Hannah Jayne - Truly, Madly, Deadly

“Oh God, Chloe.”

She ran downstairs and snatched the door open, throwing her arms around Chloe as she stood on the porch. “Get inside.”

“Sawyer, the police—”

Sawyer slammed the door hard. “Where’s your cell phone? We have to call 911.”

“But the police are right—”

“No!” Again tears stung Sawyer’s eyes. “I don’t trust him! He’s coming for me. Call 911 and get an ambulance.”

Chloe gripped Sawyer’s shoulders. “What is going on?”

Sawyer wagged her head, her breath caught in a plastic bubble that refused to burst. Her skin felt tight; her forehead seemed to shrink against her brain. She doubled over, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

“I think it’s Stephen. He’s Logan’s brother. I think he’s after me—I think he killed Kevin and Maggie or he’s covering up for Logan.”

“But why?”

Snot and tears rolled down Sawyer’s chin. “I don’t know.”

Chloe’s eyes were wide when Sawyer straightened up again. Her mouth dropped into a little o of surprise; there was warm concern in her eyes. Her grip on Sawyer’s shoulders tightened, and Chloe stepped around her, nudging Sawyer back into the house, shutting the door solidly behind her. Sawyer heard the lock tumble into place.

“Sawyer, you’re about to hyperventilate.”

“You don’t understand, Chloe. We have to get out of here! Logan—Stephen—he knows where I live! He’ll be back, and we have to save Tara—”

Sawyer was crying hard, big hiccupping sobs that wracked her shoulders and made the ache in her chest that much greater.

Chloe pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed, pressing it to her ear. Sawyer listened to Chloe give her address, speaking slowly, asking Sawyer if Tara was still breathing.

Sawyer nodded frantically, and Chloe hung up the phone. “They’re on their way.”

Sawyer physically crumpled, and Chloe snaked her arms around her. “Shh,” she said, “it’s going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay.” Chloe brushed a soft, comforting kiss on Sawyer’s forehead.

There was a heavy knock at the door, and Sawyer stiffened. Her heart lurched. She felt her eyes widen, the fear coursing through her veins and making her limbs leaden. “That’s him.”

Chloe lowered her arms and stepped around Sawyer, the picture of calm. She rolled up on her tiptoes and pressed her eye to the peephole. “It’s a cop.”

Sawyer straightened. “He can’t know I’m here.”

The knock sounded again, hard, insistent. “Sawyer? Ms. Dodd? It’s Officer Haas.”

Chloe blinked back at her. “Officer Haas?” she hissed.

Sawyer swallowed heavily, her saliva sour. “He—he—that’s Logan’s brother.”

Stephen shook the doorknob, and Sawyer’s eyes were riveted to the door.

“We need to answer that,” Chloe said. “He knows I’m here. My car is right outside.”

Sawyer swallowed heavily, images of the past few weeks flashing in front of her eyes. “No. He wants to arrest me. Or”—she sucked in a shaky breath—“worse.”

Chloe sighed. “He’s not going to go away.”

Sawyer stumbled backward, head wagging. “I can’t answer it. I can’t.”

Chloe bit her bottom lip. “Just”—she snatched open the closet door and shoved Sawyer in it—“be quiet.”

Sawyer held her breath, listening to Chloe pull open her front door. “Can I help you?” Chloe’s voice sounded even, calm.

“I’m looking for Sawyer Dodd. Is she here?”

Sawyer’s heart hammered against her rib cage. She was certain the closet’s acoustics were only highlighting and broadcasting the sound.

“No,” Chloe answered. “Actually, I came over here looking for her—she left school early. But no one was here.”

Sawyer’s teeth bored into her bottom lip. Her hands were fisted, palms sweaty.

“How did you get in the house?” she heard Stephen ask.

“Sawyer’s my best friend. I have her key.”

Sawyer thought she heard the tinkle of a key ring being displayed. She gritted her teeth against a maniacal grin that started to play on her lips. Chloe was putting on a great act—Sawyer had never given her the key to the house.

“Look…” Stephen’s voice drew out.

“Chloe.”

“Chloe, look, it’s really important that I find Sawyer. She could be in some real danger.”

Sawyer’s heart continued its wild thump, and she pressed her palms to her chest, hoping to muffle the sound.

“Absolutely,” Chloe said. “The second I find Sawyer, I’ll be sure to let her know you’re looking for her.”

There was an awkward pause and Sawyer waited, muscles stiff, eyes wide and slowly adjusting to the dim coat closet.

“Okay. Please, have her contact me right away.”

“Will do.”

Sawyer listened to the front door slam and waited until she heard Stephen’s engine roar to life before she opened the closet door a half inch. “Is he gone?” she mouthed.

Chloe nodded, opening the door wide.

Sawyer stepped out tentatively, then slunk to the front window. She held her breath until she spotted Stephen’s taillights sailing through the scrolling iron gates.

“Thank God.”

Chloe licked her lips, smiling. “See?”

“See what?”

She turned on her heel, blond ponytail swaying. “Didn’t I tell you’d I’d always take care of you?”

Someone sucked all the air out of the room, and Sawyer’s stocking feet were rooted to the carpet. “What did you say?”

Chloe stopped abruptly but didn’t turn around. “What?”

“Just then.” Sawyer reached out, tentatively touching Chloe on the shoulder. To her surprise, Chloe shrugged away. She turned to face Sawyer, her pink lips pressed in a hard, thin line. “I said I’d always take care of you. I’d do anything for you, Sawyer.”

White-hot heat seared Sawyer’s spine. “Chloe?”

“Come on, sweetie.” Chloe offered Sawyer a hand and Sawyer stared at it, dumbfounded.

“I said, come on!”

Chloe wrapped her hand around Sawyer’s wrist and gave it a hard tug. She stopped immediately, her face contorted into apologetic sympathy. “I’m sorry.” She smiled sweetly. “I wouldn’t want you to think I’m anything like him.”

Sawyer stopped and snapped her wrist from Chloe’s hand. “What the hell is going on here, Chloe?”

Both girls stopped cold when a muffled groan and a loud thump came from above them. “Tara.” Sawyer went to the window and peered out. “Where is the ambulance? You have to wait for the ambulance. I’m going to go check on Tara.”

But Chloe didn’t move.

“Chloe!”

“Tara is going to be fine. It’s all going to be fine.”

Sawyer turned to run, but Chloe grabbed her, hard, jabbing something cold against Sawyer’s rib cage. It was the glint of the blade that caught Sawyer’s attention first.

“Chloe, what is that?”

The knife was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. The blade was arched and looked menacing, the edge sharpened razor-thin. Chloe’s eyes followed Sawyer’s to the knife. Chloe rolled the tip against Sawyer’s body. The move was gentle but sent shock waves of fear radiating through Sawyer.

“It’s all going to be fine.”

Sawyer went stone still. “Put the knife down, Chloe. My God, where did you get that thing, anyway?”

Chloe shrugged but didn’t relinquish her grip on the knife, the tip still a hair’s breadth from Sawyer’s flesh. “You’d be surprised at the things my parents have lying around the house.”

“Chloe, this isn’t funny. The police are going to be here any minute.”

Chloe cocked her head, a hazy serenity in her eyes. Her lips curved up at the corners just the slightest bit. “No one’s coming, Sawyer.”