Page 72 of Almost Dead (The Cahills 2)

No one was here. She’d checked.

Goose bumps raised on her skin.

She waited, counting her heartbeats, then told herself it was nothing. Her mind playing tricks on her. She hadn’t heard anything. Still…maybe Rosa or Paloma or Lars had returned. They all had keys. For that matter, so did Elsa and Deborah and God only knew who else. Gran had gardeners and repairmen over all the time.

“Hello?” she called down the staircase to the second floor, where she’d left a single light burning in the library. “Anyone there?” Eerily, her own voice seemed to echo slightly, a hollow sound reverberating against the walls. “Hello?”

She waited.

All was quiet.

Your imagination, she told herself sternly.

Starting for the stairs, she heard a footfall, the quiet scrape of leather against hardwood.

Her heart nearly stopped.

Fear shot through her.

Someone was definitely in the house.

“Hey!” she called again, telling herself it had to be someone who worked here. Someone she knew. Someone with a key.

Why? Did you lock the door behind you?

Did you wait until the gate swung shut behind your car?

And why the hell aren’t they responding?

Cissy’s insides turned to water. “Who’s there?” she called. Please let it be one of the staff….

Again there was silence.

Deafening, paralyzing silence.

And darkness…. Why hadn’t she left on most of the lights? The house was so damned gloomy and still.

God Almighty, was she going crazy?

She knew she heard something.

Someone.

Swallowing her fear, she stepped back into the bedroom that had once been hers, the room her grandmother had never redecorated. As rain pelted the window, she looked around for a weapon, anything to ward off an attacker.

Who, Cissy? Who would be assaulting you? That’s nuts!

Or was it? Someone had killed Rory, hadn’t they? Someone had murdered Gran in this very house. Someone who hadn’t broken in.

She thought about using the phone…. She didn’t have her cell, but there was a landline.

And call whom?

The police?

And tell them you heard a noise?

Come on, Cissy.

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