Crazy but Sweet, Sweet but Crazy

51: worlds undone

'Rivera Roberts' was the name.

Sitting in his car, Elliot looked at his phone, at the name of a jewelry shop just two minutes' walk away from a private law firm.

The law firm that Isabella had signed papers to officially adopt him.

According to Landon, the pendant- now in Richard's hand or in a garbage dump somewhere- was purchased by Isabella from 'Rivera Roberts'.

By giving him the pendant, Isabella had been trying to tell him something about Richard.

The next step Elliot needed to take was obvious. He needed to visit that shop. But could he?

The message Richard had conveyed to him during the three days of Clare's disappearance, was painfully clear.

For Elliot to stop the digging- whether it be about Michael Horan, or about Sophia Chase.

Putting his phone away, Elliot looked up. Clare and Ian were emerging from a road side bakery with a paper bags of bread in hand.

Standing a few feet away, smoking and reading an outdated men's magazine, was a tall man wearing blue Rayban shades. The man who'd been in a black Mini Cooper that'd been following Ian's car, for some time.

"It is wrong when you protect me the way your father would protect his people."

Her words, even after she'd gotten out of his car, remained heavy in the air like a strong perfume.

The way she looked at him, too, wouldn't leave his head.

Clare and Ian got into the car, and the man wearing the Raybans snubbed out his cigarette, and got into his Mini Cooper.

Elliot re-ignited the engine. Clare would hate it if she knew he was following her- but he had no choice. Not unless he hadn't noticed the black Mini Cooper that'd been with her ever since she left school.

Ian was with her, so she'd be all right now. As the Mini Cooper started to move forward to pursue Ian's Jeep, Elliot gently put his foot on the accelerator, just enough for the front of his car to collide with the rear of the Mini Cooper.

With a jerk, the Mini Cooper came to a halt. It didn't take long for the driver's door to swing open, and for the man to emerge, his lips performing not so pretty words.

Taking off his Rayban and tucking it on his shirt, the man approached Elliot's car, taking large strides.

When his eyes landed on the logo embossed on Elliot's car, and when he'd done a scan of the number plate, the man's face, seconds ago that of a man ready to fight, slackened.

Elliot emerged from his car, smiling. "Oops. Sorry. I'm a bad driver."

The Rayban man uttered a series of profanities under his breath looking at Elliot's face.

"For the car repair...I guess you can bill it on the man paying you to follow her."

"That was a useless move, Mr. Lockwood." The man put the sunglasses back.

There was an off-putting mix of politeness and mockery in his voice. "I'm certain you're not naive enough to think that I'm the only one."

The pit of Elliot's stomach grew cold. Richard was sending two messages.

One. For Elliot to not even think about doing any digging, because Clare was perfectly in his grasp.

Two. That whatever he did, Richard was always two steps ahead.

Of course. Elliot took in the free lanes of the road, where cars were sparse- and easy to spot.

It was strange that someone hired by Richard was tailing Clare so openly. This one was a distractor.