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“If you happen to see my brother… maybe you could, um, not mention that I took the drive into town? He usually makes the trip himself every Monday, buying all the groceries we both need, but sometimes I just have to get away. Out of Hamlet for just a moment. He’d lose it if he knew but...” She shrugged impishly. “Maybe he doesn’t have to know?”
Tess knew exactly what Maria meant. Even though she had spent only three days in Hamlet, she already itched to leave. A ghost of a smile flashed across her face. First the locks, now this. “He’s that overprotective, huh?” she guessed.
“You have no idea.”
It was her fourth shower in two days. She didn’t care if she stripped all the oils from her skin or if she ended up a wrinkly prune. There was something about standing underneath the steady stream of water, doing the same routine as she did every day that gave her some sense of calm.
And the towels that Maria provided were so soft and fluffy, it was like drying off with a piece of cloud. After the last few days, she needed that comfort.
Once done, she changed into a pair of comfortable sweats before sliding her feet into her favorite pair of slippers. Even though she had packed for a romantic getaway with Jack, her husband knew she got cold easily in bed and preferred to sleep in sweatpants and t-shirts so her duffel was packed with them. That wouldn’t last. She was quickly running through all of her clothes. If the sheriff didn’t give her the okay to go home soon, she would have to figure out a way to get her laundry done.
Something told her that while Hamlet had its own market, it wasn’t big enough to boast its own laundromat.
Tess brushed her hair, decided against going to sleep with it wet, and hurriedly dried it before throwing it up in a high ponytail. Yawning, she left the bedroom.
No surprise that she felt battered and bruised and just beat. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. So long as the nightmares stayed away, she might find some peace. Jack wasn’t dead when she slept. She wasn’t trapped in some backwater little town, with suspicion hanging over her like a black raincloud.
When she was asleep, the bed didn’t seem so empty.
Closing her eyes, Tess took a deep breath, exhaled roughly. She couldn’t afford to have those thoughts because, if she did, she would never sleep.
What a shame that there didn’t seem to be a single television in the bed and breakfast. She could’ve used the mindless entertainment. Something to help her turn her brain off at last. Since she couldn’t do that, heading back to her bed was the best bet she had.
Her mouth was dry. As delicious as Maria’s polenta had been, Tess secretly thought she might’ve been a bit too heavy-handed with the salt. She’d grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water from the tap before she took her latest shower. Suddenly thirsty again, she shuffled over to the nightstand where she had left her glass.
Tess took a healthy gulp, her gaze falling on a piece of paper lying facedown on her made bed. She set the glass back down, confused. She didn’t remember seeing that there earlier. Had Maria come in and left her a bill? She’d never stayed in a B&B by herself before. Maybe that’s how it was done, getting billed for every day that she stayed. It made sense to her, though it seemed odd that Maria would deliver it to her room while she showered instead of giving it to her in the kitchen before she left for the market.
Tess picked up the paper, turned it over and blinked. One thing was clear: it wasn’t a bill.
It took her a second to read the message. Someone had cut letters out of a magazine, differing shapes and styles and fonts. Once she read it, it took her another second before she comprehended the threat.
I got your husband—
get out, or you’re next!
The note slipped out of her hand. Strangling her scream, Tess didn't even stop to think. She immediately ran for the door.
Get o
ut?
Okay.
13
Locked.
The damn thing was locked.
She gripped the knob, rattled it, pulled. It didn’t budge. With frantic fingers, Tess yanked on the bolt, in case that was the reason why the door was stuck. No. The bolt slid easy, back and forth while the door stayed closed.
Okay. Okay. Don’t panic, she told herself, already lost in the throes of intense panic. Okay.
The door was locked. Maria must have returned from the market and locked Ophelia down early. So there was no way she could escape through the door. After receiving the note, there was no way she was going to stay in her room, either. That left one option.
“Please, please, please,” she chanted under her breath as she ran over to the window.
She didn’t know what she was doing or where she would go. The only thing that mattered was following the threat written in the note and getting the hell out. Adrenaline coursed through her as she fumbled with the blinds’ controls. It didn’t go up smoothly, the blinds jerking awkwardly as she twisted the controls with as much force as she could.
