“Goodness,” Theo laughed.

“And she’s got those chocolate chip brownies over there again.”

“I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“I bought you some. They’re in the kitchen.”

“Some?” Theo asked.

“I knew you’d want more than one.”

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” She leaned over and hugged Ashley who began to laugh.

“Seriously. So smart, sophisticated, educated, clever and such a complete dork all at the same time.”

Theo shrugged. “It’s a whole package, babe.”

This made Ashley laugh a little more. She shook her head. “At least you’re cute.”

Theo grinned at her. “So, you wanna get some dinner? Come over and watch a movie?”

“What about Jordan?”

“He’ll be there, too. If that’s okay.”

“Jordan’s great,” Ashley told her. “Truly. I love you guys and thank you. I think I’m gonna see if Wyatt will meet me at The Copper Queen. We can get some mozzarella sticks and have a couple of beers. It seems like he’s always got something planned lately. Either he’s gaming online with a bunch of geeks, or he’s out with his work buddies. Maybe I can con him into hanging out with me for a change.”

“That sounds good,” Theo agreed. “Hey, if Wyatt doesn’t want to go out, you could always ask Bex.”

“Oh my god,” Ashley exclaimed. “What’s up with that woman, anyway? I thought you asked a lot of questions, but I take it all back after spending time with her.” She stood up and stretched her lower back. “And you know what’s weird?”

“So many things.”

“Sure,” Ashley nodded, “and maybe this is just me, but it feels like Bex is everywhere I go.”

“You realize she’s only been here for a week, right?”

“Well, it’s not like Whisper Creek is all that big. I mean, I run into a lot of people I know, but Bex … it feels like she’s actively following me around.”

Theo laughed. “You are a very fun girl.”

Ashley playfully swatted Theo’s shoulder. “Do me a favor. Next time you see my boyfriend, tell him that, okay?”

15. MOTORIST

Theo reached up and rubbed her eyes. She was tired. She glanced at her computer screen which told her it was a little bit after eight. Both Indigo and Jordan were hanging out with the Reillys, and the thought of going home alone didn’t overly excite her.

When Theo heard the knock, she wasn’t sure it had been real. Office hours ended three hours earlier, and, while she had stayed open later for some clients, there was no one scheduled to come in and meet with her this evening. She ignored it and began gathering her things so she could head back to the barn.

She shut the computer off and shouldered her backpack. She’d chosen a pair of dark gray dress pants to wear with her white sweater that morning. After seeing her last client, she’d kicked off her heels and opted for a pair of thick socks while she tended to her administrative chores. She bent down, grabbing her Sorel boots, and stepped into the hall.

This time when a knock sounded, Theo looked up to see a man standing on the other side of her door. He was peering in at her through the center of the Christmas wreath that hung against the glass. The lights that illuminated the outside of the Brubaker Building let Theo know this man was unfamiliar. He had dark red hair, and Theo thought his eyes were brown, but it was hard to tell for sure. There was some distance between them, and there was only one lamp that burned in the far corner of the lobby.  

She dropped her boots and her backpack near the large receptionist desk and her hand went to her pocket. Her office keys were on a different ring than her house and car keys. The latter she kept in her pack, the former she carried in her pocket while she was at work.

“Hello? Hello? Hey, I’m sorry. I know it’s late.”

“Do you need help?” Theo asked loudly, walking closer to the door. The man looked frazzled. His hair was mussed, and the coat he wore was unzipped, showing the light blue shirt he wore underneath. When Theo got closer, she could see that a few of the buttons on the shirt were missing. What really drew her attention, though, was the wide gash on his forehead that was oozing blood into his brow.

“I’ve just been in an accident,” the man told her. “It’s slippery out here. I’m afraid I slid and hit a sign and now my car is stuck in a snowbank.” He lifted his hand and Theo saw he was holding a cell phone. The screen was dark, but she could see the spidery web of cracked glass. “I must have broken the damn thing,” he explained. “I can’t get it to turn on, and I need to call 911. Can you help me?”

It was obvious to Theo that the man was injured. She tried to look past him to the right, but all she could see were two cars that were parked at a diagonal in front of the building. When she looked left, she realized she couldn’t see very far up the street. She knew most of the businesses in town, except for Lowell’s Supermarket, closed by seven. She wasn’t sure how many of them the man had gone to before he showed up at her doorstep.

Theo felt a tingle of uncertainty, then scolded herself for it. She pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. The second the lock disengaged, Theo felt the man push the door open. He moved quickly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

“I’m not terribly surprised that Ashley was wrong,” he said.

Theo blinked. “What did you say?” Her fingers were wrapped tightly around her keys. The man moved forward, and Theo felt him grab for her other hand.

“She told me how smart you are. She was wrong. It’s sad. That was probably the last thought she had, too.” He shrugged. “Oh, well. I wonder what your last thought will be?”

That tingle of uncertainty flared up into full-fledged panic and Theo did the first thing that came to her mind. She unclenched her hand enough so that one of the keys fell in between her fingers. She swung her arm up and jabbed the metal into the man’s cheek. His eyes went wide, and she heard him grunt.

“You little bitch,” he spat in her face before Theo turned and took off running. She knew she’d never make it down the hall, through the kitchen and to the back door. If she could make it to her office, though, she could lock herself inside. She didn’t make it nearly that far.

Theo had gotten a little space between them. The man flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around her legs, knocking her off balance. Theo fell forward. It happened so fast that she was unable to get her hands up quickly enough to break her fall. Instead, she landed with a loud thump, her chest and the underside of her chin taking the brunt of the impact. She felt the air in her lungs forcefully leave her body, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Everything around her spun and she tasted blood a moment before she realized that her teeth had clamped down on her tongue.

Theo heard something else hit the floor. When she opened her eyes, she saw something slide away from her. It was a phone with a bright yellow case. It was Ashley’s phone.

“You …. son … ofabitch …

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going? You can’t leave,” the man taunted when Theo tried to crawl away. “We’ve barely gotten started.”

“Ash …” Theo gasped.

“What’s that?”

“Ashley …”

“Weren’t you listening?” he said, taking ahold of Theo’s arm. His grip was like a vise, and he flipped Theo over onto her back as if she weighed nothing at all. She felt the warm stickiness of blood on her lower lip and chin. “By now, Ashley’s probably been reunited with Mina. She fought it, of course, but they’re both finally where they belong.”

His smile looked maniacal, and it made Theo fight against him even harder. She wriggled underneath him, trying to free her arms. He was straddling her, and she could smell the sour stench of body odor and sweat on his skin.

He let go of her arms and moved his hands quickly to her neck. Immediately, Theo began battering him with her fists, the keys she still held scratching and gouging his face.

“I’ve changed my mind,” the man said. “I think the quicker we get this over with the better.”