Driving around the area close to where your fiancée was spending her day with her friends wasn’t a sign of an obsessed stalker.
Definitely not.
I had already booked a showing with my agent on Friday, but it wouldn’t hurt to look at houses where it felt more familiar to Red.
The neighborhood was pretty good, quiet. Well-kept lawns, couples walking their dogs, families having barbecues in their front yard. When a small, pretty girl riding a pink Barbie bike waved at me, I shot her a grin and waved back.
Someday Red and I would have a daughter.
The grin on my face widened when I spotted a For Sale sign outside a great stone house. I parked in front of it, climbed out of my car, and just stared. It had those fancy slopes and curves on the roof, two thick chimneys jutting up, and casings on the windows to deter thieves. Good condition, wraparound balcony on the second floor, amazing shade from the trees—
“Cal?”
My grin disappeared as I turned and spotted Beatrice-Rose standing by her car, which she had parked behind mine. She was wearing a tight red dress and red lipstick that made her look older. Or maybe it was the dark circles under her eyes.
“I was in the neighborhood when I thought I saw your car. I’m doing a photo shoot today with a client.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, looking unsure.
I should have stayed home today.
She smiled, gesturing at the house. “Your mom told me you’re looking to buy a house. Is this the one you want?”
When I didn’t answer, she took a step forward, but the look I shot her made her pause.
“Cal, can’t we be friends again?”
I opened my car door. “I don’t think so.”
“Wait!”
“What do you want, Beatrice-Rose?” I said coldly.
“Have coffee with me, Cal. I have some things to say. To apologize for. Please.” Her eyes were soft and pleading as they looked at me. “For old times’ sake?”
I hesitated, then realized there were things I had to say to her too. And what better time than now? I told her to meet me at the coffee shop down the street.
When I stepped inside, Beatrice-Rose was already seated in one of the booths, watching me as I took the seat across from her.
“I already ordered your favorite. Orange juice and burger and fries,” she started, twisting her hands on the table.
“Thanks, but you shouldn’t have. This shouldn’t take long.”
Her face crumpled, her hand closing around the pendant on her neck. Guilt wormed its way into me, but the memory of Red upset last night crushed it.
“Let me get to the point, Beatrice-Rose. I want you to stop.”
She blinked slowly. “Stop?”
“Don’t insult both of us by pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about. I know you. Or I thought I did.”
“Of course you know me, Cal! We grew up together. You know everything about me, like I know everything about you. I know Veronica told you so many lies about me. But, Cal, I would never do anything to hurt you. Don’t believe—”
“Stop.”
“—anything she says.”
“Stop,” I repeated, hearing the coldness in my voice. “If I hear you say another lie about her, I’ll leave now.”
“But, Cal—”
I narrowed my eyes at her, and she stopped midsentence. “I want you to leave Veronica alone. I want you to leave me alone. Do you think I don’t know about the drugs you planted in her purse last night? Did you plant the drugs in my car too?”
“No! Caleb! Please believe me. I didn’t! I didn’t!”
“I don’t believe anything you say anymore. I’m telling you now, if you don’t stop harassing Veronica and me, I’m going to file a restraining order against you. You’ve done enough.”
Tears started to pour down her face.
“But I need you,” she said quietly, brokenly.
I wasn’t sure if her tears were real or fake, but the sight of her sitting across from me, her thin shoulders curved forward and her hands covering her face as she cried, made me pity her.
“I need you, Cal.”
“I need her,” I said simply.
Her hands fell limply to her lap as she looked up at me.
“I need her,” I repeated more firmly.
“You don’t even know how much I love you. You have no idea, do you?” she asked.
“If you really love me, you’ll want me to be happy. And nothing makes me happier than being with Red. Nothing.”
She drew in a sharp breath.
“I know you’re sick. Ben told me about Paris.”
Before I could say anything more, my phone rang. I looked at the screen and cursed. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back,” I told her, walking outside to take the call from Clooney, the private investigator I hired. “Hello?”
“Caleb, we got him.”
