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Twenty-four

“WE’LL BE RIGHT HERE.” The masseuse gestured Riley to the first slotted massage space on the left. “I’ll just pull the curtain while you get undressed. The table warmer is already on.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

“It is,” the woman in the space across from her said.

Riley got on the table stomach-down and pulled the covers up.

“Are we ready?” Annabelle asked.

“Yes.”

Annabelle pulled the curtain back. “I see we’re starting on your back.”

“Yes, it’s been really tense of late. I think I pulled it at the gym.” Before they’d come, and it was still tender.

“No problem. We’ll get that taken care of.” Annabelle moved for a dispenser and pumped oil on her hands, then rubbed them together before starting on Riley’s shoulders.

“I was so mad.” Riley recognized Jenny’s voice coming from the next massage space.

“I’m so sorry,” Jenny’s masseuse responded.

“I always work out with Jared, and now he’s gone, and I was stuck with Alvin.”

“You don’t like Alvin?”

“He’s not nearly as good of a trainer, and there’s just something weird about the guy.”

After an hour of eavesdropping to all the chatter around her, Riley stepped inside the steam room and found Jenny sitting on the top bench.

“Hi,” she greeted Riley.

“Hi.” Riley smiled, taking a seat on the lower bench. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who Alvin creeps out.” It seemed like a solid inroad to the previous conversation.

“Thank you!” Jenny said, lifting her arms up. “Everyone else says he’s quiet or reserved, but he just feels off, if you know what I mean.”

“Absolutely. Kevin makes me feel the same way.”

“Yeah.” She bumped down to share the bench.

“So you said you usually work out with who? I might have to sign up with him.”

“Jared Henshaw. But apparently he’s gone.”

“Oh?”

“They said he’s on vacation, but I had a training spot reserved with him the morning after he left. Guess he forgot to cancel it.”

Interesting. “When did he leave?”

“He was gone yesterday morning when I woke. They said he left the night before, after his shift. That’s the same night Kelly left. I was planning to see her here.”

“Did Jared and Kelly know each other?” Riley asked. “I’m just curious since they left the same day.”

“Oh. You think they maybe ran off together? How yummy of an idea.”

“I’m not sure if that was the case. Just curious if it was possible. I mean, the timing is interesting at the very least.”

“She definitely knew him. Worked out with him every morning at six.”

“Wow. That’s commitment.”

“Yeah. I have the seven o’clock slot with Jared. Or I did. I can’t say I blame her if she did leave with him. I heard she and Tate had quite the blowout the night before she left. He’s another guy who rubs me the wrong way. But Kevin flat-out gives me the creeps. You know I saw him stalking around the grounds late last night.”

“You did?”

“I got a call from my mom in the middle of the night. She’s a very early riser and forgot about the time zone difference. She’s on eastern. Anyway, I didn’t want to wake Chad, my hubby, so I took it on the balcony, and there Kevin was, sneaking around.”

“What time was this?”

“Four thirty.”

“Are you sure?” What would Kevin have to do with Kelly or the key? It had to be Riley’s stalker walking around, didn’t it?

“Positive,” Jenny continued. “Mom’s always up at six thirty. Apparently, the news about her neighbor was too juicy to wait until our regular call.”

“Any idea what Kevin was doing?”

“I have no idea. He was hedging around the building walls. I have a good angle of the gym building from my balcony and caught a glance of him in the lamppost light. Weirdest thing. I could have sworn I saw binoculars around his neck.”

“Binoculars?”

“Yeah.” Jenny shrugged. “Probably safety goggles or something. The moon just glinted off them weirdly.”

Riley wrapped her arms around her chest. Had Kevin been spying on them, and, if so, why?

“Did he stay there long?”

“Not after I came out. He was heading around the back of the gym facility, probably for that building in the woods he always skulks off to.”

“What building?”

“Well, I was curious why he kept going into the woods. So one day I followed him. I couldn’t help myself. Chad always says I’m too curious for my own good.”

“I get that too.”

“Right?” She smiled. “So anyway. There’s this building out in a clearing about ... well, the length of a couple football fields away. It’s nondescript. No name on the building. He goes inside and stays for quite a while. At least he did on the day I watched him. From the time I saw him go in and until he came back to the main center, it was probably a couple hours.”

“That is weird.”

“That’s what I told Chad, but he just said I’m paranoid and have been watching too many Spenser : For Hire reruns.”

“I love that show.”

“Me too. Are you heading to the hot springs today?”

“Hot springs?”

“Yeah, I heard that’s on the day’s agenda. You’ll love them. They’re gorgeous and very romantic.”

Great. Riley blew an errant strand of hair from her face. That’d make it easier not to fall any harder for Greyson.