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THIRTY
Despite the euphoria of having Adelia in his arms, Oliver felt unsettled after their conversation in the car earlier. Who was this Tony guy? Was it a coincidence that he lived near the lake house and had been in Oliver’s neighborhood on Halloween? He thought not. Adelia seemed to trust him, but how much did she really know about him?
Adelia pulled away from their kisses and searched his eyes. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m here.” He leaned in again, but she moved back.
“I know you’re worried about going to therapy, but it will be okay. Therapists are trained to help you. They’re a safe place for you to share your feelings. I’ve gone at different times in my life, and I’ll probably go talk to mine again soon about all my feelings about my parents.”
“I was actually thinking about the blackmailer.”
“While you’re kissing me, you’re thinking about that?” She leaned closer and pressed a slow trail of soft kisses along his jaw. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“Is what going to be a problem?” He’d practically forgotten his name.
She chuckled as she continued the trail down his neck. “I didn’t think so.”
Oliver’s phone signaled a text at that moment, and Adelia lifted up to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry.” He planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “I have to check that.”
“I see how it is,” she teased as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
He had sent Carmen a text earlier asking her to find out if there were any houses on the road where the Schultz Cottage was located that belonged to a Tony or Anthony.
Carmen: There’s one a couple miles away, owned by an Anthony Miller.
Oliver: Okay. Can you find out if there is any way he might be connected to Cyrus Mason?
Carmen: Will do. Could this be our guy?
Oliver: That’s what I’m trying to find out.
Oliver held his phone up and showed Adelia as he turned the ringer off and tossed it across the room onto a chair.
She raised an eyebrow as he leaned toward her, snaking his arms around behind her to bring her close again. She gently caressed his cheek and gave him the most beautiful smile, and he lowered his mouth to her ear.
“Now, where were we?”
Oliver felt as if he was walking on air the next day as he arrived at work. He couldn’t believe Adelia had chosen him. Out of all the guys she’d ever met, he was the one she wanted. It made him happier than anything ever had.
“Are you whistling?” Carmen asked as Oliver sat down at his desk.
“Was I?” His smile could not be concealed.
“I take it you saw Adelia.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Uh, yeah.” Carmen laughed. “And speaking of your little Hollywood princess … I couldn’t find any connection between Anthony Miller and Cyrus Mason. Anthony is a sixty-five-year-old man, recently retired. He lives in Grand Rapids with his wife, and they visit their house on the lake a couple times a month. More in the summer and fall.”
“That can’t be the same guy Adelia’s talking about. The guy was at my house at Halloween, and he was much younger.”
“So you’ve seen him.”
“He was wearing a costume and a mask, but it was clear he wasn’t sixty-five.” Oliver’s brain cycled through the other details Adelia had told him until something occurred to him. “Adelia said she met this Tony guy at The Snack Shop in Holland on the night she came into town. If by chance they have security cameras in the store, maybe they caught this guy on video.”
Carmen nodded. “It’s worth a try. I’ll call over there.”
“Thanks. It just seems strange that he was at the beach and then he showed up at my house on Halloween. I’ll feel much better if we can rule him out.”