Lowell stared at him for a long moment, then spoke to his son. “Bryce, go with Mommy. I need to talk to Mr. Aylett.”
Uncle Noah, he wanted to say. They were family.
Bryce protested, but Missy picked him up. “Come help me in the kitchen, buddy. I’m making cookies.”
Noah expected Lowell to lead him into his office, but instead, he headed for the sliding glass doors that opened to the backyard, then stepped aside to let Noah precede him as if he feared turning his back on him.
Maybe he should.
The landscaping had grown since Noah’s last visit, the saplings now sturdy young trees, the flower beds more established. An outdoor seating area was nestled under a covered patio.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Noah rounded on his former friend. “Did you know?”
Lowell’s expression shifted from annoyance to confusion, his brows drawing together. “Know what?”
“Charlotte’s been kidnapped.” He paused to let the words sink in. “Someone broke into my house in the middle of the night and took her from her bed.”
All color drained from Lowell’s face. He gripped the edge of a patio chair and lowered himself into it as if his legs could no longer support him. “I would never… Of course I wouldn’t be involved in something like that. She’s just a child.”
Noah searched for any hint of deception, any flicker that he was lying. But Lowell’s shock seemed genuine—the way his hands trembled, the sickened pallor of his skin.
“I had nothing to do with it.” Lowell’s voice was unsteady. “You have to believe me.”
Maybe. But that didn’t extinguish the anger burning inside Noah. “The difference between you and me, Lowell, is that when you tell me something, I do believe you.”
“But… This isn’t… This is different. Marianne’s my sister, and she said?—”
“If Marianne believed those lies about me, then she was wrong.” Noah’s words were too loud, vibrating with betrayal and fury and fear. He needed to control himself. More importantly, he needed to reach Lowell to get his help. “I never had a relationship with Lena Monroe. She started the rumors because she’s crazy.”
“Oh, come on?—”
“Right now, she’s in custody after pointing a gun at us last night. She threatened to kill Delaney. Charlotte was there for the whole thing. When Jaz tackled Lena, she fired. We’re just lucky the shot went wide and nobody was hurt or killed.”
“Seriously?” But his expression darkened. “That doesn’t mean you didn’t?—”
“I never slept with her!” He shouted so loudly that his words came back in an echo. He took two deep breaths.Help me, Father. Calm me down. Give me wisdom.
He watched his friend processing, but he didn’t have time for that.
“Get it through your head, Lowell. I didn’t cheat on your sister. All the things you’ve done to hurt me have been for nothing. Got it?”
“If what you’re saying is true about Lena, then maybe she took Char?—”
“She’s in jail,” he snapped. “Try to keep up.” His heart was racing as if he’d run a marathon.
Here he’d thought having a gun pointed at him would be the most drama he’d face in a year, maybe in a lifetime.
Less than twenty-four hours later, that moment was already irrelevant.
“So you’re saying somebodyelsetook Charlotte?” Lowell asked. “Not Lena?” His eyes widened. “You can’t thinkIdid it.”
“You’ve been feeding Hayes information about me.”
“I…” Lowell sank deeper into the chair, his face ashen. “Yes, but?—”
“Tell me everything you know about him.”
“I don’t know much.” Lowell rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I heard he was ruthless in business. That’s not a secret. And I think—” He paused, his eye contact slipping. “I know he was behind the sabotage at your office.”
