Page 53 of Truth

The icing on the cake was a visit from Ross. He strolled in about two o’clock wanting to see me. Jamie, of course, told him I was very busy, but he insisted. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing.

I had Jamie hold all my calls while we talked. Ross was not my favorite person, but he was proving he would put Brianna’s well-being first.

“John showed up at my place again last night.”

“What did he want?”

“He said he was served with a restraining order. That was the start of it, anyway. Then he went on to say how he’d called and talked to Anna.” Ross paused. “I guess I know why she didn’t answer her phone when I called yesterday.”

“I found her curled up in a ball on the couch, crying.”

“But she’s okay?”

“She is now. I’ve made arrangements to have the phone forwarded to my assistant during business hours, so if you want to reach Brianna, you’re going to have to call her cell.”

He nodded.

“Do you think he’ll try to see her again?”

Ross didn’t hesitate. “You can count on it. From what I saw last night, he was gearing up for an attack. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

“If he comes near her, I’ll have him arrested.” I wanted to leave no doubt as to my intentions.

“I have an idea. I have no idea if it will work, but it might buy us a little time at least.”

“I’m listening.”

“Why don’t I suggest to John that I talk to you... see if I can see Anna and talk to her? He trusts me. Maybe if I can assure him that she’s really okay, he’ll back off a little.”

“It’s worth a try.”

“If we’re going to make this look convincing, I’m going to need to come see her.”

I nodded.

“Can you come for dinner Friday night?”

He frowned.

“Something wrong?”

“No. I’ll just need to talk to Jade first. My girlfriend. We usually go out on Fridays.”

I thought about it for a moment. “If she’s willing, bring her along. Brianna needs to meet new people, and she’s going to meet her at the concert anyway. This, at least, will be a safe environment for Brianna. If something goes wrong, it will be easier dealt with at home than out in public.”

“Agreed.” He looked around the room, spotting the picture of Brianna I had on my desk. “How is she doing?”

“You talk to her almost every day.”

“I know that, but talking to her and seeing her are two different things.”

Standing, I walked over to the window. It was crazy how much I missed her when she wasn’t right there in front of me.

“She’s doing better every day.”

“I want to help her, you know.”

I turned around, leaning on the window’s ledge. “If I didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t be coming over to my home for dinner Friday.”

---