CHAPTER THREE
A few minutes before noon, I left my office at the sound of voices in the lobby, and then sighed when I saw the same detectives who I’d spoken with over the weekend about John. I’d forgotten they’d probably have follow-up questions, especially since I’d told them about Mark and my history at Curtis’s suggestion.
It hadn’t made me feel safer. Curtis and his team made me feel safer, but even they couldn’t do much if we didn’t know what Mark was up to.
Finn walked out the same time as I did, his hands going to his pockets. So much for lunch together.
“Ms. Evans,” Detective Winters said. “I was hoping you had a moment.”
“Of course.”
“Your office?” Detective Stone asked.
I shared a look with Finn, and his eyes softened. “We can use my office.”
Detective Winters looked at me.
“There’s more room and privacy. I’d like Finn to stay if that’s all right.”
Detective Stone smiled good-naturedly. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
We sat together at the large table in front of the window in Finn’s office. He held a chair for me, and then took my hand under the table, offering silent comfort.
Detective Winters took the lead, his face unreadable, and he opened a small notebook in front of him without looking at it. “First, we wanted to follow up with you about your ex, Mark Dublin.”
“I haven’t heard anything from him,” I said.
“No phone calls, emails, messages of any kind?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“We checked his record and it’s clean. No history of violence of any kind, particularly domestic. He’s on the board of…” Detective Winters checked his notes.
Finn leaned forward in his seat. “We know this,” Finn said, “but he covered his tracks so far. He used John for the initial messages, as well as surveillance. John also—”
“Broke into your cabin in Colorado and both your and Ms. Evans apartments here in Oasis,” Detective Stone followed up smoothly. “Yes, that’s what Ms. Evans said. However, without proof of this, there’s not much to hold against him.”
I straightened, my heart pounding. “Wait. You’re not letting him go, are you?”
“No.” Detective Winters shook his head. “He was talking about Mark. As far as John, kidnapping is still a serious crime. He’ll continue to be held for that. But we’d have more if he’d admit to the rest. He also hasn’t said anything about Dublin.”
Finn’s fingers squeezed tight around mine when I tensed again. “Nothing?”
Detective Stone’s eyes came to rest on my face. “He says he’ll tell us everything we want to know if you talk to him.”
“No.” Finn pulled his hand from mine and stood. “That’s out of the question.”
“Mr. Moore,” Detective Winters began. “I’m not suggesting—”
“You’re suggesting she sit in a room with him, face to face,” Finn said. “You’re suggesting that we do what he wants so that you can get what you want.”
“What we want is a confession, of course,” Detective Stone said calmly. “But what we all would like, as I’m sure Ms. Evans would confirm, is information on Dublin. He might still have access to cameras or someone in security. If John knows his next move, we can prepare for it. If he orchestrated what’s already gone on, don’t you want to know what his next move will be?”
Finn started to argue again, but I stood as well. “Mark sold his house in Portland. I think he might be coming here next.”
Both detectives and Finn stared at me. Detective Stone shifted in his seat. “Do you think John might know anything else about his whereabouts?”
“I think he does. Or, at least, he can confirm what Mark’s already done.”
“You’re not going in to see him,” Finn said.
I swallowed. I didn’t want to. I never wanted to see him again, but I might have to anyway.
“If it helps,” I started, but Finn’s jaw clenched.
“Charlotte—”
He was interrupted by the buzz of his intercom and Leslie’s cheerful voice. “Mr. Moore?”
Finn straightened and turned to his desk. “Yes?”
“Your lunch is here, and Dustin has arrived as well.”
“Thank you, Leslie.”
Detective Stone checked his notes. “Dustin. Part of your security team?”
“That’s right,” Finn said. “Do you need to speak with him as well?”
Detective Winters stood and shook his head. “No, we already spoke with him and Curtis Powell. If we need any more information, we’ll be in touch.” He turned to me as Detective Stone stood. “Please let us know if Mr. Dublin tries to contact you.”
I nodded. “I have your number.”
Detective Stone paused at the door. “The more information we have, the better.”
He meant John. If we could get more from him, we might have more on Mark.
Finn gave a tight smile. “Thanks for stopping by.”
He walked to the door, holding it open for them and waiting for them to leave. Once they were gone, Leslie brought in our lunch and Dustin followed.
Dustin gestured to the door. “They find anything new?”
“Nothing,” Finn said, sitting at the table. “Lunch, Charlotte.”
I rubbed my hands over my face. “They think I should talk to John.”
When I looked at Dustin again, he was frowning, though it didn’t look like it was in disagreement.
“It isn’t going to help anything,” Finn said with a sigh. He gestured to the seat next to him. “Please, sit.”
