The Opposite of Dark Read Online Free PDF

but I’ll do it. What’ll you tell Summer?”
    â€œNo clue. But she’ll know something’s up the moment I say goodnight.” More tears slipped down Rhonda’s cheeks. “You okay?”
    â€œYeah. You?”
    â€œI will be.”
    After more hugging and sobbing, Rhonda left. She’d taken the news better than expected. Still, Casey’s heart ached for her. She would probably spend the night wondering why the man she’d adored had faked his death.
    Casey tried neck and shoulder rolls to ease the strain. She attempted a full bend, but felt light-headed from too much stress and coffee, too many questions darting through her mind.
    She retreated to the window seat. Gazing at the enormous weeping willow in Rhonda’s front yard, she took slow deep breaths. Not exactly meditation, but close. Under tonight’s bright moon, the leaves almost glowed, and the darker recesses of Rhonda’s weedy corner lot were gently lit. Through the trees, Casey could see part of Napier where it crossed Violet, and a glimpse of a black Saab parked in front of the house. She leapt up.
    Somewhere in the back of her mind, Casey had known the stranger would reappear. She darted out the door, hoping the guy wouldn’t anticipate her behavior as well as she did his.

Four

    CASEY MADE IT as far as the sidewalk before the Saab’s engine started up. She was three steps away from the vehicle when the driver sped off toward Victoria Drive. Damn, she should have gotten into her car this time, instead of trying to run after him again. Stan sometimes lectured her about her impatience, but the habit was hard to break. After all, she was her father’s daughter. That’s what everyone had told her . . . that’s what she’d always believed.
    Casey rubbed her arms in the cool night air. Streetlights illuminated fences and empty sidewalks. Usually, at least one person would be out walking a dog. Not tonight. She inhaled the scent of freshly mowed grass and then headed inside.
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    Crawling out of bed in the morning had been tougher than usual. After leaving a message for Lalonde last night about her stalker, she hadn’t slept. She’d been tempted to watch TV and tidy up a bit, but Summer and Rhonda’s bedrooms were below her living and dining areas, and this old house wasn’t soundproof. She’d finally dozed off some time after three. The alarm rang at five-fifteen.
    Casey picked a thread off her navy pinstriped jacket, tucked her clutch bag under her arm and inspected her appearance in the mirror. Skirts weren’t her idea of comfort, but the business outfit might attract the purse thief on today’s agenda. While she pulled a brush through limp, old-perm curls, Rhonda’s knock broke the silence. Casey tossed the brush on her bed. She’d hoped Rhonda would still be asleep when she left. She opened the door and found Rhonda holding a pan of blueberry muffins. The ladybug hair clips still drooped over her ears, and she had on yesterday’s sweats and flannel shirt.
    Rhonda looked her over. “My, my, how conservative. Who are you after today?”
    â€œA teenager who steals purses and the occasional wallet. Apparently, he’s a cash-only guy.”
    She looked at Casey’s running shoes. “Are you expecting a chase?”
    â€œIt’s possible.”
    â€œThen you’ll need breakfast.” Rhonda offered her the pan. “Thought we could eat on the way to West Vancouver.”
    Casey’s stomach growled. “Thanks. Let me fix your hair.” She retrieved the brush. “Did you sleep at all?”
    â€œA couple of hours.”
    Rhonda’s pale complexion was a sharp contrast to the dark, puffy sacs under her eyes. Last night, she’d been doing laundry in the basement when Casey ran outside. Thank god she hadn’t heard a thing. Rhonda looked too vulnerable to know that a