Father And Child
Page 24
She didn’t hear the door open. But a jolt went through her as she saw the overhead lights and the ones along the side of the pool wink out. Stopping dead, she held her breath, barely treading water, as her gaze scanned the floorto-ceiling windows along the far wall. Below her, lights twinkled in other apartment buildings she could see, yet this room at the top of the Cecil Arms was dark.
“Is somebody there?” She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears and the reverberations of her voice from the walls and ceiling of the large room.
No one answered, and she felt goose bumps rise on her arms. She wanted to believe someone was playing a cruel practical joke on the lady who went swimming in the evening. The explanation didn’t wash. In a blinding moment of panic, all the anxiety of the week coalesced into a terrible moment of certainty. She knew on a gut level who had turned off the lights, knew who had been stalking her. Now it made sense.
“James?” she quavered.
He made her beg for the answer.
“James?”
“Got ya!” a familiar, low voice echoed off the water.
She had been hoping against hope it wasn’t true. Now she pictured a slender man with blond hair and blue eyes standing between her and the only door, the only escape route.
James Harrison. He had a charming smile and an easy manner, unless you looked below the surface to the rotten core carefully hidden inside.
She hadn’t wanted to believe he was back. Yet deep in her subconscious she must have known. He’d been confined to the Indiana Institution for the Criminally Insane for the past three years, and he’d sworn to get even with Dr. Kelley for helping put him there.
She’d moved away, started over again in a new place with a new job and new friends. And time had dulled the memory of the curses he’d hurled at her. Until this week, she’d felt safe.
A small splash told her he had eased into the water, was stroking toward her. She dove deep, praying she had a chance to escape. Surfacing at the edge of the pool, she felt along the side, found the metal ladder and began to scramble up. But he must have been planning this carefully, must have studied the layout of the pool. Strong hands closed around her thighs, dragging her back down.
She had time for only a quick gasp of air before he pulled her under, pushing her below with the weight of his body. Trapped, she flailed in panic. But the thick, watery world muted the impact of her blows.
Frantically, she tried to struggle upward, but his hands held her under. Then for a moment he let her up, long enough for her to get a blessed gasp of oxygen before he pulled her down into the dark water again.
She knew then that he was toying with her, prolonging her agony for his own sick satisfaction. With all her strength, she tried to pull free. She tried to hit him. He only shifted her in his grasp, his fingers like tentacles on her water-slick flesh.
Her chest was bursting, and bright dots danced before her eyes. Soon it would be impossible to hold her breath, and the water would fill her lungs. James Harrison would finally get his wish—her death. Yet she kept fighting him.
Her flailing hand brushed the edge of his swimsuit. She followed the fabric downward until she encountered sensitive male flesh, then dug her nails into him, squeezing with all her remaining strength. Through the muffling water, she heard him scream. His grasp loosened and she wrenched away, putting distance between them. Breaking the surface, she gasped for life-giving air.
“You bitch!” He made a grab for her, his fingers grazing her shoulder. Hardly able to think, she maneuvered into open water, heading for the opposite ladder. When his hand touched her foot, she screamed and kicked harder.
Before he could catch up again, the lights flashed on. Blinded, Kathryn kept flailing toward the far side of the pool.
Seconds later a voice boomed over the water. “What the hell’s going on in here?”
Reaching the ladder, Kathryn gave a heartfelt cry of thanks and quickly climbed up. But she didn’t get any farther. As the air filled her lungs, she crumpled over and lay panting on the cold cement In the glow from the overhead lights, all her eyes could make out was an indistinct figure standing in the doorway.
“Listen up. You’d better have a good explanation, or I’m going to call the police.”
Even with the echo bouncing off the walls, she recognized the voice. It was Mr. Clemson, the building superintendent. “God, yes, call the police,” she croaked.
A flash of movement on the other side of the pool made her cringe toward the wall. She saw James vault out of the water, hurtle toward Mr. Clemson, and pause to give him a mighty shove before charging through the door and disappearing.
The building superintendent went sprawling and landed hard on his back.
Finding her legs, Kathryn wobbled toward the wall phone near the door and dialed 911.
* * * * *
Don’t miss this next 43 Light Street tale—#474 NOWHERE MAN—coming to you in July 1998. Only from Rebecca York and Harlequin Intrigue!
eISBN 978-14592-6853-1
FATHER AND CHILD
Copynght © 1997 by Ruth Glick and Eileen Buckholtz All rights reserved Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retneval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontano, Canada M3B 3K9
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A
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Printed in U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
Dear Reader
Title Page
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Other Books by
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Preview
Copyright