Private Affair(46)
Cannon visibly relaxed when he knew they were going to stop questioning him.
Max gave him another jolt by saying, “You’re in danger, too.”
Brian’s eyes widened, but he only said, “Oh sure.”
“Don’t be so cavalier about it.” Max leaned forward. “This is more urgent than you might think. Last night someone was sneaking around Olivia’s property. They ran away when I came outside with a gun.”
The other man blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I wouldn’t kid about something like that. So any help you can give us would be appreciated.”
“Okay. Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Max and Olivia stood, and the businessman gave them a long look and shook his head.
“What?” Olivia asked.
“I never would have figured you’d end up with the school thug,” Cannon said, probably delivering a line that he’d been hoping to work into the conversation like a skunk cabbage in a wedding bouquet.
“He’s not a thug.”
“He was back then.”
“Some people are able to overcome their beginnings.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cannon asked.
“I’m just saying that Max turned himself around.”
Cannon shrugged.
“You had every advantage,” Olivia continued.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your parents had money. You had anything you wanted. You could afford to go to one of the top colleges.”
“And I had the grades to do it.”
They were apparently talking loudly, because Ms. Holiday stuck her head in the door.
“Do you need anything?” she asked her boss.
“No,” he snapped. “Mr. Lyon and Ms. Winters were just leaving.”
Max took Olivia’s arm and they headed for the door. The receptionist stepped aside to let them pass, followed them down the hall, and watched them exit the office suite.
“That went well,” Olivia murmured as they headed for the elevator.
“Depends on the objective. We pissed him off, but we got some valuable information. We know about Pendergast. And we know Cannon’s hiding something,” Max said.
“How?”
“By his behavior. I’d love to have a bug in the office and find out if he got on the horn to someone as soon as he saw us in the parking lot.”
“Who would he call?”
“Someone else who was at the party who has an interest in hiding what really happened that night.” He slid Olivia a glance but didn’t ask the question that was in his mind. Cannon had said Olivia hadn’t seen what happened at the rec room bar because she was wasted. Was that a smoke screen, or was he telling the truth? Max would like to know. But perhaps now was not the time to ask.
They reached the car and got in.
“Now where?” Olivia asked.
“Back home.”
She looked relieved, like she’d had enough excitement to last for a couple of days. He drove to the farmhouse and paused at the mouth of the access road.
“What are you doing?” Olivia asked.
“Just looking around.”
“To see what?”
“Someone was here last night. I’m looking for evidence that they came back.”
“You think they’re going to leave a sign?”
“Not intentionally.”
He walked twenty yards up the driveway, scanning the fields for anything out of place, then came back to the SUV and steered the vehicle up the rutted lane to the gravel area beside the house.
They both climbed out and went inside, both of them obviously on edge, with no way to avoid being alone together. He hadn’t planned the frantic grappling in the car, but it had happened and it had crossed a line that Max wasn’t sure he could step back over. Olivia knew he wanted her. He knew she wanted him, although perhaps he could still rationalize that their emotions had been supercharged by the encounter with the security guard—and by her reaction to going back to the cabin in the woods. Before he could decide his next move, his phone buzzed.
Chapter 15
It was a text message from Shane.
New confidential development in the case. Need to talk.
Okay, Max texted back.
Need to talk to you alone. Meet me at restaurant where you had meeting last night. South end of parking lot.
Max glanced at Olivia.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ve got to take care of something.”
“Just you?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I thought you didn’t want to leave me alone…” Her voice trailed off before starting again. “Will you be gone long?”
“I don’t think so. Lock the door behind me, and don’t let anyone in. I’ll set the alarm before I leave.”