“Also, keep an eye out for rats,” I added.
I threw a leg over the snowmobile and turned the key. It took some coaxing, but the engine turned over and rumbled to life. The sound of it shook the surrounding trees, causing Larry to bolt through the open shed doors. I maneuvered the machine forward and out onto the snow before dismounting and securing the shed doors behind me. Larry cackled over the sound of the motor and the crunching of my boots in the snow. I looked around, finding him up a nearby tree and overseeing the situation from a branch.
I gave him a salute.“Good luck, Larry!”
He stared, body frozen, amber eyes wide.
I gunned the engine and sped off through the snow, following the overgrown path back towards civilization. It was a two-hour ride to where I’d left my truck, and then a ten-hour drive, skirting around Lake Ontario and into New York. I’d swapped out the plates since the last trip in, so I figured I was safe to drive straight into the city. Even if this trip were a suicide mission, nothing was going to keep me from her.
I refused to let the bad guys win any longer.
Chapter 6
Betty
A few days passed without a creepy stalker in my wake. Things were tentatively safe.
Or theywere.
Stepping out my front door this morning, a gust of wind whipping my dark hair, I scanned the sidewalk as I had every morning since the late-night incident.
That’s when I saw it.
There was a strange car parked a few spaces down, and it stood out like a sore thumb. Normally, I’d just shrug it off, but there was something about its classic, creepy demeanor that irked me, and I liked to trust my hunches.
Expensive SUVs—more usual of the area—flanked the rundown Crown Victoria front and back. I blinked a few times; the sight of its hideous blue color hurt my eyes. Worry licked up my spine.
Frederick was already idling at the curb, which I was grateful for. He’d taken me to and from work all week, giving me peace of mind, though I hadn’t divulged the reason why I needed him. Frozen in place, I glanced between the town car and the Crown Vic with bold scrutiny.
While I didn’t want to stare so openly, this was my home, and I’d do as I damned pleased, so I stared. There was a dark figure behind the wheel, sitting motionless, the engine off. I couldn’t make out many features given the tinting on the side windows, leaving the interior dark, but I could feel the eyes on me and his outline seemed reminiscent of the man from the other night. I wasn’t one to jump to fast conclusions, but this was conclusion enough.
Someone was intentionally following me.
To top it off, I’d heard noises all over the house last night. It could have been the city pigeons, but there had been soft scratches echoing down from the roof, and muffled thudding now and then. I’d locked myself in my room, per the usual, but even that hadn’t felt like enough.
I was probably just projecting my fears and overreacting, but any noise was worth noting. I wanted to call Nash and ask him if the sounds were normal, given it used to be his room, but he was away on a secluded Scottish honeymoon for the next few months, living off grid in some tiny village, and I didn’t want to bother them with my paranoia.
A sharp and healthymewbroke my spiraling thoughts, causing me to jump clear out of my skin and back to reality.
“Fuck!”
I almost stumbled down the stoop steps, clasping a hand to my chest. Grabbing the rail for support, I tried to find the source of the sound. Like finding a lost phone, I didn’t see it until it sounded again.
Mew.
Over the edge of the rail, a little black kitten sat tucked into the corner in a pile of old, dead leaves and garbage. I crooned, setting my Birkin down on the step and rounding the stoop to reach the kitten. When it saw me, it hissed with a ferocity unlike that of its size, causing me to slide to a halt. The kitten seized its chance and darted down the street.
Dammit.And here I was, certain my number in the cat lottery was finally up.
“Are you okay, Betty?” I heard Frederick’s voice behind me.
He was leaning over the top of his car, face crunched in confusion.“Doing fine!” I assured.“I just saw a kitten, but I guess today wasn’t my day.” Defeated, I threw up my hands and retrieved my purse.
He produced a sorry pout.“I can’t imagine Mr. Beans would be too happy about a new friend. From what I’ve heard, he’s a bit of a lone wolf.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I had to agree, though I could be wrong. Mr. Beans loved his solitude, but he had an air of hierarchy about him. He might be the type willing to take on a minion.
The Crown Vic a few spaces down sputtered to life, and I squinted in that direction, hackles rising. I watched to see if they’d leave, but it just sat there, idling. Testing a hunch, I climbed into the back of Frederick’s town car as he entered on his side. I never let him open the door for me, and he’d stopped offering long ago. It seemed like a waste of time, making him walk all the way around the car.
