Return to the Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page A

my house was turned into a stake out location.
My old boss, John Hanlen, paid men to hide out here and wait for
me.”
    “Why were they waiting for you, ma’am? Did
you call the police?”
    “They were probably waiting to kill me. And
no, I didn’t call the police. I dropped off anonymous evidence of
my boss’s money laundering at a police station and went into
hiding.”
    “And you did this anonymously, you say?” He
looked skeptical.
    “Yes, I was scared at the time.”
    “What’s changed?”
    “He’s in jail now.”
    “How do you know there were men in your home,
Ms. Roberts?”
    “Because your boys found one of them laying
in my backyard. Looked like they had turned on each other, or a
third party had attacked them. I really don’t know what happened.
The police never said.”
    “So what you’re saying is you have
enemies.”
    I didn’t like the way he said it, like it was
my fault. “No more than most people, I suspect. But I haven’t had
any trouble since John was arrested. Until now.”
    “Any other incidents you want to tell me
about?”
    “No. Nothing else has happened before
tonight.”
    “Thank you, ma’am. We will call you if we
have any more questions. If you have any further trouble, don’t
hesitate to call again.”
    “What about the prints on the window,
Officer?”
    “Don’t worry, we’ve already had them lifted.
They’ll be analyzed by a lab technician. It could take up to a
week. But hopefully we can get a positive I.D. on the set. It’s a
good set of prints. It all depends on the alleged being in the data
base currently.”
    “You mean if he has a prior criminal
record.”
    “Or if he—or she—holds a government job. But
I have to warn you, no break in has occurred, and none of your
property was stolen or damaged…although the scratches on your
window frame could potentially fall into the category of
vandalism.”
    “I understand. Thank you for coming out to
take the statement, Officer Jones.”
    “Lock your doors and keep your cell phone
handy. We will be in touch.”
    I did as he suggested and locked the door
behind him, setting the alarm for good measure.
    “Mike, did you get all of that?”
    “Yes. How do you feel?”
    “Exhausted. It’s after midnight and Ashley
has school tomorrow.”
    “Go to bed, Claire. I’ll stay up for a
while.”
    “Sounds like a plan. Set the alarm before you
leave, please.”
    “No way. I’m staying the night. I’ll sleep on
the couch.” He stretched out on my sofa and tucked an arm beneath
his head.
    “If you think it’s necessary.” I smiled. My
brother, the guardian.
    “I’ll feel better if I stay here, yes. Now go
get some sleep.”
    “Goodnight, Mike.” I padded down the hall and
made quick work of my bedtime routine, changing clothes and washing
my face in less than three minutes, secretly grateful that he had
insisted on spending the night. I checked on Ashley one final time
before climbing into bed. It was a miracle that she had slept
through the turmoil of the evening.
    “Just a kid playing a prank,” I mumbled,
wrapping the thick comforter snugly around myself. Too bad I didn’t
really believe it.
    ***
    The smoke was so thick it was hard to
breathe. The pale curtains Marta had sewn for my room erupted in
bright flame as the glass in the window began to pop and crack. I
could see myself in the heated glass, my reflection distorted and
horrified. In the next instant, it shattered with a hiss and a
spray of shards. I had to get out of the house. I had to get to Bob
and Ashley and Marta before the whole house went up like a torch. I
stumbled from room to room, calling for them in turn, desperate to
find them, but they were gone….
    They must have made it out of the house, I
thought in a numb state of shock. I all but fell through the front
door, gasping and choking. Where was my family? I searched the
front of the grounds to no avail; they were gone and I was frantic.
And then the smoke cleared. Blue mist rose