“He cares about you,” he said.

“He’s using my neighbors to spy on me.”

“He’s worried about you. If my sister or daughter was living here, you’d better believe I’d have some kind of spy network in place.”

“You . . . you . . . ahhh . . . never mind.” Unable to figure out how to make him understand that the man didn’t worry about anything but his precious career, she let it go. For now.

Gavin’s phone rang and he snapped it to his ear. “Caden? What’s up?” He listened for a few seconds, nodded, and caught her eye. “Thanks for the update.”

He hung up.

“What?” she asked.

“They found Max.”

“And?”

“He’s dead. He was killed in a car wreck a few weeks ago.”

Gavin stayed next to Sarah as she walked up the front steps of her father’s home. When they’d arrived, she had to have him buzz them in.

Now she rang the bell and Gavin marveled at the differences between them. When he visited his parents, he simply walked in and hollered that he was home. Granted, those visits had been few and far between lately, but that was one constant that would never change. He’d always be welcome in his parents’ home and he’d never feel like he had to knock to gain entrance.

“They have the wrong Max,” she said staring at the front door. “Wilmont said Max told him to deliver the pills. That Max has to be very much alive, because that was yesterday.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make sense that that’s the only Max they were able to find at the hospital. And he wasn’t even an employee.”

“But he was there on a regular basis. Dressed in scrubs and wearing an ID badge.”

“I agree. It’s not adding up.”

The door opened and an older woman with gray hair slicked back into a neat bun smiled at Sarah. “Sorry it took me so long to get the door. Come in, come in. Your father’s in his study.”

“I don’t need to see him. I just need to get whatever mail he has.”

“It’s in a box in the kitchen.”

She raised her brows at Gavin, and Sarah sputtered. “Oh, Mrs. Lawson, this is my friend, Gavin Black.”

Mrs. Lawson inclined her head at Gavin. “So nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Gavin said.

“Why don’t you follow me?” She turned on her heel to lead them through the foyer and into the small hallway that led to a kitchen any cook would be proud of.