Page 25 of Secret Stalker

“Um, yes. It’s quite lovely.” She hurriedly moved away from the doorway toward the desk.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and she knew Max had entered the room again. She glanced at him and caught him frowning. He looked at the painting by the doorway, then her. Had he heard Martha talking to her? Did he suspect she’d overheard his call?

He looked like he was about to say something when the door to Mr. Leonard’s office opened behind him, letting the sound of several male voices into the room. A wheelchair came into view first, and Bex frowned in surprise to see Robert Caldwell sitting there. The last time she’d seen him he’d been a strong bear of a man. Now he was pale, thin and sickly. Had losing his oldest son done that to him? She pressed a hand against her throat, feeling a stab of nausea at the thought. And then she looked up at the man pushing the wheelchair and took a quick step back.

“Bex?” Max whispered. “What’s wrong?”

She blinked at the apparition in front of her. Bobby Caldwell. It couldn’t be. How was this possible?

“Bex?” Max moved in front of her, bending down so their eyes met. “Pull yourself together,” he whispered.

“But how can it be? Bobby is...” She worked her mouth but couldn’t seem to say it out loud, that Bobby was supposed to be dead.

His brows raised and a look of dawning came over his face. “That’s Deacon, just back from a tour overseas, Iraq. He’s Bobby’s younger brother. Remember how much alike they always looked? I assure you that Bobby Caldwell hasn’t come back from the grave.”

She let out a shaky breath and nodded. “Yes, of course. It was just...a surprise. I’m fine.” At his skeptical look, she straightened her shoulders. “I’m fine. Really.”

He stepped back beside her. But she almost wished he hadn’t. Because now the elder Caldwell had a clear view of her, and his eyes were filled with such hate that it had her stomach churning with nausea all over again. His face reddened and his eyes darkened almost to black.

Mr. Leonard, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room, stepped around the Caldwells to greet Bex. He took her hands in his. “Delighted to see you again, dear. Are you here to sign that form?”

“Um, yes. Martha already had me sign it. I was just about to leave. I didn’t mean to intrude.” She tugged her hands from his.

“Nonsense, nonsense,” he said. “No need to rush.” He nodded at Max. “Good to see you, Detective. I hope everything’s okay? No other crises happening in our little town?”

Max shook his hand. “So far, so good.” He stepped past the lawyer and shook Deacon’s hand. “Deacon, good to see you. Thank you for your service. Glad to see you made it back in one piece.”

“Thanks, Max. Good to be back.” Deacon shook his hand.

Max nodded at the man in the wheelchair. “Mr. Caldwell.”

“What’s she doing here?” The older man’s words dripped like venom from his mouth.

Bex curled her fingers into her palms.

Mr. Leonard turned around, his face mirroring surprise for a split second. Then a look of dawning came over him. He gave Bex an apologetic glance before facing his other clients.

“Robert, I’ll have those papers drawn up in no time. Have Deacon bring you back in a week and we’ll perform a final review.”

Relief flashed in Deacon’s eyes and he started forward, pushing his father’s chair and looking eager to escape.

“Hold it,” his father demanded, slamming one of the brakes on the wheelchair and almost overturning it in his zeal to stop. “I’m not going anywhere until I hear an explanation for why she’s here. Augustus, if you’re going to do business with this murdering piece of vermin, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

Bex sucked in a breath, and Deacon’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

Mr. Leonard sputtered and stammered, seemingly so shocked that he didn’t know what to say.

Max had no such problem. He planted himself squarely in front of the elder Caldwell’s chair and leaned down, both hands braced on the arms of the wheelchair.

“Calling Miss Kane a murderer is slander, Mr. Caldwell. And Destiny is just old-fashioned enough to still have laws on the books that give me the power to arrest you for that. I suggest you keep your insults to yourself unless you want to see the inside of a jail cell.”

“Bah, Thornton would toss you out on your backside if you put one hand on me. And it’s not slander if it’s true. That, that—”

“Careful,” Max warned, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Caldwell glared at him before aiming his fury at Bex again. “You killed my son. You shouldn’t be free and walking around. You should be six feet under, just like him.”

“Dad.” Deacon sounded mortified. “Please, stop.” He aimed a pleading look at Bex. “I’m so sorry, Bex. It’s the cancer. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

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