Kade tried not to stare at his lunch date.
With her long, nearly black hair, bright blue eyes, and high cheekbones, Ginny was stunning. But that was only one reason he had to fight to keep from staring.
The story she’d told about her past was so odd, so contrary to the life he’d always known. Who lived like a nomad? Who didn’t collect more possessions than could be shoved in a full-sized van? What kind of strange people had raised this woman, and how had she grown to be so different from them?
She chose a fried clam, dipped it in tartar sauce, and popped it in her mouth. She didn’t seem rocked by the information she’d just given him, but he was. She’d recounted the events of her past matter-of-factly, but he’d seen the pain in her eyes.
Ginny seemed almost… haunted.
Not that there was anything wrong with moving around a lot. A family was a family wherever they lived. But there was something about what Ginny had said, and how she’d said it, that told Kade hers hadn’t been a real family. And, without at least the stability of a home, maybe extended family nearby, what must that have been like for her?
Ginny pointed a clam strip at him. “Tell me about your family.”
He shrugged. “Not much to tell. We always lived in Nutfield. I’m the baby.”
“So we have that in common. How many siblings?”
“Three. My sister, Andrea, is eight years older than I am. She lives in Salem, about forty-five minutes from here. She bought into a few businesses and a multi-level marketing business when she was in college. She’s a stay-at-home mom who fits in work between taking care of her kids and her husband and her house. Andrea’s the matriarch now that my folks are in Florida. She hosts all the family dinners and pretty much tells us boys what to do.”
“Sounds a little like Kathryn. Large and in charge.”
He chuckled “The next one, Rich, is six years older than I am. He’s an attorney at a law firm in Boston. He and his family live in Londonderry, which is about a half hour from here.”
“I’ve shown houses in Londonderry,” Ginny said. “Nice town. The orchards are beautiful.”
“And disappearing,” he said. “Even as a real estate developer, I see the loss when a centuries-old orchard is razed in favor of another strip mall.”
“I agree, but the town’s charm remains.” She nodded toward him. “And the next one?”
“Darren. I think you’ve met him. He’s in the Chamber of Commerce, too.”
“Right. I forgot he was your brother. He doesn’t come very often.”
“He’s busy, married. They have a little girl, Kinsie.”
“I think he’s shown me pictures of her.”
“Yeah, he’s a proud papa. Annoyingly so,” Kade added with a smile. “He owns a chain of gas stations between the coast and the mountains. He still lives in Nutfield, so I get to see him and his family.”
“It must be wonderful having such a big family. Are you all close?”
“Definitely. We’re busy with our own lives, of course. We always have a group chat going. Rarely a day goes by when we don’t communicate. Even if it’s just logistical stuff—who needs a babysitter when, who’s got some event the rest of us are invited to—that kind of thing. Lately, we’ve been trying to figure out what to get our parents for their anniversary. Andrea thinks we should send them on an Alaskan cruise.”
“Nice gift.”
“Yeah. They’re all really successful.”
She wagged her French fry at him. “You’re really successful, too. If you love your life, if you’re going after your dreams, you’re successful. Success isn’t measured by income.” Her cheeks turned a little pink. “I mean, I don’t know your income, of course. I’m just saying…”
“It’s fine.” That blush was enough to nearly tongue-tie him. “I know what you mean.”
“Good. It’s just… My sister’s four years older than I am, and I’m constantly comparing myself to her, as if I should be where she was at my age. Or worse, be where she is now.” She gave a little shrug. “Thing is, I’m not on the path she was. She got married at twenty-four. I’m not even…” She laughed. “Well, obviously I’m not close to marriage, since I’m on a first date.” Those cheeks went from pink to red, and her eyes widened. “I mean, if this is a date and not just two friends—”
“I hope it’s a date.” He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “If not, I put on cologne for nothing.”
She giggled and dipped her chin, then looked up from beneath her lashes.
Wow, she was adorable when she blushed.
They finished lunch while Kade entertained her with stories of the antics he and his brothers had gotten into when they were kids. The more she laughed, the crazier the stories he told. Anything to keep that smile on her face.
Back in the car, he pulled out of the parking lot toward the coast. “I wish we could spend the rest of the day together. Unfortunately, I have work to do this weekend, assuming I can get on the agenda for the zoning board meeting next week.”