I walked to the chair, but only set my hand on the back. “He knows more about Mark than we do.”
“I’d agree with that,” Dustin said.
Finn glared at him.
“Face it,” Dustin said, “we won’t know what Mark’s up to until he makes his next move.”
And by that time, it might be too late. Those were the words he wasn’t saying.
Finn shook his head. “Which is why we’re prepared for anything. Which is why we’re keeping security tight.” Finn glanced at me. “And why Dustin is here. So we can have a plan for tonight.”
“What if Mark changed his name?” I asked Dustin. “John might know. Then we’d be able to track Mark and see what he’s up to.”
Dustin gave a short nod, but didn’t say anything more. I knew he agreed with me.
I turned to Finn. “Maybe I should talk to him.”
“We saw how well that went over last time, didn’t we? Please sit.”
Last time I’d gone to talk to John, he’d forced me to come with him by threatening my friends and Finn.
“He’s in jail,” I whispered, sitting next to Finn. “He can’t do anything else.”
“He’s already done enough,” Finn snapped. He glanced at Dustin. “Sorry. What’s the scenario for tonight?”
“I recommend staying in Oasis,” Dustin said, keeping his stance beside the table, hands folded behind his back.
“Will you please sit down?” I asked him. “Just…sit. Eat or grab a bottle of water or something.”
He was making me tense standing there. I felt like all I was doing was wasting his time. And Curtis’s time. Even my and Finn’s time. Getting ahead of Mark meant dealing with this a lot faster and being able to move on.
Finn slid a tray of food in front of me as Dustin joined us at the table. “Forget about the detectives for now. Eat.”
Realizing I’d need food in my stomach for later, I opened a tray to reveal a large sandwich and fruit. Finn squeezed my leg under the table, but I couldn’t find it in me to make the same contact.
He needed to understand about John, but he was focused on tonight.
One day at a time, I reminded myself.
Finn nudged my arm. “Charlotte?”
“Huh?” I blinked, and then gave Dustin a smile. “Oh, yes. Staying in Oasis is fine.”
“It’ll make it easier with extra security here, cameras if we need them, and quick backup.”
I didn’t think we’d need any of that. No, it didn’t feel like Mark was going to make a move yet. Not after what just happened with John. Not when we were prepared for it. No, he’d wait until we let our guard down some. That’s how he’d always done it with me. Like a game.
But it was easier to be amenable.
“Okay, just tell me where to go,” I said, spearing a piece of cantaloupe with my fork.
Finn shifted to face me. “You can go wherever you want, Charlotte. Just as long as you stay in Oasis.”
I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture. “Wherever’s easiest.”
Looking uncomfortable, Dustin stood. “Just let me know the place.”
“Thanks, Dustin,” I said.
He nodded and excused himself, closing the door behind him. I checked my watch. I needed to get back soon.
“Charlotte,” Finn said.
I glanced up. “Hmm?”
“What’s wrong?”
With a humorless laugh, I said, “What isn’t wrong? I just wanted to go out tonight and have fun and celebrate with Leslie, and now I’m realizing I might not even be able to celebrate my own engagement.” I twisted the ring on my finger. “Maybe I should visit my sister instead. Get away for the weekend. Or—”
“Hold on.” Finn swiveled in his chair to face me. “That’s too much to deal with right now.”
“It is.” I laughed again this time, the raw frustration of it stinging my throat. “It is too much. And then you toss in Tracy, your secrets, John, Mark, the engagement. It’s too much. We can—”
“Take a breath.”
“Don’t tell me—”
“Charlotte.” The snap in Finn’s voice brought my eyes to his. He reached out, catching my hands in his. “I can’t do anything about John and Mark, but this engagement is supposed to be a good thing. Tell Leslie. Tell Paige. Enjoy tonight and it’ll help you wind down.”
“And what about you?” I asked, still heated and frustrated. “What are you going to be doing tonight? Dealing with secrets?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. He didn’t say anything for a long moment, then finally told me, “You said you’d give me a day.”
“Yeah, well, I changed my mind.”
He frowned. “I can’t do anything about that.”
“Sure, you can’t.”
I was pushing his buttons, I knew it. But I was angry at the whole situation, especially that he seemed to be handling it better than me.
“I see what you’re doing,” Finn said, his voice relaxed now.
“What’s that?”
“You want a fight.”
“I don’t want a fight, Finn, I want the truth.”
He folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. “You want someone to yell at, someone to take it out on. You want to vent, so go ahead.”
His cool invitation just riled me more. I grabbed a French fry from his box and threw it at him. “You’re an ass.”
He only smiled, plucking the fry from his lap and popping it in his mouth. “That was weak. You’ve got more than that. Come on, Charlotte.”
