CHAPTER30
Sloane
The police will come for me. Maybe I should go to the police station and turn myself in. But where is it?
My phone is back at the villa. I’ll go back, get it, and look up the location of the nearest police station. I’ll explain everything. Someone has to believe me. I’ll call Max. He’ll believe me.
Behind me, a vehicle approaches. My bike is as close to the edge of the asphalt as possible, but the vehicle won’t pass.
The front wheel dips off the edge of the asphalt onto the shoulder. The tire grips the packed sand, leaving deep treads behind. The sandy ground requires more effort to pedal. I wave, signaling to the vehicle to pass so I can get back on the road and traverse the smooth asphalt.
But the vehicle sidles beside me, matching my pace. The passenger window lowers.
“Sloane.” My wheel wobbles. That voice. It can’t be. “Are you okay? Get in the car.”
“William? What’re you doing here?” He should be in Switzerland.
“Thank god I found you. I know what’s happened. Get in.”
He can’t possibly know what’s happened. He’s been away for nearly half a year. I push harder on the pedal.
“Sloane. Please. Where’re you going?”
“You can’t know what happened.”
“I know everything. Let me protect you.”
I slow, and the bike grinds to a halt. My foot hits the ground to keep the bike upright.
“What do you know?”
“That you’re not safe. Are you bleeding? Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Here. Get in the car. Let me help you.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Switzerland.”
“And you just saw me riding on my bike?”
“No. I came for you. I found Dr. Kallio. Please. Get in.”
I push forward on the pedal. I can’t process what he’s doing here. I don’t want to process. All I see is Dr. Kallio.
“Sloane. Where’re you going?”
“To my villa. I need my phone.”
“Get in. I’ll take you.”
“I don’t own this bike.” I can’t leave a rented bike on the side of the road.
“We’ll put it in the trunk.”
Sweat droplets drip from my temple. My thigh muscles burn, as do my shoulders. I slow the push of my feet, and the bike lurches. My feet hit the ground, and I straddle the bike frame once again.