monster she was. He knew the risk he was taking by going after her, but he did it anyway. That might sound melodramatic, but it’s the truth. Steve didn’t die in vain. You didn’t suffer at the hands of that witch for nothing. Finally, she’s been exposed for what she really is, and she’s worried. That’s why she’s moving so fast on the legal front, trying to corner us. But she’s got problems on her own end.”
Cindy looked at her hopefully. “What kind of problems?”
“Before you were taken captive, you guys had a long talk with Hector, and you revealed your suspicions about Smith. You also told him you were going to have lunch with her the next day, and then, by coincidence, you guys disappeared. Toule’s almost as tiny as Breakwater. He must have heard about your disappearance, it must have troubled him.” Ali added, “That’s one of the reasons I want you to call him right now.”
“At six in the morning? Are you out of your mind? I hardly know him. Why am I calling him?”
“To tell him that Sheri Smith killed Steve. Also, tell him you managed to escape from the witch’s dungeon, and that you have Nira with you.”
“Ali . . .”
“Listen. Hector’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia, used to babysit Nira, before she was mysteriously killed by what looked like the same SUV that killed Freddy Degear. You and Steve used that coincidence to get in his door, remember? But now you have lots more to tell him about Sheri Smith, and he’ll want to hear it.”
“How do you know?” Cindy asked.
“Because he hates her. I heard it in his voice.”
“You’ve never even spoken to him.”
“I heard it in your brain.” Ali added, “Trust me, that’s why you have to get him over here.”
“I told you, Hector hardly knows me. He’s not going to drive over here just because I ask him to.”
“He will when you tell him that you’re afraid to let Nira go back to Sheri Smith.”
“Why do you say that? She’s her mother.”
“When he spoke to you about Nira, his face brightened, didn’t it?”
“Maybe, sort of, I don’t know. That still doesn’t mean he’s going to drive over here to see her at the drop of a hat.”
“He has to come. I need him.”
“What for?”
“To take care of Nira while we’re at the police station.”
“The man builds houses for a living. He’s not a nanny.”
Ali pointed to the phone. “When I scanned your memories, I saw that you and Steve got his number from information. He’s listed. Get his number again, and call him and explain the situation. I think he’ll agree to help with Nira.”
“But how do you know this?” Cindy insisted.
“I don’t know it for sure. But . . . think of it as a test.”
“What kind of test?”
“A test of his devotion to Nira.”
“I think you scanned your fish in your fish tank—their brains, not mine—when you had me in your bedroom.”
“You would be amazed at what I saw.”
Cindy gave her a look. “Even if he does agree to come—when he gets here—I won’t be here. I’ll be at home, and then I’ll be at the police station.”
“It doesn’t matter, he’s coming for Nira.” Ali added, “Plus I need to talk to him.”
“About what?”
“Many things,” Ali said.
In the end, Cindy agreed to call Hector Wells. She was on the phone two minutes with the contractor before she set down the phone and nodded—bewildered—in Ali’s direction. It appeared Hector was driving to Breakwater to help with Nira.
Before Cindy left, she told Ali she would be the one to call Steve’s parents and tell them—without question—that their son was dead. Ali protested, said to her friend that it was too much to ask. But, with a tear in her eye, Cindy insisted.
“It should be me. I was there when he died,” Cindy said.
CHAPTER
4
B reakwater’s police station was located at the far end of the town’s Main Street, near Harry’s Haircuts. The latter spot was significant to Ali because just before entering
Cindy looked at her hopefully. “What kind of problems?”
“Before you were taken captive, you guys had a long talk with Hector, and you revealed your suspicions about Smith. You also told him you were going to have lunch with her the next day, and then, by coincidence, you guys disappeared. Toule’s almost as tiny as Breakwater. He must have heard about your disappearance, it must have troubled him.” Ali added, “That’s one of the reasons I want you to call him right now.”
“At six in the morning? Are you out of your mind? I hardly know him. Why am I calling him?”
“To tell him that Sheri Smith killed Steve. Also, tell him you managed to escape from the witch’s dungeon, and that you have Nira with you.”
“Ali . . .”
“Listen. Hector’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia, used to babysit Nira, before she was mysteriously killed by what looked like the same SUV that killed Freddy Degear. You and Steve used that coincidence to get in his door, remember? But now you have lots more to tell him about Sheri Smith, and he’ll want to hear it.”
“How do you know?” Cindy asked.
“Because he hates her. I heard it in his voice.”
“You’ve never even spoken to him.”
“I heard it in your brain.” Ali added, “Trust me, that’s why you have to get him over here.”
“I told you, Hector hardly knows me. He’s not going to drive over here just because I ask him to.”
“He will when you tell him that you’re afraid to let Nira go back to Sheri Smith.”
“Why do you say that? She’s her mother.”
“When he spoke to you about Nira, his face brightened, didn’t it?”
“Maybe, sort of, I don’t know. That still doesn’t mean he’s going to drive over here to see her at the drop of a hat.”
“He has to come. I need him.”
“What for?”
“To take care of Nira while we’re at the police station.”
“The man builds houses for a living. He’s not a nanny.”
Ali pointed to the phone. “When I scanned your memories, I saw that you and Steve got his number from information. He’s listed. Get his number again, and call him and explain the situation. I think he’ll agree to help with Nira.”
“But how do you know this?” Cindy insisted.
“I don’t know it for sure. But . . . think of it as a test.”
“What kind of test?”
“A test of his devotion to Nira.”
“I think you scanned your fish in your fish tank—their brains, not mine—when you had me in your bedroom.”
“You would be amazed at what I saw.”
Cindy gave her a look. “Even if he does agree to come—when he gets here—I won’t be here. I’ll be at home, and then I’ll be at the police station.”
“It doesn’t matter, he’s coming for Nira.” Ali added, “Plus I need to talk to him.”
“About what?”
“Many things,” Ali said.
In the end, Cindy agreed to call Hector Wells. She was on the phone two minutes with the contractor before she set down the phone and nodded—bewildered—in Ali’s direction. It appeared Hector was driving to Breakwater to help with Nira.
Before Cindy left, she told Ali she would be the one to call Steve’s parents and tell them—without question—that their son was dead. Ali protested, said to her friend that it was too much to ask. But, with a tear in her eye, Cindy insisted.
“It should be me. I was there when he died,” Cindy said.
CHAPTER
4
B reakwater’s police station was located at the far end of the town’s Main Street, near Harry’s Haircuts. The latter spot was significant to Ali because just before entering
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