“That’s too bad. Life is too short to quarrel.” As much as Gwen despised her father, she didn’t go out of her way to fight with the man when he was alive.

“I think once I get Charles off base his attitude will change.”

Ruth was old enough to know that people seldom changed, but Gwen wasn’t about to remind her of that. It was obvious Ruth was ready to move on with their life, even if her husband wasn’t.

“I’m sure it will work out.” Gwen was sure of no such thing…but if there was one thing she had learned after living in the States for nearly a year it was that Americans were wonderful at saying things they didn’t mean. To be fair, the British were, too. However, her friends in London wouldn’t think of sharing such private information with a mere stranger. Ruth was in obvious need of a conversation with a woman who didn’t know her husband. Perhaps Ruth knew if she spoke with people who knew him they’d offer a different opinion.

Gwen glanced at Ruth and noticed a small smile on her face.

“It will.”

When they arrived back at the house Gwen noticed the car she and Neil had driven there was gone.

Her heart jumped. He left? Maybe he moved the car?

No. The car wasn’t anywhere in the drive and when they walked into the house Charles said he’d left. She panicked for a moment before he told her that Neil would be back within the hour.

Gwen decided to spend the time alone in her room. When had she become so dependent on a man? On anyone? Maybe before moving to America she’d moved through life with an escort. Since the move, however, she’d found her independence and loved it. So why did the thought of moving around now without Neil feel so wrong? It was one thing to be infatuated with the man, quite another to not see herself without him. He was a dangerous gamble that came with a warning.

Working through the drama surrounding Neil required another set of ears. Karen’s or maybe Eliza’s. Even Samantha would offer sound advice.

The question was how could Gwen contact one of her friends and not risk exposing any of them before Neil was prepared to deal with the bird-killing man?

Blake met Dean and Jim at Karen and Michael’s home in Beverly Hills. Karen had called in a panic, saying something about dead birds and the need for Prozac. None of which made any sense.

Inside Michael’s home, Karen sat on a sofa with her knees curled up into her chest. Beside her Michael sat and stroked her back as the both of them talked to Dean and Jim.

“I got here as soon as I could.” Blake glanced at Karen and asked, “Are you OK?”

“Better now.” She was pale and obviously shaken up.

“Seems our bird-guy is interested in Karen after all,” Jim said.

“Someone jumped the fence here and broke into her car. She found another dead crow, this time mangled and in the front seat of her car.” Dean watched Karen as he spoke. “I have a crew coming over to investigate.”

“Is there anything on your surveillance cameras?” Blake asked Michael.

“I don’t have surveillance cameras. Only an alarm system.”

Blake couldn’t imagine a man of Michael’s worth and fame not having a better system. “Time to put one in.”

Michael nodded.

“Guess this means we need to keep an eye on Karen and let Neil know he and Gwen can come back.” Dean stood and placed an empty coffee cup on the table in front of the couch.

“Only problem with that is no one knows where Neil is,” said Blake.

“I’ll start a track on him…credit card use, bank account. He’ll show up eventually. Or maybe Gwen will call again.”

Blake would have his own people start searching. The thought of his sister running off with a paranoid retired marine made him edgy.

“Do you think we’re dealing with a fan?” Michael asked Dean.

“Could be. Or maybe someone ticked at you, Karen. Any ideas who we’re dealing with?”

“I don’t have any real contact with the clients at Alliance and you know my co-workers.”

“What about at the Boys and Girls Club?”

“Jeff is the head guy there. Happily married. Most of the volunteers are housewives. There’s no one I hang out with or really know outside of the organization.”

Dean paced the room. “What about the kids? A lot of kids in those places are high risk. Or maybe even mandated to go there after school.”

Karen looked stunned at the question. “The kids are great.” She paused. “Most seemed happy when they found out Michael and I got married.”

“Most?” Dean asked.

The hair on her arms tingled. “Well yeah. There’s this one boy. I think he has a crush on me. Got a little upset the last time I saw him.”

Dean removed a pen from the inside of his suit pocket. “What’s his name?”

“Oh, c’mon, Dean. He’s just a kid. Not capable of what’s been going on here.”

“Do I have to remind you how many kids are sitting in juvenile hall convicted of murder?”

“Juan isn’t that kid. I know him.”

“Really? Where does Juan live? Who are his parents? Any priors?”

Karen glanced at Michael and back to Dean.

“I’m just going to ask him a few questions, Karen. If he’s a good kid, he has nothing to worry about.”

“He’ll never trust me again.”

“It’s a risk you’re going to have to take,” Michael told her. “The sooner they rule him out as a suspect, the sooner they can search for whoever else is behind all this.”

Karen sighed and ran a hand over her face. “Juan Martinez. He’s a good kid, Dean. Last I looked it wasn’t against the law to have a crush, so please don’t come down hard on him.”

“If he’s been planting dead birds to scare you, I’m going to make him piss himself. If he isn’t behind it he’ll be fine.”

Jim stood and joined Dean as they turned to leave the room. Blake followed them out. “You really think a kid did all this?”

Dean placed his sunglasses over his eyes as they stepped outside. “Anyone capable of killing animals can eventually kill people. And yeah, teenage kids do that shit. Most don’t graduate to murder until they’re old enough to get a drink in a bar, but that doesn’t mean it’s not unheard of.”

A couple of black and white squad cars rolled down the drive and Jim walked over to greet them.

“What about the bugging of the house, tampering with the surveillance equipment?” Blake asked.