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to look into vacation time at work and planning a visit as soon as I can manage, Claire tells me to keep her posted on everything going on and to give Tom and Ty her love before we hang up.
    That conversation seems to be what I needed to settle my mind enough for sleep. I shut off all the lights again, check the doors are locked, and retreat to my bedroom. Before I crawl into bed, I have the urge to glance out the window, a bad feeling settling in my belly. I hate that I know what I’m going to find before I even part the curtains, and that doesn’t make the reality any easier. Out on the street, parked directly across from my home and in full view of my neighbors is a sleek, black sports car I’ve never seen before. Briefly I consider that it might be one of Matthew’s guys keeping an eye out on us. That’s until I see the man leaning against the car, arms and legs crossed as he locks his eyes on my house. There’s a very simple way to decipher whether this person is friend or foe and knowing I’ll never get to sleep until I know which it is, I grab my cell off the bedside table and the business card I tucked into the drawer, quickly dialing Matthew’s phone number while keeping the man outside in my view.
    He answers on the third ring. “Sam?” he says in surprise.
    “Hi,” I say quietly.
    “Hi,” he responds. “What’s the matter?”
    Of course he can hear the nerves in my voice and like Claire, doesn’t bother with chitchat. “I don’t want to panic you,” I say, uncertain whether the statement is directed more at him or me, “but have you sent somebody to stand outside our house?”
    Dead silence on the other end of the phone confirms my fears. “No,” he says evenly. “Why?”
    “Because there is somebody standing outside our house, leaning against a car,” I tell him.
    “Can you see what he looks like?”
    I don’t ask why he assumes it’s a man; it’s irrelevant. “Not really,” I say apologetically. “He’s in all black. I think he might be bald, but I can’t really be sure.”
    Matthew curses and I hear him lower the phone and place his hand over the mouthpiece as he barks instructions at someone, probably Leo. “Samantha, I need you to listen very carefully,” he says calmly. “That is not one of my guys. I have a suspicion of who it is and I promise you, you’re going to be okay.” Someone speaks to him. “I don’t care!” He sounds pissed. “I want eyes over there, Leo! Five fucking minutes ago!”
    I can almost see people scrambling around Matthew to follow his orders and it momentarily calms me knowing I’m not completely alone right now. Glancing outside, I confirm the man is still there, only he’s not leaning against the car anymore; he’s standing in the middle of the street, staring directly at my bedroom window. The logical side of my brain tells me there’s no way anyone can see me through very slightly cracked curtains, especially when the bedroom behind me is pitch black. The illogical side, however, the one that has been panicking for what feels like hours, screams that the person outside knows exactly where I am and to whom I am speaking on the phone.
    “Samantha,” Matthew says, his voice much calmer now. I know he’s doing this for my benefit and I appreciate it. “The police are on their way. They’re going to drive past your house, but they’re not going to stop right now. We need this to seem like a casual patrol.”
    “How is it a casual anything, Matt?” I demand. “There’s a man standing outside my window!”
    “I know,” he replies in a soothing tone. From anyone else, this would only serve to piss me off even more, but the way Matthew uses it makes it seem less patronizing. “I know, baby. And he’s there for surveillance. Nothing more. Once he sees the police presence, he’ll bail. Who’s at home with you right now?”
    I take a deep breath and try to get my brain to function. “Just me and Tyler. Tom is working