Page 260 of Out of Left Field
I closed the door and waited until I heard the security lock engage. Then I went straight to the desk. “Who the fuck let her in?”
Two bored looking men blanched as I towered over the desk. They both wore the same blue uniforms and walkie-talkies. “Uh, we did?”
“Why?”
The one on the left stammered as he reached for the paperwork. “She uh, she said she was Ms. Cooper’s mother. We didn’t have her listed but when she said this was a birthday surprise we let her through. She said it had been a year and her daughter was going to be so happy.”
I didn’t look at the paperwork. “It hasn’t been a year. It’s been sixteen years. How much money did she slip you? Because we all know the standard protocol is to call Willa for authorization of anyone not on her list.” I knew the Tangerine’s security protocols thanks to everything that happened last year with Annalise.
If I had my way both of these morons would be looking for new jobs in the morning. “Beth Hanes does not enter this building again. Put her name on the blacklist. Pull her photo from the security footage. She is banned from all Tangerine facilities. Do. You. Understand?”
“Yes sir. We’re sorry sir.” They flew into action, not that it would save their jobs.
Tomorrow I would follow up with the head of security. Keeping Beth out of Willa’s safe spaces was step one. Step two was figuring out what the hell she was doing here in the first place, because it sure as shit wasn’t to reconnect with her daughter. Guilty conscious or not.
I made my way over the elevator but didn’t get on. Instead I pulled out my phone punched Seth’s contact. Five rings later he answered. “Do you not understand the definition of ‘day off’?” he yawned.
“Willa’s mother just ambushed her at work.”
I heard a rustling and then, “What the fuck?”
“Willa and I had plans to see a movie. I was about to pick her up when Beth walked into her office unannounced. I need you to call your security people and find out everything you can. I got some really bad vibes from her.”
“Is her last name Cooper?”
“No. She introduced herself as Beth Hanes. She looks just like Willa.” I couldn’t explain it but I had a really bad feeling about her. Growing up in a tourist trap, seeing dozens of different people every day, I learned that bad people put off bad vibes. And Beth Hanes had my skin crawling.
“I’m on it. Is Willa okay?”
“I’m on my way back to her office now. But she was pissed. The conversation didn’t go well. I just walked Beth out of the building.”
“Thank fuck you were there. Tell Willa I love her and I’m on this. I’ll get in touch as soon as I have something. And if she has any other details, have her send them my way.”
“Will do.”
“Ev. This is going to hit her hard.”
As much as Willa liked to say her mother didn’t matter, we all knew it was why she clung to our friendship the way she did. It was why she had such a hard time making friends with other women. She’d made so much progress.
This was going to throw her for a loop.
“I’ve got her. Check in later?”
“Let me know if anything changes. I’ll be there in a flash.”
I ended the call and got on the elevator. I held my breath before I opened her office door. Whatever Willa needed tonight I would make it happen. We could throw axes or scream at the waves or watch a really cheesy comedy in the dark. Whatever she wanted.
“She’s gone.”
Willa looked up from her phone. No tears. But she was definitely paler than I’d like. “I just got off the phone with my dad. I thought he should know she poked her head out.”
She looked like she needed space so I sat down across from her. “How did he take it?”
“Not well. He kept apologizing like this is somehow his fault. He’s looking at flights. He’ll probably be here tomorrow.”
“What do you need?” The urge to wrap her up in my arms and never let her go was strong.
Too strong. It overpowered my sense of reason. I could feel my sanity slipping away. This is how lovers wound up doing crazy things. If Willa told me she wanted to track her mother down and throw her off the Skyway, I’d do it. No questions asked.
