time or something.'
She knew as she said it the air smelled too fresh for it to be true, but she didn't want to admit that to Lauren.
The second flight of stairs took them into a narrow, unlit room. Dark stone countertops with pale wood cabinets over them lined the walls. Rows of various styles of wine glasses were lined up on one counter. A flat wooden box with individually wrapped tea bags sat on the opposite side.
'This looks like a butler's pantry,” Harriet said. She smelled the faint scent of lemon oil wood cleaner mingled with lavender. This was clearly a place where someone lived, or which was at least cleaned on a regular basis.
She tiptoed to the door and found herself looking into a kitchen. Dim light spread out from the hood over the stove.
There was no evidence of life, so she helped Lauren over to a Formica-topped table in the middle of the room and pulled out a chair.
'I'm getting us some water before we go any farther,” she said in a slightly louder whisper. She located two glasses and filled them from the tap. “Here.” She pushed one into Lauren's shaking hand. “Don't drink it too fast.'
'I'll just wait here,” Lauren said when she'd finished, and laid her head down on the table.
'Come on-whoever brought us here could come back at any moment.” She took the empty glass from Lauren's hand and pulled her to her feet. Lauren swayed and tried to slump back down to the chair.
'Okay, you can rest for a minute while I call Aiden.” Harriet dug in her jeans pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She flipped it open and walked around the kitchen watching the small screen for signs of reception. By the stove, one bar popped to life. She punched Aiden's number in. The call rang but went directly to his voice mail.
'Aiden,” she said. “Lauren and I were tied up in a house, but we got loose and are about to go outside, I don't know where we are yet, but-'
The signal went dead.
'Do you see a phone anywhere?” she asked Lauren, but Lauren's eyes were closed so clearly she wasn't seeing anything.
Harriet stepped carefully to a door that looked as if it might lead out of the room. She pushed it open a crack and could see a heavy wood mission-style dining room table surrounded by chairs. Beyond was a living space. Weak light from an outside light illuminated the far room. Night had fallen while they'd been in the attic.
She stepped through the door and quickly scanned the dining and living rooms for a phone. If there was one, it wasn't obvious.
'Come on,” she ordered Lauren when she returned. “Naptime's over.'
'Huh?'
Harriet put her forearms under Lauren's armpits and hauled her upright. “I know your head hurts, but we have to get out of here.'
Lauren tried to shake her off but didn't have the strength to mount much opposition.
'We're going through the dining room and the living room and then outside.” She looked at Lauren's pale, tear- streaked face. “Are you ready?'
'Of course I'm not ready,” Lauren mumbled but she shuffled forward.
It seemed like an eternity until they reached the door. Lauren had to rest every few steps while Harriet looked behind and ahead of them, listening carefully for any sign they had been discovered.
'When we get outside, we're going to move immediately to the nearest cover. We're not going to stop.'
'Whatever you say, Rambo.'
Lauren agreeing without a fight worried Harriet more than the bump on her friend's head. She looked at Lauren's face. Her eyes had a dull look she hadn't noticed before. She was no doctor, but anyone could see Lauren was not doing well. She needed medical attention, and she needed it now.
'Let's go.'
A narrow porch ran the width of the house. Harriet half-carried Lauren outside and eased the door shut behind them. She took a deep breath and could smell the salty tang of sea air. They definitely weren't on school grounds.
She couldn't think about that right now. She had to focus on Lauren. The four porch steps were a challenge, but Lauren staggered down them and kept moving until they had crossed a small, neat yard and forced their way into a laurel hedge. Lauren collapsed to the ground.
'You can leave me here while you go for help,” she moaned.
'Sorry, we don't know whose house this is, but whoever lives here was, at the very least, willing to let us be tied up in their attic. And more than likely, it belongs to the person who put us there. So, get up, we have to keep moving.'
If looks could kill, Harriet would have been a goner, but Lauren pulled herself upright again.
The laurel hedge ran along a gravel driveway and soon gave way to dark forest. Lauren was stumbling badly on the rough forest floor. She wasn't going to make it if they stayed in the woods. Harriet didn't like the idea of walking out in the open, but there was no choice. She pulled Lauren onto the driveway and started again.
They had gone no more than a hundred yards when Harriet heard the unmistakable sound of tires on gravel. Someone was coming. She helped Lauren back off the road and propped her against a tree. As the car came into sight, Harriet recognized the boxy shape of a Ford Explorer. And it was black.
She stepped into the road and waved her arms. The car lights blinded her.
'Help!” she cried. “Can you help me?'
The car stopped, and a small form got out.
'Harriet? Is that you?'
'Oh, Patience, thank heaven, it's you. Someone tied me up in an attic, and Lauren was up there, too, and she's badly injured.'
'How dreadful,” Patience said. “We've all been looking for you. Here, get in the car.” She pulled the door to the back seat open.
'Wait, I've got to get Lauren.'
'She's with you?'
'Yes, she's behind that tree.” She pointed. “And she's not in very good shape. Whoever kidnapped her hit her on the head, and it looks pretty bad.'
'You get in the car, and I'll go fetch her.'
Harriet climbed into the warm car and slumped against the seat. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Aiden again. This time, he picked up on the first ring.
'Thank heaven, you're there,” Harriet said. “Lauren and I were trapped in an attic, but it's okay now, Patience just found us. Hang on.” At that moment, Patience opened the car door opposite Harriet and pushed Lauren in. Harriet put the phone down and helped get her onto the seat. She reached across Lauren, stretched the seatbelt into position and clicked the buckle. Then she belted herself.
'I think we should take Lauren directly to the hospital,” she said.
'The house here is much closer. We can take her inside and then call nine-one-one.” Patience got into the car and guided it back to the house.
'No, Patience, it's not safe. This is the house where we were being held hostage.'
'Someone must have broken in, then,” Patience said. “No one lives in this house, and we're miles from anywhere. This is the closest place to call an ambulance from.'
It didn't seem like the best plan to Harriet, but Patience knew Angel Harbor better than she did. Lauren definitely needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. All the moving around was taking its toll.
Patience held her on one side and Harriet the other as they wrestled her back up the porch steps and into the house. She flopped down onto the sofa when they let go of her.
'Who's house is this?” Harriet asked. She picked Lauren's feet up off the floor and lifted them onto the sofa. She took a throw pillow from the chair opposite the sofa and gently slid it under Lauren's head.
'It used to be my parents',” Patience replied. “I told Tom I would look for you and Lauren in the woods around here since I had to drive over here to water the house plants anyway.” She walked back toward the entrance and opened an interior door set into the wall. A coat closet, Harriet presumed. “My mother died right after Christmas, you see. I've been getting the house ready to sell.'
