This was why he liked Ben. He got things. He might look laid-back but his mind never stopped. He assessed and reassessed, always working. He just hid it well.

“It was a surprise to me, too. I thought he’d stick around until the end and I’d have to pry his hands from the dock to put him on a ferry.” He tried to sound light and not worried but anxiety built inside him. The longer he was away from Maddie the more he hated the separation.

Ben started walking again. “You don’t actually believe Daria about the scam, do you?”

“What? No. Of course not.”

“Because I asked her a million questions and it was clear to me she got bad information. She admits most of it came from anonymous sources and rumors. The steady drip—the emails and copies of financial records—wore her down and had her doubting.”

Someone set Daria up. And why implicate Maddie unless she was the ultimate target? “Who?”

“Not sure yet.”

This time Connor was the one who stopped walking. They’d almost reached the last turn in the hallway and he felt the pull to head back to Maddie’s place.

“You don’t think Daria killed Owen.” But Connor knew the answer before he asked. He didn’t believe it. He doubted Ben did.

“I can’t see a motive.”

The anxiety threatened to burst into panic. He reached for his cell. “I’m calling Maddie.”

“Do it.”

Maddie didn’t answer the first or second time he called. Every second without contact made him more nervous. After three minutes, Connor went looking for Ben but he kept glancing at his phone waiting for her follow-up text. Nothing.

At minute four, Connor nearly yelled the building down when they had to wait for Doc Lela to come out of Paul’s room after her exam. He didn’t remember the exchange of pleasantries. All he needed was to be in that room.

Paul sat up as they entered. “About time you got here. Both of you.”

“How are you feeling?” Ben asked.

Connor knew it was polite and the right thing to do. The poor man had been hit and the result could have been so much worse. But worry ate away inside him. He needed to get to the part about Maddie.

Paul skipped answering and scowled at both of them. “Did you get him?”

Connor felt everything inside him freeze. “Who?”

“The bastard who hit me.”

That answered one question. Connor had more, but he wanted to be sure. “It was a man?”

“The one who doesn’t like you.”

A list of questions flooded Connor’s brain but Ben stopped him and took over. “What are you talking about, Paul?”

“The new guy.”

“Paul, start at the beginning.”