might want something to change into.”
“Thanks.” He turned his back while she dressed. She continued to talk to him in an effort to keep her mind off the fact that she was standing naked behind him. “Well, what did you find?” She slipped the blouse over her head before he could answer and said, “Okay, I’m decent.”
He immediately turned around.
He didn’t answer right away. She watched his face, his solemn expression while he hesitated. Her heart plummeted. It wasn’t going to be good news.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “There was nothing.”
She turned, keeping her agony to herself. It was true then. She was losing her mind. She thought back to the days with her mother living in the house, the mood swings, the crazy talk about voices in her head. Her mother had been paranoid to the extreme, actually believing people were trying to kill her. It all sounded familiar.
Frustrated, Kelly covered her face with a pillow and screamed into it. She was determined not to be locked away or put on drugs for the rest of her life. But worse than that was the possibility she could hurt another person, perhaps someone she loved.
Michael’s hands covered her shoulders. He whispered into her hair. “Everything will be okay. Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
How could he stop it from happening? He couldn’t climb into her head and fix what was wrong with her. No one could.
The urge to flee gripped her. She wanted to go somewhere no one would find her. In a mansion the size of Moore House it shouldn’t be too hard a feat.
Acting on instinct, she spun around, knocking Michael’s hands aside. Nothing was going to get in her way. Perhaps she would disappear into thin air like Elizabeth Barrington. The house just might open wide and swallow her whole. Kelly didn’t care.
Michael tried to latch on to her again, but she fought him. She almost ripped his jersey in her haste to get away.
A long pink scarf fell to the floor.
Kelly grabbed it before Michael could.
His long fingers reached for it, but she snatched it up and studied it closely.
“Where did you find this? It belongs to Margo. Did you get this from my room? Is this what the man used to choke me?”
Michael nodded grimly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to upset you,” he replied.
“Upset me?” Her voice bounced off the walls. She lowered it and continued. “You let me think I was going crazy. Why would you do that?”
“Do you feel better now that you know the threat is real? Someone is trying to kill you, and we have no idea who or why.”
Kelly nodded defiantly. “As a matter of fact, I do. I feel much better now. I’d rather fight a flesh-and-blood person than a mental disease any day of the week.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re so happy about this,” Michael said sarcastically. “You said something about Margo? You’ve seen this scarf before?”
“Yes. I’m sure it belongs to Margo—the nice old lady who lives in what used to be the guest house. I told you Iwent to check on her before I got locked in the garage. Remember? She’s Boomer’s owner.” When he nodded, she continued, “How did somebody get her scarf? Dammit, Michael, do you think Margo’s been hurt?”
“I don’t know.” He stepped outside the room. “But I’m going to find out. The sun won’t be up for another three hours.”
“I’m going with you.”
He didn’t argue this time, and Kelly was relieved. She couldn’t just sit around and twiddle her thumbs. If something bad had happened to her friend, Kelly wanted to know.
Boomer glanced at them but was clearly too relaxed to move. His head went back down and his eyes closed.
“What can you tell me about Margo?” Michael asked as they were headed down the stairs.
“She bought the house three years ago. She’s a sweet old lady. You know the type. She wants to feed everyone in sight. She worries about everyone and loves her dog as
“Thanks.” He turned his back while she dressed. She continued to talk to him in an effort to keep her mind off the fact that she was standing naked behind him. “Well, what did you find?” She slipped the blouse over her head before he could answer and said, “Okay, I’m decent.”
He immediately turned around.
He didn’t answer right away. She watched his face, his solemn expression while he hesitated. Her heart plummeted. It wasn’t going to be good news.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “There was nothing.”
She turned, keeping her agony to herself. It was true then. She was losing her mind. She thought back to the days with her mother living in the house, the mood swings, the crazy talk about voices in her head. Her mother had been paranoid to the extreme, actually believing people were trying to kill her. It all sounded familiar.
Frustrated, Kelly covered her face with a pillow and screamed into it. She was determined not to be locked away or put on drugs for the rest of her life. But worse than that was the possibility she could hurt another person, perhaps someone she loved.
Michael’s hands covered her shoulders. He whispered into her hair. “Everything will be okay. Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
How could he stop it from happening? He couldn’t climb into her head and fix what was wrong with her. No one could.
The urge to flee gripped her. She wanted to go somewhere no one would find her. In a mansion the size of Moore House it shouldn’t be too hard a feat.
Acting on instinct, she spun around, knocking Michael’s hands aside. Nothing was going to get in her way. Perhaps she would disappear into thin air like Elizabeth Barrington. The house just might open wide and swallow her whole. Kelly didn’t care.
Michael tried to latch on to her again, but she fought him. She almost ripped his jersey in her haste to get away.
A long pink scarf fell to the floor.
Kelly grabbed it before Michael could.
His long fingers reached for it, but she snatched it up and studied it closely.
“Where did you find this? It belongs to Margo. Did you get this from my room? Is this what the man used to choke me?”
Michael nodded grimly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to upset you,” he replied.
“Upset me?” Her voice bounced off the walls. She lowered it and continued. “You let me think I was going crazy. Why would you do that?”
“Do you feel better now that you know the threat is real? Someone is trying to kill you, and we have no idea who or why.”
Kelly nodded defiantly. “As a matter of fact, I do. I feel much better now. I’d rather fight a flesh-and-blood person than a mental disease any day of the week.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re so happy about this,” Michael said sarcastically. “You said something about Margo? You’ve seen this scarf before?”
“Yes. I’m sure it belongs to Margo—the nice old lady who lives in what used to be the guest house. I told you Iwent to check on her before I got locked in the garage. Remember? She’s Boomer’s owner.” When he nodded, she continued, “How did somebody get her scarf? Dammit, Michael, do you think Margo’s been hurt?”
“I don’t know.” He stepped outside the room. “But I’m going to find out. The sun won’t be up for another three hours.”
“I’m going with you.”
He didn’t argue this time, and Kelly was relieved. She couldn’t just sit around and twiddle her thumbs. If something bad had happened to her friend, Kelly wanted to know.
Boomer glanced at them but was clearly too relaxed to move. His head went back down and his eyes closed.
“What can you tell me about Margo?” Michael asked as they were headed down the stairs.
“She bought the house three years ago. She’s a sweet old lady. You know the type. She wants to feed everyone in sight. She worries about everyone and loves her dog as
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