Page 40 of Mending Fences
Colin gave a tiny shrug. “On the social media, what you post basically has no privacy. The email puts my actions in a gray area but not outside the law so long as your provider knew I was there. But I would suggest you change your passwords on everything. Good job on suspending your accounts quickly yesterday.”
Mandy wanted to scream, but she went into her calm-teacher mode instead. “Are you saying you read everything?”
Daniel jumped back in. “Amanda, a computer program scanned your incoming mail and posts for keywords, like the one your computer uses to determine if you have junk mail. Other than the flagged posts and emails, no human read anything.”
“Flagged emails?”
“Yes, so far there have been about four, but only one of them was malicious. The bigger concern is the social media messages and the text messages the police pulled off your phone earlier today.”
“Just a minute. How do you know about the text messages?” Mandy hadn’t considered that taking her phone down meant she would end up reading more of the texts. In the end, she’d asked them to record what they needed and delete all the unread texts.
Daniel answered her question. “They gave Mr. Alexander a copy of them. As you said, this isn’t exactly barking dogs, so Hastings Security offered its expertise.”
The doorbell rang, Mr. Alexander went to answer it before either woman stood. Something offscreen took Daniel’s attention away momentarily, but then he said, “I am sorry about this, Mandy and Candace. But please let them help you. Hopefully this will blow over in a few days and everyone will forget because there will be something more exciting in the news. I need to go. Mandy, please forgive me. May I have your new number?”
His feed cut off before Mandy answered, which may have been for the best, because the answer going through her mind was along the lines of “When my hamster learns to mop floors.”
Colin was laughing. “Judging by your face, I’m assuming you will not be giving him your number today.”
“Does it matter? I am sure you can find it, seeing how you managed to get into the rest of my life.”
“I can, but I won’t. You will need to give it to Mr. Hastings, but the choice to give it to Daniel is yours.” The solemn expression Colin gave them made Mandy want to believe him. His gaze moved to over her shoulder. “Oh, wow. Where did those come from?”
Looking at the massive bouquet with a stuffed mallard attached, everyone in the room, including Colin, said “Daniel” all at once.
Candace jumped out of her chair and cleared a spot on the counter. “Oh, Mandy, he may have gone overboard, but these smell amazing.” Candace buried her face in the blossoms. She plucked the card out of the pack and handed it to Mandy.
Colin was grinning. “Well, back to business. Hastings, did you draw up the security plan?”
“Yes. New locks, repair the fence, install an alarm system with some outside cameras, front and backdoors, and one in the garage. None in the house.” Mandy was sure the security-team owner added that for her benefit. “We should be able to finish up by tonight if I can get my crew down here.”
“On their way. Candace, Mandy, Mr. Anderson is going to take you to the county airport. You’ll meet a plane with his team on it. The plane will bring you up to Chicago. Bonnie, Daniel’s personal secretary, has arranged for you to have a spa day there while Hastings’s men work on your house.”
“No way.” Mandy crossed her arms.
“Come on, girl. A spa day? In Chicago? That isn’t going to be like getting a facial at the Cut n’ Curl.”
“Fine.” Maybe there would be a hot masseur who would take her mind off everything.
“Ok, I’ll see you two later.” The screen returned to the C&O logo.
Mandy slowly got up from the table and retreated to the bathroom.
Studying her reflection in the mirror, she heard Grandma Mae’s voice.“Amanda Jane Fowler, what on earth have you done now?”
The card she held in her hand had become little more than a crumpled mess. She smoothed the paper out.
Hank’s grandson knows the truth. “Quack-qua, quack-qua-quack-quack.”
Who knew ducks spoke Morse code? But what did he mean by N-Y? She had always been the one to say “not yet” when it was time to say good-bye.
She would give Daniel her number tomorrow—if she survived today.
