Check-out date: blank
Dear Lord, the diary pages were real. Ron Mifflin had checked into Fowler’s on May fifth, using his real name. But he never checked out. I tried not to think of the bullet that had been lodged in the wall. I wished I could take the ledger with me to check for other dates Ron may have checked in and out of Fowler’s, since he’d been harassing Helena for over a month back at the time. But I suspected the clerk would notice if one of his precious ledgers was missing.
Reluctantly I closed the ledger and returned it to the bookcase. And then I jogged back over to the car. I closed the door just in time, too. As I wiggled down into a hidden position in the seat, I could see Stowe and the clerk coming around the corner.
Fearing I’d be spotted, I dipped down in the seat so far that I could no longer see what was happening behind the car. A few long minutes passed, and then Stowe opened the driver’s side door.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said, straightening in my seat.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Stowe asked as he got in and buckled up. He motioned for me to do the same.
“I got the information I needed,” I confirmed, tugging at my seat belt. “So how did you get the clerk to stay back in the room for so long?”
Stowe chuckled. “I may have messed with the plumbing a little to give my story some validity. There really was no hot water once I was finished.”
“Stowe!” He continued to surprise me. “You fixed it back, though, right?”
“I couldn’t. I told the clerk I wanted a refund, so I had to follow him back to the office. But don’t worry, he’ll figure it out and be able to fix it.”
The ride back with Stowe was pleasant enough. I was even able to push all the Ron Mifflin stuff out of my head. As he parked in his driveway, I thanked him again and started to get out of the car.
“If you ever need help with research for”—he coughed and winked—“your novels ever again, don’t hesitate to ask.”
We both knew neither one of us was being honest. I had lied about my real reason for going to Fowler’s, and Stowe wasn’t really here in Harbour Falls on business. But he had been a good accomplice, so I told him I’d definitely enlist him if any more “research” opportunities arose.
As I was walking across the yard to my house, Stowe called out my name. I stopped and turned. He was on his porch already, watching me. “To answer your earlier question, Maddy, I actually am here for work. I’m here doing a job.”
“Ok-a-a-y,” I said slowly, not sure why this was coming up again.
He turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. “I’m here on business. It’s just not any kind of business you’d ever imagine.”
And with that bizarre statement, Stowe disappeared behind his door. Leaving me wondering: Who is my mysterious neighbor?
Chapter Sixteen
Wednesday, the second day of February, was absolutely beautiful. It was as if winter had taken a reprieve. I woke up early, and when I lifted the old-fashioned shade on the bedroom window, I was greeted with a seemingly endless sky, the same color as a robin’s egg. I nudged the window open a crack. It felt as if spring had arrived early; even the air smelled different—fresh, clean.
The springlike morning made me think of renewals, new beginnings. This was the perfect day to have my talk with Adam. I hadn’t dismissed my earlier plan to come clean with him, and consequently I was anxiously awaiting his return. This great weather reinforced the notion that telling him all I knew was the right thing to do. He’d expect answers by the weekend anyway, since my two weeks were just about up. But even if I had no deadline, I still would be planning to tell him.
I called Adam from downstairs, while standing at the kitchen counter finishing up a bagel and sipping a glass of orange juice. I hastily swallowed and set the glass down when he picked up. I’d caught him right before a meeting. Nonetheless, he sounded happy to hear from me and assured me he’d be back in town no later than four.
I couldn’t wait to talk to him and clear the air. “Do you want to come straight here when you get back?” I asked.
“I can do that, but I have to stop at my Harbour Falls office first.”
“Oh…” I picked up the juice glass, but set it back down without taking a drink. “I can always meet you at the office,” I suggested. “Why wait?”
“Someone must be missing me,” Adam teased.
He was in a much better mood than the other day when he’d called about that weird text. I decided to roll with it. “More than you could imagine,” I muttered, making my words sound unsure instead of sexy like I’d intended.
I guess Adam heard something off in my voice, because his tone grew serious. “Maddy, you sound…I don’t know, subdued, maybe? Is everything all right up there?”
If only he knew…but he soon would. I swiped some bagel crumbs into the sink. “Uh, remember when we talked about me getting you up to speed on what’s been going on?”
“Of course, Madeleine.”
“Well, I know my deadline is up this Sunday…but I’m actually ready to talk today.”
“Why today?” Adam asked. “What brought this on?”
He was beginning to sound suspicious, so I began to ramble, “I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you, but I can’t keep these secrets any longer. I need to tell you everything, Adam. Not just what I’ve been doing, but other things you deserve to know.” He was silent on the other end. I gulped down the rest of the juice and continued, “Like… You
