Page 125 of Over the Edge

This was it.

Time to charge out, swinging.

The instant the lock stopped rattling, she twisted the knob, shoved the door open, and thrust through with all her might.

A woman yelped as the edge of the door connected with a solid object.

Woman?

As she tried to digest that, a bright light pierced her eyes.

“Grab her legs!”

She raised the shelf and swung toward Dr. Oliver’s voice.

But as she lunged toward him, someone tackled her ankles and she went down.

Hard.

Before she could catch her breath, a body slammed against her back, pinning her in place. Hands mashed her cheek to the floor. The shelf was wrested from her grasp.

In seconds her plan had been reduced to rubble.

The light flipped off, and she found Dr. Oliver croucheddown, inches from her face. He wasn’t holding a gun but a loop of rope.

“Very smart, Lindsey. You figured out I wouldn’t shoot you in my own house, didn’t you? I do have a gun, but that would leave too much blood. Strangulation is much cleaner.” He forced the loop over her head, despite her attempt to writhe away. Cinched the knot around her neck. Gave it a tug.

Her air supply was immediately restricted.

She tried to reach for it with the hand that wasn’t trapped under her body, but he pressed a knee to her arm.

“If you don’t behave, we’ll finish the job here and dump your body elsewhere. Keep that in mind. Put your hands behind your back.” He pulled out a length of cording and passed it behind her. “Tie her hands. Cooperate, Lindsey, or this will keep getting tighter.” He demonstrated by tugging again, squeezing her windpipe even more.

Gasping for air, she followed his instructions. At the moment, she wasn’t in any position to launch another attack. All she could do was buy herself every possible minute to try and find another window of opportunity to get the upper hand.

Once her wrists were secured—and none-too-gently—Dr. Oliver retreated a few feet, keeping a firm grip on the tether around her neck. The pressure on her back diminished as his accomplice slid off. “Stand up.”

It wasn’t easy to do with a throbbing head and bound wrists, but somehow she managed to get upright, using the wall for support.

“Maybe we should scrap our plan and finish this now, then dump the body. She hurt me, Anthony.”

As the familiar voice spoke behind her, cold and riddled with anger, shock rippled through Lindsey.

No.

It couldn’t be.

Slowly she swiveled toward the living room, trying in vainto think of some explanation for this bizarre turn of events. Surely her ears had deceived her.

But they hadn’t.

From ten feet away, Oliver’s accomplice was watching her.

It was Heidi Robertson.

THE CSU TECH WASN’T HANK,but he was thorough. Yet he’d come up with a big fat zero other than the prints he’d lifted from the Focus, which would no doubt be identified as Lindsey’s.

Jack forked his fingers through his hair as hot air blasted from the vents in his car.

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