Read Online Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals by K.D. Mason - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K.D. Mason
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sound cheerful. These silent calls were beginning to bother her, but she didn’t want the mystery caller to know.
As Max hung up, Patti breezed into the bar. “Who was that?”
“No one. The line was silent, but I’m sure that someone was on the other end.”
“Probably a wrong number.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Concern entered Patti’s voice. “Why not?”
“Because…” Max’s voice tailed off.
“Max, are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”
“I don’t think so. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Max had no reply as she stood silently while Patti stared at her. Then tentatively she asked, “Has this happened before?”
“Yes,” was the muted answer.
“That’s weird.”
“This wasn’t the first time either.”
“Really.”
“Yeah, and I think I’m the only one this has happened to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve asked everyone else. Have you received any of these calls?”
“Nope.” Patti paused. A curtain of silence dropped over them. Finally, Patti spoke again. “Max, can I ask you something?”
Max nodded.
“I don’t know how to ask this.” Patti hesitated before continuing. “Do you think it could be Daniel?”
Max looked at her. The question had taken her by surprise. She had had the same thought, but thought it too crazy so had never dared say anything as if the words would make it real. Silently, she kept staring at Patti.
“Max, are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” she stammered as she fought to regain her composure. “Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe just a feeling.”
Max went silent again. After a moment Patti asked again. “So?”
“I don’t know. I did have that thought, but if it were him, wouldn’t he have said something and if he did, I’m not sure that I want to talk to him.”
“Creepy.”
“Yeah.” But before Max could reply, Peggy, the hostess, came around the corner and told Patti that she had a new table.
Instantly the mood changed. Patti said, “Gotta go.”
Then the printer behind the bar began to chatter and Max turned toward it, tore off the slip, and began to make the drinks that had just been ordered. The night had begun and the phone call and conversation with Patti were soon forgotten.
CHAPTER 16
THE NEXT DAY , Max was on her way into Portsmouth to run some errands before work. Stopped at the light where Congress Street becomes Islington Street, she saw him, and this time it was for more than a disappearing glance. Time seemed to slow as she stared in near disbelief. Daniel was standing on the opposite corner, waiting for the light to change. He seemed thinner, there was a tautness to his face, and gone was the confident self-assuredness that the Daniel she had known possessed. He kept looking around nervously. Despite the physical changes she knew that it was Daniel and that he hadn’t seen her yet.
The light changed. She didn’t notice. Her heart was pounding. She sat there staring at him, as if paralyzed, until the sharp blast of a horn from the car behind snapped her back to the present. In reaction, she jerked her head around, getting a quick glance of the driver in the car behind gesturing and yelling. Flustered, she turned back and instinctively pressed on the accelerator too hard, which caused her car to jump forward into the intersection. As it did, she looked for Daniel. He was gone. Her vision tunneled as confusion turned to panic. She had seen him. She knew she had. She had to find him, to confront him, to … to what?
Had he seen her? She didn’t know, but what she did know was that he was here and she had to find him. She jerked the wheel left and barely made the turn onto Islington Street. As she turned she saw some open spaces in the parking lot to her right. Without thinking, she yanked her wheel to the right, never seeing the car she cut off. Its horn blared at her. Another hard right and she turned into the lot, nearly hitting another car. She
As Max hung up, Patti breezed into the bar. “Who was that?”
“No one. The line was silent, but I’m sure that someone was on the other end.”
“Probably a wrong number.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Concern entered Patti’s voice. “Why not?”
“Because…” Max’s voice tailed off.
“Max, are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”
“I don’t think so. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Max had no reply as she stood silently while Patti stared at her. Then tentatively she asked, “Has this happened before?”
“Yes,” was the muted answer.
“That’s weird.”
“This wasn’t the first time either.”
“Really.”
“Yeah, and I think I’m the only one this has happened to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve asked everyone else. Have you received any of these calls?”
“Nope.” Patti paused. A curtain of silence dropped over them. Finally, Patti spoke again. “Max, can I ask you something?”
Max nodded.
“I don’t know how to ask this.” Patti hesitated before continuing. “Do you think it could be Daniel?”
Max looked at her. The question had taken her by surprise. She had had the same thought, but thought it too crazy so had never dared say anything as if the words would make it real. Silently, she kept staring at Patti.
“Max, are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” she stammered as she fought to regain her composure. “Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe just a feeling.”
Max went silent again. After a moment Patti asked again. “So?”
“I don’t know. I did have that thought, but if it were him, wouldn’t he have said something and if he did, I’m not sure that I want to talk to him.”
“Creepy.”
“Yeah.” But before Max could reply, Peggy, the hostess, came around the corner and told Patti that she had a new table.
Instantly the mood changed. Patti said, “Gotta go.”
Then the printer behind the bar began to chatter and Max turned toward it, tore off the slip, and began to make the drinks that had just been ordered. The night had begun and the phone call and conversation with Patti were soon forgotten.
CHAPTER 16
THE NEXT DAY , Max was on her way into Portsmouth to run some errands before work. Stopped at the light where Congress Street becomes Islington Street, she saw him, and this time it was for more than a disappearing glance. Time seemed to slow as she stared in near disbelief. Daniel was standing on the opposite corner, waiting for the light to change. He seemed thinner, there was a tautness to his face, and gone was the confident self-assuredness that the Daniel she had known possessed. He kept looking around nervously. Despite the physical changes she knew that it was Daniel and that he hadn’t seen her yet.
The light changed. She didn’t notice. Her heart was pounding. She sat there staring at him, as if paralyzed, until the sharp blast of a horn from the car behind snapped her back to the present. In reaction, she jerked her head around, getting a quick glance of the driver in the car behind gesturing and yelling. Flustered, she turned back and instinctively pressed on the accelerator too hard, which caused her car to jump forward into the intersection. As it did, she looked for Daniel. He was gone. Her vision tunneled as confusion turned to panic. She had seen him. She knew she had. She had to find him, to confront him, to … to what?
Had he seen her? She didn’t know, but what she did know was that he was here and she had to find him. She jerked the wheel left and barely made the turn onto Islington Street. As she turned she saw some open spaces in the parking lot to her right. Without thinking, she yanked her wheel to the right, never seeing the car she cut off. Its horn blared at her. Another hard right and she turned into the lot, nearly hitting another car. She
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