Page 45 of Scorched

Blondes by the name of Alice.

Elise stood outside her bedroom, not sure she’d ever be able to sleep there again. “Whoever killed those two women was in this house.”

Melissa dropped to her haunches beside the toolbox and flipped the metal latches open. “I have a locksmith on his way. Should be here any minute. The boss wants to make sure you’re rekeyed and secure before you go to bed tonight, or we could move you and the boys to a safe house.”

A small amount of relief loosened some of the tension in her shoulders. “No thanks. New locks will be sufficient.” At least she could rest somewhat assured the killer wouldn’t have a key to the new locks.

Elise paced the hallway, stopping to peek in on the boys who slept oblivious to the visitors. Thank goodness. How would she convince Brandon that everything was all right when their world was falling apart around them?

When she returned, Melissa was brushing black powder on surfaces throughout the room. “I’m sorry,this is a mess, but I’m hoping we’ll find a fingerprint or two.”

“I don’t mind. I’d like to know how he got in,” Elise stated.

“We would, too.” Melissa dusted black powder on the wall near the writing. “Did you check all your windows and doors before you left this morning?”

“Ever since I got the first note, I’ve been very careful to lock everything.”

“Are you certain the kids didn’t unlock a window or leave a door unlocked?”

“I double-checked everything before we left for school.”

Melissa shook her head. “Then he’s either good at lock-picking or he’s got a master key similar to what a locksmith would carry.”

“Are you telling me new locks won’t keep him out?” Elise laughed, although no amount of humor reflected in the sound. “That’s reassuring.”

“I’d get the new locks, just in case he’s gotten hold of one of your keys from somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Do you leave your keys with a garage attendant when you get your oil changed?” the sheriff asked.

“No, I only leave my car key.”

Sheriff Engel made a note on his pad. “Do you keep a spare house key anywhere?”

“Only at school in my desk drawer and I keep that locked when I’m not there.”

“Have you checked that lock lately to be sure someone hasn’t tampered with it?”

“No, it never occurred to me.”

“I wouldn’t put it past this guy.” Melissa shrugged. “I wouldn’t put anything past this guy. You might consider buying a big dog or a gun.”

“I’m seriously considering a gun.” Then she told Mel and the sheriff about her phone conversation with the killer.

CHAPTER 12

Paul parkedalong the side of the street a block over from Elise’s house. He wanted to get a quick run in before he called it a night and camped out on her couch.

He climbed out of his truck, wearing a pair of gray shorts and a plain gray T-shirt. The wind whipped across his biceps, raising goose bumps along his exposed skin. He debated the sweatshirt on the backseat but decided against it. Fifty-five degrees didn’t bother him as long as he kept moving. After the months of record heat, a little cold air would be refreshing. And he needed to move to get rid of the cobwebs crowding his thoughts so that he could think more clearly and get some perspective on this case.

He took off at a steady jog. Darkness claimed the day, settling like a shroud over the small town. He’d told Melissa he’d work out before he arrived at Elise’s house and that Elise should expect him around ten o’clock.Instead of jogging the track close to his apartment in San Antonio, he’d decided to take his workout to Breuer and make some use of it, scouting the neighborhood around the Johnson’s house.

Melissa had informed him that she’d completed collecting evidence and the sheriff had asked all the questions he could possibly ask Elise. The locksmith had come and gone, leaving brand new locks on all the doors and giving his nod over the ones on the windows. All that and the boys hadn’t woken up once.

Paul smiled, not surprised that Luke hadn’t woken up, knowing how busy the little guy was when he was awake. The kid could sleep through a tornado, with as much energy as he burned during the day.

Brandon, on the other hand, was an entirely different case. Paul would have thought any little sound would wake the older of the two boys. Given the amount of emotional trauma he’d experienced finding the note on the wall and owning up to the knowledge of his father’s career as a killer, the kid probably had nightmares.

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