Lisa Scottoline - Save Me

She looked at the date on the press release. It was less than six months ago, which meant that Mojo was new to Campanile. It seemed odd. She hadn’t gotten the idea from Warren that Mojo was a new hire. She navigated to whitepages.com, typed in his name, and found his address.

837 Hummingbird Lane Malvern, PA

Rose plugged it into her GPS system and hit START.

Rose parked outside of Mojo’s house, surprised. It was a fieldstone mansion, with a grand front door and a huge stone wing on either side. Tall trees surrounded the property in back, forming a screen of autumn color, and the house sat atop a steep hill, so far off the street she didn’t have to worry about being spotted. She guessed she was looking at a $1.5 million house and she was practically an expert. She’d done the shopping for the house in Reesburgh and reading the MLS listings was her idea of online porn.

She didn’t get it. Mojo had spent the last four years working for the state of Maryland and only six months at Campanile. Even if he was making a fortune now, how could he afford this house? What kind of security director had a multi-million-dollar house? What kind of state employee? Her phone interrupted her reverie, signaling she was getting a text. She picked it up and pressed to the text function. It was Leo:

Sorry, I’m too busy to call back. You okay?

Rose sighed. It wasn’t warm and fuzzy, but at least she was still married. She hit REPLY.

Yes. Take care. Love, Me.

She checked the dashboard clock: 7:15 P.M. The sky was darkening, and she could feel the air cooling through the open window. Her thoughts turned to Melly and John, and she called Gabriella, who picked up after one ring.

“Rose, how are you, my dear? Getting things done?”

“Yes, thanks. How are you holding up?”

“We’re all wonderful. Melly is out with Mo again, and John is fine, too. He discovered my bracelet, which amused him endlessly. He has expensive tastes.”

Rose eyed Mojo’s house. “I’m not finished just yet. Can you hang in another day or two, and I’ll keep you posted?”

“I hope you let us keep them until the weekend. Melly is making a garden with Mo. Wait’ll you see it.”

“Thanks so much,” Rose said, grateful. “I really appreciate this.”

“We know, now let me go. I have a baby to teach to say Grandma. Love you, bye.”

“You, too.” Rose pressed END, watching darkness fall. She felt at a loss, eyeing the house. She was so used to bouncing ideas off Leo, and it was hard to do all the thinking a cappella. Her gaze fell on the next-to-last text, which she hadn’t heard when it came in. It was from Annie.

What’s this about Thomas Pelal? Please call. You need me now.

Rose went to her phone log, found Annie’s number, and pressed CALL.

Rose sat opposite Annie in a chair, next to a room-service table covered with the remains of roasted chicken. The aroma of rosemary filled the small hotel room, and its window overlooked the lights of Philadelphia and the Delaware River, black and thick as a python. She’d told Annie all about Thomas Pelal, bringing them both to tears, then caught her up on everything else, including Mojo’s mansion.

“Well, well, well.” Annie scratched her head, her blunt fingernails disappearing in her little corkscrews. “This Mojo guy is wack. He needs a gun, for what? To protect copper piping?”

“I know.” Rose hugged her knees to her chest, finally feeling validated. “So I’m not nuts?”

“No, I think he’s fishy, too, and it worries me, for your safety.” Annie shifted in the patterned chair, tugging the hem of a white sundress over her sleek legs. Her feet were bare, her toenails bright red. “I get that you don’t have enough evidence to go to the State Police with, but why don’t you hire a private detective? That would be safer.”

“I’d have to find one, and right now, I feel like I know what I’m doing and I want to do it myself. I want to get to the bottom of it, and somehow I think I’m the only one who can.”

“What if something else is going on, with you?” Annie pursed her lips. “What if you’re feeling so guilty about Amanda that you’re trying to find some nefarious cause of the fire, so nobody thinks it’s your fault?”

“No, I wish the town didn’t hate me, but that’s not it. It’s not about me, Amanda, or even Melly.”

“Are you trying to make up for what happened that night, with Thomas Pelal?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him, Rose?” Annie cocked her head, her tone gentle. “I wouldn’t have judged you. It could have happened to anybody.”

“I was ashamed, embarrassed. It’s horrifying.” Rose ran her fingers through her hair. “But I finally let him go. I’ll always mourn him, but that’s something different.”

“I get that.” Annie tilted her heard backwards, appraising Rose with calm, dark eyes. “You know, I see a change in you. You’re digging in. Trying to get to what’s really going on.”

“Instead of running away?”

“Yes.” Annie smiled softly. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Rose said, touched.

“The only problem is, I’m also worried.” Annie pursed her lips. “These dudes don’t play. I don’t like you spying on them, and they won’t either.”

“I know.” Rose had been starting to worry, too. She was a mother, and the sight of Mojo’s gun stuck in her mind.

Annie brightened. “I have an idea. You’re staying the night here, aren’t you? I have the extra bed.”

“I’d like to, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to go home to Reesburgh. I’m kind of betwixt and between.” Rose knew what the real problem was. “I hate when Leo and I are in a fight.”

“I feel you.” Annie shook her head, with a smile. “Look at us. Wild girls turned wives.”

“I know, right?” Rose thought ahead to seeing Leo, not knowing how that would work, then getting Melly back to school, and not knowing how that would work, either. “All of a sudden, I don’t fit into my old life.”

“You never did, girl. Now, you finally have a chance. Make a life that fits you. Leo will come around. It’s a rough patch, is all. That’s marriage.”

“We’ll see.” Rose knew it was more complicated than that. “We have to change a few things, both of us.”

“That’s just what I was thinking.” Annie stood up, newly energized. “I can help you with that.”

“How?”

“Get up. You’re staying the night, and we need to get started.” Annie was already in motion, heading toward her black bags, stacked up like blocks near the luggage carrier.

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll see.”

Rose kept her eyes closed, while Annie worked her magic. The built-in vanity was covered with powders, blushes, mascara wands, used Q-tips, and little wedges of white sponges, like tiny pieces of wedding cakes. They’d done the major stuff last night and were putting on the final touches this morning. The hotel room was sunny and bright, and The Today Show played in the background, with Meredith Viera interviewing a French chef.

“You almost finished?” Rose sipped her cooling coffee, her eyes shut. They’d had another room-service meal, and she was ready to get going. She had already figured out her next move.

“Now lift your eyebrows, but don’t open your eyes. Two minutes until reveal.”

Rose felt the pencil filling in her brows. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

“Be still, or I’ll make you wear the fake nose.”