I was just someone who had a new lead to a mystery she couldn’t have explained to a stranger in less than twenty minutes.

But I turned the engine off when I read the next texts. Not from Hellbender or my family. Alex. Coldly formal.

>>The board has decided to terminate your contract due to erratic and irregular behavior and unauthorized use of company resources for private endeavors.

>>Your office belongings will be sent to your house. Do not come in to collect them.

>>If you require an explanation, HR will be happy to provide one.

A weight pushed down on me. A weight left me. I slumped over the steering wheel like I’d been shot.

Then I called Alex anyway. I half expected he’d ignore me, but he picked up on the second ring.

Fusk all over again. I felt I had to hurry or he’d just hang up.

“Alex, I don’t know what this is about, but just because I’ve been distracted lately doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t talk about this first. After so many years.”

The voice that came back at me made me regret the call. I didn’t need to hear that coldness.

“We have all the evidence we need of everything up to and including possible criminal behavior. The favor we’re doing you is not bringing this to the police.”

“I told you I was pursuing a client.”

“That’s not what you were doing.”

“Well, so what if it was a bit of research on the side? You know Larry does all kinds of—”

“You don’t get to say Larry’s name,” Alex snapped. “We know you’re doing something dangerous. Rash. Stay away from the office. Security has your photo and name. Any attempt to contact me again and I will go to the police.”

“Alex, I—”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get a severance package. Sort of.”

“I can sue you over this,” I said. Knew I sounded desperate.

Alex took a breath. “You don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

I felt a panic emanating from his voice. The anger came from fear.

“The ‘client’ you tried to recruit contacted us. That’s all you need to know. And I never said that. Good-bye.”

He hung up.

So not Allie complaining but the Vilcapampa family interceding.

It hardly mattered how. I’d gotten too comfortable, hadn’t seen it coming. Any more than I’d remembered my daughter’s haircut or her talent show.

Even as a rush of wild elation—or was it hysteria—came over me, and such a sense of relief. Like calling Alex had been about going through the motions. Just another thing I was supposed to do, another way I was supposed to react. And some minor-key satisfaction: I must be getting close. Someone in power knew I was getting close.