"I'll start calling florists. And hopefully find out the truth."
"And if it was a phone order?"
"I'll tell them the truth. That you were wondering whether the wrong card was attached to the delivery. And that you're wondering who they're from."
"They might not tell you."
"I'm just asking for a name, not the number. I'd bet that most people would be willing to help."
"And when you find out that it was Ken?"
It was the same question that Evan had asked him earlier, and he'd pondered it on and off since then. "The decision as to what to do next would be yours."
She nodded, tight-lipped, before finally standing from the table and moving to the balcony doors. She stood before them, saying nothing for a long moment. Colin rose from his seat. When he was close, he put a hand on her lower back and felt something collapse beneath his touch.
"I'm just so tired of talking about it. I'm tired of even thinking about it."
"Let's get out of here and go do something that will take your mind off it."
"Like what?"
"How about I surprise you?"
Staring out the window of the Camaro as it sat between a couple of minivans, she made no move to get out of the car. "This is your surprise?"
"I thought it might be fun."
"Mini golf? Seriously?"
Maria eyed with obvious skepticism the cheery lights that surrounded the entrance. Beyond the glass doors she could make out an arcade; off to the left was the miniature golf course, complete with rotating windmills as part of what Colin guessed was a Scandinavian theme.
"Not just mini golf. It's glow-in-the-dark mini golf."
"And... I take it that you've mistaken me for a twelve-year-old?"
"It's a good distraction. And when was the last time you played?"
"I just told you. When I was twelve. Kevin Ross had his birthday party here. But he pretty much invited the entire sixth grade and my mom came, too, so it wasn't exactly a date."
"But it was memorable. Afterwards, if you want, we can try the laser maze."
"Laser maze?"
"I saw the banner a couple of months back when I was driving by. I think it's like that scene in Get Smart with Steve Carell, where you have to try crossing a room without breaking the beams." When she didn't answer, he went on. "I'd hate to think you're just afraid I might win and that's what this is all about."
"I'm not afraid of losing to you. If memory serves, I think I was the best in my class."
"Is that a yes?"
"You're on."
Friday morning, Colin woke early and was out the door before dawn. He put in a quick six miles and visited the gym before going online and gathering the phone numbers he needed. He'd been surprised to learn that Wilmington had more than forty florists, in addition to grocery stores that also sold flowers, which meant he'd be busy.
He felt good about the night before. Though it took Maria a few holes and a couple of lucky putts before she began to relax, by the time they'd finished, she was laughing and even dancing on the green after she sank a hole in one on the sixteenth hole to pull ahead for good. Hungry, they skipped the laser maze and he brought her to a roadside stand near the beach that specialized in fish tacos, which they washed down with ice-cold beer. He asked if she'd be willing to go out with Evan and Lily--she told him of course--and when she kissed him good night, he could tell that the evening had been just what she needed.
At the breakfast bar, he began making the first of his calls, hoping he'd be able to knock out the list in a couple of hours, only to realize that the person he needed to talk to wasn't always immediately available, which meant a second or even third call to the same number. Still, he ran through the explanation and questions he thought might work best: that the wrong card might have been attached; had a delivery been sent to the office; had a bouquet of pink roses even been assembled; and fortunately, most of the people he spoke with had been more than willing to help. By the time he had called all but a handful of shops, it was early afternoon and he'd begun to suspect that the last ones would say the same thing the others had said: that they hadn't been the florist who assembled or delivered the bouquet.
He was right. Wondering what to do next, he decided to try some out-of-town florists; the only question was which direction to choose. He chose north. He called both florists in Hampstead, then found another eighteen in Jacksonville.
On his sixth call, at a place named Floral Heaven near the gates of Camp Lejeune, he hit the jackpot. Yes, the owner told him, he remembered the man who'd ordered the bouquet. It had been a cash order, he added. Yes, the store would be open tomorrow, and he'd be there as well.
Later that night, as he was tending bar, Colin found his thoughts returning to the fact that someone had gone to an awful lot of trouble to try to hide his identity.
A thunderstorm rolled through on Friday night, bringing with it cooler temperatures. After finishing his run and doing some yard work on Saturday morning, Colin made the drive to Floral Heaven in Jacksonville, a little over an hour away. At the shop, Colin pulled out the photo of Ken and showed it to the man.
"This wouldn't happen to be the guy, would it?"
The owner, a portly man in his sixties with spectacles, took only a second before shaking his head. "The man in the photo is a lot older. The guy who bought them was maybe in his late twenties, not that I had that great a look at him."
"No?"
"He was kind of a strange guy, which is why I remember him at all. He wore a baseball hat and stared at the counter when he talked. Sort of mumbled. Just told me what he wanted and walked out the door. He came back an hour later, paid cash, and left."
"Did you happen to notice if he was alone?"
"I wasn't paying attention," he answered. "What's this all about again?"
"As I mentioned on the phone, there was a strange message written on the card."
"He didn't ask for a card. I remember that, too, because everyone always wants to write something. Like I said, he was a strange guy."
