A Journey of the Heart Collection (55 page)

Haylie exhaled in a sharp
whoosh
. “If I have a couple of friends over tonight? It's Friday.”

“Oh, honey, I don't think that's a good idea with your mom gone. We have to pack and join her in Folly Shoals.”

“But I'll miss Alisha's birthday party tomorrow! She actually invited me, and I can't miss it.”

Fourteen going on eighteen. Carol's glance took in Haylie's determined expression. When did kids start growing up so fast? Mallory had her hands full most of the time. Even just two years ago Haylie had only cared about what her mother thought. Then she started middle school, and suddenly the only ones with anything important to say were a group of five friends on the swim team who had more money than sense. If it weren't for Haylie's grandpa, she wouldn't be taking those expensive swim lessons. Did the girl know how close her poor mom skated to the edge financially?

Carol pulled the car into the drive of Mallory's modest cottage in a cul-de-sac. “You'll have to talk to your mother.”

“Can I borrow your cell phone?”

Carol handed it over and grabbed the pizza box from the backseat. “Don't be too long. The pizza will get cold.”

Haylie's head was already down as her fingers tapped their way across the phone's screen. “I'll be right in.”

Shaking her head, Carol got out and dropped her keys into her pocket as she approached the front door. When she unlocked it and stepped inside, she heard a sliding noise like a tennis shoe slipping across the tile. Was someone in here or was she imagining it? She stopped and tried to hear over the pounding of the blood in her ears. There. It came again, then she heard a
snick
.

“Hello?” Her voice quavered.

She shouldn't stay here. The pizza box fell from her nerveless fingers, and she whirled toward the door. She caught a flurry of movement, and a man with a ski mask over his face rushed at her from the kitchen.

She gasped and reached for the doorknob, but he grabbed her arm and whipped her around to face him. “You're not the Davis woman. Where is she?”

Think!
She slipped her hand into her coat pocket. “She's not here.”

“No joke, Sherlock.” His fingers tightened on her arm. “Where is she?”

Before she could talk herself out of it, Carol jammed the key into his hand with all her might. The moment his grip loosened, she tore loose and threw open the front door. She exited the door screaming at the top of her lungs.

The next-door neighbor was driving by in his pickup. It screeched to a halt. He came running up the walk toward her. “Carol, what's wrong?”

She pointed. “An intruder. He grabbed me.” Her insides matched the shake in her voice.

“Get in your car and lock it. Call the police.” He jerked out
a hunting knife from a sheath in his boot, threw open the door, and charged through the front door.

Carol rushed to her car and practically fell inside. She locked all the doors, then grabbed her cell phone out of Haylie's hands.

“Hey!” Haylie tried to grab it back.

Turning her back on the sulking girl, Carol called 911 and reported the break-in. “Yes, I'll stay on the line until officers arrive.” Haylie's eyes were huge when Carol glanced back at her.

The neighbor exited the house and shook his head. “The back door is standing open and there's no one inside.”

A police car screamed down the street toward them and parked out front. Two officers approached Carol's car. Still shaking, she got out. She told them everything she'd seen, but she had no description other than he was about six-two with broad shoulders. They checked out the house, too, but found nothing.

The younger officer with kind blue eyes rejoined them. “I don't think you should stay here, miss. The lock on the back door is broken. We'll hang around until you gather some things together.”

The shock wore off enough for Carol to mull over the intruder's words. He was looking for Mallory. This was no casual break-in. She told the officer what the man said. “I'd better take Haylie to Folly Shoals to join her mother. I'll grab her things.”

She felt safer with the officer beside her, and she quickly stuffed Haylie's clothes into a bag. There was no time to waste. Mallory needed to know what was going on here.

The story continues in
Mermaid Moon
by Colleen Coble.