Read Online TICK TOCK RUN (Romantic Mystery Suspense) by H Elliston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: H Elliston
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my mobile. Let’s go.”
I shrugged. “If you say so.” We walked down the hall, and at the front door, I startled her with a warm embrace. Nestling my head into the curve of her neck, I took in her latest home-mixed scent and squeezed hard.
“Wow. What?” she giggled. “I’m not leaving forever. Just for an hour or two. My aunt wants me to keep her in the loop about the wedding. If I don’t go over there, she’s likely to come round here, and I’ll never get rid of her. She’s made a big check list. She’s driving me round the bend. The worst one was when she insisted that I sort out a pre-nup.”
“Ooh. Tricky.”
“I did it to stop her nagging. Paul understood.”
“So he should. He’s a nice guy.”
She smiled. “Lucky me. Anyway, come back later if you’ll miss me that much. And, sorry for being snappy lately. I don’t mean to be.”
I nodded against her shoulder, then trudged to my car with a lump in my throat. Like any rational person, I wanted someone’s help. But I was doing Laura a big favour by cutting her loose. Right now, being near me could be dangerous.
The further I drove from Laura’s, the more daylight faded. Thick, grey clouds rolled in. A rainstorm was on the horizon. Stupidly, I wondered if my mood had caused it. On the approach to my street I realised that if Lee was right, another email containing a get-out-clause puzzle could arrive any moment. I needed to view it in large on my computer screen. If I logged on via my mobile, some graphics could be missed, or run slow, meaning I’d blow my opportunity to beat any puzzle it contained. I’d already figured out the last email arrived late morning and wondered if the sender would stick to a pattern. I assumed even killers had jobs or schedules. I put my foot down to beat the storm.
Once indoors, after sweeping the house for intruders, I booted up the computer and went into the kitchen. While I waited for my toast to pop, I prayed that the email sender would slip up and leave a clue as to their identity so that I had a lead to give to the police.
A sudden urge to phone my parents came to me, strong as thirst. I needed to hear my mum's comforting voice. I settled for looking at a photo instead. I didn’t want to worry them. My mum never missed a trick. She was bound to pick up on telltale nerves in my voice.
I searched the fireplace for the silver-framed picture of them in their summer garden, but couldn’t find it. What did I do with it? I scanned the other pictures, then found it switched with a photo of Laura, Emma and me taken a couple of months ago. I smiled, reminiscing the surprise spa day which Laura’s fiancé Paul had organised. I looked back to my parents’ photo, then stared at the place it should have been.
My toast popped up. I spread a thick layer of lumpy jam on it and ate. On the last bite, I moved the few strides into my dining room and faced the computer desk. Am I ready? Alert enough? As soon as I switched it on, if there was another game in the email, I’d have to solve it on my own. I couldn’t afford to blow my chance of stopping that damn death clock by not being focused.
I took a step nearer to the desk, cutting through the invisible tension that lingered in the room.
“Check my emails. Call the police,” I told myself. Simple.
A burst of knocking on the front door shattered the silence. I stopped typing my password, then edged into the hallway.
A dark, wide object moved past the magazine-sized window in my front door, causing me to flinch and press my back against the wall. What the hell is that? The dark shape shot past the window again. No one would attack me on the doorstep in broad daylight, surely? Ridiculous! The neighbours would see.
This was one of the rare times I’d wanted to find either a double-glazing or annoying gas & electic salesperson at
I shrugged. “If you say so.” We walked down the hall, and at the front door, I startled her with a warm embrace. Nestling my head into the curve of her neck, I took in her latest home-mixed scent and squeezed hard.
“Wow. What?” she giggled. “I’m not leaving forever. Just for an hour or two. My aunt wants me to keep her in the loop about the wedding. If I don’t go over there, she’s likely to come round here, and I’ll never get rid of her. She’s made a big check list. She’s driving me round the bend. The worst one was when she insisted that I sort out a pre-nup.”
“Ooh. Tricky.”
“I did it to stop her nagging. Paul understood.”
“So he should. He’s a nice guy.”
She smiled. “Lucky me. Anyway, come back later if you’ll miss me that much. And, sorry for being snappy lately. I don’t mean to be.”
I nodded against her shoulder, then trudged to my car with a lump in my throat. Like any rational person, I wanted someone’s help. But I was doing Laura a big favour by cutting her loose. Right now, being near me could be dangerous.
The further I drove from Laura’s, the more daylight faded. Thick, grey clouds rolled in. A rainstorm was on the horizon. Stupidly, I wondered if my mood had caused it. On the approach to my street I realised that if Lee was right, another email containing a get-out-clause puzzle could arrive any moment. I needed to view it in large on my computer screen. If I logged on via my mobile, some graphics could be missed, or run slow, meaning I’d blow my opportunity to beat any puzzle it contained. I’d already figured out the last email arrived late morning and wondered if the sender would stick to a pattern. I assumed even killers had jobs or schedules. I put my foot down to beat the storm.
Once indoors, after sweeping the house for intruders, I booted up the computer and went into the kitchen. While I waited for my toast to pop, I prayed that the email sender would slip up and leave a clue as to their identity so that I had a lead to give to the police.
A sudden urge to phone my parents came to me, strong as thirst. I needed to hear my mum's comforting voice. I settled for looking at a photo instead. I didn’t want to worry them. My mum never missed a trick. She was bound to pick up on telltale nerves in my voice.
I searched the fireplace for the silver-framed picture of them in their summer garden, but couldn’t find it. What did I do with it? I scanned the other pictures, then found it switched with a photo of Laura, Emma and me taken a couple of months ago. I smiled, reminiscing the surprise spa day which Laura’s fiancé Paul had organised. I looked back to my parents’ photo, then stared at the place it should have been.
My toast popped up. I spread a thick layer of lumpy jam on it and ate. On the last bite, I moved the few strides into my dining room and faced the computer desk. Am I ready? Alert enough? As soon as I switched it on, if there was another game in the email, I’d have to solve it on my own. I couldn’t afford to blow my chance of stopping that damn death clock by not being focused.
I took a step nearer to the desk, cutting through the invisible tension that lingered in the room.
“Check my emails. Call the police,” I told myself. Simple.
A burst of knocking on the front door shattered the silence. I stopped typing my password, then edged into the hallway.
A dark, wide object moved past the magazine-sized window in my front door, causing me to flinch and press my back against the wall. What the hell is that? The dark shape shot past the window again. No one would attack me on the doorstep in broad daylight, surely? Ridiculous! The neighbours would see.
This was one of the rare times I’d wanted to find either a double-glazing or annoying gas & electic salesperson at
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