“They’ve arrested Justin?”
“You bet. Bastard’s been hiding at his uncle’s place in Devil’s Lake,” he replied.
“The small town south of here?”
“Yep. Apparently, the uncle’s old as dirt and never leaves his house. He had no idea what his little nephew had been up to. That’s why he hasn’t reported Justin.”
“How did they find him?”
He scoffed. “Idiot got roaring drunk and vandalized a resident’s property. He’s in a holding cell. I’m here now, and if you want to talk to him, I can arrange something with the constable. I go way back with the guy.”
“Yeah, I want to talk to him. Be right there.”
“Just hurry up before he starts squealing for a lawyer.”
Beatrice-Rose was just taking a seat as I went inside. The food she’d ordered was on the table. I stood in front of her, noticing that she looked more composed.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. Don’t worry about this. I’ll pay for it,” I said, holding my phone tighter in my hand as she shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again.
“Caleb, please. At least stay to finish your meal. I promise I won’t bother you anymore after this.”
“Hi, guys! How’s the food so far?” The server appeared, looking confused about why the food was sitting on the table untouched.
“I’d like to pay for this now, please,” I told her.
“Of course. I’ll be right back with the swipe machine.”
I nodded and sat back in my seat.
“Ben is right. He saw me in Paris. I do need help, Cal. After the last time I saw you, at the parking lot in school, I-I fell apart. I had a nervous breakdown.” She paused, watching me.
Was she trying to send me on a guilt trip?
“My mom sent me to Paris. She doesn’t want anyone finding out that her only daughter has mental issues. All this time, whenever I go to Paris, I’ve been…staying at a clinic there. I tried to call you, but you never answered.” She reached for her glass of water and sipped. Her hands shook. “My therapist said that I need to solve my issues by talking to the people I’ve wronged, to ask for their forgiveness. But he said I’m in denial. I know that. My head is just too clouded, Cal. I can’t…function when Dad…when Dad is dying. I don’t have anyone else. You know that. I only have you and Benjamin.”
The server returned with the pocket-sized credit-card machine. “I can come back later if you guys need more time.”
“No,” I replied. “I’ll pay now please.”
Placing my phone on the table, I pulled out my card and handed it to her. She ran my card and gave me the machine to put in my code, but it only beeped. She ran it again, and it beeped again.
“I’m sorry. We were having issues with the machine this morning. Is it all right if I meet you at the front? I’ll take your payment there.”
I nodded and followed her. When I finished paying, I was surprised to see Beatrice-Rose behind me.
“I understand you don’t want to be with me right now, Cal. She’s your rabbit,” she murmured quietly. A chill raced up my spine at the look in her eyes. “She’s your rabbit, just like Atlas was mine.”
“What are you talking about?”
She smiled. “Nothing. Just memories. I’ll see you soon, Cal.”
It wasn’t until I was on my way to the station in Devil’s Lake that I realized something about Beatrice-Rose’s smile, something about her voice, disturbed me. But once I saw Clooney at the station, the thought left my mind.
He was waiting for me outside, having a smoke with an older officer with a very distinguishable bushy beard and kind, brown eyes.
“We’re holding Justin Dumont in a cell at the back,” Constable Penner informed me after he introduced himself. “Kid’s looking for trouble. Small town like this, you’re bound to know everybody’s business. Makes my job easier, if you ask me.” He took a long drag of his cigarette before putting it out and throwing it in the trash. “Follow me.”
Clooney and I followed Constable Penner inside the small building. “Now I heard this fellow’s been staying at his uncle’s for a while. I just got back from a vacation in the Philippines with my wife when I got a phone call from Jim. He’s the owner of the White Beaver Farm you passed on your way here,” the constable explained.
I nodded.
“Anyway, Jim calls me screaming bloody murder. He was going to blow this kid’s brains out if I didn’t arrest him right that minute. He would have gone and done it if I didn’t get there on time. Wake up, son.”
Justin was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall and his chin on his chest as he slept like the dead. His blond hair was greasy, his clothes filthy. The sight of him made me more disgusted than angry.