“From what you’ve shared in the club, the development sounds like it’ll be great for the town. Do you think the zoning board will go for it?”
“No reason for them not to. I own the land, and I have the right to develop it. It’s zoned residential, so I need permission to add the golf course and clubhouse, but there’s no reason for them to deny me.”
“But from what you’ve said, the town manager—”
“Bruce Collier.”
“Right. Collier’s against it. Do you think he can block it?”
“If Sokolov comes through with the funding and I get on the agenda, I’m pretty sure the council will approve it.”
“Sokolov? That guy from last night.”
He glanced long enough to see her eyes narrow.
“I didn’t realize you knew him,” she said.
“We met after he bumped into you. He’d overheard me talking…” Kade filled her in on what happened.
“Huh.”
“You don’t sound very hopeful,” he said.
“It’s not that. It’s just… That guy gave me the creeps.”
He chuckled. “Well, he practically tackled you. That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” But she didn’t seem convinced.
“If Sokolov doesn’t come through, then I’ll ask my family to invest.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t done that already.”
He glanced at her. “I’m trying to do it on my own. I mean, the land was a gift from my parents. My parents gave all of us an allotment of our inheritance when we graduated from college.”
“Along with a Mercedes?”
“They’re generous.” He knew he sounded like a spoiled rich kid, but he wasn’t. Not spoiled, anyway. None of his family were spoiled because their parents had raised them to work. “My siblings all achieved their goals without needing help. I want to do the same.”
“Don’t you consider it an investment? It’s not exactly help.”
He shrugged. “I’d rather do it myself.”
“If it makes them money…”
“I know. You’re right, of course.” His siblings had all offered to invest, but Kade figured they’d offered not because they thought they’d make money but because they didn’t think he could do it on his own. He desperately wanted to prove to them all that he could.
He and his siblings were close, but they competed mercilessly. His dad had fostered that with games to see who was the fastest runner, who made the best grades, who could win at Monopoly. Even chores had had an element of competition. Who could stack the most wood? Who could shovel the most snow? Dad had taught them about the cutthroat world, and they’d learned well. As close as they were, there was always the undercurrent of competition.
And Kade always came up short.
“I hesitate to mention this,” Ginny said, “since you’re opposed to getting help, but I used to work for a real estate developer.”
He’d take Ginny’s help all day long if it gave him an excuse to spend time with her. “What did you do?”
“I interned there in college, then worked for them once I graduated. I started in the front office doing mostly clerical work, but by the time I moved here, I was managing projects.”
“No kidding? So you probably know more about what I’m doing than I do.”
“Not even close. Every project is unique. That being said, the guy who owned the business was a former airline pilot, and he drafted these meticulous checklists for every stage of the project. I guess pilots use a lot of checklists.”
“That’s definitely not a profession where you want details to slip through the cracks.”
“True. He didn’t trust computers, so he had the checklists printed in binders.”
“Binders? How long are these checklists?”
He chanced a glance, and she was smiling. “Long. Pages and pages long, but they include lots of descriptions and different variations in projects. I’m pretty sure there’s one for the kind of thing you’re developing. Anyway, I brought a few with me. I’d be happy to share one.”
“That’d be wonderful. Thank you.”
“Sure.”
“Did you keep them because you think you want to develop real estate someday?”
“Who knows what the future holds?”
He thought of the woman beside him. Until this morning, his future had held the promise of a real estate development and little else. But today… Maybe God had more for him than he’d dared hope.
Kade pulled into Ginny’s driveway and parked.
“It might take me a few minutes to find that binder for you,” Ginny said. “I can take it to the meeting with me next week, or, if you don’t mind waiting…”
“I’d be happy to wait.” Anything to extend his time with her, and he was eager to see the binder. He was organized, but this was his first major project, and details were bound to be overlooked.
He opened her car door and held out his hand, slightly less surprised by the zing of desire when she slipped hers into it. The first time he’d touched her, he’d been nearly rendered speechless.
She stood and led the way inside and to the kitchen. She froze at the door.
“Everything okay?” But when he looked past her, he saw what had surprised her.
The pantry door was open.
He remembered her shutting it. It had stuck, and she’d pushed her weight into it.
The door had been closed when they’d left. He was certain.
Adrenaline flooded his veins.
Ginny turned to him, her face pale. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open. “I swear I closed that.”
