Hurricane House Read Online Free

know that.”
    “Wish I could help you, Maeva. And I would, ordinarily, but I have this wild bird feeling. And I got my own property to look after. It’ll take me the better part of the day.”
    “Jim, you’re quick enough to do your places and ours in record time, and I hope you know I wouldn’t ask you to help me if I thought you were in danger.”
    “Sorry, no can do. Turn on the Weather Channel. You’ll see what I mean.”
    “Would you reconsider if I told you I’ll pay you double?”
    “Money don’t mean nothing when you’re pushing up flowers. You ever see a funeral procession with a U-Haul behind the hearse?”
    I paced the living room while Jim retold in exhaustive detail how he almost drowned in ‘95 during Hurricane Opal. He then segued into the devastation of Ivan and Katrina.
    I started to tell him I’d worked the insurance investigations from those storms, and I was quite familiar with the damage, but he didn’t pause long enough to let me get a word in.
    When he broke for air, I said, “Could you recommend someone else? If not, I’ll have to drive down there and do the boarding myself.”
    From the picture window in the living room, I watched the storm and waited for Jim’s answer. Three pine-tree limbs broke off in the front yard. A wet wind blasted the lake and parted the azalea bushes, and I thought I saw Adam’s reflection, as plain as the rain in the window.
    “Sorry,” Jim said. “Can’t this time. I got a bad feeling.”
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Florida Rest Area Ellen Langley
       Ellen’s colloratura voice died in her throat when she saw John reaching beside his seat and coming up with a black mask, smelling of ether. Her heart did a flip. Get out quick.
    She fumbled to open the door, as she heard the lock click, trapping her inside. She tried to scream, but her throat made a faint squeak, like a dying wren.
    John grabbed her left arm, pulling her toward him, aiming the mask at her face.
    She kicked him, extended her right arm and plunged the button on the pepper spray. John’s squealed like a castrated pig when the spray hit his eyes. Ellen pulled at every knob on the door before she heard it click open. She grabbed her duffle and noticed John was still clawing at his eyes when she swung open the door and jumped out.
    She landed hard, stumbling and tripping on the curb. Shit. Now what? Where can I hide? If she ran to the BP station, a ways behind her now, John might regain his eyesight before she got there. For certain, he’d expect her to get help.
    She saw no other cars in the parking lot. The rest area looked deserted, meaning the safest place might be the woods.
    Ellen ran in back of the bathroom building and hid behind a hedgerow. From there, she watched the hummer. She’d never used the pepper spray on anyone before and had no idea how long it would incapacitate John’s eyesight.
    The pay phone was fifty feet away. Ellen started to run toward it, but changed her mind when she saw the hummer’s headlights flash on. Unbelievable, why’d I hitch a ride with a maniac?
    John’s car circled the parking lot three times. The fourth time around, the big tank stopped ten feet in front of Ellen.
    She grabbed her duffle and crept deeper into the woods, hiding behind a row of pines. Please, God help me.
    John walked in her direction. She could hear him panting as he aimed the flashlight and crept closer, almost like he knew her location.
    She was searching for another hiding spot when she heard a helicopter circle the area. She peered out at a rain-drenched John, frowning at the chopper then running behind the restroom building.
    Taking a chance, Ellen crisscrossed her arms over her head, hoping to flag down the plane. The chopper was spotlighting the area, but the light never landed on her and her frantic waving, although it circled several times.
    As soon as the plane zoomed away, Ellen spotted John walking toward her again. She turned to run, but tripped over a fallen pine.