Under Threat by B.J. Daniels (best sci fi novels of all time TXT) 📗

the woman’s purse. It felt heavy. She heard the jingle of keys inside. Slipping the strap over her shoulder, she went to the front door and locked it.

Across the street she saw that the coffee shop was still busy and the other baristas were clearly slammed with orders. She wondered if anyone had seen her and quickly left by the back way again, turning out the lights behind her after locking the door. That’s when she realized that she couldn’t kill Mary here. She would be the first suspect.

Once on the stairs, out of view of anyone outside or across the street, she sat down on a step and went through Mary’s purse. She found a wallet with photos of people she assumed must be relatives. Brothers and sisters? Cousins? Her parents?

Friends? She realized how little she knew about the woman.

There was eighty-two dollars in cash in the wallet, a few credit cards, some coupons... Seriously? The woman clipped coupons? Other than mints, a small hairbrush, a paperback and miscellaneous cosmetics there was nothing of interest.

She turned to Mary’s cell phone.

Password protected. Swearing softly, she tried various combinations of words, letters, numbers. Nothing worked.

A thought struck her like a brick. She tried Chase. When that didn’t work, she tried Chase Steele. Nope.

She had another thought, and taking the keys to the office, she went back inside. Turning on a small lamp on the desk, she quickly began a search. She found the list of passwords on a pull-out tray over the right-hand top drawer. The passwords were on an index card and taped down. Some had been scratched out and replaced.

Lucy ran her finger down until she found the word cell. Next to it was written Homeranch#1. She tried the password and the phone unlocked.

Quickly she scanned through contacts, emails and finally messages. She found a cell phone number for Chase and on impulse tried it, just needing to hear his voice.

It was no longer in service.

Surely he had a cell phone, not that she’d ever had his number. Wouldn’t he have given it to Mary though?

She went through recent phone calls, and there it was. She touched the screen as she memorized the number. It began to ring. She held her breath. He would think it was Mary calling. He would call back.

Lucy quickly hit the hang-up button but not quick enough. “Hello, Mary, I was just thinking of you.” She disconnected, wishing she hadn’t done that. He’d sounded so happy that Mary was calling him that she felt sick to her stomach.

Just as she’d feared, he called right back. She blocked his call. He tried again. What if he decided to come check on Mary? This was the kind of mistake she couldn’t make.

She answered the phone, swallowed and did her best imitation of Mary’s voice, going with tired and busy. “Working. Didn’t mean to call.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. Don’t work too late.”

“Right. Talk tomorrow.” She disconnected, pretty sure she’d pulled it off. He wouldn’t question the difference in their voices since he’d called Mary’s phone. At least she hoped she’d sounded enough like the woman. Sweet, quiet, tired, busy. When the phone didn’t ring again, she told herself that she’d done it.

Hurrying back upstairs, she picked up Mary’s purse from where she’d left it on the step on her way. Outside the third-floor apartment, she stopped to catch her breath. Putting Mary’s cell on mute, she carefully opened the door, even though she didn’t think Mary would be mobile for hours.

An eerie quiet hung in the air. She stepped in and headed for the bedroom. The door was still closed. She eased it open. The room had darkened to a shadowy black with the drapes closed. Mary lay exactly where she’d left her, breathing rhythmically.

Taking the cell phone, she stepped in just far enough to place the now turned off phone next to her bed. Then she left, easing the bedroom door closed behind her. The apartment was deathly quiet and growing darker. It no longer felt cozy and she no longer wanted to stay. Leaving Mary’s purse on the table by the door, she left, locking it behind her.

It had been an emotional day, Lucy thought. She took the stairs down to her apartment, unlocked her door and, turning on a light, stepped in. The apartment was in stark contrast to Mary’s. While everything was nice, it was stark. Cold.

“That’s because you’re cold,” she whispered as she locked the door behind her. “Anyway, it’s temporary.” But even as she said it, she was thinking that she should at least buy a plant.

The apartment had come furnished right down to two sets of sheets and two throw pillows that matched the couch. Suddenly Lucy hated the pillows. She tossed them into the near empty closet and closed the door. Tomorrow was her day off. After she checked on Mary, she’d go into Bozeman and do some shopping.

She needed this apartment to feel a whole lot less like Mary Savage. Now that she had Chase’s cell number, it was time for her to make him pay.

Chapter 14

Lucy tapped lightly at Mary’s door the next morning. Given how sick the woman had been the evening before, she thought she still might be in bed.

So she was a little surprised when Mary answered the door looking as if she’d already showered and dressed for the day.

“Oh good, you look like you’re feeling better,” she said.

“Much. Thank you again for yesterday.”

“Just glad I could help.” She started to turn away.

“Do you ride horses?” Mary asked.

Lucy stopped, taken aback by the question. She’d hoped to get close to Mary, befriend her, gain her trust and then finish this. She’d thought it would take more time. “I used to ride when I was younger.”

“Would you like to come out to the ranch sometime, maybe on your day off, and go for ride?”

“I would love to.” The moment she said it, she knew how dangerous it could be. Chase might show up.