Lurk-Life Balance (Sonic Sleuths Series Book 3) by Carrie Ann Knox

Author:Carrie Ann Knox [Knox, Carrie Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Xotolithic Press
Published: 2024-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

The crowd was now riveted, their collective attention torn between a local celebrity—suddenly being dragged from the house—and the gulping, wide-eyed newcomer who had just been blamed for it. The volume level in the room ratcheted up a hundred notches the moment the mayor was out of sight, and the attention turned solely to me. I felt their eyes crawling me up and down, my stomach roiling under their scrutiny.

Is this really my fault?

Sloan appeared by my side, jarring me from my frozen stupefaction. She put her arm on mine in solidarity and whispered, taking charge.

“Time to go.” She stepped back as the crowd took quick note of her. Her eyes narrowed back at them. “Now.”

I nodded and took a step forward, trying to focus only on the task at hand. Extrication. Sloan squeezed my arm to stop me. “Avoid the front,” she whispered.

She turned and headed for the back of the room, me at her heels. The crowds parted for us, but only barely, eyes and whispers following our flight. We reached the kitchen and turned left and then right, heading in the direction we had seen the deceased go just before his demise. There had to be a back exit out of view somewhere.

We chose poorly. The hallway held multiple interior doors, leading to offices and gyms and rooms with unknown purpose, but no back door to be found. We were at a dead end. I closed my eyes a moment, panic rising. I pictured the houseful of guests, seemingly all friends and colleagues of the mayor, cornering us in fury. We had to get out, quick.

Sloan did not seem nearly as alarmed. She put a finger to her lips, thinking. Her eyebrow raised. “Breaking a window wouldn't exactly give the impression we want,” she mused, “but it's always an option. Let's keep going.”

We raced back down the hallway, the clammer of the great room once again increasing in volume. Just as we reached the main hall artery, someone approached. I sucked in a breath, not ready to be confronted. The young man moved toward us quickly, turning to watch behind his back for onlookers. We froze, our paths blocked. He stepped in close, his dark eyes meeting ours.

“This way,” he said, his voice low. He turned away and continued on through the main hallway, his steps hurried.

Sloan looked wary for only a second. She shrugged at me and we followed, hustling behind him as he passed numerous doors and passages, heading deeper into the hulking estate. Finally he turned a corner, ending at an ornate, heavy wooden door. The door creaked as it opened, revealing a tight circular staircase behind. Everything in the space besides the metal handrails was dark stone, climbing up and up. The olive-complexioned young man moved silently toward the stairs and began ascending.

I hesitated, looking for reassurance from Sloan. Where are we going? She seemed focused on the unusual space, gazing up with fascination. The stairs twirled around and around, high into the sky above us.

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