realize. I wasn't thinking. I mean,
you didn't – ” She broke off as he silenced her by kissing her mouth.
“No, I didn't. But that's okay, too,” he assured her.
“When it happens for me, I want to be deep inside you, Maggie. And it's a
little too soon for that. You need time to get to know me better. I want you to
be sure of me, sweetheart.”
She shook her head in wonder. “You're playing the noble
hero again, aren't you?”
He frowned. “I've told you, I gave that role up a long
time ago.”
“I don't believe you.” She traced the line of his nose
with a soft fingertip.
Josh opened his mouth to tell her not to get the wrong
idea about him, but something stopped him. A tiny sound from somewhere in the
house. A sound that was not quite normal.
“Josh? What is it?” Maggie looked up at him. “Is
something wrong?”
“Hush.” He touched her mouth with his fingers, silently
warning her. When he knew she had gotten the message, he sat up slowly on the
sofa.
The sound came softly down the front hall – a small,
muted click that could have been metal on metal. Maggie sat up beside Josh, fumbling
with the buttons of her dress. He could feel her watching him and knew she
wanted to ask questions. But she obviously knew when to follow instructions.
She kept silent.
Josh touched her shoulder and put his mouth to her ear.
“Stay here. Don't move.”
She nodded and then put her lips next to his ear. “Call
police?”
“No. Not yet. But be ready.” He stood and moved to the
door of the parlour. He listened intently, straining to hear the soft clinking
sound before he stepped out into the hall. He caught it echoing faintly and
knew for certain, now, that it was coming from the basement.
Josh limped forward and silently cursed the weakness of
his still-healing left foot. He went quietly down the darkened hall, his bare
feet making no sound on the carpet. When he reached the door that opened on the
basement stairs he hesitated once more.
Silence .
Josh unlocked the door and opened it. The hinges made
only the faintest whisper of sound. The stairs to the basement descended into
an inky darkness. If there was anyone down there, Josh thought, he had the eyes
of a cat.
But his instincts told him the basement was empty.
Josh waited another moment and then decided to chance
the light. He flattened himself against the wall and crouched low. There was no
need to make a target out of himself, just in case someone was hiding among the
wine bins and filing cabinets. He reached up over his head to flip the light
switch.
The lights came on and Josh swept the large room below
in a single glance. The basement was empty. He straightened slowly. “Maggie?”
he called softly over his shoulder.
“Right here.” She hurried barefoot down the hall. “Is
everything all right?”
“Yeah, I think so, I was sure I heard something,
though. I'm going to go on down and take a closer look.” He started down the
stairs, using the handrail to take the weight off his bad foot. Maggie floated
along behind him like a nervous little ghost.
The cold draft that swept the room caught Josh's
attention first. He glanced toward the two narrow, ground-level windows near
the basement ceiling. One of them was open.
“Hell.” He reached the bottom step and crossed the
concrete floor, He sensed Maggie following him with her gaze.
“Josh, that window should be locked. We always keep it
locked.”
“It was locked,” Josh told her quietly. “I checked it
earlier, myself. But the latch is not much more than a toy. Easy to pry open
from the outside. Hell, maybe it fell open on its own. It's old.”
He contemplated the window for a moment longer and then
studied the arrangement of filing cabinets and boxes stacked beneath it. An
ancient blanket had been placed on top of the metal cabinets. There were some
bits of dirt scattered on it. Josh touched them with his fingers.
“What have you found?” Maggie came close. “Dirt?”
Josh
you didn't – ” She broke off as he silenced her by kissing her mouth.
“No, I didn't. But that's okay, too,” he assured her.
“When it happens for me, I want to be deep inside you, Maggie. And it's a
little too soon for that. You need time to get to know me better. I want you to
be sure of me, sweetheart.”
She shook her head in wonder. “You're playing the noble
hero again, aren't you?”
He frowned. “I've told you, I gave that role up a long
time ago.”
“I don't believe you.” She traced the line of his nose
with a soft fingertip.
Josh opened his mouth to tell her not to get the wrong
idea about him, but something stopped him. A tiny sound from somewhere in the
house. A sound that was not quite normal.
“Josh? What is it?” Maggie looked up at him. “Is
something wrong?”
“Hush.” He touched her mouth with his fingers, silently
warning her. When he knew she had gotten the message, he sat up slowly on the
sofa.
The sound came softly down the front hall – a small,
muted click that could have been metal on metal. Maggie sat up beside Josh, fumbling
with the buttons of her dress. He could feel her watching him and knew she
wanted to ask questions. But she obviously knew when to follow instructions.
She kept silent.
Josh touched her shoulder and put his mouth to her ear.
“Stay here. Don't move.”
She nodded and then put her lips next to his ear. “Call
police?”
“No. Not yet. But be ready.” He stood and moved to the
door of the parlour. He listened intently, straining to hear the soft clinking
sound before he stepped out into the hall. He caught it echoing faintly and
knew for certain, now, that it was coming from the basement.
Josh limped forward and silently cursed the weakness of
his still-healing left foot. He went quietly down the darkened hall, his bare
feet making no sound on the carpet. When he reached the door that opened on the
basement stairs he hesitated once more.
Silence .
Josh unlocked the door and opened it. The hinges made
only the faintest whisper of sound. The stairs to the basement descended into
an inky darkness. If there was anyone down there, Josh thought, he had the eyes
of a cat.
But his instincts told him the basement was empty.
Josh waited another moment and then decided to chance
the light. He flattened himself against the wall and crouched low. There was no
need to make a target out of himself, just in case someone was hiding among the
wine bins and filing cabinets. He reached up over his head to flip the light
switch.
The lights came on and Josh swept the large room below
in a single glance. The basement was empty. He straightened slowly. “Maggie?”
he called softly over his shoulder.
“Right here.” She hurried barefoot down the hall. “Is
everything all right?”
“Yeah, I think so, I was sure I heard something,
though. I'm going to go on down and take a closer look.” He started down the
stairs, using the handrail to take the weight off his bad foot. Maggie floated
along behind him like a nervous little ghost.
The cold draft that swept the room caught Josh's
attention first. He glanced toward the two narrow, ground-level windows near
the basement ceiling. One of them was open.
“Hell.” He reached the bottom step and crossed the
concrete floor, He sensed Maggie following him with her gaze.
“Josh, that window should be locked. We always keep it
locked.”
“It was locked,” Josh told her quietly. “I checked it
earlier, myself. But the latch is not much more than a toy. Easy to pry open
from the outside. Hell, maybe it fell open on its own. It's old.”
He contemplated the window for a moment longer and then
studied the arrangement of filing cabinets and boxes stacked beneath it. An
ancient blanket had been placed on top of the metal cabinets. There were some
bits of dirt scattered on it. Josh touched them with his fingers.
“What have you found?” Maggie came close. “Dirt?”
Josh
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