Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (best classic books .TXT) 📗

my head began bobbing forward and my drooping eyelids made it apparent that it might be polite for Milli- cent to stop talking, she patted my arm gently and got to her feet. ``Listen to me, going on and on about myself when it's well past your bedtime, young lady,'' she said kindly.

Acknowledging her point I rubbed my tired eyes and stood up with her, stretching as I said, ``No, really, I've enjoyed getting to know you.'' A yawn escaped from my tired frame.

``You're a kind, woman Abigail Cooper, and, if I might add, an extraordinary psychic.''

``Thanks,'' I said, smiling broadly. It suddenly meant a lot to have Millicent's approval. ``Can I walk you back to your room?''

``Oh, no, dear, I couldn't impose. Besides, I'm in the mood to go for a walk along the beach before I turn in.''

My face turned down in a small frown. I didn't like the idea of Millicent walking along the beach by herself. It was dark outside, and who knew what nefarious type could be

285 286 Victoria Laurie wandering around out there just waiting for someone vul- nerable to come along?

I stood up straight and popped my eyes wide open, shak- ing the sleep out of them as I announced, ``You know, a walk on the beach sounds like just the ticket! Mind if I join you?''

Millicent chuckled softly and replied, ``Abby, you're ex- hausted, and I've spent a lot of years taking good care of myself. I'll be fine. You go on to bed now . . . I insist.''

My shoulders slumped; I really was tired, but felt duty- bound to take care of Millicent, so I pushed back and said, ``No, no, I'm fine, really. I'll take a short walk with you--''

``Oh, you'll do no such thing,'' Millicent said firmly. ``Now go on. Go to bed. You look exhausted, and I've kept you up far too late. I'll be fine; don't you worry.''

I looked at her skeptically, my responsible side pushing me to do the right thing and make sure she got back to her room safely. But my entire body was yawning for sleep. In the end, Millicent gave me a look that said she meant business, and the fear of offending her by insisting I come along won out, so I settled for walking her to the door with the promise that she wouldn't walk off hotel property, and she promised to be careful.

As the door closed behind me I limped my way to the bedroom and dove headfirst into the pillows, kicking off my sandals and not bothering to change into pajamas as I sighed deeply and curled into a fetal position.

I closed my eyes and was just drifting off to sleep when my intuition buzzed loudly in my head. Annoyed, I ignored it and squeezed my eyelids tightly closed. Buzzzzzzzz! it called again. Buzzzzz! Buzzzzzz! Buzzzz! my intuition demanded.

What?! I shouted inside my head, thoroughly annoyed.

Go find Millicent!

You've got to be kidding me, I said in my head.

Go Find Millicent! my intuition shouted.

``Crap,'' I said aloud, and rolled to a sitting position, the urgent feeling to run down to the lobby and find Millicent pushing my exhausted frame off the bed.

In the dark I fumbled for my sandals, shoving them on, then stumbled toward the door, remembering to grab the BLIND SIGHTED 287 card key. Quietly I made my way out the door and down the corridor to the elevator.

The hotel was oddly quite at this time of night, a stillness settling over the building that seemed strange given the level of activity that I'd observed over the course of the day. Groggy with exhaustion, I pushed the elevator's ``down'' button and waited with my head resting against the wall. I was going to give my guides what-for if this turned out to be a false alarm. When the doors finally opened and I got in, I felt the tug again to find Millicent quickly. The urge was filled with intense alarm, and it sent a small jolt of adrenaline through me, waking me like a double shot of espresso.

By the time the elevator reached the lobby my foot was tapping anxiously on the floor, and even before the doors had opened wide enough I'd pushed my way out, glancing quickly around for any sign of Millicent. I rushed through the entrance hall looking this way and that, taking in that the room was empty and no clerk was sitting at the front desk. I darted around the side of the lobby, heading down the left corridor, in the direction of the beach.

Just as I got to the French double doors leading to the beach I felt an intuitive tug to go to my right but ignored it, my anxiousness to find Millicent pushing me to move quickly. I shoved open the doors and found myself on a small patio that led to a set of stairs winding down to the beach. I paused on the patio, swiveling my head left and right, scanning the beach for any sign of Millicent. Luckily, a full moon hung brightly over the gulf, illuminating the sand in silvery shadow, but as I squinted into the distance, searching for Millicent's small, bent frame, I couldn't see anyone making their way along the water's edge.

The longer I stood there the more anxious I became. What if I'd come too late? What if she had fallen into the water and the tide had taken her? Quickly I rushed down the stairs, but with each step I had the feeling I was going in the wrong direction. Again I paused at the bottom and searched the beach with my eyes, trying to see any move- ment in the darkness.

Anxiously, I took two hurried steps forward, when all of the sudden a bloodcurdling scream pierced the darkness 288 Victoria Laurie like