Page 15 of Mace

Sure, I thought it was weird how he had just popped up out of nowhere, but I didn’t think he was here to kill me. “I’ve changed my mind. If I know you’re hiding in the office and listening to us, I don’t think I can handle that. You need to go home, and I’ll call when he leaves.”

“That’s no fun for me,” Dorothy pouted. “I promise I won’t make a noise.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t risk Dorothy being here, especially if Mace were here to discuss our shared past. “I promise to tell you everything, okay?” It was five to five, and she needed to get out of here now before Mace arrived.

She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded. “Fine, but I’m only leaving because I don’t think he is a serial killer. But just know, I am only a phone call and five minutes away.”

I nodded and stepped toward the front door. “I know. I will be on the phone if I even slightly think I need your help.”

Dorothy scooted past me and pulled open the front door. “I am going to sit in my car until he shows up.”

I closed my eyes and tried not to scream. I was dealing with enough without Dorothy being crazy. “Do you really need to do that?”

An engine roared nearby, and five seconds later, Mace pulled into the parking lot.

“No,” Dorothy chirped, “because now I can tell him to his face while I walked to my car that he better behave because you and I both know how to get rid of a body with no trace of evidence.”

My blood rushed from my face, and I struggled to swallow.

Mace knew how to do the same thing.

He had done the same thing fifteen years ago.

“Call me when he leaves, Imogen.” Dorothy walked out, and the door closed behind her.

I dashed to Mr. Brooks’ office and peeked from behind the blinds.

Mace gingerly got off his bike, and Dorothy walked up to him.

I couldn’t tell what she was saying to him, but I figured it was along the lines of if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.

Mace nodded a few times while she spoke, but it didn’t appear he had said anything.

Dorothy flounced over to her car and whipped open the door. “I mean it,” she called so loudly that I could hear her.

Mace raised his hand over his head with a smirk on his lips.

Dorothy looked upset, and Mace appeared to be amused.

Interesting.

Mace headed to the front door, and I sprinted from Mr. Brooks’ office.

“Hi,” I called when the door opened. “I didn’t know you were here.”

Mace pushed his sunglasses on top of his head and was still smirking. “Really? Dorothy told me you knew I was here. Mentioned I should go right in.”

Damn, Dorothy. “Oh, well, I mean, I figured you were here since it’s five, so I told her if she saw you, just to tell you to come on in.” I cleared my throat and struggled to naturally smile. I was pretty sure I looked like a dog with peanut butter on their teeth when I licked my lips.

“I suppose,” Mace laughed. “Are you done working for the day?” he asked.

“Uh, well, for the time being. I’m pretty much on call twenty-four-seven. The dead never rest.” I winced and wished I could take back that last sentence. I needed to tone down the morgue humor. I’m sure he already thought I was creepy and weird because of where I worked; I didn’t need to make it even worse. “I just mean I can be working at any time. Right now, we are dead. Well, not the good kind of dead. I mean, there isn’t a good dead, but we’re dead dead right now.” I gulped and pasted a smile on my lips. “Good dead for me dead.”

Oh my god.I struggled to shut up and prayed for a hole to magically appear and swallow me whole.

“Babe,” Mace laughed. “I get what you’re saying.”

Did he? Because I barely understood what I was saying.

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