Dark Beach - By Lauren Ash Page 0,27
cell phone in her lap. “There was a man on my property,” she said loudly into the silence, practicing what she would tell the police. “He looked in my window, then he left.” She shook her head. Nothing really happened. I’ll just sound ridiculous.
The jangle of her cell’s ringtone made her jump.
Glancing at the screen, she let out a deep breath. “Ron! I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I know, honey. I’m so sorry. Sorry to call so late. It’s been crazy here. I can’t even get into it with you now. I—”
“Oh, Ron. I don’t care. I’m just so happy to hear your voice. I feel like it’s been days.”
“It has. I’ve been working non-stop. It’s just...” he broke off. “I don’t even know. How are you? How have you and Kip been doing? Okay?”
“I’m okay. Well … sorta.”
“What? You sound funny. What is it? Tell me.”
Jenny stood, and paced. “There was a man on the bottom deck, just now. He looked in the window.”
“What? Did you call the police?”
“No.”
“Jenny! Call the police! You need to call them.”
“And say what? Nothing happened. He left. I chased him off with a big knife.”
“A big knife—are you kidding me? What if he had a gun?”
“Well, I guess he didn’t. He ran off.”
“Where?”
“Back down to the beach. He jumped off the dune.”
“How do you know he’s still not out there, waiting?”
Jenny picked up the knife off the bed with her left hand, clutching it even tighter than she had before. Then she noticed the red trail on the floor.
“I’m bleeding.” A sudden terror gripped her.
“Jenny, what is going on? Do you need help? Do you want me to call the police for you?” Ron’s voice rose in pitch.
She looked down at her sweatpants. Please, please don’t let this be a miscarriage. There was no blood. “Oh … I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. You’re not here.” She sat down on the bed, lifted one foot up. Blood. “I’m all alone, even the damn dog didn’t come.”
“That’s not right, Jenny. Charlie hears everything. Where is he? Have you seen him tonight?”
“No. I guess not.” She swiped at her foot.
“Okay, this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to hang up and ... why are you bleeding?”
Jenny picked a shard of glass out of her foot. “I smashed a wineglass. I must have cut my foot.”
“Okay, we’re going to get off the phone. You go take care of your foot and I’ll call the police. Then call me back once they leave, okay? I’m sure they’ll send someone out there. This guy might be lurking about. I can’t be there, but I can help you.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now go! Go!”
“I will.”
* * *
Jenny sat on the toilet with her travel first aid kit in her lap. She always packed one in her luggage, but had never had to use it before. The ibuprofen bottle had expired, so had the painkillers and the anti-itch cream.
“Guess I won’t be using those.”
The wounds were superficial, nothing too terrible. The sting was the worst part of it. She picked out the glass, cleaned the cuts and bandaged her foot, covering it with a sock. She finished just as the knock came.
Red and blue lights flashed around her as she opened the door.
“Ma’am, we got a call. You have a trespasser who may still be around?” A young, rookie and an older, rounder, police officer stood on the deck.
“Yes. He ran off around the back of the house, toward the beach. He had a lantern.”
“Did you see his face, ma’am?” The kid was excited, ready for some action.
Things must be slow on the shore, Jenny thought, taking a closer look at him. He looked in his early twenties; maybe he was still in training. “No,” she finally answered. “He was in dark clothing—a dark trench or slicker, I think? He was tall, a large build. I couldn’t see his face or much else. Oh, and heavy boots.”
“We’re going to take a look. We’ll need you to remain inside.”
“I will.”
They began their search, Jenny watching them impatiently from the window. The only encounter she’d had with the police before was a one-and-only speeding ticket—and even that wasn’t her fault, or so she had convinced herself. The truth was that she sped all the time. Did this guy do this all the time? A chill went through her.
The officers stopped, focusing intently on something down on the dunes. When they left the dunes, heading