“Shut up, Finn.”
“That’s better, but—”
“Screw you!” I burst out, shoving back in my chair. “I don’t want to yell at you because then that makes me the ass since you’re just sitting there taking it. I don’t want that, I want—”
“What do you want, baby?” He leaned in, trapping my hands on the arms of the chair. “Tell me what you need.”
I swallowed, emotion choking me. “Finn, stop. Please, I can’t do this right now.”
“Tell me, sweetheart. You want me to fight back with you?”
“Stop, Finn. Just—”
I broke down and climbed from my seat, only to sit in his lap. His arms immediately came around me, squeezing me tight enough I felt safe from the rest of the world for a moment.
“I don’t want to fight with you,” I whispered, voice muffled against his chest.
“I don’t want to fight with you either. That’s the last thing either of us needs right now.”
I smoothed my hand down his tie, listening to his breathing. “Where are you going to be tonight?”
“At home,” he said without hesitation. “Waiting for you to get home.”
“You should do something with Jake. Or go out.”
“I want to be close by just in case.”
I sighed and didn’t argue. If that made him feel better, then I could understand that. “Call Jake. Or better yet, call your mom.”
He shifted so he could meet my eyes. He smiled. “Why would I do that?”
“To tell her I love her ring. To tell her we’re going to give her babies one day. To—”
His mouth closed over mine before I could say another word. Cradling my head with one hand and supporting my back with the other, he poured everything he had into the kiss. He touched my heart with his love, stirred my passion with his kiss, and made my bones weak with his expertise.
“You never cease to surprise me,” Finn said, lowering his forehead to mine as he breathed uneven breaths that tickled my cheek. “I love that you said that. I love that you’re willing to keep trying with us even though things are hard.”
“That’s how it’s supposed to be, right? Or so I’ve heard.”
“You’re my world, Charlotte. You’re everything. Say you won’t ever leave me.”
“I won’t ever leave you.”
He brushed a strand of hair off my cheek. “Are you sure you still want to go out tonight?”
I shoved at his chest. “Finn.”
He laughed. “I’ll be at home, waiting impatiently for you to get back.”
Lunch with Finn did wonders for my mood. By the time I finished my day and dressed for the evening, I was ready for anything. Paige met me at the elevator with Dustin leading the way.
“Curtis is on duty tonight as well,” he told us, “so we can cover all our bases.”
He continued his explanation as we rode the elevator to the lobby and then walked to the Commons, aiming for the Entertainment Community. “We’ve already reserved you a table in the best location in the restaurant.”
Paige lifted her eyebrows at me, making me laugh. Yeah, it sounded like we were getting the royal treatment, and we were, but it was at a price. I just wanted to be able to leave my apartment without having to worry. To walk to and from work by myself if I chose. To go out with my friends and think of nothing else but having fun.
“If anything seems off—anything,” Dustin said, “tell me. Either of you. Or find Curtis. Nothing’s too small. Let me know if you need to leave for any reason or if you’d like to go somewhere else and we’ll see what we can do.”
We arrived at the restaurant, the same one we’d gone to with Finn and Leslie and her boyfriend, as well as Tucker, just after its opening a few weeks ago. It was just as packed as last time, which surprised me since it was only Thursday, but pleased me because good business was good business.
I motioned to the space next door when we walked past, and told Paige, “That’s the one Tracy’s boss is leasing. Another restaurant.”
“How are things going with that?” she asked.
I smiled at her. “Maybe after a few drinks.”
We caught up with Leslie and found our table in the back. The lighting made Dustin frown and he stood closer to our booth than expected, but once we ordered drinks and food, it was easy to forget what he was here for.
I made a toast to Leslie and her upcoming marriage.
“Speaking of weddings,” Leslie said, “Greg and I are ready to get it done.”
“How soon?” I asked.
“Three months? We’d like it to be before the year is over. So we can be settled before the holidays. Also, Greg is going to be traveling at lot at the beginning of next year, so this makes the most sense.”
Above the boom of music, Paige nodded. “Three months is fast. Do you already have a venue? And a dress? Of course, invitations have to go out right away—” She broke off with a grin. “Sorry, been there, done that.”
“Which is why I need your help,” Leslie said urgently. She sipped her margarita. “Please say you’ll help me. Both of you.”
“Absolutely,” Paige said. “I love me a good wedding.”
I nodded. “Of course. This is a happy thing. I want to help.”
“One more thing?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“Bridesmaids. I need bridesmaids. You both have to be in the wedding.” When we didn’t answer right away, she continued quickly. “It’s just that I haven’t made a lot of friends since moving here, and things are so easy with you guys. I trust your judgement, and you’re fun. I know you won’t be those fussy bridesmaids that make things all complicated.”
