I’ll tell you all everything.”
But forty minutes later, when we arrived at Max’s door, we found a large wooden mallet leaning against the threshold. It was the type of mallet used by papermakers to pound pulp.
“Max wouldn’t leave his tools around like this,” I said, staring at it.
“No, I’m sure he wouldn’t.” Derek pushed me behind him, but I pushed right back out again. It was just a mallet. Still, it was eerie to see it there.
“So if he didn’t leave it here…” I didn’t have to say what I was thinking. Derek was having the same thought. This was a message. Sent by the same person who had left Max’s paper knife stuck in my tire.
I reached for the mallet.
“Don’t touch it.”
“It’s…it’s for making paper,” I murmured. “You use it to beat pulp.” Crushing fear spiraled right down into my bones. I felt my muscles give way and I had to lean into Derek. “This is impossible.”
“Easy, darling,” Derek said, grabbing me around the waist to keep me from slithering to the ground. “Maybe Max left it out here.”
But neither of us believed that.
“Let’s get you inside,” Derek said softly.
Was he kidding? Go inside the house, where something might be terribly wrong? “No.”
But he wouldn’t listen to me. Prying the house key from my useless fingers, he knocked twice on the door, then pushed it open.
“Be careful,” I warned him, my voice shaking with dread as I saw him reach for his gun and take a step inside.
Yes, he was brave and strong and really hot. But no matter how good he was at his job, I worried for Derek when he walked right into possible danger.
“Watch out, please,” I prayed, unsure if he heard.
But when we got inside, Max was waiting in the living room, holding his rifle pointed at the door.
Gabriel stood nearby, drinking a beer. “You can put the rifle down now, Quick Draw.”
Max lowered the gun. I sucked in a long breath and let it go. So all was right and safe inside my brother’s house for the moment.
But Max insisted he hadn’t left the mallet outside. He hadn’t even seen that particular tool in years.
His enemies had discovered his hiding place. He was no longer safe in Dharma.
Chapter 18
Late that night, Derek and I spirited Max back to San Francisco. I’d offered my loft as the most secure place to stay, at least for a short period of time. Since my home had been broken into a while back, the building security had been upgraded. The parking garage had a shiny new security gate now, and the front door required a more intricate digital code to enter. I had lots of living space and an extra bedroom and bathroom Max could use. Not to mention the fact that Derek, supersecurity guy, was living with me.
Gabriel decided to remain in Dharma and keep track of Angelica’s and Solomon’s movements during the day. The nights were a different plan altogether. I confess it made my stomach a little queasy to know that Gabriel intended to stay at Jackson’s house during the nights, in hopes of luring the bad guys into a trap.
Of course, after seeing that papermaker’s mallet on the doormat, I wasn’t sure if my stomach would ever be right again.
“I want you to call one of us every four hours,” I demanded before I would give Gabriel the key to Jackson’s place. “I swear I’ll get in the car and drive up here if I don’t hear from you. Then you’ll really be sorry, mister.”
I was channeling my mother again.
“Babe, I’ll be fine,” Gabriel said. “But thanks for worrying about me. It’s sweet.” Then he kissed me solidly on the lips and grinned as I blinked in dazed surprise.
“Must be time to go,” Derek said wryly.
“Definitely,” I mumbled when I was able to speak again.
I was happy to be home.
Derek and I showed Max around the house; then I got him set up in the guest bedroom. Once we were all situated, we met at the dining room table, where Derek called Gabriel and put him on speakerphone so we could discuss what we’d all found out over the last two days.
I recounted everything Mrs. Plumley told me about Emily being on a leave of absence. I told them what her parents’ neighbor had said. It wasn’t much information, but it gave Max some hope that Emily and her family were probably out of town and hadn’t met with foul play, as we’d feared.
I also braved Derek’s ire and confessed to everything I’d seen at the Art Institute. I showed Max the retrospective poster and watched the mix of emotions that crossed his face. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it, ultimately. From one angle, it was a huge honor, but, unfortunately, with Angelica putting the whole show together, it was just plain inexplicable.
When I mentioned that Mom and I had gone to Solomon’s classroom, Derek’s eyes turned dark with fury.
“We were in the back,” I said. “He couldn’t see me. And we only stayed a few seconds.” But I knew that was a lie, and gazing at Derek’s face, I could tell he didn’t quite believe me, either.
Derek reported he was looking into Bennie’s criminal record and was also checking into the weapons-arsenal issue. Specifically, he was interested in the buying and selling of guns in the area. If there were more criminals among the Ogunites and other survivalists living in the Hollow, Derek would track them down.
I studied Derek as he spoke and realized he looked exhausted. “Are you all right?”
“You mean besides my irritation with you and your mother for taking chances with your lives?” I gulped as he shook his head and turned to Max. “I apologize for being distracted. We’ve been having a bit of trouble with a new client. Everyone in the office is in a foul mood, and there’s no end in sight.”
That was the problem with having extremely wealthy clients who were used to getting their own way. But this was the first I’d heard of a troublesome client. I guess we’d all been distracted lately.
“That’s okay,” Max said. “I appreciate everything you’re doing.”
Gabriel spoke up from the speakerphone. “I managed to track down Angelica’s apartment. It was still listed under an old roommate’s name from almost five years ago.”
“Good work,” Derek said.
“Did you get inside?” I asked. “Was she there?”
“Did you find a gun?” Max asked.
Gabriel chuckled. “Thanks. Yes. No. No.”
“Sorry,” I said, sitting back in the chair. “Tell us everything.”
“Her apartment was spotless,” he said. “There was no mail piled up or food in the sink. She doesn’t use the place much.”
“Makes sense if she’s living with Solomon,” Derek said.
“But did you get the sense that she uses the place to meet other men?” I asked.
“Hard to say for sure,” Gabriel said. “But I’m leaning toward no.”
“Why?”
“Just a vibe. I’ll check back there in a few days, just to see if I get the same vibe.”
I could almost see his self-deprecating smile. He was the least “vibey” guy I knew.
Later, in bed, I apologized to Derek for going to see Solomon.
“We’ve had this conversation before,” he said, turning onto his back and staring at the ceiling. “I worry about you. I should simply get used to it, or…”
My stomach dropped.
He stared at me for a long moment. “Or I should hire a bodyguard for you when I’m not around.”
“Oh.” I sighed with profound relief. For a minute there, I was afraid he would leave me. Maybe I shouldn’t have been insecure after all these months of our living together, but sometimes I couldn’t help it. I still occasionally
