Not quite, but close enough, Maria thought. “Where did you get the wigs so quickly?”
“From a wig shop. Where else? And though they’re not perfect – such a thing would be impossible on such short notice – they’ll both be more than adequate for our purposes.”
Maria sorted through the tote bag. “I can pay you back for all of this…”
“No, you most certainly will not. And though what I’m about to say will likely sound awful, all the cloak-and-dagger activity this morning has been a tiny bit exciting. It reminds me of the masquerade ball at my parents’ country club. Now let’s get started… and don’t forget the carnation. That’s the kind of detail that people focus on. I’m going to text Evan, and he’ll be here in just a few minutes.”
Maria left Lily’s dressing room, slipping into the adjoining one. In the tote bag was an outfit that matched the one Lily had been wearing, along with a blond wig and a red carnation. Maria put the outfit on along with the wig and spent a minute adjusting it to her liking. She tucked the carnation into the wig in approximately the same spot Lily had been wearing hers, then put on the sunglasses.
Up close, she still looked nothing like Lily. But from a distance, maybe…
She slid on the red pumps and at exactly a quarter past twelve left the dressing room. Evan strode toward her. “Hey, Lily,” he said as he approached. “Did you find anything you liked?” In the corner, she saw Colin feigning interest in whatever was on his phone.
Maria shook her head. Evan leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before reaching for her hand. They exited the store at a leisurely pace, then cut into a department store, making for the exit doors.
Lily’s car was two spaces in. Maria pressed the button on Lily’s key chain, unlocking the doors, and got behind the wheel while Evan got in beside her. She checked her watch.
In the apparel store, Maria knew that Lily would exit in two more minutes, dressed as Maria had been, wearing a dark wig. Colin would take her hand and lead her to another store and dressing room, where Lily would change back into her original outfit. Lily would eventually exit the mall with Evan. Colin, meanwhile, would head to his car alone, as if Maria had never been at the mall at all.
All of which was probably unnecessary, Maria thought. But the key word, she knew, was probably. With two people possibly following her, neither she nor Colin wanted to take any chances, and both of them wanted her someplace where no one would ever think to look for her, someplace she’d never been before.
Lily’s house.
Maria started the car and pulled out. No one exited the store behind her, nor did any other cars pull out. She circled the mall, following Evan’s directions, and then pulled over as Evan hopped out at another entrance to the mall.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Glad to do it,” Evan said. “And remember, you’ll be absolutely safe. Lily and I will be there in a bit with your things, okay?”
She nodded, still feeling on edge. Exiting the mall lot a minute later, she turned onto the main road. As she’d done way too frequently lately, she made a few random turns and continually glanced into her rearview mirror, feeling her nervousness finally begin to subside.
No one could have possibly followed her. She was certain about it.
Well, mostly certain.
Lately, nothing had seemed certain at all.
Lily’s condo was less than a mile from Crabby Pete’s, with private gated parking and living room windows that showcased a spectacular ocean view. It was tastefully decorated in whites, yellows, and blues – no surprise there – and felt both welcoming and comfortable. Maria spent a few minutes staring out over the beach without going outside and finally drew the shades before making her way to the couch.
She stretched out with a sigh, thinking a short nap was just what she needed. At that moment, the phone that Colin had given her rang, and answering it, she recognized Margolis’s voice on the other end.
“A couple of things. I called my detective friend in Charlotte and left a message for him to see what he can scrounge up on Atkinson, either with his mom or at Atkinson’s place, so that part is now in motion. More importantly, I also wanted to let you know the Fifty-C was granted. I’m waiting for the paperwork now.”
“Thank you,” she said, leaving the obvious unspoken; that they still needed to find Lester to serve it. And maybe get a second one for Atkinson. When she hung up, she called Colin to tell him, then updated her parents as well. It took a few minutes to get her worried mother off the phone, and when she finally hung up, she realized again how worn out she felt. Like she’d been running nonstop for days, which, in a way, she realized, she had been.
She closed her eyes again, but sleep didn’t come right away. The call with Margolis, as short as it was, had triggered another round of questions. In the end, though, exhaustion eventually won out and she felt herself finally, thankfully, drifting off.
CHAPTER 27
Colin
After hanging up with Maria, Colin grabbed her bags from the car, slid in his earbuds, and got some music going while he brought her computer to the dining room table. There was something he wanted to check, and while he could have mentioned the idea to Maria or Margolis while they’d been having coffee, he’d decided against it. It was a long shot, but now that the 50C was in place, he figured there was no harm in checking it out. And whether or not Atkinson was involved was beside the point; right now, finding Lester was a priority.
It had come to him that morning. He’d kissed Maria good-bye and on the way to his car, he’d tried to make sense of the facts at hand: that the court order would do no good unless they could find Lester; that time was of the essence; that Lester was dangerous; that he’d shown up with a gun and left Maria terrified; and, of course, that he’d taken her phone…