A loud pounding sounded on the door. Rex started barking furiously.
“Linda,” Eleanor shouted, her voice muffled. “You must listen to me. Norburn intends to murder you at sea. I’ve called the police. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Linda started down the hall toward the front door. Unfortunately her path took her very close to Norburn.
“No,” Nick said.
Why in hell couldn’t things ever go according to plan? Why did there always have to be a miscalculation?
Even as he asked the question, he knew the answer. People. They were invariably the problem. Unfortunately for a man in his line of work, people—specifically clients—were the ones who paid the bills.
He moved quickly, trying to intercept Linda, but it was too late. Norburn grabbed her and pinned her close with an arm around her throat. At the same time he took a folding pocketknife out of his trousers. He flicked the blade open and put the tip to Linda’s throat.
It was not a big knife but it didn’t take a large blade to do lethal damage.
The front door opened. Eleanor appeared. Rex raced inside.
“Rex,” Nick said quietly.
The dog rushed to his side and took up a position next to him.
“The door was unlocked,” Eleanor said. She stopped, taking in the situation at a glance. “Let her go, you bastard.”
Rex growled.
“Keep that damned dog away from me or I’ll cut Linda’s throat,” Norburn said.
“Rex,” Nick said. “Stay.”
Rex obeyed but he shivered with battle-ready tension.
“Linda and I are leaving,” Norburn said. He backed away, Linda locked against him, the blade of the pocketknife at her throat. He edged toward the rear of the house.
“I assume you’re going to try to get away in your car,” Nick said.
“That’s right,” Norburn said. “My speedster can outrun any police car. If anyone tries to stop me, Linda will be a dead woman.”
“You’ll be needing your key,” Nick said. He held up the key he had taken from the ignition.
Norburn stared at the key in disbelief. “You son of a bitch. Give the key to Linda. Go on, give it to her, you bastard.”
“Sure,” Nick said.
He walked forward. Rex paced beside him.
“Stop,” Norburn yelped. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Make up your mind,” Nick said.
Norburn angled his jaw toward a console table. “Put the key on top of that table. Linda will pick it up.”
Nick set the key down on the polished wooden table. Norburn edged toward the table. He did not loosen his hold on Linda.
“Get it,” he told her.
She reached out and picked up the key, fingers visibly shaking.
Gilford dragged her out of the living room. They both disappeared down the hall.
