by Mya O'Malley
“How so?” Naomi scribbled down some notes.
“Well, for starters, the way they looked at each other. I can always tell when a couple is in love. I’ve seen lots of couples dining here, I should know.”
Was this guy just extra perceptive or was there more to him? Studying Ted’s face, Naomi couldn’t be sure. He had a lot of interest in Maggie, but he could very well be a concerned citizen. She wrote Ted’s name on her notepad once more and placed a large question mark beside it.
Stalkers could do crazy things… not saying that Ted was a stalker, but she wasn’t ruling anything out at this point.
“Anything else? Could you have possibly overheard anything?”
“Well…” Ted began.
“Ted, please. It’s very important.”
“Maggie seemed more jumpy, nervous, if you will, the past few times she had been in.”
“Tell me what you mean by that. Did she appear to be afraid of Tall, Dark, and Handsome?”
He shook his head firmly. “I don’t think so. She was always looking over her shoulder, so to speak. That night they kissed? I overheard her saying that someone was staring at her from the storefront window.”
The words couldn’t come fast enough from Naomi’s head to the paper. Her heart raced as she wrote them down. This was the first real lead she had gotten.
“What did she say?”
From the way Ted squirmed in his seat, she could tell he was embarrassed to have overheard—or rather eavesdropped—on Maggie’s conversation that evening.
“Ted. I get it. You liked her. It’s okay. In fact, you have the chance to help her right now. Tell me what she said.”
Despite his increased flushing, Ted continued. “I can’t recall exactly what she said, but something about a man seeing her, staring at them. The good-looking guy seemed annoyed, like he didn’t want to hide his affections for Maggie.”
“She was afraid of the other man.”
“Yes, it seemed that way.”
Nick surfaced to her mind. She had felt the very same way when she and Ryan had started seeing each other. That day in the hardware store, she had been petrified of Nick spotting her with Ryan. She could certainly understand how poor Maggie had felt.
‘Thank you, Ted. You’ve been a big help. If there’s anything you remember, even a small detail, please give me a call.” She wrote her cell number down on a napkin.
“Thank you. Thank you for helping Maggie,” Ted said.
Either Ted was a real good guy, or he was monster. She had yet to determine where he stood in her mind. She liked to believe in the best when it came to people, so she could only hope Ted was playing it straight with her.
Bryce and Blondie were still eating their lunch as Naomi walked out of the restaurant. Giving a quick wave in his direction, Naomi opened the door to the late autumn wind.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Naomi
WHY WAS BRYCE on her mind when she was in the middle of trying to write Maggie’s story, solve Maggie’s probable crime, and deal with her break-up with Ryan?
Bryce should be the last thing on her mind right now, but just picturing him on his date, right now with Blondie, irked her.
Darn, she needed to concentrate, not worry about what Bryce was up to. First thing she needed to do was to call Ryan and talk to him. Really hash out what had transpired between them, from start to finish.
It wasn’t often that she read people wrong, and she could have sworn she and Ryan were going strong back in the beginning of their relationship.
He stumped her.
“Oh, hell.” Reaching into her bag for her cell, she sighed deeply.
“Naomi!”
“Hi, Ryan.”
“We need to talk. Can you meet me somewhere?”
Coffee sounded amazing right now. “Let’s meet for coffee.”
“The usual spot?”
“You got it. Heading over there now.”
Feelings were being tossed around in her head, in her heart. When she was around Ryan lately, she felt as close to him as she did with Amy. He was one of her very best friends. But the emotions that she experienced when she was around Bryce had her heart pounding.
What did she want from Ryan? It wasn’t fair to lead him on. She would come clean and explain her complicated feelings. It was only right.
One thing for sure, she didn’t want to lose Ryan’s friendship. Her life would be hollow without him. Could she have her cake and eat it, too? Never being one to like cliché’s, Naomi shook her head firmly. She only hoped Ryan would still want to be in her life.
Luckily, the café was only a short walk away from Johnny’s. She might even make it there before Ryan for once. With a wide grin on her face, Naomi quickened her pace.
His truck was there, right in the same darned spot. Oh, he was aggravating at times. Make that most of the time, lately.
“Hey.” Ryan rose from his spot to give Naomi a quick kiss on the cheek.
Two cups of piping hot coffee were waiting on the table.
“How do you do that?” She pointed a finger at the coffee. “How did you even get here before me?”
“Well, I did have a car.” He was so smug, she wanted to knock that grin right off his face.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t have that luxury.”
“True. We need to talk,” Ryan stated. “Have a seat.”
“Yes, we do.” Naomi removed her jacket and took the seat across from Ryan.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you, either, but where does that leave us? I think it’s becoming abundantly clear that we’re losing the fight in the romance department.”
“Is that what you think?” His eyes widened.
How could he be surprised? Was he that inexperienced when it came to love?
“Yes, Ryan, I do. Come on, can’t you feel it? In the beginning, we had a spark.” Naomi thought about the day they had first met at the restaurant and then their first kiss. Shortly afterward, the attraction deteriorated between them.
