“Do you know where Senft is or not?” the officer asked.
Dree told him, “No, I’m not even in the US right now.”
“Do you know where the money is?”
“His bank accounts are all at Valley National Savings and Loan. If you’re going after the money, he stole forty thousand dollars, give or take, in cash and property from me, and he even stole money from the checking account that is set aside for my nephew’s autism therapy. I mean, I’ve deposited more money in there since then, so it’s not overdrawn. I don’t want you to think my sister is passing bad checks because she’s not. But Francis stole ten thousand dollars from money set aside for therapy for a disabled little boy. If you’re going to go after the money, go after that.”
“Say, is this his girlfriend, Dree Clark? Why the hell don’t you know where he is?”
Dree looked up at Max, her eyes wide and frightened. She muted the phone’s mic and said to Max, “I think this is the same cop who was waiting outside my apartment and picked me up.”
Maxence tapped the red spot on her phone screen and ended the call. He should have done it earlier. “Tell me what happened.”
Dree flipped her hands around and sighed. “There was just so much happening right before I left Phoenix. When I couldn’t get any money out of the ATM and went back to my apartment, there was a police car waiting outside. They said they needed to talk to me about Francis and told me that I wasn’t in any trouble, so I got in.”
Maxence gripped her hand more tightly even though he knew that her story must not end horribly because she was sitting right there with him. He did not like that she entered the car, though.
“It was weird. They didn’t take me to the police station. The guy just drove around, and then he parked in the back of an abandoned mini-mall, and another police car was already waiting there. They kept asking me questions about where Francis was and whether he’d bought a new car or anything expensive lately, and they kept at it until I got upset and walked away from them. They wouldn’t listen to what had happened to me and how Francis had stolen all my stuff and money. When I got out to the corner, I called a rideshare and went to the hospital to get my gym bag. I guess that should have tipped me off that Francis was dealing drugs.”
Maxence squeezed her hand, trying to show his support.
She looked at their joined hands on Maxence’s leg, and her eyebrows twitched together.
Maxence said, “It’s not your fault.”
Her voice was lower. “I should’ve known Francis was dealing drugs.”
Maxence summoned up words that he did not dare to speak aloud on very many occasions. “When someone you love or someone in your family does despicable things, it’s easier not to let yourself think about why.”
Dree said, “I think that police officer I just talked to was the same guy who picked me up. I didn’t recognize his voice at first.”
Maxence shook his head. “I don’t think you can trust that police officer.”
She said, “I don’t think I can, either. I think he has something to do with it, and I don’t think it’s safe for me to talk to him anymore.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you’re not in Arizona right now. It might not be safe for you to go back. Do you have someplace else you can go? Maybe your parents in New Mexico?”
Dree shook her head. “If someone were looking for me, first they’d talk to Mandi, and then my parents in New Mexico. If they find Francis, he’ll tell them that. If I were to go there, I think it would put them in danger.”
Maxence said, “I don’t think you should try to contact the police in Phoenix again.”
“I won’t. I’m deleting that phone-call app right now.” She was tapping quickly on the phone with both her thumbs. “I should probably just turn off my phone.”
“Your phone number isn’t working because you don’t have cellular service in France. If you don’t have that app, I don’t think he can call you. Don’t answer any incoming calls if you don’t know who they’re from.”
This also made Maxence uneasy, but a few things calmed his mind.
Dree was not registered under her name at the Four Seasons hotel. No one would be able to find her name registered anywhere, except perhaps at that FlyBNB, but she’d checked out of that and gotten a partial refund for the days she hadn’t used. She hadn’t left a forwarding address with the woman.
She was probably safe with Max at the Four Seasons for now.
He asked her, “Are you planning to go back to Phoenix on Thursday?”
Dree was scowling at her phone. “I don’t know.”
Max opened his arms. “Come here.”
Dree stood and hesitated in front of him, frowning and looking at his arms and knees like she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.
