She mentally insisted keeping her life and her world separate from other people saved them from harm. Some days she wondered if her reclusive existence really only made it easier for her. No attachments meant no possibility someone could hurt or disappoint her.

At the second knock, she got up and headed for the door. She opened each lock, all four. A rush of relief hit her when she saw him standing there, tall and sure. “Hi.”

His eyes narrowed. “You okay?”

That would teach her to think her fake smile worked. “It’s been a long morning.”

“Same here.” He glanced into the empty room behind her. “What’s going on?”

She’d called him and asked for his help, something she never did. She knew she could, but she hadn’t, until now. She tried not to drag anyone into her messed-up life. “I have a problem.”

“Okay.” He glanced behind her again. “Which is . . . ?”

Right. Invite him in, like a non-messed-up person might do.

It took a lot for her to abandon her safety precautions, but it was either call him to come to her or go to his office, and the latter felt like a big step compared to her usual loner life.

“Sorry.” She gestured for him to come inside.

“Maddie, we’ve known each other for almost two years.”

She had no idea where he was going with this, so she cut him off. “We’ve barely seen each other.”

“You’re the town’s answering service. You handle all the calls for my office.”

Is he always this chatty? “I do that from here. Alone. Without anyone around.”

He made a face that suggested he was weighing his words and trying to find the right ones. “That’s my point. Not once—ever—have you asked for anything. The fact you did today is a clue something is very wrong. Just tell me what it is so I can help.”

She appreciated the straightforward attitude. He was known for it and it relaxed her now. Maybe that would make the next ten minutes easier, though she doubted it.

She walked over to the table and pointed at the handwritten note. “This.”

He frowned as he followed her. Lines appeared across his forehead and the scowl deepened as he studied the piece of paper. “What the hell is this?”

“It was on my porch. Slipped under the mat.” Peeking out as if to taunt her. Just like the last two. “I’ve been getting notes, on and off, for a few months.”

His eyes widened. “And you waited until now to tell me?”

“It’s complicated.” She couldn’t exactly start a conversation with, Maddie isn’t my real name and my whole life is a lie, even if that would be the one true thing she ever said while on Whitaker.

“Maddie.” His tone sounded half exasperated and half stunned.