Ryan shook his head and turned away. He knew exactly what she was talking about. “I guess you have a point.”
“Ryan, what is it? I need to know. Is it an old girlfriend? Do you just not feel attracted to me?”
“I don’t know. God, Naomi, I don’t know.”
“Don’t be afraid to hurt me. I feel the same way. At first, the spark seemed strong, but then I grew to love you, just not in that way.”
“You mean like a friend?”
“Yes, Ryan. Does that bother you?”
“No, Naomi. It makes sense to me because I’ve been feeling the same. I’m confused lately, and I can’t even tell you why.” He rubbed his hands through his thick, dark hair.
“Are you in love with someone else?”
His eyes glazed over as Naomi waited for him to speak.
“I…I don’t think so.” He gazed down at the floor, his fists clenched together. Just then, the waitress arrived with some pastries. Ryan lifted his head and covered his mouth.
“Are you okay?”
He looked awfully pale. As a matter of fact, he looked like he might be sick.
“Ryan?”
He took another look at the food before him and pushed his chair back. Naomi’s jaw dropped as she watched him rush to the men’s room. My God, if Ryan wasn’t interested in eating, he must be feeling horrid.
It was after she had mentioned another woman that the green look had come over him. She would give him another minute before checking up on him. What was taking so long?
Just one more minute.
At least five more minutes had passed, and still he hadn’t returned. Damn, she didn’t look forward to going into the men’s bathroom, but he was leaving her little choice. Standing up, Naomi pulled her shoulders back and marched toward the bathroom. A sudden movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. There, in plain sight, was Ryan, peeling out of the parking lot. What the? He must have s
nuck out the back entrance.
What the heck had gotten into him?
Immediately, Naomi sprinted to the table and grabbed her coffee. Shoot, he had run out before paying the bill. She scooped some pastries into her napkin; why not? Heading for the counter, she mumbled profanities about Ryan under her breath.
“How much do I owe you, miss?” A thought popped into her head as she waited for the waitress to write up their bill.
“Hold on one second. I’ll be right back.”
Naomi grabbed her tote bag from the small table where she and Ryan had been sitting only moments before. Grabbing for the framed photo of Maggie, she wondered why they had never inquired as to whether anyone here had known her.
“Have you ever seen this woman?”
The waitress slowly placed the check down and moved closer. Squinting at the photograph, she nodded her head.
“That’s the woman who drowned, right?”
“Yes. Her name was Maggie. Did she ever come in here?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. Not that I knew her or anything, but she would come in from time to time.”
“What can you tell me about her?”
“Hm. I’m trying to remember. She was quiet, kind of kept to herself. Most of the time, I think she just grabbed a coffee or a bagel to go.”
“That’s good. Go on.”
“That’s it. There’s really nothing else I can recall.”
“Did she ever come in with anyone else?”
“I think so. I… Oh, I’m not sure.”
“What? What is it?” Naomi could see the confusion etched upon the woman’s face.
“I thought he looked familiar. I just figured he was a regular, and that’s how I knew him.”
“Who?” She felt as if could leap over the counter and grab the waitress by the collar. “Who are you talking about?”
“That guy. Tall, dark, handsome.”
Naomi’s shoulders slumped.
Same story, nothing new. “Oh, yes. Well, thank you.” She placed ten dollars on the counter and turned to leave.
“Have you asked him about it?”
Naomi stopped and glanced at the woman. “Who?”
“Your boyfriend.”
Black spots came into view, and Naomi felt her legs wobble. She breathed in.
“My who?”
“You know, the guy who just left. Tall, dark, and handsome.”
Naomi’s head throbbed as she tried to make sense of the words.
“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” The waitress came out from behind the counter and grabbed hold of Naomi’s arm. Naomi allowed her to lead her to a nearby booth. She couldn’t get enough air.
“Do you want me to call someone?”
“Are… you sure?” Naomi managed.
“Yes, I’m positive. That man was Maggie’s boyfriend.”
Naomi doubled over as if she had been punched in the gut.
“ANSWER THE PHONE! Dammit, Ryan, answer!” Naomi must have called him twenty times, and he still wouldn’t pick up. How could she even begin to make sense of this?
Ryan was the only person alive who held the answers to her questions. Maggie’s spirit wasn’t much for conversation.
Sitting in her driveway, Naomi pounded the steering wheel hard. Bits and pieces of her investigation with Ryan started to come back to her. The times he refused to see Maggie’s parents. Shoot, they could identify Ryan—they had met him several times.
Something told her Ryan wouldn’t agree to meet Maggie’s parents for the purpose of identifying him. But wait! She had a picture of him on her cell phone. That ridiculous photo of the two of them from the graveyard back when they first started dating.
With shaking fingers, Naomi fumbled with her cell until she found the picture. His piercing blue eyes gazed at her from the photo.
“Got you!” Naomi shut her cell off and started the ignition of her car. As she prepared to put her car in reverse, a dark figure came out of nowhere.
