C.J. Urban - Julie Townsend 01 - Hidden Intent Read Online Free
Author: C.J. Urban
Tags: Mystery-Thriller
the closet door. There was only one other place she hadn’t explored; the drawers at the end of the bed. She got down on her knees – Sam moving out of her way as she did so – and reached for the first drawer. It opened easily, but was empty except for a single piece of paper. Julie picked it up. It was a drawing of a teen aged boy. Julie held in a gasp, as she didn’t want to frighten Sam.
The drawing was done in pencil, and showed great detail. At the bottom of the page was one word: Lucas. But what shocked Julie was that the eyes had been scratched out. Julie glanced at her little brother, who was trying to get the measuring tape to stay locked to measure the length of the room. She quickly put the drawing back into the drawer and closed it.
She reached for the second drawer, now a little more guarded. It opened roughly three inches and then suddenly jammed, refusing to budge any further. Julie tugged on the drawer, trying not to break it in the process.
Frustrated, she reached beneath the drawer to see if pulling it from a different angle would help. She reached her hand toward the stuck side and her heart leaped. There was a smooth book stuck under it. She began working the book out from under the drawer, and after several seconds it pried free. The moment she saw it her heart skipped another beat. It was another of her cousin’s diaries.
She leaned against the bed and opened it, eager to find out what year it was from. There wasn’t much written in it. Tara had only filled the first few pages.
“Julie! Help!” Sam’s plea startled her, and she jumped.
She looked over at her brother, who had his tape measure stuck in an old heater vent at the base of the far wall.
“Oh, Sam,” she sighed. She wanted to read Tara’s diary, but duty called. She scrambled to her feet and crossed the room to him.
“It’s caught by something,” he whined, pulling at the metal tape.
“Hold on, I’ll help you.” Julie sat down beside Sam, who was pulling impatiently on the tape. Just as she reached to try to free it, he gave a big pull and the whole heater vent came off. The screws had apparently been stripped. Strange.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said, suddenly upset. “I didn’t mean to break anything.”
Julie put a hand on his shoulder. Sam could be pretty sensitive these days. “It’s okay, Sammy. I know you didn’t mean to. And, I asked you to measure it, right? So it’s partly my fault.”
Sam nodded but shoved himself back a little, to let Julie try to put the cover back in place.
Julie picked up the metal crisscrossed cover and was about to set it back, when she noticed something inside. She peered closer, and started to reach for the shiny item.
“Watch out, there might be rats,” Sam warned.
This only irritated Julie. All she needed now was to think about rats. “There are no rats, Sam. I just want to see what it is.” Still, she moved her hand inside a little more cautiously, and felt around.
Julie grabbed hold of a small plastic covered box and drew it out. It was an old pack of cigarettes.
Sam gasped. “Cigarettes! Those are bad for you.”
“I know,” Julie replied. “And don’t you ever smoke one.” She set the twenty year old pack down and peeked further inside. There was another paper in there. She pulled it out as well.
It was a drawing, obviously made by the same hand that had drawn the picture of the boy Lucas.
This one, however, was of another teen boy, and of Tara. It was made with much more detail, and captured Tara’s features well. The boy was smiling, and his eyes gleamed. She didn’t know whether to consider the eyes evil, or just absurdly bright. The drawing was encircled with a heart shape, and at the bottom of the paper were the words, “Together forever.” Again, in the same hand script as the other drawing. Then, in what was clearly Tara’s writing, the word, “Never!!!” was scribbled next to it.
“That’s weird, isn’t it?” Sam observed.
“Yeah.
The drawing was done in pencil, and showed great detail. At the bottom of the page was one word: Lucas. But what shocked Julie was that the eyes had been scratched out. Julie glanced at her little brother, who was trying to get the measuring tape to stay locked to measure the length of the room. She quickly put the drawing back into the drawer and closed it.
She reached for the second drawer, now a little more guarded. It opened roughly three inches and then suddenly jammed, refusing to budge any further. Julie tugged on the drawer, trying not to break it in the process.
Frustrated, she reached beneath the drawer to see if pulling it from a different angle would help. She reached her hand toward the stuck side and her heart leaped. There was a smooth book stuck under it. She began working the book out from under the drawer, and after several seconds it pried free. The moment she saw it her heart skipped another beat. It was another of her cousin’s diaries.
She leaned against the bed and opened it, eager to find out what year it was from. There wasn’t much written in it. Tara had only filled the first few pages.
“Julie! Help!” Sam’s plea startled her, and she jumped.
She looked over at her brother, who had his tape measure stuck in an old heater vent at the base of the far wall.
“Oh, Sam,” she sighed. She wanted to read Tara’s diary, but duty called. She scrambled to her feet and crossed the room to him.
“It’s caught by something,” he whined, pulling at the metal tape.
“Hold on, I’ll help you.” Julie sat down beside Sam, who was pulling impatiently on the tape. Just as she reached to try to free it, he gave a big pull and the whole heater vent came off. The screws had apparently been stripped. Strange.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said, suddenly upset. “I didn’t mean to break anything.”
Julie put a hand on his shoulder. Sam could be pretty sensitive these days. “It’s okay, Sammy. I know you didn’t mean to. And, I asked you to measure it, right? So it’s partly my fault.”
Sam nodded but shoved himself back a little, to let Julie try to put the cover back in place.
Julie picked up the metal crisscrossed cover and was about to set it back, when she noticed something inside. She peered closer, and started to reach for the shiny item.
“Watch out, there might be rats,” Sam warned.
This only irritated Julie. All she needed now was to think about rats. “There are no rats, Sam. I just want to see what it is.” Still, she moved her hand inside a little more cautiously, and felt around.
Julie grabbed hold of a small plastic covered box and drew it out. It was an old pack of cigarettes.
Sam gasped. “Cigarettes! Those are bad for you.”
“I know,” Julie replied. “And don’t you ever smoke one.” She set the twenty year old pack down and peeked further inside. There was another paper in there. She pulled it out as well.
It was a drawing, obviously made by the same hand that had drawn the picture of the boy Lucas.
This one, however, was of another teen boy, and of Tara. It was made with much more detail, and captured Tara’s features well. The boy was smiling, and his eyes gleamed. She didn’t know whether to consider the eyes evil, or just absurdly bright. The drawing was encircled with a heart shape, and at the bottom of the paper were the words, “Together forever.” Again, in the same hand script as the other drawing. Then, in what was clearly Tara’s writing, the word, “Never!!!” was scribbled next to it.
“That’s weird, isn’t it?” Sam observed.
“Yeah.