by Katie Reus
Her friend nodded. “Yep. The whole town is whispering about it. I figured if you wanted to say anything, you would, but after this little bomb I’m guessing that’s why he stayed over.”
“Yes. I’m keeping what happened kind of low-key, so if anyone asks you—”
“If anyone asks me, I’ll tell them to mind their own damn business. You should know me better than that.” She looked almost offended as she leaned over to pick up a blow-dryer, her own dark curls bouncing with the movement.
“Yeah, I do know you.” Trust didn’t come easy for her, not anymore. “Speaking of, have you thought any more about becoming my partner?” She and Adeline were tight and she was looking to expand—which would mean taking on a partner. And Adeline was smart, driven and trustworthy.
“I have… I’m still pro/conning it but I’m pretty sure I’m in. I think I just need to wrap my head around taking on a new venture. And listen, don’t worry about all the small-town gossip. It will blow over. I just hope they figure out who left that nasty surprise.”
“Yeah, me too.” She knew that Lincoln had forwarded it to the FBI, which gave her some peace of mind. If anyone could find a lead, it was the Feds. Special Agent Amy Lin was incredibly sharp and always checked in with Serenity at least once a year, usually more. She hadn’t forgotten about her…and Serenity could have contacted Amy herself but she’d wanted it to go through official channels. It had more of an impact that way. Amy had been closing in on Black even before he’d taken Serenity and Savannah. It had only been a matter of time before they captured him. Her escape and survival had just moved that up.
After leaving work she quickly fell into her normal routine of picking Harper up from school, taking her home and starting to prepare dinner. She liked her life tidy and ordered. It was a coping mechanism, and she didn’t care.
“I finished my homework early!” Harper bounced into the kitchen, a little ping-pong ball of energy. “Can I watch TV while I play with Legos?”
“Of course.” She kissed the top of Harper’s head before her daughter ran off to the living room. When Serenity heard a knock on the front door, she automatically tensed but when she saw Mrs. Rose—aka Carol—through the peephole, she smiled and opened the door.
“I’m sorry I didn’t return your calls,” Carol said as she stepped inside, her Chanel No. 5 wafting in with her. “My daughter had an emergency so I was out of town and I completely forgot to tell anyone I left.”
Laughing lightly, Serenity stood back and let her neighbor inside. “That’s fine. Are you in the mood for some tea?”
“Tea with a side of gossip, preferably. Earl Grey if you have it.” There was a mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes as she followed Serenity into the kitchen.
So she must have heard about Lucas staying over. “Not you too?”
“Well, I got in about four this morning and I saw Lucas’s truck outside. So…it wasn’t hard to figure out he’d stayed over. What’s going on with you two? Did he finally make his move?”
She blinked at the word finally, but shook her head before quickly recapping everything in much the same way she had with Adeline.
“Oh honey, that’s awful,” Carol said when she was finished. “I’m glad Lucas stayed over.”
“Feel free to tell people Lucas and I are dating if anyone asks you.”
The older woman rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to tell anybody anything. But I was curious. I’m sorry someone has decided to be so awful to you. I hope it’s nothing more than a sick prank. Does Lincoln know anything yet?”
“No…the department has sent the bracelet to the FBI so I should find out soon enough if this is a serious threat.”
“People can be such garbage sometimes.”
Serenity nodded as she pulled the teapot off the stove and started pouring them mugs. “Let’s not talk about me right now. What’s going on with your daughter?” Carol’s daughter lived two towns over and she got over to see her as much as possible. Serenity was pretty certain that in the next year she’d move there for good. She’d miss Carol, but knew it would be good for her to move closer to her family.
Her friend started talking, and hearing about Carol’s last few days eased the tension inside her. It felt normal to be sitting here chatting about life. Normal and nice. And right now, that was what she needed.
* * *
Serenity glanced at her buzzing cell phone as she stepped back into the kitchen. She’d gotten Harper to sleep and she was ready for a glass of wine. The last two days had been impossibly long. Fully expecting to see another message from Lucas or her neighbor, ice slithered up her spine as she stared at the message from an unknown number.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Maybe you should check on your neighbor.
Shit, whoever this person was had her phone number. Which was…beyond disconcerting. The house on the other side of her was for sale, and vacant, so she had little doubt who this text referred to.
Serenity didn’t pause—she called Carol but it kept ringing. Over and over. She desperately wanted to go over there but this could be a trap and she would be leaving Harper unguarded. She dialed Lincoln’s cell phone number instead of calling 911, knowing he’d help immediately.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. I got a weird text from an unknown number telling me I should check on my neighbor, Carol…ah, Mrs. Rose. They used the same tick-tock phrase from before. It feels really threatening. And I can’t get her on the phone.” Her breathing was choppy as she relayed everything. She tried to remain calm, but her heart thudded wildly in her chest.
He cursed under his breath. “I’m on my way over there. Stay inside and keep your doors locked.”
Though she hated doing it, she stayed inside, checking on her daughter. She swore it felt like an eternity, but only eight minutes passed before she saw the flashing blue lights of Lincoln’s sheriff’s truck as he pulled into Carol’s driveway.