“You did.” He took her hand and tugged. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“I want you to go—”
“No. We must be remembering wrong.” But the look in her eyes told him she didn’t believe that any more than he did.
He wasn’t going to stand there and argue. He wrapped his arm around her and all but dragged her toward the front door.
Though she plodded along beside him, she said, “Kade, this is my house. I’m not going—”
“Yes, you are.” He led her outside and toward the car. He dug in his pocket, snatched his keys, and unlocked his car. “Get in the car, lock the doors, and call 911.”
Her eyes widened. She didn’t move. “I’m not leaving my house.”
“Don’t make me carry you, Ginny Lamont.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He placed his hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. “I just want to make sure it’s safe. Is that so bad, for someone to protect you?”
“I don’t…” She blinked, swallowed. Her gaze flicked to the house, then back to his. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Humor me. If you don’t want to call 911, then don’t. But get in the car and lock the doors. Right now.” He added, “Okay?” as if it were a request, but he would protect her if he had to toss her over his shoulder and carry her down the street.
The sun shone, the birds twittered overhead. But suddenly, the world felt very dark and uncertain.
“If you insist.” Though she tried to sound flippant, he could see the terror on her features. He hoped his face didn’t look like that. He wanted to at least appear fearless, even if he didn’t feel it.
He opened the car door and, when she was settled in the driver’s seat, handed her the keys. “Be prepared to drive away if you need to. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine.” He added that last part with as much confidence as he could. She was probably right, and the house was probably safe. But there were no guarantees, and though he didn’t have the finely tuned instincts of a soldier or a spy, something had felt wrong.
After meeting her eyes one last time, he ran back inside.
Silently, he searched the downstairs, one room at a time. The office was empty, as was the living room. He even checked behind the sofa, just in case. He walked through the dining area into the kitchen. Of course, it and the pantry were empty. He opened the door off the hallway that led to the basement but decided to check it last. After a quick look in the downstairs bath and the coat closet, he climbed to the second floor.
If he weren’t conducting a search for an intruder, he’d feel like he was the intruder. In the first room on the right, he found a couple of boxes, probably filled with things she hadn’t unpacked, since her house was in a state of reconstruction. The closet was empty. The next bedroom had a long table covered with knick-knacks and photos and other decorative stuff. There were a few packages of things she’d bought but hadn’t opened yet. Again, the closet was empty.
Stuff was scattered all over the bathroom. Makeup, hair dryer, a straightener like he’d seen his sister use, a hairbrush. A towel had been haphazardly bunched onto the rack. She’d probably be mortified he’d seen the mess. Under different circumstances, he’d find it amusing. He approached the shower and yanked back the curtain. The tub was empty.
One more room. He opened the last door upstairs and stepped into Ginny’s bedroom. She’d told him she’d painted this room, but she’d done much more than that. The walls were a light blue, which coordinated perfectly with the comforter, pillows, and curtains. Every surface was decorated artfully. The room smelled sweet—vanilla, he thought, though he had no idea where the scent originated. He walked to the far side of the queen-sized bed and then checked underneath it. No bogeyman jumped out. He opened the closet and found it filled with Ginny’s clothes hanging from the rack and piled on the floor.
Now that he was sure the house was empty, his heart rate slowed.
Ginny was a bit of a slob, but otherwise, everything seemed in order.
Downstairs, he heard a bang, then the pounding of feet.
His heart nearly came to his throat. He bolted toward the hallway. “Ginny!” Had she come in? What was happening?
He rushed down the stairs, hanging onto the railing and barely keeping his feet. He looked out the front door to his car, only to see her in the driver’s seat. She waved and opened her door.
He pushed the screen and shouted, “Stay in the car. Lock the doors. And call the police!” He ran through the house to the back door, which was wide open.
It had definitely been closed before.
Her backyard was wide, the grass bright green after the long, cold winter. On the far side, a black wrought iron fence separated her property from the neighbor’s.
He walked outside slowly, looking around, prepared for a fight. The doors of the detached garage were closed. Whoever had been in her house would surely have run, not hidden. Though the intruder had stayed longer than Kade would have guessed. Why hadn’t he left when Kade and Ginny were outside?
Kade studied the grass, and sure enough, it was pressed down in places.
The intruder had escaped.
If Kade had called the police, they might have caught him.
If Kade had searched the basement first, he’d have caught him. And then what would he have done? He was no weakling, but working out in the gym wasn’t exactly hand-to-hand combat training.
