Page 65 of Waitress at the Shadow Ridge Inn
“Youweredying, Casey. You were unconscious, and you were drowning.”
Anger rose within me, shoving the fear aside. “I wouldn’t have been either if you hadn’t drugged and kidnapped me in the first place!”
He gaped at me as if I’d lost my mind. “You thinkIdid that?”
“Didn’t you?”
“No! I’m the one whofoundyou. The one who dragged you from the ditch and expelled the water from your lungs and called 911. If I hadn’t, you’d be dead. Just like we both will be if we don’t leaveright now.”
That didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. It had to be a trick to get me to go with him.
Keep him talking, Casey.
“Seriously? You expect me to believe that? That I’m going to just get in the car with you and drive off into the sunset? Why don’t you at least admit what you did?”
His jaw clenched. “We don’t have time for this. I’ll explain everything, but you have to trust me. We need to leave. She knows where you are.”
“Who does?”
“Angela. And if we don’t leave now, she’ll—”
Aaron suddenly collapsed. Behind him, Angie stood, holding my club, staring down at his crumpled form with an odd look on her face.
“Oh my God!” I stepped forward, feeling like I’d suddenly entered some bizarre, surrealistic dream.
Aaron was on the floor, unmoving.
Zip ties. We needed zip ties.
I scrambled to where he’d tossed my bag.
“Did you call the sheriff yet?” I asked Angie. “Better tell him to send an ambulance too.”
Angie didn’t answer. I grabbed the plastic bands and turned around, finding her kneeling beside him, gently pushing the hair from his forehead.
“Angie!” I snapped.
She looked at me, her eyes filled with pain and grief while she continued to stroke his face. “No sheriff. And no ambulance.”
She’d lost it. She truly had. I was barely holding on to my sanity by a thread myself. I’d have to be the one to call the police.
I pulled out my phone, about to do just that when Angie said, “Don’t.”
I ignored her. Aaron needed medical attention, and I needed this to be over.
“I said,don’t.” A quiet snick punctuated the command.
I looked up and froze. Angie was no longer kneeling beside Aaron. She was on her feet, Glock in hand, pointing it straight at my chest.
“Angie, what the hell?”
“Put the phone down, Casey.” Her voice was weird. Hollow. “You’re not calling anyone.”
When I didn’t move, her hand shifted, and she squeezed off a shot. I felt the bullet whiz past my ear.
“Put the phone down. Sit on the couch. And put those zip ties around your own ankles.”
I put the phone down and sat on the couch. “What is happening right now?”
