Page 75 of Finding Amanda

"Him. When you killedhim. . ."

"I thought it was a woman. And I did it anyway. So I am capable. It scares me to think I could, if I lost my temper . . . I could've killed Amanda today. I've never been so angry."

"Did you hurt her?"

"I told her to go inside. And then I raked like a madman until I calmed down."

"Why were you so upset?"

"She had dinner with Alan last night."

"I see."

Mark drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and waited.

"What's going on with that guy?"

"I don't know. She said nothing happened. They're just friends."

"Hmm."

"Yeah, I know. But what can I do? I'm afraid to push her." Mark remembered her words.We have to make some decisions. What decision was Amanda pondering? Was he about to be served divorce papers?

He couldn’t contemplate that right now. “That's not even the worst news. This morning, I found a box on the front porchfilled with . . . It's a long story, but it was a threat. Sheppard left it . . ." His voice trailed off as he thought of something.

After a moment, Chris prompted him. "Sheppard left it?"

"Shh. Let me think." Mark wondered at the coincidence. Sheppard and Alan. Alan and Sheppard. They'd both turned up in Amanda's life at the same time.

"I need you to check on a name for me," Mark said.

"Okay . . . ?"

"Alan Morris. He works for some publishing company in New York. Lives in New York, though I don't know where exactly. He's an editor."

"Um, why exactly?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. No reason, really. I just . . . Is it a coincidence that she ran into both of them on the same day?"

"Wasn't Alan at the conference? Wasn’t he the one who rescued her?”

"Yeah."

"I think you're grasping. I know you don't like this guy. I wouldn't like him either. But a connection between him and Sheppard? I don't see it."

"Well, I'm not sure I see it either," Mark said. "But it's worth checking out. We haven't found anything else."

"It can't hurt, I guess. I don't blame you for being suspicious of Alan. I agree he's guilty of trying to steal your wife. There's no reason to think he's done anything else. Fortunately, we still have a number of leads to check out. Have you gotten the textbooks yet?"

"They're at home on my kitchen table. I figured we'd start working on that Monday."

"Sounds good," Chris said. "Give me the names of his publisher, editor, and agent if you can find them, and I'll do thelegwork."

"You sure? I know you're busy?—"

"This is getting serious, Mark. I'll do whatever I can. And if there's a connection to Amanda, I promise we'll find it."

Halloween wasan odd day to begin her new life, but Amanda had made a promise to herself Friday night, and she intended to keep it today. After Mark's crazy jealousy on Saturday, she knew she'd made the right decision. She called her lawyer. The woman had already drawn up the papers, and Amanda visited her office to sign them. Her lawyer would file them on Wednesday, beginning what she hoped would be the quick, painless process of dissolving their marriage.

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