“You sure?” I asked. “Because Paige is serious about this stuff. She’ll make a list and make sure you stick to it.”
Leslie laughed. “Even better. Please? Say yes. Just say yes, you won’t regret it. I promise.”
“Yes,” I said. “Okay, yes.”
She laughed again and turned her eyes to Paige. “One more yes. You can do it.”
With a roll of her eyes, Paige said, “Okay. Yes.”
Leslie clinked her glass with ours, eyes sparkling. She grinned at me. “Can you tell us now?”
“Tell you what?” I asked.
“Yeah, tell us what?” Paige asked. She bobbed her head in time to the music. “You have secrets, Charlotte?”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but I couldn’t.
“I saw your ring,” Leslie said with a smile. “I’m ridiculously in tune to these things.”
“Ring?” Paige leaned in to stare at my finger. “You’re engaged? Oh my God, it’s contagious.”
Laughing, I held out my hand. “It’s—it was a surprise. And I didn’t want to ruin the evening.”
“Ruin it?” Leslie shook her head. “Now we have twice the reason to celebrate.”
I glanced to the side of our booth where Dustin was. He met my eye with a smile and nodded. He’d seen the ring, too.
“Charlotte?”
I heard the voice before I saw her, the chipper little accent and volume pitched just higher than the throbbing music. As a group, the three of us turned as Tracy approached.
Her face split into a grin. “Oh, Charlotte, that is you.”
Dustin inched closer to the booth. I met his eyes and shook my head, although I was dumbfounded. What was she doing here? Just coincidence? Or maybe she’d figured Finn would be with us.
“Tracy,” I forced myself to say. “Hi.”
I introduced her to my friends, and the look Paige gave me was worth a thousand words. She kept her smile friendly, but there was a fight brewing beneath the surface. She’d seen how many times Tracy had called Finn during our time at the cabin. And she’d heard my story about how much Tracy seemed to want Finn back.
“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Tracy checked her watch and sighed. “I guess I got stood up.”
“Oh.” There was an awkward silence before I pushed on. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Paige was discreetly shaking her head at me, but I couldn’t stop myself from being polite. “Would you like to sit with us?”
“Sit with you?” Tracy’s smile widened. “Are you sure? I mean, I just stopped by to say hi since I saw you and…I’d love to sit down.”
She was already scooting in next to me, and I slid over close enough to hear Paige murmur, “Pushy.”
I widened my eyes at her. She squeezed my leg. I’m not sure if it was a warning or support.
“Men these days,” Tracy said out of nowhere. “You just can’t depend on them.”
“Well, we’re sort of celebrating men tonight,” Paige said, sounding like she might boot Tracy straight from our table.
“Oh.” Tracy recovered quickly, smiling when she saw Leslie’s engagement ring. “Oh, of course!”
“And Charlotte of course,” Paige said.
Oh, shit. I glared at Paige. Tracy snagged my hand and stared at my ring. Her fingers squeezed a little too tightly on mine before she released me.
“Wow, that’s—wow, congratulations.” Her smile grew bigger than before. “That’s wonderful news, both of you. So sorry about my comment before.”
Leslie waved it off. “No problem.”
“It’s just…” Tracy sobered, setting her phone on the table. “I see everyone so happy and it’s hard not to want that for myself. And Braeden.”
I shifted in my seat, silent mouthing I’m sorry to Paige and Leslie. But Tracy found my gaze and I focused on her. “I’m sorry, who’s Braeden?”
“My son,” she said brightly. “Oh, I never mentioned him?”
“Your son?” Paige squeezed my arm and I swallowed hard. “Uh, no, I don’t think you did.”
“I have a picture.” Tracy picked up her phone like she’d been waiting for me to ask. “See? He’s six now.”
Six? I stared at the picture of the young boy, wearing a soccer uniform and smiling at the camera. Six years ago would have been shortly after Finn and I broke up. The world shrunk around me, even as I tried to sort through what she was saying.
“He looks like you,” Leslie said, leaning in to see the picture.
Tracy smiled. “Thanks. I think he looks more like his dad. With the dark hair and all.”
My world shrunk further. Is this what Finn was dealing with? Is this why Tracy had been calling Finn non-stop?
“Is his father here in town?” Paige asked.
Tracy nodded, setting her phone down again. She smiled sweetly. “That’s why I’m still hanging out here even though the lease is signed. I want to make sure things are dealt with. Finally.”
My stomach lurched. I was about to excuse myself when Tracy’s phone lit up with a call. She snatched it from the top of the table with an apologetic smile.
“I’m so sorry, I need to take this.” With another grin, she stood. “Great meeting you ladies.”
And then she was gone.