I sat on the couch with my throw wrapped around me and my flashlights at my side. I hadn't taken the time to light candles because the power was still on, and it seemed like over preparedness even for a nervous ninny like me. Nevermore had decided the storm was just a bit too much excitement for the evening, and he headed into the bedroom for the night. I closed the door so he wouldn't have to deal with Bear too. A thunderstorm and an eighty pound silly dog would definitely be too much chaos for one evening.
The power hadn't slipped on and off since I'd raced to the kitchen for my emergency lighting supply, which helped me return to a calm, only mildly terrified woman. I was certain Briggs would show up soon, then all would be fine, and if the lights went out, well, that might even be fun. (Who was I kidding? Of course it would be fun.)
I picked up the book I'd been reading and opened it to the bookmark. A clap of thunder shook the house, but I was getting used to the noise. Until a different noise startled me right back to a nervous panic. The back door, which led into a service porch and then the kitchen, rattled as if someone was shaking it.
"James, where are you?" I said it out loud, hoping somehow my plea might carry to his ears.
I determined quickly, in order to keep from freaking out, that it had been the wind shaking the door. I pushed the book aside and picked up the heavy, long handled flashlight before tiptoeing to the front window. I used the crook of my finger to slightly part my curtains. I badly wanted to see Briggs' car pulling into the driveway but badly wanting it didn't help.
The back door rattled again. I froze. There had been no gust of wind to go with it. I gripped the flashlight tighter and immediately wondered how much damage it could do to an intruder's skull. A lot, I presumed.
I pulled out my phone and was about to dial Briggs when I heard the door shake again, more violently this time. In my fright, the phone slipped from my fingers. I had no time to call anyhow. Someone was at my back door, and they were trying to get inside.
I turned on the kitchen and the service porch lights, then I aimed the beam of the flashlight right at the sheer curtains on the back door. A shadow flashed by and disappeared. I hurried to the front room. My pulse pounded in my ears, and my throat was so dry I couldn't even swallow to relieve it.
A sound outside alerted me to the terrorizing fact that my intruder had moved to the front of the house. The front door rattled. I lunged for the light switch and threw on the extremely bright porch light Briggs had installed for me. It took all my courage to walk to the peep hole and gaze out but the porch was empty.
I searched frantically around for my phone. When it slipped from my fingers, it managed to slide under the couch. I knelt down, making the pounding pulse in my head even louder. I reached blindly underneath the couch, panicking more with each second. The doors had stopped rattling, but that didn't mean I was safe. The lights might have scared the intruder back around to the dark side of the house.
My fingers finally curled around the edge of the phone. I pulled it out and picked it up. Right then, a knock landed solidly on the door. I chirped a short, dry scream, and the darn phone popped back out of my hand as if it had little rocket boosters.
"Lacey?" Briggs' deep voice pushed a sob of relief from my throat. He'd used his key to open the door. Beads of water were dripping off his raincoat as he stepped inside with a look of worry. "Lacey? Are you all right? I thought I heard you—" I plowed into him, not giving him time to finish. His coat was cold and wet, but I wrapped my arms around him, holding onto him as tightly as I could.
"I'm all wet," he said quietly as he wrapped his arms around me.
I was trembling enough that he instantly felt it. His hand caressed the back of my head as I pressed my face against him. "What on earth is going on?" he asked.
Now that I was in the safety of his strong arms, it took me only a minute to recover. Once my pulse had slowed and I could no longer feel my heart drumming against my ribs, I peeled myself reluctantly away from his embrace.
Briggs pushed my chin up to look at me. His brown eyes were brimmed with concern. "You look pale. What's happened?"
My body had recovered from the fright, but my throat was still parched. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Someone was rattling my back door." My words sent him straight to the back door. He moved fast enough that a spray of raindrops flew off his coat. I followed closely at his heels, no longer wanting to be so much as an inch away from him and also to keep explaining my ordeal.
"At first I thought it was the wind but then the person kept shaking the door, trying to get inside." He reached the back door, motioned for me to get back and unlocked and opened the door. He disappeared out into the wet darkness for a minute. For that short stretch of time, I held my breath, then released it, loudly, when he walked back inside.
He lifted a metal tire iron. "I assume this is not yours."
"No. That must have been what they were using to try and pry the door open." My throat felt dry again. I turned to the cupboard for a glass.
Briggs locked the back door. "Good thing you only have a small window near the top of the door. It would have been easy for them to break a larger window and just reach inside to open it."
"I scared them off by shining the flashlight out the window. I saw their shadow disappear, and that's when the front door was rattling. I was trying to call you but the phone slipped from my fingers and then—" I pressed my fingers to my lips to keep the first sob from slipping out because I knew once it burst free, the tears would flow. The combination of the lightning storm and the intruder had shaken me to my core.
Briggs pulled off his wet coat, tossed it on the counter and, this time, provided me with a warm, dry hug. It was just what I needed. After a blissful few minutes in his arms, I pulled myself together enough to talk.
Briggs filled my glass with water and led me to the couch. I took several gulps and put the glass down on the coffee table. "I'm sorry I'm being such a cream puff about all this." I hated to show too much vulnerability in front of him because I feared he'd keep me from investigating murders. And I absolutely didn't want that. "It's just there was the thunder and lightning and then the lights blinked on and off. That started my panic mode, then the door rattled." I took another steadying breath. He reached for my hand. It was amazing how much comfort a warm hand hold could give. "Like I said, I thought it was the wind but then it happened again and there was no gust of wind to explain it. I was armed with the big flashlight. I figured I could clobber someone pretty good with it."
The stiff concern on his face finally melted a little. "I'm sure you could. But did you get a look at the person? It'll help if I have a description when I call it in."
"I only saw a shadow. It wasn't very big. I don't think you need to call it in, James. I'm fine. They didn't get inside. You came so quickly after they rattled the front door. Did you see anyone? Any car that was unusual? Maybe someone running down Myrtle Place?"
He grinned slightly. "I like how you spun this around. Now you're the detective questioning a possible witness." He rested back, the first time his posture had relaxed since he arrived. I was sure my own shoulders wouldn't slide away from their new position, next to my ears, for at least a week. "I didn't see anyone running down the street. Of course, I wasn't really looking and it was dark. The rain was pounding the windshield pretty hard too." He rubbed his chin. "Now that I think back to the drive up here, a car did pass me." He closed his eyes to picture the vehicle. "It was dark and visibility wasn't great, but if I had to guess, I'd say the headlights belonged to a Volkswagen Beetle or a car like that."
My hand flew to my mouth. "I know who it was and I think I've also solved the murders." I hopped up from the couch, newly energized and ready to track down a killer.
"Wait, hold on there, you just had a big scare. Who are we talking about?" He pushed to his feet.
"I need my coat. Gather the flashlights and meet me at the door. I'll tell you all about everything on the way down to the beach." I grabbed my coat and pulled it on.
Briggs picked up a few flashlights but the look on his face was pure confusion. "Why are we heading to the beach on this stormy night?"
"Because I think I know where the murder weapon is hidden. But we have to hurry before she gets away in that rumbling little Volkswagen."