Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
“Y ou sure it was a deer?” Xanthe asked her.
“Well, what else could it have been?” Mae said, indignant. “I came around the corner, I just clipped it, then it disappeared into the woods.”
Xanthe was quiet a moment. A deer? Or could it have been another car hidden around the bend that she hadn’t seen until it was too late? “Did you report it to anyone? Your insurance company at least?”
“Can’t be bothered. I’ve had this car a long time, and it still runs fine. A few dents and dings don’t bother me,” she said with a shrug. “You know I don’t care much about appearances.”
“Where did it happen?”
“I’m not sure. Few miles south of Cedar Point. Why?”
“Just wondered.” Maddy had said the other car had been small, and either white or silver. Mae’s was a pale gray, and the front-end damage was in exactly the right spot to match the impact site on Xanthe’s car.
“Hate to rush off, but I’ve got guests coming for dinner, and I haven’t started my pies yet. Thanks for the help.”
Xanthe kept the info tucked away and smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Back in her new rental, she called Blaine.
“Hi, bright eyes. Was just thinking about you.”
Okay, the way her female bits went all quivery at the endearment and the sound of his voice was not a good sign. “Hi. Maddy okay?”
“She’s good. I sent her to the mainland to get checked out by some specialists just to be safe.”
That made Xanthe want to know exactly the state of their relationship. They didn’t seem to be romantic, but they had an abnormally strong bond that she was certain went beyond friendship. Former lovers maybe?
She preferred not to envision that. “Listen, I just ran into Mae at the store.” Unfortunate choice of words.
She explained what she’d seen, telling herself she was being paranoid.
“She’s unsteady now, just tripped as she walked across the parking lot, and admitted to being clumsy.
She definitely doesn’t see as well as she used to.
I know Maddy said the impact was intentional, but do you think it’s possible… ?”
“Is what possible?”
“Nothing, forget it.” It was stupid, she couldn’t even believe she’d thought it. Mae wouldn’t hurt a fly. She was being crazy and paranoid, letting her imagination take over her normally logical brain. She blamed it on stress and lack of sleep.
“I want to see you. Have you got time to meet up?”
Warmth slid through her. “I might.” God knew she could use the distraction, and she wanted to see him too. Naked and on top of her, please and thank you. “What did you have in mind?”
“Depends. When do you get off work?”
“I made an executive decision and took the afternoon off. I’m heading home right now to unpack my groceries.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
Oh, yes. Her day had just turned around. “Okay, see you there.”
She ended the call before he could say anything else, feeling a bit better already and pleased to have the last word.
She’d never expected Blaine to be anything but a source of conflict and irritation.
But when she was with him, the load she carried didn’t seem nearly as heavy.
Because he kept stepping in to help her carry it. That had to count for something.
Her excitement about seeing him and picking up where they’d left off lasted right up until she walked into her cabin to find glass all over the hardwood floor and a gaping hole in her sliding glass door to the patio. A large rock lay in the middle of the floor with a piece of paper tied around it.
She swore, shoes crunching over the bits of broken glass, and bent to pull the piece of paper free, heart thudding.
WHORE.
Same block lettering as the previous one.
A frisson of fear skittered through her. She glanced around uneasily, took a cautious step toward the shattered glass door.
She jumped at a loud crash off to her left, from the direction of her bedroom.
“Who’s there? Get the hell out of my house.” She yanked out her phone and dialed 911. Heart hammering, she headed for the front door, ready to charge up the steps to get away from whoever it was.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” the operator asked.
“I want to report a break-in at—” She stopped, a horrified gasp catching in her throat as she stared in the direction of her bedroom.
“What is your address?”
Did she smell something, or…
“Ma’am?”
Tendrils of charcoal gray smoke curled out from under her bedroom door.
No… “My house is on fire!”