Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
"Perfect timing," we heard Derek mutter from downstairs as he walked toward the front door.
Chloe and I froze at the top of the landing, trapped.
If we went down the main stairs, we would run right into him and his accomplice.
"The back stairs," Chloe mouthed to me, pointing toward the end of the hall.
They had a narrow set of servant stairs that led directly into the kitchen pantry.
We tip-toed down the hallway, every creak of the floorboards sounding like a gunshot in my ears.
Downstairs, the front door opened, and a woman's voice filled the entryway.
"Do you have the deed transfer ready?" the woman asked briskly.
"It's on the desk, Valerie. But we have a problem," Derek replied.
"The old lady, Eleanor? Did she figure it out?" Valerie asked, sounding annoyed.
"No, she's clueless. But Chloe is being stubborn. I locked her upstairs until she agrees to sign."
Valerie sighed loudly. "Derek, I am a notary, not a kidnapper. If she doesn't sign willingly, this is fraud and false imprisonment."
"She will sign it," Derek said, his voice dropping to a menacing growl.
Chloe and I reached the top of the back stairs, slipping into the narrow, dark stairwell.
We descended slowly, avoiding the center of the steps to minimize the noise.
We reached the bottom door, which opened directly into the walk-in pantry.
I pressed my ear against the wood, listening to the activity in the kitchen.
Derek and Valerie had moved into the living room, their voices carrying through the open floor plan.
"I'll go get her," Derek announced. "Have your stamp ready."
"He's coming upstairs," Chloe panicked, gripping my arm tight enough to bruise.
"When he opens that bedroom door and sees it's empty, all hell will break loose," I said.
We had perhaps thirty seconds before he realized we were gone.
I pushed the pantry door open and we spilled into the kitchen.
The back door leading to the patio was only ten feet away.
But just as we reached the kitchen island, Derek's roar of absolute fury echoed from the second floor.
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"CHLOE!"
He knew.
