Clara shook her head. “No, Amber didn’t say anything.” She waved her arm through the air. The tinkling sound of her bracelets followed. “I just sense there’s evil somewhere around her.”
“Just swell,” Mike muttered. “I can’t believe I’m asking this, but…general evil? Or evil right now?” Mike had no idea where Amber had gone and if Clara’s insight, whatever it was based on, could help him find her, he wasn’t too proud to ask.
“When I first said evil, I meant recent, but now that you’re asking, there may be more.” Without another word, Clara rose and headed out of the kitchen.
Mike followed her to Amber’s room. Edward followed and surprisingly for his father, he remained quiet. So Mike did the same. He waited, anxious and uneasy, but willing to give Clara the benefit of the doubt.
“Yes, I can feel her better in here,” the older woman said. “I wasn’t paying much attention to her needs earlier,” Clara admitted. “I was too happy to be here with Eddie again.”
Mike’s father stiffened, but before he could interrupt Clara, Mike clapped his hand over his father’s forearm. “Please. Wait.”
To Mike’s surprise, Edward relaxed enough to assure Mike he wouldn’t throw one of his tantrums.
“But I know she’s been bored and feeling useless. She mentioned as much at lunch,” Clara said.
“Useless? The house is spotless! I still can’t find Stinky’s favorite toy—”
“Hush!” Clara said. “A woman needs to be in charge of her life or else she feels powerless. That’s what Amber’s feeling.” She met Mike’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I should have listened more carefully for the hidden meaning. It didn’t come to me until now.”
“That’s okay. Anything she said that you can remember will be helpful.”
Because if she ran away or went to take care of King Bobby or Marshall by herself he’d throttle her.
Clara sat down on the bed and ran her hand over the comforter and a chill rushed through Mike. “The only thing we talked about was how I wanted Eddie to help me look for a new place for my shop. He’s being a stubborn cuss, but I’ll win yet. Amber also mentioned wishing she could go into town and check things out for herself…”
“That’s it! Thank you!” Mike hugged the other woman. “She went to town to clear the cobwebs from her head.” It was the most logical assumption.
Because Mike’s gut told him she hadn’t run off on him again. Why did he trust in her that way? he wondered.
He didn’t have time to figure it out.
“If she calls, find out where she is and tell her to stay put,” Mike told his father and Clara.
“She can’t call,” they both said at the same time.
Mike closed his eyes and counted to ten. “Dad, we are turning the landline back on,” he said as he ran for the door, ignoring Edward’s bellowing about evildoers finding him.
Paranoia, Mike thought to himself. A psychiatric symptom, he thought, giving Amber credit.
He’d find her. Then he’d give her hell for taking such a risk with reporters roaming around town. At first he’d only worried about them exposing her, but now he was worried in general. Because after the chill Mike had experienced at Clara’s words, there was every likelihood King Bobby Boyd was here, too.
And as a cop, Mike’s gut had been too reliable to ignore.
WITH ONE OF MIKE’S old baseball caps on her head and dark sunglasses, Amber strode through town. She’d even found an old camera in the garage that she’d hung around her neck, hoping to look like one of the media searching for information on Jason Corwin. Her disguise had worked.
She’d purchased a cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts and wandered around the local streets, appreciating the fresh air and change of scenery. She’d noticed one or two For Sale and For Rent signs on side streets and she’d taken notes to pass along to Clara later.
The only close call she’d had occurred when she’d caught sight of Derek walking out of the law firm Englebert and Rowe. She’d forgotten that he rented office space from them. Luckily for her, he’d headed to his truck and driven away instead of sticking around. She toyed with the idea of going into the Diner on Main Street, and having a meal she hadn’t had to cook herself.
She walked past the front windows, planning to check the menu hanging there, when she caught sight of a large cowboy hat. Reflex and panic kicked in together and she backed against the brick siding, out of view.
“Anyone could be wearing a cowboy hat,” Amber muttered as she ordered her breathing to slow. But she couldn’t control the rapid-fire beating of her heart or the trickle of sweat working its way down the front of her shirt.
She edged closer to the window, hoping to get a better look at the face beneath the large brim. Between her dark g
lasses, which she refused to remove, and the glare of the sun, the man’s face wasn’t clear. But his huge size was.
“King Bobby, in the flesh.” Amber quickly backed against the wall once more.