And then the worst scenario had his stomach dropping. What if he’d let Ginny come in the house by herself? What if she’d been alone?
He looked all around the outside of the garage, then went in its side door and found it filled with furniture but no bad guys. Back outside, he approached the bulkhead that led to the basement.
It was padlocked, which explained why the intruder had been forced to return to the first floor to get out of the house.
Back inside, he climbed down to the basement. With every step, his heart rate kicked up a notch. It was dark and dreary and inhospitable. The floor was concrete and swept, but the space was dirty and dank and smelled of years of moisture.
Wisely, Ginny hadn’t stored anything down here. It was empty except for the washer and dryer.
Convinced the house was safe, Kade climbed to the first floor and went out front. He approached the driver’s side of his car while Ginny stepped out.
“All clear?” The words were bright and cheerful, but he saw the fear behind them.
“Did you call the police?”
She shook her head, her gaze not quite meeting his.
“Why not?”
She shrugged.
What did that mean? “Let’s go inside and talk.”
He held out his hand, and she took it. But holding her hand wouldn’t be enough, not right now. He pulled her into an embrace.
She hugged him back, then stepped away, a question in her eyes.
“I’m so thankful you’re safe.” He took her hand again. “Come on.”
Inside, she led them to the living room and sat on the sofa. He sat beside her, keeping her hand in his.
“There was somebody in the basement.”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her fingertips. “Are you kidding? I’m sorry. I should’ve… You could have been hurt.”
“You could have been hurt.”
“Oh.” As if it had just occurred to her, which only irritated him.
He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart. He had to think clearly now.
“Did you see him?” she asked. “What did he look like?”
He recounted the events while she listened silently.
“Maybe it was just a burglar,” he said. “Except… it didn’t look like anything had been disturbed. Maybe he’d just gotten here.”
“That would make sense.” The fear in her eyes told him she didn’t believe it.
And he didn’t either. “No, it wouldn’t, unless he broke in because he was hungry. A burglar would start with the expensive things, not the pantry.”
She glanced at the flat-screen TV hanging on the wall, then stood and walked into the dining room. “My laptop is here.”
He followed and stood beside her. “Probably not a burglar, then.”
“Maybe it was somebody who was hungry,” she said. “A homeless person.”
“This isn’t San Francisco. How many homeless people have you seen in Nutfield?”
She said nothing as she walked into the kitchen. When she reached for the pantry door, he said, “Don’t touch. There might be fingerprints.”
She crossed her arms and wandered from room to room, eventually leading him upstairs. He probably should have waited in the living room, but even now, even knowing the house was safe, he couldn’t leave her side.
She glanced in each bedroom. When she got to the bathroom, she looked at him with a sheepish grin. “Now you know my secret.”
“You’re a slob.”
She smiled, though it was slight. “Not a slob. Just not… compulsively neat. And I was late, so I didn’t have time to clean.”
“Otherwise you would have?”
Her smile got a little wider. “Probably.” She shrugged. “Maybe.”
He chuckled as he followed her to her bedroom. At her bureau, she reached for a jewelry box.
He clasped her hand in his before she touched it. “Fingerprints, remember?”
She glanced around the space, then at him. “I’m not going to call the police.”
“What? You have to.”
She pulled her hand from his and rifled through the jewelry box. “Everything is here.”
“You have to call the police.”
She ignored him and wandered to the closet, where she studied the contents, focusing on the shelf above her clothes.
“He was in here.”
He followed her gaze. There were plastic containers of various colors on the shelf. “How can you tell?”
She pointed. “He put them back in the wrong order. The purple one goes on the end. The red one is next then the orange and yellow.”
“You have an order for that, but…” He indicated the clothes on the floor and lifted his eyebrows.
“I’m just saying, he was here. Will you grab them so I can see if anything’s missing?”
When he hesitated, she stretched on her toes and reached for the purple one. She was just tall enough to reach the bottom and inch it out. When it cleared the shelf, it would probably land on her head.
Stubborn woman. He took down the boxes and set them on her bed. They were lightweight, about the size of shoeboxes.
She opened the first, dug around a bit, then did the same with the rest. Though he didn’t look too closely, he saw photographs, some costume jewelry, a few trinkets.
“Nothing’s missing. They’re a little… wrong. I think he looked through them, but as far as I can tell, he didn’t take anything.”
