Tom's gaze narrowed on my face. "I have to say that I don't understand why Laura didn't tell me she had a daughter. I thought we'd gotten close. To leave out something so important seems unimaginable."

"She left my life a long time ago," I said.

"We should go inside," Kade interrupted, and I was happy for that. I didn't want to talk to Tom. I was too confused about who he was to my mother and what had happened in their relationship.

"Please talk to the police," I said to Tom. "If you still care about my mother, then you should do everything you can to keep her safe, because the person who shot her might not be done trying to kill her."

Tom's face paled at my words, but he didn't respond.

I turned away as Kade put his hand on my back and ushered me into the auditorium. It was a relief to be inside and away from the reporters. As we waited in line to go to our seats, I turned to Kade. "Do you think it's possible that this love triangle is the motivation for my mother being shot? I've been working under the assumption that the danger came from her distant past, but maybe it didn't."

"I think the police need to look into Tom and his ex-wife."

"I'll follow up with Inspector Greenman after the show."

"And get Jeremy on it, too," Kade said.

"I'll text him when we sit down." As I finished speaking, another one of my mother's male friends came up to me. Mark Harrison wore a black suit with a gray tie, and he looked quite handsome. I could see why my mother might have been interested in him, maybe more than she'd been in Tom. She might not have broken up with Tom because of his ex-wife, but because of this guy.

"Hello," he said, giving me a kind smile. "I don't know if you remember me. We met the other day."

"Yes. You're Mark Harrison."

He nodded. "Your words about your mother were very sweet."

"Thank you." I waved my hand toward Kade. "This is Kade Beckham."

"Nice to meet you," Mark said.

"Likewise," Kade replied as they shook hands.

"Is your stepdaughter in the concert?"

"Yes. Sylvie will play the clarinet tonight. Hopefully, she will sound much better than she does in her mother's house," he said lightly.

"I'm sure she'll be great. Performances usually bring out the best in a musician."

"I hope so. How is your mother? Is she awake yet?"

"Not yet, no."

"That's too bad. But soon?"

"Hopefully. They tell me she's healing and to stay positive." Before I could say anything further, Joanne interrupted us, a look of distress on her face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.