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The vultures descended on me. They fired off question after question, their voices overlapping.
I ducked my head and charged through them until I stumbled up to the door of my house. They tried to follow me inside, but I slammed the door in their faces.
The cacophony of shutters activating filled the air.
Stern voices shouted things I couldn't make out, but I realized it was the state police and sheriff's deputies attempting to wrangle the herd.
Keeping my head down, I ran through the house shutting any open windows and yanking all the curtains closed. I locked the windows and the outside door. I called Ollie and instructed him to keep the other guests inside the guest house until the cops drove the paparazzi away. After we said goodbye, I collapsed onto my bed and slung an arm over my eyes.
Val was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eve
A little while later—I'd lost count of the minutes or hours—a crisp knock lured me out of my bedroom and to the door to the outside. When I peeked out the window beside it, I saw one of the deputies. I also noticed the herd had thinned. Only a handful of paparazzi loitered out there.
I pulled the door open.
"Ma'am," the deputy said, nodding. "We got the reporters to leave. Most of them, anyway. Once we threatened to lock them up overnight, they seemed to lose interest in harassing you."
"Yeah, it was really Val they wanted."
"That was Val Silva, wasn't it? The soccer player whose team won the Olympics?"
I was more grateful than words could express that he hadn't mentioned the sex tape or Val's flagrant nudity whenever his team won games. Maybe this deputy didn't know about that, or maybe he was being tactful. Either way, I could've kissed him for it.
"Thank you," I said. "I really appreciate you guys stepping in to clear out the vultures."
"No problem, ma'am. The state guys are heading out, but my partner and I will hang around for a bit to make sure the rest leave."
"Would you guys like a bite to eat or something to drink?"
"A drink would be great."
I listed all the beverages I had on hand. He chose pop, and I gave him four cans so the other law enforcement men could have some too.
They all smiled and waved to me.
I couldn't move away from the doorway. Though only a few paparazzi remained, the idea of stepping outside and into the fray again left me paralyzed. I shut the door and retreated into my bedroom, curling up on top of the covers with my knees pulled up to my chest.
Would Val come back? Did he want to?
More time passed while I lay there, not sleepy, but mentally exhausted. Thoughts ricocheted through my mind like ping-pong balls. Should I have tried harder to stop Val from leaving? He would call me. Wouldn't he? Once he got home, he'd let me know everything was okay.
A knock roused me from my lethargy, and I headed for the front door.
Ollie was there when I opened the door. "Are you okay, Eve? I've been calling, tried your cell and the landline, but you didn't pick up."
I had a vague memory of hearing phones ringing, but I'd left my cell by the island and there was a hallway between me and the kitchen. The noises had seemed far away.
Yeah, I'd also been in a semi-catatonic state on my bed.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "Needed a break after all the craziness."
He touched my arm. "You okay, Evie? We all heard what Val said and saw him leaving. When's he coming back?"
I hunched my shoulders. "Don't know if he is coming back."
