See Me

"What about Colin?"

Margolis looked over at him. "What about him?"

"I was hoping you'd talk to the officer who arrested him. Maybe convince him to let Colin off with some speeding tickets or whatever. Instead of arresting him."

Margolis's expression verged on disbelief. "Why would I do that? From what they told me, he was doing sixty in a residential neighborhood. He nearly crashed head-on with someone a couple of blocks from here, and he refused to pull over." He shook his head. "Then once he got here, he defied the officers' instructions to stand down and instead made a volatile situation that much worse."

"I was in danger. You would have done the same thing if you thought someone you loved might be harmed."

"He should have just let the police handle it. Meanwhile, with the way he was driving, he was endangering other people's lives."

"Lester had a gun, for God's sake!"

"Yet another reason to let the police handle it."

"It's not fair and you know it!" Maria cried, her composure cracking. "I mean, sending him to prison? For speeding?"

I did a lot more than that, Colin thought. The officers only saw me during the last two minutes of the drive.

"He made his choices," Margolis said. "Don't forget that the officers had to draw their weapons. You could have been hurt. Your family could have been hurt."

"And once he knew I was safe, he deferred to them and submitted willingly. He didn't raise his voice, didn't resist at all. You really want to ruin the rest of his life? Because he was racing to my rescue?"

"It's not my call." Margolis shrugged.

"No. But I have the sense they'll listen to you." She put her hands on her hips, willing Margolis to meet her gaze. "I know that you don't trust Colin, and that you believe he belongs in prison. And if he'd struggled with the officers or resisted arrest or done anything else stupid, I wouldn't be asking you to intervene. But those things didn't happen, and you don't strike me as being unreasonable or needlessly vindictive." She hesitated. "I'd like to think that my impressions of you are correct. Please..."

For an impossibly long moment, Margolis stared back at her, unmoving. Then, without a word, he started for the door.

Five minutes later, Colin was standing near the couch, absently rubbing his wrists where the cuffs had cut into them.

"Thanks for coming to my aid," he said.

"You're welcome."

"I still can't believe he listened to you."

"I can. He knew it was the right thing to do. And the arresting officer wasn't upset. After he heard the whole story, I don't think his heart was in it, either."

Colin gestured at the door. "I'm sorry about that. I'll be glad to pay for it."

"My dad doesn't care. Honestly, he's too angry at the thought that Lester has been spying on the family to worry about a door."

"How about I help close it up for the night?"

When she nodded, he followed her to the garage, returning with the two-by-fours and a hammer and nails. Maria helped hold the boards in place, and when they were finally secure, she stepped toward Colin. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him for a long time before finally pulling back.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to call my boss," he said. "Let her know where I am and find out whether I've been fired. And then, I figure I'll keep watch outside for the rest of the night. I want to be here if Lester shows up."

She nodded. "What do you think Margolis meant when he said he was exploring different angles? Lester admitted to almost everything..."

Colin shrugged. "I have no idea. Something about Cassie's boyfriend Mark, maybe? Since he's gone off the grid?" Colin filled Maria in on the little that he'd learned earlier.

Behind them, Felix walked into the living room, accompanied by Carmen. Carmen handed a glass of ice water to Colin while Felix inspected the work Colin had done to brace the door.

"I'm sorry about that," Colin said, slightly abashed. "I told Maria I'd pay for it."

Felix nodded. "This is good work. Sturdy." He took a step toward Colin, meeting his gaze, his expression softening. "I wanted to thank you for rushing here when you thought Maria was in trouble. And for calling the police."

"You're welcome."

Carmen slipped back to his side as Felix went on. Behind them, Colin could just make out Serena in the kitchen, clearly listening in. "When we first met, I believe I may have misjudged you," he said. "Maria told me she felt safe with you. Now, I can understand why."

At his words, Maria slipped her hand into Colin's.

"I heard you tell Maria that you'll want to keep watch tonight. Outside. In case Lester comes back."

"Yes."

"I have a problem with that."

Colin looked at him, saying nothing.

"You should be inside the house, not outside. As our guest."

He felt Maria squeeze his hand, and despite everything, he couldn't help smiling.

"Okay."

Colin paced the living room, alternately peeking through the curtains on the front window and then doing the same through the kitchen windows.

No sign of Lester.

Margolis had been good to his word; a patrol car passed by the house four times, twice while the rest of the family was still awake and twice after everyone else had gone to bed. Maria had stayed awake the longest, sitting with Colin until a little after one. Before turning in, Felix had told Colin that he'd be up at four to take over the watch and allow Colin to get some sleep.

The time to himself felt like a blessing to Colin, allowing him to process everything that had happened that evening. He still had more questions than answers, since nothing made sense. If, for instance, Lester was delusional to the point that he believed that Maria was out to get him, then his fear should have kept him away from Maria, instead of drawing him to her repeatedly.

But hadn't Lester essentially admitted he'd been stalking Maria all along?

And why had Margolis told Maria that he was exploring "different angles"?

