How much worse must Jeffrey Silva have felt?
Obviously, I didn’t know anything about his childhood. But as I sat there, staring at the wall, I tried to imagine what it would have been like to grow up knowing Darryl Young was your father. He had to have seen him sometimes or at least read his name in the paper. Maybe that was how he found out. Dad’s photo on the front page, prompting a sad and awkward conversation with his mother. He’s your father, but we don’t talk about it. He’ll stop paying child support if we do.
Was it possible that this Jeffrey guy really was stalking me, like my mom thought? Or was this another instance of my mother finding a way to make a situation about her, or about the family name?
Why would he hate me so much? He didn’t even know me. And he had to know that wasn’t my fault.
Too many questions without answers. All I could do was guess.
Had he known who I was when we were growing up? It hadn’t just been my dad in the papers regularly. I had been, too, either because the local press liked to talk about the Young family as a whole, or for my accomplishments in high school, like that wall my mom still had, the shrine to teenage Audrey. Had he been aware of me?
Did he have any idea how false our reputation was?
Absently, I petted Max’s head. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to talk to him face to face. If I could find him. Of course, if my mom was right and he was stalking me, I’d have to be careful. Anyone who’d write in animal blood on someone’s house was dangerous.
But if he wasn’t the stalker? Maybe he’d be open to a relationship with his half-sister.
“I hope Josiah gets home soon.”
Max looked up, probably at Josiah’s name.
“He’s not going to believe all this. I’m still not sure if I do.”
Max’s tail beat a rhythm against the couch cushion and his eyes were hopeful.
“You probably need to go out.” I let out a long breath. “Okay, we’ll go.”
I left the untouched cookies and the mugs. I’d clean them up later. I used the bathroom and put my hair in a ponytail. It was hot out and I wanted it off my neck. Max waited not-so-patiently by the door, his whole body vibrating with excitement.
“I know, I know, I’m moving kind of slow.” I slipped my feet into a pair of flip flops and grabbed my phone in case Josiah called. “Let’s go.”
I opened the door and Max dashed outside, straight to his pee tree. He lifted his leg, did his business, then started sniffing around the grass.
I’d been right about the heat. It had to be at least ninety. Even in the shade, the air felt heavy. It made me think about popsicles and sprinklers. Max liked water; I wondered if he’d have fun with a sprinkler in the yard.
He ran toward the street, so I called him back. A car drove by and I waved. The driver lifted his hand as he passed. The simple gesture of friendliness brought a smile to my face. How nice to live in a place where people waved to each other. Even Josiah did it, and he wasn’t exactly sociable.
My phone rang and a swirl of dread spread through my stomach. If it was the restricted number, I wasn’t going to answer. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Thankfully, it was Marigold, and I realized I hadn’t called her yet.
“Hey, I keep meaning to call you but I’ve had a really weird day.”
“There must be something in the air. So have I. Are you okay?”
I picked up a ball and tossed it for Max. “Yes and no. It’s complicated. I’ll fill you in when we can talk in person. Are you okay?”
She sighed. “Physically, yes. But I was in an accident.”
I gasped. “Oh no. What happened?”
“I was just leaving the salon and a car came out of nowhere. Slammed right into me.”
“But you’re not hurt?”
“Not really. I got knocked around a bit, so I’ll have some bruises. My car, on the other hand, is probably totaled.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. I hate to cancel on you, but I have to figure all this out.”
“Of course. Don’t worry about it at all. We’ll make plans for another time.” I grabbed the ball Max had dropped at my feet and threw it again. “What happened to the other driver? The one who hit you?”
“He drove off. Can you believe that?”
The echo of my own hit and run incident made my back tighten. It had to be a coincidence. “He left?”
“Yep. Slammed into me, then took off. The cops are trying to track him down.”
“Did you recognize the car?”
“No. But here’s what’s really weird. I could have sworn it was Hayden. You know, the bartender from the Timberbeast?”
“Hayden? That’s weird.”
“Yeah. There was this split second where our cars were facing each other and he looked right at me. I thought he was about to get out of his car to come see if I was okay but then he backed up and left. I don’t understand why he would do that. He knows me. In fact, I just saw him last night.”
“Where?”
“At the Timberbeast. I met Annika and Isabelle for a drink and Hayden was working. We almost called you, actually, but I thought you might be busy. Anyway, it’s just so odd. He’s always seemed so nice. He was talking to us last night. But maybe he just freaked out when he hit me. Some people don’t deal with sudden stress very well.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. What about you?”
“Honestly, I had a very shocking conversation with my mother, but I’ll tell you in person. Don’t worry about me, deal with your car situation.”
“Okay. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“You too, Mari.”
I ended the call and slipped my phone in my back pocket. The feeling of being watched was back, so I moved closer to the house to make sure I was within range of the cameras. Without really thinking about it, I picked up Max’s ball.
“Max?” My voice came out like a squeak, so I cleared my throat. “Max, come!”
He didn’t appear, which jogged my frozen brain back into action. He’d been right by the house just a second ago.
“Max, come here.”
I jogged around the side of the house, hoping he hadn’t found another dead animal or something equally stinky to roll in.
No Max.
Oh, no.
“Max?”
I looked up the hill. There was one thing that would ruin his mostly reliable recall. A scent he couldn’t resist. It had certainly happened before.
I did a lap around the house and checked around Josiah’s remodel next door. No dog. No humans, either.
A bark carried on the breeze. I ran behind the house again and looked up the hill. “Max?”
Nothing.
Then I heard a yelp, a distinct cry of pain. The last time I’d heard that sound, my mom’s cat had swiped her claws across Max’s nose.
Whatever Max had found, it was no pampered cat.
I took off up the hill at a run.
CHAPTER 36
Josiah
Seeing Audrey’s car in the driveway took my sense of panic down a few notches. At least she hadn’t gone anywhere.
I went to the front door and steeled myself to tell her the truth about confronting Colin. I just hoped she wouldn’t be too furious with me.
The door opened. It was unlocked.
Why was the door unlocked?
That wasn’t good. We’d been keeping it locked in case the stalker decided he didn’t care about being on camera.
More alarming than the door, Max didn’t come running to greet me.
He always came running.
“Audrey?”
No answer.
I shut the door behind me.
“Max?”
Still nothing.
She might have been in the shower or something, although that didn’t explain Max. The bedroom door was open and no one was there. The bathroom was empty.
Where the hell was she?
“Audrey?” I called again, although the house wasn’t that big. There wasn’t anywhere for her to go where she wouldn’t hear me.
I checked the garage. Dark and empty.
There was no sign of them outside. A couple of Max’s balls were in the front yard, but that wasn’t unusual. And it told me nothing.