Search Me(23)

“Wait, you’re seriously going to try and shimmy into the door with that,” I asked, motioning to his card.

A short, contemptuous snort erupted from his lips. "Like it would actually work on glass sliding doors. It's for the front." When he started off the deck, I fell in step behind him. We trailed around to the porch and up the stairs again. Maddox shoved the credit card in the groove above the doorknob. He began working it up and down along the jam. Finally, a popping noise came from the lock.

Maddox turned back to me and grinned. “Bingo!” I didn’t quite share his enthusiasm, so I gave him a weak smile. Even though we didn’t have another choice, I still felt shady breaking into someone’s house.

He started to twist the knob, and I pinched my eyes shut, waiting to hear the blare of the alarm. When nothing happened, I opened them and watched him push the door open. “Hello?” he called, his voice echoing through the empty house. He turned back to me. “Looks clear.”

I nodded and then followed him into the foyer. From the small beam of the flashlight, I could see the living room had an open floor plan that extended to the kitchen. The ceiling was high with exposed wood beams, and the far wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows. It was really impressive.

“You stay here while I go check the place out.”

I nodded. As Maddox trailed down the hallway, my eyes scanned the wall of pictures. Whoever the owners were, they were seriously obsessed with themselves. There weren’t any family pictures, like of grandparents or children or cousins. Every picture was of the same couple. The man was fifty something and balding while the wife looked about thirty. She was practically a Barbie—fake blonde hair, ridiculously sized implants, and from her toothy grin, capped teeth as well. The pictures did give me a little comfort in the fact that it looked like they enjoyed traveling and hopefully wouldn’t be arriving here anytime soon.

With my feet killing me, I decided to take a load off in one of the leather chairs. It made an unattractive whooshing noise just as Maddox reappeared. “So what’s the verdict?” I asked.

“Doesn’t look like anyone has been here for a while.”

“There are a lot of people who just have winter cabins. Think that’s what this is?”

Maddox’s gaze honed in on a picture of the owners on a boat. “Looks like it.” He stepped over to one of the windows and peeked through the wooden blinds. “I’m thinking that even though it doesn’t look like anyone is close by, we better keep the lights off. You know, so nothing looks suspicious.”

“Should we look for some candles or something?”

“When I was scoping out the garage, I think I saw some Coleman lanterns. I’ll go get them.”

I nodded. Since it had gotten darker, the part of me that was a chicken didn’t want to be left alone, but at the same time, it had been a long, long time since I’d been to the bathroom. With my flashlight, I searched the open room for doors that might lead to one. I found one and dipped inside. I had just finished when Maddox returned.

Before I could say anything to him, my phone rang in my purse. I fumbled for it and glanced at the ID. “Oh shit, it’s my parents.” I looked up at Maddox. “What should I tell them?”

“Nothing unless they ask. Just pretend that everything is fine.”

I widened my eyes. “But I’m a horrible liar. I never get away with anything,” I protested.

Maddox rolled his eyes. “For Christ sake, Lane, you’ve spent two years in college, and you still can’t lie to your parents?”

“That’s not who I am and you know it.”

“Well, you better put on a good act.”

“Easier said than done,” I grumbled. With shaky hands, I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hey sweetie, it’s Mom.”

“H-Hi. Did you guys just land?” I cringed when my voice cracked.

“We sure did. It was such a smooth flight. Your father is tracking down our luggage as we speak. I told him not to check a bag because of our luck with lost luggage, but you know him.”

Even though Mom continued rattling on, I began to tune her out. It was too painful hearing her voice. More than anything, I wanted to be with her—to have her wrap me in her arms so we could cry together about Maudie. And I wanted to be with Dad so he could protect me from all of Jensen’s craziness.

“Lane? Are you still there?”

“Oh, um, sorry. Yeah.”

“Everything okay at home?”

I gulped and met Maddox’s eye. As he cocked his eyebrows, I said, “Yeah. Sure. Everything’s just fine.”

“That’s good. Now don’t stay up too late. Remember to set the alarm—”

I gripped my phone tighter. Honestly, the last thing I needed right now was Mom being overprotective. I had to fight myself from saying, You know what, Mom? I’ve been chased by thugs, and I even shot a man today, not to mention leaving Maudie behind in a pool of blood. I think I’m a little past alarm systems and a bed time. But instead, I replied, “Mom, would you please remember I’m nineteen. I’ve lived in a dorm for goodness sake.”

“I know, sweetie. It’s just the over-protective mom in me. I worry no matter where you are—Oh, you’ve got the bags, Stephen? Wonderful. Lane, honey, I’ve got to go. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”