It took everything in her not to go next door, but she simply couldn’t. Instead, she peered in on Harper and watched her daughter sleep. When she heard a siren in the distance, her stomach dropped and she hurried to the front of her house.
Peering through the curtains, she watched as Lincoln approached Carol’s house, weapon drawn. Then he was out of her sight. Tension spread throughout her as she said a little prayer for Carol. She hoped this was just a sick prank, not something…worse.
The sirens grew closer and closer, an emergency vehicle tearing down her road and stopping in front of Carol’s driveway. Less than sixty seconds later two more sheriffs cars showed up, lights flashing.
Serenity disabled the alarm and hurried outside but quickly locked the door and reset the alarm using her phone app. Harper would be safe and she’d be alerted if anyone tried to get inside. And that kid could sleep through anything, thankfully.
She hurried across her lawn and spotted Lincoln stepping out of the front door, his expression grim. Oh, no. She could read it in his face. The worst had happened.
He held up a finger to one of his deputies and met her where the two lawns connected.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “She’s gone.”
It took a few moments for his words to register, even though she’d read the truth on his face. “Wait…gone?” Her words came out as a raspy whisper.
He nodded. “No sign of a struggle. I shouldn’t even be telling you this but I’m going to. I think it might be poison. We’re going to have the coroner run her toxicology.”
Everything phased out in front of her for a moment as she tried to digest everything he was saying. She’d just sat with Carol at the kitchen table a few hours ago. “No sign of a struggle?”
He shook his head. “There’s nothing good about this but at least she wasn’t… It could’ve been worse. A lot worse.”
Serenity closed her eyes and dragged in a deep breath. How could this be happening? “We need to tell her children.”
“I’
ll make the calls. Just go back inside and keep your doors locked. I’ll be over to talk to you in a little bit. I’ll station someone in your backyard, so don’t be alarmed. I need to take care of…this first.”
She wanted to argue with him, but there was nothing she could realistically do. Feeling numb, she stumbled back toward her house, turning off the alarm and resetting it on autopilot as she locked the door behind her. Carol was dead?
Whoever had been taunting her had done this, she had no doubt.
This wasn’t a sick prank. No, this was a very dangerous predator who had no problem going after an elderly woman who wanted to enjoy her retirement. And the bastard would have no issue coming after Serenity. Maybe even…Harper. Oh, God. Someone had hurt her neighbor just to get to her. They could do anything, be anyone.
Sick to her stomach and terrified, Serenity headed to her daughter’s room and peeked inside, breathing a sigh of relief to see Harper sleeping soundly, her little unicorn twinkle lights creating a kaleidoscope of colors on the ceiling. All was right in Harper’s little world and Serenity was going to make sure it stayed that way. Tears stung her eyes as anger pushed up, threatening to overwhelm her fear.
Whoever had done this, they were going to pay. She’d been a victim once. Never again.
Exhausted, she sank into the rocking chair next to Harper’s bed and closed her eyes. She’d just rest for a bit. No way was she leaving Harper’s side. Not yet.
Serenity nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her cell phone buzzing sometime later. Opening her eyes, she was disoriented until she saw the twinkle lights flashing around the ceiling of her daughter’s room.
She must have dozed off. Preparing herself for the worst, she looked at the screen, but relaxed when she saw Lucas’s name popped up.
I’m outside. Open up.
After she saw that it was indeed Lucas through the peephole, she quickly opened the door. She couldn’t believe he was here, but was glad for his presence.
Wordlessly, he stepped inside and pulled her into his arms in a hug she desperately needed. He shut the door behind him with his foot as he held her tight.
Needing the contact, she returned his embrace, burying her face against his chest as she fought tears. Carol had been one of the first people to befriend her when she’d moved into the neighborhood. Then they’d started having weekly tea dates. She’d been a teacher for nearly thirty years, volunteered at the local soup kitchen and helped out with her church’s bake sales. She was always giving her time to those who needed it.
And now she was gone.
It was too awful to think about. She understood loss but that didn’t mean it got any easier, and she wasn’t going to tell herself that it would be okay. Because death was final, and loss hurt.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured against the top of her head, still holding her close.
She couldn’t find her voice so she hugged him back. She wasn’t sure how long they stood there but when she stepped back he cupped her face gently with his big, callused hands, swiping away her tears with his thumbs.
She hitched in a breath at the contact, a weird energy simmering between them as he stared down at her. Undeniable longing flared in his eyes, so sharp that it surprised her.
Suddenly he looked away, jaw tight as he ran a hand through his military-short hair. “I’m really sorry about your friend.”
Reality crashed back in on her, helping her to take another step back, away from Lucas and that look. “I am too. And thank you for coming over.” Maybe if she pretended that they’d never shared that intense look, he would too. “Did Lincoln call you?” she asked, then chastised herself. Of course Lincoln had.
“Yeah. It’s pretty clear that someone is targeting you. Lincoln has already let the FBI know about tonight. I’m guessing they’ll try to figure out who texted you. They’ve got the resources.”
