The Wife Who Knew Too Much(39)
Under the tent, the bodies were tightly packed, and the air was overheated and humid. A band played at one end, in front of a dance floor jammed with guests swaying to the music. I felt conspicuously underdressed amid the beautiful, lavishly turned out women. Surely, somebody would stop me and demand to know what I was doing here. But as I melted into the crowd, I realized that these people had been partying for hours, on somebody else’s dime. They were drunk and happy and not the least bit interested in me. The bigger problem would be locating Connor in the vast sea of people.
I weaved my way across the terrace in one direction, then back in the other, several times with no luck. Just outside the tent, people came and went through French doors that led into the house. The party continued inside. Maybe Connor was in there. Nobody stopped me as I stepped into a spectacular ballroom with high ceilings and a glittering chandelier. It was less crowded inside than on the terrace, and a quick scan told me Connor wasn’t here. I took a moment to appreciate the grandeur of the room. All along the walls, tables staffed by waiters in tuxedos groaned with beautiful food. I’d barely eaten in days, and suddenly, not only did I feel better—I was famished. I went from table to table, piling up my buffet plate high with slices of roast beef, perfect little roasted potatoes, mini-tacos, wedges of cheese—anything that caught my eye. I took my haul and skulked like a thief back to the tent, where I faded into the crowd, found a dark corner, and stood there, stuffing my face.
Naturally, that was the moment I spied Connor. He was with Nina and two other people. The surging crowd eddied around them, and the lights picked them out as if calling on me to pay attention. Seeing Connor took my breath away. Tall and tan in a white shirt and cream-colored blazer, he positively shined in the light. I wanted to be with him, touch him, feel his skin, taste his mouth, hear his voice. But as I watched, he pulled at Nina’s arm, and she flinched away. Seeing them together—in real life, not just in the tabloids—shook me. He wanted her attention. She wouldn’t give it. I felt sick with shame for getting involved with a married man, yet riven by jealousy, seeing him with his wife. He belonged to her. Not me. Coming here was a mistake. Unless—was I misunderstanding? Maybe she flinched because she was angry. Maybe she was angry because he’d told her he was leaving. If only I could talk to him and find out.
The couple they’d been speaking with walked away, leaving the two of them alone. They continued talking. Nina gestured angrily. I handed my plate to a passing waiter and took a step forward, then back, my eyes glued to them, unsure what to do. If only he would look over and see me. How could I get his attention? What if I called him, right now? If he had his phone on him, at least I could see whether it rang through, and I’d know if I was blocked, or if he was screening my calls. And if he answered, I could tell him to meet me down on the beach.
I pulled out my phone and swiped his number. From across the tent, I saw him pat his jacket, then pull out his phone. I wasn’t blocked. My heart raced. He turned and walked away from Nina. Before he could answer, someone grabbed my arm from behind. The phone slipped from my fingers and crashed to the floor.
“Hey! What the—?”
It was the security guard. Up close, he was scary-big, with a nose that had been broken before, a freshly split lip, and angry eyes.
“Gotcha. You’re coming with me, lady. Now.”
“My phone!”
The security guard grabbed it and forcibly escorted me toward the terrace stairs. I was hoping that we would catch up with Connor, but instead of turning onto the beach, he yanked me back toward the path where he and Derek had been fighting.
“Take your hands off me,” I said, struggling. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
He wouldn’t let go.
“Tell it to the police. They’re waiting to arrest you for trespassing.”
“I wasn’t trespassing. I was running from my ex. You saw him. He’s dangerous. He has a criminal record. He’s been harassing me, and I was afraid.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I swear. Did you arrest him? Where is he now?”
“You tell me.”
“He got away? Please, you have to find him. He wants to hurt me. I’m not safe with him on the loose.”
He studied my face like he was trying to decide if I was credible.
“Tell me the truth. Were you two trying to rob the house?” the guard said.
“No. I wasn’t with him. This has nothing to do with this house. Derek was following me. He’s been stalking me.”
“If that’s true, why weren’t you running?”
The reality was, I hadn’t known Derek was behind me until I saw the two of them grappling on the path. And I was trying to crash the party. But if I told the guard that, he’d have me arrested.
“I—I was running, but, I mean—”
“You know what, lady? Tell it to the cops. Let’s go,” he said, and led me up the brick footpath.
To the left, Windswept loomed. To the right, I saw a paved motor court and a six-bay garage. Cars lined the motor court, parked closely together with numbered tags stuck beneath the windshield wipers. With a start, I noticed a black Chevy Suburban, parked nose-out in the line. It had tinted windows similar to the SUV that had run me off the road up north. It couldn’t be the same one, could it? But, why not? My original theory was that Nina had me followed and had one of her goons run me off the road. If that was true, the Suburban could very well be parked at Windswept. It would have a New York plate on the back, and a damaged passenger door from sideswiping me. I couldn’t tell from this distance. I’d have to examine the car, but the guard had no intention of letting me do that.