Page 120 of Over the Edge

AKA wooden planks.

If they weren’t nailed in place, could she remove one and use it as a flat bat? If she came out swinging, that might give him pause. Maybe distract him enough to let her gain the upper hand.

Mights and maybes didn’t make for great odds, but it was the only plan that came to mind.

Swiveling around until her back was to the door, she swept the sheets off one shelf and dumped them on the floor. Felt around the sides.

Yes!

The shelf was just resting on supports. She could remove it. Better yet, each was comprised of two boards. Handling a smaller board wouldn’t be as unwieldly.

She lifted the front board and drew it toward her. Once it was clear of the supports, she tipped it and let one end slide down until the board was vertical.

Then she pivoted and faced the door.

It was impossible to know how this was going to play out, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

A fight with her trusted therapist.

She exhaled.

The whole scenario was surreal.

Why on earth would Dr. Oliver kill James Robertson and steal jewelry? A man with a thriving practice, who lived in a house like this, couldn’t need money.

It made no sense.

But whatever his motive, it had to be powerful. Nothing less would induce him to commit murder.

And if he’d killed once, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.Woulddo it again, now that she’d discovered his secret. Letting her live would destroy him. That’s why she had to chargeout of this closet the instant it opened like she had nothing to lose.

For in truth, she didn’t.

Unless she escaped, before this night was over, she’d be as dead as—

She froze.

Were there voices on the other side of the door?

Gripping the shelf, she pressed her ear to the wood panel.

Yes.

Though the sound was muffled, two people were talking.

Jack had been right. The killer did have an accomplice.

Her spirits tanked.

Two against one reduced her already slim odds.

But she had to give it her best shot. No knight on a white horse would be charging in to rescue her. While Jack would be worried if she wasn’t home for their cheesecake date, he wouldn’t have a clue where to look for her. Dr. Oliver was a smart man. He’d know her phone could be used to locate her and would have turned it off by now.

She was on her own at this point—except for God.

So while she waited for the next act to unfold, she prayed for the same things she’d prayed for that day in the South Carolina grocery store.

Courage. Fortitude. And deliverance.

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