"It's one of them. She knows. How else would she know?" I handed him the note.
He quickly read it. "That doesn't mean she knows what just happened. This could have just been because James is here. There's no way she could know about his lung collapsing. It just happened."
"Unless someone told her."
Rob frowned. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the waiting room and into an empty hallway. "So you're accusing one of our closest friends and family of conspiring with Isabella?"
"I don't know. How can we know? She just keeps sending me stuff. And James is in surgery again. And...I don't know." I shookmy head. It felt like I was losing my mind. But what if I was right. What if someone was feeding her information?
"No one out there would do that."
"How are you so sure? The cops aren't sure. I'm not even sure anymore."
"Penny, you're just upset about what happened. This," he raised the note in the air, "is still Isabella. She's the one behind all of this."
"But what if it's not even her?"
"Penny, what are you talking about?"
"What if it's someone else? One of them knows something. Rob, I can't explain. I just know. One of them is lying. One of them is talking to her. They're telling her everything. She's not doing this alone."
Rob ran his hand through his hair. "No one else would write this note though."
"I know." I tried to take a deep breath like Daphne had instructed. I nodded my head. "I'm sorry, I'm just freaking out. I just..." I let my voice trail off.
"But I don't think you're wrong either."
Goosebumps ran up my arms at his words.
"I've been feeling like someone's watching me. What if...fuck, what if you're right?" He turned his head toward the waiting room.
"I've felt it too. I just have this eerie feeling. She watched me before with this undetectable camera. Maybe that's it again. Maybe it's not another person." I noticed Officer Daugherty walk into the waiting room.
Rob sighed. "Let's go tell the cops to question everyone. And to search for a camera. If you're right, maybe that's what will finally lead us to her."
"But you've felt it too?"
He lowered his eyebrows as he nodded. He didn't realize that all his small gestures killed me inside. The similarities between him and James hit me the hardest.
"I need to tell you something," he said slowly. "It's been bothering me. And now that you're questioning things, I feel like I need to tell you."
I looked up at him. "Tell me what?"
"James asked me to take care of you if something ever happened to him."
I didn't doubt that James would do that. But I did have one question. "When did he ask you that?"
"He asked me twice actually. Once right before you two moved to New York. I didn't know you that well, but I was already gratefulfor what you had done for him. I don't think you realize how happy you made him."
I tried to blink back my tears.
"And he asked me again the night before you two got married."
That was sweet. But it made my stomach unsettled. Why would James ask him again?
"I just need you to know that he didn't need to ask me. I'd never let anything happen to you."
"Rob."