Shuttered Secrets by Melissa Erin Jackson

Author:Melissa Erin Jackson [Jackson, Melissa Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, mystery, paranormal, amateur sleuth, ghosts
ISBN: 9781735150086
Publisher: Melissa Erin Jackson

CHAPTER 15

When Riley got home that evening, she curled up on the couch and turned on a local news station. There hadn’t been any news about the Nob Hill Prowler in a while, so Riley hoped the guy had gotten spooked by the media coverage, stopping his creepy behavior before it escalated to something more violent. Twenty minutes into the news, neither Francis Hank Carras nor the Nob Hill Prowler had been mentioned.

As she picked up the remote to switch the channel, a breaking news bulletin flashed across the screen.

“Early this morning, a young woman, Brooke Winters, was on a run near The University of New Mexico, not far from her home in Nob Hill, when a man ambushed her,” the female news anchor said. “Brooke survived the encounter, and escaped relatively unscathed, but she wanted to share her story today to encourage other women to be vigilant.”

The screen cut to a pretty brunette standing on a sidewalk in what looked like a park. She had a long-distance runner’s body—thin and toned. She had a scrape on her cheek, and a haunted look in her brown eyes, but otherwise looked okay. A male reporter stood on the sidewalk with her. Riley sat forward, her elbows on her knees.

“I’ve been on that run so many times, I never thought about it being unsafe,” Brooke said. “I run really early in the morning, between 4 and 5, so the only people who are out are usually other runners. I’ve seen the same people every week for months. Anyway, I’d just rounded a corner when someone came flying out of nowhere and tackled me. It knocked the wind out of me, so I couldn’t scream or anything. But after we wrestled a bit, I got a look at his face and realized he was wearing a ski mask. It was honestly the scariest thing I’d ever seen. That’s when I started screaming.”

“And someone heard you then?” the reporter asked.

“Yeah,” Brooke said, heaving out a relieved breath, nodding. “This guy, Richard, who is usually out there running the same time as me, heard me screaming and pulled the guy off me. The two of them were whaling on each other, but Richard was so winded from running that it gave the other guy a chance to wriggle away. But not before Richard yanked the ski mask off his head. He had sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and is in his thirties. We both saw that much before the guy punched Richard in the face, took his ski mask back, and ran off.”

“What a harrowing ordeal,” the reporter said. “I’m glad you’re okay and that Richard was able to come to your aid.”

“Me too. Ladies, take pepper spray with you when you’re out alone. Carry a whistle. Run in areas with other people around. I love that run but now I’m too scared to ever do it again. Keep your eyes peeled. You never know who’s out there watching you.”

Riley shuddered.

When the news anchor in the studio returned, on the screen beside her was a composite sketch.

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