The Messenger

16

A few minutes later, she wished Ron had issued another warning. Maybe, Amanda thought sourly, Alex Danton had decided to get into this line of work because being a supermodel involved too much travel. She was slender, tall, blond, blue eyed, and yet her features were just exotic enough to keep her from looking like she came out of some Orange County beach girl tribe.

She smiled, introduced herself with a warm handshake, and turned to Ron. He must have grown accustomed to her, Amanda thought, because he said a quick hello and announced that he was going to bed.

“Will you be all right, sir?” Alex asked. “Anything I can do for you?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” he said. He asked Amanda to come by after she’d had some sleep, and left the room.

Alex stared after him a moment, seemed to recall Amanda’s presence, and turned to her with a smile. “Shall we go?”

As they walked to the elevator, she said, “You probably know this house better than I do, so it must seem silly to you to have an escort.”

“A little,” Amanda admitted.

Once the elevator doors closed, Alex said, “Neither of them warned you I was female, did they?”

“No.”

“Men. Of all the stupid things…”

By the time they were driving past the front gates, the sky was beginning to brighten with the approaching dawn, and Amanda felt perfectly at ease in Alex’s company. Alex did most of the talking, but Amanda noticed that she stayed sharply aware of their surroundings.

Amanda learned that Alex had become manager of the security business and co-owner with her mother after its founder, her father, had been in a car accident.

“He was driving a little rental car, tailing someone, when a lady in one of those fat-ass SUVs ran a red light. He was in a coma for about three weeks before he died. Mr. Hawthorne came to the hospital and helped me before Dad died. I don’t know what we would have done without him.”

Amanda glanced out the car window and saw something moving in the woods. She drew in a sharp breath and froze-then saw the misty forms of the four ghosts, weaving in and out among the trees. They floated effortlessly, keeping pace with the car. She turned resolutely away from them. What had Alex been saying? Oh yes-parent killed as a result of a car accident. No wonder her own mind produced the ghosts.

“I’m glad he could help you,” Amanda said. “I probably could have used something like that when my folks died. But at least Ron was there for me.”

“Are you two…?”

“Involved? No. A brother-sister kind of thing. Not more.”

“No one else comes by to see him, but I understand he doesn’t want anyone else to visit just now. So…no girlfriend?”

“No.” Amanda looked at her curiously. “Are you interested in him?”

“Ron doesn’t talk to me much,” Alex said, and slowed the car.

Amanda wasn’t sure what to make of that answer, but decided that as long as they were exchanging information, she’d ask a few questions of her own. “Do you know Mr. Hawthorne well?”

“I don’t think anyone does,” Alex said distractedly. “That said, I’d do anything for him.”

She stopped the car.

Amanda saw that she was staring into the woods. “What is it?” she asked nervously.

“Oh, nothing bad. Thought I saw Shade running through the trees. That doesn’t make any sense, though.” Alex let the car creep forward again.

“Why not?”

“He was up on the third-floor deck, last I saw him, just as we pulled away from the gates. Up there watching us-nothing gets past him.” She smiled. “Probably some other dog out chasing squirrels. More I think about it, I’m sure it wasn’t Shade.”

Amanda wrapped her arms across her stomach, suddenly feeling it pitch.

“You okay?”

“Afraid of dogs.”

“You need me to pull over or anything?”

“No, just get me home.”

“Sure.” She paused. “If you’re afraid of them, it probably won’t help to know this, but I’ve been around a lot of dogs and I don’t think Shade would hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid of Shade-not much, anyway. But if it’s another dog…”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to make sure you get in all right, and then I’ll take a look around-if that’s okay with you?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

They each watched for any other sign of the dog as they made their way down the long drive that led to the house. “I don’t see him, do you?”

“No,” Amanda said.

Except for the porch light and the small lamp on a timer in the front room, the house was dark.

“You’ll be here alone?” Alex asked.

“Yes. It’s all right-”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll come in with you, just to be on the safe side.”

“I don’t mind.” In truth, Amanda was relieved.

Asking Amanda to stay beside her, Alex did a quick but thorough search of the house.

“Okay,” she said, and handed Amanda a business card. “My cell phone number’s on there. Give me a call if you feel worried or see anyone hanging around here who shouldn’t be. I’ll take a look outside to see if that dog is around-lock up after I step outside and set your security system on, okay?”

“Thank you.”

“Oh-almost forgot-Mr. Hawthorne said to tell you that until the car business gets straightened out, I’m to take you wherever you need to go.” She smiled. “You will call me, won’t you? I’ve enjoyed meeting you.”

“Yes, I will. I’ve enjoyed meeting you, too. And please give him my thanks.”

Amanda dragged herself upstairs. Whatever adrenaline had kept her going until now had drained off. She felt woolly headed, not able to keep her thoughts straight. She put on her pajamas, but she could not resist stepping out onto the balcony. Alex was finishing a circuit around the house. She waved, shrugged her shoulders, then pointed up the hill.

An outdoor light on Tyler’s deck revealed Shade peering through the deck railing. He wagged his tail. She waved at him, felt like a fool for doing so, then waved good-bye to Alex.

“Set that alarm,” Alex reminded her.

So she locked the door to the balcony and used the upstairs keypad to engage the security system, heard Alex drive off, and went to bed.

She lay in the darkness thinking of Tyler Hawthorne, of how horrible it had been when she thought he was dying, of those brief moments in his desert home when she felt quite sure he was drawn to her in some way-of the moments later this evening when she was quite sure he was not interested in her in the least.

She was tired, she was confused. Her muscles had started to ache from the accident.

She closed her eyes, and was nearly asleep when the room suddenly grew cold.

The ghosts were back, watching her.

“What do you want?” she asked.

As usual, they didn’t answer.