Her Silent Shadow: A Gripping Psychological Suspense Collection

by Edwin Dasso

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  Silent Walker

  A Novella

  By

  Inge-Lise Goss

  Contents

  Author’s Content advisory

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  About the Author

  Also By Inge-Lise Goss

  Author’s Content advisory

  Silent Walker

  Language intensity

  No or mild profanity

  Sexuality intensity

  Possible sexual references with no details

  Violence intensity

  Violence but no gory details.

  Preface

  The silent intruder watches Tori sleep, savoring his power as he plans his revenge.

  Tori Burgess is unnerved when strange phone calls, anonymous dark gifts and odd events begin to dominate her life. She fears her ex-husband is in mortal danger, but soon realizes she’s the target. Could her new beau be the culprit or has an old enemy surfaced?

  1

  Tori ambled toward the entrance to Brandon’s apartment building. A teenager in a red hoodie caught her eye as he edged through the crowded sidewalk from the opposite direction. He stopped, handed an envelope to the doorman and hurried away.

  When she reached the doorman, she didn’t recognize him, but he addressed her by name. “Mrs. Burgess, this was just dropped off for you.”

  As he gave her the envelope, a spasm of panic welled up in Tori that immediately dissipated when she saw another couple approaching the door.

  “Thank you.” Tori eyed the tall, dark-haired doorman before glancing at the square envelope embossed with her name. Guessing it was an invitation, Tori dropped it in her purse.

  While she waited for the elevator, she noticed the unfamiliar doorman greeting other residents by their names and wondered how he knew hers since she had only been staying there a week and had never seen him before.

  Several residents stepped into the elevator behind Tori. From their conversation, she learned the doorman was a temporary employee, filling in for the evening doorman during his vacation.

  After bolting Brandon’s door behind her and punching her code into the security system, Tori’s cell phone rang. She lifted it and saw the name of her best friend since elementary school. “Hi, Mandy.”

  “Just checking to make sure you got home okay.”

  “No problems,” Tori said as her eyes dropped to the envelope in her purse.

  “I still think you should consider Keith’s offer and stay in his guest house until you can move back into your home.”

  Tori sank down on the couch. “It seems like he’s trying to rush our relationship. We’ve only been dating a little over a month. It’s way too early to even think about that. According to what he’s told me about the guest house, it’s less than fifty feet from the main house. He’d probably be popping in and out all the time. Here, I have my privacy.”

  “Yeah? With someone calling Brandon’s phone late at night and breathing heavily over the line? On top of that, you sense you’re being watched every time you leave his building.”

  “Well, I’ve unplugged his landline. That problem’s been solved. And I feel safe once I enter the building.”

  “But Tori, isn’t it a little awkward living in your ex-husband’s place?”

  “He’ll be working in England for five months. We’re still good friends.” She chuckled. “I already told you he had a case of my favorite wine sent to his apartment. How many ex-husbands would do that?”

  “An ex-husband who wants his wife back.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “I wish we had two guest bedrooms so you could stay with us.”

  Tori laughed. “Not with your mother-in-law in one of those bedrooms. I’ve met her too many times.”

  “Mrs. Global Gossip Monger can be annoying, but she’s not here yet. Maybe you could stay until she arrives.”

  “Do you know when she’s coming?”

  “Can’t get an exact date from her as usual. It could be next week or the week after. She just said ‘soon’ which signaled me to refill my Valium. C’mon over. Please.”

  “Mandy, I don’t want to move back and forth. I’ll stay put for the time being.”

  “Okay. I gotta get Rylee ready for bed now. We still on for lunch tomorrow?”

  “Yes. I’ll meet you at the Wolf House at one.”

  After Tori changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, she took the envelope out of her purse and opened it. As she expected—an invitation. A Mr. Wesley Crane was having an open house on Friday evening to celebrate moving into his newly built house, designed by Brandon Burgess, her ex-husband. The invitation is addressed to me. How did Wesley Crane know I was staying at Brandon’s place? And why would he invite the ex-wife of the architect to the celebration?

  Curious about Crane, Tori pulled out her laptop and Googled him. Several Wesley Cranes appeared in the Boston area. Knowing all of Brandon’s clients were well-heeled, one stood out—a law firm partner. His picture was prominently displayed on the law firm’s website. He was a dignified-looking man who appeared to be in his early forties. Wondering if he was a married man, she flipped to a few other sites where the law firm partner was listed. She couldn’t find anything that indicated his marital status. Why did he invite me? Tori decided to attend his shindig and RSVP’d to the number on the invitation.

