Page 126 of Fatal Witness

They hadn’t wanted to go, but Mr. Peterson was worked up and Judith said he sounded funny. She was afraid he might be having a stroke or something. Dani had told them to go and for Nonny to go with them since she hadn’t been away from the house in a while. Besides, Dani had Lizi and a deputy sitting outside the back door.

But they hadn’t been gone long enough to be back yet. And if they were, Judith would’ve let her know.

Dani shivered at the total silence. Had the deputy guarding the house stuck his head in the door and that’s what she heard? She started to call out but instead texted Mark that someone was in the house.

She put her phone on silent. “Come,” she whispered to Lizi.

With her hand on the dog’s collar, Dani eased down the hallwayto the kitchen. Empty. Maybe she’d just imagined the noise. Feeling a little foolish, Dani scanned the room. Lizi pressed toward the living room door.

It was open. She stood rooted to the floor as the mirror over the sofa reflected Kyle Peterson coming toward the kitchen. In his hand was a gun. That was no match for Lizi.

Her mind screamed at her to run. But where to? He was too close for them to escape out the back door. She crept back to her room and eased the door shut, then frantically searched somewhere for them to hide. Her gaze stopped at the closet ... No. That would be the first place he would look. The bathroom, the second. Her bed—she prayed the prowler didn’t hear her as she scooted under the bed.

Why hadn’t Mark answered her text? And where was the deputy assigned to guard the house? Knife-like pain gripped her stomach. What if Kyle had killed him?

Dani stilled herself as a board creaked in the hallway outside her bedroom door. Beside her, Lizi tensed. Dani tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry.

Her phone vibrated in her hand. A text from Mark saying he was on his way. What little relief she felt at this news fled when the door to the bedroom opened. She and Lizi could be dead by the time he got here.

“I know you’re in here, and that you’re alone. I don’t want to hurt you. Just give me the diamonds.”

The closet door opened and closed. Then the bathroom door. Should she run for it? No. He’d catch her before she got out the door.

A sudden light blinded her. Lizi lunged toward it.

“Keep that dog away from me unless you want it dead.”

She gripped Lizi’s collar. “Down.”

“Now get out here.”

She didn’t move.

“I can wait until the Stones and your grandmother get back. They’ll make good hostages.”

Dani clenched her jaw. She couldn’t let him harm anyone. Slowly she slid out into the open. Kyle jerked her to her feet and held a gun at her head. Lizi growled. “I told you—”

“Down, Lizi.”

“Put her in the hallway.”

He held the gun at chest level as Dani put Lizi outside the room. The dog barked as she shut the door and turned to face Kyle.

“That’s better.” His voice shook and his bloodshot eyes darted around the room. “Where are they?”

“What?”

“The diamonds,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I-I don’t have them.” Kyle showed all the symptoms of someone about to explode. Chest heaving, sweat running down the side of his red face, tight voice.

“You know where they are, then.”

“But I don’t!”

“Stop lying. You owe me. Your family ruined my life. Now hand them over or I’ll—” He jerked his head toward the door as Lizi stopped barking.

A board creaked outside her door.Mark!The man grabbed her, wrapping his arm around her neck. “Don’t say a word or I’ll kill whoever it is.”

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