Page 133 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

Her friend handed her the device. “I think you should report him. This is unacceptable behavior.”

Jules stood. The card Dante had given her was still in her bag by the door. She rounded the couch and started toward it. “I agree. Maybe I will…”

Brie stepped into her path. Her cheeks, normally pale, had gone ashen. Even her lips were white.

Jules’ stomach twisted. “Brie? What is it? Is something wrong with your mom?”

Her friend didn’t speak, only shook her head and turned the phone toward her.

Kelli came up to stand next to her as Jules read the text, also sent from her phone.

Your pink sweater is pretty.

Kelli gasped and pressed her fingers to her mouth. When she swung her gaze to meet Jules’, her dark eyes were filled with horror. “How would Dante know what Brie was wearing?”

Jules gazed at her friend’s pale pink sweater. HowwouldDante know that? Unless, of course, he’d been watching the building when Brie arrived.

Her jaw tightened. “I’m calling him. And then I’m calling his boss. This is ridiculous.”

She stormed over to the entryway, grabbed her bag from the floor, and set it on a small table so she could unzip it. It took a minute, since her fingers were shaking, but she managed to open it and root around for that card. When she found it, she zipped her bag and stabbed the numbers for Dante’s work phone on the keypad. So her friends could see for themselves what a jerk he was, she hit the speaker button.

“Officer de Marco.” He sounded a little confused, which wasn’t surprising since he wouldn’t recognize Kelli’s number. Or would he?

Jules’ grip on the phone tightened. “It’s Jules. What are you doing?”

“Uh, I’m working. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Of course something’s wrong. You’re sending my friends creepy messages through my phone.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I want you to stop. Now.”

“Jules. Where are you?” His voice had gone deadly serious.

“What difference does that make?”

“Your phone is still in the lab. Even if I had it, I would never send you or anyone else creepy messages. Now, where are you?”

The irritation seeped from her. Jules spun around to stare at her friends. Kelli had pressed her fingers to her lips again. “We’re at 74 Downey Street. It’s an apartment building.”

“I’m on my way.”

Through the device, she caught the squealing of tires and then the mournful wail of a siren.

Jules hit mute on the device. “Kels,” she hissed. “Open your sliding doors and tell me if you hear a siren.”

Her friend nodded and headed for the glass doors that led out onto the balcony. After she’d slid the door open a few inches, she leaned toward the opening a moment before closing the door with an emphatic thud. “Nope. No siren.”

Jules’ stomach twisted. The siren still wailed in the background of their call. Dante wasn’t lying. He was nowhere near them. Of course, he could have seen Brie earlier, when she arrived at the building, and then driven away.Argggh.She grasped a clump of hair with her free hand, tempted to pull it out by the roots. She had no idea what was going on or what to believe. She had to trust Dante. She unmuted the call. “We’re in apartment 412. When you get here, hit 93 on the intercom, and I’ll let you in.”

“Got it.” Tires squealed again. “I’m eight minutes out.”

“Okay.” Jules hit the end button.

Kelli came around the couch again and stopped next to Brie. “Should we?—”

A cool draft blew through the room. They all swung around to gaze at the sliding glass door, standing open several inches.