Hiding in the Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

her apartment, claiming it was on his way home but fooling nobody. He had several times shown himself more than a little protective of Faith.
    Faith was more than happy to accept his escort. She was nervous and panicky, afraid the place where she lived would jar memories. Terrified it would not.
    She wore her own clothes, thanks to Dinah Leighton’s foresight in packing a bag for her and taking it to the hospital just a week after the accident, but though the slacks and sweater fit fairly well, she wasuncomfortable in them. Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time in a nightgown.
    Her apartment was on the sixth floor of a nice but ordinary building in a suburb of Atlanta. No doorman or guard greeted them, but everything looked clean and in good repair, and the elevator worked smoothly.
    Dr. Burnett came in with her, carrying her small overnight bag, which he set down by the door. “Why don’t we take a look around?” he suggested, watching her. “I don’t want to leave you until you’re comfortable here.”
    Faith accepted the suggestion because she didn’t want to be alone.
    The apartment was … nice. Ordinary. There was one bedroom; the queen-size brass bed had a floral, ruffled comforter set, with lots of pillows tossed against the shams. Curtains at the single window matched the comforter. There was a nightstand and a chair, both white wicker and a white laminated dresser with an oval wicker-framed mirror hanging above it. The color scheme was white and pink.
    Faith thought it an odd choice for a redhead, and rather girlish.
    The one bathroom was small and standard, with white tiles and plain fixtures. The rugs, towels, and curtains on the window and shower bore another floral pattern, this one with pink and purple predominating.
    The kitchen was also standard, white cabinets and a neutral countertop blending perfectly with the vinyl floor. There was a small breakfast table, again of white wicker and glass, with a cheap area rug underneath it. Little attempt had been made to personalize the space as far as Faith could see. There were noplace mats on the table, and except for a coffeemaker, nothing cluttered the countertops.
    The living room struck her as having been recently decorated, and she had the feeling—certainly not a memory—that some picture in a magazine had been the inspiration. The intended style might have been shabby chic, with distressed wood, lots of texture in materials, and antique-looking accessories.
    It didn’t quite work, though she couldn’t have explained why.
    “Nice place,” Burnett said.
    She nodded, even as she wondered why the little apartment felt stifling to her. Was it the several locks on the door, an indication of someone who had shut the world out—or herself in? Faith didn’t know, but it disturbed her.
    She shrugged out of her jacket and left it over a chair, then returned to the kitchen and checked the cabinets and the refrigerator. “Sloan was as good as his word,” she noted, seeing the stock of foods.
    The lawyer had come to see her several days ago, after being notified by Dr. Burnett that she was up to having visitors. He had explained the financial situation, including Dinah Leighton’s arrangements to pay the hospital bill and the trust fund she had set up for Faith’s use. Her disappearance, he had explained without emotion, changed none of that. In addition, Faith’s regular monthly bills had been paid, including recently incurred debts. She wasn’t to worry, everything had been taken care of.
    Then he had promised to have her apartment cleaned and stocked with food, ready for her return. All per Dinah’s careful arrangements.
    Faith had been given a generous amount of cash, and her checking account, he told her, had been credited with even more. In addition to that, her rent had been paid for the next six months.
    It had been too overwhelming for Faith to think about then, and now she felt a prickle of uneasiness. All this from a friend?