Page 52 of The Library on Plum Island
“Oh, great,” Alex sighed, remembering the conversation he’d had with Harriet, Dawn, and Emily that morning about his feelings for Daniella. “This is just super great.”
“That would explain the message from this morning,” Harriet piped up. “Remember, we wondered why someone would send you a message about leaving Doctor Thornton alone.”
“Yes, she’s been to the house a lot over the past few days because you were sick,” Dawn said, steering the conversation away from its intended direction.
Alex smiled at her gratefully. “Do you think it could’ve been the paparazzi that planted the bugs in my house, hoping to get a scoop on who my secret love is?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time one of them has gone to such extremes,” Harriet said, nodding.
“But you said that your house had been ransacked,” Harley pointed out. “The paparazzi would stealthily sneak in and out, not wanting to bring attention to the fact they’d been there.”
“They did smash up things in your house pretty badly,” Dawn noted. “Almost like they were angry at you.”
Before Alex could answer, his phone beeped, and he pulled it out to see a message from another blocked caller.
Don’t even think about going through with your plans to marry Doctor Thornton, or I’ll make sure she knows exactly how much you know about her!
CHAPTER 11
Inthequietofher uncle’s house, Daniella finished packing the dishwasher. Her movements were sharp and jittery. Ethan, who had rented a minivan, had arrived to fetch Emily ten minutes ago. Daniella had watched her daughter climb into the minivan and join Reef, Shay, Dawn, Jennifer, and Carly with both relief and trepidation. It wasn’t that Daniella didn’t trust Ethan’s driving. Daniella was sure he was an excellent driver. It was just that Daniella didn’t like her daughter traveling without her, and the thought of being alone was creeping her out.
A movement by her feet had her glancing down to see Hicks curled up beside her as she worked. Daniella felt better with their faithful bull terrier at her side. But that still didn’t stop the morning sun streaming through the windows, casting long shadows that seemed to play tricks on her eyes as every shadow felt like a threat. Even the whisper of the wind sounded sinister as it tapped against the windows.
Daniella gave herself a mental shake and took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. The false alarm at the clinic had left her on edge, making everything seem like it was magnified or coming to get her. Red-hot anger spurted through Daniella at the knowledge that a person could make another person feel unsafe and as insecure as she was feeling. Before Doctor Ron Jackson started playing manipulative mind games with her, Daniella never minded being alone. Now, being alone made her uncomfortable and fearful.
At least Emily was safely in the care of her good friends and her cousin Carly. Ethan had assured Daniella that Blackwell’s security team wouldn’t be far behind them. It had been incredibly sweet of Ethan to rent a minivan to keep them all together on their trip to Boston. Uncle Sam and Harley had gone to investigate the alarming call from the clinic that Daniella had gotten earlier, which had lured her to the clinic on the false pretense of an emergency. She closed the dishwasher and dried her hands on a kitchen towel, glancing around the room, hating that she was left to wrestle with the silence and the shadows.
Daniella’s eyes caught the clock on the wall that hung above the breakfast table.
“Good grief,” she muttered. “Is that the time already?”
Hicks lifted his head, looking up at her curiously, moving his head from side to side.
“Are you coming?” Daniella asked the pure white dog with a few black and pink splotches on his nose.
Hicks lay his head back down on his paws.
“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Daniella said to the lazy dog. “Although if I was comfortable in a warm sunspot, I suppose I wouldn’t follow you either.”
Daniella started walking out of the kitchen when she nearly jumped out of her skin. The silence of the house was shattered by the sharp ring of her phone. Daniella pulled the device from the pocket of her cut-off jeans and frowned, noticing it was a blocked number. Her heart, which was already a drumbeat of anxiety, surged into overdrive as it drummed every nerve ending in her body onto instant high alert. The rational part of her screamed to ignore it as it could be her stalker. Another part of her brain reminded her that her daughter was traveling or that it could just be an insurance sales call.
No more running, Daniella!She gave herself a pep-talk.Whoever this is, I’m going to take this call.
Still, her hands shook, and her heart was ready to race right out of her throat as she answered, “Hello?”
“Daniella? This is Meg Parks from Boston Splash Magazine,” came the cheery reply, smashing some of the dark tendrils of fear snaking around Daniella’s heart.
“Who?” Daniella asked. Confusion furrowed her brow.
“Meg. Remember you called me early today, giving me an exclusive about your upcoming nuptials to Alex Blackwell?” Meg’s words only made Daniella’s brow tighten even more with confusion.
“Excuse me?” Daniella said. “I made no calls to any magazine.” Her voice was ice and assertive as she corrected Meg.
Her mind whirred with shock and disbelief that a magazine, especially a gossip rag like the Boston Celebrity Splash, had somehow found out about their marriage within hours of them discussing it. Or that they’d accuse her of calling them. Daniella hated gossip rags as she knew what they did to Carly and how badly they could slay the truth to turn into sensationalism.
Could one of my friends or family members have accidentally leaked the information?Daniella shook off the thought.No!She gave herself another mental shake.Why would they, though? And why would they pretend to be me?
“I have the number for the Plum Island Clinic on my phone,” Meg assured her. “Timestamped with the time you phoned me from there.” The woman paused. “Although…”