  While she had her computer out, Tori looked to see if Brandon was included in any new postings. He was designing a country home for a member of the royal family. Brandon had been closed-mouthed about who had employed him for the job. That piqued her curiosity. The prior night, she had run across a newspaper article that mentioned Brandon’s name among the guests at a fundraising event to restore an historical church.

  A ring from her cell phone interrupted her search. She grabbed it from the table and saw an unknown number, but answered anyway.

  “Tori, it’s me,” Brandon said. “This is a friend’s phone. I misplaced mine. I tried to reach you on the landline. It kept ringing. The answering machine never picked up.”

  “That’s because I unplugged the phone. I was, or maybe you were, getting a lot of crank calls.”

  “Some of my clients prefer reaching me on my landline. It’s important to allow them to leave a message.” The edge in his voice surprised her. “The landline must remain plugged in. You don’t need to answer it. Just let the calls go to the answering machine. I can check it from here.”

  “Okay. I’ll plug it back in.” Tori twisted her long auburn hair into a tight bun. “I talked to the contractor this morning. He thought I’d be able to move back in at the end of the month. The house won’t be completely finished, but the upstair
s should be.”

  “Tori, you don’t need to rush moving back into our house. You can stay at my apartment until all the work is completed.”

  Will he ever stop referring to my house as “our” house? Tori heard a woman’s voice in the background, calling Brandon. “It sounds like you’ve got company. Besides the phone problem, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?”

  “No. That’s it.”

  “Bye, Brandon.” Tori hung up. Even though they had been divorced over a year, it still upset her when she knew Brandon was with another woman. Tori glanced at her watch—8:32 p.m. That meant it was 1:32 a.m. in England, which left no doubt in her mind that whatever relationship he had with the woman didn’t fall in the business category.

  Tori had divorced Brandon because of his infidelity, but couldn’t shake the lingering desire she felt for the man who had broken her heart.

  She went to his landline and plugged it in. The phone rang before Tori had a chance to turn down the ring volume. She listened to the five rings and then the answering machine clicked on. While she muted the ringer, the sound of a man’s heavy breathing came through the answering machine. She couldn’t imagine any guy calling Brandon and leaving that type of message. Still, Brandon’s security system made Tori feel safe in his apartment. The doorman blocked visitors from getting in the elevator without the approval of a tenant and, when the alarm system was on, the building’s night watchman would be alerted if anyone attempted to open Brandon’s door.

  Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, she admired the view of Boston Harbor and the city skyline. With seventeen floors below her, she figured the chances of any unwelcome visitors entering through the balcony doors was slim at best. But should the unthinkable happen, the glaring alarm would warn her and, at the same time, Brandon’s security company.

  She decided to call it an early evening, grabbed her novel, and headed to the guest bedroom. Brandon had told her she could stay in his bedroom, but she wanted to distance herself from him. Sharing a bedroom with him again, even if they were on opposite sides of the Atlantic, seemed too intimate.

  2

  Tori’s fitted green suit accentuated her curves, and cascading curls emphasized her flawless porcelain skin as she stepped out of the elevator the following morning. She was greeted by Charles, one of the building’s doormen who had worked at the apartment building before Brandon moved in.

  That same eerie feeling of being watched spread through her as she walked to the Seashore Gallery. Entering the building, a sense of calm replaced her rattled nerves. In addition to the gallery being her place of employment, it was also the place where she and Brandon first met. She did the company’s accounting, but on that fateful evening the gallery had held an open house for an artist they represented, exhibiting a collection of his latest paintings. All six employees, which included her, had been required to attend. Had it not been for that open house, she doubted she and Brandon ever would’ve met.

  She had just gotten settled into her office chair when the phone on her desk rang. Recognizing the number, Tori answered, “Hello, Keith.”

  “Hi, Tori. Is something wrong with your cell phone?”

  “I don’t think so.” Tori paused, realizing her cell had not rung all morning.

  “I called several times after I got home. It immediately went to voicemail. Had I not stayed by the curb and watched you enter the building last night, I would’ve been concerned about your well-being.”

  “Lemme check.” Tori opened her vintage Chanel handbag—another one of Brandon’s numerous guilt gifts given during attempts to hide his affairs— pulled out the cell and tapped on it. The screen didn’t light up. “It’s either out of juice or I accidentally turned it off.” Examining it, Tori pushed the on button and it lit up and the battery was at the 50%. She couldn’t recall turning it off. I did feel a little upset after talking to Brandon. Maybe I pushed that button when I laid it down.

  “Tori, I wish you would reconsider and stay at my guest house until the water damage at yours has been repaired. Too much crime goes on in the city. You’d be much safer at my place than at your ex-husband’s.” Disgust radiated from Keith’s voice when he said ex-husband.