“It’s probably a burner phone.” Unless someone was really stupid enough to text her from their own phone. She doubted it though. Whoever it was had been smart enough to get inside Carol’s house undetected. Unless…Carol had let them in? The thought of that sent another jolt of fear down her spine.
“Probably, but the Feds have resources the Verona SD doesn’t. Hopefully they’ll be able to figure out who bought it or…something concrete.”
“I know… I’m not really sure what to do at this point. I need to tell all my friends that they might be targets. Or I assume I should. Is Lincoln going to talk to me tonight?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I grabbed him for a second before heading over here. He’ll be over as soon as… He’ll be over soon. He’s questioning the other neighbors first to see if they saw anything.”
Of course he would. Ugh, this was all too awful and surreal. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen.” He followed and sat across from her as she collapsed in a chair, feeling decades older. “I’ll start making calls tonight, let everyone know to be careful.” She dreaded making these calls, but knew it was necessary. She’d moved back to Verona Bay to reclaim her life and raise her daughter in safety. Now she wondered if that was even possible. If she should even be here.
“Listen…it appears as if Mrs. Rose turned off her security system,” he said as she pulled out her phone. “Lincoln will go over everything with you, but unless someone poisoned her earlier, she let whoever it was inside.”
Serenity blinked. “She let them inside?”
He nodded, his expression grim.
“She’s an older woman living by herself. She wouldn’t have let just anyone into her home.” No way. Serenity knew that in her gut.
“Not unless she knew them.”
Oh, God. The sick feeling intensified. Could she and Lucas know who had done this? The thought was unthinkable but…believable at the same time. Unfortunately Serenity knew people hid their evil behind a mask of civility. Normal-looking people walked around everyday hiding their dark deeds from the world. “This is a nightmare. I should just leave. Take Harper with me and go.”
He frowned at her. “Running isn’t the answer.”
“Then what is?” she snapped. “Harper and I were fine before moving back here and now someone is targeting me. And clearly it’s linked to that bastard, Black.” Otherwise they wouldn’t have left Savannah’s bracelet for her to find. That taunt meant something.
“He’s locked up and behind bars.”
“Who’s to say he didn’t have an accomplice?”
Lucas shifted slightly, his back straightening. “Did you ever see one?”
“No. But the Feds never ruled out the possibility. I still don’t understand how Savannah and I got from our dorm to that cabin. There’s a huge blank in my memory. I remember going to sleep in my bed, then waking up in hell.”
He let out a low curse. “Did they do a toxicology report on your blood?”
She nodded. “My hair, actually. I was drugged. And food and water bottles had been removed from our dorm room so…anyone could have taken them, getting rid of the evidence. Black himself or someone else.”
“Lincoln is good at his job. And the FBI isn’t going to sit back and not do anything. But you running with Harper isn’t the answer,” he reiterated.
“Maybe. I’m just scared and I hate not knowing who could be after me. That’s even worse. It could be one of my friends. It could be one of my neighbors. It could be the freaking mailman.” The truth was, she wasn’t sure how she would afford to go on the run with her daughter anyway. She didn’t have unlimited funds, and separating herself from her community would just make her more vulnerable. Even though she knew that, her flight instinct had kicked in and she was having a tough time fighting it.
“Whoever it is, he or she will make a mistake.”
“How many people will get hurt before then?” she asked, even though she wasn’t really looking for an answer. “Everyone in town is going to hate me now.” She raked a trembling hand through her hair. Though that was the least of her worries.
“Why th
e hell would they hate you?”
“It’s my fault that—”
“None of this is your fault. The person at fault is the monster who killed Mrs. Rose. And they will be caught.” He had so much conviction in his voice that she wanted to believe him.
Wanted to believe that no one else would be hurt. Guilt already clawed at her because of Carol. Deep down she knew it wasn’t her fault, but that didn’t stop the wave of nausea sweeping through her as she thought about her sweet neighbor, always ready with a kind word, now gone.
No matter how much she wanted to cling to hope that whoever had done this would be caught, Serenity knew better than anyone that the world was full of monsters, and that bad things happened every day to good people. “I’m going to start making phone calls. You want anything to drink?”
“You just do what you need to do. I’ll make myself at home.”
It was pretty clear he wasn’t going anywhere and she could admit that she didn’t want him to leave.
Serenity hoped he planned on staying the night, even though she knew it would probably confuse Harper in the morning. But right now she needed to feel secure. And when Lucas was around, she felt safer at least.
She hated that he was putting himself in danger but of all people she knew, he could take care of himself. The man was a trained warrior. That had to count for a whole lot.
She only regretted that she couldn’t be what he needed.
Chapter 9
Rain slapped Serenity in the face as she raced through the woods.
He was getting closer. Run. Run. Run.
Escape. Find help.
Lightning cracked, illuminating the forest. She let out a scream as he stepped up from behind a tree, his eyes wild and manic, his face elongated like a werewolf.
A scream caught in her throat as she turned and ran. Her feet slipped in the mud, propelling her forward.
Pain ripped through her skull as he grabbed the back of her hair.
“No!” She tried to scream but the word got stuck in her throat. Every time she tried to shout for help it came out as a whisper.
