Read Online 045147211X by Denise Swanson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Denise Swanson
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Dorothy?” Wally asked, then gave Skye a good-bye kiss. “Confidentiality was a part of her employment agreement.”
“Not yet.” Skye stepped out onto the porch, but turned and said, “One more thing. Dad will be by today to take a look at the Bel Air, so if it’s gone, don’t think it was stolen.” She waved and muttered as she hurried toward the garage, “Worse luck.”
It was exactly six o’clock when Skye pulled the T-bird into the high school driveway. At first she thought that, like yesterday, the lot was empty. Then she noticed a black Miata tucked near the athletic-equipment shed. It wasn’t an official parking spot, but its proximity to the gym’s emergency exit would be convenient for anyone who had a key that shut off the alarm. Besides Homer and the custodian, the only faculty members with keys were the coaches.
Shoot! Was that Blair’s car? Skye pulled Wally’s Ford into an open slot but didn’t turn off the engine. Maybe she should just drive on over to the junior high. A wave of nausea hit her. No. The pool wasn’t reserved, and she needed to swim. Everyone else might be intimidated by the volleyball coach, but Skye refused to join their ranks. Besides, the Mazda could belong to Thor Goodson.
As soon as Skye unlocked the entrance and walked inside, she noticed the auxiliary lights. Heck! Last night’s storm must have knocked out the power again. She hoped the custodian had reported the outage to Commonwealth Edison. If it wasn’t restored before school started, classes might have to be canceled.
Luckily, she didn’t need electricity to swim. Taking her morning dip in the pool now felt like a holy quest, and she was too stubborn to turn back. Skye walked down the hallway, through the gym, and into the girls’ locker room. Just to be on the safe side, she rechecked the calendar taped to the door. The schedule hadn’t changed from when she’d looked at it yesterday afternoon. The last reservation for the pool had been for Monday evening from nine to ten.
Dropping her duffel on the bench, she stripped off her sweat suit and exited the locker room. In the neardarkness, the view of the pool area through the blue opaque safety glass wall was a little eerie. She rounded the corner and strolled over to the ladder.
After adjusting her swim cap and goggles, she started to climb down, then caught sight of something at the bottom of the pool. Without the normal subaquatic lights, she couldn’t tell if there really was anything there or not. She shrugged. It was probably just a shadow.
Easing off the ladder and into the water, she realized that it was a lot colder than usual. She mentally slapped her forehead. Of course it was cooler; no power meant no heater. Shivering, she dove underneath the surface, hoping that fully submerging would help her acclimate more quickly to the chilly temperature.
She swam a few feet, then went deeper and paddled along the bottom of the pool. Seeing the shadow she’d noticed earlier, she hesitated. There really was something down there, but without the lights, it was difficult to see exactly what. Swimming closer, she reached out to touch whatever it was and almost screamed.
Choking from the water she’d swallowed, Skye shot to the surface. Unless this was a very elaborate practical joke and the prankster had access to an extremely realistic-feeling dummy, there was a body at the bottom of the pool.
CHAPTER 7
BRB—Be Right Back
S kye gasped, trying to get her breath, then kicked frantically and swam as fast as she could toward the side of the pool. She had to get out of the water. She was shivering uncontrollably, and that couldn’t be good for the baby. Reaching the edge, she grabbed the ladder, then hesitated. What if the person was alive? Their skin had felt ice-cold, but then again, so did hers. She was a trained lifeguard. She couldn’t just leave them to die.
Murmuring a prayer that she wasn’t endangering her unborn child, she turned back and
“Not yet.” Skye stepped out onto the porch, but turned and said, “One more thing. Dad will be by today to take a look at the Bel Air, so if it’s gone, don’t think it was stolen.” She waved and muttered as she hurried toward the garage, “Worse luck.”
It was exactly six o’clock when Skye pulled the T-bird into the high school driveway. At first she thought that, like yesterday, the lot was empty. Then she noticed a black Miata tucked near the athletic-equipment shed. It wasn’t an official parking spot, but its proximity to the gym’s emergency exit would be convenient for anyone who had a key that shut off the alarm. Besides Homer and the custodian, the only faculty members with keys were the coaches.
Shoot! Was that Blair’s car? Skye pulled Wally’s Ford into an open slot but didn’t turn off the engine. Maybe she should just drive on over to the junior high. A wave of nausea hit her. No. The pool wasn’t reserved, and she needed to swim. Everyone else might be intimidated by the volleyball coach, but Skye refused to join their ranks. Besides, the Mazda could belong to Thor Goodson.
As soon as Skye unlocked the entrance and walked inside, she noticed the auxiliary lights. Heck! Last night’s storm must have knocked out the power again. She hoped the custodian had reported the outage to Commonwealth Edison. If it wasn’t restored before school started, classes might have to be canceled.
Luckily, she didn’t need electricity to swim. Taking her morning dip in the pool now felt like a holy quest, and she was too stubborn to turn back. Skye walked down the hallway, through the gym, and into the girls’ locker room. Just to be on the safe side, she rechecked the calendar taped to the door. The schedule hadn’t changed from when she’d looked at it yesterday afternoon. The last reservation for the pool had been for Monday evening from nine to ten.
Dropping her duffel on the bench, she stripped off her sweat suit and exited the locker room. In the neardarkness, the view of the pool area through the blue opaque safety glass wall was a little eerie. She rounded the corner and strolled over to the ladder.
After adjusting her swim cap and goggles, she started to climb down, then caught sight of something at the bottom of the pool. Without the normal subaquatic lights, she couldn’t tell if there really was anything there or not. She shrugged. It was probably just a shadow.
Easing off the ladder and into the water, she realized that it was a lot colder than usual. She mentally slapped her forehead. Of course it was cooler; no power meant no heater. Shivering, she dove underneath the surface, hoping that fully submerging would help her acclimate more quickly to the chilly temperature.
She swam a few feet, then went deeper and paddled along the bottom of the pool. Seeing the shadow she’d noticed earlier, she hesitated. There really was something down there, but without the lights, it was difficult to see exactly what. Swimming closer, she reached out to touch whatever it was and almost screamed.
Choking from the water she’d swallowed, Skye shot to the surface. Unless this was a very elaborate practical joke and the prankster had access to an extremely realistic-feeling dummy, there was a body at the bottom of the pool.
CHAPTER 7
BRB—Be Right Back
S kye gasped, trying to get her breath, then kicked frantically and swam as fast as she could toward the side of the pool. She had to get out of the water. She was shivering uncontrollably, and that couldn’t be good for the baby. Reaching the edge, she grabbed the ladder, then hesitated. What if the person was alive? Their skin had felt ice-cold, but then again, so did hers. She was a trained lifeguard. She couldn’t just leave them to die.
Murmuring a prayer that she wasn’t endangering her unborn child, she turned back and
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