It came in at 4:30, which means, unless she somehow hit traffic coming through Cashmere Cove—which is possible but highlyunlikely given that it’s late fall and the off season for tourists—she should have been here ten minutes ago.
“She should be here,” I say, tapping the call button on her contact screen. “I’ll check in.”
Ashlyn nods, and I stand up and walk away from her. I don’t need an audience right now. Ironic I know, given that we’re about to sit down to do an interview and share our story with the world.
The phone rings six times, and then Noli’s recorded voice comes over the line. I hang up without leaving a message. A pit of dread opens up in my gut. I can’t place the origin, but something is wrong.
I turn back to Ashlyn. “The interview is going to have to wait.”
She glances up from her tablet, curiosity etched on her face. “Did something happen?” I open my mouth, about to lambaste this woman for being solely concerned with a story, but she has the decency to look truly worried. “Is Noli okay?”
I blow out a breath in an attempt to steady myself. “I don’t know. I’m going to go find out. We’ll reschedule,” I call over my shoulder as I jog out the door of the auditorium. In the open commons space of the school, people are milling about.
“Hey, Collin. Good.” Sean steps toward me. “Some preliminary numbers are coming in and—”
“Not now. I need to go find Noli.”
He looks confused. “Isn’t she here?”
I pause in my hurried exit. “Did you see her?”
“No.” Sean shakes his head. “I thought you were being interviewed together.”
I don’t bother explaining my hunch that something bad happened. I’m praying that I’m overreacting and wrong. But I have to follow my gut here. “If you see her, tell her to call me. If anyone else says anything about her, get in touch, okay? I’m going back to our place.”
I leave Sean in my wake and hop into my squad car, flipping on the lights as I burn rubber out of the parking lot. It’sfrowned upon to use the emergency lights when it’s not an actual emergency. In fact, I could be severely reprimanded for this, but I don’t care.
I turn on my radio and listen to the scanner, straining my ear for a license plate number I recognize or anything that would indicate Noli is in trouble. At the same time, I’m scanning the road as I drive the route that Noli would have taken. I’m looking for her car in a ditch or any signs of a traffic accident that hasn’t been called in yet. The closer I get to our house, the more the dread piles up in my stomach.
I turn onto our street. Noli’s car is parked in the driveway. I flip off the lights in my cruiser and pull up near the curb in front of our house. Another car I don’t recognize is parked there too. I barely register it as I sprint toward the front door, scanning the yard. Maybe Noli fell and is unconscious. I’m playing out worst-case scenarios, but I can’t help it. My heart is hammering at the thought of something bad happening to her and me not being there.
The front door is unlocked, and I shove it open. “Noli? Sweetheart? Are you here?” I take in my living room in one quick glance. It’s empty and looks completely normal. But I spot her cell phone on the ground, wedged against the baseboard, and warning bells ring out in my head.
“Noli?” I call out again, my senses on high alert.
I hear a thunk and a male voice curse from within the spare bedroom, and I charge down the hall in that direction. I steady my breathing and grab my gun before shouldering the door in.
Inside, Noli is kneeling over the crumpled body of Nelson. He’s got his hands on her upper arms, and the two are struggling for the upper hand.
42
A Victorious Sense of Closure
Noli
“Get your hands off my wife!”
Collin’s booming voice reaches my ears at the same instant Nelson is torn away from me.
His nose is gushing blood from where my fist connected with it, and I can feel the swell of my upper lip from where he got me with his elbow. I sit back on my heels, shaken but relieved. Collin is here. I knew he would come.
He pulls Nelson toward the door but doesn’t take his eyes off of me. “Are you okay?” His voice is at once fierce and gentle, green eyes flashing.
I get to my feet, grateful my legs aren’t too shaky. “I’m fine. He ambushed me as I was leaving. Yanked my phone away from me and shoved me back into the house. He said he wanted to talk, and he tried to convince me to come back to Pensacola with him. When I said no, he was trying to make me go.”
Collin lets out a low growl and spins Nelson toward the living room, rattling off his rights. “You have the right to remain silent.”
He talks over Nelson, who continues to swear and protest. I follow them into the front hall.
