The Stalker: An addictive psychological thriller full of twists by Becki Willis

Author:Becki Willis [Willis, Becki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books psychological thrillers, suspense and crime
Published: 2023-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

With the catered banquet behind her, Ashli took a few minutes for herself on Sunday morning. Since the incidents with the Peeping Tom, she avoided spending time outside, but this morning, she chose to make an exception. It was still early, before the sun heated up and the city came fully awake, the perfect time to enjoy a few moments of fresh air. There must be a rule somewhere that said even stalkers had to take Sunday mornings off.

As she stepped onto the smaller balcony off her bedroom, coffee in hand, she realized how much she had missed the simple pleasure of being outdoors. Later, she would be angry that the stalker had taken this from her. Right now, she would just enjoy the sights and sounds of the early summer morning.

Birds flitted through the trees, singing to one another in greeting. She watched a couple of squirrels run among the treetops, jumping from one limb to another, making their way across the lawn, one tree at a time. A light breeze ruffled the leaves and teased her hair and carried the sweet scent of dew-kissed flowers.

Ashli smiled as she looked out over the gorgeous grounds of Daisy House. The grass was lush and green, randomly interrupted with bursts of color from one of Mr. Parnell’s many flower beds. From so high up, she had a better view of the far gardens than of the pergola and the flagstone patio closer to the house. She could easily see the carriage house turned potting shed, the delightful goldfish pond, the stone benches at the edge of the tree line, and the little trails that led off into the profuse floras at the back of the property. She missed wandering through the maze of trees, shrubs, and flowers that crisscrossed through the estate, so badly it was almost a physical ache.

Ashli made a second cup of coffee, then hurried back up to the balcony. She needed to be at the airport in an hour to pick up Rachel and Kevin, which left only a few more minutes to indulge in nature’s vista. In just the few short minutes that she was gone, the morning had heated up, promising to bring a warm day. And the peaceful quiet of morn was now broken by the sounds of Mr. Parnell, tinkering in the gardens below. She could see him moving around near the potting shed, spraying some dark-colored concoction over the flower beds. Between the fertilizer and the weed killer, his concoctions always had a foul odor, but he was conscientious enough to spray in early morning, when normally no one was outside. Luckily, the wind was blowing away from him, keeping the morning air sweet and fresh from where Ashli soaked up the last few moments of solitude.

It would be a busy week, so she had to enjoy these stolen moments of peace when and where she could get them. She was anxious to look into the files Lange brought her on the disappearances of those seven young women, but now wasn’t the time.

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