“Me, too. I’m going to call Marshall. You can go if you want to, honey.”
“No way. I’m staying with you.”
Just as he took out his cell, his phone rang. Oliver clicked on. “Marshall, I was about to call you.”
“First let me tell you I have good news. We located the woman who set the explosion in the collective.”
“It was a woman?”
“Yeah. No motive yet. But Kirkland’s guys found a trail that led to her. Why were you going to call me?”
“My news isn’t so good. My mother took a tumble in her garden. She’s adamant that a man was here and tripped her.”
“How old is your mother?”
“Sixty-eight. And before you ask, she’s as sharp as a tack. But I’m sorry to say that she’s a master at manipulating people to get what she wants.”
“What would she want in this?”
“My attention. Me staying here.”
“Then stay with her until I can talk to her.”
“How soon would that be?”
“I can come right over. It’s best to interview a victim as soon as possible after the incident.”
“Maybe you should wait an hour. Let her nap. I’ll be here.”
* * *
After Marshall interviewed his mother, Rosalina went back to bed. Oliver and Anabelle sat at the table with him.
“You’re right. She’s coherent and clear about what happened.”
Oliver scrubbed his hand over his face. His heart beat fast in his chest. “I can’t believe this. That somebody would go to these lengths to hurt us. Me, anyway. Maybe I’m the one he or she is after.”
“It’s too soon to determine that, Oliver.”
“I’m not so sure it is.” This came from Anabelle. “Let’s consider that. If it is just you then there are steps the police can take to protect you.”
Marshall said, “It isn’t just you. First, Finn was attacked in the parking lot.”
“You’re not calling that a carjacking?”
“Not anymore. Besides he got beat up pretty bad. Then Juliet had the incident where boxes were cut and they fell on her leaving a huge bruise. Then the snake was in her yoga room.”
Oliver sighed.
“Then you had an explosion at the practice, then the guard killed. These things were spread out among all of you.”
“I understand what you’re saying. I still have to protect my mother. I’m calling my brother in Syracuse so she can stay with him.”
“Good idea.”
Oliver took out his phone and stood, but before he dialed, he said, “You know Captain. You call all of us by our first name. What’s yours?”
“Jeff.”