by LENA DIAZ,
“There are only three guns,” Buddy grumbled.
“I’ve got my knife,” Amber said. “And I’ll give Dex my gun. You three get the rest of the guns. And we all stay together. We’ll all be safe that way.”
“She’s right. As long as we stay together, we should be safe,” Aunt Freddie said. “Give him a gun too, Buddy.”
“Oh, fine. Come on. They’re over here. I hid them in one of the bookshelves when we brought the food up here.” He led them to a shelf at the other end of the room and pulled out the guns. “I don’t have any extra ammo, so if we get in a shoot-out, we’ll have to be careful.”
“Good grief,” Dex said. “There’s not going to be a shoot-out. If those guns are the types with safeties, keep the safeties on.”
“Only a sissy needs a safety.” Buddy passed the guns around.
Dex had a very bad feeling about everyone around him being armed, but he couldn’t exactly justify being the only one with a gun. “Everyone, please, be careful. I don’t want anyone getting shot by accident.”
“Son,” Buddy said, “the only ones around here who might be careless with firearms are the townies like you and this Dexter feller.”
“Derek,” Derek corrected.
“Whatever.”
Derek shook his head and gave Dex a pained look. For whatever reason, Buddy had taken a dislike to him and wasn’t going to drop it.
Dex figured it had to do with the way Derek had been cozying up to Amy earlier. He remembered how the town had been against Jake as an outsider when he’d first come here. But they now considered Jake to be one of their own. They had their hearts in the right places, being protective of one other. But he could well understand Derek’s frustration. If it weren’t for his own ties to Jake, they’d probably be treating him the same way.
“Okay, when Amber and I got here, we’d just heard you scream, Freddie. So what happened?”
“Something woke me up. I’m not sure what. And I got up and looked over there and saw Amy’s blouse, all cut up.” She shivered. “Then I went looking for her on the couch on that other side of the room where she and Dexter had been earlier—”
Derek rolled his eyes.
“—and he was lying there asleep but Amy was gone. That’s when I screamed.”
“So no one saw Amy leave? Or anyone else in here?”
They all shook their heads.
“Maybe she went back to her room,” Amber said. “And the killer put that blouse there to scare us?”
“What about the blood?” Derek asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Let’s go to Amy’s room and see if she’s there before we go down that line of thought,” Dex said.
As one they headed toward the door. Dex made them wait while he looked out in the hallway. Clear. Lightning lit up the windows behind them, casting eerie shadows down the hall. But so far the generator was keeping up and the sconces down the hall showed enough that he felt it was safe to step outside.
“Which way?” he whispered to Amber.
“She was in the west wing, a few doors down from...Mallory’s room.”
He nodded and headed out, with Amber keeping pace with him. The others followed close behind. Dex tried not to think about the fact that they had guns in their hands. His back itched, expecting someone to stumble any minute and shoot him.
“Keep an eye on the doors, and listen for anyone else,” he whispered back to them.
Buddy gave him a salute as if Dex was a general, and he whispered to Freddie. She nodded and the two of them aimed their guns at either side as they made their way down the hall behind him. Dex noted that Derek kept his gun shoved into his waistband and stayed well back from Freddie and Buddy, apparently as nervous as Dex was with the two Mystic Glades residents walking around with their guns out.
They passed the open railing that looked down on the foyer below and, as one, they paused. Amber gasped and clutched Dex’s arm.
He could well understand her surprise and dismay. Water covered the bottom two steps of the staircase and lapped at the third. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know this is your family home.”
She nodded, looking miserable. “I never thought I’d see the day when the water would rise like this. We’ve had floods in the past, but they never got this high.”
“I think the rain’s letting up,” he said, trying to make her feel better.
She looked out the windows above the front door. “You’re right. That’s something to be grateful for, at least.”
“Come on.” He urged her forward, not liking that they were essentially targets out in the open two-story foyer. If Mitchell or Garreth was bold enough to shoot at him, then he wasn’t going to assume the man would be worried about getting wet down on the first floor. The attacker could be behind an archway even now, waiting for a good shot.
They passed the open railing and Dex breathed a sigh of relief with walls on both sides again, blocking any shots from below. When they reached Amy’s door, Dex didn’t bother knocking. If the killer was inside with her, he wanted to use the element of surprise to put the odds more in his favor. He drew his gun, carefully turned the knob, then shoved the door open and ran inside.
Another scream met him as Amy backed up against the wall, clutching a towel against her naked body, her hair dripping water onto the floor.
Dex lowered the gun and shoved it into his waistband. “Are you okay?”
She blinked at him and looked at Amber. “Why does he have a gun? What are all of you doing here?”
Amber hurried to her and gave her a fierce hug before pulling back and answering. “We thought the killer had you.”
She frowned. “Why would you think that? I was just taking a shower.”
Freddie and Buddy stepped up beside Dex. “One of your shirts was in the library, with blood on it.”
