Just cut to the fucking chase.
“She has lots of pictures of you and a lady—a pretty brunette. There are pictures, diagrams of houses. There are lists of things that look like a schedule of your daily movements and a girl named Kari. There’s contact information, stuff about a hospital in Scottsdale—”
“Mrs. West, I hate to cut you off,” I said, feeling my blood run cold, “but where is Sam now?”
“I don’t know,” she said simply. “But I’m worried. When she came by and asked to move back in, she wasn’t herself and she’s been more removed from reality than I’ve seen her in a long time.” She let out a deep breath, the exhaustion and worry thick. “She’s not well, Max. I’ve been worried about her for a few months now. She’s been erratic and like she was before...”
“Before what?”
“This is all my fault.”
The tree outside my window was blowing hard, whipping its branches against the glass, while Kari clicked away on my computer. Everything seemed completely ordinary...but it wasn’t. I felt it.
“What’s your fault?”
“I should have been better to her. I knew she needed help. I should’ve done right by her...” She sighed into the phone. “I think Sam might be looking for you. I keep a revolver around here for protection—always have. And it’s gone. There’s this letter on top of her scrapbook, well, maybe it isn’t a letter, but a rant about how you and she are meant to be together. I just...I can’t stop worrying and I really think you need to know this. To keep an eye out for her. I just think she’s snapped.”
“Thanks for the call. If she comes home, please call me. And call the police, okay?”
“I already called them but they said there isn’t much they can do at this point. She needs help, Max. We have to get her help.”
“Thanks for calling me, Mrs. West.”
I ended the call and turned to look at Kari.
“What’s that about?” she asked curiously.
“That was Sam’s mom. Apparently Sam’s gone off the deep end.”
She snorted. “I think she already did that.”
“No. For real this time. Let’s get out of here. I’m going to follow you home—go straight there.”
Kari nodded and stood up. I opened the door to my office and then stopped dead in my tracks.
FORTY-FOUR
MAX
The barrel of the revolver caught the light from the security bulb overhead. It shook a little, the movement causing the steel to glimmer just enough to be visible.
I put both hands behind me and shoved Kari backwards.
“What the hell?” she asked defiantly, my little firecracker not happy with getting pushed.
“Yeah, what the hell?” Sam asked in front of me, stepping out of the shadows and pulling her hood off her head. “I came here so we could talk alone. Of courseshe’shere!”
Her tone was erratic, calm and then touching hysteria. Her hair was a mess, her eyes looked like she hadn’t slept in awhile.
“Well, I didn’t know you were coming.” I flashed her a smile, hoping to keep her calm. “You should’ve called and let me know.”
Sam’s laugh bounced around the office, the gun bouncing right along with it. I felt Kari’s hands on my back and I shook my head slightly, trying to get her to move back and away from the doorway.
“What’s going on, Sam?”
Her eyes were devoid of any feeling. A bead of sweat glistened across her forehead, her hair matted together in thick blonde chunks.
“Sam?” Kari asked from behind me and I stuck both hands out, grabbing each side of the door frame, preventing her from coming forward. “What’s going on?”
