Page 98 of Statler

Eliza cut him off, trying not to get angry that he was going to warn her away.

“No. Don’t say this is frivolous of me, or too dangerous. Please. This is my special place. I have to have this outlet, Statler, or I might go crazy.”

Not that she’d tell him this might be the last time she’d be here.

Statler sighed, backed away and sat down on a rock next to the one that held her painting materials. He patted the spot beside him.

“Please sit down,” he said. “We have to talk.”

That sounded ominous.

She edged herself onto the rock next to Statler, not touching him this time, but ready to listen.

“Shit,” he snapped, surprising the hell out of her.

Eliza jumped up. “What?”

“No. No. It’s not you,” he assured her, putting a hand on her arm to pull her back down.

His touch was her undoing. She found herself doing his bidding, lowering herself again, but this time moving closer despite the clipped expletive that had left his lips.

“I have to call Tonka before I fill you in on…things,” he told her seriously.

He removed the phone from his pocket and hit a button.

“Tonk? Yeah. You and Pipes can stand down. I found Eliza.”

There was a pause, and Eliza couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the line. But…stand down? What the hell did that mean?

“I’ll take care of her from here. You head back to the cottages and wait for my call. I’ll let you know how I’m going to proceed.”

There might have been another word or two from Tonka before Statler hung up, but again, Eliza didn’t know what any of it was all about.

“You want to explain?” she managed to strangle out.

She felt…confused. She loved having Statler show up here in her special place, especially at first, when he’d been joyful.

But now he wasn’t.

He’d also responded whole-heartedly to their kiss.

But then he’d backed off.

Now, he’d clearly told Tonka and Pipes to…what? Stop trying to find her? That he’d “take care of her”? What was that all about, and should she be worried?

He wasn’t giving off dangerous vibes. But as much as she’d initially thought his company was a good thing, she now wasn’t sure.

Add to that, the smaller detail that he was interrupting the one day—maybe the last here—that she had to paint, and he’d better start talking.

“You’re in danger,” he finally told her.

Eliza reared back. It’s not what she’d been expecting to come out of his mouth.

“Danger,” she repeated slowly, then shook her head. “Like what? And how would you know?”

“I’m… We’re…”

He let out a huge stream of air, picked up her hand and squeezed it. “My team and I are actually here undercover to investigate your father.”