Page 24 of Dark Shadows
She spotted him in the parking lot. The beam of his flashlight cut through the dark as he crossed the lot, scanning the shadows as he moved. His silhouette passed beneath the flickering streetlamp.
“About ten steps to your right,” she said.
He walked as if he were counting steps.
“Right there.” She stopped him. “He was standing about right there and staring up at my window like he was thinking about coming inside.”
The light swept across the cracked pavement and illuminated the truck as Mason circled it before turning the light toward the woods.
“Nothing,” he said. “No footprints. No drag marks. Just gravel and gum wrappers.”
Savanah’s hand tightened around the curtain. “He was there. I’m not lying.”
“I believe you,” Mason said, glancing back at her window. His flashlight paused on the pavement then clicked off. “But he’s not here now. I’m coming back.”
She didn’t argue.
Mason returned, and she let him in, locking the door behind him. “I didn’t see anything, but I’ll look again in the morning.”
“Okay.” She nodded, her gaze flickering to the curtains again.
“Why don’t you go take a shower? I’ve got to call the office, but I’ll leave the adjoining door open until you’ve finished and listen out for any intruders.”
“And you’ll shoot first.”
He grinned. “Yes. I’ll shoot first as long as it’s not the little old lady from the front desk.”
Mason headed for his room while Savanah picked up her bag.
“Hey, Mason,” she called out.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for believing me.”
“Always.” Warmth settled in his eyes before he left the room.
Savanah moved a chair, shoving it up under the doorknob to the door that led outside. She took a quick shower and dressed for bed.
10
Mason
The sound of her bathroom door creaking open pulled Mason’s attention from the pictures he’d been studying on his phone.
Savanah stood in the doorway between their rooms, damp hair curling around her shoulders, loose nightclothes clinging to her frame. Her arms crossed like she was holding herself together.
“I’m happy to report I didn’t have to shoot any unwanted guests in your room,” he said. “You’re clear.”
She nodded, one bare foot curling over the other. “Thanks for being my lookout.”
“Do you always take extra clothes to work with you?” He gestured to her nightclothes.
“It’s a habit I never gave up. I always keep a go bag packed and with me. My dad taught me to be ready for anything.”
Her eyes looked a little softer now. Less guarded. But he knew better than to trust the surface.
He shouldn’t hit her with what his call had told him. He should let her get some rest. It would have been the right thing to do. It would be what Cree would want him to do.
