I SEE YOU an unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist by PATRICIA MACDONALD (bookstand for reading txt) 📗

Hannah tried to think coherently about what he was saying, although the sight of the gun unnerved her. She shook her head again. ‘I couldn’t,’ she said. ‘There’s no point. I really couldn’t.’

‘You’d be surprised,’ Frank said. ‘You’d be surprised what you can do when you’re facing your own death.’

Hannah raised her gaze from the gun and stared through the windshield of Frank’s old jeep. ‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she said. ‘But I could never shoot her.’

Frank raised his eyebrows. ‘Her? It’s a woman?’

‘Yes,’ Hannah whispered.

Frank stared at her. ‘Well, you might surprise yourself. If she’s threatening your life, you might be able to use it on a woman. Take it, just in case.’

Hannah turned and looked at him. His eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light which bathed the front seat through the windshield. ‘You’ll have to take my word for it, Frank. I couldn’t shoot it at her. No matter what.’

Frank peered at her. ‘It’s someone you know, isn’t it?’

‘Yes. Someone who . . . believes I have betrayed her.’

‘Have you?’

Hannah sat silent for a moment. ‘I tried not to. But . . . yes. I suppose I did.’

Frank slowly closed the lid on the box.

Hannah pushed open the car door. She turned and looked at him. ‘Thank you for thinking of it, though. I know you’re only trying to protect me. You, Kiyanna and Father Luke. You’ve all been so kind to me. But this is as far as it can go. I have to face the next part by myself.’

‘Anna,’ he said, ‘if someone you know is stalking you, you need to tell the police. They can protect you. There’s no reason to just be . . . a human target.’

Hannah shook her head. ‘It’s not that simple. Listen, the only other person who knows about this is Father Luke. I need to keep it that way. Will you do that for me? Keep it to yourself?’

Frank sighed. ‘Do you even have a plan?’

Hannah hesitated. ‘I’ve thought a lot about it.’

He waited for her to say more but she was done with explaining.

‘I’m very tired,’ she said. ‘I’m going inside.’

‘Let me walk you in,’ he said, opening his door.

‘I’d appreciate that,’ said Hannah.

Once they had made their way up the dark path and into the unlit house, Frank ordered Hannah to sit down while he looked through the house.

‘This is Mamie’s part of the house,’ Hannah protested. ‘She has the first two floors. We live upstairs, on the third floor.’

‘I’m sure she won’t mind you sitting here while you wait,’ said Frank. ‘It looks as if nobody’s been here in quite a while.’

‘No,’ said Hannah, sitting down with a sigh. ‘It’s a lonely house now.’

In fact, Hannah was relieved to sit down. She was utterly exhausted from the ordeal of leaving the hospital. She huddled in the corner of Mamie’s overstuffed, pillow-laden sofa and looked sadly around at the lifeless room that had once been part of a bustling home. Every photo, every memento seemed to be waiting for Mamie’s return. But that would likely never happen — the house would be sold. Life would move on. Hannah could hear Frank’s heavy tread going up the staircase, through the house and back down. She could hear doors slamming and windows being raised and lowered again. As she heard him start down from the third floor, Hannah called out to warn him about the rickety banister. If he heard her, he didn’t slacken his pace.

He came into Mamie’s living room. ‘All clear up there,’ he said.

‘Thanks, Frank,’ said Hannah, getting up. ‘You may as well get home. It’s gonna take me a while to climb these stairs.’

‘I wish you’d reconsider,’ he said. ‘You could stay with Kiyanna and me. We wouldn’t mind.’

Hannah did not want to discuss it any further. She knew that his offer was genuine, but also that she wouldn’t accept it. She had come back here to face whatever lay ahead. There was nothing to discuss. ‘You better get home to her,’ she said. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’

Frank started to protest, but then he shook his head. ‘Call me if you need me.’

‘I will,’ said Hannah, though she knew she wouldn’t. She had already involved him too far in these problems of her own making. From now on, she was determined to face them alone. Afraid but determined.

She wanted to tell herself that she had nothing to fear from Lisa. But every painful step reminded her that this was simply not true. She locked the door behind Frank then walked to the foot of the staircase, turned on the light above it and looked up. It seemed like an impossible climb. She put her foot on the first step.

THIRTY-TWO

Slowly, Hannah made her way up the stairs to the empty apartment. She walked in, set her purse down on a chair and looked around. Despite everything, she thought, they had had happy moments here. They endured the hardships willingly, knowing that they had done the only thing they could. Now, all that was gone. Everything gone. Hannah exhaled a deep sigh. She opened the refrigerator, needing something to drink and dreading what she would find. Indeed, due to the suddenness of all their departures, everything on the shelves was either shriveled, sour or furry. You should clean this out, she thought.

She took a bottle of water and closed the door again. Tomorrow, she thought. I might feel up to it tomorrow. Right now, it simply filled her with despair to look inside. Painfully, she made her way over to the freestanding wooden cabinet which served as their pantry. There were cans and jars inside. I won’t starve tonight, she thought.

She went into the dimly lit living room and sat down. The house was quiet as