Kansas City Secrets by Julie Miller

Author:Julie Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2015-07-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Rosemary wondered how she was ever going to survive the first night with Max Krolikowski living in her basement.

If she couldn’t stop this restless pacing, flitting from one room to the next, she’d never get any sleep. She’d start a project in the library, leave it at the first unfamiliar noise and wind up in the kitchen, refreshing the dogs’ water bowls. She’d hear the muffled voices of a television newscast through the floorboards, then head off to the front room to adjust the blinds. She’d peek out a window to look at the clouds gathering in the sky and covering the moon, but she’d hear the rumble of thunder in the distance and go back to the kitchen to make sure it was Mother Nature talking and not her new tenant grumbling about something downstairs. Then the dogs would woof at something outside and the whole anxious cycle would start over again.

Max’s Cold Case Squad hadn’t been able to immediately identify the man in the picture with Leland Asher, since he didn’t have a record and wasn’t in their criminal database. But she was certain the narrow-framed glasses and nondescript brown hair belonged to the man who’d smiled and taken her picture at the penitentiary. Knowing there was a mystery man out there somewhere, bent on terrorizing her, who might or might not have some connection to organized crime, was upsetting enough. But adding in the disruption of having a man on the premises once again, a man who seemed to occupy her thoughts the way Max did, left her unable to find any sense of calm or control. Routine, and the secure normalcy that went with it, had flown out the window.

Max had probably only needed a few minutes to put away the items he’d brought in his backpack and duffel bag and familiarize himself with the bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette, which he said would serve him just fine. And why wouldn’t the man just go to bed already? One time she’d discovered Max out front, installing the new glass globes on her porch lights.

“The weatherman says we’re having thunderstorms tonight,” she warned.

“I know.” He continued his work, sounding far too nonchalant about making himself at home here. “I want to make sure everything is secure before I head to bed.” He nodded for her to go back inside. “But you go ahead.”

Much later, she peeked out the door to find him reclining in her rocking chair, sitting in the dark with his big booted feet crossed on the porch railing. His shirt hung unbuttoned and loose from his shoulders, the tails flapping in the breeze that was picking up as lightning flashed in the clouds overhead. He still wore his gun and badge on his belt, and a stubby, unlit cigar that made him look like the gruff Army sergeant he’d once been was tucked into the corner of his mouth.

“Go to sleep, Rosie,” he’d ordered, before removing the cigar and turning those watchful blue eyes to catch her spying on him.

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