Read Online Don't Say a Word (Strangers Series) by Jennifer Jaynes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Jaynes
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nodded.
Allie watched her son lose interest in the tree and begin walking around, crunching dried leaves and pine needles under the toes of his sneakers. Every once in a while she saw him steal curious glances at Zoe.
“Want me to pick up anything on my way home?” Allie asked. “Any groceries?”
“Thanks, but I’m taking the girls back to the Child Advocacy Center this morning, then we’re going to do some shopping. We’ll get whatever we need while we’re out.”
Piglet began to bark. Before Allie had the chance to look up, a patio chair screeched against the deck and Carrie shot up from her chair. The last vestiges of blood had drained from her pale face, and there was a look of terror in her eyes. She was staring at something in the yard.
“What the—” Allie started. She quickly scanned the perimeter and then she saw what Carrie was looking at.
A strange man was in their yard.
From the very first glance, Allie could see that there was something not right about the man. The unnatural wideness of his eyes screamed trouble. “Sammy!” she shrieked, jumping up and barely noticing the splash of hot coffee across her chest as she darted toward her son.
“Sammy!” she screamed. “Sammy, come here! Now!”
But Sammy just stood, facing the gaunt, scraggly-looking man. The two stood only ten feet from one another—the man would have plenty of time to snatch him up and run off into the woods.
Bitty was yelling for the girls to go inside the house when, to Allie’s surprise, Sammy took a step toward the man.
“Hi. What your name?” she heard her little boy ask politely.
Finally reaching Sammy, Allie gathered him in her arms and ran back to the house. She whipped past Zoe, who was standing frozen in the yard, a blade of grass still between her fingers.
“Johnny!” Allie screamed, out of breath. “Johnny!”
Allie released a frightened, crying Sammy into the safety of the living room, and turned back to the yard. Bitty, a cell phone pressed against her ear, was now standing between the man and Zoe.
“Don’t you dare come any closer,” the old woman warned, her palm extended. “Who are you? And why are you on my property?”
From where Allie stood, she could see sweat streaming from the sides of the thin man’s face. It was barely fifty-degree weather, and he was wearing only short sleeves, but sweating. He scratched hard at one of his arms.
As a frightened Sammy wailed in the living room, Allie realized she no longer saw Carrie. She stepped back onto the deck and found the girl by the stairs leading into the yard, her back pressed against the house.
Allie yanked her inside, then called for Johnny again. “Johnny, dammit! Are you still here?” Allie yelled again. “Johnny!” she called, watching the man in the yard step to one side of Bitty so that he had a direct line of sight to Zoe. He stopped scratching his arm and extended his hands, palms up, as though showing they were empty.
“Hi, Zoe girl,” he said, his eyes wild. “Now, now . . . there’s no reason to look so scared.”
The blade of grass fell from Zoe’s hand, and Allie watched her back away from him.
Is that the mother’s boyfriend, Gary? Allie wondered, remembering Zoe talking about him with the forensic therapist. If so, she was pretty certain that he was a suspect in the murders. Her chest tightened even more.
“We’re at 22741 County Road 447,” Bitty said, speaking rapidly into her cell phone. “We have a trespasser who appears to be dangerous. Please, hurry. Three children are in danger.”
Johnny finally appeared at the sliding glass door, shirtless, and his hair damp as though he’d been in the shower. “What the hell’s going on now?” he asked, fumbling with his belt.
Allie pointed to the man. “There’s a man in the yard. Do something!”
“What?” He squinted into the yard. “Who the hell is he?”
“I don’t know! And Zoe’s out there!”
Johnny stepped onto the deck. “Dude,
Allie watched her son lose interest in the tree and begin walking around, crunching dried leaves and pine needles under the toes of his sneakers. Every once in a while she saw him steal curious glances at Zoe.
“Want me to pick up anything on my way home?” Allie asked. “Any groceries?”
“Thanks, but I’m taking the girls back to the Child Advocacy Center this morning, then we’re going to do some shopping. We’ll get whatever we need while we’re out.”
Piglet began to bark. Before Allie had the chance to look up, a patio chair screeched against the deck and Carrie shot up from her chair. The last vestiges of blood had drained from her pale face, and there was a look of terror in her eyes. She was staring at something in the yard.
“What the—” Allie started. She quickly scanned the perimeter and then she saw what Carrie was looking at.
A strange man was in their yard.
From the very first glance, Allie could see that there was something not right about the man. The unnatural wideness of his eyes screamed trouble. “Sammy!” she shrieked, jumping up and barely noticing the splash of hot coffee across her chest as she darted toward her son.
“Sammy!” she screamed. “Sammy, come here! Now!”
But Sammy just stood, facing the gaunt, scraggly-looking man. The two stood only ten feet from one another—the man would have plenty of time to snatch him up and run off into the woods.
Bitty was yelling for the girls to go inside the house when, to Allie’s surprise, Sammy took a step toward the man.
“Hi. What your name?” she heard her little boy ask politely.
Finally reaching Sammy, Allie gathered him in her arms and ran back to the house. She whipped past Zoe, who was standing frozen in the yard, a blade of grass still between her fingers.
“Johnny!” Allie screamed, out of breath. “Johnny!”
Allie released a frightened, crying Sammy into the safety of the living room, and turned back to the yard. Bitty, a cell phone pressed against her ear, was now standing between the man and Zoe.
“Don’t you dare come any closer,” the old woman warned, her palm extended. “Who are you? And why are you on my property?”
From where Allie stood, she could see sweat streaming from the sides of the thin man’s face. It was barely fifty-degree weather, and he was wearing only short sleeves, but sweating. He scratched hard at one of his arms.
As a frightened Sammy wailed in the living room, Allie realized she no longer saw Carrie. She stepped back onto the deck and found the girl by the stairs leading into the yard, her back pressed against the house.
Allie yanked her inside, then called for Johnny again. “Johnny, dammit! Are you still here?” Allie yelled again. “Johnny!” she called, watching the man in the yard step to one side of Bitty so that he had a direct line of sight to Zoe. He stopped scratching his arm and extended his hands, palms up, as though showing they were empty.
“Hi, Zoe girl,” he said, his eyes wild. “Now, now . . . there’s no reason to look so scared.”
The blade of grass fell from Zoe’s hand, and Allie watched her back away from him.
Is that the mother’s boyfriend, Gary? Allie wondered, remembering Zoe talking about him with the forensic therapist. If so, she was pretty certain that he was a suspect in the murders. Her chest tightened even more.
“We’re at 22741 County Road 447,” Bitty said, speaking rapidly into her cell phone. “We have a trespasser who appears to be dangerous. Please, hurry. Three children are in danger.”
Johnny finally appeared at the sliding glass door, shirtless, and his hair damp as though he’d been in the shower. “What the hell’s going on now?” he asked, fumbling with his belt.
Allie pointed to the man. “There’s a man in the yard. Do something!”
“What?” He squinted into the yard. “Who the hell is he?”
“I don’t know! And Zoe’s out there!”
Johnny stepped onto the deck. “Dude,
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