The radio flickered as a bolt of lightning resembling a witch’s staff touched the ground somewhere close by.
I clicked on my cell and dialed Jagg’s number.
“You better be calling me from your storm shelter cause?—”
“I need you to get to Kline and Associates now.”
“Dude, have you been outside? It’s like the apocalypse. I’m helping the local PD with the roads. There’re freaking cars everywhere. They’re slammed.”
“Jagg.” My jaw locked as I cut him off, voice a razor’s edge. “I need you at Kline’s.”
“…Okay, man,okay.On my way.”
I clicked off.
“Dude…” Gage’s face paled. “Shit…”
I followed my brother’s gaping gaze to a massive wall cloud beginning to swirl in the distance.
“Better hit the gas, bro,” I yelled over the pounding rain.
What followed was three minutes of white-knuckled hell. The truck roared over water-slicked asphalt, tires hydroplaning, wipers working overtime, thunder cracking like gunshots in a war zone. Wind buffeted the truck like fists from every direction.
By the time we skidded to a stop in front of Kline and Associates, my chest was heaving. Rose’s BMW sat parked, droplets skating down its windshield like a ghost had been crying over it.
“Check around the building. I’m going inside.”
Rain lashed our faces as we jumped out. I did a hard sweep around her car, adrenaline buzzing so loud I could barely hear the storm anymore. Gage disappeared around the left side of the building.
The front door was unlocked.
That ball in my gut turned to lead.
I pushed inside.
It was silent.
That eerie, unnatural stillness. Like the world was holding its breath.
Rose’s purse and keys sat neatly on the front counter.
But no Rose.
My blood turned to ice.
“Rose?” I hollered as I jogged to her office.
Nothing.
I searched the conference room, the break room, then jogged to the corner office with sweeping windows that overlooked the valley. Unlike the other offices, the curtains in this one were drawn, a dark brown satin next to a row of plaques highlighting the name:Theo Kline, PSY.D.
My gaze shifted to the built-in bookshelf that took half the wall, where dozens of books had been removed and stacked on the floor. I stepped over and ran my finger along the edges, something telling me to look further. I began pulling books and tossing them on the floor behind me when a narrow beam of light caught my eye—a twinkling light from behind a stack of encyclopedias. I tossed the books to the ground, squinted into the light, and stared at the tiny peep hole that led directly into Rose’s office.
White-hot rage zipped through me.
Theo Kline.
That sick bastard had been watching her.
