retorted stiffly. Actually, she would have loved to
go down to the beach, but there was no way on earth she'd go with him.
To Cassie's amazement, Justin didn't try to force her to accompany
him. He left the house a few minutes later and she breathed a sigh of relief
as his disturbing presence was temporarily removed.
Then she began to pace through the house. Restlessly she went from
room to room, taking another look at what she had rented. But all the
while her mind was focusing on the problem presented by a vengeful
Justin Drake. The man was dangerous. What was she going to do? Run?
She could take the car and leave, of course. He'd have a tough time finding
her if she didn't tell anyone where she was going.
But it was annoying to be driven away from this place. For months she
had been studying and reading as much as possible on creativity and how
to release the powers in the so-called right side of the brain. Damn it, why
should she be forced to hide from Justin?
Her face in an intent expression, she opened and shut doors, examined
closets and surveyed the bedroom situation. Then she returned downstairs
and went once more through the ground floor rooms. It was on her last
trip to the kitchen that she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. It was
situated in the hall and was concealed when the kitchen door stood open.
The hidden door was massive and thickly paneled.
Curious, she opened the door and found herself peering down a flight of
steps that led into complete darkness. The cat appeared at her ankle just
as she was considering whether or not to investigate the room at the
bottom of the steps.
"Oh, are you still around?" she asked. "I was hoping you'd left. Maybe
when Justin goes, he'll take you with him."
The cat looked up at her with his evil expression but said nothing.
"I don't see a light switch. Wait a minute…no, it's just a chunk of wood
hammered onto the wall. Wouldn't you think someone would have put a
switch here? Definite drawbacks to old, decrepit mansions, cat. Maybe it's
farther down on the wall."
Cautiously Cassie started down the steps, feeling along the wall for a
light switch. The steps must lead down to an old basement, she decided.
All sorts of interesting things might be stashed in the basement of an old
house like this. Excited by the prospect, Cassie edged down one more step.
In the dim light that filtered through the open door above her she couldn't
make out more than a few steps.
"If you were a useful type of cat you'd run fetch me Justin's flashlight,"
Cassie called up to the huge creature framed in the doorway. This time the
cat meowed and then sat silently.
"Why couldn't you have been a nice dog or something?" Cassie
mumbled. "I like dogs. Some of my best friends are dogs. I— Oh, no!"
The exclamation came as the door above her suddenly swung shut.
Instantly Cassie was plunged into darkness. "Damn," she muttered, feeling
very alone all of a sudden. She hadn't heard the cat screech, so the
slamming door must not have caught its tail.
Funny how an old basement had a distinct odor to it. The darkness
around her felt damp and chilled. There was no handrail on the stair.
Turning cautiously on the step, Cassie started back up to the closed door.
She reached it a moment later and found it locked.
"Of all the stupid, idiotic things. Why didn't I check the lock on the
other side before I started down?" she wondered aloud. She stood on the
top step, unconsciously rubbing her arms briskly. She could see nothing.
Justin wasn't back from the beach yet so there was nothing to do but wait
until she heard his step in the hall. If she could hear anything at all
through that rather solid door, she added silently. Well, in a few minutes
she'd start pounding.
What if he didn't respond?
Of course he'd respond, she assured herself in the next breath. However,
it wouldn't hurt to continue her search for the light switch. A little light
would be very
go down to the beach, but there was no way on earth she'd go with him.
To Cassie's amazement, Justin didn't try to force her to accompany
him. He left the house a few minutes later and she breathed a sigh of relief
as his disturbing presence was temporarily removed.
Then she began to pace through the house. Restlessly she went from
room to room, taking another look at what she had rented. But all the
while her mind was focusing on the problem presented by a vengeful
Justin Drake. The man was dangerous. What was she going to do? Run?
She could take the car and leave, of course. He'd have a tough time finding
her if she didn't tell anyone where she was going.
But it was annoying to be driven away from this place. For months she
had been studying and reading as much as possible on creativity and how
to release the powers in the so-called right side of the brain. Damn it, why
should she be forced to hide from Justin?
Her face in an intent expression, she opened and shut doors, examined
closets and surveyed the bedroom situation. Then she returned downstairs
and went once more through the ground floor rooms. It was on her last
trip to the kitchen that she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. It was
situated in the hall and was concealed when the kitchen door stood open.
The hidden door was massive and thickly paneled.
Curious, she opened the door and found herself peering down a flight of
steps that led into complete darkness. The cat appeared at her ankle just
as she was considering whether or not to investigate the room at the
bottom of the steps.
"Oh, are you still around?" she asked. "I was hoping you'd left. Maybe
when Justin goes, he'll take you with him."
The cat looked up at her with his evil expression but said nothing.
"I don't see a light switch. Wait a minute…no, it's just a chunk of wood
hammered onto the wall. Wouldn't you think someone would have put a
switch here? Definite drawbacks to old, decrepit mansions, cat. Maybe it's
farther down on the wall."
Cautiously Cassie started down the steps, feeling along the wall for a
light switch. The steps must lead down to an old basement, she decided.
All sorts of interesting things might be stashed in the basement of an old
house like this. Excited by the prospect, Cassie edged down one more step.
In the dim light that filtered through the open door above her she couldn't
make out more than a few steps.
"If you were a useful type of cat you'd run fetch me Justin's flashlight,"
Cassie called up to the huge creature framed in the doorway. This time the
cat meowed and then sat silently.
"Why couldn't you have been a nice dog or something?" Cassie
mumbled. "I like dogs. Some of my best friends are dogs. I— Oh, no!"
The exclamation came as the door above her suddenly swung shut.
Instantly Cassie was plunged into darkness. "Damn," she muttered, feeling
very alone all of a sudden. She hadn't heard the cat screech, so the
slamming door must not have caught its tail.
Funny how an old basement had a distinct odor to it. The darkness
around her felt damp and chilled. There was no handrail on the stair.
Turning cautiously on the step, Cassie started back up to the closed door.
She reached it a moment later and found it locked.
"Of all the stupid, idiotic things. Why didn't I check the lock on the
other side before I started down?" she wondered aloud. She stood on the
top step, unconsciously rubbing her arms briskly. She could see nothing.
Justin wasn't back from the beach yet so there was nothing to do but wait
until she heard his step in the hall. If she could hear anything at all
through that rather solid door, she added silently. Well, in a few minutes
she'd start pounding.
What if he didn't respond?
Of course he'd respond, she assured herself in the next breath. However,
it wouldn't hurt to continue her search for the light switch. A little light
would be very
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