Whispering Springs. Amanda Stevens
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“No one else has a key to your room?”
“Just the staff.”
“You didn’t see anyone lurking in the hallway when you left? Anything out of the ordinary happen while you were out?”
“Not that I noticed. Dylan...” She took a reluctant step into the room, averting her gaze from the bed. “The other threats were more straightforward. The phone calls, the message left on the bathroom mirror. This is more nuanced. More diabolical somehow. If what you’re saying is true...if the doll is meant to represent me, then Tony is no longer the target. I am.”
“He could still be the ultimate objective. From everything you’ve told me, he’s a ruthless negotiator. He doesn’t give up or give in. Personal threats wouldn’t faze him, but if his opponents believe you’re his Achilles heel, they may think the best way to get to him is through you.”
“If only they knew,” she murmured.
“Meaning?”
“Nothing.” Her head came up defiantly. “You’re right. Tony doesn’t give up or give in. No matter what. It may sound bizarre, but you’ve made me feel better. A stranger using me as leverage to gain the upper hand in a business deal is infinitely preferable to one of my oldest friends playing a malicious trick on me.”
“Even so, you shouldn’t take any of this lightly. This person has been watching you. He or she is familiar with your comings and goings, and they’ve managed to infiltrate your personal space not once, but twice. I’ll have another look around the grounds and I’ll talk to the staff, find out if any strangers have been spotted on the property. In the meantime, you should consider bringing in more security.”
“You know I can’t do that. I explained why in Ezra Blackthorn’s office during our first meeting. Tony would never agree to protection. He’d see it as a sign of weakness. If I brought in a bunch of strangers, he’d catch on immediately and send you all away. Like it or not, you’re our only defense, Dylan.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but I’m just one person and this is a large, isolated property. I can’t be everywhere at once, so I’ll say it again. Don’t let your guard down and don’t get careless.”
“I understand.”
He walked over to the French doors. “Were these open while you were gone?”
“Yes, the suite seemed a little stuffy. I wanted to air out the bedroom while I swam. We’re on the second floor. I didn’t think anyone could get in.”
“Someone can always get in. It wouldn’t take much skill or strength to scale the wall. Remind me again of the room arrangements?”
“Your room is across the hall, of course, and Ava is next to you. Celeste is at the end and Jane is across from her. There’s an empty room between her room and this suite.”
Dylan thought about the flash of light he’d seen earlier. He could have sworn someone had been watching him from a balcony doorway. “You’re sure no one else is staying at the ranch besides staff? Not even in the cabins?”
“The last of the guests checked out over the weekend. I reserved the whole place for a week, so no one else should be arriving until Saturday. Except for Tony, of course. He’s still due in tonight.”
Dylan stepped out on the balcony. Twilight had deepened to nightfall and a few stars hung low on the horizon. He could see the glitter of the moon through the trees, but the leaves muted the illumination. He took out his cell phone and shone the beam across the floor and all along the rail, looking for any evidence left by the intruder. Then he straightened and gazed down the row of balconies. A curtain billowed next door.
He went back inside and latched the French doors. “You said the room next door is empty, correct?”
“Yes, why?”
“Wait here while I check something out. Don’t let anyone in while I’m gone.”
Blair shivered as her gaze darted to the bed. “What am I supposed to do with the doll?”
“Leave it. Don’t touch anything. I’ll take care of it when I get back.”
He left the suite and strode down the hallway to the next room, pressing his ear to the door before knocking. He couldn’t hear anything inside and the door was locked. He retraced his steps to Blair’s suite. When she let him in, he went back out to the balcony.
Blair trailed after him. “Dylan? What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out how someone got into your suite.” He climbed on top of the railing and then hoisted himself up to the roof. From his vantage, he had an expansive view of the property. Light from the downstairs windows and patios cast an anemic glow over the grounds, but the woods beyond lay in deep shadow. The night was so quiet he could hear the ripple of leaves and the gurgle of a creek beyond the trees. To his right, the escarpment was a jagged silhouette against the navy sky.
He scanned the cliffs and probed all along the tree line. If anyone was out there, they were well hidden by the night.
Lifting his face to the sky, he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to calm a festering worry. Something was wrong. He could sense discord all around him, could hear it in the eerie saw of the breeze that blew through the pinions. In the whisper of water over rocks from the springs. Somewhere on the ridge a coyote howled, followed by a series of yips and barks that lifted the hair at the back of his neck. They sensed it, too, he thought. He wasn’t particularly insightful and definitely not clairvoyant, but he’d learned a long time ago not to second-guess his instincts.
The doll was a troublesome development. Nuanced and diabolical, Blair had said. Maybe they were both overthinking the situation, but Dylan couldn’t shake the notion that more was going on beneath the surface. That the threats to Blair and Tony Redding might be nothing more than a clever ruse to lure Dylan and the others to Whispering Springs. But why?
* * *
A FEW MINUTES LATER, Dylan hurried along the edge of the roof and dropped down onto the next balcony.
Parting the billowing curtains, he stepped inside. The layout and furnishings were similar to those of his room. King-size bed facing a large armoire with a flat-screen TV and bar. Desk and chair situated in front of the French doors. Bathroom and closet just off the entry. A quick search through the armoire drawers and closet yielded nothing. The room appeared spotless, bed neatly made, fresh towels in the bathroom. It was possible the cleaning staff had left the balcony doors open by mistake, but he kept going back to the flash of light he’d seen from the escarpment.
He went out into the hallway, glancing both ways before returning a second time to Blair’s suite. She answered his knock at once.
Before he could say anything, she leaned in to murmur, “Ava’s here.”
“Where?”
She pointed to the bedroom. “The door was open and she saw the doll. I couldn’t stop her from going in.”
He said nothing else as he moved out of the foyer and into the sitting room. Ava stood just beyond the bedroom doorway. She had her back to him, but she spun as soon as she heard him approach.
“Have you seen this?”
He took in her pale face and wide green eyes. “Yes, I’ve seen it.”
“What do you make of it? What kind of sick joke is someone trying to pull here?”
Before he could answer, Blair came into the room, keeping her distance from the bed. “It’s not a joke. It’s a warning effigy.”
Ava looked aghast. “A what?”
“Blair,” Dylan cautioned.
She gave a helpless shrug. “What’s the point of keeping her in the dark now? She’s already seen the doll. Besides, maybe she can help