“Son, wake up!”
Justin woke with a start, his limbs twitching as he struggled to open his eyes. “What do you want?” he spat out. When his eyes met mine, they cleared from sleep and filled with hate. “The fuck you doing here, asshole?”
“You have guts, calling me an asshole after you planted those drugs in my car.”
Justin got unsteadily to his feet, his dirty hands grabbing the bars of his cell as he pushed his face close to me. “Don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“I want you to clean up your language now, boy,” Constable Penner interrupted. “No one curses in my station.”
“I’ll say whatever the fuck I want, old man. This bumfucking town is good for nothing. Was just passing through.”
“You don’t want to insult my town. You’re being charged with trespassing, destruction of property, breaking and entering, vandalism, and disturbing the peace. What’s wrong with you? Pissing your life away for nothing. Do you know how much time you’ll be doing for this, son?”
“I’m not your fucking son.”
“And thank the Lord Jesus for that.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Listen here, punk,” Clooney barged in. “We have footage of you sneaking inside Mr. Lockhart’s building, down to the basement parking. Sound familiar?”
“I don’t know dick about nothing.”
“Tell me, where’d you get the drugs?”
At Justin’s blank stare, Clooney shook his head mockingly. “Don’t make this hard for yourself. They’ll put you away for twenty years if you don’t cooperate.”
Fear lit up Justin’s eyes. “You’re lying.”
“I’m sure they can make it twenty-five. What ya think, Constable Penner?”
Constable Penner stroked his beard. “Easily, I’d say.”
“Possession of drugs, theft…and what’s this?” Clooney gripped Justin’s wrist, whistled softly. “A Piaget watch.”
Rage boiled in my blood.
In a lightning-fast movement, Clooney took the watch off and inspected it. “Lookee here. I see an engraving on the back: To my grandson, Caleb. Mr. Dumont, this is possession of stolen property. This is worth over five grand, eh? That means longer jail time, for sure. Does this look familiar to you, Mr. Lockhart?” He handed the watch to me.
I looked at Justin. “This is my watch. My grandpa gave it to me before he passed away, you motherfucker.”
“I got it from a pawnshop!” Justin backed away, but the holding cell was no bigger than a five-dollar bill. He bumped against the wall behind him. “I didn’t steal it from you!”
“How did you get into my apartment?” I demanded. “You better tell me everything. You know the connections my family has, you bastard. I’ll put you away for life.”
He shook his head, swallowing nervously. “Sh-she gave me the code. Beatrice-Rose. It was her. She paid me to watch your girlfriend.”
“Watch my girlfriend?”
“I have Beatrice-Rose’s text messages. I’ll show you everything. It’s evidence. I have evidence! It’s not my fault!”
“Start talking,” I said quietly. The urge to smash his face was getting stronger every second.
“She wanted me to follow your girlfriend while you were spending the night at her place. I told her I saw your girlfriend buying a present, and she told me to steal it.”
A present. Red had told me she bought me a present. A key chain, Kara had said.
I realized he was talking about the night when Beatrice-Rose visited my flat while Red was there. The awful night that had started everything—when I took Beatrice-Rose home, thinking she was having a panic attack, and left Red alone in my flat.
“But I didn’t steal it. Beatrice-Rose went back for it. She stole it! Said she’d pay me if I scared your girlfriend a little bit.”
“Scare her?” I reached through the bars and grabbed his arm, pulling hard. He let out a howl of pain as I slammed him against the bars. “Touch her again, and I’ll cut both your arms off,” I whispered in his ear, softly enough that only he could hear me.
“He’s threatening me! Did you hear that? He said he’s going to cut my arms off! He said he’s going to cut my arms off! Do something!”
“Didn’t hear nothing, son. Calm down now.” Constable Penner placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Let him go.”
“What the fuck did you do to my girl?”
“I’m not telling you anything more! Get him away from me!”
“Son, calm down now,” Constable Penner said to me. “Let him go. Don’t make me arrest you too.”
