The Midnight Tour

Her alarm clock hadn’t gone off yet.

What day is this? she wondered.

Friday.

Wondering how much time she had, she rolled over and looked at the clock on the nearby nightstand.Twenty till eight.

The alarm was set for eight-thirty.

Plenty of time. Go back to sleep for a while?

The pillow didn’t feel quite right. She fluffed it, squeezed it, moved it this way and that under the side of her head until she found a more comfortable position. Then she shut her eyes and sighed.

This is nice, she thought.

Then she imagined how lunch might be today. Would Warren come over to her table?

Of course he will, she told herself.

She thought about how he would look in the sunlight. How he might smile. In her mind, he reached across the table and took hold of her hand.

So, how are things going today? she imagined him asking.

Just fine, thanks. Better all the time.

Same here, he told her. Things just got terrific.

Would that have anything to do with me?

It would have everything to do with you.

Dana felt herself smiling, blushing. She squirmed a little in the bed.

Still at the lunch table in her mind, she pictured herself saying to Warren, Why, thank you. Maybe we should get together later and...

Somewhere in the house, a sliding door squeaked on its runners and scattered Dana’s fantasy. The faraway sound seemed to come from downstairs, where all the rear doors were sliders. But it might’ve come from somewhere else. Upstairs, the bedrooms all had sliding doors to their balconies.

Must be Tuck, Dana thought.

She heard another squeak. This time, it was followed by a quiet thump.

What’s she doing? Going for an early morning swim?

Tuck hadn’t gone for a swim yesterday morning—not that Dana knew about, anyway.

Doesn’t mean she isn’t doing it now.

It’d be nice down there, she thought. Nothing beats going for a swim first thing in the morning when you have the pool all to yourself and...

Did Tuck forget about our creepy visitor last night?

No, she couldn’t have forgotten about him. She’d probably made up her mind to go for a swim, anyway.

Alone. Not such a great idea. Even if the jerk is long gone...

Maybe I should go down and keep her company.

Dana sighed again. She felt so cozy. But the pool would be great—clear and sparkling in the sunlight. She knew just how it would feel, too. After the cold shock of diving in, there’d be the sleek feel of the water rushing over her skin as she glided along beneath the surface.

Anyway, she thought, I shouldn’t let Tuck swim alone. Not after last night.

She flung the covers aside and the chilly air swarmed her, soaking through her thin cotton nightshirt. Shivering, she scampered to the adjoining bathroom.

As she used the toilet, she saw her red swimsuit from last night. It was draped over the shower rod where she’d left it. Probably still damp. She could get a fresh, dry suit out of a drawer and...

What the heck, it’ll get wet anyway in a couple of minutes.

After flushing the toilet, she pulled off her nightshirt. She hung it on the back of the door, then went to the tub and pulled down her swimsuit. She climbed into it. The clammy fabric clung to her skin, making her shudder and grimace.

Grabbing a towel, she rushed out of the bathroom. On her way through the bedroom, she draped the towel across her back and drew it around her chest like a cloak.

I’ll be okay once I’m outside in the sunlight.

She hoped Tuck wouldn’t mind having her solitude ruined.

But it’s never safe to swim alone, she thought—even if you don’t have some weirdo hanging around.

In the hall, striding past the open door of Tuck’s room, she glanced in.

Tuck, braced up on her elbows, looked back at her.

She lurched to a stop.

“Mornin’,” Tuck said, her voice husky as if she were barely awake. “Goin’ for a dip?”

Dana gaped at her.

Tuck’s hair was a mess. She wore a blue pajama shirt that was twisted crooked and half unbuttoned. The covers were down around her waist.

“Whassa matter?” she asked.

“Were you just up?”

“Huh? No.”

“You didn’t just come in from outside, or...?”

“Been right here.”

“You haven’t gotten out of bed at all this morning?”

“No.”

“Promise?”

Her frown deepening, Tuck sat up. “What’s going on?”

“I heard a door. It slid open for a second, and then it slid shut.”

“When?”

“Just now. I don’t know, four or five minutes ago.”

Tuck’s lips twisted and curled. “I’ve been right here,” she said.

“Did you hear anything?”

“A toilet flushed.”

“That was me.”

“Other than that...” Tuck shook her head slightly “I think I was asleep until the flush.”

“The sliding door was a couple of minutes before that. I figured you must’ve gone outside for a swim. I was just on my way to go down and join you.”

Tuck curled her upper lip. “I wouldn’t advise it,” she said.

They stared at each other.

“Are you sure what you heard was a sliding door?”

“What else makes a sound like that?”

Tuck was silent for a few seconds. Then she said, “I don’t know. Nothing. Not that I can think of.”

“You don’t have a housekeeper, or...?”

Tuck shook her head. “Nobody is supposed to be here but us. Nobody else even has a key. Just Dad and Janice.”

“Maybe we’d better have a look around.”

“I’d say so.” Tuck kicked her legs free of the covers, scooted off the bed and got to her feet. She wore no pants. The loose pajama shirt draped her like a very short dress. She slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops, then stepped over to the nightstand. There, she pulled open a drawer, reached inside, and hauled out her .44 magnum. “Here we go again,” she said. “Do you want to go back and get the gun Eve gave you, or...?”

“That’s all right,” Dana said. “I’ll rely on you to blast the bad guys. If any.”

“I can’t imagine what you heard.”

“If it wasn’t a door,” Dana said, “I don’t know what it could’ve been.” She stepped out of the way to let Tuck pass, then walked beside her down the hall.

“The doors were all locked last night,” Tuck said.

“I know.”