Despite being loaded up with information on Calvin’s last decade, he was more of a mystery to me than before, and as proven so far, I had a thing for mysteries.
As I sat in the quiet, reflecting on the retired major—now detective—the alarm system went off.
Chapter Seven
IT WASN’Tmy alarm.
I jerked my head up and ran out of the office, looking around.
Next door, Good Books’ security alarm was blaring. Our shops were connected around the back side. It looked like two separate buildings because of the small alleyway between us, but it was actually one large structure, and so if something was happening in Beth’s store, chances were someone could run through the back door and into my shop.
It was too early for Beth to be at work, and the gate had been shut on the front of the store when I walked by. I ran through the Emporium and out the back. The alleyway was freezing, my breath visible in the chilled air. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked down to the back entrance of Good Books.
I reached for the doorknob, ready to find it locked, but instead the door swung open.
I froze for a moment.
What was I doing? Someone broke in. They might still be in there, stealing what besides gay paperbacks, I had no idea, but I should get the hell out of Dodge.
I never listen to myself.
Instead, I got angry. I got really angry, because deep down, I just knew the same sick fuck who had killed that poor woman had killed Mike. That the same person broke into my shop, and now they were breaking into Beth’s. Feeling invincible and ready for a battle of my own, I stormed inside.
The alarm was wailing and the shop phone was ringing—most likely the security company trying to get a hold of Beth. I put my hands to my ears, trying to gather my wits as the siren drilled into my brain.
Then the lights turned on and everything went white.
The sudden brightness, compared to the comfortable dim lighting of my shop and the darkness of the covered alley, was so intense, it nearly made me cry. It was like staring right at the sun. Unbearable and painful. Without my protective lenses, I was blinded.
Suddenly I was not so invincible.
My senses were completely overwhelmed, and for a minute, I just stood there in a panic. With my eyes shut, I could feel myself starting to walk toward the security panel by the door. I knew Beth’s code—she’d given it to me a while back—and I could think of nothing else but getting that wailing alarm under control. I didn’t get far, though, because someone hit me over the head.
At least it got quiet.
SOMEONE WASholding my hand. It was warm and a little rough and nice.
“Neil?”
The hand loosened but remained.
“It’s too bright,” I whispered. My mouth felt thick and weird, like I was trying to talk around cotton balls. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel bright lights on me, penetrating my eyelids, making the throbbing in my head worse.
The hand left me suddenly, and I said… something, but then the room was dark and the hand returned and it was okay.
When I woke up for a second time, I was a little more aware of the world.
For one, I was lying down. It was not my bed because it felt too high and was definitely not as comfortable as a pillow-top mattress. Secondly, I was wearing significantly less clothing than how I had begun the day, which I found strange.
A wave of nausea hit me next, and I swallowed the sour taste and kept my eyes firmly shut. Something was wrong.
Where had Neil gone?
“Neil?” I asked, my own voice sounding far away.
“You awake, kiddo?”
“Dad?” I cracked open one eye. The room was dark and extremely fuzzy. I reached up to my face, but I wasn’t wearing glasses. “Oh shit.” I heard myself laugh dryly. “Help, I’m blind.”
