Ten

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Mel said. “But we’ll figure it out. One way or another, we’ll find out why these horrible things are happening.”

“Sydney!” A man was running across the parking lot toward them.

He was good looking in a rugged sort of way with broad shoulders and stubble on his chin. His honey-colored hair was cut short and he was wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, khaki pants, and loafers.

“Daddy!” Sydney cried. “Over here, Daddy!”

The look of thankfulness that passed over the man’s face hit Mel right in the gut. He looked like he might faint with relief.

He barreled toward them with his arms wide and Sydney launched herself into his embrace. He swung her up into his arms and held her close, pressing his cheek on the top of her head.

“What happened?” he asked Holly.

“We were looking at the location for the bakery and then this crazy driver showed up out of nowhere and drove right through the front windows,” Holly said. “It was terrifying.”

“Is everyone all right?” he asked.

“Sydney, sweetheart!” A dark-haired woman joined them. She took Sydney out of her father’s arms and hugged her close. “Are you okay, darling? I thought you were getting picked up by your father this morning. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see the bakery, Lisa,” Sydney said. She patted the woman’s back as if to reassure her. “I’m okay. I promise.”

The woman let out a little sob but then closed her eyes and seemed to get it together. Mel noted that she and the man stood hovering over the little girl. She looked at the three adults and realized that this was obviously Holly’s ex-husband and his new wife. She glanced at the woman’s left ring finger to confirm it. Yes, a very nice diamond ring and wedding band sat flush against her knuckle.

“Melanie Cooper, this is Sydney’s father, Billy Eastman, and his wife, Lisa,” Holly said.

“Nice to meet you,” Billy said. He nodded at Mel but she could tell by the vee in between his eyebrows that he was clearly still upset.

Lisa glanced at her and nodded in greeting, but like Billy, she still looked rattled. Her face was deathly pale and she was trembling, although to her credit, she was forcing her lips to curve up in a facsimilie of a smile. Given what could have happened to Sydney, Mel couldn’t blame either of them for being upset.

“I’m going to let you all talk,” Mel said. “I’ll just go check on Quentin.”

“Who’s Quentin?” Billy asked.

“The Realtor,” Holly said. “He got clipped by the car as it went by. I think his leg is broken.”

“Damn it, Holly, I don’t like this,” Billy said. He was clearly winding up and Mel wondered if she should stay but Holly didn’t look overly alarmed and Mel would be just a few feet away if Holly needed her.

When she joined the others, they were loading Quentin into the ambulance. Peter was still talking to the police while Angie argued with Tate about whether he needed to be checked over or not.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Besides, I’m going to follow Quentin to the hospital, and if I get woozy, I’ll be in the right place.” He kissed Angie and squeezed Mel’s hand. “I want to make sure he’s well taken care of until his family arrives.”

Angie stood on tiptoe to kiss Tate’s cheek.

“You’re a good guy,” she said. “That’s one of the many reasons I love you. Now, be careful, and if you so much as feel a twinge of a headache, I want you to have them check you over, clear?”

“Aw, and here I thought you only loved me for my sweet DVD movie collection,” he said.

“That, too,” she said. She took out her phone and began swiping the display.

“Call us and let us know what’s happening,” Mel said. “Since he’s Ray’s friend, you may want to call him and let him know what happened. You know Ray will freak out if he hears this from Angie.”

“I will and I’ll check on Scott and Stuart as well,” Tate said. “Listen, I want you two to go back to our room and stay there. I’m not sure why all of this is happening, and until we do, I think we all need to be on high alert.”

“Agreed,” Mel said.

“I have a theory. Want to hear it?” Angie asked as she glanced between them. Then she held up a finger for them to give her a minute.

Tate gave Mel a bewildered look, and she shrugged.

“Listen, I need to know if you’ve seen your girlfriend or had any contact with her over the past twenty-four hours.”

This time Mel gave Tate the bewildered look, and he shrugged. What was Angie up to?

“Yes, it is, too, my business,” Angie argued. “Someone has tried to kill us twice in the past twenty-four hours and my money is on your girlfriend.”

“Marty,” Tate and Mel said together.

“You don’t really think it’s Olivia, do you?” Mel asked Angie, who held the phone away from her ear while Marty was yelling.

“I always think it’s Olivia,” Angie said.

Although Mel could hear Marty squawking on the other end of the phone, she was glad she couldn’t make out the words. She suspected they were not flattering.

“Quit howling and answer the question,” Angie said. Then she blew out an outraged breath. “You kiss your mama with that mouth?”

Mel snatched the phone out of Angie’s hands.

“Hi, Marty, it’s Mel,” she said.

“Mel, do you have any idea what Angie just said?” he asked. “She actually thinks Olivia is up in Vegas, trying to kill you guys. That’s crazy, right? I mean I know you and Olivia had your differences but she’s changed since we hooked up. I swear.”

Mel hadn’t seen much difference over the past few months, but she didn’t want to burst Marty’s bubble, especially since he was in the middle of having to make a major life decision with Olivia. She didn’t think the bakery crew should influence his decision in any way.

“Yes, I know you believe she’s changed,” Mel said. “But you know how Angie gets, and in her defense, we were almost killed twice.”

At this, Angie raised her hands in exasperation. As if she couldn’t believe that Mel wasn’t going after Marty’s girlfriend as strongly as she thought she should.

“When you say you were almost killed, what do you mean exactly?” Marty asked.

