Page 8

THREE
With a beer in one hand and a plate of freshly grilled steak in the other, Oliver Wood settled into his favorite recliner, ready to enjoy a little television and relaxation on his first night off in over a week. His police patrols around Grand Rapids lately had been filled with especially colorful characters and strange happenings. All he wanted was a quiet night to himself.
His mouth watered as he sliced off a chunk of meat. He could almost taste the seasonings before they hit his tongue. The fork hovered an inch from his mouth … and his cell phone rang. His gaze flitted to where the phone lay on the side table. Gus Schultz’s name appeared on the screen.
Oliver groaned. “Really?”
He wanted to ignore it so badly, but that’s not who he was. The Schultzes were good people, and he hoped Gus wasn’t in any more trouble after cleaning up his act over the past year.
He set his plate on his lap and answered the call. “Hey, Gus. How are you, man?”
“Hey, Oliver. I need a favor.”
He eyed the juicy piece of steak with longing. “What can I do for ya?”
“Someone’s creeping around the lake house tonight, and I wondered if you could come out and take a look.”
“You could’ve called the local police for that.”
“Uh … we have a guest staying there, who wants to keep her visit low profile, and she was afraid to call 911 and bring attention.”
“I see.”
“It would make her feel better if someone came out and made sure everything was secure.”
“Are you there now?”
“I’m heading over as soon as we hang up.”
“All right. I’ll meet you there.”
“Thank you, man. We appreciate this so much.”
“You bet. See you soon.”
Oliver hung up and let out a sigh. So much for a night off.
He wrapped up his plate and put it in the fridge, but not before enjoying that one bite of steak that had been calling his name. Then he grabbed his keys, wallet, and gun belt—just in case—and headed out to Holland.
When he arrived, Gus was just getting out of his car and came over to greet him with a handshake.
“Thanks for coming,” Gus said.
“No problem.”
Oliver looked over at the house. All the lights were on as well as the outdoor lighting. Somebody’s scared of the dark.
Just then, the front door opened, and the most beautiful topaz blue eyes met his, the owner of which was none other than Adelia Allen, actress and daughter of some pretty famous folks. Oliver knew she was a friend of the Schultz family, but it still surprised him to see her there.
“Hello.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and her eyes shifted to the left and right, searching the wooded areas around the house.
“Hello,” Oliver replied.
Gus walked up and hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his neck. Oliver wondered what being in Gus’s shoes at that moment would be like.
They went inside, and Gus motioned for him to follow.
Oliver had never been inside their lake house before, and he took in the wide-open space with the large kitchen that gave way to the dining area and living room, with windows spanning the entire back wall that faced the lake. It was probably a killer view in the daytime, but all that could be seen now was their own reflections in the glass and the inky darkness beyond.