the friendly manner typical of her neighborhood. If he waved back, she didn't see it.
Carolyn locked the garage and went into the house after Terri, leaning on the door to shut it. She tried to think of supper instead of Mac while she washed her hands and pulled salad fixings from the refrigerator. She was chopping vegetables when the doorbell rang, making her heart do a flip-flop. An image flashed into her mind of Mac coming to apologize for his strange behavior this evening.
"I'll get it," Terri called as she ran to open the door. Then, a moment later… "Mo-o-o-ther-r-r-r!"
Carolyn hadn't heard that tone of voice since Terri cut her hand in the yard and needed help desperately. She hurried into the hall to see who was at the door. The coldest black eyes she'd ever seen in her life looked back at her. Heavy black brows frowned over them. Black hair peeked out from under the cap shadowing his face and making his skin look pasty. She couldn't help a shudder at his hard expression. The man beyond the storm door stared at them without blinking.
Terri moved close to Carolyn's side and wrapped her arms around her leg. Carolyn put her arm protectively around her daughter's shoulder. "Yes, what is it?" she asked as she pulled the door much closer to being closed.
This town rarely had salesmen go door to door, but this guy couldn't be one anyway. With a sneer on his face like that, he would have to be selling condos in hell.
"Sorry to bother ya, ma'am. I'm looking for, ah, Cramer Road . I saw your light. It's hard to see them street signs in the dark. I was hopin' ya could direct me."
While Carolyn met new people in the store all the time, especially in tourist season, she'd never had them affect her like this. On the other hand, they never looked like this man. "Go to the corner and turn left," she said, pointing south. "Cramer is the little road that goes to the right just past the bushes that come down to the road. Just look for the bushes and turn right after them."
She watched the way his nose seemed to twitch as he listened. Kind of like a rabbit's, but it looked anything but cute.
"Thanks. Sorry to bother ya." He looked down at Terri. "You got a cute kid there, lady. You wanna take real good care of her so she don't get hurt."
Carolyn looked down at Terri, who tightened her grasp. She was clutching Carolyn so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Thanks again, lady," he said, making Carolyn look back at him. "You've been real helpful."
As soon as he stepped off the stoop, Carolyn shut the door and this time she locked it. That was one man she knew she wouldn't ever like to see again.
"Mom, he was spooky," Terri said.
"I'm sure he's no one we have to be concerned about, honey. We'll never see him again." She gave Terri a reassuring hug. "How about setting the table?" Carolyn handed her the dishes and Terri took them to the table.
Carolyn glanced out the window over the sink and watched his car pull away. Her neighbors across the street were putting away their gardening equipment in their open lit garage. She wondered why the man hadn't just pulled into their driveway and asked them for directions instead of coming all the way up to her door. It gave her an uncomfortable feeling that was hard to dismiss.
Mac had told her to pay attention to strangers and here they had opened the door right up without looking out to see who was there. Terri didn't have to unlock the chain first because Carolyn had forgotten to fasten it when she got home. Habit. She'd never felt the need for much security. This was Lakehaven, after all.
Not even small towns are safe anymore, Mac had said. She would have to start remembering bad guys were everywhere, even in Lakehaven. And that changed everything.
Her quiet, safe life would never be the same again.
Chapter Six
"Why does a Police Chief in a tiny town like this get so much mail?" Mac said after Ellie dumped another stack of envelopes on his desk the next
Carolyn locked the garage and went into the house after Terri, leaning on the door to shut it. She tried to think of supper instead of Mac while she washed her hands and pulled salad fixings from the refrigerator. She was chopping vegetables when the doorbell rang, making her heart do a flip-flop. An image flashed into her mind of Mac coming to apologize for his strange behavior this evening.
"I'll get it," Terri called as she ran to open the door. Then, a moment later… "Mo-o-o-ther-r-r-r!"
Carolyn hadn't heard that tone of voice since Terri cut her hand in the yard and needed help desperately. She hurried into the hall to see who was at the door. The coldest black eyes she'd ever seen in her life looked back at her. Heavy black brows frowned over them. Black hair peeked out from under the cap shadowing his face and making his skin look pasty. She couldn't help a shudder at his hard expression. The man beyond the storm door stared at them without blinking.
Terri moved close to Carolyn's side and wrapped her arms around her leg. Carolyn put her arm protectively around her daughter's shoulder. "Yes, what is it?" she asked as she pulled the door much closer to being closed.
This town rarely had salesmen go door to door, but this guy couldn't be one anyway. With a sneer on his face like that, he would have to be selling condos in hell.
"Sorry to bother ya, ma'am. I'm looking for, ah, Cramer Road . I saw your light. It's hard to see them street signs in the dark. I was hopin' ya could direct me."
While Carolyn met new people in the store all the time, especially in tourist season, she'd never had them affect her like this. On the other hand, they never looked like this man. "Go to the corner and turn left," she said, pointing south. "Cramer is the little road that goes to the right just past the bushes that come down to the road. Just look for the bushes and turn right after them."
She watched the way his nose seemed to twitch as he listened. Kind of like a rabbit's, but it looked anything but cute.
"Thanks. Sorry to bother ya." He looked down at Terri. "You got a cute kid there, lady. You wanna take real good care of her so she don't get hurt."
Carolyn looked down at Terri, who tightened her grasp. She was clutching Carolyn so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Thanks again, lady," he said, making Carolyn look back at him. "You've been real helpful."
As soon as he stepped off the stoop, Carolyn shut the door and this time she locked it. That was one man she knew she wouldn't ever like to see again.
"Mom, he was spooky," Terri said.
"I'm sure he's no one we have to be concerned about, honey. We'll never see him again." She gave Terri a reassuring hug. "How about setting the table?" Carolyn handed her the dishes and Terri took them to the table.
Carolyn glanced out the window over the sink and watched his car pull away. Her neighbors across the street were putting away their gardening equipment in their open lit garage. She wondered why the man hadn't just pulled into their driveway and asked them for directions instead of coming all the way up to her door. It gave her an uncomfortable feeling that was hard to dismiss.
Mac had told her to pay attention to strangers and here they had opened the door right up without looking out to see who was there. Terri didn't have to unlock the chain first because Carolyn had forgotten to fasten it when she got home. Habit. She'd never felt the need for much security. This was Lakehaven, after all.
Not even small towns are safe anymore, Mac had said. She would have to start remembering bad guys were everywhere, even in Lakehaven. And that changed everything.
Her quiet, safe life would never be the same again.
Chapter Six
"Why does a Police Chief in a tiny town like this get so much mail?" Mac said after Ellie dumped another stack of envelopes on his desk the next
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