Andres Maldonado’s House

Benedict Canyon

Los Angeles, California

 

Gray paced the living room as Alyssa played quietly on the floor. She hadn’t heard from Andres since Sunday morning. Fear settled in her chest when she woke Tuesday and realized he hadn’t come home. He should have been home. He said he’d be home.

She had the number in her hand that he’d given her, a number scrawled on a piece of paper that he’d told her to keep safe and to use only in an emergency. She didn’t know who would answer when she called, but she had to call. She had to know he was still alive.

This was Wednesday. He’d been gone since Saturday. That was the longest Andres had ever left them alone. When he went out of town before, or did whatever it was he did for his new job, he always managed to call at least once a day, even if it was a very short call. But he hadn’t called since Sunday morning.

What if there was something wrong? What if he was hurt? What if…?

She couldn’t let her mind go to that dark place it wanted to go to. But it was a real possibility, and she was more frightened than she’d ever been.

If Andres never came back, what would happen to Alyssa? What would happen to her?

She was about to reach for her phone when the doorbell rang. She was so startled by the sound that she jumped and nearly dropped the phone.

“Dada!” Alyssa cried, climbing gracelessly to her feet and toddling toward the foyer.

Gray followed, her thoughts going to the same place as the child’s. It didn’t occur to her until she had her hand on the doorknob that Andres wouldn’t ring his own doorbell.

A woman in her early thirties stood on the front stoop, dressed in quiet sophistication in a pair of linen slacks and a pearl grey silk blouse. She had blond hair and clear blue eyes, the kind of woman who looked as though she’d come to Los Angeles to find success on the big screen and had become disillusioned. She could have been an actress with those looks.

Women like this intimidated Gray. And she was standing on Andres’ doorstep.

Did she know him? Were they lovers?

That jealous streak was dangerous. Gray bit the inside of her cheek, the pain reminding her she was only a guest in this house.

“Can I help you?”

“You must be Gray Simpson. And that’s Alyssa?”

The woman squatted, wiggling her fingers at the toddler. Alyssa moved up behind Gray, wrapping her arms around her leg as she peeked around at this stranger. Gray touched the top of her head, reassuring the child. Or maybe she was reassuring herself.

“She’s a little shy.”

“She’s beautiful. Andres showed me pictures, but they don’t do her justice.”

Then she did know Andres. Were they friends? Or…?

The woman stood again and held out her hand, her fingers slender, her nails perfectly trimmed and manicured. “I’m Wren Ryland. Andres and I work together.”

Gray knew that name. Andres had mentioned her once or twice. She was a former cop, like him, who’d gone to work for this same security firm he worked for. She ran it. She was the reason he’d chosen to go into private security.

“Do you know where he is?”

Wren lowered her head slightly. “I should have come by last night. You must be worried.”

Gray wasn’t sure if she should be relieved by Wren’s acknowledgement of her fear, or more concerned. She wanted to interrogate her right there, demand to know everything, but then Wren glanced over her shoulder, and Gray suddenly realized how public their conversation was at the moment.

“Come inside. Please.”

Gray swooped down and picked up the baby, balancing her on her hip as she watched Wren enter the house. She shut and automatically locked the door, deciding it never hurt to be cautious.

“I haven’t heard from him since Sunday,” Gray announced as she followed Wren into the living room. “It’s not like Andres not to keep in touch.”

“He’s been in jail.”

“What?”

On the one hand, Gray was deeply relieved. On the other, she was even more fearful for him than she’d been before. What could have happened that ended with him in jail? She knew little about his work, but with what Robert had told her…was he really running with a street gang again?

“He’s safe, as far as I can tell. And he expects to get out soon.”

“But, why?”

“I can’t tell you that. He’s working a case.”

“He was a cop, and he’s in jail. What if someone finds out who he was? Don’t inmates hate that sort of thing? Could they hurt him?”

“He’s in the county lockup. Most people there are waiting to be released or to be transferred. It’s chaotic. I don’t think anyone will bother with him too much.” Wren’s tone was nonchalant, but Gray could hear the concern in her voice. “He’s hoping to be out soon.”

“You said that.”

They stood face to face in the middle of the living room, in the middle of Alyssa’s toys spread all over the floor and Gray’s books on the coffee table, largely ignored these last few days. She’d had a test today, but she’d skipped it largely because she couldn’t concentrate. She was too worried about Andres.

Wren touched Alyssa’s back. The baby laid her head on Gray’s shoulder.

“I won’t let anything happen to him. If it comes to that, I’ll have our lawyers pull him out immediately. But Andres is loyal to the client. He’s attempting to keep his cover intact.”

“Why hasn’t he called? Don’t they get a phone call?”

“He doesn’t want anyone to know about you and Alyssa. If someone were to overhear the phone calls—”

“Then they might find us.”

“Exactly. He’s trying to protect you.”

Gray nodded, turning away from Wren. It all made sense, but it still caused this ache in the center of her chest, knowing he could have called, but didn’t. But then again, he hadn’t sent anyone to collect Alyssa, so he clearly trusted her with his child. At least that hadn’t changed.

“What do I do if he doesn’t come back?”

“He’ll be back. By the weekend at the latest.”

Gray kissed the top of the baby’s head, pulling her more tightly against her shoulder. Then she sighed.

“Thank you for coming to tell us.”

“He asked that I come.”

That lightened the weight on Gray’s chest. She nodded, a small smile touching her lips. He cared enough to send someone to check on them. That was good, right?

“I’ve assigned one of our operatives to come by every little while and check on the house, so if you see someone walking around outside, that’s who it is. And you should keep your security alarm on at all times, even when you’re home.”

“Okay.”

“He gave you an emergency number to call?”

Gray turned back to Wren. “Yeah. I was about to make that call when you rang the doorbell.”

“Hold on to it. If something happens, anything that makes you feel unsafe, call it. We can have an operative here in less than ten minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Wren touched the baby again, rubbing her back lightly. Alyssa, worn out from a morning of playing, was falling asleep against Gray’s shoulder. It was the most peacefully she’d gone down for a nap in days. Maybe she sensed that Wren’s news was good.

But was it? Was Andres really safe in jail?

The moment Wren left, Gray carried Alyssa upstairs and then dialed her brother, standing just outside the nursery as she waited for him to pick up.

“If anything happens to him, I’ll never forgive you,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks, the moment Robert’s voice filled her ear. She disconnected the call and went to her own room, throwing herself across the bed like she might have done as a teenager.

And then she did something else she hadn’t done since she was a teen. She prayed.