“What was he looking for?”
She touched the pendant that hung from her neck and turned toward her bureau. Over her shoulder, she said, “Could you just…?” She gestured toward the door. “I want to see if he went through my personal things.”
Kade stepped into the hallway and hoped she wouldn’t discover that even her intimates had been disturbed.
She stepped out a moment later and started down the stairs.
He followed. “Well?”
“No stone unturned.”
His stomach tightened. “It’s such a violation.”
She sat on the sofa and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
Her eyes were still wide, avoiding eye contact, and her lips were turned down at the corners and closed tightly, as if she were trying to hold something inside.
“What are you thinking?”
She shook her head and swallowed. “It’s probably not related.”
“At this point, I think we need to assume everything’s related.”
She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “Kathryn warned me that someone followed me here, that someone’s after me. She told me to run.”
Kade waited for Ginny to explain, but she said nothing else.
He finally said, “Who? Who is after you?”
She shrugged.
“What do they want?”
When she said nothing, he stood and paced. “You don’t know who’s after you or what they want? Come on, Ginny. You have to have some idea of what’s—”
“I don’t, okay?” She stood and crossed her arms. “I have no idea what’s going on. I never knew… anything about anything. Kathryn thinks I’m a liar or an idiot. Since I truly don’t know, I must be an idiot.” She ran both hands through her long hair, then blew out a long breath. “It’s not your problem.”
“No you don’t.” His voice was louder than he’d intended. He lowered it but kept the vehemence there. “You don’t get to just… just blow me off when you’re obviously in danger. Somebody was in your house. Do you get that? If I hadn’t been here—”
“I get it, okay? I’m not really an idiot.” She threw her hands in the air as if she’d never been more frustrated. “Scratch that. Kathryn thought I was an idiot. You obviously think so.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.” He took a deep breath, then another, trying to calm himself. Carefully, he returned to his place on the sofa and sat.
She glared down at him, and he held out his hand. “Please, sit with me.”
She ignored the hand and sat, arms crossed once again. She gazed past him, staring at nothing. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pinched tight. Everything about her had shuttered in the last two minutes because he couldn’t control his temper.
“I’m sorry, Ginny. I’m not angry with you. It’s just very hard to believe.”
“I know.” Her gaze flicked to him. “I don’t really know anything.”
She didn’t really know anything. Which meant she knew something.
“Tell me what Kathryn said.”
Ginny looked toward the ceiling. “She said she was running, and that I should run too. Change my name, get a new ID, not tell anyone where I was going. She said I wasn’t safe here, that my being here has brought them.”
“Who’s them?”
“Kathryn said she saw someone at Dad’s funeral. But I don’t understand… Mom and Dad were business owners in San Francisco. Their work was legitimate… I mean, I had thought it was, but then…”
Her arms were still crossed as if she were holding herself together. Kade touched her shoulder. “Then what?”
“It’s all so convoluted. I don’t understand it, and telling you what I know isn’t going to help anything.”
He snatched his hand back. “I see.” She clearly had no faith that he could help. Fine, then. He’d leave her alone—if he thought she was safe. But he didn’t think she was safe, so she was stuck with him.
Her eyes filled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that… I don’t need to drag you into my nightmare. It’s my problem. You don’t need to make it yours.”
“I’m in it now, Ginny.”
Her heavy sigh told him what she thought of that. “You don’t have to be. I appreciate you going through the house, but whoever it was is gone for now.”
“Fine. I’ll leave, but not until we call the police.”
“We can’t. I can’t do that.”
“You have to. Someone was—”
“I know. But the police are…” She slapped her hand over her mouth as if she’d been about to say a bad word.
“The police are what?”
“I can’t believe I almost said that. The past is creeping in on me.” She lowered her head into her hands. “I’m so stupid.” The words were muffled against her fingers.
“What are you talking about?”
Her shoulders shook, and she kept her head tucked where he couldn’t see her tears. But he knew they were there. He was a jerk. She’d just had someone pawing through her things, and Kade was only making it worse.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I just want you to be safe.”
She leaned against his chest, her face hidden behind her hands. She felt so small and soft and vulnerable, tucked there against him. He had the urge to lift her and set her across his lap the way his father used to hold Andrea when she cried. Fortunately, Kade knew better than to give in to that particular urge.
