dishwasher?”
Feeling a little defensive, Chase let out his breath and folded his arms. “I did. She had already gone to bed.”
Dan smiled a little and shook his head. “You’re already way over your head on this one, buddy.” He bagged the wine glasses separately. “I'm calling it a night. If you have any trouble, anything at all, call me. And I’ll let you know if we lift any prints off these--- besides yours —and find a match in the database."
Chase saw him out to his vehicle.
“Oh, and I almost forgot. We have an invitation for dinner tomorrow night at the Muellers' home. You know them,” Dan said. “As soon as they heard of her plight, they began looking into it. It's better for everyone concerned if we know the truth sooner than later. So it was their idea, but I'm in total agreement. Just ask her."
"All right," Chase said gloomily. He knew Dan was right and in truth, he wanted to know what was going on, too, and soonest. But he didn't want to pretend to Shannon that this was all just a friendly get together, when it wasn't. Not that the Muellers weren't friendly, but they just had a hidden agenda. And Chase was still trying to earn Shannon's trust. “If she's feeling too exhausted, we'll have to make it another time."
"Give us enough notification, will you, if she says no. All right?"
"Yeah, sure." Chase wanted to tell Shannon what the Muellers' former occupation was, but what if she decided to run? He didn't want to put her life in jeopardy by scaring her into running, either. Nor did he want to have to hunt her down again.
Dan glanced at the guestroom window. “Looks like the light’s on in the guestroom. Are you sure she’s asleep?”
Chase considered the curtains covering the window, the dark object—the armoire sitting in the center—and a scant light on either side showing. “Maybe we woke her. I’ll check on her. Thank Dottie for the movies and everything else."
“Will do. Night, Chase.”
Chase watched as Dan drove off. Again, he studied the curtains in the window where Shannon was supposed to be sleeping and shook his head. Would Dan discover a long rap sheet on the lady? Chase sure hoped he wouldn’t find anything. At least nothing bad.
***
As soon as Shannon heard men’s voices in the living room, she’d awakened. Fear had sliced through her, and she had quickly climbed out of bed and pressed her ear against the door. Then she’d heard Chase and Dan speaking low about movies that Dottie had loaned to Chase. Shannon was relieved to know it was just Dan and not someone else who was looking for her.
Their voices had dropped lower and she was certain they were discussing her. But no one was coming to arrest her, so she thought they still didn’t have a clue as to who she was. She gave up on listening, tired, not able to hear anything anyway, then turned on the light, not wanting to be surrounded by the dark.
Sure, she could see in semi-dark like her fully cougar cousins, but she felt comforted here in Chase’s cabin with the light on in her room. She climbed under the big fluffy comforter on the guest bed, needing to sleep.
But now that she wasn’t trying to find a safe haven for the night, her thoughts turned to Hennessey and how he might find her at any time and she’d be dead—unless she could kill him first.
Chapter 8
Chase took a warm shower, but when he left the bathroom, he heard the curtains moving in the living room and found Shannon wearing her gray sweats now, peeking out through the drapes at the dark night.
Had she heard something—someone? He cleared his throat so as not to startle her. “Can’t you sleep? I saw the light on in your room.”
She jumped a little and turned quickly to face him. “I was dozing,” she said, her voice a little anxious. “I thought…” She shook her head.
“Is the light disturbing you too much? Would you prefer a night light?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine, really. I just… I just heard something. I thought
Feeling a little defensive, Chase let out his breath and folded his arms. “I did. She had already gone to bed.”
Dan smiled a little and shook his head. “You’re already way over your head on this one, buddy.” He bagged the wine glasses separately. “I'm calling it a night. If you have any trouble, anything at all, call me. And I’ll let you know if we lift any prints off these--- besides yours —and find a match in the database."
Chase saw him out to his vehicle.
“Oh, and I almost forgot. We have an invitation for dinner tomorrow night at the Muellers' home. You know them,” Dan said. “As soon as they heard of her plight, they began looking into it. It's better for everyone concerned if we know the truth sooner than later. So it was their idea, but I'm in total agreement. Just ask her."
"All right," Chase said gloomily. He knew Dan was right and in truth, he wanted to know what was going on, too, and soonest. But he didn't want to pretend to Shannon that this was all just a friendly get together, when it wasn't. Not that the Muellers weren't friendly, but they just had a hidden agenda. And Chase was still trying to earn Shannon's trust. “If she's feeling too exhausted, we'll have to make it another time."
"Give us enough notification, will you, if she says no. All right?"
"Yeah, sure." Chase wanted to tell Shannon what the Muellers' former occupation was, but what if she decided to run? He didn't want to put her life in jeopardy by scaring her into running, either. Nor did he want to have to hunt her down again.
Dan glanced at the guestroom window. “Looks like the light’s on in the guestroom. Are you sure she’s asleep?”
Chase considered the curtains covering the window, the dark object—the armoire sitting in the center—and a scant light on either side showing. “Maybe we woke her. I’ll check on her. Thank Dottie for the movies and everything else."
“Will do. Night, Chase.”
Chase watched as Dan drove off. Again, he studied the curtains in the window where Shannon was supposed to be sleeping and shook his head. Would Dan discover a long rap sheet on the lady? Chase sure hoped he wouldn’t find anything. At least nothing bad.
***
As soon as Shannon heard men’s voices in the living room, she’d awakened. Fear had sliced through her, and she had quickly climbed out of bed and pressed her ear against the door. Then she’d heard Chase and Dan speaking low about movies that Dottie had loaned to Chase. Shannon was relieved to know it was just Dan and not someone else who was looking for her.
Their voices had dropped lower and she was certain they were discussing her. But no one was coming to arrest her, so she thought they still didn’t have a clue as to who she was. She gave up on listening, tired, not able to hear anything anyway, then turned on the light, not wanting to be surrounded by the dark.
Sure, she could see in semi-dark like her fully cougar cousins, but she felt comforted here in Chase’s cabin with the light on in her room. She climbed under the big fluffy comforter on the guest bed, needing to sleep.
But now that she wasn’t trying to find a safe haven for the night, her thoughts turned to Hennessey and how he might find her at any time and she’d be dead—unless she could kill him first.
Chapter 8
Chase took a warm shower, but when he left the bathroom, he heard the curtains moving in the living room and found Shannon wearing her gray sweats now, peeking out through the drapes at the dark night.
Had she heard something—someone? He cleared his throat so as not to startle her. “Can’t you sleep? I saw the light on in your room.”
She jumped a little and turned quickly to face him. “I was dozing,” she said, her voice a little anxious. “I thought…” She shook her head.
“Is the light disturbing you too much? Would you prefer a night light?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine, really. I just… I just heard something. I thought
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