Page 3 of Embers of Torment

"You can scrap that thought because it won't happen. Okay? And, yeah, it was a home invasion thriller. Like a dumbass, I thought one of the patio chairs was a person. I went out and checked, but no one was there. The only noise was a couple of dogs barking along the alley. Oh, and that scruffy Border Terrier next door was yapping."

Reid narrowed his gaze, his jaw tightening. "First, you shouldn't have gone outside alone to investigate. If someone had been there, it could have turned into a disaster. Second, theneighbor's dogs don't normally bark without a reason. I need to check the backyard just to be safe."

Reid left the room, his shoes thudding on the steps as he headed downstairs. With the television off and the house quiet, we could tell he had opened the French doors, signaling he was going out to the courtyard.

Sofie pulled the curtains back, unlocked the sliding glass door, and stepped onto the wooden deck. I followed her, groaning when she giggled and pointed at the armchair that was still out of place.

"Yeah, that's the culprit. It scared the bejesus out of me."

Amused at my embarrassment, Sofie pushed the chair back toward the table and padded over to the deck's railing. Joining her, we peered at Reid as he walked the courtyard's perimeter with a baseball bat in his hand. Unlocking the back gate, Reid disappeared into the alley through the opening, causing the Border Terrier next door to bark.

Minutes passed, and then Reid reappeared. After closing and locking the wooden gate, he walked across the flagstone pavers and stopped directly below us. Reid tipped his head back to talk to us, the worry lines on his forehead becoming visible in the lamplight.

"There's a broken pallet in the alley beside the gate. Someone could have used it to scale the wall to get back here. But the only way to get to where you are on the deck is to climb our tree and drop from one of the limbs. The person would need to get back down the same way, but I don't know how they'd get back over the wall without using a chair, and none are out of place."

Sofie pointed to the tree. "Could a person crawl through the branches to get to the top of the fence? Maybe use that thick branch on the far side to swing over to it and balance on top until they could drop to the alley?"

Reid spun toward the tree, staring at it as he ran his hand through his hair. He turned back to Sofie. "They could, although the whole scenario would take a lot of physical effort. But I'll mention it to Braxton Hennessey tomorrow and get a hold of a company to trim the tree just in case."

I frowned at Reid. "Now you're making me feel horrible. There's no reason to get the police department involved. Braxton may be your best friend, but that won't keep him from thinking I've lost it and we're wasting his time. I'm telling you this is a simple case of my imagination gone wild."

"Regardless, there's no harm in mentioning it. Anyway, if you're ready to go, I'll walk you to your car after I come in."

"Yeah, okay. I need to grab my stuff."

Following Sofie inside, I gathered my purse, water bottle, and the romance novel I had brought and stuffed them in my canvas bag. Sofie walked me to the foyer, and after a quick hug, Reid escorted me out the door and down the block. It was eerily quiet at a quarter past midnight, more so since Reid and Sofie lived in an upscale neighborhood in Beacon Hill. We reached my Camry, parked at the curb, and Reid opened my door after I unlocked it with the remote. I leaned in and tossed my belongings on the passenger seat.

Reid stood beside my car, holding the door open. "Thanks for watching the kids. We've used Allison for years, and she's never canceled on us before. I think she has Sofie a little worried."

"Yeah, Sofie sounded a bit concerned. Anyway, I didn't mind babysitting. I love those two kiddos. Well, it's getting late, so I better go." I slid behind my steering wheel and reached for my seatbelt.

"I'll see you at the office." Reid closed my door and gave me a little wave before moving to the curb. He stayed there until I had started my car and pulled away.

Reaching the end of the block, I stopped at the corner and executed a right turn. A movement caught my eye, and I jerked my head to the side to see what it was.

A tall, bulky body dressed in dark clothing stepped from the shadows. Instantly creeped out, I looked in my rearview mirror and sucked in a breath.

The person stood in the middle of the sidewalk, and I could swear they were watching me.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but wonder if their eerie presence was related to my shit show at Sofie and Reid's house.

I turned right instead of left and sped around the block, berating myself for such a careless and stupid decision. I slowed as I drove past Sofie and Reid's house, my heart racing as I neared the intersection. My eyes darted up and down the sidewalk, between cars, and anywhere else a person could hide.

But there was no one on the street.

Rounding the corner, I continued my search. Again, I came up empty.

Okay, did I imagine this whole thing? I mean, come on, it's a small block. If someone was there, how could they disappear so fast? And if they were driving, I would see headlights or taillights, and I see nothing.

The reality of the situation broke through, and I scoffed at my foolishness.

Jeez, I'm a dork. I bet the person lives somewhere in the area and is returning to their residence. That must be why they disappeared. They went into one of the houses around here and only had their eye on me because I was in their neighborhood late at night.

Taking a relaxing breath, I chalked it up to my out-of-control imagination and pledged never to watch a scary flick by myself again.

Then I grumbled as I drove home to spend another Saturday night alone.

Chapter 2

---