He exhales long and hard. I can tell he’s tired. “Promises were the only thing I could give Rena to earn her trust. She was untrusting by nature. Even if in the end I ended up breaking them, it made her feel loved at the time. You’re right though, it’s why I don’t do them unless I can keep them now.”
“Riley is still sitting in the kitchen and I should go entertain her before Aspen tries to read her palm. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Ditto.” The line goes dead and I sigh out in relief and in happiness, then return to the counter and pull up a barstool next to Riley.
She’s talking to Ramona about Italy. It’s where she and her ex took their honeymoon. Aspen is still eating cookies, except now she’s on the phone with the rancher. I can tell because of the goofy smile she’s wearing. I never see that smile from her. It’s reserved for him and his dirty ass jokes.
“Was that Lincoln?” Riley asks.
I nod. “Just checking in to make sure Turner went to sleep okay.”
“That’s so sweet. I’m surprised he’s not home though. When I saw all the cars earlier, I assumed Rena was here.”
How the fuck does she know her name and why would she be here.
“Why would she be here?”
Riley frowns. “She came by the house earlier in the week and was asking questions about you and Lincoln, and I thought it was weird, but then I remembered how much Lincoln seemed to love her when we spoke, so I thought maybe she was dropping by to see her son.”
I shake my head as anger rises. “Turner is not her son. She left him.” Then fear. “She went to your house? I need to know what day and the last time you saw her.” How does the nosy-ass neighbor not know that Rena is a killer? Shouldn’t people like this know all the details about everything? “She’s dangerous, Riley,” I say, swallowing hard. “Rena is wanted for murder.”
Ramona must hear the edge to my voice because she appears next to me. “Did you just say Rena was here? On this street? When?”
My heart sinks as the words leave Ramona’s lips. Riley must have some sense because her posture changes—her breathing more rapid now.
“She was. I saw her the day she came to my house, and then I saw her car a day or two later. I can’t be sure,” Riley replies, but I interrupt, holding up one finger.
“What kind of car?”
“A convertible. Red. Which I thought was weird for Colorado, but assumed it was a rental.”
I nod. “How did she look when she went to your house?” The question flies from my mouth as I try to piece together the time frame and how fucked up she is.
Riley pulls at her cardigan nervously. “Tired? She looked sleepy. Like she just woke up or had been crying. I assumed she was overwhelmed with emotions because she was going to visit her son. I never thought for a second she had ill-intentions. I had no idea she was wanted for murder.” Her eyes widen at the prospect of juicy gossip. “Who did she kill?”
Ramona is about to lay into her, but I ask, “Did she look like she was on drugs?”
“She killed my… she killed my boyfriend. Stavros.” I think it might be the first time she’s said the sentence aloud and I wince. “She is a drug addict, Riley. Rena can’t be trusted.”
“Like I said,” Riley says, now biting her thumbnail on and off. “Rena asked if Lincoln was home, then if Maeve was working, and I didn’t know. She wanted to surprise you, I guess. Listen, I’m really sorry.”
“Thank God you came over here tonight,” I say, now pacing the living room. I double-check the security system is armed as my pulse pounds against my neck. This is not how I expected this to go down. Rena would send some low-life cartel dude to whisk me to a private airport and I’d fly to Mexico never to be seen or heard from again. Rena coming here herself now that she’s a wanted criminal is something altogether different. I might be able to get us out of this because of her risky behavior. She can be caught. I blow out a breath.
The agent working the case is a man named Chip. I have his name stored in my cell phone. It’s late, but he was adamant that I call if there was any word about Rena’s whereabouts. Walking to the laundry room for a bit quieter, he picks up on the third ring. Just his last name. Like they do in the movies. My stomach flips as I relay the information.
After I get it all out and tell him about Riley, he says something that makes my stomach sink even lower. “You’re in danger. We need to send someone to put the house under surveillance.” Fuck. I should have suspected that, which will make it harder for me to disappear when people are watching my every move.That’s a good thing, Maeve. You’ll get to keep your dream life.At what cost, though?
My voice shakes as I say, “Okay. I need to tell Lincoln. I don’t want to worry him while he’s away though. Maybe I’ll wait until he gets home.”
“That makes no difference to me. That’s your call. I’ll need to talk to the neighbor in the office tomorrow. Can you put her on the phone so I can get her information?”
In a daze, I walk out into the living room and shove the phone into Riley’s hand. “It’s the guy working Rena’s case. He has some questions for you.”
Her doe eyes get even larger as she whispers a meek hello and begins talking to him. “I can’t believe that bitch is showing her face here. She has a death wish. She wants to be caught. It’s the only explanation.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Driving a red convertible. She wants us to know she’s here. The police are going to be all over her.”
“Why the hell would she come back here, Maeve? Why?”