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“I can’t help it,” I said. “Plus, this whole business with the stalker has been hard on both of us. But he’s always the strong, protective one. I know I need to help him too.”
“Whoever sent you the text in Grand Cayman,” said Dr. Knightly, “I’m sure they’re nothing to worry about. After all, how bad can it be? Probably just some crazy person.”
I don’t know why, but something about that comment sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t explain it. But then, this whole situation was crazy. I mean, I’d just happened to see Dr. Knightly on the same flight as me, and she’d justhappenedto catch sight of me. And she’d decided to talk to me. What kind of doctor introduces themselves to you in public? Didn’t that violate doctor-patient confidentiality? It was almost too insane.
If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think …
“Put your bags in the car,” said Dr. Knightly, smiling. “Then we can get you to Jakey.”
Jakey?That was an odd thing to say. But I ignored it, counting it as part of her generally eccentric personality. I bent down to open the door of the car.
Then I realized, much too late.
“I never said anything about a text in Grand Cayman,” I said, almost to myself. “How did you know about that?”
I put my bag into the backseat of the car. “Dr. Knightly?” I said, closing the door. “How did you know?”
“Stand still, you little bitch.”
I looked up. Dr. Knightly had taken a gun out of the trunk of the car, and she was pointing it at me with both hands. The mask of sanity had left her face. What was left there was pure hatred, pure anger, as I watched her eyes glint. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, and I could see the person I’d just confided in was, without a doubt, crazy.
Suddenly, I realized.
“You,” I said. “You sent those messages.”
“Yeah,” said Dr. Knightly distantly, as though she were speaking from a faraway place. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
She cocked the gun with her thumb. It made a clicking thud, and I realized she was prepared to shoot me if I didn’t do what she said.
“You’ve been stalking me. The whole time, it was you.”
“Get in the car,” said Dr. Knightly. “You’re gonna drive, and if you make a wrong move, I’m gonna shoot you dead. You hear me, bitch?”
“I … I don’t …”
“Shut the fuck up and get in the car. It’s time to go see your baby daddy.”
Chapter 22
Jake
At2p.m.,wemet in the Graves Room. Designed for a more public kind of meeting, it had an enormous, square meeting table. Around the room ran a mezzanine on three sides. The idea was that investors and shareholders would be able to view meetings in place and see decisions being made for themselves. It’s ironic, then, that the Graves Room was being used for a clandestine meeting.
I arrived at the fifth floor and went in. Tom was already there waiting for me. I saw him, his face lit by the soft, blue light of his laptop. It was a bright day outside, but for some reason, he’d closed the shutters.
“Afternoon, Tom,” I said, sitting down.
“Good afternoon,” he said in reply.
“I have a few questions about the takeover of the company you’re proposing.”
Tom smiled. “What we’re proposing, Jake,” he said, smugly, “is an expansion. Not a takeover. All we’re asking is that you release your stock in the company so that we can allow that expansion to take place more effectively. And we’re willing to buy it at a very generous price, given that allegations against you are mounting within these hallowed halls.”
“You and I built this building, Tom. Together. I remember the day we looked at the plans and shook hands on it. We were getting too big to run the company out of the Northeast, and you said—“
“I said,” finished Tom, “that since we wanted to treat our customers like stars, we should build it in L.A. I know what I said.”
There was silence.
