after checking one door after another, looking for movement or, worse, a pair of eyes staring back.
The distinct squeak of a turning brass door handle interrupted their hushed huddle. They both looked at the bedroom door. The shiny gold brass knob, just visible above the dresser, was turning back and forth. “I locked it, but that lock won’t keep anyone out for long,” Michael said. “It’s just to keep little kids out.”
“Oh my God, Michael. Do something, please.”
“We’ve got to take a risk. I’m going for the cell.” Michael broke away from Samantha and headed again toward the bureau where he had left his cell phone. But before he could reach it, all the lights went out. The room turned black. “He’s cut the power.”
As Michael groped in the sudden darkness to find his cell, the stranger’s voice let out a piercing, horrific laugh. It reverberated through the room. Michael finally grasped his cell phone. It was then that he saw the unfamiliar tiny blue light near the floor at the other end of the room.
Chapter 11
M ichael knew he had to call for help. As he dialed, he whispered into Samantha’s ear, “Check out the little blue light near the bathroom door.” The cell phone keyboard lit up as soon as he hit the 9.
But before Michael could finish dialing 9-1-1, the bedroom phone rang again.
Michael looked at Samantha. Finally, he checked the caller ID. “It’s Fletcher!” he whispered to Samantha as he switched his cell into his left hand and picked up the receiver with his right. Fletcher Fanelli was a close friend and the police chief of Westport.
“I’m two minutes away, but we’ve already got three patrol cars approaching your house right now. Where exactly are you?”
Michael could hear the police sirens in the near distance, and soon the red-and-blue flashing lights were reflecting through the windows and partially opened curtains, creating a light show on the walls. He felt a flush of relief.
“Samantha and I are locked inside the master bedroom.” Michael moved toward the other end of the room. “I’m looking out the front window. I see the patrol cars out front. But, Fletcher, someone’s inside the house. He actually called us, first from the library downstairs and then from the bedroom right next to us here upstairs.”
“Okay, Michael. Just stay where you are. Don’t leave the bedroom. I’m on the radio with my men now. They’re going to enter the house through your front and back doors. We’ve got officers all around the house. They know you’re in the master. Just stay there. I’m pulling up to your street myself. Just don’t leave the bedroom and don’t open the door until I tell you to.”
“Fletcher, there’s something else—he spoke to us, from inside our bedroom.”
“What do you mean, from inside your bedroom?”
“I don’t know, Fletch. We could hear his voice like he was right here in the room. But I don’t see anyone. The doors to the dressing room and the closet are open, but I haven’t gone in there to look.”
“Don’t. Don’t go into the closet or the dressing room. We’ll do that. Stay put until I tell you otherwise.”
“Fletcher, another thing.” Michael looked again in the direction of the blue illumination. “There’s a strange blue light, like an LED or laser or something. It’s coming from the other side of the room. I didn’t notice it until the power and the lights went out. It’s very small. I haven’t gone near it yet.”
“Is it flashing?”
“No, it’s a steady blue glow.” Michael felt like he could read Fletcher’s mind.
“Michael, is it ticking?”
“Jesus, Fletcher. No. There’s no sound that I can hear from it. And there are no little digital numbers counting down, if that’s what you mean.”
“Okay, Michael, we’re just turning down Imperial Road, we’re a minute away.”
It seemed like a very long minute before Michael could hear a commotion downstairs as half the Westport police
The distinct squeak of a turning brass door handle interrupted their hushed huddle. They both looked at the bedroom door. The shiny gold brass knob, just visible above the dresser, was turning back and forth. “I locked it, but that lock won’t keep anyone out for long,” Michael said. “It’s just to keep little kids out.”
“Oh my God, Michael. Do something, please.”
“We’ve got to take a risk. I’m going for the cell.” Michael broke away from Samantha and headed again toward the bureau where he had left his cell phone. But before he could reach it, all the lights went out. The room turned black. “He’s cut the power.”
As Michael groped in the sudden darkness to find his cell, the stranger’s voice let out a piercing, horrific laugh. It reverberated through the room. Michael finally grasped his cell phone. It was then that he saw the unfamiliar tiny blue light near the floor at the other end of the room.
Chapter 11
M ichael knew he had to call for help. As he dialed, he whispered into Samantha’s ear, “Check out the little blue light near the bathroom door.” The cell phone keyboard lit up as soon as he hit the 9.
But before Michael could finish dialing 9-1-1, the bedroom phone rang again.
Michael looked at Samantha. Finally, he checked the caller ID. “It’s Fletcher!” he whispered to Samantha as he switched his cell into his left hand and picked up the receiver with his right. Fletcher Fanelli was a close friend and the police chief of Westport.
“I’m two minutes away, but we’ve already got three patrol cars approaching your house right now. Where exactly are you?”
Michael could hear the police sirens in the near distance, and soon the red-and-blue flashing lights were reflecting through the windows and partially opened curtains, creating a light show on the walls. He felt a flush of relief.
“Samantha and I are locked inside the master bedroom.” Michael moved toward the other end of the room. “I’m looking out the front window. I see the patrol cars out front. But, Fletcher, someone’s inside the house. He actually called us, first from the library downstairs and then from the bedroom right next to us here upstairs.”
“Okay, Michael. Just stay where you are. Don’t leave the bedroom. I’m on the radio with my men now. They’re going to enter the house through your front and back doors. We’ve got officers all around the house. They know you’re in the master. Just stay there. I’m pulling up to your street myself. Just don’t leave the bedroom and don’t open the door until I tell you to.”
“Fletcher, there’s something else—he spoke to us, from inside our bedroom.”
“What do you mean, from inside your bedroom?”
“I don’t know, Fletch. We could hear his voice like he was right here in the room. But I don’t see anyone. The doors to the dressing room and the closet are open, but I haven’t gone in there to look.”
“Don’t. Don’t go into the closet or the dressing room. We’ll do that. Stay put until I tell you otherwise.”
“Fletcher, another thing.” Michael looked again in the direction of the blue illumination. “There’s a strange blue light, like an LED or laser or something. It’s coming from the other side of the room. I didn’t notice it until the power and the lights went out. It’s very small. I haven’t gone near it yet.”
“Is it flashing?”
“No, it’s a steady blue glow.” Michael felt like he could read Fletcher’s mind.
“Michael, is it ticking?”
“Jesus, Fletcher. No. There’s no sound that I can hear from it. And there are no little digital numbers counting down, if that’s what you mean.”
“Okay, Michael, we’re just turning down Imperial Road, we’re a minute away.”
It seemed like a very long minute before Michael could hear a commotion downstairs as half the Westport police
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