See Me(79)

He did it just right, grabbing on to the bottom rung with both hands. With a hard jerk upward, he got one hand on the next rung up, repeating the process until he reached the landing. Thankfully, the ladder was attached to the building above that, and a few moments later, he was on the roof. Down on the street, no one appeared to have noticed him.

So far, so good.

He made his way to the corner closest to Maria’s office. The lip of the roof was low – no more than six inches – but some cover was better than none. Thankfully the gravel was smooth here; there were no big pebbles, though these were scattered everywhere else. There were a bunch of gum wrappers though, and as he got into position on his stomach, he brushed those away. He aimed the camera and settled in to wait. To his surprise, he could actually see Maria as she worked at her desk in her office; he could also make out her car and, beyond that, the garbage bins. Her car was parked in her usual spot, and a few spots down he saw Ken’s Corvette.

A bit more than an hour later, the first people in the office began to stream out, usually one at a time, but sometimes in pairs. Paralegals – and yes, as Maria had mentioned, all of them were attractive – a couple of guys in their forties, Maria’s friend Jill. Several other people, followed a few minutes later by Maria. He followed her with the lens, thinking that she was moving more slowly than usual. When she reached the corner of the building, she glanced around, no doubt trying to find him. He watched her forehead form a frown before she finally headed to her car.

Focusing on the entrance again, he still saw no sign of Ken. Just when he began to wonder whether the onset of dusk would blur the detail he wanted, Ken finally pushed through the door. Colin held his breath, snapped off a dozen photos before Ken turned into the parking lot, then rolled to his side to examine the images, hoping that one or two would be good enough.

They were.

He waited until Ken pulled away before getting up and making his way down from the roof the same way he’d gone up. Again, no one appeared to notice him, and by the time he reached his car, dusk was settling in. He stopped at a drugstore on the way home and selected two of the photos for processing before heading back to Maria’s.

He’d promised to bring her camera back.





“No wonder I couldn’t find you,” she said to him later, the photos on her kitchen table. “So tomorrow…”

“I’ll start calling florists. And hopefully find out the truth.”

“And if it was a phone order?”

“I’ll tell them the truth. That you were wondering whether the wrong card was attached to the delivery. And that you’re wondering who they’re from.”

“They might not tell you.”

“I’m just asking for a name, not the number. I’d bet that most people would be willing to help.”

“And when you find out that it was Ken?”

It was the same question that Evan had asked him earlier, and he’d pondered it on and off since then. “The decision as to what to do next would be yours.”

She nodded, tight-lipped, before finally standing from the table and moving to the balcony doors. She stood before them, saying nothing for a long moment. Colin rose from his seat. When he was close, he put a hand on her lower back and felt something collapse beneath his touch.

“I’m just so tired of talking about it. I’m tired of even thinking about it.”

“Let’s get out of here and go do something that will take your mind off it.”

“Like what?”

“How about I surprise you?”





Staring out the window of the Camaro as it sat between a couple of minivans, she made no move to get out of the car. “This is your surprise?”

“I thought it might be fun.”

“Mini golf? Seriously?”

Maria eyed with obvious skepticism the cheery lights that surrounded the entrance. Beyond the glass doors she could make out an arcade; off to the left was the miniature golf course, complete with rotating windmills as part of what Colin guessed was a Scandinavian theme.

“Not just mini golf. It’s glow-in-the-dark mini golf.”

“And… I take it that you’ve mistaken me for a twelve-year-old?”

“It’s a good distraction. And when was the last time you played?”

“I just told you. When I was twelve. Kevin Ross had his birthday party here. But he pretty much invited the entire sixth grade and my mom came, too, so it wasn’t exactly a date.”

“But it was memorable. Afterwards, if you want, we can try the laser maze.”

“Laser maze?”

“I saw the banner a couple of months back when I was driving by. I think it’s like that scene in Get Smart with Steve Carell, where you have to try crossing a room without breaking the beams.” When she didn’t answer, he went on. “I’d hate to think you’re just afraid I might win and that’s what this is all about.”

“I’m not afraid of losing to you. If memory serves, I think I was the best in my class.”

“Is that a yes?”

“You’re on.”





Friday morning, Colin woke early and was out the door before dawn. He put in a quick six miles and visited the gym before going online and gathering the phone numbers he needed. He’d been surprised to learn that Wilmington had more than forty florists, in addition to grocery stores that also sold flowers, which meant he’d be busy.