Her face turned a light pink. “Oh. Sorry. I scratched my arm against an old nail on one of the bookshelves earlier this morning when I woke up before everyone else. I had a tank top underneath, so I took off my shirt to stop the bleeding. I forgot and didn’t take it with me when I left later to take a shower.” She frowned. “Where’s everyone else?”
Dex shoved his gun into his waistband. “I’m not sure where Garreth and Mitchell are. We think one of them must be the killer. Now that we know that you’re okay, our next stop will be to look in Garreth’s and Mitchell’s rooms to see if either of them is there.”
“Okay, but where’s Derek?”
Her words seemed to sink into everyone at the same time. They all whirled around.
Derek was gone.
* * *
DEX STEPPED OUT of Garreth’s closet and crossed the bedroom to where Amber was rifling through Garreth’s suitcase.
She looked up and shook her head. “I don’t know what he brought with him, of course, but everything seems to be in order. No obvious gaps like anything’s missing. What about that briefcase he had with him?”
“It’s in the closet. I couldn’t open it since it’s locked. But it’s present and accounted for. Unlike Garreth.”
“And Mitchell and Derek,” she added.
“Told you I shouldn’t have given him a gun,” Buddy grumbled from his position on the other side of the room next to Amy and Freddie.
“He’s not the killer,” Dex said. “It has to be Mitchell or Garreth.”
“How tall am I?” Buddy asked.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, son. How tall am I?”
Dex considered him for a moment. “Five-eight?”
Buddy drew himself up, and Dex immediately realized his mistake. Buddy had been slouching.
“Closer to six foot,” Dex admitted.
“Five-eleven,” Buddy confirmed.
“You willing to bet your life, and ours, that you were right that the man you saw in those hidden passageways wasn’t that Dexter fellow?”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have made any assumptions. The hallway was dark. And he was far away. I have to allow for the possibility that the killer could be anyone, including Derek.”
“You mean the killer could be anyone except us.” Amber waved her hand to encompass everyone in the bedroom.
“I’m not assuming anything at this point,” he said.
Buddy gave him an irritated look. “We’re going back to the library.”
“Wait.” Dex hurried to the door. “The library isn’t a safe place to stay. It has one of the passageway entrances. Amber, is there some other room we can all easily fit in, somewhere more defensible?”
She shook her head. “Other than the bedrooms, there are no other big enough rooms upstairs where we could gather.”
“Then we need to search the upstairs library to make sure we know where all of the passageway entrances are and block them off. If we have to, we’ll scoot furniture on top of any trapdoors or throw a pile of books on them. Before we go back, does anyone need a bathroom break or anything from their rooms? I don’t want anyone wandering around on their own.”
Amy shook her head no.
Buddy and Freddie both raised their hands like children in a schoolroom.
“Bathroom,” Freddie said.
“Me, too,” Buddy chimed in.
Dex sighed. “Amber? Where’s the nearest bathroom?”
“Just down the hall.”
They went through the same routine, Dex looking down the hall and then everyone keeping behind him as they headed out the door. But this time, both Amber and Dex kept looking back to make sure they didn’t lose anyone.
Once they were finally in the library and Dex was satisfied that they’d located the only passageway entrance—the one he and Amber had used earlier—and it was covered by a very heavy couch that had been difficult for all of them together to scoot over to the trapdoor, Dex pulled Amber to the side away from the others.
“I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the others, make sure they don’t try to go anywhere. Lock the door behind me.”
“Hold it.” She put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Where do you think you’re going? The rain has stopped, yes, but the water won’t recede for a while. We need to wait here until we can get back to town and call the police. Even then, we’ll likely have to pile into a canoe to get there since the cars are probably all flooded out.”
“A canoe? You have one around here?”
She shook her head. “No. I was being facetious. I wish I had a canoe. I could get us out right now, since the lightning has stopped. But I don’t.”
His excitement at hearing her mention a canoe took a nosedive and cemented his earlier decision. “Okay, let’s take a hard look at what we’re up against, then. There are three men out there somewhere—two of whom are either already dead or could be soon if I don’t find them, and the third is armed and has already killed once for sure and tried to kill me in the passageway. Amber, I can’t sit here and wait an entire day for the water to go down while two people are somewhere at the mercy of a killer. I have to search for them.”
“Fine. Then I’m going with you.”
He grabbed her arm this time. “No. You’re not.”
“You listen to me, Dex Lassiter. I survived in a dangerous swamp for over two years. Trust me, it’s not just the reptiles and wild animals that I had to watch out for. Drug dealers and other unsavory people use those swamps as their personal hiding place and sometimes as a route to ship their illegal cargo. I’ve had more than a few run-ins with them and I’m still standing here to talk about it. Don’t assume that I’m not good in a fight just because I’m a woman. You need someone to watch your back, or you can watch mine. But, regardless, I am going with you.”
