A Silent Terror Read Online Free PDF Page A

had things to take care of. The girl’s dead. She surprised me. I didn’t mean to kill her. She fought back and I pushed her….”
    “Do you know what you’ve put me through having to explain your absence? Look…never mind. So, you didn’t find it.”
    “No.” Harsh, frantic breathing.
    “Calm down. We have to have it. If the wrong people get their hands on that…everything we’ve worked so hard for is down the toilet.” A string of curses rent the air.
    “I know, I know. But she probably doesn’t even realize what she has.”
    “Doesn’t matter. If she looks at it…”
    “I can’t do this. If anyone finds out, if I get caught, our careers are finished. I can’t believe this. I never meant for…” A frustrated sigh sounded, then, “Let someone else do it. I can’t.”
    “Are you crazy? The last thing we need is someone else involved.
    Right now, the only people who know about this are you and me. We need to keep it that way. This is your fault. If I have to come up there and take care of this…”
    “I know, I know. Maybe I should just go to the police…explain that it was an accident.”
    A harsh laugh echoed. “What fantasy world are you living in? Now, quit being a wimp and fix it.”
    “No way. I’m out. You fix it. Tonight.”

THREE
    Thunder rumbled, shaking the air surrounding the mourners who’d come to the afternoon funeral to say goodbye to Suzanne Miller.
    Thankfully, heavy rain continued to hold off, but Marianna knew it wouldn’t hold much longer. The fine mist they’ d started the service with had progressed to a steady drizzle; soon it would be a downpour. She clutched the curved handle of her umbrella and scanned the crowd.
    She spotted Ethan and Catelyn a few yards away, looking alert and watching those gathered. Their diligent surveillance sent a shiver crawling up her spine to settle at the base of her neck.
    The minister spoke but she couldn’t see his face clearly through the sea of shifting heads and the service wasn’t interpreted, so Marianna couldn’t actually understand much of anything being said. Which gave her time to focus on the people.
    She knew a lot of them, their sad faces grabbing her heart. But it was Suzanne’s parents who speared her emotions and clogged her throat with tears yet again. Unmitigated grief, stunned disbelief and rampant rage alternated across their faces. Marianna could relate.
    She hoped they’ d gotten everything they’ d wanted from the house this morning. Suzanne hadn’t had a lot of things and as soon as the police had cleared the scene, her family had wanted to gather the last of their loved one’s items.
    Marianna shivered again. When she took her focus off Suzanne’s family, became aware of her surroundings, she felt…watched. After finally admitting the unsettling sensation wasn’t just in her imagination, her stomach quivered.
    And then she realized…he probably was here.
    Suzanne’s killer might be somewhere in this crowd.
    She’d heard of killers showing up at their victims’ funerals but couldn’t fathom that she might actually be standing somewhere near a murderer. Shuddering, she wrapped an arm around her middle in a one-arm hug.
    Fear churned; she swallowed it down.
    Ever since the viewing and short service at the church, and then upon arrival at the burial site, she’d felt someone staring holes in her back. Yet each time she turned, she saw nothing strange and no one out of place. At first, she chalked it up to being the dead woman’s roommate. Of course people would stare at her.
    But maybe it was more than that.
    As though in slow motion, she turned a full circle, examining every face, trying to see around hats, scarves and umbrellas.
    Movement caught from the corner of her eye brought her head around. Ethan headed her way. Nerves cluttered up her stomach. If he leaned over and whispered in her ear, would she be able to catch the words? Pulling the collar of her coat snug around her neck, she stepped