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He heard Kostya sigh. “And the transfer?”
“I don’t know. But I’m thinking whoever was handed that paperwork would’ve had to have made the transfer. It was just Lainey’s unlucky day to do it. Kostya, she’s not part of the Kraken.”
Mateo could hear the desolation in his own voice, and apparently Kostya could, too.
“I believe you, Mateo. Linc is working the Ivan lead, and Brax says he’ll have something to report tomorrow about Amanda. I’ll need you here tomorrow night.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Xena whined as she nosed her way under Lainey’s arm.
“Not now, baby.”
The dog licked her hand.
“Xena, I just took you for a walk and you have food and water in your bowls. Mommy needs to be left alone, okay?” Her voice was rough and raspy from all the crying she had done over the past week. It had been easy for Mr. Pine to believe her when she said she was sick. But she hadn’t been lying. She really was sick. She never wanted to leave the comfort of her couch ever again.
Woof.
Woof.
Woof.
“No, Xena. No barking. I’m begging you.”
She’d been doing that every time Lainey’s phone would ring. She couldn’t turn it off in case it was work calling, but instead it was always Mateo Aranda calling.
She should just block him. She should.
“I should.”
She picked up her phone and watched as the last two rings stopped. The call clicked over to voicemail. She waited another minute, and then she saw Mateo text her. She didn’t read the text. It was bad enough that she still had a picture of him on her phone that came up every time he called or texted.
She’d called in sick all week. Penny offered to come over tonight, but she still needed the whole weekend to get herself together. Maybe she could shower tomorrow morning. Then on Sunday she could go to the grocery store, instead of just having ice cream delivered.
There was a knock at her door. It couldn’t be Mateo, since he’d just called and texted. Lainey looked down at her ratty Bettie Boop t-shirt and red heart leggings. She frowned. Why was she wearing leggings with hearts on them?
The doorbell rang.
Woof.
Woof.
Woof.
“Xena, be good. Go to your doggy bed,” Lainey said as she slowly hoisted herself off the couch. Xena stood in the middle of the living room looking at her and then turning and looking down the hall. “Go. Go to your doggy bed. I’ll see who’s at the door.”
The doorbell rang a second time, and Xena headed down the hall.
Lainey looked through her peephole and saw a blonde girl with a ponytail holding a big bouquet of flowers.
Lainey unlocked her door and opened it, leaving the security chain on. She saw the delivery girl was a little older than she originally thought. “I don’t want any flowers.”
“Okay, but I’ll need a signature saying you refused them,” the woman said.
Lainey looked at the oversized bouquet. It had daisies and sunflowers. She bit her lip and tried not to cry. She closed her door and thanked God she at least had a sleep bra on, then unhooked the chain and opened the door.
“Thanks, Miss Simpson. Can you hold them while I get my clipboard?”
