Assuming I could confirm her story with security, Angela had an alibi. At least I could cross someone off my list. Plus, the information about Professor Henry had piqued my interest.
Picking up the bag at my feet, I tucked my paycheck into the side pocket and gave Angela a sympathetic look. “I should let you get back to work. It’s getting late, and I have a ton of homework.”
Angela nodded. “Take care, Elle.”
The phone rang again, causing Angela’s features to fall. She picked up the receiver and took a deep breath while I quietly slipped from the room. I tapped my side to signal Loki to follow me as I made my way deeper into the building toward security.
John was seated in front of a row of monitors. The glow from the screens and a small desk lamp were the only lights inside the small office. Each monitor covered a section of the club and golf course. John sipped from a steaming cup of coffee and punched a button, switching the screens to another view.
He heard my footsteps and looked up, waving when I stopped in the doorway. “Hey, Elle. Picking up your check?”
“Yeah, I was just in Angela’s office. She has her plate full. She was going to come and talk to you, but the phone rang. I told her I’d come and check with you instead. She’s wondering if there were any other issues with the cameras like there were on the night of the party. I think she’s going to put in a work order and have an electrician come out.”
John shook his head and crossed both arms over his chest. “No. Everything’s working fine. I showed her what was happening before we lost power, but it’s been fine since. If she needs me to talk to the electrician, I’d be happy to.”
“All right, I’ll let her know. Thanks.” I started to back away when he called out my name.
“Hey, Elle, one other thing.” A smirk curled his mouth. “Tell that friend of yours there are cameras out by the receiving dock. She might want to know in case she gets the urge to make out with any more of the bartenders.”
I blinked in shock. “You mean Zoe? Did you catch her on camera with one of the bartenders? Was it Jake?”
“Yeah, the guy with the buzz cut. I tell you, that last event sure was a crazy night. Sorry you won’t be sticking around.”
I nodded absently and waved as he went back to check the monitors. Zoe had been making out with Jake by the receiving dock? She’d never said a word! The two of them acted as if they barely knew each other even though Zoe had been lusting after him since her first day on the job.
What was going on?
Making my way back outside, I walked around the side of the building, keeping to the glow of the overhead lights. My mind spun. First Caden with his mysterious past, and now Zoe was sneaking around. I glanced at Loki and balled my fists on my hips.
“Are you keeping secrets from me? I mean it. If you’re really a squirrel, you’d better tell me right now.”
Loki wagged his tail and barked out an answer. I scrubbed a hand through my hair and continued walking back to my car. Loki didn’t follow.
“Come on, boy—let’s go.”
A growl rumbled in Loki’s throat, and his back tensed. Something cold slithered down my spine. I scanned the dark parking lot. Someone was out there. The feeling of being watched raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
No one answered.
My throat tightened as I picked up my pace, seeing my car just up ahead. A footstep thumped against the pavement, and I whirled, trying to pinpoint the sound.
“Who’s there?”
The wind sailed over my skin, chilling me to the core. I slid the sleeve up on my jacket and placed my hand over my demon bracelet. Another footstep echoed in the near-empty lot, but whoever was there remained in the shadows.
Above my head, the lights flickered. One of the bulbs shattered, sending shards of glass to the ground. I stumbled into a parked car, setting off the alarm.
Loki’s barks joined the sound of the wailing siren. My boots crunched over the fallen glass as I lurched for my car, jabbing the “unlock” button with my thumb. I scrambled inside and turned on the headlights. The white beam caught a figure darting into the dark.
I slammed the locks and sucked in a lungful of air. Loki was perched on the passenger seat, growling at something beyond the windshield. Then, as suddenly as he’d started, he grew quiet. The rumble died in his throat, and he settled warily onto the seat.
“Are they gone?”
Without waiting for an answer, I threw the car into drive and stepped on the gas. As I turned toward the route leading back to the main road, I glanced in my rearview mirror.
A lone figure stood at the edge of the lot, watching until my car rounded the curve.