Before I let Justin go, I slammed him against the bars again.
Constable Penner cleared his throat until Justin looked at him. “I’ll make sure you won’t rot in prison if you tell us everything,” Penner said. “If you don’t, I’ll try my best to keep you there for thirty years. I’m not kidding. I take my job very seriously.”
I didn’t know if he was telling the truth about the prison sentence or if it was just a tactic to make this asshole talk, but I certainly wasn’t going to stop him.
Justin moved to the corner of the cell, as far away from me as possible. “I didn’t do anything. I just pushed her a little, and she fell on the ground. Didn’t hurt her or anything.”
My hands balled into fists. “You fucker.”
Constable Penner nodded. “What happened after that?”
“Beatrice-Rose gave me the code. It’s not that hard to sneak into the building. The guards in the building are dumb fucks.”
“And the drugs in Mr. Lockhart’s car?”
Justin looked down at the floor. “I need some water. I’m thirsty.”
“You can drink your spit until you’ve told us everything we need to know,” Clooney said.
“You fucking owe me,” Justin yelled as he glared hatefully at me. “You had me suspended from that fucking school, booted off the team, took away my friends. I had to do something to get back at you, didn’t I? You spoiled, rich fucker.”
“Did Beatrice-Rose ask you to plant the drugs in Mr. Lockhart’s car?” Clooney asked.
Justin let out a derisive laugh. “Beatrice-Rose wouldn’t hurt a hair on Lockhart’s head if it was up to her. She’s as obsessed with him as his other bitches. It was my idea to plant drugs in this asshole’s car. Damn great idea too. He went to jail, didn’t he? Did you have a good time?” he sneered, then chuckled. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you, rich boy?”
“What about the drugs in Ms. Strafford’s purse at the party last night?” Clooney continued.
Justin started hooting with laughter. “That was her idea. Beatrice-Rose is going to kill your bitch. You know that, right? She’s fucking insane. Last time I talked to her, she said she’d wipe your girlfriend off the planet. Now let me out. I told you everything.”
“You’re going to prison. I’ll make sure of it,” I promised.
Worried and shaken, I wanted to hear Red’s voice to reassure myself that she was okay. I’d stand guard outside Kara’s apartment before I let anyone hurt her. But when I searched for my phone, it wasn’t in my pocket. I ran out to look in my car. No phone. Where the hell was it?
I went back inside the station and asked if I could use their phone, but when I dialed Red’s number, there was no answer.
She was fine. Her phone was just probably on silent because she was having a good time with the girls.
But I couldn’t stop the warning ringing in my head. Heart knocking against my chest, I called information for Kara’s phone number and dialed it.
“What do you mean, where is she?” Kara slurred, her voice rising. “She said you texted her. That you booked an appointment with the real estate agent tonight. She was on her way to meet you. What the hell is going on, Caleb?”
A chill ran up my spine. “Kar, what time did she leave?”
“More than an hour ago. What’s going on?”
“I can’t explain right now. I have to go.”
“Wait! Caleb! What—”
Frantic, I found Clooney and the constable. I gave them the addresses of the three houses Red and I were due to see on Friday and told them to alert the authorities for a possible kidnapping. They might not take action since Red hadn’t been missing for more than twenty-four hours, but I knew my mom had connections. I called her quickly. She didn’t ask questions. She heard the urgency and fear in my voice, and that was enough for her to do what I asked.
I slid into my car and stepped on the gas. I was speeding, but I didn’t care. I needed to get to her.
Hold on, Red. I’m coming.
Halfway to the first address, I stepped on my brakes. Something didn’t feel right. Like I was missing something… The car behind me blasted his horn. How did Beatrice-Rose know about the addresses? My mom could have told her. I should have asked if she had.
But I remembered the disturbing look on Beatrice-Rose’s face when I saw her outside the house I was looking at earlier today.
I might be wrong, but my gut was telling me to go to that house instead. If something happened to Red… I floored the gas, praying to God I wasn’t too late.