Other questions plagued him, too--why had Lester admitted to sending the flowers and the drink, but not to slashing the tires? Had Lester actually driven, and if so, where did he get the car? If he'd left his car at the park but ran in the opposite direction, where was he going and why couldn't the police find him? And, again, how had Lester known that Maria would be at the house when Maria herself had forgotten about her mom's birthday?

The more he learned, the more confused he felt.

"You're making me nervous," Maria said. "And I'm sure you've worn a groove into the floor."

Colin looked over and saw her in the hallway, dressed in her pajamas.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. I slept for a little while."

"What time is it?"

"A little after three," Maria said. She walked to the couch and patted the cushion beside her. When Colin sat, she leaned her head on his shoulder while he slipped his arm around her. "You should probably try to get some sleep."

"I only have another hour until your dad is up."

"I don't think he's sleeping. He's probably tossing and turning like I did." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you're here, but my parents are, too. Right before they went to bed, they apologized to me for the way they treated you earlier."

"There was no reason to apologize. They've been very gracious. Especially about me kicking in their door."

She shrugged. "To be honest, it was pretty impressive. Doors generally keep people out, but this one didn't even slow you down. They feel better knowing that you're here."

He nodded. Moonlight spilled in through a crack in the drapes, washing the living room with a silvery glow. "I wanted to tell you that the way you dealt with Lester was amazing. Not everyone would have been able to stay calm in that situation."

"I wasn't calm. I was terrified. Every time I closed my eyes tonight, I kept seeing his face. And it was just so... weird. I kept getting the feeling that he was more a

fraid of me than I was of him, even though he was the one with the gun."

"I don't understand it, either."

"I wish the police had found him. I hate knowing that he's still out there... following and watching and planning and hiding. What good will a restraining order do if they can't serve him? And what if he shows up again before they do? I thought about leaving town, but what if he follows me? Or tracks me somehow. I mean, even I didn't know I was going to be here tonight, so how did he know? And how did he know I'd be at the bar?"

"I've been wondering about those things, too."

"And? What am I supposed to do? I just want to feel... safe."

"I have an idea. It might be a bit over the top, but..."

"What is it?"

He told her.

CHAPTER 26

Maria

Maria was sleeping on the couch when she felt Colin kiss her good-bye and whisper that he'd be back by eight o'clock. She was dimly aware of him slipping out the garage door. Surprising herself, she was able to get a few more hours of sleep before the sounds of the household roused her.

Over coffee, she shared Colin's plans with her family. They listened with surprise. Her parents would have preferred that she stay where they could keep an eye on her, but they understood Colin's reasoning and accepted her decision, asking only that she stay in touch.

Colin showed up at her parents' house around eight with a disposable cell phone and followed Maria back to her condo. There, she showered, changed into jeans and a white T-shirt and black pumps, and packed an overnight bag. By nine, they were at the courthouse, where Maria completed and filed the necessary paperwork for the 50C. Margolis had been good to his word again; the clerk said that they'd get it before the judge to sign before the court convened for the day.

Using the disposable phone, Maria texted Margolis her number and asked that he keep her informed as to any progress regarding Lester Manning.

To her surprise, Margolis called less than half an hour later and asked to meet with her at a coffee shop. "It's a couple of blocks from the courthouse, and we'll be able to talk in private," he said cryptically. She felt good about the fact that she'd filed the paperwork and decided to go with Colin's idea. For the first time since all this had started, she'd acted instead of reacted. While there was no guarantee that they'd be able to serve Lester with the court order, taking the initiative made her feel as though she had some semblance of control.

At the coffee shop, she and Colin sat in a corner booth where they could watch for Margolis's arrival.

When he finally walked through the door half an hour late, it took only a second for him to spot them. As he wove his way between tables, Maria noticed the way the fabric of his ill-fitting blazer tightened around his biceps. Like Colin, Margolis seemed to spend a lot of time in the gym.

He paused near the register to order a cup of coffee and then slid into the booth across from Maria and Colin. When he glanced at Colin, she thought she detected a trace less of his usual animosity.

Or then again, maybe she was just imagining it.

"Any problems with the Fifty-C this morning?"

"No," Maria said. "And thank you for your help. It's clear they were expecting me."

He nodded. "Judge Carson will be in court today. I left word with his clerk, so there shouldn't be any holdup. If you don't hear from them, let me know."

"Sure," she said.

The waiter came by, dropping off the cup of coffee. Margolis waited until he left before speaking again.

"How did you hold up last night?" he asked Maria.

"I didn't sleep well, if that's what you're asking. But at least Lester didn't come back."

He nodded. "I checked this morning and he wasn't spotted on any of the patrols, either. But he'll turn up. A guy like that tends to stand out and make people nervous, which means that calls come in. I'm confident someone will let us know when he shows up."

"If he's still in town," she said. "For all we know, he could be back in Charlotte by now. Or God knows where else."

"If he is, he's not in the hospital. I checked this morning. No sign of him. You should also know that I had my friend drive past the Manning place this morning. No sign of him there, either in the garage apartment or the house."

She nodded.