Mel told him the events of the past two days. Marty grunted a couple of times but didn’t say anything until she finished.

“Well, I think it’s obvious who is trying to keep you from opening that bakery,” he said. “It’s got to be tied to the mob case your ex-boyfriend is prosecuting, especially since they have gone after you before.”

“But everyone who went after us has been locked up,” Mel said. “There is no way they could be after us here.”

“You really think these guys don’t have a reach beyond their prison cells?” he asked. “Please, these guys have rubber for arms and they never stop and they never forget. You need to call Joe and tell him what’s happening.”

A shiver rippled through Mel. “I have to go, Marty. Be careful at the shop just in case this is connected to Joe’s case against Frank Tucci. And by careful, I mean super freaky ultra paranoid careful. Got it?”

“Done,” Marty said. “And you do the same.”

“I will,” she said. “Be sure to tell Oz what’s happening, but maybe you could not mention it to my mother and just keep a close eye on her. I don’t want her to be scared for no reason.”

“You got it,” Marty said. “And I’ll have a talk with Olivia, you know, just to be sure.”

“Thanks, Marty.”

Mel ended the call and handed the phone back to Angie.

“He’s going to talk to her,” she said.

“Talk? That’s it?” she asked.

“What did you think he was going to do?”

“Take out a restraining order,” Angie said. “Handcuff her to something, oh wait, no, I don’t want to picture that. Oh, darn, too late.”

“Thanks,” Tate said. He made a bad face. “Now you’ve got it in my head, too.”

Mel went right to her happy place and pictured a pastry bag loaded with buttercream frosting swirling around the top of a freshly baked cupcake. There. No icky images in her head.

“No, Holly, this is completely unacceptable!” Billy said. His voice was raised not so much in anger as in fear, but still, he was loud and they all turned to see what was happening.

“It was just a coincidence,” Holly protested. “You can’t be serious. I won’t let you deny me visitation based on nothing but a couple of freak accidents.”

“Holly, think!” Billy snapped. “Both locations you looked at for a bakery had some seemingly random disaster happen. That is not a coincidence and I won’t let you put Sydney in danger.”

“But Daddy, I’m okay,” Sydney protested. She reached out and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Please don’t take me away from Mommy.”

There was a note of desperation in the little girl’s voice that made Mel’s heart clutch.

“I’m sorry, Sydney, but it isn’t safe,” Billy said. He took her out of Lisa’s arms and squeezed her tight. “That car . . . look . . . if anything happened to you . . . I . . .”

Holly bowed her head but not before Mel saw a tear streak down her face. She knew Billy was going to win this argument and there was nothing she could do about it.

“You have to deal with this, Holly,” Billy said. “For Sydney’s sake. I know you thought this crazed fan of yours would just go away, but it is clear that they won’t. They’ve now crossed a line into dangerous and scary. If you won’t file an order of protection, I will.”

“Against who?” Holly cried. “Don’t you think if I knew who was calling and hanging up all the time, messing with my dressing room, and sending me creepy gifts that I’d deal with it, but I don’t know who it is.”

“Are you two getting this?” Angie asked with wide eyes. Mel and Tate nodded. The three of them were standing in a knot as if having their own conversation when they were really blatantly eavesdropping on Holly and her people.

“Which is why it isn’t safe for Sydney to be with you until you do,” Billy said.

“No, Mommy, no!” Sydney let out a sob and Billy looked crushed.

“I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry,” he said. “But it’s for your own good, to keep you safe.”

Mel realized that every single time someone told her something was for her own good, she hated it. Whether it was Brussels sprouts or a trip to the dentist, it had never felt like it was good for anything. Seeing Sydney’s face, she knew the little girl felt the exact same way.

“We’ll take really good care of her, Holly, and we’ll figure out a way for you to be together safely,” Lisa said.

It was the first time she’d entered the conversation and Mel admired how understanding she was in what had to be an awkward situation, given her role as the second wife and stepmother.

Holly glanced from Lisa to the car planted in the shop like it was the aftermath of a Hollywood movie stunt. She stiffened her spine and turned to her ex and her little girl.

She wiped away the tears on her face and forced a smile. She hugged Sydney tight and whispered something in her ear just before she kissed her cheek. Then she stepped back and patted Billy on the shoulder.

“I know you’re just looking out for our girl and you’re right,” she said. “Until I know what’s going on, it isn’t safe.”

“Noooo!” Sydney protested. She looked anguished. Mel knew it had to be killing Holly to keep smiling and not cry anymore.

“Sweetie, it’s just for a few days. We’re going to find out why so many strange things are happening and then you and I will be together again,” Holly said. She looked at Billy for confirmation and he nodded.

“I’ll make sure you get to see her. We’ll find a safe place,” he said. His face darkened as he added, “And now might be a good time to get out of that gilded cage Byron has you in. I don’t trust him. He’s weird about you, he always has been.”

“I can’t talk about this right now, Billy,” Holly said. She looked as if she was barely keeping it together.

“Fine,” Billy said. “I’ll have Sydney call you tonight before bed.”

Sydney let out a wail and reached for her mother. Holly hugged her tight one last time. Mel felt her own eyes water up and she glanced at Tate and saw him surreptitiously wipe his cheek.

“Damn allergies,” he said. His voice sounded gruff. Angie slid her hand into his and he held it over his heart as if she could make the hurt stop.

But Mel knew nothing was going to stop the hurt, except finding the person who was terrorizing Holly. The only problem was they had no idea who or why.