A Stranger on the Beach(52)

“Well, don’t try to tell me it didn’t happen here. This car was not like this when I brought it in.”

“I believe you,” the valet said.

“How would somebody even get in here to do this?” I asked.

“To be honest, that’s not hard. I’m the only one working days. At night, it’s only José. Somebody comes in when we’re down below getting a car, we don’t see them. They could hide, sneak around, do some damage. I told management we need more staff, but they don’t listen. You should complain.”

“Oh, I plan to. The least you could do is help me figure out who did this. Is there a surveillance camera?”

“The only camera we got is outside where the buzzer is. It shows who comes and goes, but only if they go legit. If they sneak in, you won’t see nothing on the tape. When José comes on duty at four, I’ll ask him if he saw anybody sketchy hanging around. If he knows something, I’ll give you a call. Otherwise, you can fill out the form to claim damages. The garage got insurance. They’ll pay to fix your paint, no worries.”

No worries. If only this were as simple as a new paint job.

I took the form and got behind the wheel, feeling queasy. I was completely overwhelmed at the thought of driving to Lynn’s house right now. This was her fault. I’d told her to stay out of it, but no. She had to go and provoke him. She couldn’t help herself; she was a hothead, like our father. I could only imagine how she’d react when she saw “DIE BITCH” scratched all over my car. She’d do something crazy and wind up getting us both killed.

I wouldn’t be like Lynn. I would stop and consider my next step.

In order to get the police to take me seriously, I needed proof. I’d blocked Aidan’s calls and ignored the ones that had managed to sneak through from other numbers. But I should call him now and do my best to trick him into confessing that he was stalking me. If I recorded the phone call and got him on tape admitting to anything—following me, following Lynn, trying to run her off the road, damaging my car—then I’d have proof. Would it be enough to arrest him? I wasn’t sure, but it was worth a shot.

I got out of the car and walked around it, photographing the damage with my phone. The pictures would help make my case to the police.

I handed my keys back to the valet.

“I changed my mind. I’m not taking the car out now. I’ll call when I want it.”

And I walked back to my apartment, looking over my shoulder every step of the way, terrified of seeing him behind me.





35


Caroline hadn’t returned Aidan’s calls, even after he left a message explaining that she and her daughter were in danger. She’d told her sister that she’d call the police if Aidan came anywhere near her. He wanted to believe the sister was lying. But he had to face the possibility that she wasn’t, that something had gone very wrong in his relationship with Caroline. Jason Stark had gotten to her somehow. The image of the two of them kissing outside that restaurant haunted him. It shook his faith. He felt her slipping away, and he couldn’t stand it. He had to do something dramatic to bring her back to him.

He decided to approach Hannah Stark and offer his protection in some way. Or maybe wile his way into her confidence enough that he could gauge whether she was in any danger. How much did she know about her father’s secret life? Was her dorm secure? Was she a partier, or a druggie, with shady connections of her own? He had to get close to her to find out.

But how could he do that without setting off alarm bells? Hannah might recognize him from the restaurant the other night, decide he was a stalker and call the police. He could try to stop her from doing that by telling her the truth. But how would that work? Just come right out and say that he was involved with her mother and had followed her father because he was worried Jason Stark was dangerous? First off, he couldn’t tell her about his relationship with Caroline. And second, she’d never believe him anyway. It sounded bizarre even to Aidan. No, he’d have to pretend to be a stranger and arrange to meet her by happenstance. Strike up a conversation, try to gain her confidence. As for their encounter in the restaurant, he’d have to hope that she didn’t remember. People’s eyes passed over the faces of waiters and delivery boys and checkout clerks. They were part of the scenery. A rich girl like Hannah wouldn’t register the face of the guy who poured her water at a restaurant. And if, somehow, she did, he’d pass it off as coincidence.

Aidan knew what Caroline’s daughter looked like. He’d seen Hannah Stark at the restaurant. He had a photo of her that clearly showed her face, lifted from the camera roll on Caroline’s iPhone. But it turned out that finding one particular girl on a campus as big as Stony Brook, even if you knew what she looked like, was a bigger challenge than he’d imagined. Uploading the campus map to his phone told him nothing about where to find Hannah. He didn’t know which dorm she lived in and didn’t know his way around. He couldn’t go up to someone and ask without risking getting noticed by campus security. Aidan stood out because of his age. Even with his youthful face, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, he was pushing it to pass for a student. He’d never been to college himself, and he felt like an impostor. The place bustled. Space-age modern buildings, Asian kids with expensive backpacks hurrying along the wide paths like they were going someplace important. Aidan didn’t belong. They’d know, they’d smell it on him. He’d get himself in trouble.