Page 5 of From the Darkness

She knew that when the guys from Decorah Security went into a covert surveillance situation, they were always prepared for bugs. And she’d better remember that things could be similar here. Helen had sent her to Ravencrest because neither one of them knew what the Sterlings had done, and what they might do to protect their position here.

Before she had time to consider the possibilities, she heard a door slam, then heavy footsteps pounding down the hall.

Troy?

The child’s face went white.

A look of mixed fear and exasperation plastered itself across Nola Sterling’s face.

All eyes, Bree’s included, focused on the hallway

Seconds later, a man burst into the foyer, a man whose face was flushed and whose glaring gaze swung from Nola Sterling to Bree and Dinah—then back to Nola.

Chapter Two

The man, who stood with his hands balled into fists and his arms bent, like a street fighter ready to take on a crowd, looked to be in his early fifties. Probably he was Abner Sterling.

His hands were large—large enough to have created the pressure she remembered on her shoulder. The thought of his having touched her made Bree’s stomach knot. Yet it couldn’t be him, she told herself. He didn’t smell right. His body gave off the scent of sweat, not clean aftershave.

Dinah cringed against her, and she slung her arm around the girl’s waist, holding her protectively against her side.

“I was doing my regular check of the grounds, and I saw a car out front,” he bellowed. Swinging toward Bree, he demanded, “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

“I’m Bree Brennan, Dinah’s new teacher,” she repeated the information she’d already given several times since arriving, letting her voice slur into a soft drawl.

The tactic didn’t have any effect on the man. “Says who?” he demanded.

“Says Helen London,” Bree answered, striving to sound a good deal more confident than she was feeling. “I believe she’s still part owner of the property with her brother, Troy,” she added for good measure.

The man’s mouth opened, then closed again as he apparently thought better of his outburst. It seemed the London name still functioned as a deterrent.

Bree raised her chin and blinked her large blue eyes. “Do I have the pleasure of addressing Abner Sterling?”

“Yes, and don’t get smart with me, missy,” he snapped.

“That certainly wasn’t my intention, sir,” she replied, again relying on her memories ofGone with the Wind. From her damp blond hair to the red slingbacks she’d picked to go with her navy slacks and beige knit top. “You don’t look much like a teacher,” he said.

She spread her hands and drawled, “I’m hoping you’ll find me satisfactory. I came all the way from Baltimore to teach Dinah. She’s such a lovely little girl, and I’m sure we’re going to get along famously.”

“How do you know she’s lovely? You just got here,” Abner pointed out. “I’m betting you change your opinion after you’ve been here a little while. She drove the last teacher away, and she’ll drive you away, too.”

“No, I didn’t,” Dinah protested.

“That’s enough out of you.”

The child cringed, and Bree wanted to spring across the space separating her from Abner Sterling and belt him. But she stayed where she was, since she didn’t want to get tossed out the door.

“So, let’s go find my room,” she said to Dinah.

The girl nodded solemnly, putting on a burst of speed as she crossed in front of the Sterlings.

What must it be like to live with these people, Bree wondered? Nola was cold, brittle, and hostile. Abner was belligerent and probably stupid, although she knew it would be dangerous to underestimate him.

As the girl started up the stairs, Bree picked up her bag and followed, her heels clicking smartly on the marble.

Glancing back at the Sterlings, she said, “Well, good night. I assume you don’t have breakfast too early for Dinah. So, I’ll see you in the morning.”

She caught up with the child at the top of the steps, and they started down a wide, dimly lit hall. For the first fifty feet, the paint and carpet looked new and expensive. After turning a corner, they were suddenly walking on worn boards, between gray, dingy walls.

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