A Stranger on the Beach(47)

Aidan was the only one who knew. He was the only one who could protect them.





32


Aidan called Caroline’s phone to warn her, but the call went straight to voicemail, and he worried that she’d blocked his number. She wouldn’t do that, would she? But she’d been so insistent that he not contact her. He understood the concept of hiding their affair to protect her reputation for the divorce proceeding. That was the least of their worries right now. Her husband posed a real, imminent threat. He left a message telling her so. But if she’d blocked him, she would never receive it. In order to warn her, he’d be forced to visit her in person, which she’d specifically told him not to do. It was goddamn frustrating.

He was late for work at the Red Anchor, where he was on shaky ground for missing several shifts in the last month. Aidan went to work and called her from the phone there, which she hadn’t blocked. When she didn’t pick up, he left another voice mail. Hopefully, this one she would get.

“Hey, Caroline, there’s something important I need to tell you. I’m worried your husband is—well, that he’s a danger to you and your daughter. I have some specific information. It’s too much to go into on a voicemail. Call me back. Please.”

At the bar that evening, Aidan tried to act like nothing was off. He poured and mixed, he smiled and cracked jokes and bickered with Nancy, the waitress. The whole time, he was obsessing about Caroline, and Hannah, and the thug from the auto parts store.

The woman sat alone at the far end of the bar. She’d been there a few minutes, watching him from the corners of her eyes. He didn’t think much of it. Women like that—middle-aged, overdressed, flashy—they hit on him all the time. Tonight, he had no patience. He let her sit longer than normal. Then he took a swig of Johnnie Walker to fortify himself and went over to her.

“What can I get you tonight?” he said. But he couldn’t a muster a smile.

“I’m not here to drink,” she said.

“The restaurant’s in the back, ma’am,” he said warily.

He was on high alert now. He recognized her, but he couldn’t place her. In Queens this afternoon he’d seen that nondescript Ford and felt like he was being followed.

“Are you Aidan Callahan?” she said.

What the hell? Involuntarily, he took a step backward.

“Who’s asking?”

“Never mind that. I’m here to deliver a message. Stay away from Caroline Stark.”

“You were in that Ford today, weren’t you?”

She looked at him like he was crazy.

“What are you talking about? I don’t drive a Ford.”

“Yes, you do. You followed me,” he said.

“Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You’re obviously mentally disturbed. But you don’t scare me. You stay away from my sister, or you’ll regret it. You hear?”

Sister.

Of course. He recognized her now—Caroline’s sister. She’d been in the tent at the party when he was tending bar. And he’d seen her picture in Caroline’s phone. He’d wanted to meet her. But now he’d screwed it up by accusing her of following him. It was an honest mistake, though, and he couldn’t let her talk to him like that. Aidan glanced down the bar. It was still early, and they were half empty, but that was a mixed blessing. Not as many ears to hear, not as much noise to cover up the sensitive things he needed to say.

“You’re Lynn, right?” he said.

She reeled back in surprise. Not expecting him to know her name, surprised that he was on the inside already? But he was, and he wanted to make sure that she understood that.

“Look, not to be disrespectful, Lynn. I appreciate your concern for Caroline’s welfare. But you’ve got it all wrong. She and I are together, we’re involved. She cares for me.”

He wanted to say, “She loves me,” but he ought to take that slow, out of respect for Caroline’s position.

“That’s a lie,” Lynn said.

“I’m not lying.”

“She said she told you to get lost, but you’re harassing her, following her around like some crazy stalker. She wants you gone.”

“She doesn’t. If Caroline wanted me gone, she’d tell me that herself.”

“She did tell you. She threatened to go the police. Now it’s time for you to listen.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Caroline loves me.”

Lynn’s expression morphed from shocked to horrified. Aidan thought his face must look the same way. What this woman was saying could not be true. Yet, judging by her expression, she believed it was.

“Wow, she wasn’t kidding,” Lynn said. “You really are crazy. She told me you two had a one-night stand, and she regrets it. She loves her husband. She wants you out of her life, forever. But you won’t listen. I’m here to tell you that you better.”

“Lies. You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying. I’m telling you the truth. Get it through that messed-up head of yours and leave my sister alone. You understand me? Or I’ll get somebody to teach you a lesson. I can, you know. My husband has connections. Back off.”

Lynn rapped her knuckles on the bar to underline her words. Then she got up and marched out the door. Aidan’s breath was coming fast. He staggered out from behind the bar. He could feel people’s eyes on him, but he didn’t care. What Lynn had said was so wrong. It had to be. He needed to convince her of that, or else he’d start to worry it was true. And he couldn’t believe it. He refused. He would not accept that Caroline felt the way her sister claimed. Caroline was not Samantha. This relationship was beautiful, it was the real deal.