Now that she was calm enough to reflect, she felt like a fool for panicking when the man had come after her, and letting a teenager fight her battle for her. What happened to the tough, self-reliant girl her father raised? She’d been in worse situations before. Since she and Thomas had become serious, she had allowed herself to get soft. Why, she didn’t even carry her .380 in her purse any more. It was still in her glove compartment where it had lain for a couple of years now. What would her father think if he could see her right now, cowering in a hotel room, hoping other people would solve her problems for her?
No more of this. It was time to take action. She took out her phone and scrolled down to the D’s. There was the name, still there, though the two of them hadn’t talked in… she didn’t know how long. What if he had changed his number? No, that wouldn’t be like him. Never mind. She’d call him later. Telling herself she was putting first things first, and not being chicken, she called her neighbor, Amber. Perhaps she could safely go home and get her laptop, clothes, and personal items.
Amber picked up on the first ring.
“Hi Amber, it’s Kay. Would you mind taking a peek over at my apartment and seeing if things are… all right?”
“Sure. Your key’s hanging right here. I’ll go check it out. Is everything all right?”
“No! I mean, I think things are okay, but no, you don’t have to go inside. Just take a look and see if things look… normal.” She was feeling a little foolish. What exactly did she want Amber to look for? Masked men hiding on the balcony? The door kicked in? “You know what? Don’t even worry about it.”
“It’s no problem. I’m already here. Besides, what are next-door neighbors for?”
“No, really. Forget about…”
Amber’s scream cut her off in mid-sentence. She heard the clatter of a phone falling to the ground.
“Amber!”
The call ended. She punched up the number again, but no answer. She tried again and, this time, it went straight to voice mail. That sealed it for her. She snatched up her purse, the only item she had with her, and headed for the door, calling 911 as she went. She gave the operator an abridged description of the phone call and the scream, making it sound like she and Amber had been on the phone when Amber screamed and the line went dead. She worried that the incident she described would not seem serious enough to merit police attention, but the operator assured her they would check it out.
The elevator reached the first floor, the doors opened, and she hurried toward the side entrance nearest the spot where she had parked her car. As she passed the front desk, she heard someone say, “Kaylin Maxwell’s room, please.” She jerked her head around in surprise, and caught a glimpse of a tall, lean man in a navy suit. Distracted, she bumped into an elderly man who was engrossed in a large print novel.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, hurrying away.
“Not at all,” he called to her. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
She glanced back to discover she had caught the attention of the man at the counter, who was now following after her.
“Ms. Maxwell!” he called. “Hold on a minute! Please!”
She banged through the door and hurried out into the parking lot, once again cursing her high heels and vowing to wear flats for the rest of her life. She was just slamming the car door when she heard the man call out to her.
“Wait! I’m with the police!”
She locked the door and turned to see him approaching, holding up his shield and identification. She let her shoulders sag, and lowered the window an inch.
“I didn’t mean to freak you out.” He tucked his badge inside his coat pocket. “I’m a detective. Can we talk?”
“First, you can send someone to my apartment. I think my neighbor is in trouble.”
“I know. I mean, I came to tell you not to go home.” He leaned down, putting his face inches from the window, and lowered his voice. “You’re in danger.”
Kaylin tensed. “How did you already know about my neighbor? I just called it in maybe two minutes ago.”
“I didn’t.” She was certain he was lying. The way his eyes shifted to the left as he spoke, his demeanor, even the sound of his voice set off alarms. “I just wanted to warn you about going home. If something has happened, then I guess I was right.”
“Thank you for your concern. If you’ll please follow up on it and make sure help is on its way, I need to go.” She put the key in the ignition and started the car.
“Wait! The envelope you brought in to the station. Are you sure you gave us everything? Was there anything else inside?”
“What? No. Captain Gerard has everything. Why would I go to him for help and then withhold the only piece of evidence I have?” Why was he asking about the envelope? This situation was all wrong.
“That’s fine. Just one more question before I go. Was there anything on the back?”
“I don’t know. Flip it over and look for yourself.” Not waiting for a reply, she put the car in drive and hit the gas, leaving him standing alone, looking dumbfounded as she sped away. She looked back, praying he wouldn’t follow her. If the man was truly working on Andy’s case, why did he need to ask her a question he could easily answer for himself simply by taking a look at the evidence? It just didn’t add up.
Just then, her phone vibrated. The number was local, but unfamiliar. She hesitated for an instant, then remembered her vow to start taking action.
“Hello.”
“Kay, it’s Amber.” Kaylin breathed a deep sigh of relief at the sound of her friend’s voice. “I’m sorry about that, but there was somebody in your apartment. He ran for it when I opened the door. He knocked me down and I dropped my phone. I’m talking it went flying. Two stories to the parking lot. Toast.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ll buy you a new phone.”
“Crazy!” Amber laughed. “I’ve got a replacement plan.” Her tone now turned serious. “Kaylin, I’m not stupid. Something’s wrong with you. What’s going on?”
Kaylin would have liked nothing more right now than to unburden herself to her friend, but she couldn’t do it. She needed to stay strong, and crying on Amber’s shoulder wasn’t the way to do that. “It’s one of those proverbial long stories. I’ll tell you sometime, but not now.”
“The police are here. They want you to take a look and let them know what’s missing.”
“Oh, okay, I can be there shortly.” She was about to hang up, but a thought crossed her mind. “By the way, did you get a look at the guy?”
“I got a look at the huge hand he put in my face when he shoved me out of the way. Other than that, I don’t know. The apartment was dark. He was a big white guy with short hair. Sorry.”
“No problem. I’m just happy you’re safe. I’ll be there soon.”
She ended the call, and stared blankly ahead as she drove along Murray Boulevard. A few boats, gleaming in the midday sun, plied the waters of Charleston Harbor. Looking at the boats, she sighed. They probably did not constitute a sign from above, or anything like that, but regardless, it was time to make the call.
Chapter 4
Daylight was fading, and the murky waters of Altamaha Sound grew dark. This would have to be the final dive of the day. That was all right. It had been a productive one, and the beer and ribs would go down nice and easy while they sat around a pile of Spanish gold. Dane Maddock tapped his wrist and motioned toward the surface. His partner, “Bones” Bonebrake, nodded, and they returned their attention the spot they had almost finished excavating. Bones held the dredge over the spot, sucking away the sand and silt, while Dane scooped up coins and deposited them in a mesh net. A few minutes’ work and he was satisfied that this area had been thoroughly culled. He gave Bones the thumbs up and, together, they began their ascent.