The Cove: A Summer Suspense Mystery by L. J. Ross

Author:L. J. Ross [Ross, L. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912310913
Google: OaZ5zgEACAAJ
Amazon: B095XHQH6M
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Published: 2021-07-21T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

Fighting the rising nausea, Gabrielle stumbled back to the office to reach for the desk phone, intending to call the police, the coastguard—or someone.

But there was no dial tone.

Sobbing now, she tried her mobile phone, but found the same story—no signal.

Think, she told herself. Try to think.

If the landline was down, possibly because of the weather, that left only the SOS phone on the beach—but it was too near the harbour, and she risked being swept away—or Luke’s place, since there was no way of getting to the car park, now. Others lived closer, but none of them would be able to alert the authorities, so it made sense for her to try him first.

She didn’t hesitate but ran out into the rain and pelted up the hill, not caring that her clothing immediately became sodden, or that her mascara ran in tiny rivulets down her face. All she cared about was helping that poor woman…

For, it had been a woman who’d fallen, she was sure of it. She’d seen her long, dark hair streaming behind her as she’d fallen over the cliffside, and her body had been small and slight, a lot like…

…a lot like her own.

Gabi felt her stomach roll, and she gritted her teeth, forcing her legs to move faster while she propelled herself up the winding pathway to Luke’s house, skidding only once as she neared the summit so that she fell forward, both knees landing in the rough dirt track.

Dragging herself up again, she ignored the pain and let out a small cry of relief as she neared the little white picket gate that gave access to his garden. Rain streamed into her eyes, and thunder crackled overhead as she shoved it open and squelched across the grass, making directly for the house.

Once she reached the double doors that led from the veranda, she grasped the handle and tried to open one of them but found it locked. A moment later, Madge’s furry face appeared at the glazed panel, letting out a questioning bark to see who’d come to call.

Gabrielle knocked on the door, and kept knocking as the rain began to permeate her bones and her teeth began to chatter. She peered through the door and called out to Luke, but the house was in darkness beyond.

She didn’t see him approach from the garden behind, until he was almost upon her.

“Gabi?”

She let out a scream and spun around, slamming herself back against the door, where the dog let out another confused bark from the other side.

“Hey! Hey, it’s only me,” Luke said, holding up his hands.

He was dressed for the weather in the same sturdy boots and all-weather coat he’d worn to collect her from the station, the hood pulled up so that his face was in shadow.

“L—Luke?” she stammered, as her body continued to shake.

“Here, let me get the door open, and we’ll go inside and warm up,” he said, taking in her dishevelled state.

He mounted the stairs and she slid to the side to allow him to unlock the door.

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