bedrooms, or right to the open living room and kitchen. Either way, left my back exposed.
Decisions, decisions.
Knowing I could clear two rooms in one shot, I went right. Keeping my
spine to the wall, I stopped at the arch into the living room, and snuck a quick
glance around the corner.
Nothing but familiar furniture in the living room and an empty kitchen.
Spotting Kelsey’s sunglasses and keys by the blinking answering machine on the
counter reinforced my unease.
With her keys and car here, where the hell was she?
Trying not to panic, I turned and cautiously rushed toward the bedrooms on
the other side of the hall. The two bedrooms were split by a bathroom. I cleared
the one serving as my office first, and then closed the door behind me.
Creeping past the bathroom, the partially open door to my bedroom
beckoned. Nerves and dread tangled together, squeezing my lungs tight and
causing a fine tremor in the hand holding the makeshift brass knuckles. The sense of foreboding paralyzed me. Just because I couldn’t see the threat, didn’t
make it any less real.
The AC kicked on and the overly loud snick of the front door being sucked
closed had an undignified eep escaping. I swiveled toward the noise, my pulse spiking hard, only to leave me lightheaded.
I leaned against the wall, deliberately loosening my grip on the metal keys biting into my palm. A variety of awful images played through my mind,
offering a horrific selection of what could lurk in my room. My hand shook, and
I used the back of my fist to wipe away the cold sweat beading my forehead.
Pull your shit together, woman.
Taking a deep breath, I shoved my imagination down, stiffened my spine,
and forced my feet to move forward. Pressing against the door, it slowly swung
open. The blinds were half pulled, and the afternoon sunlight spilled across an open suitcase sitting on my king bed. A discarded shirt lay half hung on a hanger
with Kelsey’s hobo bag peeking out from under it. In the dresser, one of the drawers was lolling open.
I stepped into the room. “Kels?” I kept my voice low and quiet, as if it would really bring Kelsey out from under the bed or out of the closet. The room remained frustratingly silent.
The uneasiness continued to play havoc on my nerves, while my helpless
frustration graduated to a simmering anger.
What in the hell was going on? Where was she? Maybe her stalker hadgrabbed her? Or had she run out into the woods like the too-stupid-to-livewomen in the cheesy horror flicks she loved so much?
That last thought left me shaking my head. Kelsey wouldn’t run, she’d stand
and fight. An unfortunate trait, according to our adoptive parents, we both shared. I needed more information.
I stuffed my keys into my pocket, but kept my walking stick close. It made a
great security blanket. I might be the only person in the house, but it didn’t stop
me from going back and conducting a more thorough search.
After clearing the house once more, I stood in the living room, as worry cracked my interior barriers letting the fear slither through. There were no glaring clues for me to follow. Kelsey was just gone. If wasn’t for the fact her cell was on the kitchen counter, I would’ve called her carrier to trace her GPS.
For the first time, the concept of tagging people with GPS chips sounded good.
Another solution rose and for a brief moment I considered calling on old acquaintances in shadowy places for a few favors. I nixed that idea in the bud. If
I popped back up on the radar, there would be too many questions to answer. I
wasn’t that desperate. Yet.
