Page 80 of Asher's Assignment
“What?” Esther whispered.
“Never mind. Stay put.”
Esther didn’t listen. She shuffled forward, staying close to Audra’s back. They only made it a few steps when they heard the door leading to the yard from the garage slam shut.
“Dammit!” Audra ran forward.
This time, Esther didn’t follow. She whirled and ran for the back door. Pressing her face to the glass, she peered outside and saw the backside of a man fleeing the illuminated circle of the security light and into the darkness. “He’s running!” she yelled, hoping Audra heard.
A moment later, Audra burst through the garage door and into the yard, chasing after him.
Footsteps sounded overhead. A few moments later, they were on the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Edie burst into the kitchen.
“Someone was in the garage.” She wished now she’d listened to Asher and let him put up cameras and perhaps install a security system. Luckily, the man hadn’t made it into the house.
Edie hurried forward and nudged Esther to the side, throwing the door open.
“Edie, no.” Esther grabbed her arm. She knew what her sister wanted to do. “You can’t go after them.”
“The hell I can’t!”
“You’re pregnant. You can’t go running into the unknown. Jordan will kill us both if you put yourself in danger like that.”
“He doesn’t have to know.” Edie twisted her arm free.
“Edie!”
Edie huffed. With a quick glare at Esther, she turned her fierce look onto the yard and the darkness beyond. “Fine.”
“What is going on down here?” Brooke rounded the corner, Annabeth on her heels.
Esther quickly explained what happened.
Annabeth shook her head. “We need to call the police. I think we touched a nerve with our digging.”
“That or the guy just wants Esther?—”
A sharp crack rent the night.
“That was—” Brooke started.
“A gunshot.” Edie nodded. She stepped out the door. “You can’t stop me this time, Essy. Audra could need help.”
“I’m calling the police.” Brooke already had her phone in her hand.
Edie took off, barefoot, through the grass.
“Edie!” Esther took several running steps after her sister, then growled in frustration. “Dammit!” She ran a hand through her hair and turned around. Brooke had her phone to her ear, talking to the emergency dispatcher.
Letting out a soft groan, Esther let her hand fall back to her side. There was no keeping secrets now. Detective Stroud would skin them all when he learned everything they’d kept from him.
Within minutes of Brooke’s call, sirens pealed through the neighborhood. Soon, flashing lights illuminated her yard and the houses around hers. Esther watched from the window as several police officers exited their cars and ran around the side of her house. A man she recognized walked toward her front door. It was Detective Stroud.
She let out a soft huff and went to answer. Might as well get the inquisition over with.
When she opened the door, he was on her front stoop, hand poised to knock. With a quick frown, he lowered it.
