Home Before Dark by Charles Maclean Read Free Book Online

by sight. But he knows who I am.’
'So that’s why you came over last night. Why didn’t you
say something?’
'Because I was too goddamned scared . . . Jimmy, I think
he’s been here in this apartment.’ Her voice cracked a little.
'Okay, calm down, just tell me what happened. When did
you see him?’
'About ten days before Sophie was killed. It was late evening,
I went to draw the curtains and noticed a man standing across
the street. Youngish, early thirties I guess, average height, okay
looking – I didn’t pay much attention. Just assumed he was
    waiting for someone. But then he looked up and our eyes met.
Something about his expression made me step back.
'Don’t laugh, but I thought I had an admirer. It never
occurred to me that he might be waiting for Sophie. I didn’t
think anything more about it until I got back to FLorence and
heard what had happened.’
'Did you report this to the Questura’
She shook her head. 'I started to make the call, I felt guilty
enough, but then I figured if the man I saw was responsible
for Sophie’s death, he knew where I lived, what I looked like.
How could the cops stop him coming after me?’
'But he didn’t, did he?’ Jimmy said. 'You never saw or
heard from him again – until yesterday, right? So why does
he wait a year to threaten you? Why now?’
'How would I know? I should have got the hell out of
Florence then. If it hadn’t been for work, I would have done.’
'You stayed because of Federico, don’t kid yourself. Did
you tell him about the call? Did you tell anyone else?’
Tears filled her eyes. 'No, no I didn’t.’
Earlier, when she realised she needed help, he’d been the
first person she wanted to call. In a weak moment she’d even
started to dial his number. What stopped her was knowing
that she would go to pieces if Federico refused.
'Samantha, honey,’ Jimmy said softly. 'What’s going on?
Talk to me.’
She was wondering whether she should ask him to deliver
her laptop to Ed Lister’s hotel. The Toshiba didn’t have a
case and she’d wrapped it in clear bubble wrap and buried
it in her L.L. Bean book bag – it was out there in the hall
with her backpack and suitcase. Sam hesitated.
'I can’t… Jimmy, believe me, you don’t want to get mixed
up in this. It’s too dangerous. We have to go now or I’ll miss
my train.’
She could guess the reason Ward had come back. He
    40
must’ve found out somehow about the files on her laptop – files Sophie had left behind that possibly could identify
him, and which he would do anything to recover.
aj: i got like 45 minutes to get to Penn station
td: what did you want to say?
aj: it’s not important… all right, last night, i dreamt you were in some kind of
trouble, something to do with Florence, with your daughter… is everything ok?
    The white clapboard house vanished from the screen, leaving
behind the text of Sam Metcalf’s abrupt e-mail asking me
not to contact her again. I replied anyway, thanking her for
the information and enquiring about the username and password
to the homebeforedark website. No reference to her
change of heart, no pleas to reconsider her decision – I kept
it short and to the point. I thought that was my best chance
of preserving the fragile link between us.
The messenger light had stopped flashing. I’m not sure if
Laura had noticed my reluctance to respond, or even realised
that I hadn’t. She was basically allergic to computers. Smiling
at something Bailey was saying to her on the phone, she
seemed to have lost interest. I felt relieved when she turned
away, my mobile to her ear, and wandered back through the
French doors into the bedroom.
I pulled up my contact list and saw that 'adorablejoker’,
the girl from Brooklyn I knew only as Jelena (she saw no
need to tell me her full name) had left a brief message, but
was 'currently offline’ – or using the invisible mode. I thought
for a moment then started to type. She didn’t let me finish.
    adorablejoker: can’t