Finally, her tears subsided. She stood and crossed to the bathroom, then walked back, dabbing her tears with a tissue. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I thought my sister was lying or exaggerating or… I don’t know. I didn’t realize…” She gestured to the room vaguely. The tears and tissue had removed most of her makeup, and despite the blotchy skin and red-rimmed eyes, she was still beautiful.
Beautiful and exceedingly frustrating.
“Here’s the deal,” he said. “You need to either tell me what’s going on, or I’m calling the police to report what happened here.”
She met his gaze briefly before focusing back on her lap. “Okay. That’s fair.” She swallowed, seemed to be working to meet his eyes. “I honestly don’t know anything about this. Just what Kathryn told me and what happened today. My parents were drifters. Every place we lived before Reno, we skipped out in the middle of the night. That’s why there was no moving truck or taking anything beyond what we could fit in the van. I knew we lived differently than other people, but I never understood what it meant. As I got older, I assumed they were skipping out on rent, but I think it was worse than that. In Reno, things started to change. They made more money and were settled for a while. I mean, a long time for us—nearly an entire school year. We left there on good terms—we even had a U-Haul trailer with some of our things in it. We moved to San Francisco, and my parents bought a condo. They bought it—in San Francisco. When we’d been living in dumpy rent houses since we’d left New Orleans. Suddenly, my parents had the money to start a business. They opened a restaurant, then another one. Things were better. I didn’t know why and I didn’t care. I was happy to have settled down. I made friends. I went out for the soccer team.”
He smiled at that. “Were you good?”
“I was terrible, but they let me on the team anyway. Said I had a lot of team spirit.”
“I can see that.”
Her smile was short-lived. “I wasn’t paying attention to what they were doing. Does that make sense? They were my parents, and I was just so happy that things were… Well, things were never normal at my house, but I liked my school, I liked my new friends. I liked our home. A real home, not a dumpy rental with crappy furniture that smelled like other people’s cats. Can you understand that?”
“You were a kid.”
“So maybe I stuck my head in the sand. So what? I had enough to worry about with school and friends and… and all the stuff that goes along with being a teenager without worrying about where my parents were getting the money.” She squared her shoulders as if she expected him to argue with her. “I trusted them. They were my parents. Even with all their faults, I trusted them.”
“Of course you did. Why wouldn’t you have?”
Her shoulders drooped, and the challenge emptied a balloon with a leak. “Because I should have known. I should have known Mom and Dad would never live life on the up-and-up.”
“What were they doing?”
She shrugged. “Something much bigger than the nickel-and-dime stuff they’d done before San Francisco. Not that I know much about that, either, but, in retrospect, I think they were con artists.”
“You think they moved on to bigger and better things?”
“Bigger, anyway, yeah.”
“You don’t know what?”
Her head shook slowly. “I have no idea. I never paid attention. Maybe I never wanted to know.”
“Why would people be after you?”
Her eye contact slipped, and she shifted slightly away from him. “I don’t know.”
Except something in her body language told him that wasn’t entirely true.
“No guesses?”
She stood and paced. “Maybe if I knew what my parents had been doing…”
“Your mom is still in California?”
She shrugged as if she weren’t sure. What would that be like, to not know where your own mother was? “I haven’t heard from her.” And obviously Ginny hadn’t called her—or if she had, she hadn’t reached her. “I don’t want to get her into trouble. I don’t want to be the reason anybody looks into her.”
“Is that why you’re reluctant to call the police? What were you about to say earlier…?”
“‘The police are dangerous. Never tell them anything.’ It’s a mantra our parents repeated many times.”
Wow. What kind of parents…? Ginny was in serious danger, and she was afraid to go to the authorities because of her parents’ twisted desire to protect themselves and their illegal activities.
“I understand you’re worried about your mother, but right now, your first concern is yourself. You need to call the police.”
“And tell them what?”
“Everything you just told me.”
She was shaking her head. “I can’t do that. If my mother goes to prison… I mean, it could happen. But I can’t be the cause of it. Even Kathryn never did that, and she’s hardly seen or spoken to Mom in years.”
He looked down at his own hands, clasped in his lap. The frustration showed in the way his skin pulled taut over his knuckles. He focused on relaxing before he faced her again. “Then at least report the break-in. You don’t have to tell them the rest.”
She held his gaze while she considered it. Finally, she nodded. “Fine. I’ll call them.”