with her cat and were now proving they could get even closer.
She stared at the door. There was a security chain but it seemed so flimsy now, like popcorn strung on a piece of string for a Christmas tree. After setting the pictures on their side, she dragged the hall table in front of the door. Still, she felt too anxious to go back to bed. She fell onto the couch in the living room and pulled a throw blanket over her. The dull light of dawn was seeping through the windows when she finally drifted off to sleep.
She woke feeling achy, with the back of her throat raw. I can’t get sick right now, she told herself. Scenes from the previous night flooded her brain. For a few moments she wondered if the ringing doorbell had been just a dream. She lifted Smokey from his perch on top of her feet and stumbled toward the front door. The hall table jammed against the front door told her she hadn’t been dreaming.
She dragged the table back to where it belonged and opened the door, with the chain still in place. She could see her New York Times lying on the mat. After taking the chain off, she opened the door more fully and checked the hall. It was empty.
As she was scooping up the paper, she heard the locks being unbolted on the door catty-corner from hers, the apartment belonging to the Tammens. From what she knew, the wife and kids were out in the Hamptons for all of August, and the father, Stan, was commuting out on weekends. It was Stan who stepped out in the hallway now, stifling a yawn.
“Morning,” he said. “You guys aren’t on vacation this month?”
“No, not this year. Listen, I’m a little concerned about something that happened last night.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Someone rang my doorbell around two this morning. And when I called out, the person just left. I didn’t see who it was.”
Stan scrunched his mouth and slowly shook his head.
“Can’t help you with that one,” he said. “I mean, I was here, but I didn’t hear or see anything.”
After closing her door, she popped three ibuprofen and gargled with salt water. Then she made coffee and forced herself to eat a bowl of yogurt. She hadn’t eaten right in nearly a week.
Staring out her kitchen window, as the summer air shimmered around the gray and red brick apartment buildings to the north, she thought of the day ahead. Her plan was to stay home and scramble to finish the presentation—until it was time to meet Kit Archer. It was a relief not to have to go into the clinic today—and wonder if the killer was watching her every move. But she needed to call in, at least. Levin was waiting for an answer about when she’d give the presentation. At eight-thirty she picked up the phone, knowing that most people would be in by now.
She asked the receptionist for Steve first, hoping that he’d somehow managed to buy her more time.
“I’m sorry, I tried,” he said when she reached him. “But Tom seems to be on a tear right now and thinks we need to see the plan ASAP.”
“No problem,” she said, not wanting to give even a hint she was agitated. “I’ll set up an appointment for the presentation.”
“I hope you don’t feel like he’s bullying you. I think this murder has him really on edge.”
Because he might have been the one who orchestrated the whole thing, she thought to herself.
“I’m sure he’s worried about all the police scrutiny,” Lake said. She waited, wondering if Steve would mention the keys.
“Of course. We all are,” he said, sounding suddenly distracted. “Wait—before I let you go, I’ve got a proposition for you. Ever since last week, I’ve felt things have been a little awkward between us. I’m really sorry about that situation with the police. Sonia would strangle me if she knew I upset you.”
“Why don’t we let it go, Steve,” she said, bristling at the memory. “It seems the police accepted my explanation.”
“Okay, but here’s my proposition: Hilary and I would love you to come by for a drink tonight. You haven’t seen our place since we redid it—and you haven’t seen Matthew since he was a baby.”
“Tonight’s not good,” she said, almost too quickly.
“How about tomorrow night?”
“Um…okay, sure.” There would be no way to put him off indefinitely without him sensing something was wrong.