When the office came into view, she almost sighed in relief.
So close.
It wasn’t until she reached the window that she realized she’d have to crawl through the broken shards of glass that bordered the frame.
Crap.
She turned and searched for a rock. When she found one, she used it to break the remaining glass off. Every time she hit a newshard, she cringed. After three hits, she couldn’t risk the sound anymore.
Someone would hear. She just needed to get inside.
She grabbed the edge and hauled herself up. Small fragments of glass cut into her palms, shooting pain into her hands. But she ignored it. She had one focus, find a weapon.
She dropped to the other side. She was in. Now she needed a knife.
In the kitchen, she searched through the drawers, finding the long butcher’s knife. She wrapped her fingers around the handle and turned. But the second she stepped into the office, she stopped.
Because there, standing in front of her, was Toby—and he had a gun aimed straight at her chest.
“Put down the knife, Addie.”
She swallowed, every part of her wanting,needing, to keep the knife firmly gripped in her palm. But she didn’t have a choice. The knife dropped with a clatter.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I saw you. I could have taken a shot but I’m not the best distance shooter, so I followed instead.”
“Why?” The single word was coated with confusion and disbelief. “Why have you done all this? What money is there to gain from chasing me out of town?”
“You still haven’t worked it out?”
“Workedwhatout?”
“Jules.”
She frowned. “What does Jules have to do with any of this?”
His step forward was slow and predatory. “Every so often, I get a golden client. Someone who’s nearing death, but with no family to leave any inheritance to. Usually, it’s the elderly. But it could also include the sick…like Jules.”
Finally, she understood. And it madehersick. This guy didn’t want to help people—he wanted to take from them. Steal.
“So she started seeing you for therapy, you learned that she had no one to will her money or assets to, and that she was going to die, so you took advantage of her.”
“I made myself important. Home visits. Late-night calls. I spenteighteen monthsinvesting in Jules. We both benefited. But then, she suddenly reveals that she has a daughter! She didn’t even tell me she was looking for you, and suddenly she calls me from fuckingAmber Ridgeto tell me what she was doing. And I knew if I didn’t act quickly, everything I’d worked so hard for would be taken from me—byyou.”
Everything he’d worked hard for? Was he serious? He hadn’t worked hard for anything. He’d lied and taken advantage of Jules, only showing her kindness so he could steal from her.
“You’re a terrible person,” she whispered.
“No. I’m smart. But clearly,you’renot. I tried to scare you away. I even tried to break up you and Noah because I knew if you two started dating, you were never going to leave. Once you were gone, I could keep getting closer to Jules. Reaffirm to her thatIam the closest person to her. But you just wouldn’t heed my warnings. You just kept getting closer to Jules.”
“Why did you kill Rhett?” The question burst out of her.
“The sheriff was onto him. I couldn’t have him ratting me out for paying him to tamper with the rock-climbing gear and steal your house key.” He frowned. “I’d actually planned to kill him when he turned his back to me, but he was so cocky and made me so damn angry. He started yelling, saying I was a psycho and he was going to tell everyone what I’d done.”
He’d lost his temper? How was this guy a therapist? “And now you plan to killme?”
“I do. And then Cass. I’ll put her prints on the gun, and everyone will think she did it. Jules will be so upset that she’ll lean on me. And everything will go back to the way it was.”
