“I don’t fucking know.” Blowing out a breath, I tell him about Shannon’s stalker and everything we know so far. I need to talk this out with someone and I trust him. “And my buddy who’s running point on this for me thinks her mother is behind it.”
Chris grimaces. “That’s not going to be pretty. Especially not after her story yesterday about how much closer they’ve been since her dad passed.”
“Yeah, and none of this makes any sense.”
“You going to tell her?”
I meet his gaze. “You think I should?”
“In my experience, trying to protect them by keeping secrets tends to blow up in your face. So yeah, I’d tell her.”
“Christ.” I pick up speed, looking to get my heart rate up and maybe burn off a little anxiety because that’s a conversation I’m not looking forward to.
When I get back to the room, there’s a note from Shannon reminding me she had an eight o’clock massage and would meet me for breakfast at nine fifteen. I take a quick shower and get dressed, check in with Erik, and am about to leave for breakfast when I see a text from Chains:
Find out who Sandra Barnes is. That’s who the number belongs to.
I frown but let him know I will.
Chris and Aubrey are coming down the stairs as I’m going up and we walk into the restaurant for breakfast together.
“Shannon will be here in a few minutes,” I tell them. “She’s getting a massage.”
“You two want some privacy this morning?” Chris asks me.
I shake my head. “I’ll talk to her later, when we’re in Heidelberg.” That’s where we’re headed today and I hope the romantic backdrop of Heidelberg Castle will perhaps soften the blow of what I have to tell her. I’m going to take Chris’s advice and tell her about her mother’s phone calls to a woman named Sandra Barnes. That isn’t a German name, making me think it’s someone she works with.
“Hi.” Shannon leans over and drops a kiss on my lips before sinking into the chair next to me, just as Felix brings out her daily cappuccino.
“I figured you’d be ready,” Aubrey tells her.
“Thank you.” Shannon grins at her. “So, are we off to Heidelberg today?”
“We are.”
Aubrey and Shannon chatter and make plans for the day all through breakfast, and while I keep one arm around the back of her chair, gently stroking her shoulder and neck, I don’t say much. I don’t want to ruin the relationship between her and her mother, but it will be really fucked up if it turns out that her mother is somehow behind this.
When we finish eating, Shannon gets up to go back to the room to get ready and tugs my hand. “We’ll see you guys for the tour!” she says to Chris and Aubrey as she pulls me toward the stairs.
“That was kind of rude,” I chuckle, allowing her to drag me back to our room.
She leans against the door as soon as it closes behind us, as if to prevent me from leaving. “Okay, spill.”
“What?” I want to smile at her ferocity but opt not to. She knows me better than I thought and while it’s kind of cute, the conversation we’re about to have isn’t going to be nice or cute.
“You were quiet and distracted all through breakfast. We haven’t been together long, but I already know you pretty well. Something must have happened back in Cologne, so you might as well tell me.” Her blue eyes burn into mine and I reach out a hand to her. She takes it immediately, letting me pull her into my arms.
“This might sound weird, but answer my questions before I tell you why, okay?”
“Okay.” She leans back, watching my face intently.
“Who is Sandra Barnes?”
“A friend and coworker. She teaches history at the school.”
“Are you good friends?”
“Probably my closest friend in Cologne, but it’s not like we’re besties or anything. We’re about the same age, both single, and work together, but we probably wouldn’t be friends if not for the proximity.”
