Page 38 of Eldritch

Because Doug would find out. He would discover her shameful past, or at least some of it. Perhaps when he did, and he told Clarice the truth, this job would end and perhaps her freedom and life would be over.

She sucked in a breath, or at least she tried to, but her lungs refused to take in the air for a moment. She forced one deep breath in. Another. Yet another one. Until her heartbeat slowed, and she resigned herself to whatever came next.

* * *

“You didn’t mention you’re the daughter of a serial killer,” Doug said over the phone.

A wall of shame rolled over Sybil like a tide wave created by an earthquake. She was cleaning one bedroom on the second floor when her phone had chimed, and his name appeared on the screen. She’d answered the call with an eagerness that combined fear and excitement all at once.

You are so...so ridiculous, Sybil.

Her father’s voice again. So scornful and superior. So damned self-assured.

She swallowed hard, but words wouldn’t come out.

“Sybil? You there?” Doug asked.

She cleared her throat. “I’m a suspect. A person of interest in this complete mystery happening at the magnificent estate in the woods. Miss Scarlet is in the conservatory with the candlestick. You can put this case on your resume when you’re finished investigating.”

“Maybe.”

“Have you told Clarice all the details?”

“Yes.”

Sybil waited for it. Sybil expected that breath-stealing moment that could lead to the downfall of this entire project. Of her business. Her livelihood.

He continued with, “She already knew all the details.”

Now that she wasn’t expecting. “Okay. Then why didn’t she tell me earlier, and why didn’t she mention it to you?”

“I asked her the same question. She said she knew specifics about your father from the newspapers. She saw it online years ago and made the connection. There’s more to tell you about all of this. Is it okay if I come over later?”

She hesitated. “You can tell me right now if she’s planning to fire me.”

A half second of hesitation. Barely there, but still…

“She doesn’t want to fire you. It’s why she hired you. She liked that you’d survived everything that you went through and became a successful businesswoman. She said she likes women with that sort of background who’ve pulled themselves up by the bootstraps. As far as she’s concerned, it’s all good.”

Surprise and relief strangled her voice. “Wow. That’s…”

“You okay?” His question, deep with genuine concern, set off sparklers of interest and attraction within her.

There you go again, Sybil. Being led around by a man’s concern and you go all mushy inside with gratitude. You can’t trust men, Sybil.

So her mother had said many times. She’d been right so far, at least with Sybil’s father and in romantic relationships.

She stared out the window that looked to the east and across the thick forest that surrounded the house on that side. “Yes. I’m just surprised. That isn’t how most people react when they learn about my father.”

“I get it. I also realized that I made a mistake when I was there and didn’t check out the attic, cellar or the second ballroom on the second floor. But I also wanted to see you again.”

That she didn’t expect either. She couldn’t understand his attraction to her, really. Certainly not from a man who looked like Douglas MacKenzie. More than that, she didn’t know if she could trust any man in that way after Taggert. Skepticism mixed with surprise and pleasure inside her. Her face heated a little, a result of her confusion.

“Sorry,” he said, his tone maybe a little sheepish. “That last part just sort of came out.”

She smiled. “Right. I don’t think there’s any chance of you not doing something deliberately or without a plan. Am I right?”

“True. But not in this case. No pressure, okay? But Clarice still wants the security system installed, so I’ll need to take those measurements.”

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