is waiting.”
He looks toward the front of the house. “Outside?”
I press my lips together and nod.
“Oh, Amy,” he hisses. “Amy. Amy. Amy. Now that couldn’t possibly be true, could it? Greg is across town at the soccer fields.”
My hand reaches for the doorknob and makes contact.
“Dreadful game,” he smirks. “Don’t worry. You didn’t miss much.”
“Who are you?”
Placing one fist against the doorframe, he leans in, glaring down at me. He wears the same eerie smile. “Pity you’ve forgotten. But then, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
I twist the knob and pull at the door. It opens an inch before he puts his palm on it, holding it in place. “My face should be more memorable. Considering you held my fate—” He glances at the phone in my hand. “You held it right there, in your hands. It meant nothing, though, did it?”
“I—”
“This house sort of feels like that.” He gestures with his free hand. “Like prison. Just a little shinier.”
Suddenly, memories come flooding back. The courtroom, the paneled walls, the enclosed jury box, boxed lunches, the entire experience. He is right. It was a long time ago, and I had forgotten. Also, he’s changed.
“There’s more than one kind of prison, you see.”
“Really, I have to go.”
“I know. The kids.”
My hand pulls at the doorknob. I consider turning and running, trying to escape through another exit, but decide against it. He’d catch me. “I wouldn’t worry too much,” he says. “About forgetting. I have a feeling we’re going to get reacquainted soon enough.”
“Please—” I nod at the door.
He removes his hand and steps away, but I sense that it’s a trap. “In fact,” he declares, his eyes trailing from my head down to my heels. “I’m looking for a home here in Sunset Canyon.” He holds up the flyer. “Nothing this fancy, though. I don’t plan on sticking around. Just long enough to take care of a little business.”
He opens the door and motions for me to exit, stepping out behind me. I can feel his breath on my neck, and I have the urge to bolt. I make a start, but I can’t force my feet to move the way I need them to. Straightening my back, I exhale. I’m outside. There are people around.
“Aren’t you going to lock it?” he calls after me. His tone is thick with amusement.
I turn back. As I fumble with the lock box, my hands tremble. He is watching, and my nerves cause me to fill the silence, although when I try to speak, my throat sticks. When I manage, my voice comes out as shaky as the rest of me. “And this business,” I say. “How long will it take?”
When I face him again, his lips press into a tight smile. “As long as it takes.”
Chapter Five
My whole body shakes, and despite that I have turned on the AC in the car to full blast. After repeatedly checking the rearview mirror, I adjust all vents within reach to face me. It doesn’t help. I can’t seem to get rid of the clammy, sweaty feeling. I tell myself it’s possible I’m coming down with something. It is November and flu season, but deep down I know it’s not that. It’s fear, plain and simple.
I don’t drive to the soccer fields. I drive in circles and I call Greg. When he answers cheerfully, I lose it. I sob into the phone as I tell him about the open house and the man. Cheap mascara streams down my face. He listens without speaking.
After I’ve gotten it all out, he says calmly, “Surely a house like that has security cameras…”
I take a couple of deep breaths before responding. “I’m sure.”
“We’ll get the footage,” he assures me. “Don’t worry. You need to focus on driving…I’m sure he’s just trying to scare you.”
“Well, it worked.”
He suggests meeting for lunch. We agree on a restaurant, and I tell him I’ll meet him there, but first I need to stop by the house and let Rocky out. Also, I don’t want the girls to see me this upset.
More importantly, I need to ensure I’m not being followed, and I need a moment to catch my breath and reset.
There’s a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’ve forgotten something I really should have remembered. For one, the man’s name. The memories are hazy, as though they happened a lifetime ago, and I suppose they did. I only vaguely remember serving on the jury.
I do recall the sentence. Twenty