He should have changed the name of his company to Flabbergasted Franky’s Cleaning Service because the guy looked completely bamboozled. He shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. “Seriously? You show up to my house for this crap?”

“I wouldn’t consider Noah’s safety and well-being as crap,” I said, getting the urge to punch this guy’s lights out. If not for being a dick, then also for breaking Noah’s heart.

“Listen, I don’t want my wife asking any questions. You two need to get off my property before I call the cops.” Franky cracked his fingers into a fist in a schoolyard display of aggression.

“Don’t worry,” I said, “we already called them. They said they were going to have a word with you. But that can all be pulled back as long as you tell the truth and stop playing these crazy games.”

He scoffed, the cherry red spreading down his jaw, onto his neck. “I didn’t do shit. I haven’t thought about you in years, Noah. Why the hell would I fuck up my life trying to fuck with yours?” He shot another glance back up at the house. I could tell he didn’t want his wife hearing any of this. I wondered how she’d feel if she found out this “old friend” of her husband’s was actually a long-term boyfriend, the two of them in a secret relationship that could have worked out if Franky hadn’t chosen to stuff himself in the closet.

She’d probably be pretty upset, and Franky knew that. It explained why he wanted her back in the house and far removed from this conversation as quickly as possible.

“I… well, I’m not sure,” Noah said. He moved a swoop of dark hair that curled down onto his forehead back into place before chewing on his fingernails again.

“Your car was clearly visible in the footage, twice now. I think that’s enough to prove you’re involved in what’s happening to Noah. Here, I can show you the tapes.”

Franky clicked his tongue, waving a hand in the air and coming dangerously close to knocking my phone out of my grip. “You don’t need to show me shit. I don’t care. I wasn’t the one driving the car.”

“So who was, then?” Noah asked.

“I lent it out. That night you saw me driving it out of your neighborhood was because I had gotten it back.”

My eyes narrowed as I tried to read this man. Was he lying? Trying to throw us off his trail? Or was he saying the truth… if he really did lend his car out, then maybe whoever had it was responsible for the threat. “To who?” I asked.