all that got to do with you?’ Glen asked.
‘Nothing,’ said Talia exclaimed. ‘I don’t want anything to do with it. But she’s got it into her head that it’s some guy . . .’
‘What guy? That’s kind of vague.’
‘I don’t know. But she wanted me to hack into his bank records. As if I would do that. I could lose my position.’
‘Really?’ said Glen, frowning. ‘This sounds serious. Who was it?’
Talia sighed. ‘I don’t know. Somebody Faith knows.’
‘Faith, your assistant?’
‘Yes. Some doctor. Now leave me alone.’
‘I think I’ll call Shelby and invite her over,’ said Glen. ‘I want to hear about this.’
‘Glen, I told you, there’s not even enough food for you.’
‘Maybe I’ll pay her a visit.’
‘Why don’t you go stay at her place? She’s got room,’ Talia said.
‘Oh, come on now,’ said Glen, mischievously. ‘You’d miss me.’
‘No, I wouldn’t,’ said Talia.
‘You don’t remember who it was? Who Shelby was tracking?’
‘No. I wasn’t paying attention. I have to go check on Mother. And stop eating that cake.’
Talia left the kitchen. Glen sat at the counter, thinking. He walked over to the wall phone and picked up the receiver. Thumbtacked to the wall beside it was a list of numbers. Shelby’s home number and her cell were listed. Glen tried them both. There was no answer. Both went directly to voice mail.
‘Shelby,’ he said. ‘It’s Glen. I’m at Estelle’s house. Give me a call. I’m . . . Just give me a call.’
He hung up and sat back down at the counter. He broke off another piece of the cake and chewed it meditatively. Then he went back to the phone and ran his finger down the list of numbers. Talia’s assistant’s number was listed there. He thought about calling her, but then decided it would be too hard to explain who he was, and what he wanted to know.
Better to wait for Shelby to call back. He couldn’t help feeling a little proud of himself. He was the one who suggested that maybe there was some kind of conspiracy around Chloe’s death. Even though she had dismissed him at the time, Shelby had obviously paid attention to what he said. Come around to his way of thinking, so to speak. Not that he was going to rub it in that he’d been right. But what was that old saying – sometimes even paranoid people do have enemies? She was seeing it his way now.
Shelby awoke lying on her back, with a bright light in her face, and no idea where she was. Everything was a blank. She tried to move her arms, and realized that she was immobilized on some sort of table. And then she remembered. Harris Janssen. He had given her a shot that knocked her out. She had no idea how long she had been out. Or where he had taken her. She tried to let out a cry, but there was a handkerchief across her mouth, which was tied behind her head. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurry vision, and turned her head to the side. She was looking at a beige wall, on which hung a framed painting of a seashore scene in pastel colors.
Shelby struggled, but could not move. She turned her head to the other side and saw a counter and cabinets. On the countertop were syringes, test tube racks, and a blood-pressure cuff hooked on a metal stand.
‘Oh, you’re awake,’ he said. He came and stood beside the table, looming over her. He was not wearing a lab coat, but simply weekend casual clothes. He met her gaze apologetically.
‘Please believe me, Shelby,’ Harris said. ‘I never meant for any of this to happen.’
Shelby tried to speak behind her gag, but it was no use. All that came out were noises and grunts.
‘Turn your head,’ Harris said.
Frowning, Shelby did as she was told. Harris untied the gag and gently pulled it loose from Shelby’s mouth.
Shelby began to scream. Or at least, she tried to scream. What came out was a hoarse, strangled cry.
‘Don’t. Don’t bother with that,’ said Harris. ‘We’re all alone here. Nobody’s going to hear you.’
Shelby tried to lick her lips with her tongue, although her tongue felt swollen, and too dry to moisten her cracked lips. Harris frowned. Then he disappeared from her field of vision, and she heard water running. In a moment, he returned, and dabbed her lips with a swab that looked like a large Q-tip.
She started to thank him, and then realized how ridiculous