Terror Mansion (Decorah Security Series, Book #12): A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novella Read Online Free Page B
Author: REBECCA YORK
siding.
Then he sat forward, thinking he might have seen something—a shadow moving stealthily nearby. A trick of the lighting, or was someone prowling around down there, someone wearing dark clothes that made them hard to see?
He was almost convinced he’d made it up so he’d have an excuse to go over there. Still, he kept doggedly staring at Kate’s property, and when he saw a flash of light along the side, he tensed. It was just a momentary flash, and he waited for it to come on again. But it seemed that someone had blipped on a light at the side of the building for just a second to see something, then cut it off almost immediately.
Although it could be Kate, he didn’t think so.
Seized by a sense of urgency, Wyatt got up from the table, hurried out of his room and down the steps. Moving rapidly but quietly, he headed along the path that led to the bridge. As he approached Kate’s workshop, he saw a figure near the back door—someone wearing dark clothing and a fisherman’s hat. They seemed to be poking around in one of the trash cans he’d seen nearby.
Moments later, flames leaped from the metal can, and the person who had set the fire dashed away toward the downtown area.
Wyatt sprinted toward the workshop and was instantly enveloped in foul smelling smoke. Looking frantically around for something he could use to push the can away from the building without getting burned, he spotted a rake standing against the siding. With the business end of the tool, he was able to shove the burning can several yards away. Then he knocked on the door of the workshop.
“Kate. Are you in there? If you are—someone set a fire out here. Watch out for the smoke.”
He had eliminated the threat to the building—unless there were explosives in the can. But he didn’t think so because they would have done their thing already.
Wyatt was torn between putting out the fire and catching the bastard who had set the blaze.
After several seconds of indecision, he took off in the direction where the perp had disappeared, although he was pretty sure that his stopping to move the can and warn Kate had probably given the person a chance to escape. But he kept pounding along the blacktop path that followed the side of the harbor and led to a wide municipal parking area.
When he reached the open space, he saw that it was almost empty. A figure dashed toward a pickup truck about fifty yards away. Wyatt followed, knowing he was too far away to see much.
He waited for a blink of light when the truck door opened, but the cab remained black.
Wyatt put on a burst of speed, trying to get a look at the license plate as the vehicle skidded out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires. But all he saw was a smear of mud.
And as the vehicle pulled away in the darkness, he couldn’t even tell the color.
He cursed under his breath. If his car had been here instead of the B&B, he could have followed. Instead he turned around and started back to the workshop.
Chapter Five
When Wyatt got back to the workshop, Kate was throwing a bucket of water into the can. She turned away to cough as heavy smoke rushed into the air. It must not be the first bucket she’d thrown because the fire was already out.
He looked around, expecting to see a crowd gather the way they always did at the scene of a disaster. But incredibly, it seemed that nobody else was aware of the fire and smoke.
He took in Kate’s appearance. She was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, probably the same ones she’d had on earlier.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She started to speak, coughed, and then answered, “Yes.”
“Did you breathe in much smoke? Maybe you should stop by the emergency room.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay,” he answered, knowing he couldn’t force her to get checked out. “I was trying to catch the bastard.”
“I figured.”
She turned to face him, and the devastated look on her face filled him with protective instincts that he was no longer able to
Then he sat forward, thinking he might have seen something—a shadow moving stealthily nearby. A trick of the lighting, or was someone prowling around down there, someone wearing dark clothes that made them hard to see?
He was almost convinced he’d made it up so he’d have an excuse to go over there. Still, he kept doggedly staring at Kate’s property, and when he saw a flash of light along the side, he tensed. It was just a momentary flash, and he waited for it to come on again. But it seemed that someone had blipped on a light at the side of the building for just a second to see something, then cut it off almost immediately.
Although it could be Kate, he didn’t think so.
Seized by a sense of urgency, Wyatt got up from the table, hurried out of his room and down the steps. Moving rapidly but quietly, he headed along the path that led to the bridge. As he approached Kate’s workshop, he saw a figure near the back door—someone wearing dark clothing and a fisherman’s hat. They seemed to be poking around in one of the trash cans he’d seen nearby.
Moments later, flames leaped from the metal can, and the person who had set the fire dashed away toward the downtown area.
Wyatt sprinted toward the workshop and was instantly enveloped in foul smelling smoke. Looking frantically around for something he could use to push the can away from the building without getting burned, he spotted a rake standing against the siding. With the business end of the tool, he was able to shove the burning can several yards away. Then he knocked on the door of the workshop.
“Kate. Are you in there? If you are—someone set a fire out here. Watch out for the smoke.”
He had eliminated the threat to the building—unless there were explosives in the can. But he didn’t think so because they would have done their thing already.
Wyatt was torn between putting out the fire and catching the bastard who had set the blaze.
After several seconds of indecision, he took off in the direction where the perp had disappeared, although he was pretty sure that his stopping to move the can and warn Kate had probably given the person a chance to escape. But he kept pounding along the blacktop path that followed the side of the harbor and led to a wide municipal parking area.
When he reached the open space, he saw that it was almost empty. A figure dashed toward a pickup truck about fifty yards away. Wyatt followed, knowing he was too far away to see much.
He waited for a blink of light when the truck door opened, but the cab remained black.
Wyatt put on a burst of speed, trying to get a look at the license plate as the vehicle skidded out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires. But all he saw was a smear of mud.
And as the vehicle pulled away in the darkness, he couldn’t even tell the color.
He cursed under his breath. If his car had been here instead of the B&B, he could have followed. Instead he turned around and started back to the workshop.
Chapter Five
When Wyatt got back to the workshop, Kate was throwing a bucket of water into the can. She turned away to cough as heavy smoke rushed into the air. It must not be the first bucket she’d thrown because the fire was already out.
He looked around, expecting to see a crowd gather the way they always did at the scene of a disaster. But incredibly, it seemed that nobody else was aware of the fire and smoke.
He took in Kate’s appearance. She was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, probably the same ones she’d had on earlier.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She started to speak, coughed, and then answered, “Yes.”
“Did you breathe in much smoke? Maybe you should stop by the emergency room.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay,” he answered, knowing he couldn’t force her to get checked out. “I was trying to catch the bastard.”
“I figured.”
She turned to face him, and the devastated look on her face filled him with protective instincts that he was no longer able to
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