politely. She turned to Ben, who seemed to be struggling not to laugh, and walked out the door without giving her another look.
The moment the door shut behind them, Ben let out the laugh he had been forcing in. “Isn't that something a fortune cookie would say?” he chortled.
Rilynne wasn't as amused by the encounter. She was never one for catty drama, but it took everything she had within her to restrain herself around that woman. She was going through more than enough already without having to watch someone make a mockery out of something that was such a big part of her life.
“Maybe I can help you make sense of your dream,” Ben said when they climbed into the car. “Or possibly see something you overlooked.”
Rilynne nodded, thankful for a change of subject, and went over every detail she could remember as they drove back to her house. Despite his offer, though, he was also unable to find anything useful in it.
While she jumped into the shower to quickly rinse off, Ben took Marti out in the backyard. He was still chasing her around ten minutes later when she finished getting dressed and walked into the kitchen. As she watched him through the window, she couldn't help but wonder how he would be when they had kids. As the thought passed through her mind, the current situation hit her like a punch in the stomach, causing a tear to roll down her cheek.
She watched him for several more minutes before finally pushing the door open and stepping out.
“I think we should go over to Lori's,” she said. He nodded and picked up the bouncing puppy as he followed her back into the house.
With Lori just a few doors down, they decided to walk instead of drive. Rilynne's stomach tightened with every step. Not because she thought something new might have come up, but because she knew it hadn't.
She was trying to brace herself for the conversations to come when something at the corner of Lori’s yard caught her eye. Though at first glance nothing seemed out of the ordinary, it still made her stop in her tracks. Ben made it a few steps further before turning around and facing her.
“What is it?” he asked, tracing her gaze to the small pile of cigarette butts just to the side of the sidewalk.
“It's…” she trailed off, trying to make sense of the knots she had at the sight of them. Rilynne closed her eyes and thought about it for several long moments before the heart wrenching realization hit her. She had seen a similar pile before. She'd seen them in a vision she had, right across the street from Lori's old house.
“Oh, I'm so stupid,” she berated herself. She didn't know why it wasn't one of the first things she thought of. When she took in the perplexed look on Ben's face, she continued. “Lori moved here to escape a stalker. I saw something in a dream I had her first night here. He was standing in front of her house watching her with a pile like this at his feet. And this-” she stepped back toward the large tree on the edge of the yard “-is the perfect place to watch the house without being seen.”
He pulled out his phone without needing to hear another word. Minutes later, Summers rolled up in front of the house. As she watched him carefully place each one of the butts into an evidence bag, she pulled her own phone out.
“Matthews, do me a favor,” she said when his voice sounded across the line. “I want to keep it as quiet as possible, though.”
“Did you find something?” he asked. There was an unmistakable note of fear in his tone.
“Maybe. I need you to run a name for me and see if he's in town.”
“What's the name?”
Rilynne opened her mouth to respond before realizing she didn't have one. She looked at Ben helplessly for a moment before the answer sparked.
“I don't have one, but Wooldridge will know it,” she said. “Ask him for the name of Lori's stalker in Bodker. Try to keep it quiet, though. She has enough
The moment the door shut behind them, Ben let out the laugh he had been forcing in. “Isn't that something a fortune cookie would say?” he chortled.
Rilynne wasn't as amused by the encounter. She was never one for catty drama, but it took everything she had within her to restrain herself around that woman. She was going through more than enough already without having to watch someone make a mockery out of something that was such a big part of her life.
“Maybe I can help you make sense of your dream,” Ben said when they climbed into the car. “Or possibly see something you overlooked.”
Rilynne nodded, thankful for a change of subject, and went over every detail she could remember as they drove back to her house. Despite his offer, though, he was also unable to find anything useful in it.
While she jumped into the shower to quickly rinse off, Ben took Marti out in the backyard. He was still chasing her around ten minutes later when she finished getting dressed and walked into the kitchen. As she watched him through the window, she couldn't help but wonder how he would be when they had kids. As the thought passed through her mind, the current situation hit her like a punch in the stomach, causing a tear to roll down her cheek.
She watched him for several more minutes before finally pushing the door open and stepping out.
“I think we should go over to Lori's,” she said. He nodded and picked up the bouncing puppy as he followed her back into the house.
With Lori just a few doors down, they decided to walk instead of drive. Rilynne's stomach tightened with every step. Not because she thought something new might have come up, but because she knew it hadn't.
She was trying to brace herself for the conversations to come when something at the corner of Lori’s yard caught her eye. Though at first glance nothing seemed out of the ordinary, it still made her stop in her tracks. Ben made it a few steps further before turning around and facing her.
“What is it?” he asked, tracing her gaze to the small pile of cigarette butts just to the side of the sidewalk.
“It's…” she trailed off, trying to make sense of the knots she had at the sight of them. Rilynne closed her eyes and thought about it for several long moments before the heart wrenching realization hit her. She had seen a similar pile before. She'd seen them in a vision she had, right across the street from Lori's old house.
“Oh, I'm so stupid,” she berated herself. She didn't know why it wasn't one of the first things she thought of. When she took in the perplexed look on Ben's face, she continued. “Lori moved here to escape a stalker. I saw something in a dream I had her first night here. He was standing in front of her house watching her with a pile like this at his feet. And this-” she stepped back toward the large tree on the edge of the yard “-is the perfect place to watch the house without being seen.”
He pulled out his phone without needing to hear another word. Minutes later, Summers rolled up in front of the house. As she watched him carefully place each one of the butts into an evidence bag, she pulled her own phone out.
“Matthews, do me a favor,” she said when his voice sounded across the line. “I want to keep it as quiet as possible, though.”
“Did you find something?” he asked. There was an unmistakable note of fear in his tone.
“Maybe. I need you to run a name for me and see if he's in town.”
“What's the name?”
Rilynne opened her mouth to respond before realizing she didn't have one. She looked at Ben helplessly for a moment before the answer sparked.
“I don't have one, but Wooldridge will know it,” she said. “Ask him for the name of Lori's stalker in Bodker. Try to keep it quiet, though. She has enough
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