Colin's afternoon workout at the gym focused heavily on defensive work and grappling. Surprising him, Daly worked almost exclusively with him, pushing him harder than usual. In his day, Daly had been a beast when it came to ground work, and more than once, Colin found himself out of position, feeling like he was fighting for his life. By the time the workout ended, he realized that he hadn't thought about the guy in the baseball hat even once.
Whoever he was.
The preoccupation returned, however, as soon as he stepped out of the ring. Before he reached the locker room, Daly jogged over and pulled him aside.
"Can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?"
Colin used his still soaking shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.
"How would you feel about fighting next weekend? In Havelock." Before Colin could respond, Daly went on. "I know you're three weeks out, but I got a call earlier from Bill Jensen. You know Bill, right?"
"The promoter," Colin said.
"You know how much he's done for our fighters over the years... including you--and he's in a bind. Anyway, Johnny Reese is headlining the event, and the guy he was supposed to fight broke his hand a few days ago and had to scratch. Reese needs a new opponent."
As soon as Daly said the name, Colin remembered the conversation with Evan from the diner. The dude moves like a cat. Daly continued. "Jensen's been trying to find someone, and it turns out that you're the only guy in the weight class who actually might make it interesting. This is Reese's last fight before he goes pro, and he's got the goods. Former NCAA wrestling champ, getting better at striking, for the most part fearless. He actually has a shot at making it to the UFC in a year or two, which is why Jensen doesn't want to cancel. That's why I went so hard with you today. I wanted to know if you were ready to take him on."
"I'm not good enough for Reese."
"You had me on the defensive more than a few times today. Trust me, you're ready."
"Probably," Daly admitted. "But it'll be the best fight of his life to this point because you're better than you think you are." He twisted sweat from the bottom of his shirt. "I know I'm asking you to take a risk here, but it would help us out. You too. Jensen's the kind of guy who never forgets a favor. And you'd be helping us get some good publicity for my gym."
Colin wiped his face again before deciding, Why the hell not?
"Okay," he said. When he left the gym, his mind was on Johnny Reese. Yet he found himself strangely unexcited, and by the time he'd driven halfway home, he wasn't thinking about the upcoming fight at all. The only things on his mind were the man who had sent the roses and how someone other than Ken could have known Maria had thrown them away.
"That's quite the day," Evan commented. They were on the porch, Colin drinking water and Evan nursing a beer. "Reese, huh? He's pretty good."
"Thanks for avoiding the obvious."
"Oh, you mean about Maria and her stalker? That's what you want to talk about?" Evan paused before going on. "All right. Have you considered the idea that Ken might have hired the guy to buy and deliver the roses?"
"Then why get them from someplace an hour away?"
"Maybe the guy he hired is from there."
Colin took a long drink from his glass of water. "Maybe. But I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't think Ken has anything to do with this."
Evan picked at the label on his bottle. "If it's any consolation, I think you're right. It isn't her boss. But on the plus side, all your private-investigator, stake-out-the-roof, and photography activities paid off in the end. Which means you're not a total idiot. Even if you're no closer to learning who it actually is."
"I learned something else, too."
"What's that?"
"I'll bet whoever it was watched Maria from that same spot on the roof where I took the picture."
"Why on earth would you think that?"
"Because the gravel had been smoothed out where I was, and there were gum wrappers littered around that hadn't blown away. Meaning that someone had been there recently. And from that vantage point, I could see directly into Maria's office. Same thing with her car and the Dumpster. Whoever it was could have spied on her for hours. I didn't put the pieces together until right before I talked to you."
For the first time, Evan was quiet. "Huh," he finally said.
"That's it?"
"Maybe you're right or maybe you're wrong. I don't have the answer for you."
"And now, I've got this fight next weekend."
"So?"
"I'm having second thoughts."
"Why?"
"Because of everything that's been going on with Maria."
"You train to fight. You like to fight. You've been offered a fight. What does any of that have to do with Maria?"
Colin opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
"You know what? You give me crap all the time about how Lily has me wrapped around her little finger, but it's pretty clear that I have my relationship a lot more figured out than you do. Because right now, you're trying to live your life based on what might happen or whether you can solve her problem, even when she's told you she doesn't want you to. Do you know how messed up that is? You told me she wanted to watch you fight, right? Ask her to come, take her out for dinner afterwards, and call it a date. Boom. Problem solved."
Colin offered a partial smile. "I think you want me to fight because you're pretty sure I'm going to lose."
"And? Fine, I'll admit it--you're such an endless pain in the ass that it might be fun watching someone smack you around." When Colin laughed, Evan went on. "Good. So that's settled. On another note, are you excited about tonight?"
"Tonight?"
"You and Maria? With Lily and me? We had plans, remember? I made reservations at Caprice Bistro at seven thirty, and afterwards, we're hitting a club that's playing eighties music."
"Eighties music?"
"Is there an echo in here? Yes, eighties music. Lily's a closet Madonna fan. A leftover from her supposedly rebellious teenage years, she says. So we're doing this? As long as Maria's still game, I mean."
"Why wouldn't she be?"
"Maybe because you ruined her mood with what you learned?"
"I haven't told her yet."
