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The knock on Lily's door was so soft she almost didn't hear it. She'd been dozing when it had first sounded, and the knock had infiltrated her dreams.
She'd been dreaming of Edward. It was not the first time she'd dreamed of him, but it was the first time she had seen him without his clothes on. He'd been standing in her bedroom, near an open window where the light had shined upon his body in just the right way, speaking in a language she could not understand. The language itself was unimportant though. What had been important was the way he was looking at her. It was the same way he used to look at her.
She'd reached out to touch him, and a knock had sounded on the window, making her jump. He'd smiled and indicated she should come closer. She'd done as requested, but the knock had sounded again. Lily's eyes had popped open just as she'd been about to touch that part of him that she had yet to feel.
Lily knew it was just a dream, and she should not condemn herself for such things, for she could not help what her brain did while she was sleeping, but she'd awoken with a blush on her cheeks and a feeling of guilt in her heart.
She should not be having dreams such as that, for her own sake more than any other. They toyed with her emotions far too much. It would be better if she could dream of some man she barely knew, someone who had not held her heart in their hands and then used them to crush it.
She did not think God would damn her for the dream she'd had, but she was afraid he might damn her for the lie she'd told Edward. Her mind continued to work on solutions to the problem—Edward's revocation of his love—even though in her heart she knew it was futile. Edward would not have her as she was, and there was nothing she could do to change it.
When she opened the door, there was no one there and she thought she'd been hearing things after all. The late afternoon light was fading, turning to early evening and making everything a dark orange-yellow. She followed a ray of light that landed on her doorstep and saw it. There on the ground was a slip of paper folded over with her name printed on the outside.
Lily bent down and picked it up, searching the area around her for whoever might have left it. She thought she saw a sliver of movement from behind a tree, and her shoulders tensed. She quickly shut the door and locked it.
Her first reaction was to think the figure she'd seen was Ray. Her nerves stood on end, and her body began to shake. After a moment, however, she was able to calm herself. Ray was dead. The sheriff in Wilmette Creek had seen his body.
You haven't confirmed that yet. Where's Stone?
It was a good question.
Why hadn't Stone telegraphed yet? She'd thought about seeking out Edward if for no other reason than to ask him this very question but had decided against it multiple times. She could not stand to have him look at her so despairingly, as she was certain he would do if he were to see her now.
She relaxed slightly and sat back on her couch, then opened the note.
Her eyes bulged. She quickly reread it, then hurried to the door and threw it open, not even bothering to grab her coat as she ran outside. If she'd not already had her shoes on, she would have run out barefoot.
The figure she'd glimpsed earlier now appeared before her. Bridget stood directly in her path. Lily lifted her arms, ready to push her out of the way.
"Wait!" Bridget yelled, and Lily hesitated.
"What do you want? Are you a part of this? Are you the one who delivered this note to my door?"
Bridget nodded. "I'm sorry. Ray is a terrible man. I see that now. I guess I've seen it all along, but I don't know what else to do. I need the money."
"What is it you need money so badly for that you would kill to get it?" Lily demanded. "How much is he paying you anyway?"
Bridget's brow furrowed. "Kill? No one is dead. And Ray has promised to split whatever he gets with me fifty-fifty."
"No one's dead yet, but you cannot be so naive. Edward certainly shall be dead by the day's end if I do nothing."
"What are you talking about?" Bridget asked. "Ray only wants your money."
"My money? I haven't any money. Ray knows that."
"But I thought—"
"Bridget, you make no sense." She opened the letter and reread Ray's threat, making sure she had not missed something. Ray had been very clear. He had Edward in the basement at the factory. If she did not go to him, willingly, Edward would die. There was no mention of money. Ray just wanted her.
"I haven't time for you," she said to Bridget. "I must get to the factory at once." She hurried away from her. It wasn't until she'd gone several yards more that she realized she'd dropped the note.
No matter. She knew everything she needed to know. The note was not important. All that was important was getting to Edward before Ray could harm him.
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