Troubled Waters Read Online Free Page B

the door, as though seeking escape. Her face paled slightly and a vessel in her neck began to pulse visibly. She stood. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”
    Though Heath rose from his chair, he didn’t take his eyes off Tracie’s face. He was learning more by watching her reaction to his question than he’d gathered from anythingshe’d told him in the last five days. She was scared. Of Trevor? He had to know.
    “What was your arrangement with Trevor?” he asked quietly.
    “I just told you.” The fire had gone out of her voice. Her chin quivered ever so slightly.
    “So you never saw him outside of work?”
    “Leave,” she pointed to the door. She wasn’t ordering him anymore. Her eyes were pleading.
    Heath felt an unfamiliar urge to soothe her. “Tracie.” He spoke her name softly.
    She flinched as he drew closer.
    And suddenly, Heath realized he had to back off. “I’m sorry. I’m out of here.” He glanced back as he slipped through the door. Tracie’s face was still turned away, and her slight shoulders heaved as she gulped a breath.
    For a fleeting instant, he wanted to grab her up into his arms, to protect her from harm as he had on Saturday. But something told him he was already too late.
    Trevor had gotten to her first.
     
    It took Tracie most of the rest of the morning to compose herself. Heath showed up at her desk shortly before noon. He handed her the keys. “Why don’t you drive? You know the way.”
    She accepted them with quiet thanks and tried not to shiver when his hand touched hers. His comment on the phone the night before had reminded her of how rarely she experienced human contact. But she didn’t need to get it from him. She had friends. Tim was one of them.
    Tim’s place was on the edge of town, rimmed by woods like so much of northern Wisconsin. Tracie spotted his bike leaning against the side of the porch. She knew he hadn’t driven since his license had been revoked followinga drunk-driving charge the year before. She smiled. Tim was a good guy. A lot of drunks just kept on driving without a license.
    Heath followed her up the peeling porch steps, and Tracie felt a sense of déjà vu as she recalled what had happened two days before when she and Heath had stood on a Price doorstep. She shook off her nervousness, rang the bell, and waited. No answer. She met Heath’s eyes, he shrugged, and she pressed the buzzer again. Still nothing.
    “The bell might be out. Let me try knocking.” Heath reached past her and rapped on the doorframe.
    “Here, try the inside door,” Tracie suggested, alert to the possibility of danger, and eager to get inside instead of standing out in the open on the porch. She held the storm door open.
    Hardly had Heath’s knuckles touched the inner door than it swung inward. Heath quickly reacted and raised his arm. “Don’t look—” he started.
    But Tracie had already seen inside. Tim lay in a pool of blood on the floor.
    “Tim!” Tracie gasped as she shouldered past Heath to her fallen friend. Her hand flew to his neck and found a weak pulse. Hope rose within her. “He’s alive!” She could hear Heath behind her, giving instructions over his radio. “We need a medical team, quickly!”
    “Tracie?” Tim’s eyelids fluttered.
    “Yes, Tim, I’m right here.” She found the wound in his gut and tried to stem the flow of blood. “Help is on the way. Hang in there.”
    “Can you hear them?”
    Tracie listened for the sound of approaching sirens, though it was far too soon to expect them to arrive. The only sounds she could hear were Heath’s soft footfalls ashe scoured the perimeter behind her. “Not yet, Tim, but they’re on their way.”
    “They’re singing,” Tim gasped. “So beautiful.” His eyes bore a faraway look.
    And suddenly Tracie realized Tim was no longer really with her. “Tim,” she choked on his name. “Tim, stay with me. Look at me!” she demanded.
    Tim shifted his gaze to her face, and his pupils dilated as