"On another note," he went on, "I spoke with the sheriff's department, and they're okay with me serving Lester when we do find him. That's actually good news. It's not always that easy. But I'd hate for Lester to be located and then not get served because there are no sheriffs readily available and he disappears again before they can."

"So that's the plan?" Maria asked. "To wait until he shows himself?"

"I'm not sure there's another option. I'm just trying to make the best out of a bad situation."

"Is that why you wanted to meet with me this morning? To tell me you couldn't find him?"

"No," Margolis said. "A couple of interesting bits of information turned up and I wanted to get your take on them."

"I thought you weren't at liberty to talk about the investigation."

"You're right," he said. "Which means I'll have to limit some of what I tell you. Still, I wanted to talk to you because I need your help."

"Why?"

"Because the more I look into this situation, the less it seems to add up. I'm hoping that you can help me put the pieces together."

Welcome to my world, Maria thought.

Margolis went on. "Regarding the situation last night. I told you I was looking into possible weapons violations. But like everything else in this case, what seemed obvious isn't. So let's start with this: Lester does not have a gun permit. Nor has he legally purchased a weapon, which I thought was great news for you. However, it turns out that Avery Manning, the father, does have a permit for a handgun purchased about a year ago."

"And?"

"The problem is that Lester and Avery, father and son, live at the same address. It's not illegal to borrow someone's gun if the weapon is properly permitted. So I can't make a case on that, unless Avery Manning didn't give permission. But there are even more complications."

"Such as?"

"Avery Manning came to see me this morning." He let those words hang before continuing. "That's why I was late getting here, by the way. I figured it was better to meet with him before I talked to you. The story took yet another twist."

"What?"

"The gun may not have been real."

"Excuse me?"

Margolis picked up his spoon and stirred his coffee as he went on. "Let me start from the beginning, okay? We sit down and the first thing I think is that Dr. Manning looks like crap, which made sense as soon as he told me he'd just driven in from Tennessee. He was clearly upset. He must have mowed through an entire pack of gum while we were sitting there, chewing and spitting out one piece after another. Although he didn't attempt to control the conversation, which surprised me based on the way you'd described him. But anyway, I ask him what I can do for him, and he immediately says that Lester has left Plainview, and that he was worried Lester might come to see you. He begged me to warn you and to tell you that if he showed up you should call the police. He went on to say that Lester was in an acute delusional phase, and that he'd been struggling with this disorder for years, yada yada yada... pretty much all the same things he'd told me before."

"But yesterday, he wasn't even sure if his son was in the hospital."

Margolis took a sip of his coffee. "He said the hospital called him as soon as the staff realized that Lester was missing, as he's the emergency contact. Apparently, when Lester didn't show up for his appointment with the social worker, the staff spent a couple of hours searching the hospital before they realized he must have left the grounds. That's when they called Dr. Manning."

"How is that even possible? It's a psychiatric hospital. Don't they watch their patients?"

"According to Dr. Manning, Lester's been there regularly enough to understand the routines and he's familiar wit

h the staff. The administrator also emphasized that there was no reason not to trust Lester. Lester had entered the hospital voluntarily and he'd never run off before. So free time comes along and they're guessing that Lester just... slipped away. After that, he either has use of someone's car, or someone picked him up, and he made his way to Wilmington. And he obviously had a gun stashed somewhere along the way." Margolis shrugged. "What can I say, he's paranoid."

"If he wanted to warn me, why didn't Dr. Manning call you as soon as he found out?"

"He did," Margolis said, his expression letting her know he was just as surprised as she was. "He left me a voice mail last night, but unfortunately, I didn't get around to listening to it until this morning, after I'd already met with him. Even then, I'm not sure how much good it would have done. The call came in after Lester had already been at your place."

Maria nodded.

"Anyway, after we went over those things, I told Dr. Manning that Lester had not only shown up at your parents' last night and confronted you, but that he had a gun. At that point, Dr. Manning became even more upset. Then, after he'd seemed to calm down, he insisted to me that Lester's gun couldn't have been real."

"Of course he'd say that."

"That's what I thought, too. I asked him how he could be so sure. He said that he owned only two guns: an old shotgun he's had since he was a kid that he said might not even work, and the handgun I told you about, which he keeps in a locked case in the trunk of his car. He added that there was no way he'd ever leave it at the house where Lester could get his hands on it."

"I know what I saw!"

"I don't doubt that, but let me finish," Margolis said. "Dr. Manning told me that while Lester didn't have a real gun, he owned a pellet gun. He said he bought it for Lester when he was a teenager, and he'd assumed that it was in one of the boxes in the attic with Lester's other things. It's possible, he said, that his son may have retrieved it at some point in the past. So my question to you is whether it's possible that Lester may have been holding a pellet gun."

Maria tried to recall the gun but couldn't conjure up the necessary detail. "I don't know," she admitted. "It looked real to me."

"That's not surprising. Same color, same size, it was dark out, and you were terrified. Who knows? But it might explain why Lester never raised it. Because he thought you may have noticed that the muzzle was too small."