Four on the Floor by Tom Fowler

Author:Tom Fowler [Fowler, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Widening Gyre Media
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Tyler froze. If the deputy pulled the access panel, he wouldn’t be able to deploy the ladder. This alone may not prevent him from coming up. It would take more effort, however, and Tyler hoped he would categorize the stairs as nonfunctional and move along. Light poured in from below as the small door opened. Sure enough, wood clattered as the deputy tried to pull the ladder to its full length. Tyler tied a good knot. Now, he needed the string itself to be strong enough.

The deputy yanked a few more times. Tyler readied himself for the man to climb up anyway. After another futile moment, he said, “Looks like it’s inaccessible. Ladder’s broken. I don’t think anyone could make it up here.”

“Roger that,” another male voice replied.

Tyler let out the breath he’d been holding when the panel returned to its normal position and darkness prevailed. Outside, an engine fired to life and drove away. Tyler scooted closer to the window, kept his body below it, and peeked over the bottom pane. One police car left the scene. Three others remained along with a white forensics van. Tyler inched away from the window and flexed his knee, which stiffened the longer he remained up here. He resumed waiting. No one else tried to gain access to the attic.

After another half-hour, a second police car left the property. The third accompanied the white forensics van about twenty minutes later. One vehicle remained. From his vantage point, Tyler couldn’t tell if anyone sat inside it, and he didn’t want to run the risk of exposing his position to get a better look. He scooted closer to the attic entrance and listened. Nothing. He gave it another ten minutes before easing the access door down. Thankfully, it didn’t squeak.

Tyler kept the string in place. He climbed down half the ladder, hung from the bottom rung, and dropped a foot to the floor, landing on his good leg. If a deputy remained in the house, he or she was nowhere to be seen. Tyler crept down the main stairs. He hugged the wall at the bottom, peering in both directions. The coast was clear. If someone remained in the car, they were probably sitting on the house to see if anyone returned. Tyler kept low and padded into the kitchen.

The coroner took the body on the main level away. One more down. Tyler hoped he would be able to make these losses count, but he needed to find Stacy and her sister. He went down to the basement. No one waited for him there, either. Tyler slipped out the back door, moved across the yard at a crouch, and slid the gate open barely wide enough to slither through. He closed it behind himself and reversed the course he and Stacy took a few hours ago.

Navigating the hill back to the Maxima on a balky knee proved a challenge. Tyler took it slowly and used trees to support himself. As he approached the car, he bit off a curse.

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