Vicious by Ann Voss Peterson

Author:Ann Voss Peterson [Peterson, Ann Voss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AVP
Published: 2020-03-10T16:00:00+00:00

Melanie

Red and blue lights pulsed in the darkness outside the condo windows and swirled across bare drywall.

Melanie kissed the top of Ian’s head and pulled him close. His hair still smelled like chlorine from the hotel waterpark, and she inhaled deeply, trying to replace the sweet odor of death that hung in the condo even after the elevator had descended to the lobby.

Curt paced the floor. “I knew she was scared. Maybe I should have gone. Tried to stop him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Is that ridiculous?”

“If he was gone by the time the police got there, he would have been gone when you got there too.” Melanie glanced pointedly at Ian, making sure Curt followed her meaning. “Can we not talk about this?”

“You’re right. I didn’t think.” Staring down at the floor, he resumed pacing.

At least Ian had been in the bedroom area when the elevator opened. He hadn’t seen Meredith Unger’s body. And although she had told him briefly something had happened to explain the presence of the police, she didn’t want him to know much more than that. It would only give him nightmares, and he had enough fuel for that fire already.

God knew she’d never erase the image from her mind.

The door to the stairwell opened and Bobby Vaughan and the Nikki woman stepped inside.

Bobby looked from Melanie to Curt and back again. “I need to see the security system.”

Nikki’s eyes landed on Ian. “Hey, Ian. How much money you win today?”

He glanced down at his phone screen then back up at her, beaming. “Eight hundred and thirty-five dollars.”

“Holy shit. I knew you had a talent for poker.”

“That’s not real money, is it?” Melanie asked.

“Nah, of course not.” Nikki brushed away Melanie’s question with a wave of her hand. “It’s just a game, right?”

Bobby shifted his weight impatiently. “Nikki, can you take Ian—”

Melanie held up her hands. “Ian’s not going anywhere.”

Bobby frowned. “We really need to talk.”

Not only did Melanie want to curb that woman’s influence on her son, she couldn’t stand the thought of Ian being out of her sight. Not now. “Can you play the game with your earbuds again, honey?”

“Mom… why can’t I hear what’s going on?”

She touched his cheek, still baby soft yet starting to take on the leaner look of a teenager. So grown up, yet still a little boy. “You’re going to have to trust me on this. Okay?”

He picked up the game, plugged in the earbuds and slipped them in his ears. A flick of a switch and his thumbs were hitting the buttons with record speed.

Playing poker? Melanie hoped not. Although she supposed that couldn’t be worse than those shooting games he loved.

She kissed his forehead and for once he didn’t wipe it off. Climbing to her feet, she focused on Bobby. “The other end of the room is as far as I’m going.”

“That should work.” He led them to the spot she was standing when she saw Meredith Unger’s body.

The air seemed heavier here. And even though the elevator car

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