"Mr. Honesty? I'm shocked."
"I was planning on telling her tonight."
"If you do that, make sure you don't make too big a deal about it. I don't need you putting a damper on the evening. For all you know, it was a one-time thing and it's over."
"Or maybe," Colin said, "it isn't."
CHAPTER 16
Maria
Colin had been quiet since he'd picked her up, which made Maria nervous, given what he'd been up to for most of the day. Though he volunteered nothing, she knew he was thinking about the flowers. As she watched him respond to her small talk with a distracted air, she felt a pit growing in her stomach. By the time they pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, she couldn't contain herself any longer.
"Who sent the roses?"
He shut off the engine and told her what he'd learned.
She frowned, thinking about it. "If it wasn't Ken, and you don't think Ken hired him, then who is it?"
"I don't know."
She turned toward the passenger window. Beyond the glass, she watched an older couple walking into the restaurant, all smiles. Without a care in the world.
"I saw Ken again yesterday when I was meeting with Barney," she said in a wavering voice. "Other than the fact that he was acting a little distracted, he was completely professional. In fact, he barely seemed to notice me at all. It almost makes me think..."
That it's not Ken. She could tell by Colin's silence that he'd been able to complete her thought.
"Let's try not to worry about it tonight, okay?" he said.
She nodded, feeling the tension in her shoulders. "I'll try. It's hard not to."
"I know," he said. "But you should probably take a moment to prepare yourself for Lily. I adore her, but she does take some getting used to."
Maria forced a smile. "That's a backhanded compliment, you know."
"Guess who I learned it from?"
It took Maria only a second after entering the restaurant to identify Lily. Almost as soon as she and Colin had stepped through the door, a perfectly coiffed, ravishing blonde with eyes the color of turquoise glided toward them. She wore a stylish midlength dress and a strand of pearls. Practically every man in the restaurant turned to watch her pass. Evan, who was dressed preppy stylish and could have passed for someone still in college, trailed in her wake. Maria noticed his air of breezy confidence; he was clearly comfortable allowing Lily the limelight.
Lily's smile never faltered, and as soon as she got close, she took Maria's hands in her own. They were remarkably soft, like a silky baby blanket. "It is an absolute delight for me to have the pleasure of your company this evening! Colin has said so many wonderful things about you." By then, Evan had reached her side. "And oh, dear! Where are my manners? I'm Lily, and this handsome man beside me is my fiance, Evan. It's so wonderful to meet you, Maria!"
"Hi there," Evan said with genuine warmth. "And please don't be offended if Lily doesn't let me get a word in the rest of the evening."
"Hush now, Evan," Lily scolded. "There's no reason to give our new friend the wrong impression about me." She returned her gaze to Maria. "Please try to forgive him. He's as sweet as can be and more intelligent than he lets on, but he went to State and he was in a fraternity. You know what that means."
"At least my university was coed," Evan countered.
"And as I've assured him repeatedly," she responded, nudging Maria, "I will never hold that flaw against him."
Despite herself, Maria smiled. "It's nice to meet you both."
Still holding Maria's hands, Lily turned to Colin. "Colin, you must admit that you weren't being fair to Mar
ia at all when you told me about her! She's absolutely breathtaking!" Then back to Maria: "It's no wonder that you've been all that Colin has been able to think about lately. You must know that you've been the topic of discussion every time we've spoken in recent weeks, and I can certainly understand why." Letting go of Maria's hands, she kissed Colin on the cheek. "You're very handsome this evening. Did I buy you that shirt?"
"Thank you," Colin said. "And yes, you did."
"And that's a good thing, don't you agree? If I wasn't around, you'd probably be wearing one of those awful T-shirts with slogans on them."
"I like those shirts."
She patted his arm. "I know you do, bless your heart. Now, shall we head to the table? I've been on pins and needles all day and I want to know absolutely everything about the woman who already has you wrapped around her little finger."
"I'm not sure that's quite true," Maria protested.
"As true as due north. Colin--despite his stoic demeanor--is actually quite expressive in his emotions once you're familiar with them. Now, shall we?"
When she turned for the table, Colin shrugged at Maria, as if to say I told you so. While Maria had become acquainted with the Southern belle debutante phenomenon among the sorority girls at Chapel Hill, Colin was right: Lily took it to a whole new level. Maria initially assumed it to be partially an act, but as they settled into wide-ranging conversation over dinner, she gradually changed her mind. What was interesting was that as much as Lily could talk--and the girl could talk about anything--she could also draw out information simply by the way she listened. She had a way of leaning forward slightly and nodding when appropriate; making noises of empathy or sympathy, followed by probing questions. Maria never once had the sense that Lily was trying to think of the next thing she wanted to say while Maria was still talking, and to her surprise she even found herself telling Lily and Evan about the delivery of the roses and its aftermath. At that, the table went quiet, and Lily impulsively covered Maria's hand with her own.
Later, while the two women were freshening up in the restroom after dinner, Maria caught Lily's reflection in the mirror.
"I feel like I did most of the talking," Maria said. "I'm sorry about that."
See Me Page 23