“I don’t know,” he admitted.
Seven o’clock now, and the night was growing even darker, with just a sliver of moon above the horizon.
As the family, led by Felix, began making additional plans to keep Maria safe, Colin drifted to the kitchen and retrieved a glass from the cupboard. He was thirsty, but he also wanted to be alone while he pondered Maria’s questions.
Moving to the refrigerator, he set the glass under the dispenser. Filling it with water, he downed the glass in a single long pull and began refilling it, his eyes absently scanning the refrigerator door. There were photos of Maria and Serena over the years, poems, Maria’s confirmation certificate, and a drawing of a rainbow in crayon with Serena’s name carefully etched in the corner. Some of the items had begun to yellow at the edges, and the only recent addition appeared to be the letter Serena had received from the Charles Alexander Foundation. It was in the upper corner, partially obscuring a postcard that displayed the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. As Colin glanced at the letterhead, he was again nagged by the thought that the name seemed oddly familiar.
Still…
Maria’s questions had left him feeling unsettled. Why had Dr. Manning vandalized her condo? If Dr. Manning wanted Maria to experience everything Cassie had, then why deviate from the pattern now? And why paint the words You will know how it feels in her bedroom when doing so only made her more inaccessible? It was possible, he supposed, that Dr. Manning had panicked or lost control after Lester had been arrested. Colin wanted to believe that, tried to force himself to, but couldn’t quite make that leap. Instead, he felt like he’d overlooked something. Either he was missing a piece of the puzzle, or Dr. Manning no longer cared whether he could get to Maria at all…
But why wouldn’t he care?
Turning from the fridge, he took another drink, consoling himself with the notion that even without the answers, not only was Maria safe, but she’d remain safe until Dr. Manning was apprehended. Colin and her family would make sure of that. They gave circling the wagons a whole new meaning. Hell, all of them were here right now, standing watch…
But in that instant, he realized he was wrong. Not all of them were here. One of them was missing… and Dr. Manning no longer cared whether he could get to Maria at all…
Because Maria had never been part of Dr. Manning’s endgame in the first place?
In Colin’s mind, the answers began to tumble fast, clarity emerging… the name on the letterhead and why it seemed so familiar… why Maria’s place had been trashed… how Lester had known about Carmen’s birthday… the real meaning behind the words that had been painted in the bedroom…
You will know how it feels…
Dropping the glass, Colin burst from the kitchen, through the living room, and down the short hallway into Maria’s bedroom. He located her bags and spotted her laptop in her tote bag. Grabbing it, he flipped up the lid, thinking, No, no, no… please God, let me be wrong about this…
He opened the search program and typed in the name of the foundation that had awarded Serena’s scholarship… wanted to see it… prayed for it to come up…
No website displayed; just a notice saying the site had been taken down and that the domain name was available.
No, no, no…
He typed in Avery Manning’s name and recognized the same links he’d perused after he and Maria had met with Margolis the first time. He remembered the link that had included Avery Manning’s photograph, and clicked on it even as he rushed back to the living room. Looking up, he spotted Carmen, but not Felix.
“Carmen!” he shouted, hoping she’d be able to understand what he was about to say.
Relatives turned his way, alarmed. Colin ignored them. Ignored Carmen’s sudden expression of fright. From the corner of his eye, he saw the back slider opening, Maria about to enter.
By then, he’d reached Carmen. He held up the computer and was pointing to the photograph.
“Do you recognize him?” Colin said, talking loud and fast. Fear now building to panic. “Is this the man who came to the house for dinner? Is this the director of the foundation?”
Carmen began shaking her head. “No sé… No entiendo… Habla más despacio, por favor.”
“What’s going on?” Maria cried. “What are you doing, Colin? You’re scaring her!”
“It’s him!” Colin shouted.
“Who?” Maria yelled, his fear contagious. “What’s happening?” By then, Felix had come rushing through the slider, too, followed by Evan and Lily, more relatives…
“Look at him!” Colin said to Carmen, pointing to the photograph, lowering his voice, trying and failing to sound calm. “Look at the photo! The director! Is this him? Is this who came to your house for dinner?”
“¡Mira la foto, Mamá!” Maria translated, moving next to her. “¿Es ésto el director de la fundación? ¿Quién vino a la casa para la cena?”
Carmen’s eyes swiveled in terror between Colin and Maria before she leaned in to scrutinize the photo on the screen. After a moment, she began nodding quickly.
“¡Sí!” Carmen said, seemingly on the verge of tears. “Charles Alexander! ¡Él es el director! ¡Él estaba aquí en la casa!”
“Colin!” Maria yelled, grabbing his arm. He turned, his panicked gaze on her.
“Where’s Serena?” he demanded. “Where is she?”