He gritted his teeth. “How am I supposed to focus when I’m worrying about you out there with me?”
Her face softened and she pressed her hand against the side of his face. “The same way that I will. I care about you, Dex. And I don’t want you hurt any more than I think you want me hurt. But I, too, am not going to sit around while your friends need help.”
He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Damn it, Amber. I don’t like you being in danger.”
“Neither do I. I’ll be careful. We’ll both be careful. And we’ll get through this together.”
He nodded. “All right.” He quickly told the others what they were going to do. “Don’t let anyone else in this library, no matter what.”
“What if Derek comes back?” Amy’s concern for him was obvious in the worry lines on her young forehead.
“I suppose you’ll have to use your own judgment,” Dex said. “But I’d feel a lot better if you kept that door closed until either Amber or I return. We’ll search the house in a grid pattern and check in once an hour, which means that our first check-in will be—” he looked at his watch “—three o’clock.”
Buddy rose from the couch where he’d been sitting with Freddie. “What are we supposed to do if you aren’t back by three?”
Dex took Amber’s hand in his and exchanged a long look with her before answering. “Pray.”
Chapter Fifteen
Amber held up her thumb, silently letting Dex know that the bathroom connected to the bedroom he was searching was clear. He nodded and headed into the walk-in closet while she waited against the wall by the door, her hand poised on the top of her knife sheathed at her waist. This was the last bedroom to search in the east wing, and they were bumping up against the one-hour mark so they’d have to hurry back to the library for their check-in if they weren’t going to worry the others.
She wished they hadn’t agreed to the one-hour check-in since it would disrupt their search. But she tried to imagine herself sitting in the locked library, waiting, and realized she’d probably go nuts if hours passed without any word if someone else was out searching. Dex knew what he was doing when he’d told them he’d come back. It was as much for the others’ peace of mind as it was for her and Dex’s safety. Because she had no doubt that if she and Dex didn’t check in, Aunt Freddie would be pushing Buddy to go search the house for them.
Dex emerged from the closet, shaking his head. He met her beside the door and pointed to his watch. She nodded, and they looked out into the hall, then hurried back toward the library, watching every table, every alcove, every door as they passed. She and Dex had made a point of closing and locking each door after they searched a room. So if any of them were open, they’d know that’s where someone else had gone.
Their quick trek down the hall was uneventful. Aunt Freddie must have been waiting at the door, because as soon as Amber announced that it was her and Dex, the door swung open.
While Dex spoke to Freddie and Buddy, Amber hurried to Amy, who was staring out the front window at the water below. Amber was just about to speak when she saw Amy’s reflection in the glass and hesitated. Instead of the pale, scared-looking young girl that Amber was used to seeing when she looked at Amy, the reflection against the dark windowpane seemed much older, harsh, angry. Her brows were drawn down and her lips were compressed into a tight line.
Amy raised her hand and pressed it against the glass.
Amber’s eyes widened and she leaned forward to see what Amy might be looking at.
Amy suddenly turned around, her eyes wide, her face looking frightened like usual as she pressed a hand against her chest. “Amber, my gosh, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She forced a tight smile. Had she only imagined the angry expression on Amy’s face reflected in the window? Was it just a trick of the light?
Amy’s brows drew down in confusion. “Ambe
r? Is something wrong?” She raised her hand to her throat. “My God. Please tell me you didn’t find Derek, and that he’s...he’s...” She bit her lip and made a small sound in her throat as if she was trying not to cry.
Guilt rose inside Amber and she pulled the other woman into a hug. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m tired and on edge. I should have been more careful and shouldn’t have worried you. No, we haven’t found Derek.” She pulled back and took Amy’s hands in hers. “We have to believe that he’s okay.” If he isn’t the killer.
“Everything all right over here?” Dex asked from behind her.
Amy’s shy gaze darted away. “I’m fine. I overreacted, thought maybe something had happened to Derek.”
Dex smiled. “You really like him, don’t you?”
Her face flushed. “He’s okay.”
“We’re doing everything we can to find him. Don’t worry.”
She bit her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Amber? Ready to search the east wing?”
“The east wing?”
“Yes. The one we haven’t searched yet. Ready?”
Something in his gaze told her to go along with what he was saying, even though she knew they’d already searched that wing. “Yes, yes, of course. Let’s go.”
Dex led her to the door, then stopped and spoke in low tones to Buddy, before pulling Amber out into the hall.
When they were in one of the bedrooms in the west wing a few minutes later, Dex closed the door.
Amber swung around to face him. “Okay, spill. What did you say to Buddy? And why did you lie about where we were going?”
“I told Buddy the truth about us searching the west wing next. But I didn’t want Amy to know. I warned Buddy to keep an eye on her, that I didn’t trust her. And that if he got a chance to get her gun away from her without openly confronting her, he should take it.”