  Tori assumed Keith was concerned about her being at Brandon’s, not the danger of the city. Does Keith believe my former relationship with Brandon will spring back to life because I’m staying in his apartment? “Brandon’s apartment building is well-equipped with a state-of-the-art security system. I’m safe there. Keith, we’ve been dating just a little over a month. It’s too soon for me to be living at your place, even if it’s only for a few weeks.”

  “My secretary is buzzing me. I’m running late for a meeting. A French restaurant not far from Seashore Gallery opened last weekend after an extensive remodel. Can I take you there for dinner tomorrow night?”

  “Yes. I’d like that.”

  “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  They disconnected as Tori leaned back in her chair thinking about Keith. He was slightly shorter than Brandon, had a short-clipped beard and an athletic build. He kept in shape by running a few miles every morning before going to work. Keith was a partner in an investment company. Based on his lifestyle, she figured the company did well. Tori enjoyed his company, but wondered why he’d never made any move to become intimate with her. She had been out with a few other men after her divorce. It seemed all they wanted was sex, but not Keith. Is he still hung up on his ex-wife? But if that’s the case, why is he trying to rush our relationship—calling me almost every day, taking me out three or four times a week, and wanting me to stay at his place while repairs are being done to mine? His divorce had been finalized around the same time as hers. She felt it was too early for either one of them to be jumping into a serious relationship. Am I just using that as an excuse not to get closer to Keith because I’m harboring feelings for Brandon?

  With the pile of documents on her desk, she reeled in her speculative thoughts, sat up straight, and went to work on the stack.

  Shortly before 1:00 p.m., Tori headed to the restaurant around the corner where she was meeting Mandy for lunch.

  Mandy threw her arms around Tori and gave her a breath-altering hug only closest friends share. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” Tori gasped as Mandy released her hold. “Brandon called and insisted that I plug his landline back in. I turned down the ringer volume, but that didn’t completely kill the sound. So, I stuck the phone in a drawer. Didn’t hear it after that.”

  Mandy’s eyes fixed on her face. “You don’t know, do you?”

  “Know what?” Squinting, Tori looked into Mandy’s mischievous eyes.

  “Brandon is seeing someone else.”

  “Brandon has seen a lot of those. That’s why we’re divorced.” Not wanting to dwell on Brandon’s affairs, Tori said, “I’m starving. Let’s get a table.”

  Mandy stroked Tori’s arm. “This someone might be the next Mrs. Brandon Burgess.”

  “Oh, this one is that serious? You can tell me all about what you’ve heard once we’re seated and placed our orders.”

  Five minutes later, the waitress took their orders and hurried to another table.

  Tori dreaded hearing about Brandon, but knew Mandy was eager to tell. “Okay, what did you hear?”

  “My sister Claire called this morning. She went with her husband to a medical convention in London. Last night, they had dinner at an upscale restaurant near the hotel where they’re staying. Brandon was there with a statuesque model-like blonde, being quite cozy.”

  “Did Brandon see your sister?”

  “If he did, he never made any attempt to acknowledge her or her husband. Claire happened to be in the restroom at the same time as the blonde.”

  “Happened?”

  “Well, Claire is as nosey as my mother-in-law. She said she noticed a huge diamond on the blonde’s left hand, so once inside the powder room, Claire complimented her on the gorgeous ring. All the blonde said was t
hat her boyfriend had good taste.”

  “She didn’t say she was engaged?”

  “No.” Mandy shook her head. “But she was wearing the ring on that finger.” She reached across the table and put her hand on top of Tori’s. “Sweetie, did you get all the legal stuff taken care of about your house?”

  “I couldn’t. It has a mortgage and the bank wouldn’t remove Brandon from it since my income is nowhere near his. It’ll be paid off in six years and then Brandon will be taken off the title. The paperwork is done, but not filed.” Tori tilted her head. “You’re not thinking that Brandon would try to cheat me out of it, are you? He makes the payments and he insisted I should have the house.”

  “Things might change if a new Mrs. Burgess enters the scene.”

  Tori couldn’t believe Brandon would turn on her. Or am I being naive? “Maybe the ring doesn’t represent any kind of commitment, and it might not have been given to her by Brandon.”

  “Tori, you have to know that…” Mandy stopped when the waitress placed their orders on the table. As the server walked away, she continued, “Brandon probably will marry again. It might not be to the blonde, but whatever friendship you two have could vanish. I thought you and Brandon might get back together, but I guess that isn’t anything you want.”