See Me(76)

Whatever. Tomorrow would likely bring more surprises.

Leaving her office, she said good-bye to Jill and headed for her car. As always, she went around to the passenger-side door first so she could put her bag on the seat, but as soon as she pulled it open, she let out an inadvertent cry.

The bouquet of roses, already shriveling in the heat, was fanned neatly across the seat, as if trying to taunt her.





Colin sat across from her in her living room, his elbows on his knees. Maria had called him right after throwing the roses back into the Dumpster, and he’d been waiting at her door when she got home.

“I don’t get it,” she said, still feeling flushed and panicky. “What does Ken want?”

“You know what he wants.”

“And he thinks this is the best way to get it? By sending me flowers and a weird unsigned note? And by stuffing the roses back in my car and freaking me out?”

“I can’t answer that,” Colin said. “I think the real question is what you’re going to do about it.” He continued to hold her gaze, unmoving, but the tensing of his jaw made it clear that he was as disturbed by the whole thing as she was.

“I don’t know that there’s anything I can do. The note was unsigned and I didn’t actually watch him put the roses in my car. I can’t prove any of it.”

“And you’re positive it was Ken?”

“Who else could it be? There was no one else around.”

“Are you sure?”

She opened her mouth to reply but quickly closed it because she hadn’t even considered the alternative. Just because she hadn’t seen anyone else didn’t mean there actually had been no one else, but the idea was too frightening to contemplate.

“It’s him,” she said. “It has to be him.” But even to her own ears, it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself.





CHAPTER 15





Colin





C

olin spent the night with Maria. Though she hadn’t asked him to stay, he’d known that she hadn’t wanted him to leave. She’d been on edge most of the evening, unable to eat, and he could sense her mind drifting off. After she’d finally fallen asleep, he lay awake staring at the ceiling, trying to put the pieces together. She’d told him enough about Ken to give Colin a pretty good picture, and he’d been fighting the urge ever since to pay the man a visit. The sexual harassment was bad enough, but Ken was a bully as well, and Colin knew from his own experience that people like that didn’t stop abusing their power unless someone made them. Or put the fear of God into them.

However, Maria had made it clear that she didn’t want Colin to talk to Ken or even go anywhere near him, if only for Colin’s own good. Colin understood that: The man was a well-known lawyer, and even a credible threat might be enough to put Colin behind bars. He had no doubt that Margolis and the local judges would make sure of that.

Still, the situation had felt more confusing the more they’d talked about it. The note, combined with the fact that the roses had been placed in her car, felt like a threat. It felt personal, and while Ken had trouble controlling his libido and had been standing at the window, the rest of it didn’t add up. What was the point of the note? How had Ken known Maria would decide to throw the roses away at that moment? Or if Ken had planned to put them in the car, why had he continued to stand in the window, knowing that Maria would no doubt assume he was guilty? He had to know that scaring Maria would make it more likely that she’d report his harassment. And what if another employee in the office had noticed him retrieving the roses from the garbage and placing them in Maria’s car? Would he have been willing to take that kind of risk? Most of the offices had windows.

All of which meant… what? If Ken had done it, he’d slipped off the mental building ledge and was plummeting toward the ground, obviously unable to think clearly. And if it wasn’t Ken?

That was the question that bothered him most.

When Maria woke in the morning, Colin offered to follow her in to work, but she told him that she’d be fine. It wasn’t until he was driving back to Evan’s that he realized he was as edgy about the whole thing as she’d been the night before. Angry, even, and as soon as he got home, he tossed on his workout gear and was out the door.

He went for a run and put the music volume on high, picking up his pace until his breathing grew labored. When he finally felt drained of his anger, he experienced a slowly emerging clarity.

He’d do what Maria asked and stay away from Ken, but that didn’t mean that he was willing to sit back and do nothing.

No one was going to frighten Maria and get away with it.





“Have either of you considered calling the police?” Evan asked.

They were at the table in Evan’s kitchen, a few minutes after Colin had offered Evan the CliffsNotes version of all that had happened, including what he planned to do.

Colin shook his head. “The police won’t do anything.”

“But someone broke into her car.”

“Her car was unlocked, the windows were open, nothing was taken, and there was no damage. The first thing they’ll ask is, what’s the crime? And then they’ll ask who did it, and all she’ll be able to offer is her opinions.”