“N-Nikolai is dead now,” Ron was stammering. “I have a right to avenge my brother. I’ve waited nine long years.”
Stowe’s expression hardened. “Nikolai’s order still stands. You’ve violated the agreement you made when you first came to us.”
“That was nine years ago,” Ron yelled, his voice quivering.
“The agreement, Ron, is for life,” Stowe replied evenly.
At this, Ron literally cried out. In fear, I assumed, since he took off at a run in the direction away from the doorway. I wasn’t able to turn to watch his retreat, but I could tell by his echoing footsteps that he was running down some sort of a long corridor.
Stowe sighed and glanced my way. I furrowed my brow, eyeing him curiously. “Who are you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, of course. He just calmly and collectedly followed after Ron.
“Hey, untie us,” Helena yelled after him.
But it was too late; we were now alone. Well, Bradley’s lifeless body lay a few yards away, but I tried to keep my eyes averted from that grisly sight. Helena and I struggled, working together, and eventually the ropes loosened to the point we were able to slip them off.
At last, we were free.
“Wonder where that bastard Ron hid our phones?” Helena said as we stripped away the last of the ropes still binding our ankles.
Once we were no longer tied up, I turned to Helena and wrapped my arms around her.
“I am so sorry,” I cried into her shoulder. “I had no idea that this was all a setup. I should never have brought you with me.”
Helena leaned back. “Hey, I would’ve never let you come here all alone. You know this, right? And, Maddy, you had no way of knowing it was all a setup. We were all just as desperate for answers.” She swiped a tear from my cheek. “But we have our answers now, don’t we. It’s finally really over. And we’re fine.”
I nodded, hoping she was right, hoping it really was over.
But Ron was still on the loose somewhere in the building with Stowe—who was a whole other mystery unto himself—on his tail. Our phones were missing and we had no idea where Adam and Nate were. I could only hope they’d picked up the voicemails and were on their way to Willow Point.
Because, though it appeared we were safe, I felt very far from it.
Chapter Twenty
Before we had a chance to stand up, Stowe returned. Alone.
“Where is he?” Helena asked cautiously, her eyes darting to the corridor behind Stowe, as if Ron might suddenly appear.
Stowe came over to where we were sitting and knelt on the floor beside us. Glancing down at the undone ropes on the ground, he said, “I see you got yourselves free—”
“Where’s Ron?” Helena interrupted. Her fear was palpable. I was sure Stowe felt it, as well.
He picked up one of the ropes and dragged it through his fingers. Without looking at either of us, he said grimly, “Let’s just say you don’t have to worry about Ron Mifflin ever again.”
Helena looked relieved; she visibly exhaled. “Thank God,” she mumbled.
I caught Stowe’s eye. “Why’s that? What happened to him?”
Trust me, I was relieved to hear the bastard was gone, but I was also curious as to how that had come to be.
Stowe wasn’t answering, so I cautiously ventured, “Did you…”
He shook his head. “No. I chased him up the stairs and down a few hallways. There’s debris everywhere in here, though, so it slowed us both down. It was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead, too, so I kept losing him. But at the end of a hallway on the third floor, Ron never stopped. He turned around and saw me coming and ran right into what turned out to be an empty elevator shaft. I guess he saw it too late. He tried to stop but fell down all three flights.” Stowe paused and met my eyes. “Bottom line, Ron is dead.”
Helena stood up, brushed herself off. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. It should have been him nine years ago. I never even knew he had a brother, let alone a twin.” She shook her head.
Stowe, who was still kneeling next to me, looked up at Helena. “Ron Mifflin kept a lot of secrets from you and your mother. There was no way you could have known.”
Helena’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know him, Stowe? And why did you help us? Why are you even here?” She distractedly flailed her hand at our surroundings.
I wanted the answers to those questions as well, so I added, “Yeah, how’d you know we were up here at Willow Point? Did you follow us? And what were you and Ron talking about? Who’s this Nikolai guy? What kind of an agreement lasts for life, Stowe?”
“All valid questions, ladies,” he replied smoothly, unruffled by our sudden onslaught of queries. “But I’m afraid I can’t answer them all.”
Stowe was so cool, so unaffected. Did he do this kind of thing all the time? He was just as calm as when he’d helped me at the motel.
Hmm… Who was this Stowe Hannigan?
My mysterious neighbor rose to his feet and offered me a hand. I reluctantly took it. When we were all standing, he said, “Okay, your questions…”
Helena and I both eyed him warily, waiting. But his green eyes locked in on only mine. “First, I knew you were here because I followed you. Maddy. I knew from when you asked me to go to Fowler’s that you were looking into what had happened to Ron Mifflin. Except, as you now know, it wasn’t Ron Ami shot. She killed his twin brother, Russ Mifflin.”
How Stowe knew all of this, I was afraid to ask. I supposed Ron had told him. He confirmed as much when he said, “I first met Ron when I lived in Harbour Falls over a decade ago. But he was never what I’d call a friend. For
