Center Stage
Page 42

He climbed out of the truck and walked around front of it as Arianna climbed out and slammed the door. He took her hand, and they walked up the back steps of the house.
As he slid the key into the door, he looked up at the porch light next to the door. The bulb wasn’t burnt out. It was missing. He pushed open the door and entered the code into the new alarm pad. Arianna turned on the kitchen light and went about hanging up her coat.
She was at ease at home. He wasn’t going to mention that the bulb was missing from the light. He’d just put in a new one, and everything would be good.
They’d forged dinner from the kitchen, watched a little TV in bed, and now Arianna slept soundly next to him. But John couldn’t sleep.
His mind was racing with all the strange things that had been happening around them, but none of them harmful.
Who had been in the theater that night? He knew it was a vagrant, who now was more homeless than before since they’d begun to renovate. But it bothered him that from time to time Arianna would have to deal with that.
The red flags at the build site he’d had to attend to the other day were stupid little things his men never would have missed. It was as though certain items had been removed from the site to make it look as though they’d just been neglected. If it had been malicious, it would have to have been someone familiar with the building or with construction; more than likely someone who had been fired from the build. Hell, that wouldn’t be the first angry ex-employee story John had to tell. Then again, nothing was as horrible as the man who attacked Regan after he’d fired him. John would live with that guilt the rest of his life.
But what if it was more?
Who had taken the bulb out of the light out back?
And did Arianna really leave the door unlocked the other day?
He was beginning to think things weren’t as quiet as they’d thought they were.
Chapter Twenty-Two
John had felt guilty letting Arianna sleep and not bringing her with him to work. She had lots to do, but she was exhausted.
He’d set the alarm before he left the house. He’d left her a note on the table. Within a few hours, she’d be by his side, and he’d be more at ease.
When he pulled up to the theater, all of his men were standing out back. They should have been working, and now that had him angry.
“What’s going on?” He jumped from his truck and searched the small crowd for Paul, who was in charge of getting them started every morning.
“Doors are locked, and we can’t get in,” Paul said as he moved from the crowd.
“Key is in the lockbox.”
“Lockbox is gone.”
John didn’t like that at all.
He moved through the crowd and to the door. Sure enough, the box was missing and that meant the key was too.
John fished for his keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and sent the men in to get their work done. He sought out the man in the group who could rekey the locks and set him to work changing every lock in the place.
There would be no more lockboxes. John would just have to be on site before everyone—always.
Arianna arrived just after eight with her signature Starbucks cup in her hand and her bag of ideas on her shoulder. He’d never been happier to see anyone in his life.
He walked through the lobby and followed her into her office where he shut the door and quickly pulled her into his arms.
She let out a grunt as his body slammed against hers, and then a moan when he took her under with a kiss meant for the bedroom.
“Good morning, Forrester.” She smiled up at him. “Remind me to never let you hire women.”
“Why’s that?”
“If you greet them every morning like this, I’ll have a problem with that.”
He held her to him even tighter. “I’ll never kiss another woman like that again.”
“Good to hear.” She tilted her head back, and he knew she saw worry in his eyes. “Something’s got you all worked up this morning already.”
She moved out of his arms and put her belongings on her desk.
“Someone broke off the lockbox and stole the key. The guys were locked out this morning.”
“You think someone broke in here?” She began to look around the room.
“No. I can’t find any evidence that someone tampered with anything. Just a jokester, I suppose.”
She nodded and began unloading her bag. “Why didn’t you leave the alarm on at the house this morning?”
John swiftly moved to her. “I did.”
“It wasn’t on.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. “You left this on the table, too.”
He looked down at the business card.
ZACH BENSON
CEO
“I didn’t leave this.”
“It’s not mine. I’ve never had one of his cards. I picked it up because I thought it was Simone’s, but the one she gave me was still in my purse.”
John turned the card over and looked at the back. The word NEXT was printed on it.
He swallowed hard. “Do you have a lot of work to do today?”
“Yes, why?”
“I just want to know you’ll be close.”
She nodded. “I hope you don’t mind, I’d like to work on the stage again.”
He didn’t mind that at all. That would keep her even closer.
John hurried out of her office and back to his desk. He sorted through the desk and found Regan’s card, which he’d discovered last night. He turned it over.
DIE
He fell into his chair. His heart raced, and his palms had grown damp. Son-of-a-bitch was playing games with them.
John headed back to Arianna’s office. She was on the phone, and he waited.
“Okay, I’ll see you in just a little bit,” she said as she turned off her phone.
“You’re leaving? Where are you going?”
Arianna narrowed her stare at him. “You’re sure jumpy today. I’m going out to Regan’s.”
He nodded. Perhaps that was best. They’d be together, and he could head over to Zach’s and they could make a plan.
She was watching him again. “Is everything okay with you?” she asked as she stood and walked around her desk.
“Yeah. Bad morning.”
“I guess it is. You’re dropping things this morning, too.” She turned and handed him yet another business card. “I found this on my floor.”