Read Online Inevitable Sentences by Tekla Dennison Miller - Free Book Online

so worn that if he held it to the light he could almost see through it. The rag hardly could dry his hands let alone his entire body. He snickered, grabbed soap and shampoo, and headed to the shower. Suddenly, he needed to scour away the acrid odors from a day in the kitchen.
    As he scuffed his way to the shared shower at the end of the block, Chad’s thoughts moved on to the women he had murdered. In many ways they were like his pen pals. They all had given in to his charm and good looks. And when he was finished with them? He had no choice but to eliminate them.

Chapter Six
THE PACKAGE
    C ELESTE WAS REACHING FOR her parka when she spotted a white panel van pull into the driveway. She squinted at the lettering on the driver’s door, but the print was too small for her to make out what it said.
    “Who is it?” Adrian came into the kitchen with a tray of coffee cups and breakfast dishes. “I heard a car.” She placed the tray on the counter near the sink.
    “I’m not sure.” Celeste continued to watch the man at the wheel who, for the moment, hadn’t made an effort to get out. He only looked up from a piece of paper he held in his hand and studied the lighthouse. A dark knit cap hid any hair he might have had.
    Adrian peered over Celeste’s shoulder. “I don’t recognize the van. Do you?”
    “No.” Celeste stepped away from the window and faced Adrian. She felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck. “I don’t feel right about this. He may be lost, or he could be looking for someone here.”
    Adrian cupped her hands over her eyes and leaned against the window. “I can’t get a good look at the guy.” She stepped away from the window. “Maybe it’s Joe, the regular delivery guy. Sometimes companies add trucks during the holiday season. The rush is about to begin.”
    “Joe doesn’t have a beard like that man,” Celeste said. “Unless he’s grown one in the last couple of days since he delivered the sheets I ordered.”
    Adrian looked out the window again. The man was getting out of the van. “You’re right. It’s not Joe,” she said.
    “Take the other women and children and go to my bedroom,” Celeste gently directed. “Don’t come out until I tell you it’s okay.”
    “Who do you think he is?” Adrian asked. She picked up a dish towel and carefully matched the corners as she folded it. Then she shook it out and folded it again. “Do you think one of the men found us?” Her fear of that reality nearly froze her in place.
    “I honestly don’t know.” Celeste shook her head and took the towel from Adrian. “It could be nothing. However, we should act on the side of caution. I do know one thing—I’m not taking any chances.”
    Celeste noted the fear in Adrian’s eyes. She placed her hands on Adrian’s shoulders and tenderly turned her toward the bedroom. “Please do as I ask. The best thing you can do is stay calm and keep the others quiet. Stop them from panicking, and for heaven’s sake don’t let them come out here.”
    “Okay. Shout—”
    “Yes.” Celeste smiled tightly. “If I need help, I will.”
    Adrian headed back to the other women.
    Celeste returned to the window to see the man was retrieving a box from the rear of the van. She allowed herself a short sigh of relief. Perhaps Adrian was right—he was bringing them a package. The respite was short-lived, though. She hadn’t ordered anything besides the bedding items and no one ever sent parcels to the house. No one had a reason to. Very few people knew who even lived at the lighthouse.
    Should she give the man the benefit of the doubt? Could he really be at the wrong address? Much as she wanted to believe this was a harmless situation, Celeste’s intuition told her otherwise. She reached for her cell phone and tucked it in her sweater pocket. Speed dial #1 was programmed to reach Sheriff Hunter directly.
    Within moments the man knocked on the door. Celeste took several deep breaths and braced herself