“Yes, ma’am?”
“I have information that someone may try to breach the employee gate at the back of the lot.”
“The one along Baker Street?”
“Yes. I need you to send some security personnel there. These . . . people may be armed. They may have a hostage.”
“A hostage? What’s going on, Ms. Monday? Have you informed the police?”
“No. I haven’t had a chance. I’m not certain.” She didn’t know what else to tell them. There was a long pause.
“What’s going on, Ms. Monday?”
She sighed.
“Salvatore Vito may have kidnapped my friend to get to me because I found love letters with a secret code to his father’s hidden stash in the wardrobe I bought from his mother last month.” There. She’d explained it all. She had not one shred of conscience about making up the part about the secret code. Besides, it made sense. There could be a secret code in the love letters. Now she waited for the response. Which wasn’t immediately forthcoming. The security man on the other end of the line cleared his throat.
“Sal the Snake? Is after you? Have you talked to the police?”
“Yes. I’m working with Detective Harvey of LAPD. Please go to the back gate and stop him and rescue my friend.”
“We’ll send some people out. We’re calling the cops. You stay where you are. We’ll send someone.” The man hung up before Mae could decide if it was a good idea to get the cops involved at this point. Things had gotten out of control fast.
Pacing in a tight circle now, Mae felt like a sitting duck waiting in her office, but there was little else she could do. She thought of calling someone to sit with her while she waited for Joe or security or Sal to get there. She wondered who would get there first as her mind spun in tight circles to match her pacing.
No, she’d need to wait alone. If she brought someone else into it all that would do is put another person in harm’s way. She felt guilty that she’d unwittingly put Sunny in danger as it was. Maybe if she’d had more or better wits she could have kept Sunny out of it.
There was one more phone call she needed to make. She wanted to let Joe know that security was covering the back gate, and that they were calling the cops in. She went back to her drafting desk where she’d left her cell phone and picked it up. But that was as far as she got.