Maria entered the kitchen, and herdaughter followed closely behind. “I’ll start the living room next. I’ve changed the sheets on the beds, but if you can let the kitchen floor dry while I clean in here, I’ll let you have your space back in half an hour,” she explained pleasantly.
“I’m sorry, we’re in your way,” Scarlett said, taking Ice. “We’ll go to Ty’s room until you finish.”
“It’s not a problem. We only need to vacuum the area rug, dust, and mop the hardwood floor. Mr. Ty doesn’t have much clutter. It takes very little time,” she assured them as Cherise gathered her computer and power cord.
“We can sign you up at the local library while we’re waiting. If you see anything on the list, we can ask Ty to pick it up on his way home,” she suggested.
“Can you help me pick out an outfit for my interview on Friday? I don’t think I need to dress up, but I need to appear professional,” Scarlett said, walking down the hall.
“Of course. I always dreamed of having a little girl to dress. You’re older than I imagined, but I’ll take what I can get,” Cherise replied as she followed Scarlett.
The vacuum started, and the two women reviewed the list of local offerings. In the evenings, Scarlett read from her book, and when they retired, Ty hooked it up to his Bluetooth speaker so they could listen along. They spent time after he stopped it trying to figure out the murderer before the end. She enjoyed it immensely.
“All right. We reserved six audiobooks. Where did I put my phone?” Cherise asked as she patted the bed, her pants, and lifted her computer. “Drat, I’ll be right back. I must’ve left it on the couch. Pull out your outfit choices, and we’ll go over them.”
Scarlett went to work, pairing her red blouse with jeans. Then she pulled her favorite blue sweater and set it on the bed. Man, she missed her phone to research which colors worked best for an interview.
Ty told her Bear might be able to set her up with her own computer, which talked, and she needed to purchase a new phone. Hers broke the night Sledge got shot. She smiled when she thought about how much her life had changed since coming to Serenity Mountain. Before she gave up hope. Now, she anticipated her future. Her thoughts drifted to Hannah. More resolved than ever, she planned to make the mysterious patient one of her missions.
Scarlett set the rest of the outfits on the bed and listened. The vacuum cleaner still ran, yet she didn’t hear anything. Cherise should’ve returned with her phone by now.
Sneaking into the hallway, she hugged the wall and cautiously moved toward the living room. The scent of freshly mopped floors and furniture polish clung to the air, and something oddly familiar tickled her nose. She stopped as cold fear trickled down her spine. Jeremy managed to get inside the house somehow. Her heart raced, and she moved slowly, alert to any sounds indicating where Jeremy might be.
“Please, let her go,” Cherise softly begged him. “She’s a teen and can’t possibly hurt you.”
A muffled noise came through a mask. “Where did she go?”
“My son took her into town. They went to meet some friends,” she insisted.
The culprit hit Cherise, sending her reeling to the ground.
Maria cried out, and Scarlett cursed quietly, wishing for her sight to determine how to help them.
“Mrs. Bradshaw,” Maria called and then yelled at the attacker. “Please don’t hurt my daughter. She’s in the bedroom on the left.”
Scarlett crossed the hall, feeling Ice at her leg. She prayed he didn’t bark or even growl. After the lastincident, she didn’t want her dog shot, either. Slipping into the room on the right, she signaled Ice to the down position and waited as the man entered the hallway. His cologne grew stronger as he approached the area where she hid.
She waited until he passed the door and then tackled him to the ground. He grunted from the fall but twisted around and jumped up. Ice growled, making him back up. Scarlett searched the floor for his weapon, knowing the coward carried one. Ice let out a yelp, and Scarlett turned, launching herself in his direction, sure the intruder stayed close by.
She screamed as she struck with all her might. Hearing the sound of a hard thud as her assailant’s head hit the ground and his body went slack, Scarlett called Ice to her side and limped toward the living room, where Cherise, Maria, and Harlow were held.
“Call out if you’re all right,” she ordered.
“He hit Mrs. Bradshaw in the head with his gun. She’s bleeding. He tied my daughter up,” the hysterical housekeeper cried out.
“Can your daughter move?” she asked.
“Yes, he didn’t tie her feet. Mrs. Bradshaw interrupted him,” Maria sobbed.
“Help me get Cherise to your car. Did he hurt your daughter? We need to move,” she ordered. “Take me to Cherise.”
The housekeeper grabbed her arm, practically dragging her to Cherise’s limp form. “My daughter’s scared, but fine,” she said, helping Scarlett pull Cherise up.
“We’ll have to drag her to the car. Hurry,” Scarlett said. Harlow sobbed and clung to her mother’s side while they dragged Cherise from the kitchen to the door and outside.
“Where’s your phone and car?” she asked.
“I parked by the barn. I don’t know when Mr. Bradshawplans on receiving deliveries. The man took our phones,” Maria blurted out.
