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Please, God, let her be all right.
He’d gone to the school first, but she hadn’t been there. Not at Laney’s, not with Vi—Laney had just spoken to her. If Allie wasn’t here at home, he was out of ideas.
The creaking of a screen door opening made him freeze in place. It had come from the side of the house. Leaping down the steps, he raced across the grass to the side door. No one was there, either. He scanned all around him, including the backyard. He could have sworn he saw a movement over behind the garage. He whirled and headed in that direction when a sound from the kitchen stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned.
The screen door was shut, but the wooden back door was wide open. Could she have been working out in the backyard and not heard him?
“Allie?” he hollered, starting to sounded desperate. Silence met him. Screw this. He yanked open the screen door and raced inside, only to be brought up short by a dark-haired figure standing in the kitchen.
“Señora Sanchez?”
If she was shocked by his sudden appearance, it didn’t show. Her magenta lips turned up in a sly smile. “Señor Fratto. You startled me.”
This wasn’t right. What the hell was she doing inside Allie’s house? Where the hell was Allie? And why hadn’t she answered him when he called out?
Fear for Allie twisted at his gut, despite Señora Sanchez’s calm countenance. Or maybe because of it. Something told him not to let her see his fear. He needed to be level-headed.
“Didn’t you hear me at the front door? I’ve been trying to find Allie.”
“Oh? I’m afraid not. Señora McBride wasn’t feeling very well this afternoon. Poor thing looked so distressed, I swear she was about to faint. I offered to help get her home. She said she just wanted to take a bath. I’ve just been waiting for my son to give me a ride home. In fact, I thought you were him when I heard the screen door open.”
Allie had been ill today? Again? And he hadn’t been there for her? Guilt slashed at him. He stared at the woman for a long moment. Something still didn’t feel right. Her story sounded plausible enough. But…
“Allie? It’s Sam,” he hollered out, telling himself if Allie just responded in some way he could relax and get rid of the woman.
More silence. Damn it.
“My son should be here any moment. I think I’ll step outside and wait for him. Leave you two to your privacy.” Señora Sanchez stepped around him and walked toward the back door.
Sam’s instinct told him he needed to stop her. If his suspicions were founded, this was the woman who had killed Mr. Williams and had been trying to hurt Allie.
God. She might already have done something—
To hell with being polite. He’d apologize later.
“Wait.” He reached out and gripped her arm hard, stopping her.
Her back was to him, but he could see an instant change—a straightening of her spine and shoulders, a jerk of her head. Slowly, she turned around and met his gaze. Her light brown eyes were almost gold in the waning sun light. But cold. Hard. And damn scary.
“Ah, so the lover thinks he has come to the rescue.” Her voice, smooth as silk, chilled him to the bone. “But…will he be in time?”
His heart froze in his chest. What the hell did that mean?
“Where’s Allie?” he demanded.
The old bag chuckled, her delight in his fear evident. How could he have been so oblivious to her true nature? The woman was pure evil.
“This is too perfect. The son of the whore who thought she could take what was mine is about to see what it’s like to lose someone he loves.”
Terror and anger flooded through him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “What the hell have you done? Where is she?”
The look on her face was victorious, her smile smug.
“You’re only making this worse for yourself,” he hissed. “Give it up. I’m not letting you go, and the police are on their way.”
“Then we have a bit of a dilemma. Because as you stand here manhandling me, the woman you love is bleeding to death. I have all the time in the world to wait…but does she?” She shook her head and clucked her tongue. “The amount of blood she was losing…”
The horror of the situation swept over him. Allie could be dying right now. He pushed the crazy woman to the floor, hoping that would slow her down long enough for the police to arrive.
