“I’m not. I swear.” His shock looked genuine, and he released her arm.
“Help me or don’t,” she said. She called his number and stood staring at him until he answered it. “Idiot Friends, Incorporated,” he said. “May we help you?”
She slipped the phone into her jacket. Then she touched Adam’s cheek for just a moment. He had been her only friend at times and she couldn’t lose him, no matter how aggravated she was with him. She went to Franklin’s door and walked straight in. The young woman—dark hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing a light blouse and a dark jacket—stood behind a desk, frowning, still holding her purse, as if unsure where to put it.
“Hi, I’m Mr. Franklin’s nine o’clock appointment,” Jane lied. She put a touch of panic in her voice, careful not to overdo it. “Are you his assistant? Is he here?”
“Um, no, I’m his temp for the day. He’s not here yet, I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
“My last name’s Hall,” she lied again. “I was here yesterday. I’m hiring him and really…”—she glanced back out the door—“the guy I want watched by Mr. Franklin, he’s here, he’s followed me here.”
The young woman paled. “Let me try to call Mr. Franklin.”
“I don’t want him to find me here.” She peeked out the thin window on one side of the door. “Oh, he’s going door to door. He must have seen me park here.” She clutched her hands together. “I cannot believe he’s turned into such a stalker.”
The young woman was in a panic. “Is he dangerous, should I call the police? I have pepper spray.”
“As long as he doesn’t see me, it’ll be fine. Can I hide in Randy’s office? Just for a second?”
The effort to make a decision warred on the girl’s face. Please, Adam, just play along. A knocking on the door.
“Yes,” the temp said.
Jane hurried past her and closed Randy Franklin’s office door. Then, gently, quietly, she locked it. Back corner. File cabinet. She’d noticed it yesterday.
He had a scanner on his credenza, along with a printer, and his computer on his desk. She panicked for a moment that files from a case two years old would be digitally archived instead of left in paper form. She’d try the file cabinet first. She broke the cheap lock with a letter opener she grabbed off his desk and slid the drawer marked “H–N” open. It was stuffed full of paper files.
“I’m looking for my girlfriend!” She heard Adam’s voice thunder. “Is she in with the investigator? I have NOT been stalking her. She doesn’t need to hire anyone. I love her SO MUCH.”
“Sir, you can’t just come in here. You’ll have to leave, or I’ll call the police.”
“BUT I LOVE HER. PLEASE.”
He’d for sure get pepper-sprayed at this rate. She found a folder marked “HALL, DAVID” and pulled the whole thing loose. She shoved it into her backpack. “N.” She looked. Surely nothing would be under her name. But there was a name. “NORTON, BRENT.” Her father. She tried not to scream out in shock, clapping a hand over her mouth. She took that file as well and shoved it into her backpack. She slid the drawer closed very quietly.
“She’s not here, sir. Please leave, or I will call the police.”
“Fine, then. BUT I STILL LOVE HER,” he vowed.
Jane moved to the door. She heard Adam leave, heard the temp lock the door behind him. She unlocked the office door. Just in time, because then the door flew open. “He is crazy!” the temp announced.
“I really need Mr. Franklin to follow him and record him stalking me.” She peered out the window, the temp leaning over her shoulder. “Oh, good, he’s leaving. I’ll go once he’s gone.”
And she did, hurrying back toward Kevin’s office. She was shaking and shivering. She walked past Kevin’s office, turning in to the side parking lot, out of sight of the office.
Adam pulled in his car at the edge of the parking lot and she got in.
“You have truly and completely lost your mind,” he said. “I’m not tiptoeing around it anymore, Jane.”
“You’re such a good actor,” she said. She clutched the backpack close to her chest.
“I hope that was worth it,” he said. His voice shook a little.
“No, not really. Although I’ll notify the Oscar committee of your performance.” She made herself shrug. “His files were, like, triple-locked. I couldn’t get in. Thanks for trying, though.”
“So you got nothing. After I go full Matt Damon.”
“Nothing,” she said.
He studied her and she thought, He doesn’t believe me, but what does it matter? This is Adam. He’s not going to search my backpack.
Adam sighed. “Trevor is having a party tonight. At his dad’s place. I think you should go with me.”
“He didn’t invite me,” she said. Right now she just wanted to get away from Adam, not take these papers back to his room or her house. “Can you take me to Lakehaven Park?”
“Agree to go to the party,” he said.
“Adam. Stop. I cannot go to a Lakehaven party. You know that. I cannot.”
“So, you never go to another social gathering? You never get married? Have a career you want? Have kids? Are you going to deny yourself life out of guilt for the rest of your life?”
“I have too many problems to deal with to go to a party.”
Adam shook his head. “Do you think, for one second, David wanted this self-imposed exile for you?”
She put her hands over her face. “Please stop talking.”
He softened his tone. “Jane. You need some normalcy. You need to step up and move on. You know I care about you. C’mon.”
“Is Kamala going to be there?”
“So what if she is? It’s not going to be big or wild or anything. His grandmother will be there.”
“Oh, it’s not a college party without a grandmother.”
“This will be the most Trevor Blinn party ever. A party with training wheels, which is entirely your speed. We wouldn’t want you to strain yourself, you know, smiling or enjoying yourself.”
Her phone buzzed. A text from Kevin Ngota. The client we discussed will meet me tomorrow at 2 PM at her office. I assume I will see you then. I can prove to you we all have your best interests at heart. I hope you will come there with an open mind.
She was going to need more help tomorrow. This time she’d ask Trevor. It, like this morning with Adam, would be a test.
30
PERRI, COULD YOU please come in here?” Mike called out to her as soon as she reached her desk outside his office. He sounded grim. There wasn’t his usual smile. She walked into Mike’s office.
Maggie already sat in a chair, hands folded in lap, looking miserable.
Mike shut the door behind Perri. “We have an issue.”
“What’s the matter?”
“A man named Shiloh Rooke showed up here this morning. He said you had tried to ruin his life and he made a scene. Loudly in the lobby. In front of a pair of potential investors.”
“What? He came here? I’m so sorry.”
“It really set the tone to have a raving, yelling nutcase calling for my executive assistant. Exactly the image the investors were looking for from us.”