. Take appropriate steps to protect you.”
    I eyed the stairs. I just wanted to go to bed. “No one is out to get me.” I willed myself to believe it.
    There was a knock at the back door, and I went to answer it. A village police officer stood on the back step. Not Nick, unfortunately. Even more unfortunate was that the woman standing there was stunning. Glorious blond wavy hair, brilliant blue eyes, generous smile. Her hot-pink MINI Cooper was parked at the curb. I tried not to be jealous that Nick would now be working closely with her.
    “Darcy Merriweather?” she asked.
    “That’s me,” I said. “Come in. Did you find anything?”
Please say no. Please say no.
    “Glinda Hansel!” Ve exclaimed. “Is that you?”
    “Ms. Devany, how’re you?” Glinda broke into a wide toothpaste-ad smile.
    Glinda? Her name was really Glinda? Like the Glinda the Good Witch from
The Wizard of Oz?
    “I’m fine, just fine,” Ve said.
    My aunt was obviously lying. She was sick. Really sick. I was going to call Cherise in the morning to find out why her curing spell hadn’t worked.
    “You’re working late,” Ve added.
    “New kid on the force,” Glinda said. “I have the night shift for a while.”
    “Tough hours,” Ve sympathized. “How’s your mother?” Ve asked tightly, as if she was doing it only because it was proper etiquette.
    “Oh, you know,” Glinda said. “Feisty as ever. She’s looking forward to your wedding.”
    Ve said, “I was a little surprised she agreed to come, considering, well, you know.”
    I looked between the two of them. What? What did Glinda know?
    “I know,” Glinda said. “But she doesn’t want to miss Sylar’s big day.”
    Not Ve’s big day.
Sylar’s
big day. I was dying of curiosity. Evan, too. He looked at me with eyebrows raised in question.
    Ve smiled—a little too brightly to be genuine. “Dorothy’s a good friend to him.”
    Dorothy Hansel. I’d have to get the scoop from the biggest village gossip aside from my aunt—Archie.
    “Now, what’s that you got there in your hand?” Ve asked.
    Wooden curlicues filled a small plastic evidence bag.
    “Wood shavings.” Glinda’s tone was suddenly serious. “Fresh shavings.”
    “Oh?” Ve asked.
    My stomach was starting to hurt.
    Glinda said, “I’m afraid Evan was quite correct in his assessment, Ms. Merriweather.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked.
    “Someone sat watching this place long enough to whittle some wood.” Something flashed in her eyes and her lips thinned. “My guess,” she added, “is that it’s probably that Peeping Tom who’s been prowling around. Best to keep an eye out. I’ll make a report. Lock up tight tonight. Windows and doors. I’ll do a full sweep around the house before I go.”
    I saw her out, still unbelieving. Someone had been watching the house? Why?
    When I went back to the kitchen, I was greeted with grim faces. “We don’t know that someone was watching
our
house,” I said. Someone had to be the voice of reason among us. “Maybe they were watching Terry next door.”
    Even I didn’t believe what I was saying.
    “Darcy, you’re missing the bigger issue,” Evan said.
    “What’s that?” I yawned. It had been an exhausting day.
    He fidgeted. “Whoever was waiting for you had a knife.”

Chapter Seven
    A round midnight, I found myself strangely wide awake. Sleep just wasn’t happening, so I gave up trying. Down the hall, I slowly cracked open Ve’s bedroom door. Hallway light spilled across her bed, revealing her tucked in snugly. She was sound asleep thanks to some over-the-counter medicine that had knocked her out cold. Tilda, Ve’s Himalayan, tipped up her head and looked at me curiously.
    “It’s okay,” I whispered to the cat. “Just checking on Ve.”
    Tilda flicked an ear, then set her head back into