Page 7

She hung up and tossed her phone at the sofa, where it bounced and landed on the floor. A scream was building inside her, and she was about to let it out when she thought she saw movement outside the window.
She slowly reached over and turned off the lamp beside her then headed into the kitchen, turned off the light there, and moved into the shadows. She remained still and watched out the window. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her.
A figure moved outside the window at the far end of the living room, and Adelia’s heart leapt into her throat. She reached for her phone in her back pocket but remembered it was on the floor. As stealthily as she could, she crouched down, moved around the sofa, and grabbed her phone. Very carefully, she covered the screen and turned it on, quickly lowering the brightness all the way down. She slowly made her way to the back door, where the light switches for the outside deck were located, then opened the video on her phone and aimed it at the windows where she’d last seen motion. Then she took a deep breath in, let it out, and flipped the switch for the outdoor lights.
A shiver ran through her as the person on the deck was revealed, obviously startled, and ran toward the steps that led down to the beach. She didn’t get a glimpse of a face. Just someone dressed in all black.
She was about to dial 911 but paused. It might bring unnecessary attention to the cottage, which she definitely did not want, so she dialed Gus instead. Of the three Schultz siblings, Gus was the middle child and one of her closest friends. He and Skylar were like the brother and sister she’d never had.
His cheerful voice answered seconds later. “Hey, Deals! What’s up?”
“Someone’s outside the cottage,” she whispered.
“Say again,” he replied.
“I’m at your family’s cottage, and someone was stalking around outside. I didn’t want to call the police because I don’t want to draw attention to the fact that I’m staying here. What should I do?”
“Sit tight. I’ll be right there.”