“It hasn’t been to be nosy,” I explained. “I just wanted to be sure she was okay. It wasn’t like I was trying to invade her privacy, that was never my intention, you have to understand that.”

“Zack! Honest to God! I don’t believe you! I mean, sure, we need to know what our kids are up to, but we don’t trail them around like they’re common criminals. Why don’t we just put cameras in their rooms? Bug their phones? Open their mail? Get search warrants for their lockers at school?”

Actually, I thought there might be some merit in all those things, but didn’t mention it.

“I never meant to do it, to follow her around. In fact, in some ways, I wish I’d never started this. There are some things you simply don’t want to know.”

There was a long pause at the other end of the line. Finally, Sarah said, “Like what?”

“No, no, never mind, you’re right, it’s a violation of Angie’s privacy. Who she goes out with, who she goes to visit, that’s entirely her business.”

“Who’s she going out with? Who did she visit?”

“You hear yourself?”

“For fuck’s sake, Zack, what’s happening?”

What the hell, I thought. “Do you have any idea why Angie would go out to Oakwood to visit Trixie? Late at night?”

“She’s visiting Trixie? Trixie Snelling, of Whips and Chains Inc.?”

“Yeah. I don’t remember them being friends when we lived out there.”

“No, neither do I. You were the only one, having coffee all the time, being all neighborly. It got to where I wondered if I should be checking you for rope burns.”

I ignored that. “You think Angie’s getting career counseling? Because, you know, if she were choosing between, I don’t know, bank president and dominatrix, I’d probably go with bank president.”

“I have to get home.”

“Not a word to her about this,” I said. “I don’t know how to bring this up, not without letting her know that I’ve been following her around. Which reminds me, I have to get going.”

“Is that what you have to go do? You’re going to follow her tonight?”

“Just to make sure Trevor’s not on her tail anymore. I had a word with him today.”

“You spoke with him?”

“It was just a friendly conversation, that’s all. Friendly, but firm. The kid’s weird, Sarah. He’s not as harmless as you think.”

“Go, then,” she said. “Just go, let me know what you find out.”

“Okay. And tell Dick about this Barbie guy.”

“Why do they call him that, anyway?” Sarah asked. I told her about the thug’s rumored collection. “But doesn’t a grown man who collects Barbie get teased a lot?” she asked.

“Sounds like you’d only do it once,” I said.

Chapter 25

25