A flash of impatience struck Ashley, but her quick count to three had her instinctive retort dying and a more suitable soundbite emerging. “I’m sorry, but I’m as confused as you. If you want answers, you must ask him. Did you have any policy questions for me?”
“No, I have everything I need,” the reporter replied, her manner calculating.
Inwardly, Ashley groaned. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the angle of the woman’s story. Unease engulfed her as she replayed the man’s question and his odd behavior. Chill bumps rippled across her arms and legs. The man had acted smug as if he’d had the secret rather than her. Was he her stalker? Or was she jumping to conclusions because her stalker had her spooked?
“Thanks for coming to listen to me,” Ashley murmured.
The reporter’s cat-sharp eyes narrowed a fraction as she turned away. Ashley pinned on a smile and fought to keep it there as she searched the departing crowd. The crowd split off in twos and threes, laughing and chatting, piling into vans and cars. Others walking. Ashley scanned faces, studied vehicles. She searched the shadows cast by the hedge surrounding three-quarters of the parking lot.
She caught her breath and puffed it out in a slow exhalation. Her right hand trembled when she pulled her car keys from the side pocket of her handbag. Each new breath came in a wheezy pant.
Initially, she’d fought her brother’s suggestion of a bodyguard. No, not just security, but a fake fiancé. Now, she couldn’t wait for the chosen man to arrive from wherever her brother had found him. Matt had contacts, and if he trusted this man, that was good enough for her.
A man shouted from behind her, and she started. A quick glance told her it was a teenager hailing his friend. Heck, she had to get a grip. She’d been fine until the man in the black coat had mentioned secrets.
Her life was an open book.
All of it.
Mindful of her brother’s advice, she forced herself to focus.Be present and aware of your surroundings.
Ashley strode to her car. Her keys were in her right hand, and she used the remote to unlock her vehicle once she grew closer. After a rapid perusal of the car interior, she slipped inside. A second later, she’d locked the doors. Her shaky laugh resounded as she clicked her seat belt into place.
She was all right.
Ashley ran her sweaty palms down the legs of her black trousers then started her vehicle. She had her fully charged phone. Matt had texted her the bodyguard—her fiancé’s number. All she needed to do was drive home and meet the man who’d stay attached to her side for the next few weeks.
A secret.
Fudge, she did have one.
A fake fiancé.
He was so secret, she’d never recognize him in a line-up. Although she trusted her brother, she prayed this man he’d found had a brain. No one who knew her well would accept a man who couldn’t hold a conversation. They’d become suspicious, but Matt had promised her this scheme was workable.
She pulled out of the parking lot, stopped for a truck, then merged with the evening traffic. Most of the people who’d listened to her speak had hurried home while she’d spoken to the reporter. The traffic was steady, but not as heavy as it had been when she’d visited the suburb and spoken at a marae two weeks ago.
She’d almost made it to the arterial road when her car started juddering. It jerked and spluttered, and she eased her foot off the accelerator before pressing down again. Her car didn’t respond. Instead, it bunny-hopped for several feet before dying. The vehicle coasted a few feet farther as she steered it toward the curb. The driver behind her gave an impatient toot and overtook, speeding past her.
Ashley attempted to restart her car. “Come on,” she muttered.
The car stalled. She tried again. This time nothing happened.
Her car was dead.
* * * * *
“Isn’t she at home?” Summer asked.
“No, she attended a meeting tonight,” Josh told his younger sister. “I suggested meeting her here. I can spend the time checking out her security.” He turned to his brother-in-law Nikolai. “You and Summer should head home. You don’t need to wait with me. Ashley told me she’d be home after ten.”
Ashley’s home was a 1920s wooden bungalow that occupied an extensive section on Mill Road. Mature trees grew at the rear of the house, casting deep shadows. Ashley had left a light on, and the illumination spilled across her front yard. Two garden beds full of spring bulbs flanked a path leading to the front entrance while a verandah wrapped around the house. Hanging baskets and several pots of flowers and herbs provided color and scent and hinted Ashley enjoyed gardening. A locked garage sat to the right. Frog had told him Ashley had inherited the house from their grandmother, and she took care of her inheritance.
Nikolai shot a wink at Summer. “We should meet your fiancée.”
“We should.” Summer leaned into her husband, her smile impish in the glow of the security light. “Mum will require a report.”
Josh groaned. “Really, I appreciate you giving me a lift. Frog gave me permission to borrow his vehicle since Ashley is storing it for him.”
