In The Dead Of Night

“I own this place,” she said.

Sliding a badge from the pocket of his trench, he shoved it at her. “You’re the homeowner?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Show me some ID.” Tilting his head slightly, he spoke into a lapel mike. “This is zero-two-four. I’m ten-twenty-three. Over.”

“Whatcha got, Chief?” crackled a tinny male voice.

“Cancel that ten-fourteen, will you?”

“Roger that.”

Convinced this man was indeed a cop, Sara sidled to the bed and pulled her driver’s license from her wallet. “You scared the hell out of me,” she snapped as she crossed to him and held it out for him to read.

He shone the beam on her license. “Sara Douglas.” He said her name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Th-there was a prowler,” she said. “I saw him. At the kitchen window. A man.”

Dipping his head slightly, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “How long ago?”

“A minute. Maybe two.”

“That was probably me.”

“Oh.” Sara choked out a nervous laugh, releasing some of the tension that had built up inside her.

He frowned, apparently not seeing any humor in the situation. Maybe because he had a bump the size of a quarter on his left cheekbone from where she’d thrown the cell phone.

“I’m sorry I threw the phone at you.”

“Yeah.” He touched the bump. “I’ll let you know if I decide to arrest you for assaulting a cop.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

He didn’t answer, and Sara found herself wishing she could see his face better.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“A 911 call came in about twenty minutes ago. Someone reported seeing lights up here.”

Realization dawned. “Someone thought I was a prowler?”

“This place has been vacant for quite a few years. Neighbors aren’t used to seeing any kind of activity up here. Unless, of course, it has to do with ghosts.”

The word hung in the air like a bad joke. “Ghosts?”

“Word around town is that this place is haunted.”

“That’s pretty ridiculous.” Her laugh held no humor.

“Considering what happened up here.” He lifted a shoulder, let it drop. “People love a good ghost story.”

Or a murder mystery, she thought.

He shoved the badge back into his pocket. She caught a glimpse of a pistol and leather shoulder holster. But even more dangerous than the weapon was the man himself. He was built like a distance runner. Tall with narrow hips and long, muscular legs encased in snug denim. The navy T-shirt was damp from the rain and clung to an abdomen that regularly saw the inside of a gym.

“So are you planning on hitting me with that?”

Realizing she was still clutching the lamp, Sara returned it to the bedside table. “I thought you were an intruder.”

“Good thing for you I’m not.” He motioned toward the lamp. “Wouldn’t do much good against a gun.”

Sara didn’t know what to say to that; she knew firsthand the damage a gun could do.

“I didn’t mean to spook you,” he said. “You okay?”

“Just a little rattled. Electricity went out.”

“Lightning took out a transformer down on Wind River Road. Crews are out, but it’s pretty remote out here. Could take a while.”

“Lovely.”

“Do you have a flashlight or candles?”

“I dropped the flashlight and broke it, but I think there are candles in the kitchen.”

“I’ll stay long enough for you to get a few lit if you’d like.”

“Not that I’m afraid of ghosts or anything.”

“Of course not.” Touching the brim of his cap, he left the bedroom and started for the stairs.

Feeling silly for having overreacted, Sara followed.

“Where are you from?” he asked as they descended the stairs.

“San Diego.”

At the kitchen, he moved aside and motioned her ahead, shining the flashlight so she could see. Sara went to the candle she’d left on the counter, relit it, then began rummaging for more.

“Alexandra and Richard Douglas were your parents?”

That he knew her parents’ first names shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. Cape Darkwood was a small town, after all. She looked up from the drawer. In the candlelight, she was able to get a better look at his face. An odd sense of familiarity niggled at the back of her mind. Her hands paused as she reached for a second candle. She wasn’t sure why, but her stomach went taut in anticipation of some unexpected and ugly surprise. “Yes, they were my parents. Why?”

“I used to know them. My parents knew them, actually. A long time ago.”

Sensing there was more coming, she stopped rummaging and looked at him over her shoulder. His eyes met hers. A little too curious. A little too intense. A keen awareness of him rippled through her. She wanted to blame it on the darkness. The storm. The strangeness of the house. Whatever the case, he was one of the most disconcerting men she’d ever met.