“Nick!” She instinctively went for the door lock button. Her shaking hands gripped the steering wheel. As her heart pounded wildly, Nick lunged for her door. Although her car window was closed, she could hear his words perfectly.
“Get back here! I just want to talk!” He leaned in toward the car window. “Open the freaking door!”
Nick’s face was red and dripping with sweat, even in this chilly temperature. He was a madman.
“Get out of here. Leave me alone,” Naomi spoke the words aloud as she peeled out of her driveway, leaving an enraged Nick behind.
Heart still racing, she pulled to the side of the road once he was a safe distance behind. What the hell had just happened back there?
Nick was far from finished with her. She should have known it was just the proverbial calm before the storm. This was something she definitely did not need right now, not with everything else going on.
She actually lifted her cell phone to call Ryan to tell him about Nick, but remembered that Ryan was no longer who she had thought him to be. No longer one of her best friends. And let’s face it, he wasn’t picking up the phone anyway.
Damn you, Ryan!
After waiting out her pounding heart for a few minutes, Naomi finally steered her car toward Mr. and Mrs. Field’s home.
Determined to get a positive identification on Ryan, she pulled into their driveway and then marched to the front door.
“Come in, Naomi. My goodness, what’s wrong?” Virginia escorted her into the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?”
“I could use something much stronger than that,” Naomi muttered.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing. Is Tom here?”
“No, he’s out running some errands. Please, sit and tell me what’s going on.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Yes, Naomi. What is it?”
Her cell phone was already out of her bag. “Here, look. Is this Maggie’s tall, dark, and handsome friend?”
Virginia drew her hands to her mouth. “Oh, well how?”
“Is it him?” But she already knew the answer.
“How do you know R.J.?” Virginia’s words came out in a whisper.
“It’s Ryan. My ex-boyfriend as of now.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“That makes two of us. Are you sure it’s him?”
“Positive. I couldn’t forget a face like that. But he always went by R.J., for Ryan James, Maggie told us. Hey, you don’t think he has anything to do with this, do you?”
As of now, he was Maggie’s prime suspect. Couple the lies with the sketchy exit at the café, and he had guilt written all over him. It was her number one priority to find Ryan.
A chill spread through her body as she wondered if she was in danger. If Ryan had anything to do with Maggie’s death, of course she was in danger. She had been in danger all along.
No wonder he had been backing away, discouraging her from trying to solve the crime. He had also told her she was ridiculous for believing in Maggie’s spirit.
“I don’t know, Virginia. But it stinks. He stinks. He’s been lying to me all along. What am I supposed to make of all this?”
“You’re right. Something isn’t right here. I think it’s time to pay Officer Frank another visit.”
“Tell you what, why don’t you and Tom go down to the police station, like we said, and ask for another officer to be assigned to the case? Scratch that, don’t ask. Demand.”
“Got it. What are you going to do?” She stood to grab her landline phone.
“I’m going to try to find Ryan and lure him into a public place.”
“Oh my God, Naomi. Maybe you should just let the police handle this. He’s a dangerous man.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I just need to see him, look him in the eye.”
Was he a dangerous man? Up until this morning, she would have laughed at the concept of Ryan being dangerous.
“Oh, please cal
l me if you find him, and be careful. Tom and I have really grown to like you, and I couldn’t bear to see anything happen to you.”
Naomi pulled Mrs. Field into an embrace. “I promise you I’ll be careful. Keep me posted.”
Naomi headed out to her car and shot off a text message to Ryan, stating that she needed to speak with him regardless of his part in Maggie’s death. She also threw in some information pertaining to Nick’s little visit. That might get him to call her back. Then again, had he ever cared for her, or was it all just an elaborate scheme?
Her cell sounded almost immediately. “Ryan!”
“What did he do to you?”
The plan worked even better than she had anticipated. “Ryan, where are you?”
“No, answer me, Naomi. Are you okay?”
He certainly didn’t sound like a murderer right now.
“I’m fine. Please, I need to see you.”
“Naomi, I’m so confused. My head is splitting. I need you to know that I didn’t hurt her. I couldn’t have ever harmed her.”
“Ryan, why on earth didn’t you tell me you dated Maggie?”
“Dated her? I was in love with her.”
Again, she felt a punch to her gut. “Ryan, you’re scaring me.”
“I was in love with her. I still am. Finally, I know why you and I could never make it. Pieces are starting to fit together.”
He was rambling, dammit. “Stop, Ryan. The more you say, the more scared I am.”
There was silence on the line.
“Scared of me or for me?” His tone was ominous.
Shaking off the chills that prickled her scalp, Naomi steadied her shaking hands.
“I… I don’t know. Perhaps a little of both,” Naomi whispered.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Naomi. I would never hurt you. Just like I never could have hurt our Maggie.”
“Our Maggie?” Again, chills coursed through her body. “I want to believe you so much, Ryan, I do. But this doesn’t look good for you.”
“I know it doesn’t. I can’t explain what happened. I didn’t lie. I never lied to you.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Ryan! All you did was lie!”