wanted to go back and let him hold her hand and tell her it would all be all right. But the other part of her was desperate for a chance to prove herself. She needed this. She needed to finally succeed in her field and show the news stations that she wasn’t just a cute face, but a serious writer.
She heard Henry curse and then run across the family room and out the door. Sending a quick prayer for his safety, she continued to move through the skinny hallway. The footsteps overhead were moving faster and Bella was having a hard time keeping up.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, nearly startling Bella out of her skin. Glancing at the notifications, she realized Henry was texting her like crazy. With a huff, she turned off the sound and continued onward. She would deal with him later.
It took another thirty seconds before she froze in place. The steps from above were moving decidedly closer and Bella realized the person was coming down a set of steps in her direction.
“Crud. Crud. Crud.” She shone her light around, trying to find a place to hide, but the hallway had no exits or entrances. She spun in a circle, wincing when the old wooden boards scraped against her bare feet.
The footsteps were even closer, sounding ominous in their arrival.
Shutting off her flashlight, Bella pressed herself against the wall, hoping and praying with everything in her that the person would either change direction or manage to slip by without noticing her in the dark. Her hand slid farther back than her body and she realized there was a deep spot between beams. Squishing herself to be as tiny as possible, Bella slid between the two-by-fours and tried to be invisible.
Dust tickled her nose and she had no idea what was crawling over her foot, but nothing was as important as staying silent.
Biting her tongue until she bled, Bella held in the scream that wanted to erupt. Between the disgusting creatures and cobwebs and the anticipation of being caught, she felt as if her body were completely out of control.
A flashlight beam appeared on the boards just in front of her and Bella sucked in a breath, flattening herself as far back as she could. The light bounced slightly, moving farther down the floorboards as the person holding the light drew closer.
A dark shadow passed just in front of her and Bella squeezed her eyes shut. The footsteps didn’t seem to falter as they walked by her, taking the flashlight with her. She started to let out her breath, only to stop breathing again when the feet paused.
Please, no. Keep moving. Keep moving.
To her relief, they resumed pace and eventually walked around a corner.
Bella stiffened her knees and wedged herself free of the boards. Taking a fortifying breath, she began to tiptoe after the intruder when a light blinded her, causing Bella to gasp.
“What do we have here?” a low voice asked with a dark chuckle.
HANK USED EVERY CURSE word in his vocabulary as he searched for Sheriff Davidson at the party. Then he used them again when the man wasn’t in the room.
“Where the heck is he?” he snapped. Rushing from the room, he headed into the kitchen and skidded to a stop. “Uh...Sheriff?”
“What?” Sheriff Davidson let go of Claire Simmons and cleared his throat, pushing a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, son, but this was—”
Hank held a hand up. While it was interesting to have found the sheriff kissing Bella’s grandmother, it wasn’t his main concern at the moment. “We’ve got a problem.”
The sheriff cleared his throat again. “Sorry, Claire,” he muttered. “I have to go.”
“Wait!” Claire cried as the men started to move. Her hands were trembling as she held her phone. “Bella texted, said you found the saboteur?” Claire’s blue eyes, so like Bella’s, met Hank’s. “But I’m guessing from the way you stormed in here that’s not quite true.”
“Someone was in the walls,” Hank explained. “I wanted Bella to come get the sheriff while I followed him.”
“Then where is she?”
Hank blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “She went into the walls to try and figure out where the guy had disappeared to.”
Claire groaned and swayed slightly, causing Bill to rush to her side. “Claire, honey, let’s get you a seat.”
“I love that girl, but she’s gonna get herself killed!” Claire cried.
Hank shook his head. “While I’m not happy with her, we’re not dealing with a murderer