Sheldon looks up from staring into his Mount Gay and tonic to find Ollie watching him. “What’s wrong?”
“You’ve been studying your drink for fifteen minutes without taking a single sip.”
Sheldon shudders. “I can’t shake the feeling something bad is about to go down at Love-Struck. I should be there when it happens.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” Ollie snaps. “You haven’t yet recovered from the last beating. Trust the professionals to handle it.”
“I do trust the professionals. But it’s not the same. Their family isn’t in danger.”
Ollie’s arm shoots out, her finger pointed toward Love-Struck. “Then go. If they mean more to you than Henry and me.” She gets to her feet. “I’m going to put the baby down.”
“Are you coming back?” he asks, craning his neck to glimpse her retreating form.
She responds by slamming the kitchen door.
A pang of guilt grips his chest. He hates upsetting her, but he can’t help feeling an allegiance to his father and sister. If they need him, he should be there.
He checks his phone, but there’s no word from Casey. He hasn’t heard from her since yesterday evening. She’s understandably upset with Daniel for being so blind about Hugh. Sheldon only hopes their father’s preferential treatment to his oldest son doesn’t drive Casey away.
Five minutes later, Sheldon’s still sitting on the porch, staring into the dark night, when Gray’s pickup truck speeds down the driveway and screeches to a halt beside the porch. The driver’s window rolls down and Gray calls out, “Miranda called. She’s over at Love-Struck. She’s in trouble. I’m going to check on her. Will you come with me?”
Sheldon jumps up and hurries outside to Gray’s truck. “Did she say what kind of trouble?”
Gray shakes his head. “I could barely understand her. She was talking in a soft voice and her words were really slurred. She’s sick or something. I offered to call 9-1-1, but she refused. Apparently, Hugh isn’t answering his phone.”
Sheldon considers his options. Ollie will be furious if she finds out he went next door. He should report the incident to Kathy and Evan and let them handle it. But he would hate to bother them if nothing is seriously wrong. Where’s the harm in checking on Miranda? This is the excuse he’s been looking for. Confirming that everything is in order at Love-Struck will give Sheldon peace of mind, enabling him to sleep tonight.
He slaps the hood of Gray’s truck. “Kill the engine. Let’s go on foot. I’ll get some flashlights.”
He retrieves his keys off the kitchen counter and two flashlights from the junk drawer, and the two men set off through the wooded trails toward Love-Struck.
From behind him, Gray whispers loudly, “Hey, man. Why are we sneaking around in the dark? What aren’t you telling me?”
Over his shoulder, Sheldon says, “I can’t explain now. You’ll have to trust me.”
As they draw near the winery, he sees his family having dinner on the terrace at Vino Bistro. “There’s Hugh, but I don’t see Miranda. Maybe she went to the restroom.”
“I’m telling you, man, she’s in no condition to go to a dinner party.”
“Then she must be in Hugh’s room at The Nest,” Sheldon says, and motions Gray on.
They sneak around the rose garden and up the hill to the children’s wing. The main door is locked, but Sheldon has a master key that fits all the exterior door locks. They slip inside the children’s wing and listen for the sound of voices, but all they hear is the loud hum of an air-conditioning unit on the brink of dying. Down the hall, they discover Hugh’s bedroom door locked.
Sheldon inspects the knob. “This is new since I was last here. We’ll have to bust it down. Stand back.” Sheldon kicks open the door, and they barge into the empty room. “She’s not here.”
Stepping back out into the hall, Gray says, “She’s gotta be somewhere.”
“Let’s try the game room.” With Gray on his heels, Sheldon runs to the end of the hall.
On the coffee table is a small mirror with white lines of powder and a rolled-up paper bill. Miranda, her clothing soaked with vomit, is passed out on the floor between the coffee table and the sofa.
Gray moves the table out of the way and drops to his knees beside her, two fingers pressing against her throat. “Her pulse is weak, but she’s still alive. I’ll call for a rescue squad.” He pulls his phone out and punches in 9-1-1.
“Make sure they send the police as well. I’ll go outside and wait for them.”
Sheldon calls Casey on his way out to the courtyard. When she doesn’t answer, he tries two more times until she does. “We have a problem. Can you step away from the table?”
“Give me a sec.” A rustling sound follows, and she’s back on the phone. “What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I’m at The Nest. Miranda appears to have overdosed. Gray is calling an ambulance and the police. They’ll be passing by the bistro any minute.”
“Great!” Casey says in a sarcastic tone. “With sirens blaring and lights flashing to scare away our customers. When will this ever end?”
“Tonight, Casey. This ends tonight. I’m going to insist the police search Hugh’s room.”
“All right. Let me talk to Kathy. She’ll know how to handle the situation.”
Sheldon has no sooner ended the call when a black Prius speeds down the road and slams on brakes in front of Sheldon. The two dark-skinned men who broke Sheldon’s ribs jump out of the car. He reaches for his holstered handgun at the small of his back, then remembers he put it in the lock box when he showered after work.
“Hold your hands up where we can see them,” the bald guy demands.
Tattoo Face says, “I thought we warned you to stay away. You obviously didn’t learn your lesson.”
Sheldon, with his hands in the air, says, “I have a right to be here. My father lives in this house. This is my family’s home.”
“Where’s Hugh?” Tattoo Face asks.
“I have no clue. But his girlfriend is inside. She overdosed. First responders are on the way. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave. And fast. Shit’s about to go down.”
“You’re lying.” Baldie pins Sheldon against the Prius, holding a switchblade at his neck.
Sheldon’s life flashes before his eyes. This jackass will slit his throat, and he’ll bleed out right here in the driveway. Ollie will become a widow and Henry fatherless. If only he’d listened to her and stayed at home, where he was safe.
“Freeze!” Two pistol-yielding men appear from around the corner of the children’s wing, one wearing jeans and an apron and the other dressed like a server in black pants and a white shirt.
Tattoo Face pulls a gun out and trains it on them. “Beat it, whoever you are! This has nothing to do with you.”
The guy wearing jeans flashes a badge. “We’re undercover DEA agents. Put your weapons down now. There’s no way out. An army of officers will descend upon you any minute.”
Tattoo Face and Baldie drop their weapons, and Sheldon doubles over, gulping in air. He narrowly escaped death this time. He’s had enough of living on the edge.