Adrian Cole had already reached the edge of the driveway when his phone vibrated inside his pocket.
He almost ignored it.
A black duffel bag hung from his right hand, his laptop case from his left, and the car waiting at the curb was supposed to take him straight to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. If everything stayed on schedule, he would be in Dallas before dinner, spend Thursday and Friday inside conference rooms, and fly back to Atlanta Saturday afternoon.
Behind him, the front door of his house had just closed.
His wife had kissed him goodbye less than thirty seconds earlier.
“Try to come home Saturday instead of Sunday,” Simone had said, smoothing the front of his white dress shirt.
“I already changed the flight.”
“You did?”
“Yes.”
She had smiled.
For a moment she looked like the woman Adrian remembered from the first years of their marriage.
“Good.”
He kissed her forehead.
“I love you.”
Simone hesitated only a fraction of a second.
“Love you too.”
Then Adrian walked away.
His phone vibrated again.
He shifted the duffel and pulled it out.
A message from Daniel Porter, the executive Adrian was supposed to meet in Dallas.
CALL ME. DEAL MEETING POSTPONED. BOARD ISSUE ON OUR SIDE.
Adrian stopped.
“Seriously?”
The driver standing beside the black SUV looked toward him.
“Everything okay, Mr. Cole?”
“Give me a second.”
Adrian called.
Daniel answered immediately.
“Adrian, I’m sorry.”
“What happened?”
“One of our board members ended up in the hospital. Nothing life-threatening, but we can’t vote tomorrow.”
“So Friday is dead too?”
“Yes.”
Daniel sighed.
“I tried getting word to your assistant twenty minutes ago.”
Adrian looked back toward his house.
Two-story brick colonial.
Freshly cut lawn.
White hydrangeas Simone insisted on planting despite Adrian’s certainty they would die in Georgia heat.
Ten minutes earlier, he had been annoyed about losing another weekend to work.
Now suddenly he had two days back.
He smiled.
“No problem.”
“You want to reschedule for next week?”
“Have your office call mine.”
“Sorry again.”
“Take care of your director.”
Adrian ended the call.
The driver opened the rear passenger door.
“Airport?”
Adrian looked toward the house.
Then smiled.
“No.”
The driver frowned.
“Trip canceled.”
Adrian glanced toward the front door again.
“I guess my wife gets her Saturday.”
He started walking back.
That was when he noticed the lawn mower.
It sat abandoned near the maple tree halfway between the street and the side yard.
Red commercial mower.
Engine off.
Grass clippings still covering its rear wheels.
Adrian slowed.
Malik Turner had been mowing when Adrian walked out.
Adrian knew him only casually.
Thirty-three.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Long dreadlocks usually tied behind his neck while he worked.
He owned Turner Outdoor Services, the landscaping company Simone hired the previous summer after their old company raised prices.
Malik usually came with two employees.
That afternoon he had been alone.
When Adrian crossed the lawn earlier, Malik had nodded.
“Safe travels.”
Adrian remembered because he had wondered how Malik knew he was traveling.
Then assumed Simone had mentioned it.
Now the mower sat empty.
No Malik.
Adrian’s eyes moved toward the house.
One curtain shifted.
Barely.
He stopped.
The driver remained beside the SUV.
“Mr. Cole?”
Adrian did not answer.
He watched the front door.
Nothing.
Then, from around the side of the house, Malik appeared.
No mower.
No equipment.
He had removed his work gloves and was tucking them into the back pocket of his dark work pants.
He walked toward the front porch.
Adrian frowned.
Maybe Simone needed something moved.
Maybe irrigation controls were inside the garage.
Maybe Malik had forgotten to collect payment.
All reasonable.
Then the front door opened before Malik knocked.
Simone stood there.
She looked past him first.
Toward the street.
Toward Adrian’s car.
Except Adrian had stopped behind the large magnolia tree near the edge of the driveway, partially hidden by its branches.
Simone did not see him.
She smiled at Malik.
Not the polite smile she gave contractors.
A different one.
Malik climbed the porch steps.
Simone caught the front of his black shirt in one hand.
Then pulled him inside.
The door closed.
Adrian remained completely still.