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It was best to keep my own counsel.
I called Elena next. “Please don’t tell me you quit or got fired again,” she said. “I just put a deposit down on a private school.Non-refundable.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I was just wondering… Do you have any peers down there? Like, anyone else in the business you can talk to? I’m still trying to figure out where this girl came from.”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Elena paused for a beat. “I saw her picture on the internet. Let me make some calls, and I’ll get back to you, okay?”
After we hung up, I went and found Noah. We fished down on the dock for a few hours—rather, he fished while I watched and played with Boss. Bryce texted me after lunch:Pack your bags, babe. We’re leaving for Boston tonight.
Great!I texted back. He’d only been crazy with work for a few days, but I was more than ready to be reunited with him. The short plane ride was an opportunity to be close, even if he had to tackle his emails.
Plus, he’d mentioned that shower bench…
I quickly put down my phone. “Noah! Will you be okay if I go to Boston with Bryce for the next few nights? He needs to visit the company headquarters.”
Noah cast his line out again. “You’re kidding, right? I’m so happy here. Chef’s making me homemade pizza tonight. Dale challenged me to a video game tournament, and Lilly said she’d bring her puppy out to play with Boss later. You guys can go to Timbuktu for all I care!”
“Gee, thanks.” But my feelings weren’t really hurt. How could I compete with puppies and X-box?
I glimpsed a flash of blond in my peripheral vision—Colby and Tate were walking down the path from the guesthouse. They appeared to be deep in conversation. Colby scratched his head as he watched Tate, who was talking with an animated expression on her face. They stopped, and he pulled her in for an embrace. After a moment, they broke apart. Colby headed for the house; Tate made a phone call.
My phone rang. I answered it and looked up.
From the path, Tate stared directly at me. Another unpleasant expression marred her pretty face. “Can you come here? We need to talk.”
We need to talk.Were there ever four worse words than that? They lodged in my stomach, forming a pit of dread.
“Sure.”
I hung up the phone and headed toward her, even though I’d never been less sure in my life.
FIFTEEN
due diligence
CHLOE
Tate worean expensive designer-brand fleece jacket, short hiking shorts, and trail shoes. She was easing into the look of a wealthy Maine socialite, her thick, blond hair, toned figure, and clear skin rounding out the picture.
“I need to talk to you,” she said. “In private.”
“Okay…” I glanced around the grounds; there was no one in sight. “We should be good.”
“Both Olivia Jensen and Daphne are up my ass—not to mention that creepy maid Hazel. I don’t trust any of them. Let’s go for a walk.” Tate headed back down the path without waiting for me. I scrambled to keep up with her.
“How’s everything going?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It could be better.”
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced at me, narrowing her eyes. “The person who hired me isn’t happy right now. I might lose the job.”
“I’m surprised by that. Colby seems very taken with you.”
Her brow furrowed. “You think?”
“This is the first time you’ve been apart in days,” I said. “Every time I see you together, he has his arm around you.”
