Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1) - By Unknown Page 0,56
the tears back and tried to control the trembling of her hands, but the knowledge of what the two Stealth Guardians were planning made her blood freeze in her veins. They were trying to make everybody believe she was dead.
Her parents would be devastated once they found out. Despite the fact that they were both suffering from Alzheimer’s, their minds were still clear enough to recognize her on their good days and know who she was. If they saw the news on TV, they would break down. She couldn’t cause her parents such unnecessary pain. It would be cruel.
She had to warn them and tell them not to believe anything they heard on TV. Telling the caretaker not to let them watch TV wouldn’t be enough. It was their pastime. Nothing could keep them from that box that provided them with entertainment in their monotonous lives. Besides, the newspapers would print the story too. There were too many ways they could find out the terrible news. Hell, the neighbors would stop by with condolence cards and flowers.
Leila glanced at the clock on the coffee maker and hoped it wasn’t too late already. With some luck, the caregiver was just getting them up and hadn’t mentioned anything to them about her disappearance yet. That alone could cause her father’s heart to stutter and her mother’s blood pressure to spike.
Knowing she couldn’t go back to the room to get her cell phone from her bag, she glanced around the kitchen. A landline telephone was attached to the wall next to the fridge. She had to make a quick decision. Aiden would be back shortly. It was now or never.
Casting a glance over her shoulder, she took the phone off the hook and punched in the number. With one ear she listened to the ringing on the other end, with the other to any sounds coming from the hallway. Three rings, four. If nobody picked up, the answering machine would kick in in a moment.
“Hello?”
Leila breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the low voice on the other end. “Mom, it’s Leila.”
“Hello?” she responded.
“Mom, can you hear me? It’s Leila,” she repeated a fraction louder, wondering whether her mother’s hearing aid was on.
“Oh, hello. Now I can hear you.”
Her heart made an excited salto. Her mother sounded clear as a bell. Maybe this was one of her good days.
“It’s Leila, mom,” she repeated, just for good measure.
“Good morning, Leila.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice. Listen, mom, I don’t have much time, but I want you to know something.” She paused to make sure her mother had understood her.
“Go on, I always like to talk. Nancy is such a sourpuss some days. She rarely chats.”
Well, she’d take Nancy, the caretaker, to task some other day, but now she had more important things to do.
“Mom, you’re going to see stuff on TV about me. They’ll say that I disappeared, or even that I died. But don’t believe any of it. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” Hell, who was she kidding? “I just have to go away for a few days. There are things happening at work that I can’t explain right now. Do you understand that?”
“Of course, dear. You have to go away.”
“Yes, mom. But I don’t want you and dad to worry about me. I’m safe where I am. Nothing can happen to me. I just worry about you and dad.”
“There’s no need to worry about us. We’re fine.”
It was a relief to hear her say that.
“And don’t worry about Nancy. When I’m back, I’ll tell her to sit down more often and chat with you, so you don’t feel too lonely.”
“Who feels lonely, dear?” her mother replied.
Had she not just seconds earlier complained about Nancy not chatting with her? “But, you said Nancy . . . ”
“Nancy!” her mother suddenly called, sounding more distant as if she was holding the phone away from her mouth.
“Yes, Ellie?” Leila recognized the caretaker’s voice in the background.
“There’s somebody who wants to talk to you.”
“No, mom,” she tried to stop her, but her mother clearly didn’t hear her.
“Who is it?”
“Oh, it’s the neighbor’s girl. I think she’s a little loopy in the head.”
Oh, no! Her mother hadn’t recognized her. “Mom!” she shouted into the phone.
“Nancy will call you back later.”
Then there was a click in the line, and the call was disconnected. Shocked, she let the receiver slide back onto the cradle. It hadn’t been one of her mother’s good days. She hadn’t really heard a